Flawed (Triple Canopy #2) - Riley Edwards Page 0,111
kiss when the clapping and cheering around us got louder, and when I pulled away, Addy was smiling huge and her family was circling us.
Yeah, I’d take this memory.
Five minutes later, a stoic Jasper walked Hadley to Brady. The man looked positively pained and full of joy. I didn’t understand how Jasper could feel two extreme emotions at once but his face stated plain he did.
Ten minutes later, Hadley and Brady were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Walker.
Brady kissed his wife and he did it for a long time. Long enough that everyone nearly busted a gut when Jasper grumbled.
I glanced over at my fiancée just as she was wiping away a tear. I bent and kissed the top of her head when Jasper and Emily joined us. Emily came straight to me and kissed me on the cheek. When she stepped aside, Jasper moved in and offered me his hand.
“I see you forwent asking for my permission.”
Emily sucked in a breath and Addy moved closer, readying herself to take my back.
“Thought I had,” I returned.
“When was that?”
“When I was standing in a cabin with a hole in my shoulder after saving your ass.”
Jasper’s head dipped, he shook it, then he roared with laughter.
Emily was still not over the incident, which started with her husband getting jumped while he was out for a run. Jumped being in a literal sense—Belview had jumped out of a bush and hit Jasper in the temple with the butt of his pistol. Then he’d carried Jasper to his car and drove him to the cabin. When Jasper had woken up, he was tied to a chair.
To say Jasper was unhappy Belview—who he’d called a pussy so many times during the police interview Ethan had started to blush—had gotten the jump on him was an understatement. But that was the truth. Belview was such a pussy, he knew the only way to subdue Jasper was to jump out of a bush. Otherwise, he’d lose.
“You’re right,” Jasper said through his humor. “Got two more of these things, Em, then we’re done.”
“These things being our daughters’ weddings.”
“Yep.”
“You know, I’ve been married to your dad a long time,” Emily said conversationally. “And all these years later, I still don’t know why he tries.”
“Tries what, Momma?” Addy asked in the same serious tone, but her body was shaking.
“To bullshit me.” Emily looked up at Jasper. “You love these things.”
“No, I don’t,” Jasper lied.
“Whatever.”
Jasper winked and tagged his wife around the waist and walked off. Or I should say limped, and he wasn’t hiding it because he couldn’t.
“Are you happy, Trey?”
“Never been this happy in my whole life, baby.”
“Good.”
Then I asked her something I hoped her answer was yes to.
“Did you and Hadley always plan on being pregnant at the same time?”
“Yep. When we were kids, we always thought it would be cool since we’re twins to have our kids be the same age and grow up together like we did.”
“You still want that?”
“Yeah. Maybe we’ll catch ‘em on round two.”
“How do you feel about trying to catch ‘em on round one?”
Addy’s head tilted in confusion.
“What?”
“Round one, baby. Hadley and Brady are starting now.”
Her eyes rounded and she started to laugh. “My mom would have a heart attack if I was big-as-a-house pregnant getting married in a church.”
“Then you got what? Three, four months to get us to your big church wedding before you’re showing.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re sure. We haven’t—”
“There’s nothing I want more. You as my wife, our child in your belly, you happy.”
“Okay.”
Then she smiled and I totally got it, that shine she talked about. It was beautiful. It had the power to heal. She’d never asked, I’d never meant to give, but she still took everything that was broken inside of me and smoothed the sharp edges. Two people with all their flaws understanding the dark, together finding the light.
33
“Luke,” Lauren happily chirped my name as soon as I walked into the reception area at Triple Canopy.
I felt my eyes narrow at her happy tone. Sure, Lauren was friendly, but not overly so, and usually, she saved her cheeriness for clients. Today, she was overly so toward me. I searched my recent memories for a reason for the pretty receptionist’s joyfulness and I came up empty. Not that Lauren shared. She came to work, did her job—most of the time with a smile—then left. But she’d never been overly cheery to me. Logan, sometimes, but I figured it was to mostly get under his skin. Like pulling a tiger’s tail to get a reaction. Lucky for her, Logan didn’t bite—ever. He simply ignored her.
“Lauren,” I returned. “What’s up?”
“Your one o’clock is here,” she informed me.
“My one o’clock?”
“Um. Yeah,” she drawled slowly like I was an idiot. “Your one o’clock with Shiloh Kent.”
“I don’t—” Shit, damn, and fuck. “I forgot I was taking over Brady’s classes while he’s on his honeymoon.”
“We can reschedule.” A feminine voice came from behind me.
A very smooth, husky voice that sounded like sex. Not empty, superficial sex that left your balls drained but your soul cold. A sweet promise to warm you from the inside out. The sound of it rich and soothing.
I felt my body grow tight and I turned, ignoring Lauren’s dirty look. Then I had to look down, way down—the woman was no taller than five-four. A pixie face, pale blue eyes that were so light they were pastel. The stark contrast to her sun-kissed skin made them look luminescent. Blonde hair that was so shiny it looked like she’d oiled it up then brushed it smooth.
Christ.
No, Shiloh Kent was not rescheduling.
“Has Miss Kent signed in?” I asked Lauren, and held my breath waiting for a correction on her marital status.
None came and Lauren was back to smiling. The receptionist would be on the phone with Quinn before I made it to the range.
“Yeah, all her paperwork is on file and current.”
“You’ve been here before?” I asked Shiloh, and the sexiest fucking smile tipped her lips.
Lauren snorted and I felt like I was missing a joke.
“A few times,” she confirmed.
“This is Sunny Kent,” Lauren informed me.
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be.” She waved me off. “It was nice seeing you, Lauren.”
“You, too, Sunny.”
I glanced down at the rifle case and that sexy-as-all-hell voice floated through the air and slammed straight into my chest.
“Fair warning, if you offer to carry my rifle, I’m gonna kick you in the shin.”
“Come again?”
“Again?” Sunny tipped her head to the side and a playful smirk lit her face. “Hadn’t realized I’d come at all.”
It took a moment to get it. But when it hit, for the first time in a long time I roared with laughter. When I was done, I gave her another once-over. She was cute, no doubt. But that wicked dry humor did it for me.
“All right, Sunny Kent. I won’t offer to carry your rifle. Do you know where we’re going?”
“Yes.”
“Lead the way.” I swept my hand toward the hall.
“You just wanna stare at my ass, don’t you?”
Who the hell was this woman, and where had she been my whole life?
“Yep.”
“Well, at least you’re honest.”
She gave a saucy wink and started down the hall.
Damn. I think I’m in love.
Coming up next is Luke and Shiloh. Luke’s struggling to overcome his physical injuries and Sunny…well, she’s struggling with everything. As the only female member of her SWAT team, she’s just one of the guys—and she loves that. But when a hostage negotiation goes wrong she becomes acutely aware she cannot just sweep it under the rug like her teammates. Two imperfect people, two lives torn apart by tragedy—together can they make one perfect love, or are they both ready to walk away from it all?
Find out in Imperfect, Triple Canopy book 3
Get your copy here.
Be A Rebel
Riley Edwards is a USA Today and WSJ bestselling author, wife, and military mom. Riley was born and raised in Los Angeles but now resides on the east coast with her fantastic husband and children.
Riley writes heart-stopping romance with sexy alpha heroes and even stronger heroines. Riley's favorite genres to write are romantic suspense and military romance.
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Flawed
Imperfect
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Acknowledgments
To all of you – the readers: Thank you for picking up this book and giving me a few hours of your time. Whether this is the first book of mine you’ve read or you’ve been with me from the beginning, thank you for your support. It is because of you I have the coolest job in the world.