Page 39 of Love is a Harmony
And there was only one he waited for now.
“Why are you laughing?” His voice was louder than he’d meant it to be, causing Stella to giggle in her quiet way.
Mathieu stood and crossed the room, a warm smile on his face. “It is natural to be nervous on your wedding day.”
But it wasn’t even real. Melanie worked for him… sort of. Okay, she’d kick him in the nuts for saying that. She worked for his label, babysitting him and his friends even though that wasn’t her real job.
“What if she’s not coming?” He couldn’t fathom it. If Melanie didn’t walk through those double doors, the will said Noah couldn’t keep Stella with him. And that was inconceivable.
“She’ll be here.”
Noah met his gaze. “But what if she’s not?”
What if he’d messed it up like he screwed everything else up? He thought back over the last ten days, wondering if he’d done anything that would make Melanie change her mind. He’d been nice, far nicer than he was to most people. He’d cooked the healthy kinds of food she liked, though, not well. They’d laughed and smiled. He’d shared stories of Carson.
And he hadn’t kissed her again. He scrubbed a hand over his face. Was it the kiss? That was ten days ago, and they’d decided it was a mistake. But, oh, what a kiss. Could Melanie somehow tell he hadn’t stopped thinking about it?
Noah had kissed a lot of women in his life, but none of those kisses both woke him up and put him into a trance. He’d wanted more. In that moment, he’d have given anything for it.
If it wasn’t for Stella, he’d have tried again. But every time he thought of making a move, he worried it would push her away, and he’d lose Stella because of it. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d grovel and plead for Melanie to go through with this sham of a wedding.
The doors opened, and Noah lifted his eyes to his angel, the only person on this planet who’d do this for someone.
Because Melanie Snyder was special, rare. He’d always known it, but in a “she’s good at her job” kind of way.
Now, it went deeper. The heart inside her chest shone through in her actions in the rarest of ways. Growing up, Noah had Nan and Carson, but no one else who’d be there for him through anything.
His mouth curved into a crooked smile as she neared, and he held out a hand.
Melanie set hers in it, her expression relaxing as she met his gaze.
“You came.” He heard the vulnerability in his own words.
“Noah.” She reached up, her fingers grazing his cheek. “I won’t break my promises to you. Ever.”
He captured her hand against the side of his face and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he released her. “Okay, love, let’s get married.”
* * *
Being married was a surreal feeling, one Noah had never sought. In his life, all he’d wanted was to play music, to have fun, to give the people what they wanted.
And what they’d wanted was him.
Now, as he spun the wedding ring on his finger, he smiled to himself at the realization this was the start of something new.
“Congratulations, my friend.” Mathieu clapped him on the shoulder as they stood in the middle of his living room that had been transformed. White lights decorated the space along with purple streamers that were probably left over from a kid’s birthday party.
“Thanks.” Mathieu and his family had been Carson’s people, the ones who were there for him and Stella, so it felt good to have them by his side now. They’d known a different part of Carson’s life, one Noah was only beginning to piece together.
Mathieu offered him a smile. “You and Melanie are like me and my Mari, I can see it. At first, I thought maybe you were lying, but I wasn’t going to question what you’d do for your niece.”
“And now?”
“I saw the way you looked at her when she walked toward you at the mairie. There’s no denying your love. We will miss Stella, but she belongs with family, and only you can give her that.”
Noah opened his mouth to say something else, but Mathieu only smiled and walked away. He was right in that Noah could give Stella family, but he wasn’t in love with Melanie.
His eyes found her across the room. She stood taking in the effort these near strangers went to for them. Was she thinking the same thing as him? The Martins held a party for a wedding they didn’t know was a ruse.
