“Cece…” I held her hands in mine, as I drew a deep breath. I didn’t get nervous singing in front of sixty thousand people, but this day wasn’t about critics’ reviews. It was about starting my life with the person who’d become the centre of my world and I was nervous as hell about screwing up.
“You blew into my life like a hurricane.” We shared a smile. “Stirring everything up in your wake. By the time the dust settled, I realized I was becoming a different man… because of you. When I started to doubt myself, you were right there to speak faith into me, to make me believe that we really could do this crazy thing, make a name for ourselves in a business as cutthroat as music.”
She smiled, nodding slightly to let me know she was still right there, believing in me.
“It wasn’t a smooth ride to get where we are today. There have been plenty of potholes and detours, but the one constant I could always count on was having you right there riding shotgun.” It took everything in me not to kiss her when she licked her lips. “You started out as my background singer. Then you became my best friend. Now? You’re my life partner… and my everything. We’re probably going to navigate more potholes and detours, but I’m not worried about that ‘cause I’ve got you right there beside me… where you belong.”
A tear snaked down her cheek and she gave me a rueful smile to let me know she’d tried hard not to let it loose.
Reed invited Cece to share her vows and she took a deep breath, squeezing my hands before she asked, “What can I say to the man who gave me a new lease on life? I was a scared kid living in a new town, praying I’d find someone who believed in me. That someone was you.” Our eyes locked and it was one of those moments where we exchanged love without words.
“At the time all we had were prayers and promises, but we kept at it, and one grueling day at a time, we made all our dreams come true.” She bowed her head and when she looked up again the tears were flowing. “It took me a long time before I looked at you and saw forever in your eyes. But today, it’s hard to remember not looking in your eyes and seeing that. I see my future when I look at you. I see our babies. I see rocking chairs on our old front porch and I see myself…” She smiled and I knew she was adlibbing now. “Still riding shotgun.”
I heard soft murmurs, sniffles and throats clearing before Reed told us to exchange rings and invited me to kiss my bride.
About damn time.
I wrapped her beautiful face in my hands and kissed her tenderly as flashbulbs went off around us. The paparazzi weren’t allowed to crash this party. This day was just for us.
Everyone wanted a piece of us as we made our way through the crowd, but this wasn’t the kind of crowd I was used to navigating. All of these people genuinely knew and loved us. They wanted to congratulate us and whisper words of encouragement, but that would have to wait because our photographer was whisking us away, along with our best man and maid of honor, for pictures under Cece’s favorite old oak tree.
The photographer wanted pictures of the sisters first, so that gave Dade and I a minute to catch up.
“Congratulations, man,” he said, offering his hand. “I couldn’t be happier for you two. Cece’s the best. Seriously. You’re a lucky man.”
“I know it.” I wish my friend could have found what I had, a woman who loved me for me, not because of all of the zeroes on my bank balance. “Thanks for doin’ this for me, Dade. I know weddings aren’t really your thing…” Anymore.
“It was an honour.”
His gaze was honed in on Charli and I had to ask, “Brook tells us you still haven’t hired an assistant. Why is that?”
He shrugged. “You know how it is when you make a few too many mistakes, buddy. You can’t trust yourself to make good decisions no more. Seems I’m stuck in this, I don’t know, limbo. I know hirin’ an assistant isn’t the same as choosing a life partner, but…”
“You’re having a hard time makin’ the right call. I get that.” I’d had the same assistant for four years and she was a godsend. She hadn’t been able to travel with us on the last tour because she was on mat leave with her beautiful baby girl, but she’d still been a lifeline for us on the road. “I feel for ya,” I said, squeezing his shoulder. “But you know I can’t lend you Caitlyn.”
He chuckled. “No, assistants like that little lady are worth their weight in gold.”
“Charli could be too,” I said, smiling at my sister-in-law. “You still think about givin’ her a shot?”
He turned his back on the girls before he said through clenched teeth, “Only every damn day, Knox. That’s the problem. She’s… inside my head. Which means hirin’ her could be—”
“A disaster.” I understood where he was coming from. The press was still all over him about his failed relationships and our friends in the music biz weren’t much kinder. “Or it could be the best decision you ever made.”
“Are you crazy?” he hissed. “Guys in our position can’t sleep with women who work for us.”
“Really?” I grinned. “Glad I didn’t get that memo.” I held up the gold band circling my finger. “If I did, I wouldn’t be wearing this.” I thought about it for half a second before I said, “Nah, that’s bullshit. It would have taken more than the threat of a lawsuit to keep me away from Cece.”
Dade narrowed his eyes. “Are you sayin’ you think I need to grow a pair, and forget about the consequences?”
“I can’t tell you what to do, man.” I slapped him on the back. “But grow a pair… sounds like damn good advice to me.”
* * *
It was our first dance as husband and wife, but I was already thinking about how long before I could take my beautiful bride back to the hotel. Our private jet was taking us to Maui in the morning and I couldn’t wait. Ten days of nothingness… just me and her in a private villa with a sandy beach. I’d tried to dissuade her from packing clothes, but she laughed and told me I was crazy. She wouldn’t think so when she returned home with all of those clothes neatly folded and unworn.
“We’re so lucky,” she whispered, brushing her lips across mine. “I wish our friends could say the same.”
I knew what she meant. Dade’s smile was strained as he dodged questions about his latest ex. Charli’s well-meaning family was demanding to know why she’d come to the wedding without a date and Brooklyn and Reed kept stealing glances at each other when they thought no one was looking. What a mess.
