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“Put Luke’s ass to work. He’s the best man after all.” He smirks.
We lay together talking in random about everything from Savannah’s failed attempt at cooking on the grill to the crab Heidi Jo and Brailee chased into a hole on the beach. We’ve had such a fun vacation and it’s only just begun.
“Are ya nervous, darlin’?” Colton whispers breathily against my ear.
“Excited would be the best way to describe how I’m feeling. Are you nervous?” The cool ocean breeze causes goose bumps to blanket my flesh and I curl closer to his side for warmth.
“I don’t get nervous, darlin’.” He says looking into my eyes, brushing my hair across my shoulder. His finger trails slowly across my collar bone and his plump lips lightly sweep across my pulse point.
“You’re so cocky. Just wait until you
have to say your vows. I bet you stutter.” I giggle against his throat. He clears his throat, then scrubs his hand over his face. “Baby, it was your idea to write our own vows, ‘member?” He grumbles low in his throat. “So why do you look like a deer in headlights at the mention of our vows?”
“Darlin’, you just ruined the moment.” He nips at my neck. Cocking an eyebrow up at him I shoot him a silent warning. “I ain’t wrote nothin’ down, but I know what I wanna say. So don’t worry your pretty little head ‘bout it. Everything’s gonna be perfect.”
Perfect. Everything already is perfect; getting married is the icing on the cake. At eight PM tonight, I’ll finally become Mrs. Carolina Jo Weston. It feels like time is slowly passing us by. I don’t want to rush the moment only to watch it pass by in the blink of an eye, but I can’t wait to be his wife.
It was his bright idea to write our own vows. I’ve never known him to put so much into anything like he has this wedding; like he has our relationship recently. I was happy with a small, traditional wedding, but Colton reminded me that there is absolutely nothing traditional about our relationship. Writing the vows was the easy part. It’s evoking every ounce of love that I have as I say those special words that makes me jittery. Tears are bound to fall.
I press my head against his chest and he lazily traces circles across my arm. I can’t imagine a more perfect night. I smile inwardly to myself silently thanking God for leading me back home. The circumstances were dire, but Colton and I were brought back together for a redeeming chance at love. I may have wandered aimlessly lost for seven years, but being back in his arms feels like home. I melt into his side and my eyes close on their own accord as he blankets me with his warm embrace.
“Darlin’, wake up.” Colton whisper kisses against my lips. My eyes drift open peering into his chocolate brown eyes dreamily. “Watch the sun come up with me.” He sits up and pulls me into his lap and together we watch the sun kiss the morning sky.
Chapter 30
Hebrews 6:19-Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
I take one last glance in the mirror and smile at the reflection. The empire silhouette dress is a soft ivory chiffon, falling at the top of my knees with Swarovski crystal embellishments on the center tie. My dark caramel waves are pinned up loosely framing my face.
“Sweets, are you ready?” Momma asks from the doorway. Pulling in a calming breath, I pad out of the room and begin my descent down to the beach where our wedding ceremony is set to take place. Reaching the top of the dunes I pause taking in the beauty before me. Savannah walks slowly up the aisle and turns when she reaches the altar. Her turquoise dress has a sweet heart neckline and falls from her hips with a slight flare. Braden runs across the sand nearly tackling Savannah when he reaches her side, burying his face in her stomach. Heidi Jo and Brailee are wearing turquoise sundresses with their curls bouncing across the nape of their necks. They carry a basket together, littering the ground with hibiscus petals as A Thousand Years by Christina Perri bellows softly in the background. My heart stills hearing the words to this song. I will my feet to move, but they stay firmly seated in the warm sand. I am in awe of the scene before me.
“Beauts, you gonna walk?” Luke asks leaning into me. I look up at him with my mouth parted, my breath caught between my lungs and my heart. Nodding my head, he lightly tugs on my arm and I begin to walk down the aisle. I lock eyes with Colton and the closer I get to him the quicker my feet move. He’s standing with his back to the ocean wearing a white button down shirt, khaki pants, bare-feet in the white sand. His smile is brighter than the sinking sun. Luke stops just feet away from Colton, waiting for the cue to release me. Anxiety builds up in my chest in this short time, just inches away from Colton as the pastor, Danny, begins the ceremony with a word of prayer.
