Page 15 of Adoring Delaney

“We’re gathered here today to witness Jackson Clark and Tuesday Knowls become husband and wife,” the man said.

Holy shit.

I glanced around my family and all of them had identical looks of happy surprise. All but Liberty. Jackson had to have asked her to come home.

“Jackson, you may begin.”

“We wanted this day to be about family. No stress, no fuss, just this. A day full of laughter, happiness, and love. All of you here have made us into the people we are today. Each played a role in shaping and molding me into a man who’s worthy of Tuesday. It is because of all of you I know I’ll be the type of husband she deserves.” Jackson stopped and looked at Tuesday. Her answering smile was full of so much love it hurt to watch. “Sweetness, I once asked you for twenty-four hours, that turned into forty-eight, and every day since I’ve asked you for more time. Today, in your orchard, I’m asking you for eternity. I promise to always be the man you need me to be. I promise to continue what your grandparents started here in this home, and fill it with love and laughter until it overflows. I promise to love you until the end of time.”

When Jackson finished his vows, my gaze landed on Delaney and my heart lurched. Damn, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. But it was more than her shiny black hair and sapphire eyes. It was her, just her. It’d always been and would be until my dying breath.

I’d never allowed myself to imagine what it would be like to marry Laney. I’d shoved all thoughts of us having this down deep. It was the only way I could survive. But now that I was, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the ways I’d fucked up.

Tuesday cleared her throat and began. “Today I get to stand in front of you all knowing I’m the luckiest woman in the world. Knowing how blessed we both are to be surrounded by examples of everlasting love. I used to think I’d never have this, that I didn’t deserve the type of love Jackson gives. But he saw it differently. And as a wise woman once told me, when a man like Jackson decides to play the long game—which means he’s not playing, he’s simply setting about winning and I needed to hold on because the ride would be wild—she was not wrong. It’s been wild, it’s been beautiful, and it’s been full of honesty and love. It is because of all of you that Jackson is the man he is, the man who made me trust, the man who showed me I deserved love. The man I promise to spend the rest of my life proving I am who he says I am. The woman my Gran showed me to be.”

Tuesday paused and closed her eyes. When they opened, she didn’t try to hide the tears flowing. “Jackson, you literally walked through fire to save me. You are the bravest man I know. There are no words I can say today that would come close to expressing how much I love you. So, instead, I promise I will show you every day. I promise to stand proudly beside you, support you, cheer you on, catch you if you stumble, and love you for the rest of my life.”

I was staring at my feet, letting Tuesday’s promises to Jackson wash over me, when the hair on the nape of my neck started to tingle and I lifted my head. My eyes met Delaney’s and a pain so deep shone in them that I took a step back. It was shocking, it was agonizing, and it was because of me she felt that kind of pain.

As much as I wanted to rip my eyes from hers to stop my heart from shattering anymore, I didn’t. I deserved everything she was giving me. But her tears were my undoing. I took a step in her direction and a strong hand gripped my bicep. I glanced over my shoulder and my dad was stone faced and shaking his head.

Fuck.

When I looked back at Delaney she was back to concentrating on Jackson and Tuesday and the moment was broken.

“Jackson, do you take Tuesday to be your wife?”

“I do.”

“Tuesday, do you take Jackson to be your husband?”

“Absolutely.”

“It is my honor to present for the first time, Jackson and Tuesday Clark. Jackson, you may kiss your wife.”

My family exploded.

Cheers, whistles, my niece Carson clapped and danced around.

I didn’t.

Not because I wasn’t happy for my cousin and his new wife.

Because as I stood in Tuesday’s orchard all I felt was pain. All of the times I disappointed Delaney. All of the time I’d wasted. And it was then at that moment I prayed I wasn’t too late. There had never been a single doubt about how much I loved Delaney. But now I’d realized that a life without her by my side wasn’t the half-life I’d thought I’d been living. I hadn’t been living at all. Everything I’d ever done was meaningless because I didn’t have her to share it with.

I’d been wrong, about everything.

I was a total asshole and a glutton for punishment.

I’d followed Delaney home, and parked down the street. Steve had walked her to her front door and I waited with my fists clenched and my teeth grinding. He had two seconds to say goodbye before I lost patience and made my presence known. That was the asshole part.

The punishment part was forcing myself to watch Steve wrap my woman up in a long hug and kiss the top of her head.

That was the last fucking time that would be happening.

Finally he got in his car and drove off. The second he hit the stop sign and turned the corner I was out of my truck and making my way to Delaney’s porch. I knocked and a moment later the door opened.

“What’d you forget?” Delaney asked with a huge smile. One that fell as soon as she saw it was me and not Steve.

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