Paisley closed her eyes, bent her knees, and tossed the bouquet over her head. There was squealing and some shuffling of feet, and she spun around. The group of single ladies separated to reveal Bianca holding the bouquet.

“You caught it!” Paisley laughed.

Bianca’s eyes were wide. “I did not try to.”

Rylie looped her arm over Bianca’s shoulders. “Too bad. You’re next to marry.”

“I am a tad busy to think of marriage,” Bianca protested.

“Aw, running a country can’t be that hard,” Rylie teased.

A warm hand touched Paisley’s lower back, and she turned to find her new husband standing next to her. She put her palm on the chest of his crisp, black suit.

“Did you see that?” she asked.

“I did.” Alex nodded. “It appears Mother will be planning another wedding soon. I am sure she is excited.”

Paisley looked across the pavilion, to where Alex’s mother and her mother engaged Bianca in a quick conversation. “My bet? They’re already planning.”

Alex laughed. “Yes. You are likely right.”

Paisley leaned into the crook of Alex’s arm, and he pulled her close. In the corner of the open structure, the band played an upbeat dance song. Alex and Paisley had already performed their first dance as man and wife, and about half the guests were on the floor getting down. The others lazed at the tables or in the sun right outside the pavilion.

Not far off, waves broke against the beach. Alex had given Paisley the trip to Hawaii he’d promised her, only they’d ended up having a wedding on the beach while they were at it.

When Alex’s parents first found out about the engagement, they were shocked but also more accepting than Paisley had expected. During her first visit to Belmonte after the proposal, Camila had actually hugged her.

And things had continued to get better since then. Angelo’s recovery was going well, and Bianca’s coronation ceremony was approaching. Two months had passed since Alex asked Paisley to marry him outside of Lauren’s building, and it seemed life could do nothing but get better.

“A dance?” Alex asked.

Paisley had no time to answer. He took her hand and spun her. Right as she landed back in front of him, they started moving. Paisley had taken classes in preparation for this day, but Alex was the real expert. His eyes never drifting from Paisley’s face, he led them across the floor as if dancing wasn’t any harder than walking.

“Ready for our honeymoon?” Alex asked.

“Are you joking? I’ve been packed for two weeks.”

Alex laughed, but Paisley shook her head. “You think I’m kidding?”

“I know you are not, and that makes me love you all the more.” Alex spun her again, and she caught a quick glimpse of her dad chatting with Alex’s Italian cousins.

The song ended, and Paisley waved her hand in front of her face. “I’m getting a drink.”

“I will get it for you.”

“No. You stay here.” She nodded over her shoulder. “Looks like Tyler is coming to talk to you. I’ll be right back.”

At the refreshment table, the server poured Paisley a glass of lemonade, and she gulped the whole thing down in one go. As she set the glass on the table, someone grabbed her shoulders.

“Boo!”

Paisley yelped and poked Lauren. “Stop. You almost made me spit lemonade everywhere.”

“And all over her new dress,” Nicole chastised. She winked. “Honestly, Lauren.”

“Where’s Silvi?” Paisley asked.

“With Aidan,” Nicole said.

Lauren twirled a scarf in her hand. “We have some business to tend to with you.”

“Huh?” Paisley stared at her. “What business?”

“You’ll see. Put this on.”

Paisley couldn’t even think of what to ask. Lauren was already blindfolding her, she and Nicole each took one of her hands.

The bare feet under Paisley’s wedding dress hit sand. “If you’re thinking of kidnapping me,” she said, “remember there are two hundred witnesses around.”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself,” Lauren said. Nicole chuckled.

Paisley’s toes touched something hard and hot, and then they were walking up an incline. “We’re going on the yacht. Why are we going on the yacht?”

No one answered. A strong floral scent hit Paisley’s nose, and she breathed in deep.

“We’re not stealing the honeymoon yacht and leaving Alex behind, are we?” Paisley asked.

Nicole laughed.

“That would be something,” Lauren said. “Here. Stand here. And—” She pulled the blindfold off.

Red. Everywhere. That was the first thing Paisley noticed.

They were roses, placed all around the yacht’s main room. Vases were on the floor and on every available flat surface. If Paisley had to guess, there were at least two hundred of them.

“Wow,” Paisley breathed.

“You like it?” Nicole asked.

“Whose idea was this?” Paisley asked.

Her friends grinned at each other. “We came up with it together,” Lauren said.

Paisley pulled them into a giant hug. “Thank you. Has Alex seen this?”

“No,” Nicole said. “We wanted him to also be surprised.”

“Except we wanted to show you on your own,” Lauren said. “Kind of a last hurrah.”

“A last hurrah?” Paisley shook her head in confusion.

“We’re all married now,” Nicole pointed out.

“It’s the end of an age,” Lauren said.

Paisley squeezed their hands. “But the start of another one.”

“Exactly,” Nicole said. Lauren nodded in agreement.

There was a noise behind Paisley, and she turned to see Alex entering the room, his eyes wide. “What is this?”

“A little gift,” Lauren said.

He chuckled. “Amazing.”

Nicole frowned. “I hope they won’t slide around if you hit rough water.”

Lauren grimaced. “Oops. We didn’t really think about that part, did we?”

Nicole walked slowly for the exit. “We’ll give you, love birds, a little bit of time.”

Lauren blew her friend a kiss, and then they were gone.

Alex came to Paisley and took her hands in his. It reminded her of when they’d stood at the altar not even two hours before and promised themselves to each other for the rest of their days.

The tears came quick.

“Are you crying?” Alex asked, running his thumb across her cheek.

“Only because I’m so happy.”

He grinned, and her heart somersaulted. She hoped his smile always had that effect on her.

“I really hope we don’t hit rough water.” She looked at the roses. They had plans to sail in the yacht with a crew of five for several weeks.

“It could happen,” Alex said. “But at least it will smell amazing in here.”

“Until they wilt.”

“You have wonderful friends.”

“I know.” Paisley lifted her face and pressed herself as close to him as possible. “I have an amazing husband too.”

Alex tilted her chin up and gave her a slow and deep kiss. When he pulled back, she was breathless.

“That comment about hoping not to hit rough water… Was that also supposed to be a metaphor for our marriage?”

She laughed. “No, but I'm sure we'll have our fair share of trying times.”

“We changed a thousand-year-old law, baby.” He grinned. “Our love can weather any storm.”

“I’m sure it can, because it’s a gift from God.” Paisley smiled at Alex as he pulled her to him in an embrace that would last the rest of their lives.