Slipping into jeans and an off-the-shoulder cashmere sweater, Zara took a seat next to Gia on a puffy pink bench to buckle her black booties.
“Were you nervous when you married Hawk?” She asked once they were bundled up in warm coats and out on the street again. Gia’s car was parked three blocks away, but the women planned to have lunch in Denver before heading home.
As always, Zara knew somewhere, Mace, better known as Pretty-Boy, was close by. Wisely, he’d chosen to give them space. She didn’t think the guy could take much more wedding talk without going mad. Some days she felt terrible he was stuck bodyguarding her, but he was like a giant baby brother she’d never had. Glancing over her shoulder, sure enough, there was his blond head striding four people behind them. He smirked to let her know everything was fine.
“The only thing I was worried about was if Hawk took off. He was a flight risk.” Gia chuckled. Zara thought differently. Hawk was obsessed with Gia back then. He still was. She figured he would have tied Gia to him in any way he could. “Are you having wedding wobbles? Should we book you a ticket to Mexico?”
Laughing, Zara slid her arm through Gia’s. The busy streets meant they weaved in and out of people as they made their way to the eatery on the corner. She had such a craving for pastry, but she’d be good and have a grilled chicken salad. Boo.
“You know I love Rider.”
“I walked in on you two making out last week. I think I got how you feel about him, babe.”
“I feel stupid I waited this long to say yes to his proposal.”
Gia hip-checked her. “It happened when it was meant to. Don’t you think I had those thoughts about Hawk and me? All that time wasted, but you know, if you focus on the what if’s and regrets, you miss the perfect moments that are happening right now.”
“Yes, Mrs. Psychologist.” Amused Zara.
“Sorry,” laughed her friend, “force of habit, but it’s still true. You didn’t answer. Do you have wedding wobbles?”
“Not about marrying him. The wedding seems to have swelled larger than we wanted. Mom has gone crazy organizing it all. She calls almost hourly with new ideas for flowers or the seating plan. Like, I don’t give a crap where everyone sits, why is that important?”
“That’s what moms do.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
And because Zara carried remorse from the worry she caused her parents; she’d allowed her mom to have full control of the planning.
Now her wedding was a monster.
Having called Little Rome’s ahead of time, they didn’t have to wait. Slipping out of their coats, they were shown to a table in the center of the room. “We should invite Mace inside; it’s freezing out there.”
“He’s fine,” said Gia, “you need to realize he wouldn’t be your bodyguard if he didn’t want to be. Ambrosio doesn’t force the men into anything they don’t want to do.”
“Maybe,” she wasn’t sure. She’d order him a fat sandwich for when they left. Oh, and cake. Mace was a cake fiend.
“Believe it. Think of how guilty he’d feel if something happened and he was in here stuffing his face.”
“So we’re leaving him out in the cold for his own sake?” Lips twitched as Gia’s smile grew. “Exactly. Now getting back to what we were talking about. I’m sure mom is bossy too.”
The mom’s had got together long ago. They even had a roster for babysitting between them.
“Do you want me to run interference?”
“Nah, it’s good. I’m just panicking a bit.”
“Because you can’t delegate for shit.”
Zara huffed. Such a freaking lie.
Okay, maybe not so much.
“I’m marrying the biggest biker-man in the States. People are coming from all over. I have to make sure it’s perfect.”
“It will be perfect because you’re marrying the love of your life, Zara. That’s what is most important. Rider would marry you in the backyard dressed in a cowboy outfit.”
Zara almost choked on her virgin long island iced tea. “Your mind is wild.”
But she wasn’t wrong.
Rider wanted to marry Zara the day after the proposal, even though he’d been in the hospital with a gunshot wound.
God, that day still put ice in her blood. She almost lost him. Vowing from that moment on, she would never waste another second of their lives together.
Gia was right.
The party was the icing on what was already a perfect cake.
She and Rider were on the pinnacle of happiness. Panicking over silly details was only going to mean she wouldn’t enjoy the moments leading to the big day.
And while she ate lunch and talked about anything but weddings and kids, Zara got an idea.
It was an utterly delicious idea.
When she shared it with Gia, she too smiled. “Ohhh, secrets. I love it.”
“Not a word to Hawk.”
“Girl squad promise,” Gia said, holding up the peace sign.
Zara rolled her eyes, entertained. The old ladies always joked about Zara’s “girl squad,” which was almost topping the MC boys in numbers. Let them laugh when she had matching cuts made for next Christmas. Luxe would go wild before she eventually gave in. Big softie. Not that Zara shared that fact with anyone.
Once lunch was over, the pair headed outside. Zara handed the sandwich to Pretty-Boy, his blue eyes lighting up. “Damn, thanks, Z-girl. Ready to head home, or is there more shopping to do?”
“Home, please.”
Gia’s car was parked nearby. They watched her pull away before Pretty-Boy told Zara to hang fire and he’d bring the truck to her.
On the street, snow fell slowly, and she turned a smiling face up to the sky. Rider would
