Brie took the envelope from Lea and glanced at Sir in amusement, wondering if this was some kind of elaborate joke Lea was setting up.
Her friend stared at her eagerly while Brie broke the seal and pulled out an invitation. Her eyes grew wide when she realized what she was holding. “Oh, my goodness, Lea!”
“I know! It’s happening. It’s really happening!” Lea squealed, jumping up and down.
Brie handed it to Sir, telling him excitedly, “We’ve been invited to a collaring!”
Sir immediately set Hope down and stood up, holding out his hand to Lea. “Congratulations are in order, Ms. Taylor.”
Lea shook his hand enthusiastically. “I’m so happy, Sir Davis. I feel like I am about to burst into a million pieces!”
Brie jumped up off the couch and wrapped her arms around Lea. “I’m thrilled for you, girlfriend.”
Lea returned her hug, nearly squeezing the breath out of her before letting go. “After Ms. Clark and then Liam, I thought I was the unluckiest girl alive and only destined for heartbreak…”
Lea’s face was radiant when she declared, “But Hunter changed all that!”
Sir stared at the tickets for a moment, then tried to hand them back to her. “We can’t allow you to pay for these.”
Lea refused to take them back, her grin growing wider. “Hunter insists.”
“Allow me to pay for the children at the very least.”
“Nope! Hunter refuses to break up your sweet little family over this, and he chose this cruise line because it has a stellar children’s program.”
“Who else will be attending your collaring?” Brie asked her.
“Master Nosh and his wife.”
Brie chuckled. “Is that all?”
Lea nodded, and explained, “Hunter and I decided to keep it private, but we both wanted to invite the two people who were instrumental in our development during our training.”
Sir nodded to Lea. “I am sincerely honored, Ms. Taylor.”
“So that means you’ll come, Sir Davis?” she begged.
Before answering, Sir turned to Brie. “Although I think time away could prove beneficial given the circumstances, I want the final decision to be yours, babygirl.”
Brie looked at Lea, overwhelmed with happiness. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, my friend!”
Lea squeaked and grabbed Brie’s hands. The two of them started jumping up and down excitedly. Hope toddled over to them, bouncing on her toes in imitation.
Brie lifted her up, grinning at her. “We’re going on a big boat, sweet pea!”
“I’d better get back to it, then,” Sir stated. “I’m afraid I’ll need to work while I’m on the ship, but I’ll rearrange my schedule to make it as minimal as possible.”
Lea shook her head in amazement, her eyes shining bright. “I can’t believe it’s really happening! Soon, I’m going to be wearing Hunter’s collar.”
Sir looked at Lea with pride before leaving the room, obviously happy for his former student.
Once Brie was alone with Lea, she told her, “I’ve never been on a cruise before.”
“You’re going to love it, girlfriend! My parents used to take me on one every year. They’re so much fun, Stinky Cheese. There is always something to do, new places to see, and dinner is quite the adventure.”
Brie smiled, liking the idea of that.
“They are going to treat you like royalty on the ship.” Lea turned to Hope, saying in a sing-song voice, “I bet you are going to love it as much as I did growing up!” Tweaking her nose, she asked, “Do you know which vegetable is not allowed on a cruise, Hope?”
“Oh, no…” Brie muttered as she waited for the dreaded punchline.
Lea gleefully blurted, “Leeks!”
“Seriously, that was terrible,” Brie groaned.
“I concur,” Sir called out from his office.
Lea giggled and leaned down, whispering to Hope, “I’ve got a million more for you.”
Brie gazed at Lea tenderly. Her sweet friend deserved only the best, and it thrilled Brie to no end that Hunter seemed bound and determined to give Lea exactly that.
When it was time for Lea to head out, Brie stood at the door and waved goodbye. While she watched members of the press slowly part to allow Lea’s vehicle to back out of the driveway, one of the reporters shouted to her.
“Mrs. Davis, I have it on good authority that your friend Mr. Gray was involved in the murder of Greg Holloway. Can you confirm that?”
Brie quickly shut the door, her hand shaking as she turned the deadbolt.
The timing of this trip couldn’t have been better, and the reason behind it was just what her heart needed.
Brie stared up at the ship in awe after they had checked in their baggage and were walking up to the vessel. “It’s so huge!”
Lea leaned in close, whispering, “That’s what she said.”
Giggling, Brie bumped hips with her.
Hunter told them, “This ship holds three thousand passengers, along with the crew.”
With his light brown hair and pale green eyes, Hunter gave off a sexy “boy-next-door” vibe. Having a deceptively clean-cut appearance, no one would guess by looking at him that he was into serious kink. However, Hunter’s commanding presence was so strong, it almost rivaled Sir’s.
Looking up at the impressive ship, Hunter told Sir, “This vessel is like a small city on water.”
Sir bounced Hope in his arms. “What do you think of the boat, little angel?”
Hope pointed up, babbling excitedly when someone waved at her from one of the upper decks.
Chuckling, Sir told Brie, “It seems our daughter can’t wait to start her adventure.”
Brie looked down at Antony cradled in her arms. He stared up at her intently, seeming to only have eyes for his mother despite the commotion all around them. That innocent gaze filled her with a sense of joyful peace. “You’re just too stinkin’ cute.”
Glancing at Hunter, she said, “I want to thank you again for including our children. It is especially kind when this is such a momentous occasion for the two of you.”
Hunter put his arm around Lea. “After everything you have been through, Lea and I wouldn’t dream of separating your family even for a short time.”
Brie was overwhelmed with gratitude. “To be invited to share in this special moment means the world to me.”
Lea took Brie’s hand, squeezing it tight. “You know I love ya.”
As they were walking up the gangway, Lea leaned in and whispered, “I remember once, there was this first-time cruiser who asked the captain, ‘Do ships like these sink very often?’” She grinned at Brie. “Do you know what he said to her?”
Sensing a joke was imminent, Brie teased her by answering, “Not really.”
Lea giggled, knowing Brie would not be able to resist.
“Fine! Tell me what the captain said already.”
“I’ll never forget it, Stinky Cheese. He said it in such a serious tone.”
Brie rolled her eyes, knowing Lea was milking this one for all she was worth. “And his answer was…?”
“The captain told her with a straight face, ‘Usually only once.’”