Shade(177)

Lily circled his neck with her arms. “Does your family open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?”

“What?” Shade asked, not understanding what she was getting at.

“Each family does it differently. Some families open their presents on Christmas Eve, others Christmas Day. We always opened them on Christmas Eve because I couldn’t wait.”

“We opened ours on Christmas Day,” Shade told her.

“Oh.” Her face fell in disappointment.

“But I can open it on Christmas Eve.” He smiled.

“No, I’ll wait until tomorrow. I don’t want to break tradition. It might be bad luck.”

“I don’t believe in bad luck.”

“I’m still not giving you your present until tomorrow,” she taunted.

Shade got out of bed, going to the bathroom to shower and dress after telling Lily she took too much time, so he was going first. Lily lay on the bed and was still waiting for him when he came out.

He had taken the time to not only shower and shave, but to dress in a new pair of jeans and a dark blue muscle shirt.

He walked to the window to look out, seeing it had snowed another couple of inches since he had come in the night before.

“It’s supposed to quit snowing this afternoon.” He turned toward the bed. “Come here, Lily.”

Lily climbed out of bed to stand by him in front of the window.

Shade went to the bedside table and opened it, removing an envelope before coming back to her and placing it in her hand.

“This present isn’t technically for you. Open it,” he urged Lily when she stared down at it in her hand.

Lily tore the envelope open, reading the words on the paper. Then she looked back at him with pure joy on her face.

“Look at the date.”

The paper signing over the land which Beth and Razer’s property was built on had been signed the day after she had visited Diamond at her home.

“I don’t know what to say, Shade. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Taking the papers away and setting them on the chair by the window, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box, placing it in her hand. “This present is for you.”

Nervously, he watched her face for her reaction, trying to brace himself for her rejection as she slid the ribbon off and then opened the box. Inside, a diamond ring lay on a bed of black velvet.#p#分页标题#e#

“Will you marry me?” Shade went down on his knees in front of her.

She began crying. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Shade stood up, kissing her so passionately it had her arms circling his neck. He pulled her away just as quickly as he had begun to kiss her.

“Good. Now, you need to get showered and dressed. We’re getting married in two hours.” He walked to the door and started to open it.

“Wait. What are you talking about? We can’t get married in two hours. Weddings have to be planned and—”

“I’ve already planned everything and what I couldn’t, Beth and Winter took care of. You want a snowy, winter wedding. Look out the window. You know Kentucky weather; it could be another year before it snows again. I’m not waiting a year to get married. Besides, how do you schedule snow?”

“I don’t know,” Lily said in bemusement.

“I don’t, either. So everything is a go for today, even the snow. I talked to Pastor Dean and got his blessing.”

“You did?” Pleasure filled her eyes.

“I did. So are we going to do this?”

“Yes. Do you need me to do anything?”

“No, everything is ready. The brothers and I spent half the night getting it set up. But I do have a quick question.”

“What is it?” Lily asked.

“Do I have to invite Sex Piston and her crew?” Only for her would he put up with that group of man-eaters.

“What do you think?” Lily giggled.

Shade went out the door, closing it behind him. “Fuck.”

He groaned, taking out his phone. Before he punched the number in, he looked upward.

“God, if you are up there and listening, remember it’s not only Lily’s wedding day, but mine, too.”

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the dial button.





Chapter 65



Shade stood beside Lucky on one side and Razer next to him with a video camera as he waited for Lily to come out of the church. The Last Riders had made an arch for them to stand under with flowers woven through and fairy lights. Candles were placed intermittently around the podium.

The church door opened and Lily came out, her arm in Beth’s as she walked down the aisle where a white runner had been laid. Shade’s breath caught at his first sight of her as the music played softly in the background.