“Honestly, she’s been so preoccupied with Dad that I’m not sure it’s really sunk in yet. She’ll be the one freaking out come Saturday morning, though. Watch.”

  “And you won’t be?” Her friend fisted her own hair in exasperation. “Do you even have a dress? Flowers?”

  “That’s where you come into play.”

  “I am not a seamstress. In fact, the only thing I’m good at making is coffee and baked goods.”

  “Bingo.” Mia pointed enthusiastically. “I’m going to need a cake. Nothing huge, since there will only be a few of us there, but something cute maybe?”

  The redhead beamed. “Buttercream or fondant? Please say buttercream.”

  A laugh rolled up in Mia’s belly. “Buttercream it is. And if you could help me get the cake to Grand Island, since I’m heading back today, I would be indebted to you forever. Reed is staying until Saturday morning because he has a football game on Friday night, but I don’t want him to have to worry about anything other than getting there on time.”

  Ally nodded. “You got it.”

  “And since you’ll be there, could you also help with my makeup and hair? My friend Rae is coming from Omaha to be my maid of honor, but she can’t get there until right before the ceremony, because she’s picking up the flowers.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Done. All of that. But what about the dress, Mia? None of the rest matters if you don’t have something beautiful to wear.”

  And even that wouldn’t matter if something happened to her father in the meantime, so, call Mia a crappy bride, but she wasn’t all that concerned about making a huge statement a la satin and chiffon.

  “I’m going shopping tomorrow. Believe me, I have a list.”

  Ally broke out into a wide grin, complete with a seated happy dance. “You know this is fucking crazy, right? I mean, not just the spur of the moment nuptials, but the fact that you’re taking a lasso to Reed Fletcher’s balls...and he’s letting you.”

  Yeah, well, hopefully that wasn’t something he’d end up hating her for.

  “I guess I’ve always known you were special to him,” Ally admitted, and those giddy, yet uncertain butterflies rose in Mia’s stomach. Special, sure. But special enough to make him a happy husband? Only time would tell.

  * * *

  “Mom said they started weaning Dad off some of the medication. His brain scans are still good, and he’s been moving his toes a lot.”

  Later that night, sitting in bed with his laptop open and Mia on FaceTime, Reed absentmindedly filled out electronic building permits and reviewed the list of site visits he needed to complete before the end of the week. Since Jose’s stroke, he’d put work on the back burner and it was starting to kick his ass.

  “That’s great news. Do they have a guess as to when he might wake up?” Assuming all signs really pointed to yes, anyway.

  “Everyone is different, but the doctor thinks Friday.”

  For the first time ever, Reed wished the Rebel football team wasn’t slated for another state championship run. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even hesitate to have one of the assistant coaches fill in for him so he could be in Grand Island, too. As it was, he’d offered, but Mia insisted he stay back and try to go about his normal routine because in a few days, their lives would change in ways they hadn’t even figured out yet.

  “I miss you,” she said, snuggling up with a hotel pillow on his cell screen. Her hair was down and spread out over the white linen, making his gut clench.

  In the near future, that would be his pillow and his bed. His woman.

  Other than foregoing the prenup, the only other thing he and Mia had decided was to live together in his house. He’d only been there a year, the place was big in case either of them needed space, and her folks’ place was just a few miles away.

  The promise of Mia naked and writhing beneath him in his bed, while she perfumed his sheets with her sweetness had his cock rock hard in two point three.

  Maybe he’d have Coach Hollis bump up for Friday, after all.

  “Reed?”

  Pulling out of the daze—and discreetly adjusting his dick off-camera—he glanced back to the phone, where Mia’s gorgeous smile lit up the screen.

  “Normally, I’d be offended that I told you I missed you and you didn’t respond. But I know what you just did, so you’re forgiven.” She winked and scraped the corner of her bottom lip all sex kitten-like, and the tent in his boxers pitched a little higher.

