by Regina Cole
His mouth fell open. “What?”
She laughed a little. “It was obvious, honey. But you were so determined to pull it off that I wanted to give you the chance. And call your bluff a little. But up until about a week ago, you were really pulling it off. I’ve been impressed.”
Trey looked at the floor, the memory of his disappearing act chafing. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I hope I haven’t wrecked things.”
“Not at all.” His mother laughed. “I haven’t had this much excitement in a long time.”
“Or hopefully ever again,” Sarah muttered. She stood and walked over to her mother. “Come on, you’ve still got sticky stuff on your wrists from that tape. I’ve got some baby oil upstairs that will take it off.”
“We’ll be upstairs if you need us,” his mother said with a smile at him and Bethany, and allowed Sarah to lead her upstairs.
Alone, Trey looked at the woman beside him. “Do you think you can forgive me for being such a lying bastard?”
“I don’t know.” She looked at the back door. “Want to take a walk?”
“Sure,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. Anything she wanted. “Let’s go.”
His mother’s backyard was a beautifully landscaped private garden, complete with a paved path and a tiny koi pond in the corner. Hand in hand, he and Bethany wandered through the late-spring blooms, the stars twinkling brightly overhead.
“Why did you do it?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Lie to you?” He took a deep, steadying breath. “Because it was easier than letting you know the truth. Because I was afraid that if I told you I was in a biker gang instead of a police squad, that you’d run away. And since you’re the best damn thing that ever happened to me, I couldn’t face that idea.”
She sank down onto the bench beside the koi pond. Behind her, a flowering dogwood’s petals rippled softly in the breeze. He sat down beside her, wishing like hell he knew what to say to make this all better.
“You hurt me,” she said, no trace of malice in her words.
He didn’t think she could have said anything that would have made him feel worse than that.
“I’d do anything to take it back,” he said honestly, squeezing her hand. “I know you’ve got no reason to forgive me. But I swear, I would do anything to make it up to you.”
She gave him a small smile, and hope leapt in his heart.
“I believe you. And I want to move forward. I’ve spent too long trying to heal old wounds. I have to give myself permission to move on. To be happy.”
A tear ran down her cheek, and Trey put his arm around her shoulders. Tucking her close to his side, he waited, silently lending her his strength.
“My father made me promise to take care of my grandmother. Before he died. And that woman has put me through hell. But now?” She looked up at Trey. “I know what to do now. My uncle’s moving her in with him. And he’ll take care of her, for the money that’ll be there after she dies if nothing else.” She gave a sad laugh. “In a way, they’re perfect for each other. And my promise to Dad will be finished. I don’t think he meant to chain me to her for life.”
“If he was anything like you,” Trey said, holding her close, “he’d have moved heaven and earth to see you happy.”
Bethany laid her head on his shoulder. “I think so. And I want to be with you. I’m choosing you. If you promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
Her hand brushed his cheek as she turned him to face her.
“Never lie to me again. And promise you’ll never leave me. I can deal with a lot of things, like you being the head of a biker gang, but the one thing I can’t deal with is being without you.”
“I swear,” he said and bent down to kiss her. “I love you, Bethany Jernigan,” Trey murmured against her mouth.
“And I love you, Trey Harding. No matter what. I love you.”
* * *
They spent a long night at the Yelverton home, talking, laughing, apologizing, getting to know one another. It was one of the happiest nights in Trey’s memory.
The next morning, while he was with Bethany, Sarah, and his mother in the kitchen, preparing a Food Network–worthy breakfast, Trey’s cell phone buzzed.
Sarah, sitting at the counter beside him, stopped peeling mid-orange.
“Who’s that? The mafia?” She winked as if to make sure he knew she was joking.
“No, it’s the FBI. They want to hire me.” He swiped the answer-call button. “What is it, Ace?”
“Hey, Boss,” he said, sounding a little jittery. “Listen. I know you’re probably busy, and you’re going to kick my ass for asking this, but… I mean, since it’s so close, and we’ve done all this work…”
“The wedding job is back on.”
Ace’s whoop was so loud it made Sarah jump beside him.
“Really? You mean it?”
Trey laughed. “I do.” He covered the speaker and addressed his mother. “Hey, Mom, you still want the rest of the bikers to help with this wedding?”
Mom grinned. “Of course.”
“What?” Sarah squawked. Bethany giggled.
Trey moved his hand and spoke into the phone again. “Gather up the rest of the asylum, and you guys meet us here.” He rattled off the address.
For the next half hour, there was a huge amount of cooking, laughing, and a good dose of sheer panic from Sarah once she’d figured out that it was true—a biker gang was actually planning her wedding. But when the guys arrived, it was as if they had always been part of the family.
Mom cooed over Ace’s new vision board, done in more proper colors of gray and turquoise this time. Bethany and Doc worked in the kitchen, perfecting ideas for the wedding food. Wolf, Dean, and Sarah talked about the platform and archway for the end of the aisle.
And Trey? He watched them all, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky to have a family like this.
