Page 105 of Waiting for Her

He grins, shaking his head. “She had you even then, didn’t she? I remember going home and telling my mom that you were looking at a girl funny.”

We both laugh. I think a part of me always knew, even before I started seeing her differently. It makes sense, though. She’s my other half.

“You’ve been there with us from the beginning, man. I couldn’t ask for a better man to be standing up there with me.”

“But not next to you,” he grumbles teasingly.

“Yeah, yeah. You know you’re my best bud.”

He’s been giving me grief ever since I told him Cole was going to be my best man, but it’s all in good fun.

“I can’t believe you two are actually getting married.”

“Really?”

“Well, no. But it sounded like the right thing to say.”

I snicker.

“Five minutes,” my dad says, coming back into the room we’ve been sitting in while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

“Still?” I groan. “I’m ready now.”

He chuckles. “I wasn’t even going to ask if you were ready. Been waiting on this day for a long time, son. I’m proud of you. The man you’ve become, taken life and all its hiccups in stride…” he trails off, his voice cracking a little bit as his eyes become shiny.

Dad looks away quickly then reaches for Anderson, looking like a little man in his tiny gray dress pants and white shirt, not to mention the itty bitty gray vest Mia found somewhere to complete the look. Dad cradles Anderson close while he sucks on a pacifier, I reach over and let him grip my finger. “Your old man’s getting emotional in his wise years, it seems.”

“It’s the Grandpa in you,” I tell him.

He nods but looks at me deeply, eyes bore into mine letting me know what he’s about to say is something I want to hear and commit to memory. “I meant it, son. Always knew you two were meant for each other but life—time—well, it had plans of its own. And never, not once in all those years, did I believe your life would turn out any other way than her walking down the aisle to you. I know what it’s like to fall in love with your soulmate before you really understand what love is. And I know what it’s like to not have your plan work out exactly how you intended.

“But Grady, the true character of a man is shown when he’s thrown for a loop. You handled those loops with honor and respect, never acting like you were given a raw deal. I said it once, and it’s not really enough, but I’m proud of you. And I’m so damn honored to get to finally call Bri my daughter.”

“Dad,” I murmur, feeling choked up myself.

“I love you, Grady. And I expect cousins for this little guy soon,” he jokes, trying to lighten up the mood.

I bark out a laugh. “Oh okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

He winks. “I’ll see you out there.”

The preacher pokes his head in to let us know it’s time and to follow him. My groomsmen, Jack, Cole, and Blake, file out in front of me, Cole stopping me to give me a hug and offer a few final words of encouragement.

After seating the moms, I move to stand at the front of the church. I clasp my hands in front of me and roll my neck, ready to get the show on the road. When the pianist begins to play the music Bri and Christine picked out for her bridesmaids to walk down the aisle to, everything in my body stills. Before a jumble of nervous energy, I’m now calm, ready to get through the wedding so I can finally call Bri my wife.

Harper and Maggie both walk down the aisle followed closely by Mia. Hazel, dressed in a poofy white dress, comes next, throwing out petals from a satchel around her waist in one hand while pulling a wagon behind her where Anderson is sitting. Everyone oohs and aahs and, as much as I agree it’s adorable and I love it, I’m watching those doors for one person, and one person only.

Aidan and Reece, our ushers, shut the doors to the back as the pianist trails off the song she’s playing. She looks at me and I’m sure the look I give back to her is full of annoyance, wanting to finally see my bride. She doesn’t seem to care, though. She just smiles.

Our preacher raises his hands, and everyone stands, the music changes, the doors open and there she is. Flanked by Andy on one side and my dad on the other, Bri’s smile is so bright I can feel it from where I stand.

My leg bounces and Cole reaches out a hand to my forearm. “Steady, man. She’s coming.”

I can’t take my eyes off her.

There’s not a single word in the English vocabulary that could match the beauty I see walking toward me.

“Why is she moving so slowly?” I grumble out the side of my mouth, causing Cole to snicker. My leg jerks and this time Cole places his hand on my chest, halting my movements.

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