She’d spent last night at a cozy bed-and-breakfast doing “girl things” with Valeria, Kimber, and Tessa—who had recently returned from her honeymoon—along with Brea Walker and the bosses’ wives, Kata, Tara, and Bailey. Laila had called around eleven last night, seeming very carefree and something he thought he would never hear his bride-to-be sound like—giggly.

  Apparently, all the wives had started dishing their best marital advice, some of which had been hysterical. Then Alyssa Traverson had stopped in with a decadent dessert from her restaurant, Bonheur. Delaney Murphy tagged along because she’d needed a break from the testosterone overload at her house, where she and her husband were raising their boys—ages four, two, and nine months. Then she’d announced that the baby she was expecting was another boy. Amid the hearty congratulations and good-natured teasing, Delaney had laughed and swore she felt blessed.

  If Trees had his way, he and Laila would have a big family. He’d already made plans to expand the house—and none too soon. They hadn’t told anyone except Valeria, Zy, and Tessa, but Laila was eleven weeks pregnant. Finally, the morning sickness was nearly over. Second trimester hormones had arrived early, and Laila was hungry for him all. The. Time.

  Trees was the happiest bastard on the planet.

  After a quick roll through his morning routine, he woke Zy on the futon in his home office. Barney loped into the house after his morning kibble and licked Kane awake on the sofa, who came up sputtering.

  Holding in his laughter was impossible.

  “Bastard,” Kane grumbled, but he was smiling as he petted the big dog.

  Then Trees stood at the opening of his guest room and stared at the two people whose presence here surprised him most—his two brothers, Nash and Wade.

  Trees hadn’t seen them in over a dozen years. When he’d left home, Nash had been a gawky fourteen, just beginning to grow hair in interesting places and sprout up. Wade had been a rambunctious twelve, still more interested in any sport with a ball than contact with a girl. Now they were grown-ass men—and about his height. It was a novel experience to walk into the room and not be the tallest dude there.

  But while last night’s bachelor party of music, whiskey, poker, and horribly inappropriate jokes had been great, it was the deepening relationships—the roots—that made Trees happiest of all. He had family now. Real family, defined not only by blood but by loyalty, respect, and honor. That, along with Laila’s love, had mended the hole he’d carried in his heart since leaving home at eighteen. Not only were he and Zy closer than ever, but his circle was expanding. Kane was rapidly becoming both a friend he enjoyed and a peer he relied on. And having the contact with his biological brothers he firmly believed would go beyond this weekend was the cherry on top. And that wasn’t all…

  “Up and at ’em, boys,” he called to his brothers.

  They both jackknifed out of bed in their boxers, looking sleep-deprived and hung over.

  “Holy fuck.” Nash gave a bleary-eyed glance at the first stirrings of sunrise out the window. “What time is it?”

  “Oh-dark-thirty.” Wade winced. “My goddamn head…”

  Trees just grinned. “What time did you boys finally turn in?”

  They looked at each other, then Nash shook his head. “No comment. But we’ll try to keep the bitching to a minimum since it’s your big day.”

  “Much appreciated.” Trees winked. “So who spent the night with the stripper?”

  Everyone had pitched in to send him female entertainment. Trees hadn’t been interested in the blonde with fake assets. His very single brothers, on the other hand…

  They exchanged another glance. “No comment.”

  He held in a laugh. If they’d tag-teamed her, he didn’t want to know. “You’re picking up the folks at noon?”

  “We’ll be at the church no later than twelve thirty,” Nash promised. “Kellyanne and Wren flew in last night, too, so we’ll bring them along.”

  Trees was really looking forward to seeing two of his sisters. In fact, his whole family had been thrilled when he’d reached out with the news of his engagement. And so welcoming. Though his other three sisters—Audrey, Lydia, and Daisy—were unable to attend the wedding due to jobs or family obligations, they had sent their well wishes and love.

