Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

" P aris!" Tori jumped through the doorway onto the Hart's jet and put her arms in the air. "You're getting married in Paris! What the heck?"

Piper burst out laughing, unable to contain her joy. "I know, right? Freaking Paris!"

"In six days!" Tori ran into the plane and swept up Piper in a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Piper! You're glowing!"

"I know!" Piper hugged her back. "I was worried I would feel panic as the day got closer, but it's been only happiness. I'm so excited."

"Then you know it's right." Tori set her bag on the floor and looked around. "Holy crap, girl. This plane is fantastic. I'm so happy that Maddie married into this family and that makes us honorary members."

"I know. It's amazing."

Tori danced across the floor and dove onto one of the gorgeous, leather couches. "Remember when we were going to steal a private jet? This is so much better than having a quick joyride and then spending years in prison."

"It was still a good Plan B." Piper peered out the window, and her heart leapt when she saw the rest of her friends getting their bags out of the SUV that Declan had hired to pick them up. "How did you get inside so fast?"

"Sexy Myles said he'd get my stuff."

"Sexy Myles?"

"Yes!" Tori rolled her eyes. "You remember the bartender from the party who bodyguarded us briefly? Remember how he mentioned he knew the Stocktons and the Harts?"

Piper raised her brows. "I do."

"Well, he's the one who picked us up. He looks even better in the daytime out in the wild. He's clearly dangerous and capable, and I have no time for that. But I do have time for him to get my bags."

Kitty appeared in the doorway. "The party can begin now." She was decked out in diamonds, black rhinestone leggings, platform shoes, and pink sunglasses.

Piper burst out laughing. "You look fantastic."

"I know." She sashayed onto the plane, followed by Maddie and Keira.

Piper hugged them all, but then there was a shriek from the back of the plane.

She spun around and saw the two Hart sisters, Meg and Bella, pop out. "Surprise!"

Piper's heart tightened when she saw them. Meg and Bella were fantastic, and they were already getting swept up into their circle of friends. "You guys are on this flight?"

"We hitched a ride from Oregon," Bella said, bounding into the room and hugging Piper. "We didn't want to miss out on the fun. The rest of the Harts are coming straight from Oregon in a couple days, but we cleared our schedules to come early."

Piper felt so loved, and it was wonderful. "That's fantastic."

"Right?" Bella put her hands on Piper's shoulders as everyone settled in and found their spots. "I have a question for you, and you have to feel free to say no. No pressure just because we're basically family now."

Piper nodded. "Sure. What's up? "

"You know how I run a restaurant on the dude ranch vacation part of the Hart Ranch?"

"Of course. You're an amazing cook."

Bella grinned. "Thank you. I know I am." She took a breath. "I'm really jealous of Lucas starting a life out here with Maddie and you guys. He got me thinking. After the season is over in Oregon for the dude ranch, I'd like to come out here and do a catering business. I was thinking of maybe working with you and doing some weddings. What do you think?"

Piper stared at her, sudden tears filling her eyes. "A catering business?" Exactly like it had all started with her and her mom.

"Yes. I know that when you and Kitty book places that have kitchens, you have to use their staff, but what about the others? I know you're trying to make your services accessible to brides who don't have a lot of money, so I'd love to do those weddings. I don't need money. I just love the idea of being involved in the fairytales you create. What do you think?"

Kitty leaned over Piper's shoulder. "I think it's fantastic. I'm in."

Piper grinned. "Me, too. I'd love to work with you." Bella was so much fun, but there were also a lot of shadows in her eyes. Like the other Harts, Bella had a traumatic past, and she had made it clear she wasn't interested in dating. She wanted to build her own business, and Piper totally understood that.

Relief flashed in Bella's eyes. "Awesome. I was afraid you'd say no." She took a breath. "It's terrifying to think of leaving the ranch, but I have to do it. Thanks for letting me land here."

Piper hugged her. "You always have a home with us, Bella. Always."

Bella nodded. "Thanks," she whispered. "I love my brothers, but having sisters is special. I'm so grateful Maddie brought you all into our lives."

"Me, too." She hugged Bella again, and laughed with so much happiness when Kitty threw her arms around both of them.

"Hug the bride," Kitty yelled .

Piper shrieked with laughter as her friends tackled her, giggling and laughing. There was so much joy bubbling through the plane, her heart was so full. She'd thought she had it all when she'd had her three friends, but now? More and more amazing people kept coming into her life, including their fifth friend from the loft days, Ella, who was meeting them in Paris.

"Any space left in here for men?" Lucas appeared in the doorway, along with Declan's friend Aiden, and his brother Eric.

And behind them was Roman. Her heart tightened when she saw him. He'd named his taco truck business after their mom, Lucy, and her amazing tacos. Every time she saw that truck and her mom's face smiling at her, she felt like her mom was sitting on her shoulder, hugging her.

