Page 1 of His Bride

1

Gavin

May

Squamish, BritishColumbia

For the firsttime in years, I’ve got a speech in my pocket that nobody else has seen, that hasn’t been vetted by the PMO staff—because this speech won’t be given by the prime minister ofCanada.

It’s the speech I’ll give as Ellie Montague’s newhusband.

I glance in the mirror and straighten my tie onelasttime.

“You all ready to go?” Max asks from where he’s lounging like a prince in an easy chair on the other side of hissuite.

I’ve been relegated to get dressed here while Max’s wife Violet and Ellie’s other female friends and family are helping her get ready in our suite downthehall.

And my best friend is cool as a cucumber because he’s alreadymarried.

I’m notnervous. I’m excited. I just want to get to that moment, two hours from now, when Ellie walks down the aisle and intomyarms.

Why has time suddenly decided to drag? The last few weeks have sped by and now I can hear every painful thump of my heartbeat likeagong.

“Yeah, let’s head out.” It’ll take time to get up the Sea to Sky Gondola to where we’re getting married, high aboveSquamish.

“Do you want to practice your speechonme?”

“I’mgood.”

“Because you usually have smarter people than you write thesethings…”

I flip him the bird as I open thedoor. “Out.”

I don’t need to practice it, though. I’ve got it memorized. It’s a short speech—more of a toast. And I mean everysingleword.

Ellie brings me joy and happiness in a way I never knew possible. She is both comfort and counsellor, the best kind of partner to have on this crazy journey through life. We are both touched that all of you travelled here to celebrate the start of our marriage today. It is a precious memory we will both hold in our hearts as we depart on our honeymoon, and then return toOttawa.

To joy, to happiness, and to mybride.

Lachlan is outside my door, talking into his headset. He tips his head in alet’s gonod, and we follow him, the rest of my security detail falling inbehind.

In roughly eight hours, I’ll get the first real reprieve from this constant guard thing when we land at Tree Top Island. The RCMP has secured my parents’ cabin—the only building on the island—and established a perimeter zone that will leave Ellie and me completely alone for fivegloriousdays.

The drive over is quiet; so is the ride up the gondola. We’re the first people to go up it today, and when we get to the lodge at the top, it’s completelyquiet.

Lachlan excuses himself to check with the advance team, and Max and I wanderoutside.

He leans against the railing and points across the valley to the Chief. “Remember the first time we climbed upthere?”

Like it was yesterday. None of this was here—not the gondola, not the lodge. Just the Chief, and a bitter, jaded roommate who was causing me nothing butmisery.

Except there was something about the guy that I couldn’t help but love. It wasn’t his hiking ability, though. “You weren’t great at taking instructionbackthen.”

“I’m still not.” He stands and turns around, looking for my shadows. “Can we head across thebridge?”

A radio squawks, then we get the all-clear.

On the other side, there’s another member of my security detail, and a local RCMP officer, too. I shake her hand and thank her for the extra work to help us pull thisweddingoff.

---