AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We did it.”
“Yes, we did, wife.”
We agreed the photos would be natural candid shots of the day with just a few formal ones. It was best for my dad, and I didn’t want to spend the time posing rather than enjoying every second and storing away every memory for when it was all I had left.
We opted for canapes and finger food, with a BBQ-style dinner later on. Everything is exactly how I would’ve dreamed my wedding would be. I never wanted too formal with hundreds of guests who only cared about our family name, not the people they were watching get married.
The board hadn’t been especially happy, but Lincoln had explained the circumstances with my father and all of them had been understanding. Instead of gifts, we had donations made to a charity for blood cancers. I’d been hesitant as I didn’t want this to all be about me, but Hudson had insisted.
“Can I have this dance?”
I grin up at Ryker. “Absolutely, but where is Eden?”
He smiles and lifts his chin toward the other side of the dance floor, where Eden is dancing with Eric and Tia.
“She’s so great with Tia. She’s going to be an amazing mom.”
Ryker gets this soft look on his face as he nods. “She really will.”
Ryker takes me in his arms and spins me around, making me laugh, before bringing me back into his hold. We’ve been friends so long, it’s hard to remember my life without him. So, it’s easy to read his look.
“Out with it, Ryker.”
His boyish grin is infectious. “I never could hide anything from you.”
“No, you couldn’t.”
“Are you happy, Aud?”
I pull back to look at him and cock my head. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I feel responsible. It was my wedding that started this.”
I shake my head. “No, Hudson and I started long before, and you know it.”
“I know that, but I feel like it came to a head in Vegas.”
“It did, and while I wouldn’t have chosen this, it is what it is. I’m making the best of a bad situation to make my father happy.”
I feel a rush of air behind me and see Hudson walking towards Tia with his back to me. The scent of his aftershave makes my body hum with desire. I want to chase after him and make sure he didn’t just hear half of our conversation, but Ryker has something to say, and I owe my best friend a few minutes.
“But do you love Hudson?”
“Yes, I do love him and it scares me stupid.”
“Why? Because he looks at you like I look at Eden, and Beck looks at Amelia.”
“You’re worried about him.”
“I’m worried about you both. I love you like a sister, Audrey, and I’d hate to see this end badly and, yes, for Hudson too. He’s a good man, despite what has happened in the past.”
“I know and I’m doing my best to navigate this situation as best I can.”
“But you love him, and he loves you.”
“I love him, and he says he loves me, but it wasn’t enough last time. Sometimes you need more than love. He wants children and I can’t give him that.”
Ryker shakes his head. “No, you don’t, and there are ways to make a family that doesn’t involve you setting fire to his favorite bar.”