Roman winked at Piper, and then his gaze sought out Keira, as it always did whenever he was in town. Nothing had happened between them, and Keira hadn't noticed him watching her, but the undercurrent was strong.

Would anything ever happen?

She wasn't even sure she wanted it to. She was just getting to know Roman again, and she wasn't sure she wanted to jeopardize it by having him date one of her best friends.

Maddie waved Lucas over, and the other women settled on the couch, focused on girl time, not man time.

As the men walked in, Declan appeared in the doorway. He was wearing jeans, sneakers, a t-shirt, and a baseball hat. He looked rugged, casual, and insanely hot.

That was her man. Hers.

His gaze met hers, and he smiled, a private, wonderful smile just for her.

The joyful chaos in the plane faded away, until it was just Declan. Piper smiled as he walked across the plane, his gaze intent on her, fully focused only on her.

He locked his arm around her back, and pulled her in for a delicious kiss that had no jellyfish undercurrents whatsoever. This kiss was intimate and special, despite the hubbub surrounding them. "I still think that flying over by ourselves would have been fun," he whispered between kisses. "There's a full bedroom in the back."

She grinned. "That's for the honeymoon."

He raised his brows. "You think we'll make it to the honeymoon, then?"

She draped her arms around his neck. "Definitely." She paused. "Declan Jones, I love you with all my heart. I wasn't ready for you, but I got you anyway, and I'm so grateful every day of my life that we were both brave enough to try."

His face softened with pure love. "Piper, you're my light, and I'm so excited for life with you." He touched her diamond necklace. "Your mom is chuckling, right now. Heading off to Paris to get married with a whole bunch of people who love you? And a thriving business. And a great guy, if I do say so myself."

She laughed. "My mom would have loved you. She's definitely chuckling with joy right now." Her phone rang, and they both laughed when she pulled it out to look at it. "April," they said together.

April had dumped her fiancé, and she'd hired Kitty and Piper to put on a girl power party for her instead. Their business had quickly taken on the energy of Bride Protector, and parties for women to celebrate themselves and their female friends had started to become a thing, and she and Kitty were the ones always hired to run them.

Fairytales that were about more than falling in love and getting married. They were the fairytales of falling in love with yourself first and celebrating that.

Finding her own power was where it had all started for Piper, and it was the foundation of all she had.

It was her friends who had decided that Declan was the one for her, and they'd been right. Because no one could do it alone. Everyone needed a posse, including women like her who simply wanted to wake up in the morning and feel capable of tackling her life and her dreams .

Declan silenced her phone. "April is just going to have to wait until you get back."

Piper smiled. "You know I'm going to text her back as soon as I have a chance."

Declan grinned. "I know. You'd never let down one of your girls, friends, or clients. And that's just one of the many things I love about you."

Piper knew he was telling the truth. Declan would never, ever try to make her small or hold her back. He was fully supportive of who she wanted and needed to be, and of her plans for the future.

And at the same time, she loved who he was becoming. His business with Roman had lit him up, and he was actively searching for small businesses to fund, focusing on those founders who had trouble securing funding from traditional resources, including those with a prison history, both men and women. He was vibrant and alive, and she never had to worry about him facing bullets when he was at work.

Clark had been arrested. And after a thoroughly unfriendly and threatening visit from the Hart lawyers, Dick had given Jessie her freedom.

And that was just the start. So much ahead of them, all of it fueled by love, freedom, and friendship.

Want to know what happens when Keira suddenly needs the kind of help that only a sexy ex-con can offer? Or when Bella meets the cowboy who challenges everything she believes in? Order your copies now of When We Take a Chance (Roman and Keira), and A Rogue Cowboy' s Kiss (Bella & the absolute last cowboy she would ever want to fall for!).

All's fair in love and tacos. Except, of course, when the tacos are made by an irritatingly attractive ex-con fighting for redemption.

Keira Vogel is intentionally single, unintentionally broke, and on the rise. Yes, she's a little stuck, but the plucky entrepreneur has plans…until her not-so-pretty past finds her. Now, she's in danger, her business is at risk, and the only one who can help her is Roman Townsend, the ex-con, taco-trunk-owning brother of her best friend.

Roman Townsend knows he brings a load of trouble with him. He knows he doesn't deserve a second chance. And he isn't about to get entangled with his sister's classy, upscale bestie, no matter how compelling he finds her.

But when Keira needs a little bodyguarding help, it's Roman's chance to be the man he's never been. But to be who he wants to be, he has to keep his hands off the sassy, irreverent Keira. But the closer they get, the more he realizes she might be everything he's ever wanted…and never thought to dream of.

Keira's been thoroughly burned by love, and this bodyguarding situation is business only. But there's something about this gregarious, muscled taco genius that makes her want to heal his shadows…the same shadows that almost ruined her before .

Worth the risk? No.

Dangerously tempting? Absolutely.

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