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That wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
The minister arrived at four thirty. Or, more properly, the “wedding officiant” arrived. Coop was a wreck.
Shortly after, the guests began to appear. He’d kept the list small, choosing only people Piper knew and would be comfortable with: Tony and the bouncers; Jada and Karah; Mrs. B., who appeared with a sheepish man she introduced as Willie Mahoney, her boyfriend. He wished he could have flown Faiza in, but leaving Canada would make her anxious. Jennifer MacLeish arrived with a happy-looking Eric Vargas on her arm.
Coop pulled her aside. “Have you talked to her?”
Jen looked worried. “Berni and I both knocked on her door, but she told us to go away—except not that politely—and she won’t answer her phone. This was not your smartest move.”
He was afraid she was right, and he tried to remember why he’d been so sure this would work.
Jonah came up to him. “You want me and the boys to go get her?”
Coop was so tempted, but he shook his head. “She has to do this on her own.”
“Risky, boss. Very risky.”
Nothing he didn’t already know.
Six o’clock arrived. The doomsday hour. Everyone had appeared. Everyone except the bride. He was crazy to have given her an ultimatum. Nobody liked being backed into a corner, but that went triple for Piper Dove.
Another five minutes passed. Then ten more. He’d have to go out on the terrace soon and make the humiliating announcement that the wedding was off.
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and there she was.
She wore a stricken expression and a short lace off-the-shoulder dress that she’d probably bought at H&M and that reminded him of vanilla cake frosting. She’d pulled her hair away from her face with a narrow rhinestone headband that showcased her cheekbones. Every inch of her was perfection. Except for those big blue eyes, which were as close to terrified as he’d ever seen.
He was at her side in three long strides. As she gazed up at him, he saw something he’d never imagined. Something so inconceivable, he thought it was a trick of the light. But it was no trick. Piper Dove’s eyes were brimming with tears.
The sight made his own eyes sting, and he clasped her hands. “Babe . . .”
She looked up at him, a single, beautiful tear caught on her bottom lashes. “I’m scared.”
He’d never loved her more than at that moment. As crazy as this was, they were doing the right thing. “I know you are.” He kissed the corners of her eyes. Tasted the salt. Understood what it cost her to reveal so much.
“You aren’t scared?” she said.
“Not now. But a couple of minutes ago . . . You don’t want to know.”
Her glossy lips trembled. “You were afraid I wouldn’t show up.”
“Terrified.”
“I couldn’t do that to you. I love you too much.?
??
The swelling in his throat made his voice husky. “I can see that. Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.”
She pressed her palms to the lapels of his suit coat. “I don’t know anything about being a wife. Are you sure about this?”
“Sixty percent.”
That made her smile, the sweetest smile he’d ever seen, a smile so beloved he had to clear his throat before he could speak. “How about this for a plan?” He brushed his thumb against the corner of her mouth. “Once we get through the next couple of hours, we’ll pretend tonight never happened. We’ll live together, go about our lives, and never mention the word marriage again.”
She beamed up at him. “You’d do that for me?”
“Absolutely.”
