“You first, love.”
I shook my head to clear it and accepted the small card that Raleigh handed me—decorated with Evie slobber.
“No pressure,” I murmured, more to myself than to anyone else, but it earned some laughter from our guests.
“I never thought I’d settle down,” I began. “To me, finding a lifelong partner was like seeing a unicorn: impossible. For years, I watched it happen to everyone around me, but I never thought it would happenforme. Turns out, all it took was my world being flipped upside down. I thought I’d miss the bachelor life, but now I couldn’t picture it any other way. You’re the last thing I think about every night before I fall asleep, and the first thing I seek out when I wake up in the morning. My days aren’t complete without you dancing around the kitchen in your underwear or arguing with Carlos when he won’t let you in the bedroom.” More laughter, and a sparkle in James’s eye that meant I would pay for that Carlos comment.
It was worth it.
“There was a time in my life when it was just me, and I was okay with that. Then I met you, and you made me want to be the best version of myself that I could be. I love the way you slot into my life like you were made for it.” James’s lip twitched, catching onto the private joke: Hehadbeen made for me. “I love the way you put up with my attitude, the way you seem to take every little thing thrown at you with a smile on your face. James, you’re one of the strongest and kindest men I’ve ever met. I love the way you love me, and the way you love my daughter.”
Somewhere near the back, Hannah hiccupped an emotional laugh.
“I can’t promise you perfection, but I can promise that I’ll try my best. I can promise you that you’ll never be alone. Everything that you’ve given me since the day we met, I’ll spend the rest of my life repaying you for. I love you.”
Mom sniffled from the front row, swiping her eyes and smearing her makeup. “Thanks for that, dear,” she said dryly.
“Maybe I should’ve gone first,” James said, clearing his throat and… Were thosetearsin his eyes? “That’ll be hard to follow.”
“I’m not worried.”
“Ryder, I knew the day that you walked into my bar that my life had changed forever. At the time, I didn’t truly realize exactly how, and discovering that would take me on a journey that I never expected, but one that I’ve loved just the same. Every day is an adventure with you, and I’msolooking forward to the rest of our lives together. There’s never a time with you where I feel bored, and it’s going to make our future one hell of a ride. When you love, you lovehard,and I’m so lucky to be on the receiving end of that. Ryder Clark, I promise that as long as you’ll have me, I can be your rock. I’ll be your shoulder to cry on, and your hand to hold to dance in celebration. I’ll be your protector and your biggest supporter—forever. I love you, Ryder.”
“Shit,” Raleigh muttered behind me, sniffling.
Behind James, Angel swiped a tear away from his icy blue eyes.
I… carried myself away from the brink of tears by letting out a deep breath.
I wasnotgoing to cry.
“The rings, please?” the officiant asked. Raleigh handed over James’s tungsten band, and Angel gave James my silver one.
“I have a story about this for you later,” James muttered, but the ceremony continued before I could ask any questions.
“Repeat after me…”
And then the officiant’s voice faded out again. Once again, James was my sole focus.
“With this ring, I take you to be my husband. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.”
As James slipped the silver band onto my finger, it felt like an electric shock zipped up my arm. The mark on my neck pulsed, and I resisted the urge to wince.
“I know,” James whispered, so quietly that I hardly heard him. “I’ll explain later.”
Shaking it off, I repeated the same phrasing and slid James’s ring onto his finger, smiling when I said, “As long as we both shall live.”
“Now,” the officiant started, “unless anyone has any objections?—”
Apparently Evie did, because she let out a loud wail. Everybody laughed and Raleigh shushed her, but it took Angel stepping forward to take her into his arms for her to settle.
“That doesn’t count, right?” I joked, earning more laughter. I clenched the lapels of James’s jacket in my fists.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I?—”
The rest of the sentence was drowned out by cheers and clapping. I kissed myhusbandlike I’d never get the chance again. One wasn’t enough. I went in for a second, third, fourth and fifth before I remembered that we had other matters to attend to. Reluctantly, and with a quiet promise that I wasn’t finished with him, I peeled myself away, and with his hand in mine, led him to the seats that had been reserved for us. He signaled to the officiant that we were ready and they shushed everyone as confused murmurs started up around us.
“It’s no secret that the love felt here today is strong and unwavering. This love is shared with another important piece of Ryder and James’s story: Ryder’s daughter, Hannah. Today, the grooms wanted that love to continue to flow to Hannah and Kian, as they pledge their love in front of all of you.”
