Page 166 of I Choose You

“I am standing still.”

Pamela sniffed and wiped her eyes as she stepped back. “Oh. If your mother could see this.”

I pulled her into a side hug. She’d been with Wagner Industries since the beginning, and she’d been more a member of the family than an employee.

She urged me and Kody to stand side by side, crying softly. “I guess I know she’s looking down on you two fine men.”

“Fine men?” I wagged my finger between me and my brother. “Both of us?”

She smiled and rolled her eyes, dabbing beneath them.

“Hey.” Kody pretended to punch me as he released me from a side hug.

“None of that now,” Dad said as he came toward us. “No horsing around before the ceremony.”

“But after is fine?” Kody checked.

Dad rolled his eyes but he could tell my twin was teasing. “Stand back like that.”

We put our arms around each other again and smiled as he took a picture with his phone.

“I know I won’t remember to take a picture through it all.”

“That’s why Mercedes hired the photographer,” Kody said.

I raised my brows, surprised he’d known a part of all the behind-the-scenes work she’d put into this day for her mom and our dad.

“And a videographer,” I added.

“I know.” Dad shrugged. He looked dapper, fit and trimmed, ready to go in his tux. He risked rumpling it up though as he came between us and slung his arm around both of our shoulders. “Before the day and night get away from us, I wanted to take a moment to tell you something. I forgot to mention it this morning. That was more the father-to-son bit I wanted to share.”

Kody and I shared a glance.

“And what’s this then?”

“A boss-to-employee thing.” He grinned. “Margaux and I were thinking. We’d like to extend our honeymoon.”

I laughed. “It hasn’t even started yet!”

He chuckled. “But it’s almost here, and we’d like more than the stay in the Maldives. I’m going to leave the company in your hands.” He looked at me, then Kody. “Consider it a trial run for how you’ll deal with my retirement.”

Kody grinned at me.

Holy shit.

“Are you sure?” I blurted. “I mean, when you told us you were getting married, you said you had no plans to retire anytime soon.”

Dad shrugged, letting us go. “I changed my mind. As this day came closer and closer, I realized how lucky I’ve been to have found Margaux. I want to spend my days with my new bride. Not stuck in the office.”

Kody patted his back. “You are one lucky bastard,” he said playfully as he slugged his arm around me, pretending to put me in a chokehold. “Don’t worry.” He slapped his hand to my chest. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Pamela rolled her eyes.

Dad smirked. “Right. I said a trial.”

I shrugged out of Kody’s hold, shaking my head. He was goofy and happy—his usual self. It seemed he felt lighter after the burden of our fight no longer stood between us.

As we filed out of the room, we headed down the hallways of Colette’s family manor.