It was a beautiful spring day. A soft breeze ruffled Ally’s hair, and set the wild grasses rustling in the wildflower-strewn Crook Island undergrowth. The sun was warm on her face as she tilted it up to Jace.

They were holding hands. Standing on the soft sand of the little beach looking out over the lake to The Eye on the far shoreline. Bang Bang, tied up to the jetty, bobbed in the swells. Theirs was a tiny group of five. Rory stood by Ben a little distance away.

“Here she comes.”

Cher, clutching a bouquet of wildflowers, walked onto the beach. She had no bridesmaids in attendance; she’d been adamant that this time around she didn’t want them. Her gaze was firmly on the man who stood before the minister watching her approach.

Emotion welled up in Ally’s chest, and she gripped Jace’s hand tighter. A year ago, she never would have believed that a couple’s love would have the power to transcend so thoroughly. That time could heal all wounds. But the evidence was right there in front of her. Ben and Cher were the living proof.

“Look at Rory,” Jace whispered.

She turned to look at the boy who had become such an integral part of her new family.

Jace had been Ben’s best man, first time around, and Ben had chosen Rory to be his best man today. He looked great in the suit they’d traveled to Portland to buy last week—just as handsome as his father, and the concentration on his face showed how seriously he took this new role.

The couple stood facing each other, smiles on their faces.

The words they spoke, the vows they gave to each other, were simple, personal, and heartfelt. The new rings replaced their old ones, just as this new commitment replaced the previous one.

One night, months ago, Cher confided that Ben had proposed on this very beach, not once, but twice. It was a special place for them; coming back here today filled the ceremony with meaning.

When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Ally wiped away a tear, then she and Jace walked forward to congratulate their friends.

It would be a tight squeeze on the sail to The Eye for the reception. Ally and Jace let the others walk ahead.

“Do you think we can sneak away during the reception?” Jace murmured, close to her ear.

She felt her mouth stretch in a wide smile. “Behave. You almost made us late as it is.”

It wasn’t exactly his fault—he’d come into their private bathroom while she was showering, looking for his watch. The water streaming over her body, and the sight of him, so handsome in his formal suit, had set her alight, just as it always did.

She’d poured lemon scented shower gel into her palm. Smoothed it over her bare breasts. Damn well aware of the effect she was having as he stopped and stared. Watching her hand move over her stomach. To the juncture of her thighs.

She’d seen the exact moment he made the decision to join her.

It was when she arched her back, tilted her head up to the showering spray, and sighed.

“Fuck it.” He draped his tie over the towel rack. Unbuttoned his shirt, keeping his gaze glued to her the whole time. Kicked off his shoes, and stripped off his socks. Then shed the rest of his clothes, taking care to put them on the chair, rather than throwing them to the floor, as he normally would.

“Hey.” Jace’s voice jerked her back from memories of that morning to the present. “You’ve got that look again.” His mouth curved into a grin.

“That look?”

“That look.” Jace nuzzled her ear. “The remembering-sex look.”

“Maybe I was just thinking of all the things we still have to do for our wedding.” In two weeks they’d be having their own special celebration. “I’m thinking we should have chosen a low-key affair, like this one.” She’d been so busy at her new job, working as a private investigator for an insurance company in Portland, she barely had enough time to make all the preparations. Rory was reprising his role as best man. Kenna, Belle, and Ally’s niece Megan were bridesmaids, and all their relatives and friends would be there.

Jace shook his head. “Marrying you has been a long time coming. We’re having the party to end all parties. The ultimate wedding blowout. I can’t think of anything better.”

She could. The suspicion that had been confirmed before they left for Ben and Cher’s wedding ceremony this morning. Not wanting to overshadow their day, she hadn’t shared it with Jace yet. But later, when the reception was over, when they were alone at home, she’d tell him their family was due to expand—that in eight months he’d be a father again.

Heart full, she pressed a silent kiss to his lips.

“Are you coming?” Ben called from Bang Bang. “We have a reception to go to!”