  When his parents had arrived, their reunion had thankfully been more sweet than bitter. They were in a different phase of life now and had apologized for their shortcomings decades ago. Their words and assurances—along with Laila’s devotion—had gone a long way to assuring him that he was wanted and loved. Forgiving his parents had been easy. Becoming a family again had been even easier. And his parents absolutely adored Laila.

  His whole life was coming together. Now the day just had to hurry up so the most incredible, brave, clever, beautiful woman he knew would finally be his wife.

  A text alerted him that he had company at the outer perimeter of his security. He pressed a few buttons to let Matt in, then met him at the door.

  “Hey.” Trees stuck out his hand. “Welcome back.”

  Matt shook it, pulled him in for a bro hug, then handed him a box of donuts. “Whew. I wasn’t sure I’d make it back to town in one piece.”

  “Since when is a tech conference dangerous? Something go down in New Orleans?”

  “Not like you’re thinking, but every time the client turned his back, his just-turned-forty-and-so-fucking-horny wife jumped me. Dodging her wasn’t fun.”

  Trees laughed. “Used your evasive maneuvers, huh?”

  “I had to. Jesus, the number of times she grabbed my junk in the car…” He sighed. “I need to get laid. I’ve batted a huge zero in this town since I rolled in.”

  Mostly because he hadn’t had time to troll the bars, Trees suspected. Matt was a good-looking SOB. The quiet cowboy thing would get a lot of female attention—as soon as he wasn’t working all the damn time. “Well, weddings are a target-rich environment, my friend. You never know.” Then he realized exactly who Matt needed to meet. “Remind me to introduce you to Madison.”

  “The girl Tessa offered to introduce me to after she turned me down?” Matt didn’t look thrilled.

  “Madison is cute and really sweet.”

  “No, thanks. I’m not up for a pity date, man.”

  Trees thought Matt was missing out, but he just shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  All the men congregated in the kitchen. The remnants of last night’s cigar-and-booze fest had been cleared away. They all chowed down on coffee and donuts and some bacon that Kane and Zy nuked. His brothers opted for java with an ibuprofen chaser. Then after showers all around, they were off to the church, tuxedos in protective bags.

  Two hours before the ceremony, Trees was ready and pacing the floor impatiently, Laila’s simple wedding band jingling in his pocket, burning a hole.

  Trees texted her. Let’s get married now.

  She sent back a laughing-crying emoji. No, my love. Two o’clock. I am still getting ready.

  You’re beautiful as you are. I just want you to be mine.

  Very soon.She sent him a heart and a kiss emoji, then followed with another text. Then tonight, you are mine.

  Amen to that.

  Since returning from Mexico and finally getting free of the cartel, Laila had blossomed. Sure, she’d missed her sister when Valeria had decided to take Jorge and return to St. Louis. But that had prompted Laila to come out of her shell and make friends, first with Tessa, then with some of the other wives.

  She had also taken in the briefcase of money Federico Chavez had handed her and funded causes like drug rehab centers, women’s shelters, and counseling for cartel victims. The only funds she had used for herself were for college, which she would start after the baby was born. Laila wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to do with her degree, except help children who had been the victims of assholes like the Ramos brothers.

  Trees thanked God every day that Laila’s personal nightmare was over. Sure, he’d put Hector six feet under while helping Zy and Tessa rescue Hallie from her abductors—and thankfully the little girl didn’t remember anything. But Victor had been another matter.

  A few days after leaving Victor to Chavez’s dubious mercy, his corpse had turned up, horribly mutilated. Laila had breathed a sigh of relief. News reports had expressed horror about the brutal torture Victor Ramos had endured, but Trees considered it karma. Laila hadn’t been able to look at the pictures, but Trees had, and he was still convinced that, despite Victor having all the dangling parts of his body severed before death, that he’d still had gotten off easier. After all, Victor had suffered for mere days. Laila had endured six long years.

  His phone buzzed again. I love you. Laila sent more heart emojis.

  I love you, too. He wasn’t much for emojis, but he sent a heart back, along with an eggplant, a honey pot, and water droplets. Their wedding night was coming up, after all.

  She sent another laughing-crying emoji.

  Trees checked his watch again and almost groaned. Fuck, it was taking forever to marry this woman.

