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As he tugs my hand, walking toward a large archway, my heart speeds up when I see his mom holding Eli, wearing a dress shirt and pants.
“Cade?” I croak, covering my mouth.
He stops. “I thought about how I’d do this. What you’d want when it came time to getting married. A big part of me wanted no one but us and our son there. But then I remembered all the people who had gotten us here. Who were there for you when I couldn’t be. Who had believed in me when they could have given up.” He lifts my hand, kissing it. “If this isn’t what you want, we can do something different. I swear to you, I’ll go tell everyone to leave right now. But the sooner I get to be your husband, the better. You’re my family, Haley.”
I peer around the corner. There aren’t too many people in the room. Probably twenty or so. It’s still small and intimate. But he’s right. Without so many of these people here … I don’t know if we would have made it.
“It’s perfect,” I say, smiling up at him through teary eyes. “You’re perfect.”
He leans down, putting his lips against my ear. “I’m not, but you might say that when you’re straddling my face later, angel.” He pulls back, his eyes darkening. “What do you say, Haley baby? Let’s go get hitched?”
I burst into tears, nodding my head. “Yes. But, Cade, if this isn’t real … if it’s a dream … please don’t wake me.”
“I promise, this is the realest thing you’ll ever know.” He kisses me before leading me into the room.
Dreams really do come true.
Cade
I hold Haley’s hands in mine, and my body trembles. I look at her, and I see nothing but an angel. Somehow, with an insane amount of luck, I’m about to become her husband.
“I know I sprang this on you about five minutes ago. Maybe you’re in shock, maybe you feel bad for me … either way, I’m going to hurry up and get this going before you change your mind.” I smile at her, hearing a few laughs in the crowd.
My throat swells, a lump lodging itself there, as I blink back a few tears.I’m already being a little bitch, and I haven’t even started to tell her my vows.This is going to be harder than I thought.
“Haley, you came into my life at a time when I needed you the most—even though I maybe didn’t act like it. On the outside, I seemed fine. But on the inside, I was in a dark place. Just having you around brought some light in, keeping me going.”
I wipe my eyes before returning my hand to hers. “I’ve heard a lot of people say things like,They saved my life, when talking about their significant other. But the truth is, you really did save my life. You saw a broken, lost man who needed help, and you got it for me. You led me to safety before I was gone for good. You did it because you loved me, even then. You loved me more than I deserved.”
I swallow before dragging in a breath. “I know I’m no longer Cade Huff, future hockey star, like maybe I thought I would be one day. I’m not going to have fame or boatloads of money. But, Haley, when it comes to you, to us … we have everything we need right here. You, me, and Eli. And when we’re eighty years old, if my old ass is still driving you to the bookstore and followingyou around for hours while you look at your dirty books, I’ll be a happy man.” I smile at her through my tears. “I don’t need a big, elaborate life, Haley. I just need you and me and Eli. And that’s more than enough.”
She looks up at me, tears spilling from her eyes before rolling down her cheeks. She’s the most beautiful piece of art I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I really don’t know how I could be this damn blessed.
“I love you with all that I am and will ever be. For the rest of our lives, I’ll listen to you and cherish you. You’ll never have to wonder where I stand when it comes to you. That I promise you, Haley.” I give her hands a squeeze. “Every single day of my life, I’ll choose you. Always.”
When it’s her turn to talk, her eyebrows pull together, and she sniffles. “Damn you, setting me up to fail,” she croaks out, and everyone chuckles. “Unlike you, I’m not all that good at speaking in front of people. And Lord knows, I’ll never captivate a crowd quite the way you do.” She stops, swallowing. “All I can do is speak from my heart. Which isn’t hard to do when my heart beats for you and our son.” Her voice cracks, and she blinks away the tears from her vision.
“Watching you struggle was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. But feeling that crippling pain when I knew you were hurting made me understand something.” She drags in a breath, letting it out slowly. “True love is not conditional. It’s constant. And always. It’s through the really dark times, and it’s in the best times. It’s patient when it needs to be, and it’s showing tough love when required.” Her fingers squeeze mine. “Our love might not look like everyone else’s. Or even sound like the fairy tales I read about. And that’s because … it’s not. It’s ours. It’s us.” She gives me a smile. “And I love us. I love you. And I’m so proud to stand by your side—now as your wife—and watch you continue to help others with your story.”
My eyes drink her in, and the corner of my mouth turns up. “Preacher … can you say whatever needs to be legally said so I can kiss my wife?”
“Soon, son. Soon, she’ll be your wife,” he utters, and I hear the humor in his voice.
He finishes up the ceremony before declaring us husband and wife. And when it’s time for him to say I can kiss my bride, my lips are already on hers before he gets the words out.
I cup her face, and I kiss her so hard.
A year ago, I was getting checked into a rehab facility, and I wondered if I’d ever get the chance to do this again. Now, she’s my wife.
Pulling back, I press my forehead to hers and grin. “So, fairy tales? That’s what you’re calling those porno books you read?”
She giggles against me, rolling her eyes. “What can I say? Your wife likes smutty books.”
Looping my arms around her, I drag her closer, kissing her again. “Wife. I like the sound of that.”
“Yeah,” she says, grinning. “Me too.”
Not all too long ago, I felt like I had fallen too far to ever be saved. I didn’t think I’d ever find myself again or be capable of going through life and feeling things like joy. And then an angel came along, proving she was tough enough to walk through the depths of hell as long as it meant she could be by my side. She swooped me up and delivered me to grace.
