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The night was illuminated with twinkle lights and the starsabove, and she had to admit this was one hell of a wedding.
Her kids were surrounded with love and family and joy.
She glanced over where her daughter was laughing atsomething Brianna Dean-Miles was saying. She had a whole group of girls whowere her crew. Devi might not have gone into the military and formed a team,but those girls knew how to take care of each other.
A laugh from behind her reminded Erin that she had a girlgang of her own. Her sisters-in-law were sitting together at one of the bigtables in the white tent set up for the reception. It was being held aboutthirty miles outside of Fort Worth, just far enough away that it seemed likethey were surrounded by nature.
She’d never had sisters before she’d married Theo. Well, ithadn’t truly been marrying Theo that had made her one of them. It had beenloving him. Losing him. Before she’d found him again, she’d discovered shewasn’t alone the way she’d thought she’d been.
Sometimes those words her father used to hurt her seemedlike they’d been heard with different ears. In another life.
Somewhere along the way she’d set aside her anger at the manwho hadn’t been able to love her. She’d forgiven her brothers for being miniversions of her dad, though she would shoot any of them who came close to herkids, but that wouldn’t be about what they’d done to her.
Her rage had been utterly overtaken by the love she’d found.
“You good?” Boomer Ward offered her another glass ofchampagne. He looked stunning in his tuxedo. Almost as good as her man, thoughno one on earth looked like Theo Taggart.
But Boomer’s smile had lit up the night as he’d walked his daughterdown the aisle after the strangest, most adorable wedding party she’d everseen. Every bridesmaid had been escorted down the aisle by a groomsman and oneof the many animals the Ward family had rescued. Her own daughter had grinnedas she’d walked beside her cousin Lucas and a potbellied pig named Jarvis. Devihad claimed Jarvis was far better behaved than her cousin.
“Well, no one tried to blow up the place, so I think we’regood.” The last wedding they’d all attended had been…eventful, to say theleast, so she was counting this one going off without a hitch as a win.
Especially since Daisy O’Donnell had been involved in theplanning, and that girl was a chaos magnet. Though she’d calmed down sinceshe’d found her balance in the form of a hunky boyfriend she was madly in lovewith.
But those were other stories for other days. She wasconcentrating on the here and now, and the here and now felt really amazing.
“The cake Daphne made was spectacular.” Lou’s mom hadoutdone herself with the seven-tiered elegant cake she’d made.
“She’s made a lot of wedding cakes over the years. This onewas the most special,” Boomer said, a smile on his lips. “They make a beautifulcouple. I always knew they would end up together.”
Erin chuckled. “Really? I thought you might kill my boy acouple of times in there. It was a long road.”
“Yeah, but sometimes those are the best roads to travel,”Boomer said. “I know they struggled, but they were always going to end up righthere. Which is why I’m going to have faith when it comes to the rest of them.”
“You mean our completely fucked up nieces and nephews?” Thetwins were excelling at the spy game, but their romantic lives were a big oldmess. Still, she’d seen miracles happen…
“Yep.” Boomer snagged a beer from the waiter walking by.“That is what I mean. They’ll figure it out and save the world at the sametime.”
A slow song played, and TJ swayed with his new bride,staring down at her with a look she’d seen in his father’s eyes. It was howTheo looked at her.
“You ever think we’d be here?” Boomer asked.
“I had my doubts. You’re the one who seemed to see thefuture, buddy.”
Boomer laughed. “I didn’t mean Lou and TJ. I meant you andme. I think a lot about who I was when I first came to McKay-Taggart. We were alot alike.”
Ah, she knew what he meant. They had been a lot alike.“Shitty parents. No family. Work was the only thing that mattered.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I think a lot about that guy who justwanted to fit in somewhere.”
Damn, she was soft.
And it felt good to be soft. She reached out and gave herold friend a half hug, leaning into his massive body. “You fit in here justfine, Boom. I personally couldn’t imagine this family without you.”
He leaned into her. “You either. Sometimes I want to go backand tell that guy to just hold on, that he won’t believe how good it can get. Ithought I was happy when I had my friends, but tonight, watching Lou start thispart of her life and knowing my son will be here one day…”
Erin straightened up and punched him in the arm. “Asshole.You’re trying to make me cry. I spent an hour in a chair with a teenagerpainting makeup on me, and I am not going to ruin it.”
Boomer got the softest look on his face and reached out towipe away a tear clinging to her cheek. “Too late, sister. I’ll give yousomething else to ruin that perfect face of yours. Thank you.”
