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ChapterFifty-Six
KENNEDY
Hi Liam,
I love you, and I can’t wait to marry you today. I wanted to share something special with you on our wedding day. Something that will let you know you were with me every moment of every day we were apart.
Attached to this email, you’ll find a dated log of over two hundred emails I typed to you over the years. They’ve been sitting in my inbox, acting as a kind of journal. I never thought I’d actually be brave enough to send them, but here you go. Read them or not; it’s your choice, but please understand that I’ve never cared for anyone the way I do you. You’re my best friend, my first love, and hopefully, my last.
I’ll see you at the falls.
K xx
My dress was simple.Full length and strapless. Classically elegant. And in no time at all, it was going to be dirty beyond repair. The bridesmaids—Mina, Summer, and Grace—were hovering nearby, waiting for the rest of our transportation to arrive. Somewhere, a phone rang. Mina hurried over, pulling it from her purse and offering it to me. I frowned. Who would be calling fifteen minutes before our wedding ceremony was due to begin?
“Hello?” I said.
“Hi, Kennedy.” It was Jeff. “I finally managed to track down some information you wanted.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, the names of the people in the photograph you sent through.”
My eyes widened, and I ushered Grace over, putting him on speaker. “Who are they?”
“The woman, identified in the note as Jewel, was otherwise known as Pearl McIntyre. The man is Mr. Charles Smith, nicknamed Rocky because of his work in the mines. That’s all I’ve got at the moment, but I wanted to let you know as an early wedding gift.”
“Thanks, Jeff.”
“Now, go get married.”
Smiling, I ended the call.
“Pearl and Charles,” I mused. “They sound like a romance novel waiting to happen.”
Grace smirked. “I might have something in the works.”
“No! Really?” I wasn’t sure why that delighted me, but it did.
Grace put a finger to her lips. “I don’t like to talk about my books until the first draft is written. I’ll tell you then. But I have a lot of research to do first.”
The roar of a motor sounded nearby, and a four-wheel motorcycle came into view with another three trailing behind. Connor lifted the visor on his helmet and nodded for me to get on. Biting my lip, knowing that my designer dress was going to be absolutely trashed—but not really caring—I straddled the motorcycle and wrapped my arms around his waist. The bridesmaids climbed onto their rides, and we all headed for the trail up to Destiny Falls. Connor had been working all week to widen the trail enough for the four-wheelers to get through, and it took a surprisingly short amount of time for us to arrive in the clearing beside Destiny Falls waterfall.
Liam stood near the water, the falls forming a perfect backdrop behind him. He was smiling, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and looked mouthwatering in a black tuxedo. Asher stood beside him. Liam had asked Eugene and Blair to be the other groomsmen, so he hadn’t had to choose between his brothers. Blair’s smile stretched the full width of his face, and it made me happy to know he was on board with our wedding.
Connor helped me off the motorcycle, and Gray approached, looking dapper with only a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. He looped his arm through mine and escorted me the short distance to Liam, then kissed me on the cheek as we separated.
“Be happy,” he murmured.
“I will.” I gave into impulse and hugged him. Outside of my family, he’d been the most important person in my life for years, and I was so glad we’d settled in the same beautiful country.
I joined Liam and took his hands. We gazed into each other’s eyes as we recited our vows. We hadn’t gone for anything flashy or unique. All that mattered was the promise we were making to be together for as long as we lived. He slid a band onto my finger, nestling it beside my diamond engagement ring, and I put one onto his, smiling at the knowledge that now every woman who saw him would know he was unavailable.
At the end of the ceremony, the officiant delivered the line I’d been most anticipating, and butterflies stormed my stomach as Liam swept me into a panty-melting kiss. Somebody hooted. Others cheered. I felt Liam’s lips curve against mine.
“Let’s continue this in private later,” he suggested.
The officiant announced us husband and wife, and we turned to face our assembled friends and family. It was a small group, since we hadn’t wanted to cause any damage to this den of natural beauty, but all the important people were here. Our closest friends. My family, and Liam’s. United.
I turned to Liam. “I love you,” I said. “Now, tomorrow, and every day after.”
He curled his arm around me, drawing me to his side. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Thank you for coming back to me.”
“I’ll never leave again.”
Together, we joined our people, a long afternoon of love and merriment ahead.
A longlifetimeof joy.
* * *
