Page 7 of Forever Zara

The petty cop would wait.

And she’d find it was a stupid blunder if she continued to mess with theSouls.

THREE

“What bride doesn’t have a secret?” - Gia

Wedding: T-minus 18 days.

“If you don’t keep still, she’s going to stick you in the ass.” Warned Gia.

Standing on a podium, Zara turned a withering glance over her shoulder to her sister-in-law and closest friend. The dressmaker was busily pinning her wedding dress around the waist. She’d lost weight in the last few months, so now had to have the dress taken in again.

Who would have known wedding nerves would make the festive pounds melt off her?

She wasn’t scared of marriage.

The moment she proposed to Rider, she’d wanted it more than anything else. But over the last year of preparations, it seemed to grow and grow. Even though they’d decided on a small intimate ceremony, only inviting their closest family and friends, they now had bikers and their old ladies coming in from all around the country.

It was understandably big news about Rider getting hitched, and all his chapters wanted to be there. He not only ran the mother chapter of the Renegade Souls, but he was also the central man of the entire MC; of course, they’d want to come to see him taking an old lady.

But she wouldn’t be lying if she admitted to feeling a little overwhelmed as it grew daily.

“You looks beautiful.” Gia beamed before Zara climbed down and stepped out of the dress. The seamstress would make adjustments again, for the last time, Zara hoped.

Slipping into jeans and an off-the-shoulder cashmere sweater, Zara took a seat next to Gia on a puffy pink bench to buckle her black booties.

“Were you nervous when you married Hawk?” She asked once they were bundled up in warm coats and out on the street again. Gia’s car was parked three blocks away, but the women planned to have lunch in Denver before heading home.

As always, Zara knew somewhere, Mace, better known as Pretty-Boy, was close by. Wisely, he’d chosen to give them space. She didn’t think the guy could take much more wedding talk without going mad. Some days she felt terrible he was stuck bodyguarding her, but he was like a giant baby brother she’d never had. Glancing over her shoulder, sure enough, there was his blond head striding four people behind them. He smirked to let her know everything was fine.

“The only thing I was worried about was if Hawk took off. He was a flight risk.” Gia chuckled. Zara thought differently. Hawk was obsessed with Gia back then. He still was. She figured he would have tied Gia to him in any way he could. “Are you having wedding wobbles? Should we book you a ticket to Mexico?”

Laughing, Zara slid her arm through Gia’s. The busy streets meant they weaved in and out of people as they made their way to the eatery on the corner. She had such a craving for pastry, but she’d be good and have a grilled chicken salad. Boo.

“You know I love Rider.”

“I walked in on you two making out last week. I think I got how you feel about him, babe.”

“I feel stupid I waited this long to say yes to his proposal.”

Gia hip-checked her. “It happened when it was meant to. Don’t you think I had those thoughts about Hawk and me? All that time wasted, but you know, if you focus on the what if’s and regrets, you miss the perfect moments that are happening right now.”

“Yes, Mrs. Psychologist.” Amused Zara.

“Sorry,” laughed her friend, “force of habit, but it’s still true. You didn’t answer. Do you have wedding wobbles?”

“Not about marrying him. The wedding seems to have swelled larger than we wanted. Mom has gone crazy organizing it all. She calls almost hourly with new ideas for flowers or the seating plan. Like, I don’t give a crap where everyone sits, why is that important?”

“That’s what moms do.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

And because Zara carried remorse from the worry she caused her parents; she’d allowed her mom to have full control of the planning.

Now her wedding was a monster.

Having called Little Rome’s ahead of time, they didn’t have to wait. Slipping out of their coats, they were shown to a table in the center of the room. “We should invite Mace inside; it’s freezing out there.”

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