Page 132

The chairs are set up, and the tulle and flowers my mom added to the arch are elegant and simple and perfect. I stand at the top of the steps, studying it all, looking for flaws or anything I might’ve forgotten when Noble walks up and stands beside me.

“I know you’re in business mode,” he says. “But take a look down there for a second.”

I follow his gaze to the small group of people at the bottom of the stairs. Finn and Raya are mapping things out, getting a good sense of how everything is going to go, while her sisters and Monica join in. My brothers and sister stand off to the side, engaged in quiet conversation, and everyone looks so content.

“Take a second to appreciate the way your hard work is paying off,” he says. “Because you did all of this.”

“Well, I had a lot of help,” I say.

“Yeah, but without you, they’d probably be getting married in some bland hotel ballroom.”

I laugh. “That would be so wrong.”

He reaches down and slips his hand into mine. “I’m proud of you.”

I lean into him. “Thank you.”

“You deserve it.”

“I think I needed to hear it,” I say. “I want this to work so bad—it feels like . . .” I draw in a breath and let it out slowly. “Feels like I’m finally figuring out what I want to be when I grow up.”

He nods. “Well, you’re good at it.”

He leans in and kisses me—a quick one because we’re not alone.

“Okay, we need to keep moving.” I tap his arm and turn back toward the others. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying, then we’ll head back to the barn to make flower bouquets while the guys go on a trail ride!”

“Wait,” Eloise says. “Will there be moose out there? Because if yes, then I want to go with the guys.”

I laugh. “Probably not, but since you’re staying a few extra days, I think we have a place we can take you where it’s a little more likely.”

Her face brightens.

We start to walk, and I glance over at Noble, amazed and grateful that of all the paths our lives have taken, they somehow came together again.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Hattie

Friday evening, we have the rehearsal dinner in the backyard of the main house. It’s low key, laid back, and full of raucous laughter.

Cowboys and hockey players. Holbrooks and Harts.

Who knew we were peas from the same pod?

After speeches and gifts and way too much food, we all end up around a massive campfire. Inviting our new family into this tradition that’s always meant so much to all of us is as easy as huckleberry pie.

We tell Raya stories about Finn, like the time he and his buddies ran butt naked across the football field on homecoming his junior year, and Eloise countered with a story about how Raya made a whole history class fail because she caught them cheating and ratted everyone out to the teacher. West strums his guitar, and we make waffle cone S’mores, and it’s pretty much a perfect way to kick off the weekend’s festivities.

Afterwards, bellies and hearts full to overflowing, I usher our guests back to the lodge, make sure they have everything they need, give them their welcome baskets, and fall asleep feeling overwhelmed in the very best way.

I might as well be the one getting married for how nervous I am when I wake up early Saturday morning. I’m not sure how much I actually slept because in spite of the exhaustion, I’m just too darn excited. And nervous. I want it all to go perfectly.

I ticked through my to-do list as I fell asleep, and when I come downstairs and find my brothers, sister, and Noble all ready to help with the last-minute details, I start to trust that we’re going to get this done.

There are a few small issues, but mostly, it all goes exactly as planned, and the moment when Finn sees Raya at the top of the stone stairs, glowing and statuesque and beautiful beyond measure, it makes every callous, every pulled weed, every bag of pea gravel, and every cow-tastrophe absolutely worth it.

Finn’s bottom lip quivers, his eyes fill with tears, and seeing him, my goofy little brother, that emotional—that in love—it has me desperately trying to hold it together.