Page 25 of SEAL Ever After

“Yep! You can do all that stuff online now, which is perfect. They’re already ordered, and I asked for expedited shipping.”

“Did you find somewhere to hold the reception?” Rebecca asked. “Or will everything be on the beach?” She took a bite of her bacon, carefully trying to eat as she held the baby.

“We’re renting an outdoor area right by the ocean—one of the restaurants with a patio overlooking the water. We’ll have the ceremony and then walk right over to celebrate. They’ll cater it, too.”

“Sounds perfect!” Rebecca said. “How awesome that you planned it so quickly.”

“I think Ryan pulled some strings,” Sarah said with a laugh.

“Do we get to come Aunt Sarah?” Logan asked excitedly.

“Of course! It’ll be for families. I mean, shoot, it feels like half of Ryan’s guys all have kids now. Everyone will be invited.”

Ryan crossed his arms and leaned back, smiling. “It’s a hell of a change from just a year ago. I never thought I’d see some of those guys settle down, and now they’re getting engaged and married, too. Hell, some of them already have babies.”

“I’ll say it’s different,” Patrick agreed. “But every last guy seems happy as hell.”

“Whatever happened with those two men you were worried about?” Sarah asked, looking at Ryan and then her brother. “The ones who escaped from the Mexican jail? You haven’t said anything about them for a few days.”

“There haven’t been any updates,” Ryan confirmed. “They were part of a larger organization though, and their associates were already in the U.S. That’s the main reason I was concerned—if they wanted to come after any of the men or their families, they already had boots on the ground here, so to speak.”

“But that’s crazy!” Sarah said.

“We’ve got analysts reviewing all the latest intelligence. If they tell us there’s an imminent danger, we’ll take the proper precautions. There’s nothing to worry specifically about right now—just be cautious.”

“Which we are anyway,” Rebecca said.

Sarah looked over at her, recalling how Rebecca had dealt with a stalker several years ago. Patrick had cameras and surveillance around his house just like Ryan. And the guys were all used to being alert at all times. Goodness, when the car had backfired earlier, both men had rushed to the window to assess the situation.

“I don’t want you to worry about it,” Ryan said, reaching over and taking Sarah’s hand. “We’ll plan our wedding, pick a honeymoon destination, and get ready to start the rest of our lives together. If anything comes up in the meantime, we’ll handle it. But I for one can’t wait for you to become my wife.”

Sarah smiled, lifting up her mimosa. “Let’s have a toast. To our future!” she said happily.

“Cheers!” the others replied, lifting up their own drinks.

Sarah took a sip of her bubbly mimosa, and she could barely keep the grin off of her face.

Life was pretty damn perfect at the moment, and she wouldn’t let anyone or anything ruin what was going to be the happiest day of her life.

Chapter 12

Morgan stood behind Sarah a few days later at the salon, watching as the hairdresser twisted Sarah’s hair up in an elaborate style. The two women had taken the afternoon off to find Sarah a hairstylist for her wedding day, and Sarah frowned as the hairdresser continued to ignore her suggestions.

“No, that’s way too fussy for me,” Sarah said, shaking her head and watching a few pieces of hair fall free in the mirror. “I want to wear it down—loose and flowing. Maybe a couple of pieces pulled back, but I definitely don’t want an updo.”

“I know, I know. I was just trying to show you some options,” the woman said, looking flustered.

Sarah met Morgan’s gaze in the mirror.

“You been cutting and coloring my hair for years,” Morgan said. “But Sarah’s regular hairstylist is in Norfolk. She really wanted someone local to do her hair on her wedding day, but this totally isn’t what we had in mind.”

“I’m sorry—it’s just—some brides say they want it down and then are upset not to have a fancier style. I just wanted to show you some other options.”

“I understand,” Sarah assured her. “But I’m definitely not one of those brides.”

The woman’s cell phone rang, and she excused herself, saying she had to take the call from her kids’ daycare.

Sarah let out an exasperated sigh as the woman walked away. “I can’t let her do my hair on my wedding day. She’s totally ignoring everything I’m saying.”

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