AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Standing off to the side under an apple tree, Skylar was in the perfect position to guide the women down the aisle, but still remain unseen and out of the photographs.
One-by-one, Mandy and Lila made their way down the aisle in their blush-coloured dresses to soft instrumental music. She smiled at the way their men’s faces melted as they walked down the aisle. Mandy went first, not breaking her gaze from Zach’s as he wore the goofiest smile on his face. He gave her a wink, sending a blush across her cheeks as she moved to the bride’s side of the altar.
Lila strolled down the aisle next. Skylar didn’t miss the lust in Travis’ eyes as he tracked his wife’s movements down the aisle. She’d heard about their rough start, and all the craziness that happened around the beginning of their relationship, but she was so happy they’d found their way back to each other. Lila had a rougher start to life, and she wanted nothing but the best for her friend.
Skylar’s own gaze drifted up to her husband perched at the head of the altar. He focused fiercely on her. She’d come to know that gaze, hot and branding, setting her body on fire. She pressed her cool hand to her cheek, needing relief from the building heat within her. They hadn’t slept together since their time in Vegas, and both of them were feeling the building tension.
Movement out of the corner of her eye snapped her away from his blinding hold. Kade stood behind a tree, holding her father’s elbow with one hand and her bouquet with another. Pure joy was written all over her face as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Skylar smiled and gave her a thumbs up as the Wedding March started. The guests all rose to their feet as Brody let out a deep breath and shook out his hands. Travis whispered something to him that made him chuckle and calm.
She couldn’t see Kade’s first look from where she was standing, but Skylar didn’t think she’d ever forget Brody’s. The normally gruff and stoic farmer wiped tears from his eyes as he saw his soon-to-be wife walk toward him. Travis placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place as Brody moved to go to his woman.
She was captivated by the emotion of the moment, wiping tears from her own eyes. Kade’s father had to slow her movements as she tried to rush down the aisle. She’d seen this exact same gut reaction from brides and grooms over the years, but with them being her friends, people that she cared deeply for, this added a whole other level of emotion. She knew that both Kade and Brody wanted nothing more than to truly start their lives together and declare their love for each other in front of everyone in Logan Creek.
Once again, she was drawn to the man at the head of the aisle, standing with his legs shoulder width apart, arms hung low as they both held on to a black book. His eyes never left hers, not caring about the couple in front of him, or the hundreds of guests. It all drifted away as they stood at opposite ends, never breaking their connection. Not until Kade’s father cleared his throat, bringing Dyllan’s attention back to the job at hand, did his attention on her waver.
Brody shook Kade’s father’s hand before turning to Kade with a wide smile on his face. Holding out his elbow to her, he helped her up the two steps to the altar. Even though Skylar had worked numerous weddings and attended quite a few of her own, this one held a special place in her heart.
She watched her husband preside over the wedding, wondering to herself what it would’ve been like had Dyllan and her fallen in love and done things the traditional way. Would they have had a wedding out in a field like this? Maybe somewhere in the mountains or Zach’s brewery? She had no desire to go back to the city, so it wouldn’t have been there.
Now that she’d seen Logan Creek and experienced it for more than a weekend, she knew this was a place that meant a lot to her, just as it did for Dyllan.
“Do you, Brody, promise to offer Kade your love, compassion and companionship? Do you promise to be faithful, share all the joys and sorrows, and to respect her in all aspects of your life?”
“I do,” Brody stated without hesitation as she held Kade’s hands and looked into her eyes.
“And do you, Kade,” Dyllan repeated, “promise to offer Brody your love, compassion and companionship? Do you promise to be faithful, share all the joys and sorrows, and to respect him in all aspects of your life?”
“I do,” she stated with a smile.
Turning to Travis, Dyllan took the rings from his hands and turned back to the couple, passing one to Brody.
“With this ring, I, Brody, promise to love you, Kade, for the rest of my life. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for all the days of my life.”
Kade picked the ring from Dyllan’s palm and held Brody’s hand. “With this ring, I, Kade, promise to love you, Brody, for the rest of my life. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for all the days of my life.”
Visions of standing in front of Dyllan as they slid rings onto each other’s fingers flooded her brain. The ringing of laughter from both of them as they said their ‘I dos,’ Skylar thinking that the loud rumble of Dyllan’s laugh was the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.
Her finger felt naked without her rings, which were securely tucked away in the top dresser drawer that Dyllan had cleared out for her. Running her thumb over her ring finger, she stared at the ceremony before her, not really seeing Brody and Kade but seeing her and Dyllan. More visions of what could have been their marriage played out in front of her, and her heart gave a pang at the regret of not having that, let alone fully remembering the wedding she did have.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride,” Dyllan’s deep rumble sounded through the acre as everyone cheered.
Skylar snapped out of her daydream to see Brody bend Kade backwards and give her a deep kiss that was borderline inappropriate for a wedding in front of the whole town. She couldn’t help but smile at her friends laughing and smiling as they made their way back up the aisle, the other couples trailing behind them, each now married and secure in their group of friends.
Heat flared in Dyllan’s eyes as he strode toward her up the aisle. He didn’t hesitate a moment before grabbing her hand and pulling her behind a secluded tree. Not saying a word, he cupped her cheeks and crashed his lips to hers. Her body exploded under his touch. Every pent-up emotion was being released into each other as their bodies melted together.
Resting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes as he regained his composure.
“You deserved a wedding like that,” he said quietly. “You didn’t deserve a wedding neither of us fully remember.”
“We deserved more than that, but it’s what we have. All that matters is we are together now.” Skylar’s voice was so quiet he barely heard it above the breeze.
Dyllan pulled back, looking down at her. “Are we?”
“If you still want me,” she said quietly, studying his reaction.
“I don’t deserve you, but I’m too much of a bastard not to take it.” He pushed her farther into the tree, showing her just how much he wanted to take.
Chapter Sixteen
