Flame and Ink: An Anthology (Happy Ever After #1)(5)

Ian tugged on his tie, and Rafe did the same. “Go put on a dress you prefer. Rafe’s family will be here soon. As well as the minister. Oh, and Shep and Shea and the others from the shop.”

Rafe and Sassy’s eyes widened and she threw her head back and laughed. “Seriously?” she asked.

Ian shrugged. “You said to make plans. If you want something else, let me know and we can do it. But I figured we could get married with the people that matter. We have the license for New York, not Louisiana. This way, we get married now with the three of us together. And we’ll still hold our big ass party in New Orleans.”

Sassy jumped, her dress falling to the wayside as Ian caught her. “I f*cking love you, Ian Steele.”

Rafe wrapped his arms around them both, kissing Ian’s jaw. “I love it when you get all bossy and plan things.”

Ian growled softly then kissed his lover once, twice, before kissing the very sexy woman in his arms. “You okay with this?” he asked both of them.

“I think saying our vows in clothes we want to wear in our home away from home is perfect,” Sassy said softly. “We spend a lot of time in New York so this place is our home, as well. And I want to be your wife. Tonight and forever. And I know the minister will be happy to have Rafe by our side. We can say our vows, the three of us, without dealing with the bullshit we would have had to before.”

Ian let out a breath, relieved he hadn’t stepped over any bounds.

Rafe squeezed Ian’s hip, and Ian smiled. “Like I said, I like the bossy. At least when I’m not the one telling you to bend over.” His lover, soon-to-be-husband, winked. “I know Sassy’s gonna change, but I like you in a tux. You okay with that?”

Sassy laughed. “You both look sexy in tuxes, even if you both took off your ties. Now, I need to go put on a dress I love and wipe off this makeup on my back so I can say my vows to the two men I love more than anything.”

She kissed them both quickly then ran back to their room, leaving a pile of tulle and lace on the floor.

“How the f*ck did we get so lucky?” Ian murmured.

“I have no clue,” Rafe said. “But I’m never going to forget this moment, forget any moments. This is it for me. You’re both it for me.”

The doorbell rang, and Ian rolled his shoulders. “That will be our guests. Hopefully.” He placed a soft kiss to Rafe’s lips. “Go help our bride while I set up.”

Rafe squeezed Ian’s ass then loped off toward their bedroom, a definite spring in his step. He couldn’t blame the man; this was what they needed. Their future in their own hands; not in the clutches of those with expectations that didn’t mesh with theirs.

By the time everyone had made it to their secret wedding, the sun had just begun to set over the city. With the pink and purple rays covering the sky and shining on the triad, Rafe, Ian, and Sassy said their vows. They promised to love one another, hold one another, and cherish one another in this life and into the next.

They promised a future they would make for themselves.

They’d made their vows in ink and in words and with each breath of their souls.

Rafe, Ian, and Sassy were a unit, a triad, and a part of eternity that had started with a promise and would end with a new hope.

Not a bad way to start their journey.

Not a bad way at all.





Delicate Arrival


A Montgomery Ink Novella Author Note: Delicate Arrival is set in between Tempting Boundaries (Montgomery Ink Book 2) and Harder than Words (Montgomery Ink Book 3). It’s a very short story that goes back and looks in on Austin and Sierra. If you haven’t read the series, you should be fine jumping in, but beware, there might be a couple of spoilers. This is not meant to be a full novel or even a full novella. It’s just a day in the life—a very important day in the life of Austin and Sierra.



I hope you enjoy it!



~Carrie Ann





ONE


In and out. Just in and out.

Breathe in and out. In and out.

Austin kept chanting that to himself as he tried to calm the racing of his heart. Only he couldn’t quite do that. Not when the nightmare he’d awakened from wouldn’t leave his brain.

He ran a hand over his face and over his beard. He probably should shave in the next few weeks. He didn’t want to scare his new kid with the mountain man look.

He sucked in another breath, his legs hanging off the side of the bed. His new kid. Hell. He couldn’t believe he was going to be a father.

Again.

He might have an eleven-year-old son, but he hadn’t thought of himself as a father for over ten of those years. That’s what happened when secrets were kept and he’d been denied the chance to raise his son—not knowing he even existed for the start of his child’s life.

The nightmare, though, it wasn’t about missing out on this new baby’s life, nor was it about keeping secrets and not finding out about a new life until it was almost too late. No, this was about a life never coming to be.

His hands shook and he tried to catch his breath once again.

He’d dreamt that Sierra had lost the baby. Just as she’d lost her first child a decade ago in a motorcycle crash. Jesus Christ. Why the hell was he thinking of that? His wife and love of his life was so freaking close to her due date, and yet his brain kept going to worst-case scenarios.