  “What’d I do?” he challenged, wrapping his hand around his shaft through the cotton and stroking lightly, still off-screen.

  “You’re hard.” Her voice was as smooth and as sultry as velvet brushing against bare skin. “Aren’t you?”

  “Maybe.” Another stroke. This one a little firmer than the last.

  “I want to see.”

  Uh...come again?

  “Please?”

  Well, fuck. “You asking me to jack off for you, M?”

  Her lips twisted into a sexy pucker. “I only asked to see your impressive dick, but if you want to show me what you’re doing over there...” She tapped the screen on her phone, only inches away from his throbbing cock on his side of the video chat. “I will not complain.”

  And this was the woman he was about to commit himself to. How the hell did he rate?

  “Show me your tits,” he rasped, slipping his dick from his boxers so he could get a better grip. Squeeze a little harder.

  “These?” She sat up in bed, held the phone with one hand, and lifted her black tank top with the other until her breasts fell loose and her nipples, so wide and dark, winked at him in the camera.

  “Fuckkk.” His hand moved faster over his length, fisting over the thick head with every pass. “Touch yourself.”

  Clasping that plump bottom lip between her teeth, she rubbed her fingertips over one pretty bud and then the other, until her areolas tightened and her peaks went rigid. It was hard to see exactly how hard she’d made herself, but given the soft, sexy as fuck gasps and moans spilling into his bedroom, he could guess.

  “More, Mia.” He wanted her panting and turned on. Ideally so aroused, she’d join him and get herself off.

  Closing her eyes, she let her head loll to the side while she continued to work her flesh into a frenzy. When only one hand wasn’t enough, she propped her phone up on the pillows and bedding, so she could use both hands to pinch and tweak and, every now and then, flick.

  His cock throbbed and a bead of pre-cum began to gather at his slit. He imagined her pressing those pretty tits together for him. Letting him slide in between from the bottom, while she bobbed and licked at that droplet with every full stroke.

  “I’m gonna fuck those tits on our wedding night,” he growled, hand pumping long and slow, so close to the edge.

  “Show me,” she begged, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps. “I want to watch you come.”

  When he shifted the phone to his lap, he lost sight of her, but her greedy little whimpers were more than enough.

  He came in his fist less than a minute later, thick rivers of white semen dripping over his skin.

  “God, I want to taste it,” she whined, and he went back to watching her play. Even across the distance, he could see her tremble. And bounce...fuck, the way she bounced on that hotel bed, so desperate to get off.

  “Panties, babe. Put your fingers inside.”

  She hesitated for only seconds before she tipped the phone down and slid her hand into the dark scrap of fabric between her legs. He could see literally nothing but her arm flexing as she touched herself, but it was still the hottest fucking thing he’d ever seen.

  “Rub that pretty clit, Mia. Slow and soft to get things going. Just how you like it.”

  She flinched, not once, but three times, until she found the right spot and the right amount of pressure, stroking her pussy until she cried out his name and fell forward, braced on one hand, while she rode the waves of her orgasm.

  And to think that once upon a time, she’d had a hard time getting off with just fingers.

  He grinned to himself while she caught her breath, so fucking proud of how far she’d come. How far they’d come.

  “That was beautiful,” he praised her. “The only thing that could top it is seeing you wear white with my ring on your finger.”

  She laughed shyly, settling back against the headboard and still breathing fast. “You’re such a sweet talker, Mr. Fletcher. How is it no one’s snapped you up yet?”

  He lifted an eyebrow, tongue stuck in his cheek. “What do you mean? I’m yours, aren’t I?”

  Mia’s sweet laugh carried through the phone. “Always the charmer.”

  Maybe, but right now there wasn’t a single ounce of bullshit in his words. “Maybe I’ve always been yours, babe. Just took me a while to figure it out.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “He’s opening his eyes,” Stella gasped late Friday morning. “Mia, honey, wake up.”

