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Buck groans at the joke, then gestures at the two of us, the way he always does when taking charge of something that’s gone off the rails. “The point, gentlemen, is we found the loves of our lives, who accept us for who we are. I don’t know about you, but I think these amazing humans we found, this town, and all the friends we’ve made make us better.”
Wade’s throat bobs, and he looks out the window as his wife, Presley, scurries toward the house. “Same, brother. Same.”
At the end of the day, the brothers always have my back.
Two seconds later, there’s a delicate knock on the door.
Wade opens it to find Presley there, an excited grin on her face. “It’s time!”
It’s time. “I’m about to get married,” I say.
Buck slaps me on the back.
Presley leads me down the hallway, away from the action, as Wade and Buck fall in line behind me.
“Where are we going?”
Presley winks back at me as she hurries me through the library and out the side door to the mansion’s secret garden, fenced off from the rest of the property. Grace has installed a small koi pond, benches, boulders, ornamental trees, and shrubs with cascading florals. It’s a favorite hideaway for the weekly book club with Grace, Presley, Charlotte, and half a dozen other women in Fate.
“Pres, what are we doing out here?” I ask my sister-in-law.
“We thought you’d want your first looks to be private rather than in front of the entire town,” Buck says. “Well, semi-private.”
I turn to my brothers and Nick, who stand behind me with shit-eating grins on their faces. Grace, my parents, and a photographer are here as well.
My heart might pound out of my chest.
Charlotte emerges through the garden gate. And I can’t feel my face.
Her dress is the lightest shade of lilac, embroidered with pearls and floral lace. More importantly, her face wears a smile that’s all for me.
“Hi,” she says.
“Charlotte,” I croak out.
Hands slap my back, and my brothers murmur something. I’m pretty sure Mom and the others are dabbing their eyes with tissues.
Everything blurs but Charlotte. My bride. The love of my life.
I don’t remember going to her, all I know is I have to feel her to make sure this is real.
Her scent fills me, reassuring me that this is our wedding day and this is really happening. It’s not a dream.
She squeezes my arm. “You look so handsome,” Charlotte says, tears welling up.
“I clean up good,” I say.
She shakes her head. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”
“I want to, but I don’t want to mess up your makeup.”
She laughs. “Believe me, it’s not going anywhere; this setting spray is magic.”
That’s all the permission I need to kiss my wife ahead of the main event.
I only hope that the setting spray repels moisture because my eyes are leaking all over her perfect face as I capture her lips with mine.
“I was so nervous, but I felt so much better as soon as I saw you,” she says as I kiss her forehead, careful not to mess up her perfect updo.
