Whipped (Hitched #2)(48)

"You did good, my boy."

"Thank you. I should have passed on that expensive mall a long time ago."

She nods. "I tell you, expensive is not always better. Like with that organic chicken of yours." We all chuckle.

Kevin dashes by his mother. She turns on him. "Excuse me, Kevin McAllister. What did we say about running?"

He shrugs. "Mom, it's a gym. We're supposed to run."

She looks to me. I nod. "Oh, well," she says. "Go ahead then."

Kevin disappears inside the center. I hope he finds a second home here. I hope we all do.





EPILOGUE





VI


The night of the bachelorette party, I start having doubts. "Do you think this is a good idea?" I ask Kacie.

She glares at me. "The party is in an hour. It no longer matters if it's a good idea or not. After spending weeks on this event, it's happening and you will have fun and that is the last we will say on the matter."

I laugh at her stern face and hug her. "Thank you for doing this. You and Tate are amazing! Do you think it's weird we're combining our parties into one?"

Lachlan and I had talked about this several times and decided we didn't really feel a need for a party with 'the guys' or with 'the girls.' We wanted a big party with all of our friends. After all, one of my best friends is Tate, and I didn't want him excluded just because he has a penis.

So we agreed. A co-ed bachelor/bachelorette party. Which starts soon.

I'm getting ready at Kacie's house and Lach and I will meet at the hotel ballroom that Tate booked for the event. Oh, and did I mention it's a costume party? Because it is. Because who doesn't love dressing up? Lach and I kept our costumes a surprise from each other. Only Kacie and Tate know the truth, and Kacie refuses to give me a hint.

"What if I clash with Lach?" I ask, staring down at my black leather skin-tight cat outfit, complete with a tail and ears. I must admit, I look smokin' hot.

"You won't. Relax."

We say goodbye to Sebastian and the babies and Kacie drives us to the hotel. We're first to arrive and I'm a puddle of nerves, even though this isn't actually my wedding day. But oh my God I'm getting married. MARRIED! It's a bit insane. But I'm excited, because Lachlan is the man for me. I know it in my gut. And I'm so madly in love with him I can hardly stand it.

Kacie and Tate already had the room decorated and so we have very little to do as we wait for the guys.

When Lach and Tate finally show up, my jaw drops. He's dressed as a black panther, with ears, a tail, and a loin cloth, and very little else. His body is rubbed with oils and body paint to give him a sleek look. "Hey, babe. You look amazing."

He kisses me, and if my tail actually worked it would be wagging right now. I purr at him instead and he laughs. "Looks like we have the same mind."

"Looks like."

We're holding hands, grinning like idiots at each other as our friends begin to arrive. Zoe shows up first dressed like an elf, with ears, silver eyes and a silver gown that drapes her petite body. Her hair has been dyed silver to match the dress and her pale skin sparkles with silver glitter. She smiles and though I still see some sadness in her from her breakup with Douche, she's recovering. Regaining her happy.

"Zoe, you are gorgeous. You know, Lach's Aussie Posse are performing tonight. And most of them are single," I tell her with a wink. She could have any single man in this place tonight.

"Ha! We'll see. I'm just here to celebrate you two and have some fun."

The ballroom quickly fills with friends dressed in all manner of costumes. The alcohol flows, music plays, lights flicker over the room in a symphony of color and the joy here is palpable. Lach and I dance all night long, our bodies rubbing together as we kiss and sway to music.

When the Aussie Posse performs, everyone goes wild. Even the guys give a grudging respect to the group. And we threw in a surprise. Two of the female dancers Kacie and Tate employ for parties do a few numbers with the guys, and the resulting performance is sexy, hot and magical.

We don't get home and collapse into bed until the next morning, and I'm very glad we scheduled the actual wedding for Sunday and not today, because I would like to be awake for my wedding.

We sleep most of Saturday, and then I spend the night with Kacie so that we can hold to some silly but fun traditions of waiting to see each other until I walk down the aisle.

The aisle, in this case, is a long golden rug laid between seats set out in the park by a lake. We'd wanted the beach, but we'd also wanted Las Vegas. So the lake it is. It's strewn with red rose petals and leads to an altar with red roses and golden ribbon everywhere. It's stunning, and I feel like a queen when the music plays and I take that first step onto the rug, clutching my father's elbow.

"I'm nervous," I whisper to him, my heart pounding in my chest.

"It's good to be nervous," he says. "You're making a big commitment. But I think it's the right one. I've never seen you so happy, Vi. You glow around him."

"Thanks, Daddy." He actually put on a tux for the event, but I think I spy his Grateful Dead t-shirt peeking out underneath it. I laugh and squeeze his arm. My mom sits in the front row, beaming as I walk down, but my eyes quickly find Lachlan, and then, he's all I see.