It must have been some lucky star shining that night when he’d been born.
When Doc was called to another part of the house, Trey slipped into the kitchen behind Bethany, who was looking on her phone for wedding recipes.
“Hey,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
“Hi,” she said, looking up at him with a smile.
“Listen, I know I’ve apologized for the lying, but I wanted you to know I’m sorry again for leaving you with the venue problem. I feel really bad about that.”
“Well,” she said, turning in his arms, her cheeks pinkening suspiciously, “you actually can make up for that.”
“Really? I’ll do anything,” he said, bending down to brush her lips with his.
“You can let us use your house.”
“What?”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Oh God, I can’t find my veil. Bethy! Bethy!”
Laughing, Bethany ran into the room.
“Sarah, relax. It’s right here. It was a little crumpled on one side so I was steaming it. Here.”
Sarah obediently bent down so Bethany could affix the veil to the cascade of golden curls that tumbled down her back.
“There.” Bethany stepped to the side to admire her work. “You’re perfect.”
Sarah’s smile was brilliant. “It’s all thanks to you. I can’t imagine having pulled this off without you. And Mom. And even Trey.” She laughed, picking up the bouquet of orchids and peonies that Hawk had dropped off earlier. “God, is it really time?”
Bethany nodded, picking up her own bouquet. “It is.”
Together, they walked down the hall of Trey’s house, out onto the deck, and down the stairs. The crowd was visible through the windows, seated in front of the beautiful custom arch that Wolf and the other Shadows had built beside the picturesque pond.
The flowers, the music, all of it was straight out of a
fairy-tale wedding. A surge of pride filled Bethany’s chest as she took it all in.
They’d done that. She, and Trey, and Mama Yelverton, and the rest of the Shadows. After several disasters and lots of false starts, they’d ended up with a beautiful ceremony.
“Let’s get you married,” she said to Sarah, pressing a kiss to her friend’s cheek before walking down the aisle. Her turquoise maid-of-honor dress swished around her knees, the delicate color offset by the pink and white in the stems of the flowers she held.
Smiling, she walked sedately down the aisle, accompanied by the string quartet’s classical music. But she didn’t look at the beautiful decorations or the smiling crowd.
Instead, she only had eyes for the man in the front row, seated on the bride’s side, right next to Mama Yelverton.
Trey.
He looked immaculately handsome in a well-fitting suit, at odds with his usual gruff biker style. But damn if it didn’t do it for her. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of taking it off him later.
God, he was amazing. And he was all hers.
He gave her a wink, and she blushed, stopping at the front of the crowd and taking her position next to the custom platform Wolf and the others had constructed for the bride, groom, and officiant.
The ceremony went beautifully, and there were more than a few tears when Sarah and Mark exchanged their vows. The reception was perfect with food and wine and music and laughter in the rooms of the big house that Wolf and some of the other bikers shared, Trey’s place being too small for the after-ceremony party.
A perfect send-off for her best friend, and as Sarah and Mark got ready to leave, Bethany pressed an envelope into her bestie’s hand.
“What’s this?”
“A little something from Trey and me,” Bethany said with a smile. “Don’t open it until you get to the hotel.”
Sarah shook her head. “You’ve done too much.”
“Not as much as you’ve done for me.” A little choked up, Bethany gave Sarah a quick hug. “Now get going, or your new hubby will come looking for you!”
With a wave, Sarah was gone.
Back in the much-emptier living room, where the music had stopped and only a few stragglers were finishing their drinks, Bethany sank down into the empty chair beside Trey.
“Go okay?” He pressed a kiss to her cheek as he asked the question softly.
“Yup. She didn’t suspect a thing.”
Trey grinned. “Good.”
“You’re kind of proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? She’s always dreamed about hiking in the Alps, according to Mom. She wouldn’t have taken a gift like that trip directly from me, so how was I supposed to get it to her otherwise?”
Bethany shook her head. “You’re too good.”
“Not good enough for you.” He nuzzled her ear, and she trembled.
“Jeez, are you guys ever going to get a room?” Ace threw a mint at them, which Trey deflected with a glare.
“Watch it, asswipe.”
Just then, Mama Yelverton came toward them, an exhausted smile on her face. Trey jumped up and dragged a chair from a nearby table, and she gratefully settled into it.
“Thank you,” she said as Trey sank back down beside Bethany. “I’m exhausted.”
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Bethany said, patting Mama Yelverton’s hand. “You should be proud.”
“You and Trey and the Shadows pulled it off. I barely did anything.”
Bethany looked down at her hands. “Actually, it’s led me to a discovery. I want to do this.” She gestured around them. “The organizing, the planning, helping people create their dream weddings. I think I finally know what I want to do when I grow up.” She grinned at her surrogate mother. “I want to be a wedding planner.”
An odd, mischievous light climbed into Mama Yelverton’s eyes, and she leaned forward. “As a matter of fact, that gives me a brilliant idea. Come on. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“Uh-oh,” Trey said. “Why is this making me nervous?”
