When we least expect it, love has a way of giving us a fairy tale.

I was devastated after my first marriage ended in a nasty divorce—nasty being a nice way of saying that my husband and the father of my children, turned out to be a lying, cheating jerk. I couldn’t fathom trusting anyone again, and I certainly never thought I would ever get remarried, but then Colton Michaels had me seeing things differently.

I’d been working for him for several years, and while he was perceived to be cold and heartless, I saw a different side to him. Not only was he devastatingly handsome, powerful, and charismatic, he was also loyal to a fault. Colton Michaels was like no other man I’d ever met, and I found myself falling for him long before he even knew I existed. In my heart, I knew he was someone I could truly trust, and when he made a promise to me, I knew he would do everything in his power to keep it. After a simple twist of fate, and a proposal I couldn’t refuse, I found myself preparing to walk down the aisle.

“Bee, where are your shoes?” I asked as I hurried around our apartment. “We need to go!”

“I don’t know,” she called from the living room. I don’t even know why I bothered asking. At six years old, she gave the same answer every time I asked her where anything was. “I haven’t seen them.”

“They’re on the table, Momma,” Ian answered.

I rushed into the kitchen, grabbed her shoes, and placed them in the bag. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

He smiled and then went back to playing his game. As twins, my children couldn’t have been more different. Beatrice was a free-spirit, who lived life by the seat of her pants, while her brother was all about structure and needed a plan for everything.

When I walked back into the living room, he asked, “Did you pack my toothbrush?”

“Yes, sweetheart, and I have your iPad and headphones, too. So, you’re all set.” Feeling confident that nothing was left behind, I grabbed my purse and keys, then announced, “It’s time to go. Turn off the TV and get in the car.”

Once I had them all buckled up and our bags thrown in the trunk, I hopped in driver’s seat, started the car, and headed over to Colton’s. Until that moment, I hadn’t had time to be nervous. Thankfully, I’d been too distracted with packing and getting the kids ready, but as we got closer to Colton’s house, I started to feel more and more anxious. He’d hired a wedding planner, who’d taken care of every detail, right down to the wedding cake, so I had no idea what to expect when we pulled up in the driveway. Needless to say, it was simply amazing.

His home overlooked the Chattanooga River with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the views were out of this world. The florist had every tabletop, archway, and staircase covered in the most spectacular wildflowers I’d ever seen. With white lights twinkling in the trees, along with the romantic glow of the candles, the grounds looked like something out of a fairytale. I was completely mesmerized by it all, unfortunately, I didn’t have time to really enjoy the view. As usual, I was running late—very late, so with the twins in tow, I rushed upstairs to get dressed. By the time I’d gotten the kids ready, people were already starting to trickle in. Knowing I needed to hurry, I quickly fixed my hair and put on my dress. Just as I finished attaching my veil, I heard a tap on the door.

“Langley?” my mother called.

“Come on in, Mom,” I answered, glancing at myself in the mirror as I prepared for her to see me in my dress for the first time. The door crept open, and a proud smile spread across her face as soon as she saw me. I did a quick spin and asked, “Well, what do you think?”

“Oh, Langley. That dress! Sweetheart, you look absolutely gorgeous,” she cried as she rushed over and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “It’s perfect.”

“You really think so?”

“Absolutely, and this house ...” her voice trembled with excitement, “it’s so big, and that view! I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s just beautiful.”

“I know. It’s really something.”

“It’s such a beautiful day for a wedding, and the weather couldn’t be better.” After a quick glance around the room, she asked, “Where are the kids?”

“Oh, they’re down in the kitchen with Kaleigh.” I adored my children, and they were the joy of my life, but sometimes they could be a real handful. They’d literally spent a half hour chasing each other in circles, and the sounds of their little feet pounding on the floor were making me a nervous wreck. My sister, bless her sweet heart, could see that I desperately needed a break, so she offered to take them to get something to eat. “They were getting a little restless, so she’s fixing them a snack.”

“Well, I can’t wait to see them, especially our little Bee in her flower girl dress. Is she excited?”

