Page 321 of When a Soul Cries

My daughter looked completely at home in his arms.

Roman glanced down at her for a second.

Then he looked up.

At me.

I watched the exact moment he saw me.

His entire face changed.

The confident man who always seemed to know what to say suddenly looked stunned. His lips parted slightly, and for several seconds he didn't move at all.

Then his eyes filled.

Roman Devereaux started crying.

“I know that's right, son!” Sugga burst out from behind him, loud enough to make everybody laugh. “You better cry for your bride! Hell, look at her. She look good as hell in that dress!”

“Ma,” Kai groaned, although he was laughing too.

“What?” Sugga shot back, wiping beneath her own eyes. “I'm just saying. If he wasn't crying, I was gonna be concerned.”

A shaky laugh slipped out of me, but it didn't last long. Because when I looked back at Roman, he was still staring at me.

Like Sugga hadn't said a word.

Like Kai wasn't laughing beside her.

Like there wasn't a pastor standing beneath the arch or anybody else in that backyard at all.

His eyes stayed locked on mine, and another tear slipped down his cheek. He didn't wipe it away. He didn't look embarrassed or try to hide it.

And seeing him like that did something to me.

This man was always so controlled. So sure of himself. So damn stubborn about keeping everything together. But right then, standing underneath that flower-covered arch with my daughter in his arms, Roman wasn't trying to hold anything back.

He was crying because he saw **me**.

His bride.

My own vision blurred as the tears came harder.

“Oh God,” I whispered, pressing my lips together as my chest tightened.

Zari squeezed my hand beside me. “Don't you start running now.”

I laughed through my tears, never taking my eyes off Roman. “I'm not.”

“Good, because these shoes ain't made for chasing your ass.”

That pulled another laugh out of me, even as I wiped carefully beneath my eyes.

But when I looked at Roman again, my heart was still somewhere in my throat.

Then I noticed Sugga wiping beneath both eyes.

Kai stood beside her, jaw tight as he stared toward us. He looked suspiciously emotional too.