Page 34 of SEAL Ever After

Sarah laughed. “Grabbing a drink with a few officers from base I think. But his relatives are coming into town, so he’ll be meeting up with them later. My parents flew up from Florida, and Patrick said he’d get them from the airport and checked in to their hotel.”

She grabbed her phone as it buzzed and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Morgan asked.

“It’s that guy Juan who’s friends with the hairdresser. He said she might stay here as well, so I can go up to her room tomorrow to get my hair done.”

“That’s weird.”

“Yeah, kind of strange. The point was to do all our hair at once.” Sarah shrugged. “Maybe she just has a ton of supplies or something? I’ll touch base with her in the morning.”

“And I booked our spa appointments—don’t worry, not too early,” Bree said. “We’ve got massages at ten a.m.”

“Sounds perfect!” Sarah said. “The hair and makeup appointments aren’t until the afternoon, so we’ll be relaxed and ready.”

“And that’s room service!” Morgan said as there was a knock on the door. She hurried to answer the door and watched as a waiter rolled in a cart of food.

“Ummm, that smells amazing,” Sarah said. “Let’s eat on the balcony.”

Ten minutes later the women were all relaxed on the balcony overlooking the ocean. The sun was just starting to set in the sky, the golden rays beaming off the water. “I can’t believe that in twenty-four hours I’ll be down there marrying Ryan,” Sarah said dreamily.

Morgan lifted her champagne flute. “Believe it, girl. To you and Ryan!”

The women clinked glasses and sipped their champagne. Sarah’s phone buzzed with a text, and she glanced down to see Ryan’s name.

Miss you, baby.

She smiled contentedly, planning to text him back after they finished eating. He was no doubt meeting his buddies for drinks soon, and she’d have time later on as she and her friends spent the evening relaxing.

She took another sip of her bubbly, feeling on top of the world.

“Your manicure looks good,” Bree commented.

“Thanks! I splurged and got a mani/pedi the other day.” She giggled. “I got a Brazilian, too. Ryan’s going to be shocked on our wedding night.”

“Ha,” Morgan said. “He’ll love it. Men are all about that sort of thing.”

“Amen,” Bree agreed.

“I packed my sexiest lingerie, too. Anyway, thanks so much for helping me plan my wedding last-minute like this. I love you both so much. Let’s enjoy dinner, girls,” Sarah said. “To new beginnings!”

“To new beginnings!” the women repeated, and they spent the next hour laughing and enjoying life.

***

Ryan got home from drinks with the other officers later that night and walked into his empty home, double checking the locks. He flipped on the lights, and his eyes fell on his suitcase in the hallway.

Damn.

In less than twenty-four hours, Sarah would be his wife.

She was already checked into the hotel with her girlfriends, and tomorrow they’d be spending the night together in the luxurious hotel suite, their first night as a married couple. He’d already arranged for chocolates and champagne to be sent up the next evening and for rose petals to adorn the bed.

Although he didn’t really consider himself a romantic man, he wanted to surprise Sarah on their wedding night. And he couldn’t wait to see her face when he carried her into the bedroom.

Ryan walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light switch. It was too damn quiet without Sarah around, but he knew she was safe at the hotel, having fun with her bridesmaids. He’d check the home surveillance before going to bed and make sure the house was secure. After he left for the wedding tomorrow, he and Sarah wouldn’t be back for over a week.

His phone buzzed with an incoming call, and he saw Patrick’s name flash on the screen.

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