Page 19 of Serenity & the Hermit
“I was doing my wife to be,” Dylan murmurs, causing the lot of us to burst into laughter. Quiet and reserved, it’s rare that Dylan gives any type of detail about his love life.
“Well, for those of us adhering to tradition,” I say, lifting my can and tilting it in cheers to my brothers. “May your soulwink be strong and obvious.”
All the Valentines on our side of the family sport dark hair, solid frames and bright green eyes. So you’d be forgiven for thinking we were all of the same birth as we stand around saluting whatever force of nature brought this soulwink thing into existence. So far, it’s made all four of our cousins happy, and now it’s working its way through us. Dylan married Millie not long ago, and before the sun goes down today, Serenity will be mine.
It's been two weeks since that very first day we met and I was the cause of her dislocated arm. But she’s healed like a boss, getting out of the sling within a few days and romping through her physiotherapy like a woman with something to prove—or maybe a woman with something togain.There’s been more than one instance over the last couple of weeks where we’ve been messing around and she’s begged me to take things further.
I’ve wanted to. Believe me. I’ve had moments where I’ve been so desperate to bury myself inside her that I could barely think straight. But at the end of the day, I made a promise to wait until the night of our wedding. And since I'm a man of my word, it’s a promise I intend to keep.
“Do you really think it’s real though?” Ajax muses, his beer can held halfway between his mouth and his side. “Like, can you really just look at a woman and know inside your soul that you’re made for each other?”
“Well, after experiencing it,” I start, glancing at Dylan for backup. “Yeah. I think you can.”
“I do too,” he says with a nod. “I mean, I know me and Millie are a bit of a different situation because I had my own shit to deal with before I could fully be the man she needs. But yeah, once I accepted what we are, I’ve never looked back. And I knew she was mine the moment I saw her wielding that fucking chainsaw like it was a baton.”
Rafe chuckles as he downs the last of his beer and crushes the can in his fist. “I don’t believe it for a second,” he says.
“How can you not?” I laugh. “You have so much evidence inside our family.”
“Yeah. Of a bunch of guys so desperate for a date that they jump on the first girl who happens upon their cabin.”
“And you aren’t desperate?” Ajax scoffs. “I haven’t seen you with a woman in… Shit, I don’t even know when the last time was.”
“That’s because you’re always hiding away inyourcabin, brother,” Rafe retorts. “I know how to get mine, and I don’t need any soulwink tricking me into walking down the aisle.”
“Ah, I don’t feel tricked in the slightest,” I say, clapping my youngest brother on the shoulder as I check the time. “And if we don’t start making our way back down, I’ll end up running late when I plan to walk into my weddingwillingly.”
“Hey, each to their own,” Rafe says, hands up as we head back the way Dylan came, my heart feeling a little fuller and lighter with every step I take toward the start of my new life with the woman of my dreams.
SERENITY
With a dress on that reminds me of something they’d wear in Pride and Prejudice, I stand in front of the mirror in the tiny apartment above the bar with my new sisters-in-law-to-be around me drinking cocktails and champagne.
“That dress is a dream, Serenity,” Millie says, smiling over her glass of bubbles as I swish the skirt from side to side.
“It’s so soft and exactly how I imagined,” I reply, grinning at her over my shoulder.
“And this sunflower and baby’s breath crown Millie made for you makes you look like a Whisper Valley princess,” Yvette says as she picks it up and sets it on top of my head, completing my look. “Perfect.”
“I can’t believe I’m getting married,”I say, touching my fingertips to my cheeks as a flood of excitement rises up from my toes. “This is all so surreal.”
“You better believe it, sister-in-law,” Millie says, handing me a fresh glass of champagne then clinking her glass against mine. “Today is the day you become a part of our family for real.”
”A real bonefide Valentine,” Jade adds. “And an official jacket-wearing member of the Whisper Valley Soulwink Society.”
“Oh yes.” Millie’s eyes go wide as she nods. “You’re going to love your jacket. They’re so comfy and warm and it’s cool being part of an exclusive club.”
“I can’t wait.” I chuckle, looking around the room and loving the fact that I have five new friends—sisters—that I already know I can count on more than my own family.
When I announced to my parents that I was set to get married, they reacted in surprise as I expected. But what I didn’t expect was a lack of support, or a bunch of excuses over why they couldn’t make it to Whisper Valley at such short notice. At first I was hurt, but then I spoke to my brother and he was the complete opposite, telling me he’d cancel all his meetings and spend a whole week out this way getting to know my new family and friends and helping take care of the yoga studio—which is going great guns, mind you!
So with my brother on my side, and my new best friends around me, I realized that a day filled with people who love and support you is far better than one where my parents showed up and glowered their disapproval the whole time. No thanks. I’m getting married to my soulmate, I don’t need any negativity dampening my shine.
So today, as I walk down the aisle in my dream dress toward my dream man with my heart overflowing with happiness, I know that I’m surrounded by the people who matter most to me in this world. And that’s all that matters.
I reach up and touch the baby's breath crown and sigh happily. “I’m ready.”
“Wah-hooo!” Millie shouts, her smile infectious as she bustles everyone out the door to take their seats then pauses and turns back to me. “Wait five minutes then come down. OK, sis?”
