Читать книгу Ultimate Romance Collection - Rebecca Winters, Amalie Berlin - Страница 53

Epilogue

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Laramie Cooper, you may kiss your bride.”

Coop pulled Bristol into his arms and all he could think about was that she was now truly his. Legally so. When he felt a pull on his pants he broke off the kiss to glance down at his son.

“I want to kiss Mommy, too, Daddy.”

Everyone laughed when Coop lifted his son up to kiss Bristol, as well.

He then glanced around. It had been a small wedding at the church Bristol attended. All his teammates had arrived yesterday with their wives, including Bane and Crystal. Coop’s parents had gushed all over their grandson and Laramie enjoyed being the center of their attention.

Ms. Charlotte and her four sons attended and Coop was glad to meet them. Bristol hadn’t told him that all four worked for the New York Police Department. They assured Coop that whenever he was gone they would keep an eye on Bristol. It wouldn’t be a problem since she lived next door to their mother and they routinely checked on her anyway.

Coop’s mother had walked into Bristol’s home that morning and her gaze had immediately latched on to the huge painting over her fireplace. When she asked Bristol about it, Bristol confessed it was a painting she and her father had done together. It was then that she’d told his mother who her father was. Coop thought he was going to have to pick his mother up off the floor. His very sophisticated mother had gotten giddy at the thought that her future daughter-in-law was the daughter of the famous artist, Randall Lockett.

The reception would be held in the church’s dining hall, and tomorrow the three of them would fly to his ranch in Laredo. He couldn’t wait to introduce his wife and son to ranch life at Cooper’s Bend.

They would take a honeymoon when he got back from his next mission. Ms. Charlotte had agreed to watch Laramie for a week while they went to Jamaica.

“Ready to go to the reception Ms. Charlotte set up for us?” Bristol asked him.

Holding their son in his arms, Coop smiled at her. “Yes, sweetheart, I am ready. When it comes to you, I will always be ready.”

* * *

“Thanks for inviting me, Bristol.”

She smiled up at Colin Kusac. They had exchanged phone numbers that night at the gallery when she’d reunited with Coop. When Mr. Kusac had called to check up on her a few days later, she’d learned that just as she’d suspected, he was the person carrying out her father’s wishes to make sure she got flowers every year on her birthday. He had explained that Randall had asked that of him before he’d died and Mr. Kusac had promised he would do so.

He’d also told her that he’d promised her father he would check on her from time to time. He confided that he knew how she’d been while living in Paris; and that when she returned to the United States to have her baby, he’d known about that, as well. He’d seen that night at the gallery as an opportunity to talk to her himself. She had discovered that Mr. Kusac—Colin—was one of the wealthiest men in New York and had come from old money.

“Thanks for standing in for Dad and giving me away.”

“Thanks for asking me. I was honored to do so. Randall would have been proud of you today.”

“Thank you.”

They talked for a while longer and then the wives of Coop’s teammates came up to say hello. She liked all the wives—Crystal, who was married to Bane, Layla, who was married to Viper, and Teri, who had been married to Mac from the start. They assured Bristol that she wasn’t the only one with fears—that was part of being a SEAL wife. They would be part of her support team and would be there whenever she needed them. They even invited her to visit them at their homes. Everyone was excited when Viper and Layla announced they would be having a baby come early summer. They exchanged numbers with her and she knew they were women she would get to know as friends.

No sooner had the women walked off than Margie appeared, all smiles. Bristol knew why.

“I can’t believe your husband is connected to so much wealth. Who would have thought his parents would be those Coopers. And that he’s their heir.”

“Yes, who would have thought?” Bristol smiled, knowing how Margie’s mind worked.

“You did good, choosing him over Steven.”

Bristol decided not to say that Steven hadn’t even been in the running. When Margie left, Coop appeared at Bristol’s side. “A car will be picking us up in a few minutes for the airport.”

His parents’ jet would fly them to Texas, where they would stay for a week on a short vacation with Laramie. After Coop had told Laramie about the horses, their son had been bubbling over with excitement to visit the ranch.

Not caring that they had an audience, Coop pulled his wife into his arms and whispered, “I love you.”

She smiled up at him. “And I love you, too.”

And she meant that from the bottom of her heart.

* * * * *