“I need to remind the newlyweds that it’s time for them to make their getaway,” Sierra said, standing. “Aunt Lucy, I see Uncle Pete wending his way back to you. I’m so happy you two could make it tonight. It was wonderful to see you.” She bent down and kissed the woman on the temple.

“You too, sweetie. If you ever get down to Memphis, you stop by and see Pete and me.”

“Promise,” Sierra said.

“Nice to meet you,” Cole said as he stood. He grasped the woman’s hand loosely and received a wide smile and a wink.

“This will only take me a minute,” Sierra said to him as they walked away from her aunt. “The hotel people are taking care of all the cleanup, but I need to say some goodbyes. Then I swear we can leave.”

“Take your time,” he told her. The thought of going home, back to his apartment, alone—and he would be alone—didn’t appeal the way it usually did.

He spotted Kennedy’s veil-covered copper hair across the way and pointed, then they walked toward the elated couple, who were surrounded by the other three bridesmaids and the four groomsmen. As Sierra spoke to her sister, Cole turned to Hunter and offered his hand.

“Congrats again. Hope you have a hell of a honeymoon,” Cole said. He knew Hunter fairly well, had been the main contractor for his bar’s renovation around the same time as the Wentworth project, and he’d been in Clayborne’s on the Corner for a drink or a sandwich multiple times since then.

Hunter shook his hand, grinning so wide his face nearly split. “My sexy wife and Key West. I don’t see how I can go wrong.”

“Are you ready?” Kennedy sidled up next to her husband. “I’m told it’s time for us to go to our suite.”

“Already?” Hunter said dryly, and the smile on his face left no doubt that he was more than ready for their wedding night.

As Sierra appeared at Cole’s side, he registered the sound of spoons clinking against glasses—again—throughout the room.

“Kiss!”

“One more kiss before you go,” Ivy ordered. “Make it good, Hunter.”

Hunter took the challenge seriously and dipped his wife, which elicited a happy squeal from the normally subdued Kennedy, and then he took his sweet time, drawing out the lip-lock before returning her to vertical.

The crowd howled and clapped, and a male voice from across the ballroom hollered, “Get a room!”, making everyone laugh.

“I’m on it!” Hunter yelled back. “Thank you, everyone!” He waved to the room at large, and Kennedy blew a kiss, and then they ducked out of the ballroom.

Cole stood by Sierra’s side as she talked to various guests, said goodbye, hugged, talked some more, and the guests eventually started to file out in clumps.