  Finally Nash and Wade showed up at the church with his parents and sisters. He was not only grateful to see his family but damn glad to have something to take his mind off his impatience.

  “Hey, Mom and Dad. Wow, Kellyanne and Wren, you’ve both grown up.” He opened the door wide for them, marveling. Wren had been little more than a baby last time he’d seen her. “Thanks for coming early.”

  “Do we need to talk you off a ledge?” Kellyanne teased.

  “No. I just… This needs to hurry up.”

  His mother laughed, her eyes seemingly brighter now that her hair had gone silvery. “We’re so thrilled for you, son. And you look so handsome in your tuxedo.”

  He had worn a monkey suit a handful of times in his life, and rental shops always had fits when he walked in, but he’d had to admit he’d cleaned up pretty well. “Thanks.”

  His dad hugged him, then clapped his shoulder. “You ready for marriage and all it comes with?”

  “I am. Laila and I are beyond excited.” He’d tell them they were about to be grandparents again later. He already knew they’d be thrilled.

  “Lots of compromising…” his dad said so cheerfully, he obviously loved married life.

  “I’m learning that. Laila has already seen fit to redecorate the house to make it ‘homier.’” Trees grudgingly admitted he loved everything about it. Barney especially appreciated sleeping indoors more, the upgrade in his food, and the extra love. She was going to make an amazing mother.

  “Seriously, you look so happy.” Kellyanne kissed his cheek.

  “Congratulations.” Wren did the same.

  He hugged them all, then his family filed out and took their seats.

  Time flew in a blur of activity then. Everyone was busy, except his brothers, who slumped in the corner and tried to sleep off their hangovers. The reverend came in, and they shook hands. Then Zy took Laila’s ring and slipped it into his pocket before they all headed to the altar.

  Finally, Laila was almost his.

  The little white church was full of flowers and cheer as music started. Hallie and Jorge toddled down the aisle together, dressed so cutely their guests oohed and laughed. Tessa’s daughter threw pink rose petals, smiled like the ham she was, dancing to the altar. Jorge followed in his little tux, ring pillow in hand, looking deer-in-the-headlights as he headed to the front, where Kata and Tara Edgington waited for them both with pieces of candy and high-fives.

  Once the children were settled in the front row, Kimber walked down the aisle in a delicate V-neck dress in a shade somewhere between pink and beige. Tessa glided to the front of the church, dressed similarly, except her gown was draped across one shoulder, leaving the other bare. A glance at his best friend told Trees that Zy only had eyes for his wife, and their love for each other was palpable. Finally, Valeria made her way to the altar in a strapless dress of the same color, holding a bouquet of soft summer flowers—and finally looking at peace.

  Then the music changed again. Everyone rose. Trees held his breath, his heart chugging wildly.

  The most beautiful bride ever walked toward him, a vision in dark curls, white lace, and a smile of radiant joy. She beamed with love. He could feel it in the way she looked at him as she approached, one graceful step at a time, never taking her eyes off his.

  God, he felt so humbled, his devotion for his bride so thick it almost choked him.

  Finally, Laila stood before him, fitting her hands into his, trusting him with her body, her heart, and the rest of her life.

  In front of their friends and family, he vowed to love, honor, and cherish her, forsaking all others for the rest of his life. Trees didn’t think that would be hard. He was already doing it happily.

  Laila spoke the same words in return, tearing up as she bound her future to his.

  They exchanged rings. He was gratified that Laila’s fit her finger perfectly, and he was touched to find her hand shaking as she slid the titanium band onto his finger while swearing she would love him until the end of time.

  Then finally, the minister told Trees to kiss his bride.

  “About damn time,” he murmured for her ears alone.

  Through her happy tears, she smiled, and Trees swore he’d do whatever he could to put that smile of pure joy on her face every day.

  Their lips clung. He breathed her in as he soaked in the moment—his first as her husband. The rightness of that hit him in the heart, and in some ways, Trees felt as if he was just starting his life.