“Who gives this woman to marry this man?” Danny questions.
Luke presses his cheek to mine and whispers, “Through the storm,” before laying a soft kiss to my cheek. “Her best friend,” he replies. Placing my hand in Colton’s, Luke turns and takes his spot next to him. Danny gives a short speech on the definition of marriage and the solemn vows we are making before our family and friends to cherish each other with an ever-lasting love. Turning to Colton he signals him to give his vows.
Colton steps forward and cups my face in his hands, softly brushing the pads of his thumbs over my cheeks as he speaks. “Darlin’, I knew the first time my lips encased yours that you were the other half of my heart. I knew that when God created me, he took a rib from my side for good keepin’ until it was time to create you. Our past was shaken, pullin’ our worlds apart and we were lost to each other. I died during those seven years, but by the grace of God you wandered home and made my heart whole again.” He drops his chin to his chest as his hands fall from my face to the sides of my stomach. He looks back up at me with tear glazed eyes as he caresses my stomach. “I’ll live each moment of my life to see you smile; and I’ll love you ‘til my dyin’ breath leaves my body.”
Danny turns to me, silently asking me to say my vows. The breath that I was holding releases slowly and I close the distance between Colton and me, linking our hands together to rest on my belly. My heart thunders against my chest and the anxiety that rushes up my back, blanketing my face with heat is welcomed.
“You extinguish my fears, giving me strength to hold on through all the things that terrify me. I know that you’ll always be there lifting me up, protecting me through whatever I face. You never gave up on me, through everything we’ve been through, together and apart. Our hearts are anchored together, through hope and love. Our hearts always beat in sync and I know that’s because they beat as one. You are the perfection to my every flaw. Time brought your heart to me and I’ll never let it go for as long as I live. I love you, Colton.” Tears flood over my lids and Colton swipes my cheek with his calloused thumb and winks.
The pastor motions for Braden to step forward and removes the rings from the small turquoise pillow. Turning to me Colton takes my left hand in his and repeats after the pastor, “With this ring I thee wed and all my worldly goods I thee endow. In sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, till death do us part.” He slips the white gold band on my ring finger, then softly kisses the top of my hand. I take his ring from the pastor’s hand and repeat his words to Colton, slipping the matching white gold band on his ring finger. He links our left hands together and before Danny can prompt him, he lifts me up in his arms capturing my lips between his.
“I give you Mr. and Mrs. Colton Weston.” Cheers and tears burst from our loved ones and Colton spins me around in the air, peppering small kisses all over my face before placing my feet against the soft sand. Heidi Jo runs over and throws her arms around our waists laughter bursting from her chest.
Seven years felt like a thousand with the heartache I endured. Every promise he just made, I know without a doubt he’ll hold true to. Our lives are forever changed, beautifully merged as one.
Colton spins me beneath the moonlight, capturing me in his arms as we dance our first dance as a husband and wife to Who I Am With You by Chris Young. I left the music up to him, but he couldn’t have selected a better song for this moment. We’ve overcome so many things in out relationship; heartache, lies and betrayal. This song speaks volumes to the changes Colton’s made to becoming a better man.
“You make me the happiest man in the world, darlin’. I’m so happy you’re finally mine.”
“I’ve always been yours baby. Always will be.” Tipping up on my toes I pull his lips between mine, kissing him passionately.
We dance through a few more songs before my feet have had all they can handle. Traipsing off to the tent I relax into my seat watching Colton spin Heidi Jo around. My heart is so overcome with joy that it could burst at any minute. A year ago, if you’d asked me if I’d ever found love, the only response I could have mustered would have been “Lost it already.” But Colton has renewed my hope for a happily ever after.
“Beauts, did you save a dance for me?” Luke asks extending his hand to me. I give him a small smile, placing my hand in his as he helps me up from my seat. He stretches him arms around my belly, placing them on my hips and begins to slowly sway me to the music. “You look beautiful tonight, Carly.”
