Page 121 of Falling for You

I grab Chloe’s dress, the one she’d tried on and fell in love with one day when she and Olivia were dress shopping just for the fun of it, out of Ethan and Olivia’s room and bring it back to our room, hanging it up in the closet. I haven’t looked at it yet, and have no plans to. When I called the shop and told them my plans, I made sure they’d have it zipped up in a bag that I wouldn’t be able to see through. I want to be standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her to walk toward me and havethe moment.

For me, I’m just wearing gray suit pants with a white shirt. It’s April in the southern-most tip of Florida, which means it’s hot as hell. I don’t want to pass out from heat exhaustion on our wedding day.

After what feels like six days, when it’s really only been six hours, the spa calls to let me know that she’s finished and heading back to the room. Another thing I’d planned in advance.

I double check I’ve laid out everything she’ll need on the bed.

The note I wrote to her in an envelope with her next steps along with her dress, shoes, undergarments, and jewelry. A hotel employee will escort her to where she needs to be.

I sneak out before she can see me to wait in the private room the hotel set up for us. Olivia, Ethan, Paul and Brody are already sitting in the room when I arrive.

Brody looks like a mini-me but with suspenders. His pacifier is stuck in his mouth and he looks like he’s seconds away from falling asleep. His dark eyes are drifting shut as he sucks away.

I run the back of my fore finger over his soft cheek and bend down, sniffing his head. He always smells so good. Well, not always. The kid can let go of some majorly stinky poop. At my touch, he lets go, drifting off completely in his mom’s arms.

“We gonna be able to keep him asleep during the ceremony?” I ask quietly.

Liv nods, looking down at her son. “I think so. He’s such a sound sleeper.”

“Do we need to worry about the sun?” I can’t believe I didn’t think about it for him and Paul. It’s not as though the ceremony will be long, but I’d rather not have him sitting out in the sun.

“Paul took care of it. Found an umbrella over one of those beach chairs.”

“I’ll be lying back during the wedding. Best way to be.”

“Just as long as you don’t take a nap right along with B-man here.”

“I just might.”

I chuckle, not caring one way or the other. There’s only one person I care about remembering every second of our wedding, and if the hotel employee has done her job, she should be escorting her down to the beach as we speak.

“You look beautiful, Olivia.” Her hair is done in braids and a bun at the base of her neck and she’s wearing the light pink dress she picked out after knowing what Chloe wanted for the wedding.

“It’s time.” Ethan tells me, coming to stand next to where I stand looking out at the beach where they’ve set up the arbor. We’ll stand beneath it when I finally make Chloe my wife.

“Good.”

“Anxious?”

“Not in the nervous way. In the “let’s get this show on the road” kind of way. I’m antsy as fuck, man.”

“I was the same, remember? Just hang on a few more minutes and she’ll be there.”

“Let’s go,” I damn near bark.

Everyone follows me onto the beach. I stand under the arbor, ready.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her. “Chloe,” I whisper and take a step toward her. Ethan grips my arm, pulling me back. He shakes his head at me.

“Let her come to you.”

Why is it taking so long?

The smile on her face when she spots me… holy shit. It’s everything. My heart stops. Then my pulse begins to race so hard I can feel it pounding in my neck. When she notices our family, I see her hiccup through a little cry.

She’s carrying a bouquet of white and pale pink flowers. I have no idea what they’re all called, I just printed the picture off her wedding board and sent it to the coordinator at the resort. She mentioned something about roses and hydrangeas and that’s where she lost me.

Right now, I wished I’d paid more attention. I’d love to send her bouquets of these flowers to remember this day. Though, I don’t think I’ll forget a moment of it any time soon.

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