Marrying Caroline (2015)

## Series

SEAL of Protection, Book 3.5

Originally published on January 16, 2015

## Official Blurb

> **As long as at the end of the day she was wearing Wolf's ring, Caroline didn't care *how* it happened.**
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> Caroline and Wolf had a wild start to their relationship…plane hijacking, kidnapping, attempted drowning, and a terrorist plot foiled. Now things have calmed down and a wedding is in the works for the couple. By enlisting the help of Wolf’s teammate, Cookie, Caroline is immersed in plans for her dream wedding.
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> Of course, with their luck, things can never go off without a hitch.
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> Join Alabama and Abe, Cookie and Fiona, as well as the rest of the SEAL team, as Caroline and Wolf start the rest of their life together.
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## Characters

### Main Character(s)

* Matthew "Wolf" Steel
* Caroline "Ice" Martin

### All Characters (in order of appearance)

* Caroline "Ice" Martin
* Matthew "Wolf" Steel
* Christopher "Abe" Powers
* Hunter "Cookie" Knox
* Sam "Mozart" Reed
* Faulkner "Dude" Cooper
* Kason "Benny" Sawyer
* Fiona Knox
* Alabama Smith
* Jessyka Allen
* (Wolf's father)
* (Wolf's mother)

### Characters Mentioned (but not appearing)

* Dr. Hancock
* (Caroline's mother)
* (Caroline's father)
* Patrick Hurt

## Synopsis

### Chapter 1

Caroline enters Aces Bar and Grill. Wolf greets her and leads her to the table of their friends. They discuss the single guys' dating habits before eating. After they finish, Wolf gets down on one knee and proposes to Caroline, who happily accepts.

### Chapter 2

Two days later, Caroline and Wolf are fighting about having a big wedding. Caroline doesn't see the point, but soon realizes that Wolf prefers to have a traditional wedding. Wolf offers to have Cookie help Caroline plan the wedding. Caroline is confused by this, and they discuss how Cookie saved Caroline after she had been thrown in the ocean. Wolf knows that Cookie wanted a large wedding but Fiona was uncomfortable with it, so they eloped instead. Wolf wants Cookie to have the chance to plan a big wedding, in lieu of his own.

Three days after that, and after Caroline received Fiona's blessing for Cookie to help plan the wedding, Caroline is frustrated with Cookie's heavy handed demands. He hit the ground running with his task, and is currently questioning Caroline about what song she wants for her first dance with Wolf. Caroline doesn't want to make a decision right away, as they still have two months before the wedding, so she calls Fiona and asks her to pick up Cookie. Cookie explains that he wants to take care of details when they can, in case they get called out before the wedding. Caroline compromises and allows Cookie to take up her weekends with wedding planning, but not during the week.

### Chapter 3

Fiona, Alabama, and Cookie watch Caroline try on dresses. They find one that is so perfect, Cookie gets aroused thinking of Fiona and escorts her home. Caroline and Alabama laugh about their guys. Caroline puts a down payment on the dress before they leave.

Caroline argues with Cookie, claiming that it's Friday and thus no wedding talk is allowed. Cookie explains that it's the only time to meet with the caterer, and Caroline gives him permission to choose the food on his own. Cookie thanks her for allowing him to help her before they hang up.

Caroline speaks with Wolf about Cookie's planning the wedding. Wolf doesn't care, knowing that Cookie is enjoying planning a big wedding. Caroline asks for Wolf's opinion on their first dance, but he claims not to care, instead describing how he'll be intensely attracted to her in that moment. Caroline gets turned on and decides to stop talking about the wedding.

### Chapter 4

Caroline asks for Alabama's opinion on the first dance song. After nixing some suggestions, Caroline worries about choosing the right one. Alabama calms her down and takes her to get ice cream.

Caroline tells Wolf she wants to wear Cookie's Budweiser pin as her "something old" for the wedding. Wolf explains the significance of the pin and how he hates that Cookie gave her his. Caroline concedes, agreeing to wear Wolf's as her "something old."

### Chapter 5

Cookie and Caroline go over final wedding plans before Caroline brings up his Budweiser pin. She tells Cookie she feels uncomfortable to have it, now that she understands what it means to Wolf, and now that Cookie is married to Fiona. He agrees and promises to explain it to Fiona.

> "You'll always hold a special place in my heart. We don't need to give each other jewelry to solidify that." *-Caroline, to Cookie*
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### Chapter 6

Caroline stands in the basement of the church, preparing for her wedding. Caroline thanks Alabama and Fiona for helping her. Fiona thanks Caroline for allowing Cookie to plan the wedding. They take a selfie, which Alabama and Fiona send to their men.