  Then he took her hand and ushered her back down the aisle. He’d love to keep running straight to their tricked-out honeymoon suite he’d booked at a posh hotel in Baton Rouge before they left for a week at a cabin on the lake where he’d spent summers as a kid. She wanted to know more about his childhood while he taught her to fish. He was dying to show her all about cuffs, blindfolds, and clamps while he reminded her how to scream.

  First, they had to make it through the reception.

  After an amazing toast from Zy that made everyone both laugh and cry, Valeria followed with a moving speech about her sister’s tenacity in the face of adversity and the strength of Trees’s love for her against all odds. There was clapping, crying, and hugs all around.

  Dancing followed, first Trees leading his gorgeous wife onto the floor for a slow love song. He held her and kissed her and thanked God again for bringing Laila into his life and making it so much better.

  At the end, he took her lips again to the sound of their guests clapping. “Can we leave now?”

  She sent him a chiding grin. “We have not even cut our cake.”

  “I can live without cake. I don’t think I can live without you, wife.”

  Her smile glowed with love. “I cannot live without you, either, husband. But you must be patient because I am not skipping our cake.”

  They ceded the dance floor to their guests. Brea and Pierce Walker slipped in to congratulate them with hugs. The birth of their son, Ryker, three weeks ago, had been joyous but exhausting. Brea was still recovering—and having new-mom jitters about leaving their son for long, even with her dad and stepmom.

  Trees shook hands with the sniper.

  Pierce’s answering smile was genuine. “How’s it feel to be married?”

  “Amazing.”

  “It is.” He took his wife’s hand and kissed her fingers. “Congratulations, man. I’m happy for you.”

  They hadn’t always seen eye-to-eye, but over the last couple of months…they were getting there. Trees would forever owe the man for saving Laila’s life. “You, too. Hope you’re enjoying fatherhood.”

  “I am. It’s a lot, but…wow. It’s a love you can’t even comprehend. You’ll see someday.”

  Sooner than someday, but Trees kept that to himself for now.

  “Look.” Laila pointed across the room discreetly to the familiar guy not actually wearing his cowboy hat today.

  Despite Matt’s insistence otherwise, he had approached Madison, who was dressed in a flattering pastel purple dress. The cowboy was flirting hardcore and showing off those dimples. She didn’t look immune.

  “Good for them.” He grinned.

  “Fingers crossed,” Laila whispered as the two made it onto the dance floor, where Matt spun Madison into his arms and held tight. “They are both good people who deserve to be happy.”

  “I don’t think they need luck.” Even across the room, he could feel their chemistry.

  Tessa sidled up to them then. “You’re seeing this, right?”

  Trees smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I tried to tell him.”

  “Me, too. But I think he’s on board now.”

  “I think you’re right,” she drawled, then laughed and kissed Zy like a newlywed should.

  The deejay called him and Laila up to the front to cut their cake. The photographer took a billion pictures, and Trees nearly lost his mind with impatience, but his wife slid a bite of the sweet dessert onto his tongue, and he groaned as the flavor exploded in his mouth. He did the same to her, then they heeded the clinking of forks against glasses and kissed.

  “Speech. Speech. Speech!” the crowd chanted.

  Reluctantly, he pulled away from Laila’s lips and wrapped his arm around her as Zy brought him the mic. “Thank you, everyone, for coming today to celebrate my wedding to the most amazing woman, the one God put on this planet just for me. Probably because she’s the only one who can put up with me.”

  Their guests laughed, and Laila shook her head, mouthing, I love you.

  Trees pressed a peck to her lips again. If he took the kiss any deeper, he would only get lost in her sweetness, so he pulled back. “When people ask where we first met, I say an alley. When they ask where we first fell in love, I admit it’s an RV. Our courtship wasn’t glamorous, and nothing has been easy. But there’s no one I want to do life with other than you, Laila Scott. I love you, now and always.”

  Guests aahed and wiped their tears while he sent Laila a questioning glance. Did she want to share their baby news with everyone else yet?

  She gave him a little shake of her head. It was their special secret, just for them…just for a bit longer.