Page 153 of Consummation

We share a huge smile.

“I’ll love you forever, Joshua William Faraday,” Kat continues. “I promise to love and honor you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life and never, ever leave your side as long as I’m drawing breath into my body.”

“I love you,” I whisper to her. “Thank you.”

“I love you forever and ever, my love,” Kat whispers. “I promise.”

Kat looks at the officiant, signaling she’s all done speaking.

“Josh?” the officiant prompts.

Those nerves I felt before the ceremony slam into me again. I take a deep breath and take Kat’s beautiful face in my palms. “My beloved Kat.” I take another deep breath. “Good God, you’reevil.”

She laughs in obvious surprise.

I take her hands in mine. “And not just evil. Stubborn as hell, too.” I flash her a huge smile. “But you’re also hilarious. Compassionate. Honest.Passionate. Baby, you’re hell on wheels. And, most of all, you’re loving and kind and beautiful.” I stroke her golden hair. “And I love it all—every single thing about you.”

The bottoms of her eyes fill with tears.

“When I first laid eyes on you at Jonas’ house, you waltzed into the living room and marched straight up to me like I’d ordered you out of a catalog—and right then, I knew I was totally screwed.”

Kat laughs along with everyone else.

“But a man has never been so happy orluckyto be totally screwed in the history of time.”

Kat’s face contorts with pure joy.

I take a deep breath. “Katherine Ulla Morgan, you’ve single-handedly taught me how to love—how to be a man in every sense of the word. You’re the answer to a prayer I didn’t even know I had. And I vow to you, in front of God and all these witnesses, to cherish you every single day—all parts of you, even the heinously diabolical parts—especiallythe heinously diabolical parts—to make your happiness my mission in this life. If someone hurts you, I’ll kick their ass, baby. If you’re sad, then I’ll make you laugh—unless, of course (for some reason only women can possibly understand), you don’twantto laugh, in which case I’ll simply hold you and let you cry on my shoulder.”

She sniffles and laughs.

“Kat, I vow to love you and take care of you and our precious baby.” I touch her belly gently. “Allour babies, in fact, because now that I’ve become a part of your awesome family, I’m hoping God will gift us with an entire minivan full of them.”

Kat’s eyes pop out of her head and plop into the sand.

Oh, shit. I don’t know where that came from. I haven’t mentioned my recently discovered desire for a big family to Kat before this moment. Perhaps during our wedding ceremony wasn’tthe optimal time for me to lay that idea on her for the first time? Oh, well, fuck it. I am what I am.

I clear my throat and barrel ahead.

“And, most of all, my beloved Kat, I vow to you, right here and now, in front of God and all the people we love, which includes Keane, by the way, just to be clear—”

Every Morgan in attendance bursts out laughing along with Kat and me.

When the Morgans have finally quieted down, I continue speaking again, holding her hands in mine. “Like I was saying, I solemnly vow to you, in front of God and all the people we love, that when I’m eighty, I won’t have a baby with a trampy twenty-six-year-old gold digger, even though she’ll be at optimal child-bearing age.”

Kat hoots with laughter and so do I—and so does everyone watching us, even though, surely, no one but Kat and me fully understands the joke.

I cup Kat’s jawline in my palm. “YOLO, Kat,” I whisper. “Damn, I’m a lucky bastard that I get to live my one and only life with you.” I touch the cleft in her chin. “I. Will. Always. Love. You.” I reach into my pocket, pull out a poker chip, and covertly place it into Kat’s palm. “I promise to make every day of our life together better than any fantasy, baby.Forever.”

Forty-Three

Josh

“When Josh asked me to be his best man,” Jonas says, speaking into the microphone in his hand, “the first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, shit.’”

Everyone seated in the reception room laughs.

“Because I immediately realized I’d have to give this fucking speech—excuse my language—and anyone who knows me will tell you I absolutelyhategiving speeches, almost as much as I hate hip-hop and One Direction and talking about my fucking feelings—excuse my language again.” He grins at Sarah and she beams an adorable smile at him. “SoI’m gonna try to keep this short and sweet.” Jonas raises his champagne flute and everyone follows suit. “Aristotle says love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Well, Josh and Kat, when I look at you two together, and the way you fit together like two halves of a divinely designed puzzle, I know in my bones Aristotle’s words remain true to this very day. My wish for you both is that you find eternal light outside the cave together. Welcome to the Faraday family, Kat—and thank you for taking my constantlyemotingbrother off my hands.” Jonas raises his glass. “To Josh and Kat. Hear, hear.”

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