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Mia put her hands to her butt and tried to rehed softly and hugged her "Baby, you’re so lovable you don’t have to worry about it Your heart will talk to you"
Her heart was talking to her plenty "How do I know it’s not just heartburn?" she asked "Is there a ic handshake?"
Chloe suy you can see yourself living with"
"I don’t?"
"No You uy you can’t live without"
Mia s the town sheriff for five years before caving and s take tis take ti Mia did have was time "Have you seen Nick?"
Her aunt turned and pointed across the dance floor to the bar--where she could see her dad and her uncles talking to a tall, handsoh, even perfectly at ease "He’s handling it," she said, relieved
"Handling what?" Chloe asked "Looking fine? You got that right"
Mia smiled He did look especially fine If fine was hot as hell "He doesn’t have family, you know He doesn’t come from roots and ties He never had anyone teach his you don’t have to be taught," Chloe said
"He was uncertain about ht feel out of place, but he caently "We’re a bunch of ether Including Nick"
Mia’s throat tightened, and she turned into Chloe They hugged for a longto go eavesdrop on therinned "Me too"
They skirted around the dance floor andbehind a white lattice that Chloe totally blended into with her wedding dress Not so hts flashing on the other side of the lattice, she probably looked like a Christ them no attention at all
"You know she’s only twenty-two," Ford was saying to Nick
Mia opened her mouth at this because she enty-three, dammit Or at least she would be next month But Chloe squeezed her hand to keep her quiet
"Yes," Nick said "She’s twenty-two A grown-up Listen, I get that you’re her family and you’re all very protective of her, but she kicks ass at life You can trust her to make her own decisions"
"She hasn’t decided on you yet," Sawyer pointed out sun on his hip today, not with his tux, but Mia would bet he had one hidden on him somewhere
Chloe rolled her eyes at her new husband andthe sexiest stubborn ass she’d ever met
"I realize she hasn’t chosento be here for her"
"Even if she dumps you?" Jax asked
"Yeah"
"That’s quite a prohed dreamily
Mia did the saainst her rib cage
"We weren’t always here for her," Ford said quietly "So we’re a little overprotective I won’t apologize for that But she’s everything to me, and I’ to her All I want is for her to be so"
"Done," Nick said without hesitation "And ave her life A great life And she’s ain
Mia didn’t have breath left in her lungs to sigh Pulling free of Chloe, she walked around the lattice, eyes only on Nick
Sos take time, Chloe had said And that was true It’d taken her seventeen years to get toto eive her heart to Nick
He’d coht up to him and into his arms, which closed hard around her "Mia," he breathed into her hair, burying his face in her neck, inhaling deeply Taking co he’d ever done before, actively sought coed hiive theh to shove his hand into his pocket and come out with a small black box
Her heart stopped She pulled it open and stared down at the delicate white gold pro to a knot lined with tiny sapphires
Her birthstone
"It’s after oing to give each other a present," she said just as softly, o as she ran a reverent finger over the beautiful ring
"Then it’s just a present present," he said, a smile in his voice "A promise for the future Our future"
"Oh Nick," she breathed, slipping the ring on, so happy she could scarcely contain herself "I wasn’t sure you wanted a future"
"I do, very much I think about aze "I need you I want you to know that I should have told you sooner, but I thought thatI care about You’re the only thing that asped "No You--"
"I took a different one, with the sa within the state of New York"
"But you wanted to travel"
"Wanted Past tense I want to be with you, Mia You’re it for aze touch her every feature "You’re the best choice I ever made You’re my only choice"
She pressed her forehead to his, her words brushing against his lips "I was just thinking the sa about you"