Page 32 of SEAL Ever After

Tomorrow’s the big day!

Can’t wait to see you later.

Sarah grinned, texting her friend back.

I am so ready! And girl’s night at the hotel will be fab. xoxo

She set her phone back down on the nightstand, and Ryan walked into the bedroom, carrying a tray full of food and hot tea. He was already showered, shaved, and dressed, and she could smell the spicy hint of his cologne as he got closer. “I thought I’d make you breakfast in bed,” he said, his voice deep.

“Awww, that’s sweet,” she said, flushing.

“It’s the least I could do after distracting you last night,” he said, his lips quirking.

“True, I’ve still got a ton of stuff to do.”

He set the tray down, smiling as he sank down onto the bed beside her. “I didn’t hear you complaining too much when you were crying out my name,” he murmured in a low voice.

Sarah raised her eyebrows. “You got me there—you’ll get no complaints from me when we’re in bed together,” she teased. “But you know how I hate packing. I don’t want to be frantically racing around before we leave for the hotel.”

“What else is left? You’ve got your dress; the flowers and cake are being delivered. I’ll load up the car later on, drop you off to meet Morgan and Bree at the hotel, and then meet you at the end of the aisle tomorrow.”

“You make it sound easy,” she said with a sigh, spearing a piece of fruit with her fork. “I’ve got packing, prepping, going over my list to make sure I don’t forget anything.”

Ryan chuckled. “All that matters is us. I’ve wrapped up stuff on base for the time being, and you’ve said goodbye to your clients for the next week—all we have to focus on is the wedding.”

Sarah looked at him doubtfully. “And you’re sure you won’t get called back to base for some emergency?”

“I’m sure,” he assured her. “We’ve got other teams on standby if something urgent comes up.”

“The guys out in California?”

“It’s handled,” he said. “And besides, I’m the only one who will be gone for a week while we’re on our honeymoon. The other guys will all be working as usual.”

Sarah lifted the mug and took a sip of her herbal tea. “I just can’t believe our wedding is tomorrow, you know? It seems like everything is falling into place too perfectly—I’m worried something is going to go wrong.”

“Nothing is going to go wrong,” he assured her. “And hell—even if it does, all that matters is the two of us saying our vows. The cake could be awful, the skies could open and rain down on us, and it wouldn’t matter. You know why?”

Tears smarted her eyes as she looked up at him, and Ryan’s gaze softened. “Because we’re getting married,” she said, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

“Why are you crying?” Ryan asked, his voice gruff as he gently thumbed away the single stray tear.

“I’m just happy,” she said. “And a little bit stressed—but mostly happy.”

Ryan chuckled. “I don’t want you so stressed that you’re crying. I’ll help you pack—whatever I’m allowed to see, that is,” he added with a wink. “Eat your breakfast, take a bubble bath, and then we’ll get organized. I’ve got to tie up a few loose ends around here since we’ll be gone for a week and make sure the place is locked up, but then we’ll relax and enjoy the afternoon together before I drop you off.”

“That sounds good,” she said.

Ryan took one of her hands and brushed his lips over the back of it. “I promise—even if everything in the world somehow goes wrong, all that matters is that we’re together.”

“You’re right,” she said. “I’m just being silly. It’s just wedding jitters or something like that. I’m not worried about us getting married, just something going wrong with the ceremony.”

“And like I already said, nothing will go wrong. You’ll walk down the aisle, I’ll kiss the bride, and we’ll sail off into the sunset.”

Sarah giggled. “Except there won’t be any boats.”

Ryan shrugged. “I’m in the Navy—what can I say? That’s how I think. We’ll toast at our reception, and I’ll carry you off to our hotel room.”

“And then we’ll jet off the next day on our honeymoon,” she said excitedly.

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