Almost two years later…
I skimmed my fingertips over the white lace of my sweetheart neckline before running my hands down the fitted bodice to where the floor-length dress flared out at my hips. My hand went up to my hair, lightly feeling all the carefully placed curls that had been swept away from my face and secured on top of my head.
Then my eyes fell to the solitaire diamond on my left ring finger, and I remembered how Ezra had told me he wanted to propose at the forest preserve where we had our first date.
I loved the fact that he couldn’t wait. As far as I was concerned, anytime he asked me to marry him would’ve been the perfect time.
Instead, we made the perfect compromise and decided to get married here.
Today we would make it official in front of the white tower where we first declared our love for each other.
In a few weeks, we’d be starting our junior year at McAdams and moving into family housing for married students. While I would miss Ezra’s apartment, I was looking forward to having a little more space. Babies weren’t in our plans anytime soon, but someday we’d have curly-headed little ones.
A warm summer breeze blew, rustling the heavy white canvas material of the bridal tent, then I heard a deep voice right outside the front flap.
“Knock knock.”
It was Gavin, my man of honor.
“Come in.” Smiling, I went back to admiring myself.
Gavin appeared, looking dapper in his checkered bowtie, suspenders, and crisp white button-up shirt. Because of the heat, we’d decided to go lighter on the guys’ attire. Of course, Pinterest was to blame for the vintage-casual theme, but Ezra had said he didn’t care what he wore as long as he got to be my husband.
“Thirty minutes until the ceremony,” Gavin announced, fulfilling his man of honor duties.
“Are there a lot of people here?” I asked, not so much nervous for myself, but for Ezra.
With everyone staring at us, my shy man was probably going to be beet-red through most of the ceremony. I’d tried to assure him that people would be watching me, not him. Plus, only twenty-five people were invited, so it was already going to be a pretty small gathering.
But that didn’t make him any less anxious.
I’d decided we didn’t need to make a big fuss for the reception. Earlier this morning, we’d already gotten pictures out of the way. There would be no first dance where everyone ogled us. No special cutting of the cake.
My mouth watered, thinking of the two-tier white buttercream cake with chocolate frosting on the inside. On top, there were two large candy rocks covered in edible silver glitter, one with a bowtie and the other with a veil.
I’d only nibbled at a piece of toast for breakfast and now that we were nearing lunch time, I was damn near starving. My stomach rumbled with a mixture of hunger and butterflies. Maybe I was more nervous than I thought.
“Nah,” Gavin replied. “Except for the wedding party and family, it’s just Rocky, Paul, and Shauna.”
A grin spread over my face, because all my loved ones were here.
Over the past couple of years, I’d stayed on at Rocky’s, sticking with the place through the short-staffed times, and Paul turned out to be a model employee. He still lived in the apartment upstairs and after a few months at the restaurant, he started waiting tables. Sometimes for customers’ birthdays, he broke out that yo-yo and it was a huge hit with the kids.
To say Shauna and I had become close was an understatement. She was the mother I never had, and I made trips to Cleveland to visit her whenever I was home on break. She was the one who helped me pick out my wedding dress. John had wanted to do it, but he couldn’t seem to keep himself from becoming a blubbering mess every time we browsed gowns on Pinterest.
Walking down the aisle with him was going to be interesting.
Rob seemed to have a better handle on his emotions at the thought of giving away his baby girl, and that was a good thing since he would be the one performing the ceremony.
“I have to say, it’s too bad Jimmy is married.” Gavin sighed. “He’s a fine piece of man candy.”
I laughed. “Even if he wasn’t, I’m pretty sure he’s a hundred percent straight.”
“What about the other groomsman?” he asked, referring to Jeff.
Ezra’s friendship with Jeff was one of the few positive things to come from what happened with the fraternity. And surprisingly, Ashlyn and Jeff hit it off. Double dates with them were a common occurrence, and even though Ashlyn and I weren’t roommates anymore, we hung out all the time.
“Sorry, Jeff is taken, too. Haven’t you noticed how close he is with my bridesmaid?”
“Damn. I thought he was just a touchy-feely kind of guy.”
“Nope. They’re pretty serious. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pops the question soon.” At Gavin’s silence, I stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. “Hey. You’ll find your guy someday.”
He nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. While college had allowed him to finally be open about his sexuality, dating was a whole different ball game. He was looking for commitment, but the guys he’d met seemed to be more interested in playing the field.
“Baby?” I heard Ezra’s voice before he slipped inside.
God, he was so handsome. Suspenders were a good look for him. Per my request, he always left his hair a little longer on top so his curls could show. His cheeks were rosy, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the summer heat or from excitement. Broad shoulders gave way to a tapered waist and the bubble butt I loved so much.
He’d continued his mission to be physically fit, but not just for looks. He wanted to be the strongest, healthiest version of himself.
And he was. If he unbuttoned his shirt, I knew I’d see defined pecs and traceable abs.
While I was busy drooling, Ezra shot Gavin a smirk. “You’ll have to excuse us for a few minutes. I’d like to have some time alone with my soon-to-be-wife.”
