Alaia was staying home with my in-laws, who jumped at the chance to watch her while we go out. I honestly didn’t want to leave her and go out, but the girls insist, so I figured I would agree to go for a couple of hours. I wear a silver sequin dress, and the girls curl my hair and do my make-up for me. “You look fierce, darling.” Aimee drawls with an exaggerated British accent.
“Cole is going to lose his mind, baby girl.” Jo grins, spinning me around.
“No! I want him to find it, not lose it more!” I quip, and the girls laugh. I pull my black stilettos on while they refresh their makeup. Aimee was wearing a red jumpsuit with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail with a pair of nude open-toe heels. Jo was in a black mini dress with a plunging neckline, her shoulder-length mousy brown hair straightened. My girls were hot.
“Shall we, ladies?” Aimee smiles, holding up her phone. We pose for a couple of photos before we head down to the boys.
“Jo, grab Alaia.
“What like get married again?!” Aimee shrieks, and I laugh, shaking my head.“Are we going Vegas again?!” Jo chirps excitedly, and I roll my eyes.“No, Jesus! Minus the marriage part.” I explain and glance over and see him watching me as he sips his drink, nodding while Josh speaks to him. My stomach does a nervous flip-flop.“But with all the hot sex part!” Aimee cheers, and I flush and hit her. “Do it! Fuck it. I might do it with Josh too. Let’s all act like we’re meeting them for the first time. How exciting.”“You don’t think it’s weird?” I ask them, and they shake their heads.“No bish, it’s just innocent fun,” Jo assures, smiling. “Let go, Shay, have some fun, babe.”“I second that.” Aimee agrees, and we all clink our glasses. All right, it looks like we’re doing this. I do as the girls suggest and let go. After a couple more drinks, I had a nice buzz going. I still when I feel a solid chest pressed up against my back. I feel that fami
“And seize every opportunity.” I match his grin when we toast our nuggets and laugh. We spent the hour eating our food, drinking more champagne, talking, and laughing our arses off while driving around the city. While we were driving over Tower Bridge, I push the sunroof open and clambered up. It was freezing, but I didn’t care. I lift my gaze when I see the snow falling. It never snows in December in London. “Cole, get up here. It’s snowing!”Cole climbs up beside me and looks around in wonder. It was coming down hard and setting, everything slowly turning white. It was beautiful. Cole wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my jaw when I close my eyes. “Merry Christmas, baby,” Cole whispers in my ear, and I smile and look up at him.“Merry Christmas, baby,” I reply, and Cole dips his head and kisses me softly on the lips, his thumb stroking my jaw. I pull back and look up at him. “Let’s go home,” I whisper, and he smiles handsomely and nods. Cole pulls me back in t
Christmas Day.It feels like I’ve gone back in time to when we met—having Shayla in my arms, where she belongs, dancing slowly in our living room—wrapped up in one another like we were the only two people in the world. Before the accident, before everything got all messed up—when nothing mattered but the two of us.I gaze into her eyes, unable to look away. The love she has in her eyes for me leaves me powerless. I love the way she looks at me. I want to lose myself with her. I reach up and brush her hair away from her face before I let my fingers caress her jaw.Shayla leans into my touch, her eyes closed. I dip my head and brush a kiss on her soft lips, which she responds to with a breathy moan, parting her lips for me to deepen the kiss.We kiss slow and sensually, neither of us in any rush. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve kissed her or how many times I’ve had her. Every time with her feels like the first time to me. I suppose that’
I clear my throat and step away from Shayla, smiling sheepishly. “Do you two have any idea what time it is?” My father scolds us, and we press our lips together to keep from laughing. I felt like a teenager who got busted by his parents sneaking a girl into the house.“It’s Christmas day, and I want to see my baby girl,” I tell my parents as I take Shayla’s hand and pull her up the stairs.“Tristan, she’s sleeping.” My mother says, and I pick Shayla up and throw her over my shoulder as I carry her to our bedroom.She laughs a little, “Cole’s memory is back.” She tells my parents, grinning. I hear my mother gasp and my Dad chuckling.“Well, you can’t just say that and leave!” My mother shrieks excitedly.“Go to bed, mother! It’s a Christmas miracle!” I shout, elated as I walk into our bedroom and set Shayla back down on her feet. I walk over to the crib and see my beautiful daughter asleep. Shayla closes the door to our bedroom and walks over.
She has brought so much love into my life and the lives of the people I love most. I turn my gaze to hers, and she does the same, smiling up at me beautifully. “I’m so in love with you,” I declare, pressing my forehead to hers, and she smiles, biting her bottom lip.“Say it again, baby.” She whispers.“I’m so in love with you, baby.”Shayla smiles, holding my gaze. “I’m so in love with you, bebé.” While others were dancing around us in the middle of our kitchen, we stood there kissing and whispering to one another until, of course, in true Shayla and Cole fashion Sam drags her away from me, and they start dancing with their mother. I made a mental note to take them all to that place by the river after the new year.I dance with my daughter, who beams at me just like her mother, and I fall in love over again.How did I get so damn fortunate?After all the dancing was done, the girls kicked us, boys, out of the kitchen while busy preparing the
“All right, girls, are you ready to see the wedding dress?” I hear Aimee’s excited voice behind the grey satin curtain. Jo and I exchange looks and smile before we answer her.“Yes!” We chirp at the same time and watch as the curtain is drawn back, revealing an angelic Aimee in her beautiful lace wedding gown.Jo and I gasp, our eyes instantly pooling with tears. “Oh, Aimes, you look beautiful.” I cry emotionally, and she starts welling up.“You look gorgeous, babe.” Jo agrees, watching her in awe.“Do you think Josh will like it?” Aimee asks, looking down at herself before looking at us again. We both nod enthusiastically, dabbing away the tears with tissues.“Like it? He’s going to lose his shit when he sees you in that.” I assure her, and she bites her lip.“He’s going to be bawling like a baby when he sees you, Aimes.” We walk over to her, and the three of us embrace.“Can you believe it’s only a week till the wedding? We still ha
The week leading up to the wedding was hectic. Jo and I were running around trying to get the last-minute things Aimee needed to be done before the big day. We also had the Bachelor/Bachelorette parties two days before the wedding. Aimee wanted to do a joint one, so we all went together with our partners and a few of our other friends and got stinking drunk. It was a memorable night for sure. I had to practically rip Aimee and Josh away from one another most of the night. They were worse than Cole and me before we got married. They were ready to have sex on the dance floor in the middle of the club if Cole and I didn’t stop them. The night before the wedding, I spent the night with the girls, and Cole was with the boys.We all needed a night to relax and refresh after the heavy drinking the night before. I had Alaia with me, not wanting to leave her two nights in a row at my mum's, not that she minded, but I miss her and can’t be away from her for too long. We spent the night
The next morning, we were up bright and early. Jo was the only sober one, not being able to drink because of the pregnancy, while Aimee and I were hanging after one too many cocktails. We had hair and makeup going on in my old bedroom. Champagne was flowing while we got ready for Aimee and Josh’s big day. Aimee was a nervous wreck, and it was adorable. It took us all four hours to get prepared. The cars were waiting to take us to the church. Aimee’s mother— Lorraine, joined us in the morning, and her father came to pick her up to accompany her to the church as he was walking her down the aisle. Alaia was picked up by my mother early on so that I could focus on Aimee.“You look stunning.” I smile, fixing her veil before she walks in. “This is it. You ready to marry your man?” She lets out a nervous breath and nods. We hug, and I take my place with Jo, ready to walk down the aisle. Jo goes first, and I follow. When Cole sees me walking toward them, he grins, his eyes never leav