JACE-1(Lane Brothers, Book 3)(44)

“Every day for eternity, if you want me to,” she whispers back, kissing my bicep with a sigh of contentment.

“I love you, Trace.”

“I love you, too.”

We fall asleep with no more words, everything already said and just as it should be. Whatever happens now, whether it be success or tragedy, I know I’ll be alright because I have everything I need right here in my arms.

***

Tracy

I’m getting married in a few hours and I’m so happy, I could bust apart right now if not for the underlying sadness of knowing that a member of our family is missing and not able to attend.

Roman is here in spirit, though, so I ignore the melancholy and try to enjoy Jude’s glee as she flits around, pinning flowers to my hair and fluffing my dress with a sigh of contentment.

“We should wait till he is home,” I say a few minutes later, swiping at the tears that threaten to form and ruin my makeup.

Jude, being the wise old bat she is, comes over and pulls me into a warm, motherly hug before taking me by the shoulders.

“Jace needs this security now that we know how dangerous things really are, Tracy, darling. Just give in and do it and we’ll have a huge wedding when Roman comes home,” she says tearfully, smiling kindly and trying to bolster me despite her own melancholy right now.

She’s right, though. After falling asleep to the steady beat of Jace’s heart, I woke to find him almost hopping with excitement hours later, just waiting for me to wake up so he could spring an impromptu wedding on me.

Apparently a justice of the peace is my only choice after Jace informed me that we’re getting married not twenty-four hours after I sleepily accepted his proposal.

I can’t say it’s the most romantic thing I can think of, knowing that he wants to get married this fast in case he dies and doesn’t want me left with nothing, but I guess it has its own appeal in the romance scale because it tells me that he loves me enough to think of more than the sappy shit that most people consider when they hear the word wedding.

Who am I kidding? I’m just happy to finally be getting married after waiting four years for this day.

“I am ever so glad that you finally came back to us, Tracy dear. I’ve only seen Jace this happy one other time in my life, and that was the first time he brought you home to meet us. You belong together, and though I understand your reluctance to trust us after we abandoned you, I would very much like it if you would try to one day forgive me.”

Oh, I think I just got one of those heart cramp things as the emotions brought on by her earnestly spoken plea penetrate the wall I’ve put up against loving them all too deeply.

Jace is my everything, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to wanting his family almost as much as I want him.

“Oh Jude, I-I would really like for us to be as close as we once could have been. I love you all and you are already my family,” I cry, hugging her closer as she starts laughing and crying all at once. “I forgive you and I would love it if you’d let me call you mom.”

“Oh! That goes without saying, dear,” she says, almost jumping out of her skin when Ellie rushes in with Alex on her hip, a big goofy smile wreathing her face.

“Come on, you two watering pots! Jace is about ready to barge in here and drag you down the aisle, Trace.”

Alex starts at her volume and lets off an indignant wail, making us all coo and fuss before I hear an insistent knocking before Jared sticks his head into the room and scowls.

“That fool is about to start hyperventilating, Trace. Get your sweet ass downstairs now.”

“Yes, sir!” I say, saluting him and following them all out of the room without so much as a shred of doubt in my mind.

I’m marrying the man of my dreams and fully intend to live the rest of my days in bliss. What more could I possibly want?

Things are definitely starting to look up, and right now I feel like nothing can go wrong.





Chapter Fourteen


Jace

I’m sweating so profusely by the time I look up and see Trace walking down the stairs towards me that I’m a wreck of giddy happiness and the weirdest fear.

With every step she takes down that staircase I feel the knot tighten to breaking point. It’s not fear of getting married or even of anything happening to me that has me by the balls as she smiles and comes closer. It’s the fear that I’ll somehow let her down one day that’s choking me.

I know that I am the best man for her. That’s not vanity or arrogance talking, but my unwavering certainty that no other man will ever love my Tracy as much or as completely as I do.

Yet here I stand, scared witless because I’m not deserving of her.

She’s good and light and everything that I could ever want while I’m this asshole who broke her heart before and left her with empty promises and shattered dreams.