  “I’m up, I’m up.” She sat up in the hospital lounger, pushed her sleep-messed hair from her face, and followed her mother’s eager gaze.

  Sure enough, her father’s dark eyes worked hard to open.

  “Oh, honey.” Her mother hurried to his side, crying, of course. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  He said nothing, just looked around, taking in his surroundings. A new hospital room no one had bargained on.

  “Hi, Papi,” Mia said, taking one of his hands in hers. “We’ve been worried about you.”

  He frowned in confusion, but rather than try to ask questions, he still made no effort to speak. A side effect the doctors had warned them might occur, among a laundry list of others, too.

  Mia hit the call button for a nurse and within minutes, both a nurse and doctor arrived with guarded smiles on their faces.

  “Good morning, Mr. Carderas,” Dr. Beck said, then chuckled. “You’ve had a nice long nap. How are you feeling?”

  Her father opened his mouth, but that seemed to be all he could do. At least for now, Mia hoped.

  “Do you know anyone in this room?” the doctor asked, taking a seat beside the bed, while the nurse took her dad’s vitals.

  Mia held her breath, watching her mother carefully on the other side of the bed. Stella worried her trembling hands together while unshed tears sparkled in her eyes. For almost two weeks now, her mother’s life had been in limbo, right alongside Jose’s and Mia feared that this moment could very well be the one that broke this strong woman.

  Jose looked to Mia first and, for a long moment, his dark eyes did nothing more than searched her face. Then he gave a small, adoring smile and nodded. Thank God.

  When he glanced at her mother—and lifted a shaky hand to take hers—Mia cried. So did Stella, as she launched herself into her husband’s arms and held on tight.

  Even the nurse’s eyes watered and suddenly it didn’t matter if her father spoke again or ever walked on his own. Jose was still Jose, and they’d get through whatever other obstacles they might come up against together.

  “I need to call Reed,” Mia said, wiping away her tears. “And when I come back, Papi, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  * * *

  “Jose woke up,” Reed told Josh and Mark Friday afternoon. With the football game that night, they’d taken the day off from work to get everything ready for Saturday. Everything being a new suit for Reed and a couple of beers and cheeseburgers for lunch at a bar in North Platte.

  “Thank Christ for that.” Josh leaned back on his barstool and took a pull from his beer. “So, you’re really doing this, huh?”

  “Yep.” And not once had he thought twice about it. “Married life seems to be working out for you fuckers just fine.”

  Mark snorted. “Minus the shit diapers and two a.m. wake up calls, anyway.”

  “Josie slept for five hours two nights in a row. Fucking heaven.” Josh grinned like only a new father could, and Reed shook his head.

  “Let me enjoy my bride for a while first before we go there, huh?”

  Mark raised an eyebrow. “You’re taking this seriously.”

  Hell, yes, he was. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

  “Uh, how about because your dick likes variety? And not once in the past twenty years have you ever been truly interested in locking it down to one woman.”

  Except for the past ten months.

  “Mia’s the only one I’ve been with in almost a year,” he admitted, and Josh sat up so fast, he almost knocked himself off the stool.

  “What?” His best friend’s jaw slacked open.

  He brought his beer to his mouth. “Why the hell do you think I broke it off with Jenny?”

  Eyebrows stuck to his hairline, Mark shook his head. “You’re kidding me.”

  “Mia and I met up in Omaha before Christmas.” And in that one night with her, something changed. Fucking faceless women no longer held any appeal.

  “And you never said a fucking thing.” Josh laughed. “Wow.”

  “Ah, did you tell anyone when you started seeing Carissa?” Reed challenged, and his best friend’s expression dropped instantly. “Exactly.”

  The bartender brought Mark and Josh another beer, but Reed passed. One was enough, given he had a game to coach in a few hours.

  He also had another important stop to make before they headed back to River Bend. For that, he’d need a clear head.

  “We should probably head out after this beer,” Josh spoke up. “I’ve gotta head over to the Henry mansion sometime today and change the security codes.”

