Page 41 of The Pilot

“Yes, Linc. I’d like that a lot.”

“Good. Me too. Come on. Let’s go see what chaos awaits us inside.”

He caressed her arm one last time before turning to get out of the car. In a daze, Harper did the same, and while he didn’t take her hand when they met up at the front of his car, he did walk a little closer to her than usual.

Moving back to Maine hadn’t been anything like she’d thought it would be when she’d made the decision. Living with her dad hadn’t worked out, but somehow she’d been accepted as part of the Young family, something she never would’ve guessed could happen in a million years. Kash was thriving, even with the bullying situation, and Harper knew it was all because of Linc. And if someone had told her twenty years ago that she’d be dating the boy she’d tormented relentlessly, she would’ve laughed in their face.

And yet, here she was.

Life was funny. It moved in twists and turns, and you just had to keep moving forward, hoping for the best when it gave you its worst. Harper could only hope and pray that she’d already experienced the worst life had in store for her, because she didn’t think she’d survive being given a glimpse of heaven and having it snatched away again.

She didn’t deserve Linc, but she damn well sure was going to try. Was going to do her best to be a better person than she had been in the past.

As they neared the front door, they could hear laughter inside.

“Ready?” Linc asked with a small grin.

“Ready,” Harper agreed.

He lifted a hand and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear in a tender, intimate gesture, before reaching for the door handle.

“Do you, Britt Starkweather, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and hold. In sickness and health. For richer or poorer. And when he’s being so annoying, all you want to do is throw him out the window?”

Everyone chuckled at Knox’s question. Harper had been surprised to learn he was officiating his brother’s wedding ceremony, but he was perfect for the role. Both poignant and funny at the same time.

Everyone was standing on the back deck. The sun wasn’t shining, and it was kind of a bleary December day on the coast, but no one noticed the weather. Everyone’s attention was on Britt and Chad. She had a baby bump that could clearly be seen under her white wedding dress. It was a simple long-sleeve sheath that flowed gracefully over her hips, reaching the deck.

Harper knew she was wearing white sneakers under her dress. Sneakers that had been covered with hundreds of sequins, so they sparkled like diamonds. She was carrying a handkerchief that Evelyn had carried at her own wedding, decades ago, and there was a picture of Austin Young on the table nearby.

There weren’t many decorations, no gaudy balloons or streamers. There was one bouquet of flowers that, surprisingly, Victor had brought over when he’d arrived ten minutes ago. They were a touch wilted and weren’t in a fancy vase. In fact, they were still wrapped in the paper from the grocery store where he’d bought them.

But the fact that he’d gone out of his way to bring something wasn’t lost on anyone in attendance. He was trying to be more neighborly, and that was what mattered.

Kash was bouncing from foot to foot as he watched intently, completely focused on the couple in front of them. Evelyn was standing between Zach and Marit, an arm around each of theirs, smiling from ear to ear.

And Harper was standing so close to Linc, she could feel his body heat. Which was good because she needed it. The short-sleeve dress wasn’t warm in the least, and standing outside was quickly making her chilled.

“Yes.”

Britt’s answer was short and sweet, and all her attention was on her soon-to-be husband. They were holding hands as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“Do you, Chad Young, take this beautiful, amazing, too-good-for-you woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and hold. For richer and poorer, in sickness and health. And promise to get up in the middle of the night when your kid is puking his guts out so she doesn’t have to?”

Everyone laughed again.

“Absolutely,” Chad said with a firm nod.

“I understand you have your own vows you want to share? As if mine weren’t good enough?” Knox quipped.

Harper loved this. Loved how everyone was having a good time. How the ceremony wasn’t formal and fussy. She even saw a half smile on her dad’s face, which was something she’d always remember.

Britt released one of Chad’s hands to reach into the neckline of her dress and pull out a piece of paper.

“What else do you have in there?” Chad asked, as he leaned forward and peered down her dress. Britt smacked his head with the folded paper and put a hand over her chest.

Laughter rang out again, as she unfolded the paper and cleared her throat.

“I promise to always respect and admire you, Chad, and to appreciate you for who you are, as well as the person you want to become in the future. I promise that your dreams will be my dreams, and that I will do everything in my power to make them a reality for us both. I promise to encourage you and hopefully inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you when needed. I promise to nurture the love between us in good times and bad, when life is simple and when it’s not, when loving you is easy, and when it takes a whole lot of effort.”