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I looked back toward the cabin, my heart full. I couldn’t believe how things were working out. It was beyond my wildest dreams. Turning back around at the sound of my name, I met the guys in the ceremony area.
“This turned out great, Landon. We may get you into woodworking yet!” Ian laughed, running his hand along the trellis.
“We’ll see. I have a long way to go. I’m still learning how to drive the tractor and run the chainsaw. You guys have been incredible. I can’t express how helpful you’ve been. It means the world to me and Tara.”
“That’s what we do, man. We have to stick together, or these ladies will take over!” Aidan barked, smiling the whole time.
I knew he was teasing. Both of them would do anything for their wives. Everyone we’d met at the bonfire and people from town Tara already knew had been crazy supportive after the accident. We hadn’t seen even a speck of a reporter since they’d been served the final paperwork. And last I heard through my lawyer, the guy who showed up at the hospital that day had been canned.
“Someday. Can we talk about the Ferrari, man? Any way you’ll get another one? We can leave it at a central location for everyone to drive.” Ian snickered. “Or we can drive it for you so you don’t get upset or anything.”
“Nice. I appreciate the support, guys. I think my next purchase is a Jeep. There will be some off-roading in our future. I’m loving this whole mountain man façade. Besides, you’re both too tall for a Ferrari.”
“Everything looking okay, men?”
We turned at the sound of Mark’s voice. He was walking up, looking quite dapper in his suit. He and I had bonded as well. Another one to add to the long list of people I would forever be grateful for.
“Mark.” Aidan shook his hand. “We were just saying how great this trellis turned out. Spectacular job, man. Truly.”
“I agree. If you ever want to leave the shop behind, even for a day or two, I could put you to work on the crew. I’m always looking for help,” Ian added.
“Hey! That offer wasn’t extended to me!” I joked.
“You’re the one who said you were still struggling with the chainsaw,” he remarked.
Good point. I had said that. I was good around our property, but beyond that, I probably needed to stick to writing. Especially since I’d just signed a deal for a new book series. Early projections for my standalone that were coming out in the next two weeks were through the roof. I’d made sure Malia had a piece of the reward on that one. She’d been amazing in helping me get it finished.
“Are we on time?” Aidan checked his watch.
“We should be. I’ve steered clear of the female section of the house. Did you check on them, Mark?”
“I did. I was coming out to make sure we were good to go. They will be ready in the next half hour. I noticed some cars pulling up behind us as well.”
“That would be our cue!” Ian said, pointing to Aidan.
They had offered to navigate traffic and guests so we had one less thing to worry about. Watching them walk away, Mark came closer to me. He offered a handshake, which turned into a hug. We didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure we needed to. We’d had long talks into the night, and I knew he was aware of how much he and Beth meant to me.
“Any last advice?” I asked, pulling back from him.
Emotions threatened to wash over me, and I was hoping I could keep it together through the ceremony. Interestingly, Dr. Sutton was an ordained minister on the side and had offered to marry us when he found out we were engaged. Every person who’d touched our lives since our first meeting was a part of our big day.
“Just keep talking. Respect each other, and always touch base at the end of the day.” He patted my shoulder. “Oh, and don’t count on her to be the clean one.”
We both chuckled at that one. I remembered the first time I’d been in her room at her parents’ house and how she’d told me she’d cleaned. Thankfully, cleaning was a stress reliever for me. We should be good. Pulling my phone out, I saw it was time to get my jacket on. There was a makeshift dressing room for me in the corner of the living room. I’d been so nervous that I’d dressed super early, except for the jacket. I took a deep breath and headed into the house with Mark. In under an hour, I would be a married man.
Back at the trellis, this time for the real thing, tears brimmed the minute the music started. A small group of our friends and family were gathered in the backyard, ready to celebrate with us. My breath caught as I got my first glimpse of Tara coming down the aisle with her father. She was stunning. Her dress was lace, fitted through the top and flared out and down at the waist. It sparkled in the sunlight. She looked like an absolute jewel. It was a good thing I’d rehearsed my vows incessantly because words were escaping me. If I’d had to think on the fly, I would have been toast.
