Imogen gives him a puzzled frown. “Your surprise?”
Jesse shoots a look at the guys. “Should I do it anyway?”
Franco snorts. “Duh, moron.”
“Do what? Jesse, what are you talking about?”
Jesse takes a step backward, away from Imogen. He reaches into his pocket and withdraws something he keeps clutched in his closed fist. He shuffles awkwardly for a moment, and then drops to one knee—Imogen gasps, hand over her mouth, tears flowing freely now.
“I swear, I had this planned for months,” Jesse says. “I’ve been carrying this ring around in my pocket for weeks, trying to figure out the best time to do this. And I figured today would be perfect, all of us here together in a private room…” He drags his fingers through his beard. “I had a whole speech planned out, and I’m fucking it up.”
Imogen laughs through her tears. “No, you’re not. You’re doing great, baby. Keep going.”
He shoves his Oakleys higher on his head, takes a deep breath, and gazes up at her. “I love you in a way I didn’t think was even possible, for me or for anyone. I love you so much I don’t even know how to handle it most days, and…well, I’m still not quite sure how I managed to convince you to love me back, but I did. So, I want to make this permanent before you change your mind about me.”
Imogen laughs again. “I’ll never change my mind about loving you, you big idiot.”
“Well, I guess that’s lucky for both of us, because as it turns out, you’re having my baby,” Jesse says, laughing, and then opens the ring box in both hands, revealing a glittering princess cut diamond solitaire. “Imogen Catherine Irving…will you marry me?”
Imogen can only nod at first, and then dives at him, going to her knees and wrapping her arms around his neck, sobbing and talking at the same time. “Yes, yes, yes!” She pulls back. “You seriously had this planned for today?”
Jesse nods. “I was gonna stand up at the end of the meal and say this whole big thing I wrote out and memorized.”
“So I kind of stole your thunder, huh?”
Jesse laughs, moving to sit in a chair, carrying Imogen with him to cradle her on his lap. “Yeah, but it works better this way.”
“I think so too.” Imogen frowns. “I just have one question.”
Jesse arches an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Do we get married soon so I’m not a big pregnant whale for the wedding, or do we wait till after and get married with a crying baby at the wedding?”
“If you keep it small,” Nova says, “I can have it planned in a month or two.”
Imogen looks at her. “For real?”
Nova shrugs and nods, red hair swaying. “Yeah, no problem. I mean, you won’t have a big, elaborate thing with five hundred people and swans and all that, but if you’re willing to keep it to close friends and family only, yeah, I can pull together something simple, romantic, and beautiful for you pretty quickly.” She glances around at Audra, Nova, and me. “Especially if I have help.” She laughs. “I’m a little rusty, obviously.”
“You know we’re in!” Audra says, clearly speaking for the rest of us.
Jesse laughs. “A month or two.” He holds Imogen tightly, still laughing. “So, the same day I find out I’m gonna be a father, I propose, and then we’re getting married in a month or two!”
“Yeah, well, Laurel and Nate are moving in with me tomorrow,” Ryder says, “so obviously none of us do anything the easy or normal way.”
Nate, who has, up until now, been watching all this unfold, finally speaks up. “So…when do we get cake?”
And thus the festivities begin. Cake is cut and served, jokes are told, and fun is had by all.
During the party, I look around at this group of people who have, somehow, become like family, and realize I’m deeply, abidingly happy. Mostly, though, it’s because of Ryder.
He sits beside me, holding my hand at every possible opportunity, and if he’s not holding my hand, he’s playing with my hair or rubbing my thigh or curling his arm around me—always touching me in little signs of affection, the kind of affection I’m just now realizing I’ve craved my whole life.
I elbow him at one point in the party. “Thought it was for you, huh?”
He rumbles a laugh. “It did cross my mind.”
“It hasn’t even been a week since we…you know, without the…you know,” I mutter to him. “I wouldn’t even know for a month or two.”
“So…it’s still possible?”
I laugh, resting my head on his shoulder. “I mean, yes, it’s possible, as in no birth control is one hundred percent perfect, but it’s very unlikely, especially seeing as that happened a few days before my period, which is when I’m least fertile. I think you’re fine.”
He sighs. “Don’t get me wrong, if that did happen, I’d be all-in and happy, but I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t happen just yet.”
“I agree.”
He hesitates, and then looks at me. “So, I, uh…I kind of got Nate a…um…moving-in present.”
I sense something in his voice. “And what did you get him?”
He winces, keeping his voice low. “A dog.”
I blink at him. “Are you serious?”
He grins sheepishly. “I’ve wanted one for a long time, but I’m not home enough to justify one. With you guys there, too, it’s pretty much the perfect time, because with you both there, I’ll be home a lot more.”
“What kind?”
He chuckles. “Great Pyrenees. It’s just a pup, so it’s still with the breeders. I figured it would be a fun surprise to take him to go get it after we get moved in.”
“Oh my god, Ryder. A Great Pyrenees? Those things are huge!”
He nods. “I have a big place. Needs a big dog.” He gives me a long, searching look. “I guess I probably should’ve talked to you about it first, huh?
I laugh, and nod. “Yeah, probably.” I nuzzle into him. “But you’re in luck, because I’ve been thinking about getting one for years, but never did for the same reason. He’s been begging me for a dog for every birthday and holiday for two years. You have no idea how excited he’s going to be.”
