Page 56 of Conflagration
A lone tear trickles down her cheek, but her smile is still radiant as she leans closer to him. “Umm, Rugged, isn’t that the Army?” she asks, her eyes dancing with amusement.
“Woman,” he growls, trying not to laugh. “I’m trying to remember my vows here. And now I’ve lost my train of thought.” He pauses, shaking his head at her, his gaze still full of affection. “From now until forever, I vow to love you deeply, honor you above all else, be your constant source of comfort, and remain forever faithful. I will laugh with you, cry with you, and spend the rest of my life cherishing you. There will be times when I fight with you, but I will always, always fight for you. With every single beat of my heart, Charlotte Rose, I will love you. In good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how—completely and forever. You are my life, you are my love, and you always have been and always will be my forever sweetheart.”
Knox’s hands come up to cup Charlie’s cheeks and he uses his thumbs to wipe away her tears. The look of pure love and joy on her face has my own tears forming, and I’m thankful when Andi hands me a tissue. Charlie rises up on her tiptoes and gives Knox a soft kiss on the lips before taking a hold of his hands, ready for her turn.
“Knox, standing here in front all these people, pledging my undying love for you, makes me think you knew what you were talking about when you suggested Vegas.”
He grins down at her, and the congregation laughs, loving their role reversal.
“You came into my life at a time when I’d all but given up on love. What I didn’t know was that every painful moment, every broken heart, every disappointment was leading me to you. There are so many layers to you, and every single day, I discover something new to love about you. You’re stubborn, bullheaded, completely headstrong, and you drive you me absolutely crazy. You’re also sweet even when you’re not trying to be, you constantly challenge me to be a better woman, and every minute of every day, you show me just how much you love me.
“From the moment I met you, I was drawn to you, and as much as we both tried to fight this attraction, our hearts knew something we just couldn’t see. But it wasn’t long before I knew you were it for me. I’ve been waiting my entire life for you, and sometimes I feel the need to pinch myself to make sure this isn’t all a dream. Because it feels like it is. It’s my dream come true.
“Rugged, you are the great love of my life, my best friend, my soul mate. From today and every day after, I promise to love you with my whole heart, to live and laugh with you, and to stand by your side. I will spend my life respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you. Today, I give you all of me, mind, body, and soul. I will follow anywhere you lead, hand in hand, heart in heart. Whatever the future holds, I will always be here. From now until forever, I will always be yours.”
The vows are beautiful, and I try to dry my tears without smearing my makeup, unsure if they’re tears of joy or sorrow. Not wanting to analyze my emotions, I turn my attention back to the happy couple. The rest of the ceremony goes off without a hitch, and the church erupts with hoots and hollers when Knox pulls Charlie into his arms, giving her a slow, long, deep kiss that has nearly every woman not related to him swooning. Except for me. Instead, I turn my eyes to the man at his right, wondering what our wedding day would look like if this weren’t just a temporary arrangement.
All of a sudden, my throat goes dry and it feels as if the room temperature has increased significantly.
Even though I try to keep it at bay, unexpected sorrow flows through me. Not sorrow for the wedding I’ve missed. No, it’s for the one I’ll never get the chance to have. Tears threaten to form, and I have to lower my head and squeeze my eyes shut as I try to catch my bearings.
I want this.
The white dress. The groom who looks at me as if I’m his whole world. The promise of everlasting love and devotion.
And it hurts my heart to know that I probably won’t ever see that day. At least not with the man I want.
“Baby, you okay?”
I hear his soft whisper and open my eyes to see Branson crouching down in front of me, concern etched on his features. I look around, feeling embarrassed, but see that the wedding party has already departed and the rows are emptying.
I swallow hard and muster up a smile, giving him a small nod. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just weddings. They always get to me,” I explain. “Now get up. You shouldn’t be down on your knee.”
His hand comes up to my thigh and he squeezes reassuringly before rising and pulling me up with him. He leans down, placing a quick kiss on my lips before peppering light kisses up my jawline until his lips meet my ear. “Just imagine what you’ll be like at ours,” he says in a low growl, catching me off guard. He stands up straight, a sexy, devilish gleam filling his eyes. “Gotta run, baby. I’ll see you at the reception.”
“Okay…” I respond, trailing off as I watch him move down the aisle, where he joins his family and the happy couple.
A throat clears beside me, and I turn to see Andi looking at me, grinning like an idiot. “Looks like you better start planning. I don’t think he’s going to let you wait much longer before he has you at that altar.”
If only.
WHILE THE wedding party poses for photos, Andi and I head back to the Wellington estate, where the reception is being held, just to check in last minute with the wedding planner and the caterer.
Everything’s going according to plan, and the caterer shoos us out of the kitchen, telling us that we’ll just be in the way if we stick around. She and I take the opportunity to escape to the backyard, where the band is setting up. We hit up the open bar on the far side of the yard, sipping cocktails as she gives me the down-and-dirty details of how she and Cohen came together. I knew the overall story, but apparently, two drinks are enough for her to tell me everything—from the first night they met to everything in between. It’s completely endearing, and I’m engrossed with her story when she pauses, her eyes lighting up at something behind me. My interest is piqued, so I turn around. It’s just in time to see the groomsmen walk into the backyard. Assuming she’s looking at Cohen, I glance back at her.
“Geez, you must have it bad. You just saw him an hour ago,” I tease.
She gives me a funny look then points past me. “Not Cohen, although he does look pretty damn hot in his tux. I’m talking about that,” she says, nodding towards the house.
When I turn this time, I see him. My eyes zone in on Branson, and he’s not alone.
“Have you ever seen anything sexier?” Andi gushes, and I shake my head wordlessly, shamelessly staring at him.
There stands my man, all six foot one of him, looking sexy as hell in his tuxedo and his slightly messy hair, with an obnoxiously gorgeous smile aimed down at a beautiful baby boy cradled in his arms. It’s heartwarming, panty melting, and I have the urge to pull out my phone to take a picture. Branson’s completely oblivious to the world around him, concentrating on the baby and the grip he’s holding on his index finger. He looks completely at ease, and even more than that, it looks so natural. Like he’s meant to be a father.
“Girl, I don’t know about you, but if that were my man, I’d be throwing those birth control pills away weeks before the honeymoon. He’s going to be one sexy-as-sin father.”
Somehow, I tear my gaze away from him and give her a mocking glare and a playful shove. “Andi Kane, go find your own Wellington to procreate with. That one’s mine.”
