Page 52

Ring ring. Ring ring. “Tate, what the hell, man, it’s like two in the morning...” I chuckle. I know exactly what time it is. We’ve been a bit preoccupied for the last few hours. I’m officially a fan of the making-up part of fighting with the woman you love.

Hannah’s soft voice filters through the phone as she says, “Why are you calling your brother at this hour? Are you dying?” I stay silent for a second, allowing her to think about it.

Then I start to count down in my head, three, two, one.

.. “Oh my God, I forgot you were in Georgia, are you okay? Is she okay? Wait... DID YOU KILL ABBY?!”

Abby laughs from the bathroom where she’s currently braiding her hair and taking off her rings.

We’ve been everywhere in this house. She jumped on every single bed while she sang “ You Are My Sunshine.” I’ve had her laid out on the kitchen island, the couch, the stairs, the balcony.

.. We had more than one karaoke moment. There was very little talking, but honestly, it’s been one of the best nights I’ve ever had.

“I recall last time we were here, dear brother, you told me when it was my time, you and Hannah would do the same for me.” They gasp at the same time, and I can’t keep the dorky smile off my face. “How fast can you two plan a party?”

Hannah squeals, causing my brother’s deep rumble of a laugh to fade to the background.

My heart swells. I always hoped that when my brother and I got married, our wives would be the best of friends, so it wouldn’t be a chore to see each other.

I guess God answered those prayers. “Wait, wait, wait. Put me on video.” My eyes t rack to Abby to make sure she’s okay with that, her smile through the mirror is all the permission I need.

Hannah’s face pops up on my phone, her smile bright, lit by only the phone as she bounces in excitement.

“Turn on the light. Please, Grey.” And like the whipped little nugget my brother is, he does it with a smile on his face.

Soon they’re both staring at me, who is smiling back at them like a circus clown.

Abby saunters into the room, exaggerating each step, accentuating the natural curves of her body.

If I didn’t just spend the last few hours reacquainting myself with it, I might say screw it and toss the phone somewhere.

I hold out my hand for her, pulling her into my lap as I lean against the headboard.

“Hi guys.” She smiles as she tucks herself into my chest.

“This is so weird.” My brother says, Hannah’s hand flies into his chest as she glares at him. We laugh as a blush blooms on his cheeks. “Sorry,” he mumbles as he kisses Hannah’s head.

“I’m so happy for you two. Honestly, once Abby told me about you guys.

I don’t know how I didn’t realize it sooner.

” She grabs a piece of her hair, twirling the end of it.

“I was mad you kept it from us, but I get it. Just don’t keep anything else from us.

There’s no more creepy stalkers or revenge plans, are there? ”

My head shakes, I could go my entire life without another one of those.

But then, something Tristan said pops into my mind, and I don’t want to move forward with anything until everything is on the table.

I clear my throat and meet my brother's gaze through the phone.

“Tristan told me something when he was explaining his plans.”

My brother’s head tilts slightly to the side.

“He paid Kara to do what she did. He only gave up on “ruining” you when Hannah came along.” His brows knit together, and Hannah’s should ers visibly rise.

Kara was awful to Greyson, but she laid her hands on Hannah, and that’s something none of us can let go of.

“I don’t understand.” His hand drops on top of Hannah’s to stop her from picking at her skin by her nail. “What was the goal again?”

“His mom died, apparently her last wish was to break your dad the way he broke her,” Abby says, her hand absently moving up and down my forearm. “He knew you and Tate were the strike point, if he could get to one of you...”

“He’d get to my dad.” We both nod. “What a freaking toolbag. So he what? Paid Kara to pretend to love me?” I honestly don't know.

I wish I had asked him more questions, but with the pain from my ankle and the realization that Abby had nothing to do with any of it, his reasons were the least of my concerns.

“I don’t know, Greyson. I was in a bit of pain, so I didn’t really ask. We can visit him in jail, though. I’m sure he looks great in stripes.” I’m met with a playful swat on my arm before she goes back to tracing my veins.

My brother just shrugs, a testament to how good for him the woman sitting next to him is.

Had this information been given to him a year or two ago, he’d spiral.

He’d beat himself up for not seeing it. But now he looks unbothered.

“Well, thank God that didn’t work out. Or I wouldn’t have met the woman of my dreams.” He wraps his arm around her shoulders as they lock in an intense stare-off, which makes me squirm in my spot.

I clear my throat, bringing their attention back to the topic at hand. “Look, I just wanted everything out before we talk about why I actually called you.” Hannah perks up as if she’s just remembering there was a reason for this .

“Spill!”

“Well,” I look down at the stunning woman in my arms. My smile is so genuine, it hurts to know I kept this part of me from all of them for so long.

“I may have apologized... Profusely.” Abby snorts as she winks at Hannah through the phone, their soft giggles are music to my ears.

“What I wasn’t expecting is that after we both got everything out, this one would ask me to marry her. ”

Hannah’s jaw drops while Greyson shakes his head.

“ABBY! That’s his job!” she yells at her best friend, but there’s no heat behind it.

In fact, there are tears building in her eyes while Abby just snuggles deeper into my chest. Looking up at me with those beautiful doe eyes, I realize there isn’t a damn thing she could ask for that I wouldn’t give her.

My brother blinks blankly at us for a second before his laughter fills the room. “Why am I not surprised? She really proposed?”

I smirk. “Damn right she did.”

His eyes bounce between the two of us. “Unbelievable.”

I simply shrug, tightening my grip around her waist. “I got the girl, that's all that matters.”

“Listen,” Abby cuts in. “I know what I want, I saw an opportunity, and I took it.” That only makes my brother laugh harder, and Hannah’s shoulders shake in silent amusement. “There’s a little chapel here. We saw it last time, we were planning on getting married tomorrow.”

“I CAN’T BE IN GEORGIA TOMORROW, ABBY!” Hannah’s hands go flying as she scoffs .

“I wasn’t asking you to be. We don’t need witnesses here. We can get our license and get married on the same day. We already looked,” she says gently.

We watch as Hannah slouches against my brother. “You don’t want me there?” Her lip trembles, and Abby grabs the phone out of my hand, bringing it closer to her face as she resettles herself between my legs.

“I want you to plan a party, Hannah. In whatever capacity you want. But I don’t want to wait to marry the man I love when I can do it tomorrow.

” Hannah sniffles, running her hand under her nose.

“You’ve always known I wasn’t big on traditional weddings.

We don’t have rings, though, so maybe you and Greyson can pick those out.

” Well, that perks my sister-in-law right up.

“I mean, in all honesty, it tracks. You two are impatient as hell.” Hannah rolls her eyes in faux annoyance. “Okay, what are the specifics?” It’s my turn to take the phone.

She smiles as my face comes into view. “Small. I don’t care where we have it, it doesn’t matter when.

Not while Greyson and the guys are out of town.

Just make it, us, no one knows us better than you two.

” I run through a list of things in my head, making sure I covered all the bases, quickly adding, “Oh, and please involve mom. I don’t want to die.

” All four of us shudder as we picture Amy Wilder being on the outside of planning her second son’s “wedding.”

That would be an absolute nightmare.

“Can I ask you something?” My brother asks over Hannah’s shoulder. I nod, a smirk flashes across his face seconds before he says, “When you asked me how I did it after Kara, how I let Hannah in, were you talking about Knight? ”

I narrow my eyes at him as the Tiny Pixie in my arms snickers.

He gets a grunt in response, but only because my eyes snag on my woman through the tiny box in the corner of the screen.

She’s glowing, or maybe that’s just how I see her now.

As the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me.

The love of my life, the future mother of my children, my best friend. My everything.