“She’s more than excited. She’s been bouncing off the walls for the past hour.” I reached for my bouquet of flowers and started for the door. “I guess we better go find them. It’s almost time to start.”

“Wait. I have something I want to give you.”

When I spotted the little black box in her hand, I shook my head and said, “Mom, no. This isn’t my first go at this, and—”

“I know perfectly well that this is your second marriage, Langley, but we both know you would’ve never married Richard if you hadn’t been pregnant with the twins. You tried your best to make it work, but … none of that matters now.” She opened the box and took out a necklace with a small, blue topaz stone surrounded by diamonds. As she carefully clasped it around my neck, she said, “I know in my heart that this time is going to be different.”

“It’s really beautiful, Mom. Thank you.” Swallowing back my tears, I gave her another hug. “I love you so much.”

“And I love you, sweetheart. Now, let’s go get your sister and those kids. There’s quite a crowd out there.”

I’d thought we’d agreed to a small ceremony, so I was surprised by her comment. “What do you mean crowd?”

“There’s at least two hundred and fifty people out there, dear. Didn’t you know?”

“Yes. Of course, I knew. It’s just my nerves talking.” I lied. “Come on. We don’t want to keep them waiting.”

Once everyone was in place, I was finally able to take a moment to look around. While I was worried it might rain, Colton and I had agreed to have the service outside, overlooking the water. He’d assured me that the weather would be perfect, and it turned out that he was right. In fact, he’d been right about everything; from the location to the color of the roses, everything was perfect. As I started walking towards the altar, the sunset cast an orange and pink glow across the horizon, making Colton look practically divine. When he noticed me walking down the aisle, his tense posture softened, and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest when his mouth curled into an adorable smile. He took my hand in his and gave it a light squeeze as he led me up to the preacher. In front of all of our friends and family members, we exchanged our vows, making promises of love and faithfulness for a lifetime. When I looked into his eyes, I wanted to believe all those words he’d said. I wanted to believe that he would always love and cherish me, but deep in my heart, I knew that was one promise he wouldn’t be able to keep.

As soon as the preacher announced us as husband and wife, my eyes dropped to Colton’s mouth. I’d thought about this moment since the day he proposed, and the anticipation was almost too much to bear. My pulse started to race as he leaned towards me, and when he finally pressed his lips against mine, I nearly lost my breath. I expected the kiss to be quick, especially with everyone watching, but as soon as his mouth met mine, we both got lost in the moment. Not wanting it to end, we held on to each other for several moments before Colton finally released me from our embrace. He led me back up the aisle, and everyone congratulated us as we made our way to the reception. All of our guests gathered under the large white tent to watch us cut the cake and make our toasts, and as soon as the band started to play, Colton was called away on an important phone call.

I was standing alone when Bee came running over to me with a bright smile. She brushed her hair out of her face and asked, “Is it over? Are you married now?”

I had braided her curly, brown hair with pink ribbons and baby’s breath, and while it looked beautiful during the ceremony, at that moment, it looked like she’d been through a wind tunnel. “Yes, sweetie. I’m married now.”

“And we’re gonna live here?”

“You know we’ve talked about all this, Beatrice. You’ve even seen your new room.”

“Can I go there now?” she asked excitedly.

“After the party, you can. There are lots of people here who’d like to see you, sweetie, but once they’re gone, you can play in your room all you want.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Daddy’s here,” she announced as she pointed her finger towards the back of the tent. “He’s wit’ Jody.”

“Oh … Well, that’s nice,” I told her with a forced smile. I glanced over my shoulder, and my stomach turned when I spotted him sitting at one of the back tables with his beautiful, new wife. The last thing I wanted was to see my ex-husband and his bride, especially on my wedding day, so I quickly turned away. “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s sittin’ wit’ Grandmamma and Pop-pop.”

“And Aunt Kaleigh?”

“I’m right here.” I turned around and found her standing behind me with a mischievous smile. “You never mentioned that your guy had so many hot friends.”

My sister was young and gorgeous, and I had no doubt that she’d been ogled by each and every one of them. “Leave it to you to notice.”

“You would’ve too if you weren’t so infatuated with the groom,” she teased.