Oh, boy.
Sexual tension crackled in the air, and Gavin let out an uncomfortable cough while slowly backing out of the tent, ducking down so he didn’t hit his head on the doorway.
Public sex was something Ezra and I had done many times, always in creative locations, but I never thought he’d want to do it with our entire family hovering several yards away.
With trembling hands, I went over to secure the ties on the open flap, but Ezra stopped me with a laugh.
“I wasn’t talking about that kind of time alone, although it’s tempting.” His eyes roamed my body as he held up his sketchbook. “Can I?”
Smiling, I bit my lip. “Of course.”
Ezra took a seat on a padded bench, and I lowered myself into the designated bride’s chair. I leaned back, hands draped over the armrests and one leg crossed over the other. Lifting my chin, I tilted my head toward the light coming through the crease in the flap to give him the best angle.
The artist and his subject. We had this down to a science now. In the past couple years, Ezra had filled several more sketchbooks with drawings of me, some of them X-rated and for his eyes only.
I squirmed a little, rubbing my thighs together as I thought about the last nude modeling session and how he’d taken me from behind against the kitchen counter afterward.
From the way Ezra’s hand paused over the paper and his blue eyes collided with mine, I could assume he was thinking about the same thing.
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait for all this to be over so we could just be alone.
I was the luckiest motherfucker alive.
Kayla Reynolds, the girl I thought I could never have, was going to be my wife. After today, she’d be Kayla Johnson. It was almost too surreal to comprehend.
Music started playing somewhere nearby. It was Mackenna, strumming out a simple guitar riff to get warmed up for the wedding march. She’d be singing “Love Never Fails” by Brandon Heath as Kayla walked down the aisle toward me.
Toward our life together.
I was getting a little choked up just thinking about it, so I cleared my throat and concentrated on the elegant lines of Kayla’s neck instead. Her perfectly arched eyebrows. The auburn tendril that had escaped by her ear.
Every now and then, she would lock eyes with me, and I could see a familiar heat there. Sitting still while feeling my gaze caress every part of her face—it was foreplay of the best kind.
I moved on to her collarbone because we didn’t have a lot of time left before we had to get out there.
My nephew, William, wasn’t even a year and a half old yet, so he wasn’t exactly ring bearer material. That honor was going to Pierre, my faithful servant and best friend. I still took him to class with me, even on days when I didn’t need his help. Everyone on campus knew who he was. Hell, he was more popular than any human at McAdams.
After today, he’d be spending a week with my parents so Kayla and I could go on our honeymoon. She didn’t know it yet, but I was taking her to Disney World. For someone who claimed she hated surprises, she was great at being spontaneous.
“Ten minutes!” Gavin called to us.
“Okay,” Kayla called back, unmoving from her position.
Using my finger to smudge the charcoal over her plump shiny lips, I finished the rough sketch and smiled. Even though I didn’t have time to make it flawless, it was the best thing I’d ever drawn.
Flipping to the next page, I quickly scribbled out my unofficial vows meant just for her ears.
I frequently left random notes for her around our apartment, or sometimes I hid them in one of her textbooks for her to find later.
She kept every single one, along with the ones I’d written in high school. Tucked away in a special box, she stored them like they were sacred. And sometimes I’d catch her reading them, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.
I wanted to keep giving that to her throughout our lives, so I tore the paper out of the sketchbook and stood up. “All done.”
Making grabby hands at me, she came over to study the drawing. “It’s amazing. I’m definitely framing this one.”
“And I’ll let you keep this letter after I read it to you.”
Her expression turned sober as her gaze fell to the scrap clutched in my fingers. “But I thought we weren’t doing personalized vows. I didn’t write anything for you.”
“How about you show me later? Actions speak louder than words, you know,” I teased.
“Oh, I’ll show you later.” She nodded enthusiastically, and I laughed.
But my amusement faded as I began to read.
“Kayla, when I look back on the best times in my past, I see you. I see you, small but mighty in that desk on the first day you came to Heyworth. I see you, standing up for me, helping me when I was knocked down, accepting me for who I am. I see you, loving me when I thought no one would. Instead of focusing on what you saw on the outside, you’ve always managed to notice my heart. And by some miracle, your soul recognized mine as its other half.” I sucked in a breath to control my emotions. “You turned a damaged boy into an invincible man. When I think of the best times ahead, I picture you at my side. I don’t know what the future holds—”
A sniffle drew my attention away from the page, and I glanced down to see Kayla tearing up. Luckily, I was prepared. Pulling out the handkerchief she’d given me once upon a time, I passed it to her. She dabbed at her eyes before I continued.
“—But I can promise you one thing. You are, and will always be, my favorite thing about life.”
Fanning her splotchy face, a laugh bubbled out of her lips. “Oh, yeah. I’m definitely going to show you how I feel later.”
“Are you ready to be mine forever?” Grinning, I held out my hand.
My smile grew wider when she took it and whispered, “Always.”
THE END