  “Why’s that?” Reed frowned. “Someone poking around the place?” Wouldn’t surprise him since the place had sat essentially empty since Hudson Contracting built the place for Senator Henry last year. To his knowledge, the man had only been there once to approve the final project, and he’d entrusted Josh to keep an eye on the huge estate and the property surrounding it in his absence. Worked out well, since Josh and Carissa’s new house was built on the adjacent property.

  “Nah, I guess the Senator’s been sick and isn’t expected to make it more than a week or two. Stage four lung cancer. His attorney is an old friend of my dad’s, so he called to ask for some help with finalizing a transfer on the deed. He wants the codes changed in case Henry gave them to someone who might want to make off with his shit in the meantime.”

  “Wow, that blows. He spent all that cash on a place he’ll never be able to live in. He doesn’t have anything there, does he?”

  “Not much. He had some furniture and safe delivered a couple months back. Not sure if there’s anything in it, but it’s there.”

  “Huh.” Mark cleared his throat. “He was always such an odd guy. Could never figure out why the hell he chose to build in River Bend anyway.”

  No kidding. Wasn’t like there was much there to entertain multi-millionaires, except maybe the resort. Then again, maybe that was the appeal. A quiet retirement in a quiet little town.

  Reed lifted his beer toward his buddies. “To Senator Henry, may his swanky ass rest in peace. And to Mia Carderas, for being brave enough to marry my swanky ass.”

  His buddies laughed and clanked their bottles to his, and Reed just grinned.

  Tomorrow, he would give the rest of his life to the only girl he could imagine spending it with.

  And he couldn’t fucking wait.

  * * *

  You’ve smiled all afternoon, her father wrote in the notebook sitting on the lap table between them. Why, mija?

  “Because you’re awake.” She covered his hand with hers, acknowledging to herself that, yes, she had been smiling a lot. Her cheeks even hurt. “We were all so worried.”

  I’m sorry for that.

  “Oh, Papi, it’s no secret that you’re a bullheaded man. We should’ve known you’d try to walk on your own.” She laughed softly and bittersweet amusement shined in his eyes.

  I will again. Soon.

  “I know you will.” Leaning in, she kissed his prickly cheek. “We’ll have to get you shaved up, too. Before tomorrow, anyway.”

  He eyed her curiously, and a big grin split across her face, even as heat filled her cheeks.

  “About that something I wanted to tell you...” She tangled their fingers, praying that what she was about say would make him as happy as it surprisingly had made her the past few days.

  Never had she thought she’d end up planning a wedding in less than a week, and maybe there wasn’t any urgency anymore, but it felt right.

  “You know Reed and I have been friends forever, right?”

  He nodded, brow still creased.

  “You probably noticed that he’s been here for me—and for our family—during this whole process of getting you back on your feet. Well, there’s a reason for that, Papi.” Her heart beat hard against her chest and her palms began to sweat like she was a teenager all over again, about to ask for permission to go on her first date.

  Good man, her father wrote on the notebook again. You love him.

  “God, I do,” she laughed. “I have since I was old enough to know what love is.”

  Watery emotion began to swim in her dad’s eyes as tears fell from her own.

  “We’re getting married. Here. Tomorrow.”

  A garbled sound rose from his chest and he pulled her close, kissing her temple while his hand smoothed over her hair. “H-h-h...”

  “Happy?”

  He nodded and she felt the dampness of his tears against her skin.

  “Me, too.” And she was. A little scared, too, but mostly happy. And excited. And...hopeful. “Will you give away?” she asked, pulling back to look in his eyes.

  He reached for the paper and the words he wrote made her heart swell.

  I always knew he’d be the one to take you from me.

  * * *

  One minute and twelve seconds of game time, a shower, and picking up his mother were the only things that stood in the way of Reed hopping in his car and heading to Grand Island.

  To his bride.

  Holy fuck.

 

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