Page 5 of Grimm County Wishes (Grimm County Lawmen #4)

J eannie smiled as she entered the reception hall with Al by her side.

She loved weddings, but she also found them a little depressing.

They were full of love, hope, and joy. Three things that had been sorely lacking in her own family.

Every time she attended a wedding, she was reminded that, for some people, this was their story.

Not neglect, instability, and rejection.

She felt a squeeze on her arm and looked up at Al. Soft lips brushed against her forehead and he sighed. “I know, Jeannie-girl. I know.”

And he did. They had grown up in the trailer park with equally shitty parents, raising themselves when they should have been climbing trees and making mud pies.

There wasn’t another soul on earth that knew her as well as Al, except maybe her brother Ben.

But since he’d been locked up, they’d only been able to see each other once a month.

And there was only so much you could share in an hour .

About six months ago, she’d been in a car accident and ended up with a concussion.

Al had completely freaked out and mother-henned her for weeks until she got the all-clear from the doctor.

Although she’d never admit it, she had enjoyed his attention.

Their relationship had slowly evolved from brother-sister to best friends to … something she didn’t want to label.

They used to laugh about their adventures in dating. Jeannie had even encouraged it. The more stories that were posted about Al, the better. By dating Grimbos, he let the fans know he was attainable, a dream they could achieve and not just some personality they followed on social media.

And now Al was finally right where they wanted him.

On the cusp of a television deal that would put him on the map permanently.

After this, he’d be up for Dancing with the Stars or Running Wild with Bear Grylls .

They’d get Ben free, set him up with whatever he wanted to make up for his time away, and then they’d get the fuck out of this stupid town.

Her heart ached a little at that last thought.

Leaving Grimm had been the goal since they were teenagers.

But oddly enough, once Al joined the sheriff’s office, things settled down.

It’s amazing what a steady income will do for a person’s psyche.

And while the anonymity of a bigger city would be nice, she’d miss the friends she made here.

Miss her clients that she did marketing for. Miss the familiarity.

She shook her head to stop her train of thought. This was a wedding. A party. And no one would ever call her a Debbie Downer.

They sat down at the table for dinner. Jeannie took out her phone and snapped pictures of everyone’s meals.

Al placed his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t forget to take one of us, too.” His finger danced along the side of her arm, sending shockwaves through her system.

She took a sip of wine to calm her nerves. “Don’t you have enough pictures of us already? Surely you don’t need one more.”

“Oh, Jeannie-girl.” His breath was hot along her neck. “I could never get enough of you.”

Jeannie squirmed in her seat, seeking relief for her lady bits. Gah, what this man could do to her without even trying. She cleared her throat and quickly took their selfie, then turned to Rose.

“Your dad outdid himself tonight. The food is delicious. I’ve been trying to convince him to take me on to promote the restaurant. Whenever I mention it, he talks in French and disappears. ”

Rose laughed. “That sounds about right, but I’ll see if I can convince him to listen.” She sucked in a breath and clutched her stomach.

“The fuck was that?” Nick bellowed.

“The fuck was what?” Al asked, looking around the room.

“Talk to me, Rose.” Nick placed his hand on the back of her neck as she took several deep breaths.

“Holy shitballs, girl.” Jeannie reached up and clutched Al’s hand, still resting on her shoulder. “Are you fixing to have that baby right now? Like right fucking now?”

Rose bit her lip as she took a deep breath. “No, my contractions are only five minutes apart.”

“Oh hell yeah!” Al kissed Jeannie’s hand lightly before jumping up and stripping off his jacket.

“I’ve been a deputy for three years and haven’t delivered a baby yet.

But don’t worry, hon. I watched the training videos, and I am so ready for it.

Jeannie, go boil a pot of water. Hunter, get me some towels.

” He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves to reveal sexy as fuck forearms. “Take deep breaths and stay calm. Dr. Al is here for you and will catch that baby.”

“Not putting your hands under my wife’s dress.” If looks could kill, Al would have been a pile of ash.

“Ease up, Beast. This is strictly professional. How do you think they did it in caveman days? ”

Snow snickered and buried her head in Hunter’s shoulder, who hadn’t moved to grab the towels.

“Enough!” Rose shouted. “I’ve already texted my midwife. We’re fine. I mean, we should probably head to the hospital now, but I’m not about to have the baby right here on the floor.”

“Bummer,” Al mumbled. “Maybe next time, yeah?”

Nick glared at him as he pulled Rose to his side. “Fuck off, pretty boy.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” Snow asked.

“No,” Rose answered. “You all stay, enjoy the reception. I only want Nick with me in the delivery room, which would leave you all waiting in the lobby. You might as well stay here and enjoy the food and drinks. We’ll call you when it’s time to visit the baby.”

Jeannie squealed and clapped her hands. Everyone at the table turned and stared. “What? It’s exciting. This is the first baby in our friend group.”

The DJ came over the loudspeaker and announced the first dance with the bride and groom. Rose groaned again, squeezing her eyes closed. “Okay, babe. That’s our cue. We’ll see you all later. Give Marina and Christian our love.”

Nick looked around the table and grinned. “I’m gonna be a dad. ”

“Hell yeah, you are!” Jeannie shouted. “Go get that baby, big guy!” As they watched the couple leave the room, Jeannie raised her glass. “To an easy birth and a healthy mama!”

They watched as Marina and Christian finished their first dance as husband and wife to “At Last” by Etta James. As the floor opened up, Christian turned to dance with his Aunt June, and Marina danced with Mr. Bill.

“My lady.” Al reached out a hand to Jeannie.

“Oh, why thank you good sir,” she said and set her wine glass on the table. They’d danced plenty of times together. Nothing new to see here.

Except for some reason, this felt new. Different. The song was “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Of course it was. Falling in love before they knew what love was? Yeah, that sounded about right.

She stared up at him, her eyes drawn to his lips as he softly sang the words.

Butterflies filled her stomach, and she couldn't blame the flush in her cheeks on the alcohol. Al’s body was hard beneath his tux.

She’d seen him in his underwear more times than she could count.

When they ran together in the mornings, he wore itty bitty shorts that left little to the imagination.

But knowing what was under those clothes was different than feeling it.

She pressed up against him, taking full advantage of the moment.

There was only one more thing that could make the night perfect.