Wolf squirms in his dress whites, which are uncomfortable. He's nervous about the wedding, about which his teammates tease him. They leave to get into the limo that will take them to the church when Abe and Cookie get texts. Abe teases Wolf about how beautiful Caroline looks, knowing that Wolf can't see the picture due to tradition.

Caroline waits in the basement of the church. The ceremony should have started ten minutes before, but the guys haven't yet arrived. Caroline takes off her shoes and begins pacing, fretting about what must have gone wrong. Alabama's phone rings, and she has a brief yet tense conversation with Abe. After, she walks up to Fiona and puts her hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her as she explains that the guys were in an accident and Cookie is unconscious. Caroline physically supports Fiona as Alabama explains the situation. Caroline asks Alabama to relay the message to the pastor, and for the two of them to inform the audience and Wolf's parents about the recent developments. After, Caroline would like to speak with the pastor. Caroline reassures Fiona that Cookie is fine before grabbing their things. Alabama and the pastor return, and Caroline asks Alabama to take Fiona to the car while she discusses something with the pastor. A few minutes later, she gets into the waiting car and Alabama drives them to the hospital.

### Chapter 7

Wolf sits in the hospital waiting room, reviewing the actions of the past hour. When a car T-boned the limo, they were tossed around, metal and glass breaking around them. The rest of the men were fine, with only scratches, but Cookie, who was sitting at the site of impact, was still unconscious. Wolf and Dude rode with Cookie in the ambulance.

Abe informs Wolf that he called Alabama. Wolf frets about missing his wedding, but Dude reassures him that Caroline will be fine. Benny suggests trying to still make it to the wedding, but Wolf nixes the idea, arguing that they need to stay at the hospital to support Cookie. After several minutes, they look up to see the women enter the emergency room. Wolf is taken aback with Caroline's beauty, staring at her as Alabama reunites with Abe and Mozart comforts Fiona. Caroline goes to hug Wolf, but he stops her, claiming he doesn't want her dress to get marred by his bloodstained and dirty clothing. She ignores this and embraces him.

### Chapter 8

A nurse asks for a relative of Cookie's. Mozart points out Fiona. The nurse wants to take her to a private room, but Fiona argues that the team "are as much his family as [she is]." The nurse explains that Cookie is conscious and has a few scrapes, but that he seems to be doing fine. The doctors want to keep him overnight to make sure he doesn't have a concussion. Fiona asks to see him, and Caroline asks if they all can. The nurse relents, but only for a short time. Everyone else heads to the room, but Wolf asks Caroline what she's up to. Caroline explains that she lightly bribed the pastor to come to the hospital to perform the ceremony. Wolf asks if she's sure, and Caroline confirms her intentions. They leave the waiting area to track down the pastor.

### Chapter 9

Caroline waits to see Cookie. Fiona leaves the room and announces that he's ready to see Caroline and Wolf. The couple enter the room and are greeted by Cookie, who promises to have their wedding planned and ready in a week. Caroline explains that she wants to get married right now, in Cookie's hospital room. She leaves to send in the crew. Cookie confirms that Wolf's fine with this, and they happily wait for the ceremony to begin.

Caroline stands outside Cookie's room. The men and the pastor are already inside, but Caroline pulls her girls aside and they share a tearful moment before she asks them to enter the room. After Alabama enters, Fiona takes a moment to thank Caroline for supporting her when she heard the news about Cookie. Fiona enters, and Caroline barely gives her a moment before following her into the room, excited to get married to Wolf.

Caroline approaches Wolf and the pastor begins the ceremony. They exchange rings and say their vows. The pastor announces them "man and wife," and almost has to pry them apart after. Cookie asks to kiss the bride, which the rest of the men do, as well. Caroline goes back to Wolf and they share a tender kiss, which Fiona catches on camera. Cookie brings up their first dance, and Dude hands Caroline her phone. She plays "Come to Me" by the Goo Goo Dolls, which Wolf sings along to, changing the lyrics to match their situation. Caroline expresses surprise that Wolf knows the song, and he admits that he noticed it on her phone, and he downloaded it and began enjoying it. A nurse standing in the doorway swoons over how romantic Wolf is, Cookie voices his approval, and Caroline and Wolf share a look.

### Chapter 10

Wolf relaxes while on their honeymoon. He booked a luxury cabin in the mountains of Sedona, Arizona. Caroline naps against him. Wolf thinks back to earlier that day, when Fiona and Alabama sent them all the pictures their friends took at their wedding. Caroline wakes up and they have sex again before napping.