“What’s infat-u-tated mean, Momma?”

I looked down at my daughter and smiled when I saw the puzzled look on her face. “It means that I am ready for some cake. How about you?”

“Yes!” She clapped her hands enthusiastically. “I want a big piece.”

“You got it.”

We made our way through the crowd, and after I got each of us a slice, we headed over to sit at the table with my parents. I sat down next to Ian and wasn’t surprised to see that his face was already covered with frosting. “Hey there, handsome. How was the cake?”

“It was awesome. Can I have some more?”

He looked at me with those big, brown eyes, making it impossible to say no. Just as I was about to answer, Colton came up behind us and asked, “Did you save some cake for the groom?”

I’d always thought that Colton was handsome, but the sight of him in that tuxedo made me absolutely swoon. Ian looked up at him with a lopsided grin and said, “Mine’s all gone.”

I looked over to him and smiled. “Apparently, it’s pretty good. I was just about to get him another piece.”

“I’ll get it for him, and when I get back, how about a dance?”

“I’d like that.”

“Good.” He turned to leave and said, “I’ll be right back.”

When he returned, he took my hand in his and led me out to the dance floor. All eyes were on us as he wrapped his muscular arm around my waist, and we started to sway to the rhythm of the music. The scent of his cologne and the warmth of his touch seduced my senses, making me feel like we were the only two people in the room. Even after all this time, butterflies still fluttered in my stomach whenever he was close.

When I first started working for him, I thought it was just my nerves playing tricks on me. Colton was the managing partner at Michaels & Gray Law Associates, and he controlled everything that took place in and out of the office. I was his legal assistant, and I was determined to make a name for myself. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it easy for me. With his broad, muscular build and fierce facial expressions, it was hard not to find him intimidating. For the first few months, I never even saw him smile. He’d made it clear to everyone that he was all work and no play, making him one of the most sought-after lawyers in the city. It took almost six months for Colton to call me by my first name, and another six months for him to actually look me in the eye when he spoke. But things changed for us when a tragedy nearly destroyed everything in his life. Over the years, we’d become closer and had somewhat of an unspoken understanding. Together, we got him back on his feet.

Looking at him now while I’m wrapped in his arms and dancing at our wedding, I saw a side to Colton Michaels that I’d always known was there. I’d felt it in my heart every time I was near him. I saw the man who gave me hope—a man who’d kept his word to me, and I would be forever indebted to him for that. I eased closer, relishing in the feeling of his body pressed against mine and rested my head against his shoulder. Just being close to him made me feel safe and protected, and as he held me in his arms, I found myself believing that fairy tales might just come true.

But then the party was over. Our friends and family members slowly dispersed, and the cleaning crew started putting everything away, leaving no sign that our wedding had even taken place. After I put the kids to bed, I walked into the living room and found Colton sitting alone by the fire. Without looking at me, he announced, “I have an early appointment in the morning.”

Trying my best to keep my voice from trembling, I answered, “Okay.”

I silently cursed myself for being upset. I knew as soon as the wedding was over it would be back to business as usual, and it wasn’t fair to either of us for me to expect something more—especially since the only reason we got married was to keep me from losing my kids. The whole marriage thing was Colton’s idea. I’d gone to him for help when Richard suddenly decided that I was an unfit parent. He filed a motion to terminate our joint custody arrangement, stating that I was negligent and hadn’t provided the children with a stable home environment. The thought of losing my kids terrified me, so I went to Colton for advice. He swore that he would do everything in his power to help me. If it had been anyone else making that promise, I probably wouldn’t have been so quick to believe them. I would’ve spent the next few weeks worrying myself sick, but I knew in my heart that he would keep his word. I just had no idea how far he would actually go to keep that promise.

I looked over to him and my chest tightened as I thought about everything he’d done, and it was hard not to feel emotional. Trying my best to collect myself, I cleared my throat and asked, “Is there anything you need me to do?”

“No. I’ve got it covered.”

“Alright.” I stood there staring at him for a moment, then said, “Colton?”

He glanced up as he answered, “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

With a blank expression, he replied, “Get some sleep, Langley. It’s been a long day.