Craved Mate: Cybermates by Ayers, Candace (good short books .txt) 📕

she’d have it—with all our family and friends in attendance.

I’d left Ame with a table of older ladies who treated us both as though we were blood relatives. I’d explained my reason for crashing the wedding and what I had been hoping to accomplish. They were in on the whole thing, insisting I leave Ame with them while I approached Mel.

Aunt Nancy, Aunt Deb, Grandma Ruth, and Nana Linda were still doting on Ame when I returned to their table. Ame, who had been a fussy beast for two straight weeks, calmed as we boarded our flight to Syracuse. The closer we got to Mel, she became more and more of her sweet self. It was ridiculous, but it really seemed almost as though she knew.

The reception ended. The band was packing up. There were still guests milling around, but the lights had come up. I made small talk with the older ladies, got my cheeks pinched and patted, and even my bicep squeezed, before strapping Ame into the special baby carrier that I wore over my suit. It’d taken me a minute or twenty to figure it out, but it was only slightly harder than donning full firefighting gear.

When we got close enough to see Mel descending the stairs leading from the stage, her long black dress cascading down her body, Amy let out an earsplitting howl.

“Meewl… Meewl… Meewl…” Her chubby arms stretched as far as they could, and her little fists clenched and unclenched grasping for Mel. Huh. Maybe Ame had been saying Mel after all.

Mel gasped. “Ame! You brought the baby!”

From too far away, in front of too many people, I called to her. “Marry me, Mel.”

Her head snapped up and her mouth gaped at me.

I smiled down at Ame as the baby squealed and went crazy. She practically climbed out of the carrier and launched herself at Mel, she wanted her so badly. Mel worked on unstrapping Ame from the carrier. “Marry me. Please.”

Mel held Ame against her chest and just stared at me.

Her friend Ingrid came up beside me and scowled. “Get on your knee, you tallywacker.”

I nodded. “Right.”

Mel’s jaw dropped. On one knee in front of her, I looked up and smiled. “Mel, we were made for each other. I’ll spend the rest of our lives showing you that. Will you marry me?”

She suddenly smacked me on the shoulder with the back of her hand and growled in the cutest way at me. “Are you crazy? Get up!”

“Say yes and I will.”

Pierce and Ben shook their heads. “This is embarrassing.”

Ingrid hushed them and put her hands on her hips. “Now, don’t be rude, Mel.”

Mel scoffed. “Are you in on this?”

“Ben might’ve mentioned something about this happening. I might’ve supported it.”

“Mel.” I drew her attention back to me. “What’ll it take to get you to say yes to me?”

She bounced Ame on her hip and pressed her lips to Ame’s little head. “Are you sure—”

Someone in the crowd behind us, I think it was Aunt Nancy, yelled, “Say yes, or I will!”

Mel looked around, realizing for the first time we had an audience. She blushed furiously and then moved closer to me.

Everyone cheered and Ame’s swinging fist was too close to my head. After taking a solid punch to the side of the head, I stood and looked down at my little sparring partner and then at my mate.

“There’s one more thing.”

Mel frowned. “What?”

“I have taken over parenting Ame. Forever.” I shook my head. “Jenny signed her parental rights away and I’m going to adopt her. We’re a package deal.”

Mel blinked away tears and cupped Ame’s head. “Are you using this baby to lure me in?”

“I won’t say it’s beneath me—”

Mel stroked my jaw with her free hand. “Yes. I will marry you. Both.”

I wrapped my two girls in my arms, the luckiest man in the entire world.

Mel took a deep breath and looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. “I’m going to be a wife and a mom. Finally.”

Epilogue: Mel

“Everyone’s seated. We’re ready to begin.” Ingrid smiled warmly as her eyes surveyed me approvingly.

“Coming.” One more glance at my makeup, and I couldn’t contain the grin that spread across my face. It was finally coming true. This was what I’d wanted for so long. All those years ago when I’d given up fame and the spotlight in favor of a normal life as a noncelebrity, this was what I’d had in mind. I was beginning to think it would never happen.

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t settle?”

I just smiled and picked up the bouquet of wildflowers from the side table.

Outside the tent we’d had erected for the occasion, my brother and Ben stood waiting for me.

“Don’t be nervous, little sis. It’s going to be perfect.” Pierce kissed my forehead.

“He’s right. It is.” Ingrid clasped my hand and squeezed. “I’m going to take my seat. But here.” She tucked a tissue in my fist. “I brought a whole box.”

Pierce was on my left and Ben on my right. As the recorded wedding march began, the three of us took the first step down the aisle toward the gazebo on the beach, under which Hamish MacGregor and I would say our vows.

For weeks I’d been fielding jokes from those two about how they might just give me away to the highest bidder, but today, their faces held proud, pleased, but serious expressions.

My engagement ring glinted in the sun, and I wore a flowy, pale-blue sundress for our beach wedding. My future sister-in-law and brother-in-law were in the front row. Warren had donated his wheelchair to charity a month ago, no longer having a use for it, and was in full remission.

Ame was on Heather’s lap, dressed in a frilly, pale-blue dress I’d had made to match mine. It was easily the happiest I could ever remember being. Well, it was a close tie with the day Mac and I signed the adoption papers making Amethyst Isabella MacGregor our daughter.

We weren’t