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It’s a valid question. We gave everyone less than two weeks’ notice, rented a party van for transport, and now, we’re bumping along a dirt road with trees scraping the sides of the vehicle. Plus, it’s Cole, and while the family knows what he does now, the hitman jokes haven’t stopped.
“No, of course not,” I reassure my boss-slash-friend. “Just your everyday, run-of-the-mill destination wedding.”
That’s not exactly true. Cole and I decided we didn’t want to wait and didn’t want a big fuss. I actually got the idea of where to get married from Samantha and Chance choosing their club as their venue. Which is why we’re on the way to the cabin. Not the small one Cole and I shared, but rather the larger, fancier one Mr. Webster rented.
“In the middle of nowhere,” Kyle adds, not helping Gabriella feel more comfortable.
Thankfully, the dirt road dead ends into the driveway for the cabin, and I shout, “We’re here!”
We climb out of the van and walk up to the front door, waiting while Cole unlocks it and welcomes everyone inside. It looks exactly like it did through the binoculars—warm colors, lots of greenery, and... wait a minute...
“How’d you do this?” I ask Cole, looking at the charcuterie spread laid out on the oversized kitchen island.
He smirks and drops a big, fake, conspiratorial wink. “I’ve got people.”
A simple answer, but remarkably true now. Cole does have people. An entire family, in fact, who are excited to be here for our special day.
I didn’t call my parents to tell them about the wedding. Actually, I haven’t talked to them since Mom showed up on my doorstep and probably won’t. It hasn’t been that long, not really, but being no-contact has been such a relief. I just let go. Which sounds easy and sometimes is. I’ll have week after week when I don’t think about them at all. And then something will remind me, and I’ll have to decide again... don’t call. And that’s hard.
But it’s not worth ruining my happiness for, and that’s what they’d do. The price to be a part of that family is too high, and I won’t trade my joy for theirs.
People who are happy that I’m happy are here, surrounding Cole and me as we take a big step toward forever, and that’s what I want.
“Okay, go get ready, you two,” Miranda orders as she shoos Cole and me off to separate bedrooms. “Gabriella, can you help me with the champagne?”
Gabriella nods, glad to be put to use, and the two women head to the kitchen. Who needs a wedding coordinator when you’ve got Miranda Harrington at the reins? I’m glad to have her help, though, and wonder if she’s one of the ‘people’ who helped Cole.
In the primary bedroom, Kayla helps me change into my dress, and when I look in the mirror, I can’t believe it’s me. My hair and makeup were done this morning before we left and are perfect, my curls bouncing and my eyes subtly made up. The dress I chose is exactly what I wanted for a woodsy, forest-y wedding, with long sleeves, a deep V-neck, and lace flower appliqués on the bodice.
“I look like a bride,” I murmur, mostly to myself.
Kayla smiles, amused at my reaction as if this is the first time I’ve ever seen this dress, but she dabs at her eyes. “You do. You look stunning, and if my brother doesn’t tell you so, I’ll gouge his eyes out with one of those tiny cocktail forks.” She points out toward the kitchen and presumably, the forks, but rather than sounding threatening, she’s choked up.
“Oh, my gosh, I’m ready. I’m so excited. Let’s do this! I’m getting married!” I gush, hitching up my skirt and beelining for the door.
Kayla stops me. “Whoa there, girl. Let me see if Cole’s ready and get everyone to their places. There is a process to this, usually, you know? A method to the madness?”
Oh, yeah. There is supposed to be a sort of timeline to things today.
She leaves me in the bedroom for a few minutes, presumably to get everyone and everything set outside, and then peeks her head back in. “Still ready? Haven’t changed your mind? Because no refunds, exchanges, or returns on that model. He’d probably just stalk you, anyway,” she teases with a smirk.
I nod, already on the verge of tears. Happy ones, but I don’t want to ruin my makeup.
“I’m really excited to have another sister,” she says, but before I can answer, she closes the door.
Shit! I’m crying. I always wanted a sister, and now I’m getting three of them. Kayla, Luna, and Samantha have accepted me into their trio with open arms and kind hearts. There’s no drama, no backstabbing, no gossip. They’re genuinely good people. And they’re all different, and awesome because of it. One of my lifelong wishes is coming true today with them.
I dab at my eyes with a tissue and take a deep breath, then open the door to the rest of my life.
* * *
Cole
Standing on the back deck overlooking a lush, green forest, surrounded by my family, is not something I ever would’ve predicted. But more surprising than that is the beautiful woman walking toward me with both tears and a smile on her face.
I’ve come to learn how to read those tears, and they’re good ones. They’re tears that say she’s right where she wants to be and that she’s ready for forever. With me.
She’s stunning—her red curls a halo, her gray eyes bright, her hands gripping a small bouquet of white flowers for dear life, and her white dress flowing down to swirl around her ankles.
