Page 26 of Wildest Forever

I let her words play over on loop.

“Exactly what I said,” Dixie rolls her eyes but I can see the playful hint of a smile on her lips.

“Exactly,” Aspen nudges into me and I let out a soft laugh.

“Just don't put your walls up, let him in... get to know each other, just ride out the storm because I promise by the end of it, you'll be real glad that you did.”

A lump presents itself and I find myself trying to swallow constantly to budge it.

I nod, ignoring the way the tears tease at the back of my eyes.

“Trust me, he is a good boy.”

Dixie hums in agreement.

“Now, no tears on the wedding day,” she wraps her arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close which only makes the tears fall harder.

I've never had this. Never had someone looking out for me.

But now I had a whole family it seems, and I was terrified.

“May I...” Pacey's raspy voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I feel the way Aspen's arm slowly slips from my shoulders, her face lifting as she looks at him and gives him a warm smile.

Aspen steps up and nods for Dixie to follow before Pacey is sitting down next to me, his body on an angle, him twisted to face me. Legs apart, elbows resting on his thighs and hands dropped between them.

Silence crackles between us, the soft chatter amongst family fading into the background.

“You doing okay?” he asks me and I give a half smile, tilting my head as I shrug my shoulder into my cheek.“Same,” he admits, a hint of a laugh passing his lips.

“Are we crazy?” I whisper, finally letting myself sink into those whiskey amber eyes.

“Yeah?” he puffs his cheeks out.

The silence is back and I watch as he pushes his hand around the back of his head.

“I mean, I would have finished that sentence withwhat a story to tell the grandkidsbut...” and he gives me a slow wink.

I find myself laughing at him, nodding as tears threaten to spill once more.

“This will be okay, Morgan,” his large hand drifts up and cups my cheek and I find myself leaning into him. “We will be okay, maybe this is what we both needed hey? Maybe this was always God’s plan,” and I find myself nodding again as a tear rolls down my cheek, but he is there catching it with the pad of his thumb before he brings it to his lip and kisses it.

“Now... may I have this dance?” he asks aslife with you - Kelsey Hartbegins to play through the small speakers dotted around a makeshift dance floor.

“You may,” I whisper as he stands, holding his hand out for me to take which I do, gladly.

Leading me to the open space, his ringed hand slips around my lower back, pulling me close as his other hand clasps mine as we slow dance, and for a moment it's just us, the stars, the moon and the mountains.

But that doesn't last long, Riggs and Aspen, Dixie and Tripp, Dusty and Marsha, a few other couples stand up and when I glance at the table, I see Orla and my pops sitting there and I don't know why but it breaks my heart.

Pacey spins me around slowly before I am pressed closer to him and that's when I see that my pops is leading Orla towards the dance floor, his hand in hers, one on her hip as they dance.

“That's the first time I have seen a genuine smile on her face,” Pacey whispers and my eyes drag to his, lips parted.

“I'm glad he managed to do that.”

“Me too,” he lowers his head, his eyes dropping to my lips and panic sets in as I slip my hand from his and let it meet the other one that is resting on the breast of his suit jacket and push back. It got too intimate and I'm not ready for anything like that.

“Excuse me,” I nod as I turn and walk into our home and lock myself in the restroom.

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