“Decided to do a little more work,” Caleb says, and the music starts up. I can’t help but laugh as Caleb’s followed out of the house by the rest of the men in our “extended” family—Tony, Oli, Jake, and Gavin—who are all dressed as construction workers-slash-strippers. Martha herds me and my friends into the front five chairs as the boys give us all a lap dance to Work From Home, culminating in Caleb’s grinding on my lap to the point I’m tempted to cut the reception short and get right to the after party. He leans down, growling in my ear, “Apparently, this is some sort of tradition, according to Oliver. I can’t break tradition, now can I?” And I bite my lip as I run my hands up the outside of his jean-clad thighs to his hips, mindful of the audience surrounding us.
Roxy, on the other hand, laughs and smacks Jake hard on his ass. “Work, work, work, work!” she howls, giggling. “I’m glad that I’m the dancer in our marriage!”
Caleb and the boys change into more normal reception clothes with scary speed, and I’m soon enjoying cake and toasts along with everyone. When Hannah gets up, my throat tightens.
“When I first met Cassie, the first thought I had was . . . how do I arrange to get my desk moved to the other side of the floor?” she says, making us all laugh. “Talk about a girl who would never, ever shut up!
“At first, I had reservations. Then, as we struggled together in the sands of Hawaii, I learned about a woman who is a fighter, a loyal companion, a woman with a heart bigger than her body and a spirit bigger than anyone I’ve ever known.”
I’m barely holding back the tears when Hannah chuckles. “Then there was the night that I came back and there was this strange buzzing sound from her side of the room.”
“Hey!” I call out, making everyone laugh. “You promised!”
“It was her alarm clock,” Hannah finishes, making me blush furiously. “But that buzzing woke me up, too. Cassie stood by me when I risked it all for what was right, and I’ve spent every day since my marriage hoping that she’d find someone who loved her as much as I do. Thankfully, there was Caleb, who drove her just as nuts as she drove him . . . that probably should have been my first clue that these two were going to end up together someday.”
“Or that they’d kill each other,” Tony quips, and Hannah laughs.
“He’s right. I’m glad they found happiness instead. So, to Cassie and Caleb, may you find happiness in each other’s arms, laughter in every day, and have lots of babies to snuggle. I know you’ve already found love.”
The touching toast brings me to happy tears, and as the reception continues on to dancing, I feel swept away as Caleb and I dance together, the DJ playing Bon Jovi’s Bed of Roses. I can’t help it. I look up at my husband and chuckle. “Couldn’t pass up the eighties rock, huh?”
“He recorded this in ninety-two,” Caleb counters, smirking. “Don’t worry, after this, I told the DJ nothing from before two thousand unless it’s a ladies’ choice.”
“Good. Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?” Caleb asks as we turn and move on the flagstones that make up the patio we’re using as a dancefloor.
“For fixing me. For renovating my heart.”
Caleb pulls me closer, smiling. “Time for renovations is over. I was thinking we could talk construction from now on. Our family needs an addition.”
“I agree. Good thing I’ve already been working on that,” I tell him, grinning lightly. “I was going to surprise you tomorrow with it, but you’re going to be losing your home office, buddy. It’s going to be the baby’s room.”
Caleb pulls me closer, and I can feel the wetness of his tears hitting my forehead. I hug him tighter, knowing that this leak doesn’t need fixing.
About the Author
Big Fat Fake Series:
My Big Fat Fake Wedding || My Big Fat Fake Engagement || My Big Fat Fake Honeymoon
Standalones:
Drop Dead Gorgeous || The Dare
Bennett Boys Ranch:
Buck Wild || Riding Hard || Racing Hearts
The Tannen Boys:
Rough Love || Rough Edge || Rough Country
Dirty Fairy Tales:
Beauty and the Billionaire || Not So Prince Charming || Happily Never After
Get Dirty:
Dirty Talk || Dirty Laundry || Dirty Deeds || Dirty Secrets
