I mouth “I love you,” and she grins.
Finally, Dad stands. His eyes are red, and Mom dabs at her face with a tissue as she stands next to him.
“Hope,” Dad begins. “You've been the light of our lives since the day you were born. Watching you grow into the woman you are today has been the greatest privilege of our lives.” Dad wraps his arm around Mom’s shoulders. “Frost,” Dad continues, looking at him. “I couldn't have asked for a better man for my daughter. You love her fiercely, protect her, and make her happy. That's all we can ask for.”
Mom takes the microphone. “We love you both so much,” she says, crying. “And we're so proud of you and the obstaclesyou’ve overcome the last couple of weeks. Marriage isn’t easy. You have to work together, be there for one another in good and bad times. You have a love so strong that you can survive anything as long as you lean on each other and trust each other wholeheartedly to get through even the roughest storm. To Hope and Frost!”
The room erupts in applause, and I bury my face in Frost's shoulder, completely overwhelmed. Someone clinks their glass, and Frost slides his hand around my neck, drawing me close. He presses his lips to mine. My tongue darts out to seek entrance to his. He gladly obliges, and soon the room fades away.
“Enough, lovebirds,” Vegas calls out. “Time for your first dance.”
Frost stands, offering his hand and pulls me to my feet. “Ready, Mrs. Stone?”
“Always,” I say as the opening notes of ‘From This Moment On’ by Shania Twain fill the clubhouse.
Frost leads me to the center of the dance floor. He pulls me close, one hand on my waist, and the other holds mine. I rest my head against his chest and feel the steady beat of his heart.
Shania’s voice filters through the speakers. “From this moment, life has begun. From this moment, you are the one.”
“I love this song,” I whisper.
“I know,” Frost murmurs. “Amy told me. That's why I picked it.”
I pull back to look at him, surprised. “You picked it?”
He smiles. “Well, Amy helped. I wanted it to be perfect.”
We sway together, lost in each other, while the rest of the world fades away.
“I was so scared this morning,” I admit. “I thought everything was falling apart.”
“I know,” Frost says, his voice low. “But we made it. We're here, and nothing's gonna tear us apart again.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you too, darlin’.” He leans down, kissing me softly. “Forever.”
The song ends, and the clubhouse erupts in cheers again. Frost dips me dramatically, and I laugh, holding onto him.
“Show-off,” I tease.
“Only for you.”
A couple of hours later, the liquor is still flowing, and the reception rages on.
“Cake time!” Amy announces, dragging us toward a table where a beautiful three-tier cake sits.
It's white with delicate gold accents and fresh flowers cascading down the side. It looks better than I imagined. It's stunning.
“Holy shit,” I breathe. “Where did this come from?”
“The bakery didn’t cancel,” Paige says, grinning. “Your mom called and changed the location.”
Frost hands me the knife, and we cut into the bottom tier together. The cake is perfect, vanilla with raspberry filling. I scoop up a piece on a fork and hold it up to Frost's mouth. He takes a bite, and his eyes roll into the back of his head.
“Damn, that’s delicious,” he praises.
Then he grabs his own piece, and I see the mischief in his eyes.
