Don't Breathe a Word: Includes a bonus novella (Texas Justice Book 2)
Page 42
“Everyone ready? We need to get this show on the road.” A familiar gasp made Rachel smile. “Oh. My. Heavens.”
Rachel turned toward the older woman she now called friend and twirled. “What do you think, Edith? Is Charlie right? Is Logan going to lose his marbles?”
She clapped her hands. “He’s going to lose something, honey, that’s for sure. You couldn’t look more beautiful even if I dressed you myself.”
Charlie mumbled something under her breath about a go-go wedding dress and Penny elbowed her in the side, shutting her up. The operative chuckled and everyone grabbed their bouquets.
Ever since Logan had proposed, a second into the New Year, Rachel had known exactly where they needed to say their I-dos. Luckily, Earl and Edith had been eagerly up for it. The older couple had gone all out. Elvis still occupied every nook and crevice of the small chapel, but the girls had helped place the flowers. Even the life-size Elvis mannequin held a bouquet of gerbera daisies and wore a black suit jacket instead of his sequined jumper.
Rachel shot a quick glance around the back room. “Aren’t we missing someone?”
“Here! I’m here!” Carly sprinted down the hall as if she weren’t wearing heels, skidding to a stop. “Sorry I’m late. I got—”
“Roughed up by a chicken?” Charlie teased, plucking a pink feather from Carly’s slightly unkempt hair. “You may want to fix the lips, love. And if you have your cell phone on you, I suggest you tell ol’ lover boy Chase he may want to make use of his handkerchief.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carly said innocently before not-so-discreetly firing off a text.
Edith hustled through the gilded curtain, and while she barked orders, getting everyone into position, Stone stepped through the canopy.
The Alpha leader looked at a loss for words as he pulled her into a gentle hug. “You’re breathtaking, Rachel. Logan’s a damn lucky man.”
She squeezed him back. “I think I’m the lucky one.”
From around Stone’s broad shoulders, the girls lifted their eyebrows. Ever since she’d returned from Vegas months ago, there’d been something different about the usually broody Alpha head, and bets had been laid down from a secret love to divine intervention.
Stone offered Rachel his uninjured arm. “We should probably move this along. Your guy’s about to crawl out of his skin out there—in a good way.”
The music began, summoning the procession. Elle stepped through first, gently nudging her daughter in front of her and coaxing her into tossing the flower petals. Carly came next, tears in her eyes as she kissed Rachel on the cheek before following. And then Penny and Charlie, the maid and matron of honor.
“You’re up next, Charlie.” Rachel dropped her gaze to the new addition to the operative’s jewelry collection, a gorgeous sapphire ring that she now wore on her left hand.
“But at least I put up a good fight…unlike some of you girls, who fell at the drop of a crooked smirk. It’s embarrassing. I’m the only one with any kind of self-control,” Charlie teased, squeezing her hand before disappearing.
Rachel held her breath as the music changed, signaling Stone to guide her through the gold curtain. She found Logan instantly. Standing beneath a music-note archway with Earl at the ready, he watched her slowly walk the aisle. As she reached the halfway point, he left his position and eased her out of Stone’s arms with a slow kiss.
Rachel giggled as their friends whistled and catcalled. Little Violet, not knowing what was happening, clapped enthusiastically.
“You’re supposed to wait until I get to the altar, and I’m pretty sure we have to recite a few vows before you kiss the bride,” Rachel teased.
“Darlin’, we waited long enough for this. I’m not waiting a second longer than I have to.” With a mischievous smirk, Logan swept her legs out from beneath her, giving his boss a wink. “Thanks for giving the bride away, man.”
Stone chuckled. “My pleasure.”
Logan hustled back to the altar before putting her back on her feet. “Sorry about that, Earl. I’m just anxious to make this beautiful lady mine before she comes to her senses and changes her mind.”
“Not going to happen, cowboy.” Rachel looked up into Logan’s smiling face.
“Why? Because you know I’ll keep bringing you back?”
“No, because I’m already yours. This is only a formality.”
As Logan cupped her cheek, the usually tough Texan peered down at her with glittering gray eyes. “And I’m already yours, darlin’. Forever and always.”
Acknowledgments
Authors may start off writing for themselves, but it very quickly changes and becomes about the readers. We couldn’t do what we love if it weren’t for your loyal support and eagerness to fall in love time and time again. So if you read for personal enjoyment, or to share your love of romance with the world via your blog, thank you so much for taking the time to fall into our worlds.
My family never ceases to amaze me, always laying the foundation of support, and never once complaining about those weeks in which we order pizza one more time than is considered ‘healthy.’
To Madeleine Colavita, and the entire Forever team. You’re incredible to work with and I’ll be forever grateful to you for helping me bring men like Logan into the world.
My agent, Sarah E. Younger, your unwavering support and solidarity has no boundaries, and I’m so incredibly grateful that you chose me from your inbox all those years ago. There aren’t enough words to describe how incredible you are.
To my #girlswritenight crew, Tif, Annie, Sidney, and Rachel. You know how to give a good pants-kicking, and I don’t know how I’d ever write or plot a book without you.
And to my Alpha Security heroes and heroines—you jumped into my head and demanded to be heard, and I’ve loved every single second of this wild ride.
About the Author
April Hunt blames her incurable chocolate addiction on growing up in rural Pennsylvania, way too close to America’s chocolate capital, Hershey. She now lives in Virginia with her college sweetheart husband, two young children, and a cat who thinks she’s a human-dog hybrid. On those rare occasions she’s not donning the cape of her children’s personal chauffeur, April’s either planning, plotting, or writing about her next alpha hero and the woman he never knew he needed, but now can’t live without.
You can learn more at:
AprilHuntBooks.com
Twitter @AprilHuntBooks
Facebook.com/AprilHuntBooks
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Available Spring 2020