The car slowed to a stop, jolting me from my distraction when I realized we were at the playground. I was no longer afraid of this place and the bad memory from sixteen years ago, but it didn’t mean I forgot everything it represented.

The car door opened and I found Jackson standing there with his hand outstretched.

What the fuck was going on?

I took his hand and was even more freaked out when I saw Aunt Carissa standing by with her hands over her mouth and crying.

This was turning out to be one emotional breakfast. I had no idea my birthday meant so much to them. I felt inadequate because I had no idea what to say. To be honest, all I wanted to do was to go back and crawl under the covers and wait for Keiran to remember me.

“You guys are back.” I hugged Jackson and then Aunt Carissa, who finally managed to stop crying long enough to speak.

“I couldn’t miss this.”

“And we need to talk later,” Jackson added in a stern voice. I knew they must have heard about my arrests by now. Over the years, he willingly and wholeheartedly took on a father figure role. He really was a good guy, and I think even Keiran respected him. “But first,” he held up his arm for me to take, “will you allow me the honor?”

“Uh, sure.” I took his arm and looked around but everyone had already disappeared. He started walking me across the playground, and as we passed the swings and sandboxes, I inhaled as I realized we were heading for the monkey bars. “Is this where we’re having breakfast?” I frowned because Dash had said it was a really nice restaurant. “The picnic tables are over—”

My legs stopped working, and I sucked in a sharp breath when I saw the tall, familiar figure a short distance away.

Keiran stood under the monkey bars, which were decorated with blue and white flowers. A trail of flowers made a small path from where I now stood all the way to him. Dash, Keenan, and Q stood with him while Willow, Sheldon, Di, and Jesse stood to his left. A man dressed as a priest also waited at the end, and that’s when my brain finally caught up.

OH.

Chapter Thirty

KEIRAN

I stood under the monkey bars that Dash and Keenan helped me turn into our altar and tried not to look as nervous as I felt. It took three torturous days of sad blue eyes watching and wondering if I was withdrawing from her. I couldn’t tell her that I had been planning the start of our future.

I realized I never even proposed to her, but there was no fucking way I could wait long enough for her to plan a wedding once I got my ring on her finger.

I guess I had Dash and Haven to thank for that.

The day he was born, I felt more than saw the instant bond between father and son. While everyone fussed over the baby, I watched Dash.

He gazed down at his son, and no matter what went on in that room, he never took his eyes from him, but then he glanced at me so suddenly, I felt like I had been intruding on an inmate moment. But then he silently showed me everything he was feeling through his tear glistened eyes. The connection was so brief because his gaze snapped back almost frantically to Haven, and he continued to watch over him.

He showed me something in that brief moment and quite possibly saved my life.

I glanced at my watch again.

She should be here by now.

“Calm down,” Q said and clapped me on the back. “They’ll get her here.”

I had no doubt they would get her here, but what if she ran once she did? What if she decided my emotional baggage was too much to ride out? What if—

“Here they come,” Di announced. She stood in a modest, pale blue dress with her hair down and her face free of makeup. She looked much younger and innocent without it—like there weren’t ten lifetimes of hell built up beneath the surface.

I turned my attention to my small crowd of friends approaching and focused on getting through this. I was going to marry Lake Monroe today and truly surrender myself to her.

“Jackson and her aunt have her held up,” Keenan stated as they all took their spots. I nodded and watched the opening where she would appear soon if she didn’t catch on and run for the hills.

I was beginning to grow impatient and had to force the urge to go after her. When she finally appeared on Jackson’s arm and stopped, I found myself fighting for control once more.

Please don’t run.

Please don’t run.

Please don’t—

She took a step forward and then stopped. She was too far for me to see her expression, but I knew she had eyes for only me. Every hair on my body was raised as it always did whenever she looked at me. Before long, she was standing in front of me with tears flowing freely down her beautiful face.