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The past three months have been an adjustment for me and Tinker. For one thing, we had to work through all my feelings about finding out he’d wanted to have something more with Annie. I’d wanted to run the first time we sat down with her and Gareth to discuss it. It was a difficult discussion. Finding out she knew and had told Gareth, but no one clued in me, had hurt. It took time for me to return to being comfortable around her. At first, when they came to the compound, I found myself watching for any sign Tinker was still carrying a torch for her. Thankfully, there was none. He proved to me, beyond a doubt, that I had nothing to worry about. This, in turn, helped me relax and return to enjoying a close relationship with my aunt. I was confident Tinker and Annie only saw each other as good friends, and he loved me beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Of course, our initial talk came a week after the ordeal with Rick. Gareth and Annie knew that he’d tried to hurt me, and I was okay, but they weren’t given all the details. I didn’t know all of them. Tinker refused to say what had been done to Rick, but he and his brothers who were there assured me Rick had suffered and paid for his crime. Where or how they disposed of his body, I have no idea, and I wanted it to stay that way. God forbid if the police ever come asking, I won’t be able to tell them. Not that they’d get anything out of me anyway. I protected my man and our club.

As for the rest of our awful excuse for a family, they had more trouble than they could deal with. Jubilee had both colleges she attended rescind her degrees. If she wanted to maintain her high standard of living, then she’d have to find a good job. Being a lawyer would’ve been a good choice of profession, but that wasn’t happening. With her blemish, no college wanted her. It was hard to get a good-paying job without a degree and even harder when you’re a known cheat. And her mom and dad wouldn’t be able to keep her ass anymore. I’d heard she was working a menial job and living in a studio apartment.

Judd and Ursula’s money was being used to fight their court cases. They were desperately trying to stay out of prison. Their trials were next month. Due to flight risk, they remained in jail until their trials. Both claimed they weren’t guilty, and the other was the one to blame. They turned on each other in a heartbeat. The shameful part was all the work it caused for those who had to retry so many men and women they’d put in prison. There was no way to know which cases they had extorted or lied in, so dozens of criminal cases were in the works to be relooked at. I did pray that if any of them were innocent, it would be proven. It was a mess.

As for my mom, she was in the same boat, but in her case, she’d taken a plea deal for a reduced sentence. She pled guilty without a need for a trial. She was serving fifteen years with a chance of parole in twelve. All of her assets had been frozen. Her money was used to repay what she’d stolen from the charities.

With all their problems, none of them had time to wonder about Rick. I assumed they thought he’d left town like everyone else did. Somehow, the club had cleared out his apartment, leaving everyone with the impression he’d moved away. I was relieved. All I cared about was Rick was gone, and no one was coming after my man or his club for his death.

A huge positive was that my studio was up and running. I found that the people of Bristol and the surrounding areas were hungry for someone to work on their homes and businesses. I was always busy, but my busy schedule was only partly due to the work I did in conjunction with Iron’s Rehab. We’d formed a partnership for those who wanted both services. The studio had turned out better than even I pictured it.

However, the best thing of all occurred today. With two months to spare, I became Mrs. Vance Halliwell. The wedding exceeded my wildest expectations, and it was all thanks to Annie and the Punisher’s ladies. They’d gone above and beyond, in my opinion. Even with their work schedules and kids, they found time to help plan it.

The other clubs came to celebrate the happy day with us. Not everyone was at the wedding, but they were here for the reception. I was shocked before the ceremony when I was told that Bull wanted to see me. I’d met him before and thought he was a great guy, but I had no idea why he’d want to see me before the wedding. That’s when I discovered he liked to present the brides in the clubs they were friends with and those in Dublin Falls and Hunters Creek with a piece of jewelry on their wedding day.

I tried to tell him no, but he refused to accept it. That’s when I almost ruined my makeup by crying. He hugged me, kissed me on the cheek, winked, and said he had the getaway vehicle if I wanted to run. His teasing cleared up those pesky tears and made me laugh. I’d been presented with a necklace and earrings made of pearls and what I thought were rhinestones in a floral pattern. They were gorgeous. I almost fainted when I was told they were real diamonds.

Since my dad wasn’t in the picture, Reaper did me the honor of walking me down the aisle to a very handsome Tinker. He’d insisted we do this right. He was dressed in a custom, tailored suit for our wedding. Of course, he’d insisted it had to be black, and after the wedding pictures were taken, he changed into his usual clothes and cut. I had no objections. I wanted to preserve my gown, so I had a short, more festive one for the reception. There was no way we could party for hours and be comfortable in our wedding finery.

I’d only drank one small flute of champagne during the toasts, not wanting to overdo it. Some of the toasts were hysterically funny. Bikers weren’t politically correct. Annie and Gareth outdid themselves with the catering. They’d brought in extra help. Several were people who’d been students of Gareth’s, ensuring everything was done to their satisfaction. Everything had been incredible. As part of that, they created a unique and delicious wedding cake. I stuck to one piece, but the bride and groom cake would be frozen so we could eat it on our first anniversary. It was supposed to be good luck for a long and happy life together.

It was getting late, and my feet were hurting. I shed my shoes a while ago. I’d danced so much, and with so many, I lost count. They were a blur. The only ones that stood out were the dances with my husband. Even when I was with others, he was never far away.

Scanning the massive hall where we held the reception, I smiled when I saw one particular brother of Tinker’s dancing. I’d never seen him so content or happy. And it was all due to the woman in his arms. Their story was another one that had made these past three months full and crazy, but it was worth it in the end. Their wedding would be next.

I jumped when big, muscular arms encircled me from behind, but I relaxed almost immediately when I recognized them and the scent of the man holding me. I leaned my head back so I could look up at him. He was smiling down at me.

“Yes, can I do something for you, Mr. Halliwell?” I teased.

“As a matter of fact, you can, Mrs. Halliwell. I think it’s time we get out of here and start enjoying our honeymoon. I’ve had dinner and cake, but I find myself hungry for something much sweeter and far more tempting,” he growled in my ear before he kissed my neck, causing me to shiver.

I turned in his arms to face him. I slid my hands up his hard chest and cupped his neck on each side. “Why, Mr. Halliwell, you read my mind. Let’s run before someone stops to chat.”

I tried to cut off my squeal of excitement when he lifted me off the floor and laid me over his shoulder. He slapped my ass, then took off, almost running for the exit. There were whistles and cheers and some bawdy comments made. I waved over my shoulder at them. I was more than ready to make love with my husband. And tonight would be a special night for another reason. I was ready to start a family. I’d stopped my birth control. I’d wait until we got to the house to tell him. I knew Tinker would be ecstatic. If all went well, we’d have our first child by this time next year. I couldn’t wait. I think Tinker was right. There had been some bewitching happening, but it was him who did it, not me. I knew he’d argue that, and I’d always be his witch.