“I’ve got a proposition for you. For all of you,” Mama Yelverton said, nodding at the rest of the Shadows who were scattered around the hall. “May I?”
At Trey’s nod, Wolf gathered the rest of the Shadows around the table. Bethany laced her fingers through Trey’s and shot him a questioning glance. He just shrugged.
“Now,” Mama Yelverton said, templing her fingers as she looked at each of them in turn, “I know that the Iron Knot wasn’t exactly a business in the beginning, but you have to admit that this was a beautiful wedding.”
“Fucking amazing,” Doc said, and everyone else laughed and agreed.
“The favors were perfect,” Ace said, patting the mason jar candle in front of him. “Everybody commented on them.”
“Exactly so.” Mama Yelverton smiled over at Bethany. “Considering the soul-searching that Beth has been doing lately, and the way this came together, I think that this could be a lucrative business for all of you.”
Silence fell, broken a minute later by a slight cough.
“You mean, like, permanent?” Dean’s eyebrows had climbed halfway to his hairline. “Like, weddings all the time?”
Mama Yelverton nodded. “I do. Let me explain. You had everything taken care of. Bethany nailed the concept. Trey delegated, organized, and negotiated. You all performed your roles perfectly. The only spanner in the works was the venue, correct?”
Bethany nodded, conscious of Trey’s position change in the seat beside her. He was leaning forward, as if listening harder to his mother’s words.
“Do you remember that Victorian house that’s in the woods before you get to my place? That beautiful home that’s run-down?”
Trey nodded.
“The man that lived there has finally agreed to sell it to me. I close on it next weekend.”
“That’s a gorgeous place,” Wolf grunted. “It’d take a lot of work to fix it up though.”
“I know. But when I look at the work you did here, I know that you and the Shadows could take it on. Here’s what I propose. The Iron Shadows become the Iron Knot Wedding Planning Venue and Service. You fix up that house and host weddings there, and I’ll provide any start-up capital you need for a stake in the business. On one condition.”
Bethany couldn’t believe her ears.
“Name it,” Trey said.
Mama Yelverton smiled. “That you hire people from Sam’s Place whenever possible. Servers, bartenders, setup work, whatever you can.”
Trey looked around at the table, and Bethany followed his gaze.
One by one, the Shadows were nodding. Only a couple still looked nonplussed, but eventually they gave sharp nods to indicate their agreement.
Trey squeezed Bethany’s hand.
“Strong Girl? What do you think? This is your dream. Would you mind if a bunch of obstinate assholes joined you?”
Bethany laughed. “We’d be amazing. Let’s do it.”
“Mom? You’ve got yourself a deal.” Trey shook his mother’s hand, Ace whooped, and Dean socked his friend on the shoulder.
Conversations broke out—Wolf talking through the upcoming renovation, Ace yelling at Dean for his supposed abuse, and Doc outlining recipes for the next reception. Flash picked up Mama Yelverton and spun her in a circle.
Bethany laughed, but out of the corner of her eye, she watched Jameson exit the room.
He’d been one of the holdouts. She hoped he was okay.
“Beth.”
She looked up at Trey, beyond overjoyed that this man was hers.
“Yes?”
“Come with me.”
He led her to a set of sliding glass doors at the far end of the room, then slid them open. A small deck looked over the lawn, just a short walk away f
rom the place Sarah and Mark had promised to love each other forever.
Trey held both her hands and looked down into her eyes.
“Bethany, I love you.”
“I love you too…” she started, but Trey shook his head.
“Let me get this out. It’s important.” Trey cleared his throat. “I love you. We got off to such a rocky start, but I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Oh, Trey,” she said, her voice trembling a little. “I feel the same way.”
“I don’t deserve you yet. But I swear to you, I want to. And I will. When I’m better, when I’ve given you some time to see that I truly am devoted to you, that I can come close to being what you need, I will drop to one knee and propose.”
She cupped his cheek, smiling brightly up at him.
“I can’t wait,” she whispered.
“Neither can I,” he admitted, and then he swept her into his arms.
No matter who he was, she belonged to him, and he belonged to her. They belonged together. And they always would.
Forever.
Acknowledgments
Writing a book sometimes feels like a solitary endeavor, but if it was up to me alone? It would never get done. So, these are the people that spur me on, give me encouragement, and otherwise force me to write the darn book!
My husband, Scotty. My big sister, Heather. Mom, Dad. My brother Jason. My besties, Stephanie and Denise. My incredible agent Nicole. And lastly, the best editor in the universe, Mary. This team is how I am ever able to do anything, and I’m so grateful to you all.
About the Author
Regina Cole, writer, wife, mom of twins, potter, cook, and professional procrastinator, loves sharing make-believe with readers. She’s an unapologetic romantic and Korean drama addict, and is proud to bait her own hooks and take her own fish off the line, thank you very much. Her greatest ambition is to make a vase that her kids could hide in. Powered by mini-marshmallows, she and her wonderful family live in eastern North Carolina. Find her online at reginacole.net.