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I marched up to Tanner who was leaning against the counter beside the coffeepot and poked him in the chest with my index finger. “Now, you listen here, Tanner Reid. I am not, under any circumstances, marrying you until you ask. I may love you, and I may be the mother of your son, but I will not—abso-fucking-lutely will not—marry you until you get on one knee and propose.”
Something flashed in his eyes, but I turned away, grabbed my travel mug of coffee and stormed toward the door.
“Jos,” Tanner called softly from behind me.
Hand on the knob, I turned, ready to blast him again, only to find him on one knee right behind me. My heart lifted into my throat, and tears burned my eyes as they spilled one by one over my lashes.
He grasped my hands in both of his. “I love you, Jos. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I don’t like the me I am without you. Please, baby. I know I’m not the best man in the world, but for you, I’ll try. I’ll do my damned best to make you happy and kill anyone who dares make you sad. I want to be your man now and always. Will you marry me?”
“I…” I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I… Holy shit. I didn’t think you would actually ask.”
“If it’s what you want, I’ll always try my damnedest to give it to you.” He lifted my hands, kissing each palm. “I love you so fucking much, Jos. Marry me.”
I was so choked up, I couldn’t speak. I just stood there, staring down at him with tears pouring out of me like a freaking fire hydrant, unable to answer.
Tanner’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, and he tried to laugh off his unease. “Babe, I kind of need you to say yes, because I’m about to go insane here.”
I threw myself against him, sending us both crashing to the floor. “Yes!” I cried, kissing his lips quick and hard. “Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you. I love you.”
His chest swelled with a deep inhale, a weak laugh leaving him when he blew it out. “Thank fuck. I was really scared there for a second.”
“Idiot,” I muttered, kissing him again and again. “The answer was always going to be yes.”
Chapter 28
Quinn
I should have been upset that it was raining—what bride wanted it to rain on her wedding day?
But I was so deliriously happy even to be marrying Raider Hannigan that a little rain didn’t bother me.
The forecast had been calling for it all week, so it wasn’t like I was surprised. Which was why we were having it inside. Flick and a few of the others had spent the last two days decorating the clubhouse and even set up an arbor in the main room, while Jet and some of the brothers helped put chairs in position for the ceremony. It looked like an entirely different place by the time they were done.
Kelli, Gracie, and Rory sat on my bed in the room where I’d spent far too much time over the past month or so. We were using the bedrooms to get ready, me in Raider’s room and Raider in Colt’s, getting dressed and waiting until it was time for the wedding to start.
Behind me, Flick and Jos were finishing up with my hair. They’d spent the last hour curing, braiding, and then pinning little crystals into place. Between my hair, makeup, and the princess-style dress I’d been able to find the week before, I felt like a queen.
“You look beautiful,” Kelli said, her eyes skim
ming over me from head to toe and back again. “Seriously, babe. I have never seen anyone as gorgeous as you are right now.”
Pleasure made my cheeks bloom pink. There wasn’t a full-length mirror anywhere in the clubhouse, so I was going to have to take her word for it. Knowing she wouldn’t lie to me about something as important as how I looked on my wedding day, I let Flick finish placing the last pin where it needed to go.
A tap on the door preceded Raven walking in with Lexa beside her. My heart broke seeing the lingering bruises on the little girl’s exposed skin, but it was the angry red mess of her right cheek that had tears burning my eyes.
I’d asked her to be my flower girl, and she was dressed in the adorable little sparkly white dress Raven and I had picked out for her. But the tears on Lexa’s face told me I was probably going to be without a flower girl today, and that was just fine. I wasn’t going to make her do anything she wasn’t comfortable with.
“Quinn,” Raven started, her tone full of apology. “Lexa is having a hard day.”
I moved away from the others and crouched down in front of mother and daughter. Lexa’s head hung low, the tears just pouring down her sweet little face. “Hi there, princess,” I murmured softly. “Not feeling well today?” She shook her head, a little hiccup leaving her as she sniffled. “It’s okay, baby girl. You don’t have to be my flower girl if you don’t feel up to it. You look so pretty, though. I wish I looked half as pretty in my dress as you do in yours.”
“But you’re so beautiful,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“Not nearly as beautiful as you, Lexa.” I held out my arms, and she walked into them after only a small hesitation.
I hugged her close, being careful not to squeeze her too hard. Her body was still healing after her surgery, and the cast on her wrist was covered in signatures and stick figures where everyone had signed it. It seemed like the pain in her arm from the gunshot wound didn’t even matter anymore after everything else she’d been put through, but an MRI while Lexa was still recovering in the hospital had shown that the muscles and tendons were fine, she was just going through some painful growth spurts.
Lexa only allowed me to hug her briefly before she was turning back to her mom and hugging her leg. “Can we go sit with Daddy now?” she whispered.
