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Even though I had been working hard on letting go of my past, I still had a lot of work to do. Forgiving myself wasn’t easy. It was a process that took time. I had lived with the guilt and anger for so long it had become a second skin. Shedding that skin would not happen overnight.
The last conversation Kat and I had before I sent her the wedding invitation was about all of that. She’d promised to stand by my side because she could see the change in me and knew how hard I was working to make things different. My love for her grew that night, and I couldn’t wait to make her mine forever.
When the music shifted to the entrance song for the bridesmaids, my legs got heavy, and my heart thumped double time. Was she here? Did she say yes?
Kate stood at the back with an enormous smile on her face. I wiped sweat from my brow and took a deep breath. Will squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.
It had been hard to choose a best man, so I had three: Will, Duke, and Frank. They fought over who would stand behind me. Will beat out the other two at a game of poker. Jacob, Peter, and Charlie stood behind them as groomsmen.
Laney paused at the end of the aisle in front of me and winked before taking her place in front of Kate. I relaxed a little, hoping the wink meant Kat was here. Mindy appeared next. The dusty blue dress brought out her fiery red hair. I glanced at Frank. His eyes were glassy, and he smiled at his wife as she made her way to the end.
Kat’s old roommates, Riley and Anna, walked down after Mindy, and I knew Kat was here. Her roommates wouldn’t have made the trip if Kat was planning on standing me up. At least I hoped not. There was still time for her to run.
I glanced at Duke, who was grinning at Riley. Her long red hair hung in tight ringlets down her back. Half of it was up in a braided halo around her head, and she had flowers stuck in it. She was about Mindy’s height, possibly shorter, and reminded me of a fairy.
Duke would tower over her, but I knew that wouldn’t stop him. When he wanted something, he pursued it relentlessly. And from the smile that was splitting his face, I knew he’d spend the entire evening going after Riley.
Anna winked at me as she passed. She was a bit edgier. One arm was completely sleeved in with tattoos, and the other arm was nearly covered. Her blond hair was styled in a manner similar to Riley’s, but she didn’t have the halo. Instead, a single white flower was stuck in the side above her ear.
Rebecca was next. When she got closer, her eyes narrowed, and I looked over my shoulder in time to see a smirk on Will’s face. He winked at her. She blushed and shook her head. I would have to let Will know that Becks was off limits. She was too good for him.
Gracie started down the aisle, tossing petals. My legs almost gave out because she was the last one before Kat. I felt sick and yet hopeful at the same time. God, I hoped she was here.
Once Gracie reached the front, the music shifted, and everyone stood. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly opened my eyes again. There she was. Tears welled up, and I blew out a breath that everyone heard. Light laughter filled the air. I stumbled back a step, and Will was there to catch me.
Kat looked radiant. There were no words good enough to describe how beautiful she was. Relief swept over me, and joy burst from my chest. This was our new beginning. A chance at happiness and a fresh start.
She smiled and gave an adorable shrug before starting forward. Tears leaked from my eyes when I spotted my other girl at her side. Shiloh walked beside Kat without a leash but never left her side. She was wearing some frilly lace thing around her neck with a small pillow strapped to it. I assumed our rings were on top.
Kat’s parents weren’t in attendance. I’d attempted to smooth things over with them, but it didn’t go well, and they had a lot of nasty things to say about Kat and me. Rebecca told me she’d break the news to Kat. I knew Kat would be relieved that they weren’t here.
I hadn’t been sure who would walk her down the aisle, but I never imagined it would be Shiloh. More tears gathered in my eyes and trickled down my chin. I held back the sobs that wanted to escape. Kat stopped in front of me, and when I saw the tears in her eyes, I lost it. The sob was like a hiccup and embarrassing as hell, but I didn’t give a shit.
Taking her hands in mine, I walked her the last two steps to the arch. The officiant asked everyone to be seated. Kat handed her bouquet to Rebecca and turned to face me. I took her hands in mine and gave them a gentle squeeze. A tear trickled down her cheek, and I wiped it away.
She leaned into my touch and smiled.
“Hi,” I whispered.
She laughed. “Hi.”
“Thank you.”
She cocked her head to the side in question.
“For forgiving me and coming.” My voice was still a whisper.
“Thank you for showing me how much you love me and that you’ll always be there.”
I squeezed her hands again and bounced a little on the balls of my feet, trying to ward off more tears. There were chuckles in the crowd, and then the officiant started. I barely heard a word he said because I was so focused on Kat. She was looking at him and listening intently, but I was focused on her.
The elegant dress hugged her curves. Her honey blond hair was swept up in a fancy updo, with a few tendrils down and curled around her face. The sun made the golden highlights in her hair stand out. Her makeup was a little heavier than what she normally wore, but it made her blue eyes pop.
“Sid?” she whispered.
I blinked and looked around. Everyone was staring at me, and Kat grinned.
“Sorry. My beautiful bride distracted me.”
