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I look at it, then back up at him. “Yes, but right now? What about your family?”
“If you’ve changed your mind about a big wedding, we could have another one when we get back and invite everyone. Or we could have some kind of blessing, later in the year after the twins are born. Or we could just have a party. I don’t care. All I do know is that I want to you to be my wife, and I thought this would be the best way.”
I cup his cheek. “What about Kip? Won’t he be hurt not to be here? To be your best man?”
“I told him what I was thinking of doing. It was he who suggested Hal, as he lives nearby. Kip’s fine, Catie. He only wants what’s best for me. He understands.”
I glance at Hal, who grins, and Izzy, who leans her head on his shoulder and smiles at me.
I look back at Saxon, and my heart fills with such light and joy that I almost burst into tears on the spot. “Yes,” I whisper, trying hard not to cry. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“Woo!” He pumps the air, his eyes blazing. “Yeah.” Laughing, he pulls me toward the altar, where the celebrant is chuckling. “We’re good to go!”
And so, standing on the beach, while seagulls soar in the currents above us, and the sea laps gently at the sand, I promise to take Saxon Chevalier to be my legally wedded husband, to love and comfort him, to honor and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as we both shall live. And he promises to have and hold me from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish me, until death parts us.
Hal takes out a box with two rings that Saxon apparently gave to him earlier, and we slot them onto each other’s fingers, stating that we gladly marry each other and join our lives together.
Finally, the celebrant tells Saxon to kiss the bride. So he does.
And then I do cry. Because honestly, who wouldn’t, in my position?
Chapter Thirty-One
Catie
After the ceremony finishes, Hal and Izzy come back with us to the hotel, and we have dinner together at a quiet, private table tucked in the corner. Clearly, even though the staff know about the wedding, they’ve been instructed to keep everything understated, and the only concession to the event is the cake they eventually bring out that’s covered in white icing with a bride and groom on the top.
I spend most of the evening with my head in a whirl. Luckily, Hal and Izzy don’t seem to mind, so I guess Saxon has warned them what I’m like.
None of us is drinking, but it doesn’t seem to stop everyone enjoying themselves, and we talk for hours, slowly eating our food, as the sea turns from orange to purple to navy blue, and the stars pop out on the darkening sky.
I discover they’re vets who help run Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary across the bay. Hal and Saxon met as kids when Saxon’s dad designed a piece of computer technology for Hal’s dad and uncle, who are both in healthcare, and the dads brought their kids together one weekend. They all got on so well that they stayed in touch, and I learn that Saxon sometimes stays up in the Northland when he needs a break, and Hal takes him fishing on his boat. From the jokes that pass, I gather that they don’t catch much, but apparently that’s not really the purpose of the trip. It sounds more like they drink a couple of beers then spend the rest of the afternoon snoozing.
Hal and Izzy have a baby boy called Danny, who’s now a couple of years old, and they reveal that they’ve just found out Izzy’s pregnant again with their second, which leads to another round of toasts.
Hal’s warm and funny, and tells us the only real downside to having a kid is that you don’t get to go to the bathroom on your own anymore, which makes Saxon laugh.
Izzy’s kind and gentle, and while the guys chat about their businesses for a bit, we talk about pregnancy and childbirth, sharing experiences. She admits how nervous she was the first time, which makes me feel a bit better as Elizabeth was so calm and collected. She also had a cesarean, and she explains the process, which demystifies it a little.
Even though the meal is wonderful, I don’t eat a lot, too spun out by the event to relax fully. I haven’t had time to process what’s happened, and my mind keeps drifting during the conversation, as if someone’s standing behind me whispering, “Are you really married? Did you really just tie the knot with Saxon Chevalier?”
I’m Mrs. Chevalier. Catie Chevalier. I’m married to this gorgeous guy, who’s also the father of my twin boys. Holy fucking shit. How did my life turn around in such a short space of time?
“Earth to Catie?”
I snap back to the present to see them all smiling at me. We’ve finished our meals, and are just relaxing, drawing out the evening as much as we can. Saxon squeezes my hand. “Are you okay?”
“Still having trouble believing what’s happened,” I say, and kiss his fingertips.
Hal chuckles. “Well, it’s time we picked Danny up from my folks, so we’ll leave you two newlyweds to it.”
We all stand, and Saxon and I walk out the front of the hotel with them. We exchange big hugs, and Hal and Izzy make us promise to come back very soon once the babies are born and we feel like we need a break, then head off down the road, Hal with his arm slung around her shoulders.
Saxon takes my hand. “Fancy a walk?”
“Yeah, okay.”
We stroll along the road, past the diners eating at the tables on the grassy verge, looking out at the moon that’s rising, reflected on the ocean like a piece of tinfoil. I can smell the sea, and the jasmine flowering around the cafés and restaurants, and Saxon’s aftershave, sensual and sexy. It makes me want to sniff him, and touch my tongue to the hollow at the base of his throat.
