Page 133 of Only for Love

“What?” Her eyebrows lift, and she puts her flowers on the table.

She deserves so much more than recited lines. If I can capture a tenth of what I think… “You’ve always been by my side. From the day we met. And God knows there were years of secrets and storms and pain and tears, until I came out the other side.”

“Gray…”

“I’m a better man, and I exist for you, for us.” I hold my breath and watch her silence. “You’ve got to know there’s no more important thing I can do than to take you as my wife and Cally as our daughter.” My chest hurts; my lungs burn. My throat is tight as I choke on the decades’ worth of sentiment. “I love both of you so deeply that my survival,my sanity, would be gone if I couldn’t be yours.”

My voice cracks, and her lips find mine. It’s a soft kiss but packs a powerful punch. She whispers, “We’re yours forever.”

***

Emma

I never believed that Grayson wanted me when we were in high school until he said almost those exact words and kissed me so sweetly that years later, I still get the shivers thinking about that day in my bedroom. But tonight, I believe every word that pours from his sweet mouth.

“Come on, baby.” I stand up and press against his chest. “Let’s go get married.”

He slides his arm around me as I pick up my bouquet, and we head outside.

My dad is by the back door, and as my eyes settle on him, warmth bleeds through me. He nods to Grayson then shakes his hand. “I’d say she’s the best thing I have to give away, but she’s always been with you. Guard them with your life, son.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I have no doubt.”

Dad kisses my cheek and leaves us as I see my Mom—who I left when I detoured to see Grayson—send Cally our way.

“Look at my dress,” Cally says as she spins. The skirt fluffs out until she slows and grabs my hand. “I look like a princess!”

“Absolutely.” Gray crouches down. “You remember what to do?”

She nods enthusiastically, pointing to the side of the wraparound deck that feeds into the backyard where our guests have gathered. “Walk over there and stand near Aunt Cherry.”

“Exactly.” They exchange fist bumps, then he kisses her cheek.

This isn’t a typical wedding. No one is seated in rows. There’s not even an aisle. Instead, a semi-circled group of all kinds of people awaits us—a nod to how we want to live. The guys from the Delta team—the men Gray refers to as his brothers—wear dark suits. Then there are the other Titan families we’ve grown close to. My family is interspersed with a few close friends. I’m sure Ryan has his arm around Sarah, Cherry has caught the eye of a few of Gray’s buddies, and Mazie is drooling over the groomsman lineup.

As Gray and I walk out together, I find that my assumptions were correct. Even my boss, Jeremy, is here—withour secretary—and, yeah, this all works for me because it carves into stone what we want: an all-inclusive family.

The ceremony was planned to be casual, and there are kids running around in the grass, most of the girls wearing princess tiaras with ribbons that fly around their heads when they move. Everything about this is perfect for us.

As Gray leads me into the center, our crowd quiets, and my parents’ minister says his bit. I don’t focus on the words. Instead, I watch Grayson, memorizing how his blond hair is mussed perfectly and his bright-green eyes dance as they watch me. Then he says his vows, a heartfelt summary of what he just professed to me in the kitchen.

Now it’s my turn. Every face fades away except for his. My hands are locked in his protective grasp, and he pulls me closer.

Before I open my mouth to pledge my life to him, a memory surfaces and trumps what I’d planned to recite. “I remember the first day I realized you weremyfriend, not just my brother’s. We were at recess, and some kid pushed me off the swings.”

“Jerk,” he whispers, grinning.

I laugh quietly. “You chased him away, picked me up, and set me back on the swing. I think you even gave me a little push. Then you ran off to play. But you looked back… that was the day I fell in love with you.” I smile and take a deep breath. “There’s this saying: stars can’t shine unless they’re cloaked in darkness. I’m not sure that’s true. They’re always there, always shining. It just depends on whether we can see them. And that’s us.”

He squeezes my hands, his thumbs running across my skin.

“Our love has always been there. You said storms, but I say life, and Grayson, I will walk through a hurricane with you, no matter what challenges come our way, because I love you. I’m yours as much as you’re mine, and I want to be the family that holds you, that picks you up and cheers you on. I want to be Mrs. Emma Ford.”

“God, Ems.” He shakes his head as though he can’t believe he’s here listening to all that I’ve said. He pulls me close and kisses me deep. Somewhere along that kiss he dips me back. It’s one spectacular kiss.

I’m sure the ceremony carried on, and that his Delta boys gave him hell, but I’m lost to the rest of it, and he never lets go. I love this man. He gave me the fairy tale, butGod,he’s given me so much more. Cheers to our forever love.

---