“You’re here!” Mackenzie exclaimed as she walked into the living room, looking sexy as ever. She wore a red dress that showed off her curves and sparkly red heels that matched mine. The fact that all four girls would be wearing the same heels made me laugh. We didn’t know why we had decided to do it. It’d just happened. Since it made us feel closer even though we only saw one another a couple of times a month—not including the multiple phone calls each day—I loved it.
“Of course, we’re here,” I said as I hugged my best friend close. Mackenzie kissed my cheek and then moved away as Elise waddled in. She was heavily pregnant, her ring finger bare because she wore her wedding ring around her neck.
“Don’t look at me. Why did I decide to wear these shoes?”
I winced. “Because they look cute. But I still can’t believe you’re wearing heels. At least they’re the kitten version.”
“That’s what I said,” Dillon grumbled as he forced his wife into a seat. “Seriously. Stop standing. The fact that you’re wearing fucking heels while pregnant is annoying the hell out of me.”
“My fingers swelled because of the meds, not because of the pregnancy. Just stop.”
He scowled, kissed her lips, and then plucked Corinne from my husband’s arm. “Sorry for cursing in front of you.”
“It’s okay, Uncle Dillon. Daddy curses a lot. But Mommy curses more.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “From the mouths of babes.”
“I can’t wait,” Elise said as she rubbed her belly. “This is so exciting. All of us back together.”
“And we’re going to a bar!” Corinne cried, clapping her hands.
“You know, I think we’re teaching our daughter about these things a little too young,” Tanner whispered as he held me to his side. I inhaled his scent, falling that much more in love with him. Seriously, every time I was with him, my hormones went nuts. I was ready to have another baby, one where we might be a little more planned and put together this time. Though I didn’t know if he was ready. Given the way he growled at me every time he looked at me, he might be ready to practice for another one.
I leaned into him, kissed him hard on the mouth, and ran my hand over the burn on his cheek. The scar was slowly fading, but he wasn’t going to get plastic surgery to fix anything that remained. He wanted the memory. Jared was gone, still in jail, and he would be for a long time to come. He had charges for illegal weapons, drugs, and battery, arson, and attempted murder. We’d never have to see him again.
Tanner’s mother and little brother lived close to us, and we saw them weekly. Things were going well. Finally.
“I’m here, I’m here,” Pacey said as he walked in, leaning heavily on his cane.
He looked debonair with it. As if he’d just walked off a Regency romance set.
“I still can’t believe you broke your foot on a bicycle,” Tanner said with a sigh.
“They say it’s like riding a bike, but I don’t really believe it.”
“You fell off a stationary bike and broke your ankle.” Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “Seriously, how does that even happen?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he growled, then came and sat down next to Elise.
“Oh, good, you can sit with me while I’m heavily pregnant. You’re more of a dork than I am.”
“Did someone say dork?” Miles asked as he walked in, Nessa at his side. Nessa looked radiant, fresh off her new book tour. It looked like she was on top of the world.
The two of them had gotten married soon after Tanner and I had, and I knew that they were living a life that neither of them had planned. The New York Times bestselling author status looked good on Nessa, and I knew she was nervous about her next book. But things were working out well, and she was still teaching.
Everything had changed these last four years, but here we were, in a reunion of sorts with just the eight of us. Nine if you included Corinne.
We had lost our friend at the beginning of our friendship, and I missed Corinne every single day. However, every time our little girl laughed just the right way, it reminded me of Corinne. Hence why our daughter shared her name. It had been Tanner’s idea, and we had asked Elise, Mackenzie, and Nessa if they minded.
There had been lots of tears, but in the end, it had been the perfect name for our little girl. The one who had surprised us and made us a family in the way we always should have been. She had nudged us into the future we now had, and I wouldn’t change any of that for the world.
We had a future, hope. We were a family.
The eight of us had been roommates once, but we were so much more than that now. We were family. We were what we had made.
Tanner handed me a flute of champagne as Elise took her sparkling cider, the same as Corinne, and we clinked glasses.
“To family,” Pacey said. I looked up at Tanner, then at Corinne in his arms, and grinned.
“To family.”
In the mood for more from Carrie Ann Ryan? Try the Wilder Brothers series with One Way Back to Me.
Want to read a special BONUS EPILOGUE featuring Natalie & Tanner? CLICK HERE!
A Note from Carrie Ann Ryan
Thank you so much for reading MY BAD DECISIONS!
I loved writing this series so much and I honestly am so happy with how it turned out. Thank you for all of your love for this crew and don’t worry, you might just see them pop up in other romances soon!
The On My Own Series:
Book 1: My One Night
Book 2: My Rebound
Book 3: My Next Play
Book 4: My Bad Decisions
Want to read a special BONUS EPILOGUE featuring Natalie & Tanner? CLICK HERE!
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Also from Carrie Ann Ryan
The Montgomery Ink: Fort Collins Series:
Book 1: Inked Persuasion
Book 2: Inked Obsession
Book 3: Inked Devotion
Book 3.5: Nothing But Ink
Book 4: Inked Craving
Book 5: Inked Temptation
The Montgomery Ink Legacy Series:
Book 1: Bittersweet Promises
The Wilder Brothers Series:
Book 1: One Way Back to Me
Book 2: Always the One for Me
The Aspen Pack Series:
Book 1: Etched in Honor
Montgomery Ink:
Book 0.5: Ink Inspired
Book 0.6: Ink Reunited
Book 1: Delicate Ink
Book 1.5: Forever Ink
Book 2: Tempting Boundaries