Free Cole: Red, Hot & Blue, Book 5 by Cat Johnson

want something?”
    “I don’t know. Is it working?”
    She scowled and made him wait before saying, “Okay. Next week it is, but not because of your guilt trip. Because I want to.”
    He smiled. “Good. Now we better get dressed and get out there. I can only imagine what Mikey is telling everybody.”
    Lizzie shook her head. “Exactly twice I’ve had sex with you, Cole Ryan. The first time I got pregnant. The second time I got caught by my son. What’s next?”
    Cole winked and scooped her into his arms. “That’s the beauty of making love with me, sweetie pie. It’s just one surprise after the next.”
    Lizzie ran her hands over his still bare chest. “At least I won’t get bored.”
    “No, my darling wife-to-be, you surely won’t.”
    He captured both of her hands and kissed them. Then he pushed off the bed and bent to retrieve his shirt. “More touching like that and I’ll be in no shape to go out and face your family. Get dressed. I’ll see you outside.”
    “Why? Am I too tempting naked.” She let the quilt slip down to her waist.
    Hand on the doorknob, Cole swallowed hard. “Let’s see if we can move that date up to tomorrow.”

Epilogue
    It wasn’t the next day, but at least it was the next week when Cole stood in the vestibule of the church, trembling in his tuxedo.
    Bobby and Mikey, his two best men, stood beside him.
    “You ready?” Bobby eyed him.
    “Yeah.” Cole adjusted his tie, willing the nerves to go away. He wanted this more than anything. That didn’t mean it wasn’t nerve wracking as all hell. He smiled down at Mikey, looking like his clone in a matching tux. “You ready, sport?”
    “Yes, sir.” Mikey nodded, taking his job as second best man very seriously.
    “Then I guess we better get inside.” Cole stood staring at the door that would lead them up the aisle, past all their friends and family.
    Bobby raised a brow. “It’s not too late, you know.”
    Cole frowned at his soon to be brother-in-law. “I want this, Bobby.”
    His irrational fear was, did Lizzie? His nightmare was she’d not show, or show up to break up with him. It was crazy, he knew that, but a ten-year-long hurt was hard to totally put to rest.
    “Okay, just checking.” Bobby shrugged.
    Enough was enough. Cole pushed through the doors and walked into the main part of the church. Both his and Lizzie’s parents filled the front pews. Most of the people filling the remaining seats had known them both since they’d been born. Cole glanced at all those who would comprise his new family and his friends and realized that he, the only child of a service-station owner from Pigeon Hollow, had done pretty well for himself to be surrounded by so many people who cared about him.
    The first strains of organ music filled the church and the entire congregation turned toward the door. Cole hadn’t realized how much he feared Lizzie would back out until the relief at seeing her overwhelmed him. Cole stood at the altar and watched Lizzie’s sister, Mary Sue, walk toward him. She’d flown home to stand up with Lizzie as matron of honor. But it was the figure behind Mary Sue, waiting at the other end of the aisle, who really captured his attention.
    Lizzie was a vision and she was his. Cole’s heart soared as smiling, she walked slowly toward him.
    The ceremony passed in a blur. He answered the pastor when necessary, though he probably couldn’t repeat exactly what he’d said later on. His head was spinning.
    Bobby winked at him when it came time to hand over the wedding band. Cole noticed his own hands shake as he took the wide, diamond-encrusted circle. That had been the compromise. Lizzie could wear the tiny promise ring, but her wedding band was going to be something worthy of her. Although no amount of diamonds would be enough to thank her for the son she’d given him.
    On the way out of the church, with his wife’s hand on his arm, Cole spotted the ever-present television producer and cameramen belonging