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Saige looks up at him, smiling. “Coop, I love you, and I know you are worried, but I got this. I was pregnant withthe twins when I promised to do this. I have Alivia to help, and y’all. I’m worried about everything that is going on. But I know we’ll all pull through all this, we’ll find out what is going on, and we’ll be the stronger for it.”

“Sai, Sai, cans we has desserts now? I wants them all to try what we mades. Do you think the ice cweam juice is turned to ice cweam now?”

Saige smiles, agreeing that we can, saying, “I’m sure it has sweetie.” Bacon brings a couple of trays to the table with all kinds of desserts, and you can definitely tell a sweet little girl helped to make them.

I smile really big. “Okay, sweetheart, which one do you think I should try?” Bethany grins really big and goes around the table telling everyone which dessert they should try. We spend the rest of the evening telling her how much we loved what they made and laughing.

Bexley and Saige are going over a couple of recipes for the bakery while I sit in the living room with the guys. Alivia took Bethany up for a bath and to read her a bedtime story or four. Stone, Leilani, Cruz, and Stella all took off a couple hours ago.

“Tires, has there been any news about Michael lately, or Tonya for that matter? She hasn’t answered her phone the last couple of times Saige has tried to call her, and yaknow, she never came to the hospital or here for that matter to see Saige. Also, has anyone heard anything about Beth and Buck?”

Tires shakes his head as he sighs, “No, man. Michael seems to be laying low right now. Last anything showed on him was he was at his brother’s mansion in the capital. Tonya was arrested for trying to rob the store next to the bakery. I have no clue what the hell she was doing that for, I know the last time we saw her, she was acting weird, wouldn’t even look at me. And when I called her name out, she took off running like the Hounds of Hell were after her. That was two days after Saige was shot. And as for Beth and Buck, we can’t find them or his car anywhere, and no one has seen her boyfriend lately. Maybe we should look at the tape footage from the bakery and see if we see anything or anyone suspicious on there. Commander Thomas has a BOLO out for them. How long are y’all going to wait to go through with adopting Bethany?”

I look up to see Saige and Bexley walk into the room. She answers before I can, “We’re going to go to the courthouse next week to get married and do the adoption all in one day. I’m going to sit and explain everything to Bethany in the morning with Cotton before he goes to work.”

Bexley is smiling and hugging her best friend, Tires looksstumped. “Does Dad know you aren’t having a big wedding? I thought that’s what you wanted.”

She shakes her head, replying, “I never wanted a big wedding, and if Dad hadn’t of insisted on it to Cotton, we wouldn’t be living in a castle either. He knows that’s what we’re doing. We want the immediate family there, and we’ll do a reception at the clubhouse. Bexley is doing the cake for us, Stella and Leilani are making a dinner, though I wanted to have it catered by Chez Rouge.” I take her hand and pull her down on my lap, hugging her close. Tires seems to finally have everything out that he wanted to, and after another hour, he and Bexley head home for the night.

Epilogue

Cooper

I’m standing nextto my best friend in the court chambers as he and my sister say their vows. She may be about ready to pop with the twins, but she has never looked more beautiful. I’m very excited for them both, and I know he’ll protect her and the kids with the very last breath in his body. They finally kiss, then the judge goes straight into the paperwork for them to adopt Bethany. She looks so adorable in her little pink frilly princess dress, as she called it. She has been so excited about this. She gets a whole big family all her own. To be as little as she is, she is taking this really well, better than I thought she would. I thought she would be confused about it all. I guess Saige found a way to tell her that she understood.

I look over at Bexley standing next to Saige. God, I lovethat woman. She is so beautiful, my Gingersnap. She has awakened things in me that I never knew I wanted or needed. I realize that everything is done, as the judge announces the Larsen family to us all. We all leave the courthouse to head back to the clubhouse. Cotton helps his girls into his truck, Bexley and I head to my Mustang. We leave after they do because I need to stop by the bank and get a little cash out. As soon as I pull out from the ATM, a car comes barreling towards us. I slam my Mustang in reverse and hit the gas, trying to keep it from hitting us. I swerve out of the way, looking up to see that it is Buck’s car. He and Beth are both in it, but they look funny, almost like they are made of wax or something. After it goes past us it hits a column a few car lengths from us, exploding. I throw my body over Bexley, the explosion drowning out her screams. I had hit Dad’s number on speed dial right as the car went by us, I don’t know if he can hear us, but I know he’ll have Tech triangulating where we are and get help to us fast.

The end…for now