Page 115 of The Reluctant Siren
“Do you want it to be more?” She managed to make thequestion a challenge.
“I want it to be forever, but baby, I’m willing to work.Your dad is right about a lot of things. Not the sniper stuff. He’s extremelyinvested in not getting sniped, and the actual statistics don’t hold up, butthat’s not the point.”
She was smiling. Like she used to. Like he amused her. “Ithink it’s a perfect point, and you should bring it up with Dad on thebasketball court because it will totally throw him off.”
“I think I’m on his team. But I’ll hold it for a good time,”Jensen promised. “My real point is I’m trying. And it’s for you but it’s forme, too. I think I might like being happy for once. Like this asshole who isobviously euphoric.”
Niall shrugged. “How could I not be? I got my warriorprincess.”
“Then it’s just lunch, but Jensen, you should know thatlunch can be a starting point,” she said.
“We take it slow this time,” Jensen offered. “I knowsometimes you think we’re a flash fire, but I’m going to be good for you. Sofriends for now?”
She held a hand out. “Friends for now.” She sighed. “Itwon’t take long if you keep looking at me like that, Jensen. Niall, I love you.Take down my dads for me.”
She turned and walked away, and Jensen and Niall watchedher.
“I don’t think we should take down her dads,” Niall said.“She’s kidding about that. Her mom would be pissed if one of them ended up in abrace or something.”
Oh, he thought they were about to see a whole bunch ofbraces. “She doesn’t hate me.”
Niall turned to him. “No. She loves you and I love you, andlet’s take a deep breath and try to find something normal. I happen to knowthat you’re going to be invited to play at The Hideout this weekend. Don’texpect sex. Just ease in and get a lay of the land and if she decides she wantsa second top…”
“I’ll be there.”
He had a sudden surge of real hope.
She loved him. He loved her. He loved Niall.
All he had to do was love himself, too, and it would allwork out.
“Let’s play some basketball,” Jensen said. “Althoughapparently it’s also therapy, so you should be ready for that.”
“I’m ready for anything, brother,” Niall replied.
Jensen was ready for his future to start.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Harlow stood in front of the mirror andwatched her mom. Natalie Dawson looked gorgeous in her mother-of-the-bridedress, but she was obviously more concerned with her daughter’s. It wasn’t likeher mom hadn’t seen her in this dress before, but she cried every single time.
“You look so beautiful,” her mom said, putting a tissue toher eyes.
She felt beautiful in the stunning sheath dress. She wasfairly certain her grooms were going to lose their minds.
“She does,” Greer said with a smile. “Exactly as beautifulas our mom was on her wedding day. I told the photographer there are somespecific shots we want.”
Greer and Gigi and Ruby were her bridal gang, and they hadbeen with her every step of the way. One of the things they’d decided to use asinspiration was her parents’ wedding. They were going to do a couple of shotsmirroring her favorite pics of her parents, but with her friends as stand-ins.
“Gabe is in the tuxedo I picked for him,” Gigi promised. “Ihad to fight to get him in it, but I swear he’s a young Julian Lodge. GettingJack to stand in for…well, older Jack…was the real issue. Now that was astruggle.”
Jack had been through the ringer, but somehow she thoughtRuby had a hand in getting that Special Agent in a tux. But that was anotherstory for another day. Love seemed to be in the air for all of her friends. Themembers of The Hideout were all settling down, and she was here for it. She’dstarted calling the last year mating season.
“It’s going to be wonderful,” she said, checking herselfover one more time and thinking about how she’d woken up this morning. To menwho snuck into her parents’ house and slept with her even though she’d tried toplay the bad luck card. She hadn’t tried hard. She’d missed them even after acouple of hours. Jensen had promised they would be gone long before dawn.
And then she’d had to wake them up to kick them out so herdad didn’t find out how much Taggart was teaching her soon-to-be husbands aboutgetting around security systems.
