Page 99 of Shattered Secrets

Poppy had stunned in her white gown as she’d walked the short aisle on her sons’ arms. When they’d reached Cade at the front, the twins had split up, one standing up with Poppy and the other with Cade. There hadn’t been a damn dry eye to be found.

The same could be said about this exact moment. Poppy and her twins had opted for a mother-son dance in lieu of a father-daughter dance since she didn’t have a relationship with her parents. Carter and Dylan were swaying and swinging their mom between them, and the trio’s smiles and laughter were bringing happy tears to everyone watching.

Matt scanned the crowd and spotted Quinn, with his nine-month-old daughter, Annie, in his arms and his wife, Alex, beside him. Standing with them were Joe and his wife, Roxie. While Alex and Roxie were in some sort of animated discussion with Roxie pointing to her obvious baby bump, Quinn and Joe were sneaking Annie some bits of cake frosting. By the way the little girl’s arms pumped up and down, it was safe to say she was a fan. He caught his friends’ gazes and shook his head, grinning. Joe brought a finger to his lips and tilted his head to the women. Matt laughed and gave them a chin lift of acknowledgement.

“How’s it going, big brother?” Jake asked as he approached, then nudged an elbow into his ribs.

Matt nudged his brother back. “Good.”

“Really?”

And just like that, nerves took flight in Matt’s stomach. Shooting a sideways glance at his brother, he lowered his voice and asked, “You think it’s still a good idea?”

Jake chuckled. “You said she’d love it.”

“Right.” She would. God knew he’d seen Scarlet aww-ing countless times over similar videos online. Still, worry twisted his gut.Shit. “Right.”

Cade approached and slapped him on the shoulder. “Are you doing the overanalyzing shit again?”

“Bro, come on, you look like you’re gonna puke.” Jake turned to Cade with laughing eyes. “And yeah, he totally is.”

Bastards. Both of them.

Cade slung his arm over Matt’s shoulders and chuckled. “What was it that you said to me? Oh yes. Take a fucking breath and stop overthinking it.”

Matt's gaze ping-ponged between his two best friends, and he let out an unsteady breath. “Holy shit,Isaid that?”

Cade threw his head back and laughed. “Who’d have thought, right? You also said I was making it too complicated. Which I was.”

“Yeah, but it’s too late for you on that one, bro,” Jake said with a shit-eating grin. He nodded at the dance floor. “You’re almost up.”

Matt gulped. Hands patted him on the back, but he didn’t feel them. He was too focused on the woman standing off to the side, having an animated conversation with one of Poppy’s friends.

Scarlet looked like a damn dream. Her long dark hair was down in loose waves that highlighted its pinks, blues, and purples. She wore a simple navy-blue dress that hit her mid-thigh. Two thin straps held it up, and it hugged her gorgeous body to perfection. A body he was happily memorizing inch by delectable inch. Truth be told, he wanted to sneak her away rightnow. But no, he could do that later. There’d be plenty of time for that after.

Scarlet’s face lit up as she laughed at something the other woman had said. And just like that, Matt’s nerves settled. Because that’s what this woman did. She settled him like no one else. She’d become his home, his purpose, the reason he wanted to be a better man. There was no one he’d rather spend the rest of his life with than her—and Daisy. His little girl.

Dressed in a sparkly pink-and-navy-blue dress, Daisy hopped from foot to foot with a giant smile on her Otter Pop–stained face. The twins were in charge of handing out popsicles to the kids tonight, and it was safe to say that all the children were currently on a sugar high.

“All right, ladies,” TJ said into the microphone. He was not only one of Cade’s closest friends and a coach at De La Rosa Gym, but also the emcee for the wedding. “Can we get all the single ladies to the dance floor, please? Poppy is going to toss her bouquet!”

Matt kept his gaze on Scarlet as she was pulled onto the dance floor by one of Poppy’s co-workers. For a second, she searched the crowd. When their eyes met, she flashed him a sheepish smile, shrugged, and blew him a kiss.

His heart expanded. God, he loved her.

“Okay, ladies. Get ready,” TJ said. “On the count of three, Poppy. One, two, three!”

A blur of pink and blue sparkles shot across the dance floor toward Poppy, and Matt moved closer. With each step he took, the feeling of rightness strengthened in his gut, his heart, his soul.

Laughter erupted in the crowd as Poppy turned with her bouquet still in hand. Daisy was bouncing in front of the bride, waving her arms. Poppy bent down and whispered somethingto the little girl. Matt smiled when Daisy clapped her hands and took the bouquet. Spinning, she darted to her mom.

“These are for you, Mama!”

“Oh no, baby. Oh, sweetie,” Scarlet stammered. Her face flushed pink as she took the flowers from her daughter. Glancing at Poppy, who’d followed behind Daisy, she held the bouquet out, saying, “I’m so sorry, Pop. Here.”

An excited murmur raced through the crowd.

Matt smiled. And waited.

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