Page 26 of Enticed by the Mountain Man
Connor leans close as we near the altar. “You’re sure about him?”
“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything,” I whisper.
He smiles. “Then go get your happy ending, little sister.”
When we reach Graham, Connor’s hand lingers on mine for a second before he lets go. “Take care of her,” he says quietly.
“I always will,” Graham answers.
Connor nods and steps aside, his grin softening the warning in his eyes.
Graham reaches for my hands. His hands are warm and steady.
“You look like heaven,” he murmurs.
I laugh through the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. “You look like you can’t breathe.”
“I can’t.”
The officiant says something about love and patience, about how marriage isn’t about perfection but choosing each other,every day. Graham’s thumb strokes over my knuckles while he listens, and my heart feels like it’s going to burst.
When it’s time for vows, he speaks first.
“I used to think quiet was peace,” he says. “Turns out, I was wrong. Peace is having you by my side every day.”
The crowd sighs softly, and I bite my lip to keep from crying outright.
He smiles down at me. “You make me better. You make me happy. And I don’t ever want to wake up a day without you in it.”
My voice shakes when I answer. “I came back to Pine Hollow thinking I’d hide. Instead, I found you, and a life that feels more real than anything I’ve ever known. You’re home, Graham. You always have been.”
He cups my face, his thumb catching a tear I didn’t even realize had fallen. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The officiant smiles. “Then by the power vested in me—”
Graham doesn’t wait for the rest. He leans in and kisses me.
It’s slow, sure, and full of everything we are: fire, gentleness, and stubborn devotion. The crowd cheers.
I pull back, laughing through happy tears. “You couldn’t wait two more seconds?”
“Not a chance.”
***
Later, the celebration spills out into the square. Tables are lined with pies, cider, and baskets of flowers. The band plays under a canopy of twinkling lights. The whole town seems to glow.
I dance with Dottie first, because she insists, while Graham stands near the bonfire with Cal and Ford, pretending not to watch me and failing miserably.
Connor catches my arm as I pass him. He smiles, pulling me into a quick hug. “You look happy, Maeve.”
“I am.”
“Good,” he says softly. “You deserve it.”
When I finally make it back to Graham, he pulls me close, his hand settling on the small of my back.
