"Claire—" I start, but she shakes her head.
"I'm not finished. Tom Harris, you are the best man I've ever known. You're an incredible father to Jackson, and you're going to be an incredible father to our daughter. And I promise you… I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret the day you stopped to help a woman with too many bags."
There's not a dry eye in the yard. Murphy's crying. Sarah's crying. I'm pretty sure Beast is crying, though he'd deny it if asked.
I clear my throat, trying to pull myself together. "I didn't write anything down because I'm not good with words. But I need you to know—" I pause, making sure she's really hearing this. "Finding you and Jackson was the best thing that ever happened to me. This house was just a building before you moved in. This town was just a job. Everything was just... going through the motions."
Claire's tears spill over, but she's smiling.
"You made it real," I continue. "You and Jackson made everything real. Made me remember what I was fighting for all those years in the military. Made me understand why I became a sheriff in the first place. Because protecting you, both of you, and our daughter, that's not a duty. It's a privilege."
I brush away the tears on her cheeks with my thumbs.
"I love you, Claire Donovan. Soon-to-be Claire Harris. I love Jackson like he's my own blood. I love the life we're building. And I promise I will spend every day making sure you feel safe and loved and valued. That's my vow."
The judge clears his throat, clearly moved. "Well. I think we can skip the traditional vows. Do you, Tom Harris, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"And do you, Claire Donovan, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do." No hesitation. Just certainty.
"By the power vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."
I pull Claire close and kiss her while the entire town erupts in applause and cheers. Jackson whoops loudly, and somewhere in the crowd, Beast whistles.
When we break apart, Claire is laughing and crying at the same time. "We did it."
"Yeah," I say. "We did."
The reception is chaos in the best way. Levi's food is incredible, nobody's surprised. Casey gets Jackson talking about dinosaurs and listens like it's the most interesting thing he's heard all year. Maya fusses over Claire, making sure she's eating enough, that she's comfortable, that she has everything she needs.
Jade corners me at one point and asks if we need any graphic design work done. "Wedding announcements, maybe? Something for the baby?"
"I'll ask Claire," I promise.
Claire's mother finds me as the sun starts to set and the lights in the oak tree begin to glow.
"Tom." She takes my hands. "Thank you. For loving my daughter. For giving her the life she deserves."
"She did the hard part," I say. "She's the one who got herself and Jackson out. I just gave them a place to land."
"You gave them more than that." She squeezes my hands. "You gave them a home. A family. A future. That's everything."
Claire appears at my elbow, and her mother pulls her into a hug that lasts a long time. When they separate, both of them are crying again.
"Enough tears," Claire's father announces, appearing with champagne glasses. "This is supposed to be a happy day."
"These are happy tears," her mother protests.
We toast, sparkling cider for Claire, and I look around at this ridiculous, wonderful scene. My backyard full of people I've come to care about. A seven-year-old showing Rex to anyone who'll look. A wife who's carrying our daughter. A future that's bright and messy and full of noise.
This. This is what I was missing all those years.
Later, after most of the crowd has gone home and Jackson is asleep in his room, Claire and I stand in the yard under the lights, swaying to music only we can hear.
"Happy?" I ask.
