She turned to me. “He thinks I didn’t see the other one he ate when he was at the dessert table.”
He scowled at her, then smiled and kissed her on the cheek. I laughed, because even I could see the amount of love between them.
“You’ve got a great family,” Mr. Gianetti said as he and his wife walked away. “You ought to be proud.”
And I was.
When I glanced at my watch, I was surprised—but happy—to see how much time had passed. It was already after six, and I had been able to keep myself calm by focusing on other things. Like watching my family and Charlie’s mingle. His mother had mine in one corner of the room. They both had their phones out and were makingawwfaces, so I guessed they were sharing pictures. Charlie had danced with everyone at least once—including Clay, at Trish’s urging—and they’d been laughing when they left the dance floor, hand in hand. Clay had even given Charlie a hug before he grabbed Trish up in his arms and carried her out so they could share a dance.
As I watched them, seeing the love that was almost palpable between them, Teresa swooped in. “Congratulations. You’ve got yourself a good man.”
“Don’t I know it,” I told her, watching as Mrs. Gianetti loaded up a plate for Charlie, whose eyes went wide at the amount of food she was giving him.
“I have to tell you, I have never seen this side of Charlie before. I thought he and Mitch were in love, but seeing him with you? That dreamy expression he gets whenever he looks at you?” She shrugged. “He never once had that with Mitch. But Charlie is ever the gentleman. I didn’t know that Mitch had cheated on him. Charlie said they agreed to some mutual time away. I just assumed they’d get back together. This Charlie? The one you married today? He’s a way better man.”
“Thank you,” I said, my throat a little dry. “He makes me better too.”
“You’ll be good to him, right?” she asked, then bit her lip.
“Of course. I—”
Her parents came walking up to us. “Ignore Teresa. She likes to think of Charlie asherbaby. Welcome to the family, Matt,” Gail said, giving me another hug.
The whole lot of them seemed to be huggers, and it was something I would need to get used to.
“The ceremony was beautiful. I like the judge.”
“Yeah, I thought he hated me when I was a kid. Live and learn, I guess.”
“You look like a man who could use some saving,” Charlie said as he strode over to us. He held out his hand. “Can I have this dance?”
“If you don’t mind risking broken toes, yes.”
He led me out onto the dance floor and took me in his arms. “This night? It’s pure magic,” he said. “I’ve pinched myself at least a dozen times to prove I’m not dreaming.”
I wouldn’t tell him I’d done the same.
As the evening wore down, Charlie and I went out, enjoying the nip in the air. The sky was a tapestry of stars against a black backdrop. The moon hung pendulously overhead, so big and bright you would think you could actually reach out and pluck it from the sky.
“Well, Mr. Bowers, how do you think it went?”
I turned and gazed into his eyes. “I think the phrase you used said it best. Pure magic. A year ago, if you had said I would be standing up in front of a group of people, saying I would gladly take someone’s hand in marriage, I would have scoffed and then said you were wrong. Now? I swear I can’t remember a time when you weren’t a part of my life. It’s like everything else is the dream, and now reality starts from here.”
He bent down and kissed me again. That light-headed, dizzy feeling I got when he did? I hoped never to lose it.
“You know, if I hadn’t gotten home that night, I would have married Mitch. I would have played at being happy, but I wouldn’t have been. And knowing he was cheating while we were together? Makes me wonder if he would have stopped if we had gone ahead with a wedding.”
“I don’t know the answer to that. But his loss? It’s my gain.”
“You always know the nicest things to say,” he said, kissing my neck.
“Well, when you have a writer in the family, you tend to pick up a few things.”
He laughed, and his breath fogged the air.
“I’m getting cold,” I told him. “Can we go home so you can warm me up?”
“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard today.”
