Page 119 of His North Star
I may never be the brightest star in the night sky. It didn’t mean I was worth less or unseen or unlovable. Every star, shattered or not, was important. Needed. Wonderful. With Ty by my side, I could get through anything. We were equal partners. Better,brighter, together. And I couldn’t think of another person I’d rather share this journey with than the man who had always stayed by my side.
EPILOGUE
“Mare! Let’s go!” Ty shouted from the bottom of the stairs. “We’re going to be late, and you know how Mrs. Sheffield gives me a hard time if we arrive even a second after her.”
He wasn’t wrong. Ty started coming with me to the community center more often, and Mrs. Sheffield had latched onto Ty like she was a baby monkey and he was her mom. I adored it. Ty liked it but had a time limit of an hour. According to him, his cheeks (top and bottom) only handled so much pinching.
I threaded an elastic hair band through the buttonhole of my jeans, giving me an extra inch of space around my waist. I swear I’d never peed so much in my life as I had the past three months.
“Coming!” I hollered from the master bathroom while I washed my hands.
After Ty proposed, there was no sense in stringing out our engagement. We both knew without a doubt we wanted to be husband and wife. Instead of a big wedding like I’d planned with Blake, we were married in our backyard, on the beach of Whitefish Lake surrounded by our families—two days after Ty proposed.
Charlie went online and got ordained to perform our wedding. I drove to Missoula and found the perfect long-sleeved lace dress in my size off the rack. Mom managed to find enough flowers to make my bouquet and some boutonnieres. We had Craggy Range cater dinner, and I happened to find a photographer available at the last minute.
Everything came together so easily, so perfectly. It was completely different from my previous wedding. I loved it all the more, especially the groom.
We exchanged our vows to the sound of the waves sluggishly rolling ashore. Pine and damp earth fragranced the air. But that was it. We didn’t have any other decorations, guests, or details to stress or worry over. It was Ty, in one of his stunning, tailored black suits (that highlighted his glorious backside to perfection), and me in white, at the start of our lives together.
“Why are you bringing your computer with us?” Ty asked me when I met him by the door.
“The ladies wanted to see our wedding photos since they weren’t able to come.”
He followed me into the garage. “You mean since we didn’t invite them?”
I smirked. “Do you really feel bad about that?”
He opened the passenger-side door of his truck for me, stealing a kiss right before I climbed in. “No. Our wedding was the best I’ve ever attended.”
He closed the door, then went around the back before climbing into the driver’s side. “You might be a little biased,” I said.
He flashed me a grin. “I totally am. Although, I’d say the honeymoon was better.”
Heat flooded my cheeks as I remembered those magical seven days. “It was the Kennedy Space Center, wasn’t it? I knew visiting it would trump every other activity.”
Ty was a good sport for going with me, even though he was slightly miserable the entire day. I made it worth his while when we got back to the hotel though.
Ty laughed as he reversed out of our three-car garage. “That may have been the highlight for you, but definitely not for me.”
“Hey now,” I protested. “While I enjoyed every aspect of the space center, I never said it was my favorite part.”
Ty put the truck in drive, heading toward downtown. He reached over the center console, slipping his hand in mine. “What was the best part for you, then?”
I kissed the back of his hand. “I think you already know.”
“The food?”
I chuckled. “You got me. The French toast at the resort was amazing.”
“Care for a little repeat?”
My brows rose. “Of the French toast? Sure.”
“And what happened after?” He grinned and repeatedly raised his brows.
My mind went right back to our hotel room, where Ty’s lips had captured mine the second he closed the door to our suite. He delighted in the fact that I tasted like maple syrup and strawberries. He’d picked me up while maintaining lip contact and carried me to the king-size bed.
We’d missed our scuba diving tour that morning. #totallyworthit
