She nodded. “Positive. Portia issuperclose to him, though. They go way back. Maybe that made a difference.”
“But why giveyousomething he refused to Portia?” Ethan ran his hand over his mouth. “Is it possible he’s your father?”
“Lucifer is my mom’s cousin. There’s no way.”
“Well, then, I don’t know what to think of this. I guess we take Portia’s word for it. Lucifer won’t come calling for a favor. We are really free to start a life together.”
“A whole bunch of gardens in our future,” she giggled happily.
“Maybe a few babies,” he added.
“Definitely a happy ever after.”
“There can be a few of those, Little Red. I love you.”
A thrill of anticipation ran up her spine. “I love you, too, Ethan. Take me home, Hot Blue.”
Ethan smiled at her, kissed her sweetly, and led them right to the first night of the rest of their lives.
NINETEEN
RUBY
Ruby smoothed her hands down the length of her dress. The soft silk swished at the touch, sending a shiver down her spine. She closed her eyes and smiled.
This is it. It’s happening.
“You look stunning, Ruby baby,” Aunt Portia sniffled. “So beautiful and so grown up. I am so proud of how you turned out. You’re brave and sweet, powerful and fair. I am proud ofyou.” Her eyes were filled with tears.
Ruby fanned her face. “Oh, no. Don’t you cry! If you cry, I will too.”
“And if you two break down, then I’m sure to follow right behind you,” Lou said. He was dapper in his shiny black three-piece suit, which he had paired with a shockingly red tie.
The tie color matched Aunt Portia’s Grecian dress, her signature silhouette. They would make a fun pair at Ruby’s wedding. There was no doubt about that. Fun and mischief seemed to follow the pair wherever they went.
“We can’t just start to cry because it’s my wedding day.”
“Sure, we can,” Aunt Portia argued. “I want to take responsibility for all this. And to think it all happened because you were both at my resort at the right time!”
Lou cleared his throat, raising one eyebrow. “Your resort?”
“Lucifer’sresort that I just happen to run,” Aunt Portia corrected before dissolving into a fit of giggles which Lou soon joined in on.
“Thanks for being my witnesses today and for walking me down the aisle. It means a lot to me.”
Lou and Portia stood before her like two proud parents about to give away their beloved daughter. “Of course, we would be here for you, Ruby,” Aunt Portia assured her. “It’s our honor. Really.”
The trio exchanged a few more weepy hugs before fixing her makeup and lining up at the door. The soft white linen curtain swung open, and there stood Ocho, another one of Ruby’s wedding guests. She patted his head on her way past him on her way down the makeshift aisle that ran down the white canvas tent.
On each side were a variety of creatures, but the wolves outnumbered the others four to one. The Adair pack was dealing with more paranormal creatures than ever before, but already, a deal had been struck with a few vampire covens who were looking for good wine.
The vampire wine clientele was a lucrative business and one that Ruby was interested in running … so long as she got enough time in the vineyard with her man. She loved overseeing the growth of the crops with Ethan. He was so knowledgeable, and Ruby was keen to lean into a life that she had always wanted. A life of normalcy. A life revolving around a real community.
She wasn’t leaving Hell behind; she was just finallyliving.
And today, she was marrying her mate.
Ethan waited for her at the end of the aisle. His dark blue suit and tie were just the perfect color for his blue eyes. They popped like Hot Blue ice, warming every inch of her, right down to her heart and soul.