EPILOGUE – ELI
The ceremony location was beautiful.The flowers were perfect. The weather was spectacular for July in Wisconsin.
And everything else was absolute chaos.
“Where’s Toby?” Travis barked, tugging at his tie like it was choking him. The tie was non-negotiable on Frankie’s part, but Trav bartered it for the black cowboy hat he was wearing.
Something I planned to make him wear later with nothing else.
I had spent all day imagining Frankie in her sexy little white lace lingerie that I happened to sneak a glimpse of when she packed her bag last night. And Trav wearing nothing but a cowboy hat while he fucked her senseless was right there next to it in my mind.
Shit, I was going to have to go jack off again if I didn’t get my mind out of the gutter.
“Selling bets out front,” I muttered, already bracing myself. “He’s got a jar going on how many times Coach Rick cries before the reception.”
“Damn kid,” Travis grumbled, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth gave him away. Toby was turning out to be quite the mix of us, mastering Trav’s steady confidence with my ornery shenanigans to keep things interesting.
Meanwhile, Emmie was a full-blown mini-Frankie, through and through.
Bossy.
Moody.
And right, one hundred percent of the time.
Like currently, as she marched up and down the aisle, like a pint-sized general, making sure every flower petal was perfect in the bouquets, scolding bridesmaids three times her size.
“It’s late.” Travis groaned, pulling at his tie again. “We were supposed to start ten minutes ago.”
I chuckled, pulling him behind the building we were supposed to wait in until we got the cue. “Come here.”
He begrudgingly followed me until we were hidden away from everyone, and then he pushed me against the wall. “I’m manic.”
“I can tell.” As he pinned me, I chuckled and pulled him in for a kiss, deepening it. “Today will be perfect, even if she’s late.” I said when I finally pulled back, and his nostrils flared as his dark eyes stared back at me.
“You don’t think—” He stopped himself, like cutting open his vulnerability was still too hard for him to do, even though we were about to get married. This marriage was as much for him and me as it was for us and Frankie.
“That Frankie is running off into the sunset and away from this marriage while we are left in the dust?” I deadpanned when he didn’t immediately acknowledge the absurdity of that. Fears didn’t always make logical sense. “No, Trav. I don’t think she’s running. I think she’s probably in her bridal suite, having a panic attack, thinking we’re the ones running.”
His jaw fell open like he hadn’t even considered that, “Then we should be there! Reassuring her!”
He tore away from me like he was going to march across the venue to the bridal suite and do just that. “Get back here with your big dumb head.” I snapped, pulling him back and pinning him to the wall as a look of outrage burned in his dominant eyes. It wasn’t very often that I would put him in his place, it was usually Frankie and I being overdramatic, but right now, he was taking the cake. “She will murder you if you ruin this first look for her. She’s literally crafted this whole wedding over watching you cry like a little bitch in front of all of our loved ones.” He shoved me, but I expected it, and countered it, pushing him back with a grin. “She’s fine. You’re fine. We’re all fine. And soon, we’re all going to be married.”
He sighed as if it was physically painful to take a deep breath under the weight of all his worry.
“Would it help you relax if I told you a secret?” I asked, leaning in and teasing him just the slightest with my hips pinned to his and my lips hovering.
“Maybe.” He growled, grabbing my waist and pulling me in harder.
“I’m taking your last name.” I whispered, feeling his body tense against mine. “Just like you wanted me to.”
His hand came up, gripping the back of my neck as his lips crashed against mine, drawing every ounce of need and passion from my body in no time flat. Jesus, he was the absolute worst when I was trying to keep my head on straight and my dick soft. “You told me no. You told me you were okay if Frankie took Hayes and not Torres, but that you couldn’t change.”
“I know.” I replied, drawing on his strength. “But I changed my mind. Because you were right. We should be unified. We should be one. A family. So, by the end of the night, we’ll be The Hayes Family, party of five.”
“God, Eli.” He whispered, kissing me again. This time softer and more passionately, and I could feel how moved he was by it. “I love you, Sunshine.”
“I love you too.” I smiled against his lips. “And your big dumb head.” I flicked the brim of his cowboy hat and ducked when he went to bite me for it. “Oh, and by the way,” I said, stepping back to adjust my annoyingly hard dick for him to watch, “Tonight, when I’m fucking you from behind, while you’re balls deep in ourwife,” I said, lowering my voice until he could feel the promise in it, “You’re wearing that fucking hat, and nothing else.”