The evening winds down, and yet we all linger in the private event room, the adults talking, Nate and the girls alternating between running around chasing each other and watching shows on Nina’s phone. Finally, the kids start to look droopy-eyed, and even the adults seem to be flagging.
Nova is the one to call it. “Okay, I think it’s officially time to call this party a success and go home.”
There’s a chorus of agreement from everyone, and we all file out and to the parking lot where we all say goodbye and hug and linger a little longer, until finally we manage to drag ourselves away from each other and head home.
Which, for me, means my last night in my little suburban home—tomorrow, Ryder and the gang will swarm this place and empty it of my belongings, and merge my life and Nate’s with Ryder’s—the week after, I will officially be renting my house out to one of James’s clients.
I stand in the darkened parking lot beside Ryder’s truck, watching Nate and Ryder talking quietly. I look up and see a bright full moon shining down on us, and thinking about the past few weeks, I cannot believe my good fortune. Life is full of surprises, and with my two best guys by my side, I’m ready for all of them.
Epilogue
A month and a half later
* * *
I’m woken at three in the morning to a frantically ringing doorbell. Ryder rolls over, peering at the clock. “Who th’fuck could that be?”
I nudge him out of the bed. “I don’t know, but you need to go see.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The only time Ryder is ever ill-humored is if he’s woken up unexpectedly, and even that is funny.
He tugs a pair of gym shorts on and shuffles down the stairs. A few minutes later he shuffles blearily back up the stairs.
“Who was it?” I ask.
“For you.” He tumbles back into
bed and curls up facing away from me.
I laugh. “Ryder, who was it?”
“Nova.”
“Nova? What did she want?”
“Dunno. She’s bawling her damn eyes out, though.”
“Wait…she’s still down there?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You probably should’ve led with that, sweetheart,” I say, climbing out of bed and shrugging into my robe.
“Sleeping. Night-night.”
I laugh, bend and kiss his forehead, and then wiggle away cackling as he grabs at my butt. “You lecherous pervert! You just had that less than four hours ago.”
He snorts, mostly asleep. “Didn’t have your ass. Gonna someday, though.”
“Not likely, bub. No backdoor lovin’ for you.”
He laughs sleepily and then I hear him snoring. I head downstairs and find Nova at our kitchen table, dabbing at her eyes with a paper towel, drinking a glass of whiskey neat.
I sit next to her, rest my hand on her wrist. “Nova? What’s wrong?”
She sniffles. “I’m sorry. I just…I need to talk to someone.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I tell her. “This is what friends are for, sweetie. Talk to me.”
“I thought I could do this.”
“Do what?”
She lets out a shuddery breath. “Plan this wedding.”
I frown, confused. “You’ve been planning it. I don’t understand.”
“Yeah, I’ve been planning it…and it’s killing me.”
“You’re gonna have to unpack this for me, Nova.”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
“I’ve had it all locked down for a long time,” Nova says, “but this…planning Jesse and Imogen’s wedding…it’s just—it’s bringing it all up inside me for some dumb fucking reason, and I don’t know how to handle it.”
I hesitate. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds, here, but…this is all connected to James, isn’t it?”
She nods miserably. “Yeah.”
“So…what’s the story?”
Nova swirls the last sip of whiskey in her glass. “I’ll need another whiskey to get through it.”
COMING SOON!
Want more of Nova and Jesse’s story, and the world of Dad Bod Contracting?
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Screwed
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The fourth and final Dad Bod Book…
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Coming soon!
Also by Jasinda Wilder
Visit me at my website: www.jasindawilder.com
Email me: [email protected]
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My other titles:
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The Preacher's Son:
Unbound
Unleashed
Unbroken
* * *
Biker Billionaire:
Wild Ride
* * *
Big Girls Do It:
Better (#1), Wetter (#2), Wilder (#3), On Top (#4)
Married (#5)
On Christmas (#5.5)
Pregnant (#6)
Boxed Set
* * *
Rock Stars Do It:
Harder
Dirty
Forever
Boxed Set
* * *
From the world of Big Girls and Rock Stars:
Big Love Abroad
* * *
Delilah's Diary:
A Sexy Journey
La Vita Sexy
A Sexy Surrender
* * *
The Falling Series:
Falling Into You
Falling Into Us
Falling Under
Falling Away
Falling for Colton
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The Ever Trilogy:
Forever & Always
After Forever
Saving Forever
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The world of Alpha:
Alpha
Beta
Omega
Harris: Alpha One Security Book 1
Thresh: Alpha One Security Book 2
Duke: Alpha One Security Book 3
Puck: Alpha One Security Book 4
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The world of Stripped:
Stripped
Trashed
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The world of Wounded:
Wounded
Captured
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The Houri Legends:
Jack and Djinn
Djinn and Tonic
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Madame X
Exposed
Exiled
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The Black Room
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Door One
Door Two
Door Three
Door Four
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Door Six
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Door Eight
Deleted Door
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The Long Way Home
Where the Heart Is
There’s No Place Like Home
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Badd Ass
Badd to the Bone
Good Girl Gone Badd
Badd Luck
Badd Mojo
Big Badd Wolf
Badd Boy
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Hammered
Drilled
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Standalone titles:
Yours
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You Can Do It
You Can Do It: Strength
You Can Do It: Fasting
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The Missionary
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Ark
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