Nine.
“I was picturingourwedding,” I whispered.
Eight. Seven. Six.
“And how I want small. Intimate. And Gwen to be a part of it.”
Five. Four. Three.
Hayden gulped, his throat bobbing as he stared down at me with hope and longing in his eyes.
Two.
One.
I winked at him before pushing the doors open. I had flustered him—which was still one of my favorite pastimes. His grip on my arm tightened, and I ignored his stare. Wehad to walk down this aisle without causing a scene, and that took all my focus.
Hayden led us down the aisle, his calm and confident presence the push I needed to get through this. Once I saw Christian standing at the end, I teared up.
He smiled at us as we slowly walked toward him, but his eyes watered. His hands shook. I knew it. He was gonna lose it when he saw Penny.
Hayden stopped at the front of the church, shaking hands with Christian and kissing me on the cheek before we went our separate ways. I stood on Penny’s side, he on Christian’s.
Then it was Penny’s time.
She beamed as she made her entrance, and my tears leaked over. Christian choked and released the sweetest squeak before a full-on cry escaped.
Penny’s hold broke too.
They were two weirdos so in love that they bawled in front of everyone, and collective sounds of sniffles carried throughout the church.
I glanced at Hayden, who stared right back at me. Almost like he had been waiting for me to turn his way. Garrett stood next to him, but I couldn’t look away from my man.
Next year. You and me, he mouthed.
My heart swelled, but I couldn’t make it too easy. I shrugged.
His eyes flared with amusement.
Christian met Penny and her dad, shaking his hand before reaching for her. They complemented each other and had a beautiful, quiet moment, just the two of them. Sure, we allwatched them, but the absolute love and tenderness in their expressions was riveting.
They settled in their position at the altar, and the rest of the wedding flew by for us in attendance. They did traditional vows despite how goofy they were because they “couldn’t handle the pressure.”
I couldn’t blame them. They were crying and laughing and sniffing like crazy. Hayden caught my gaze every so often, and each time, the same bolt of lightning went through me.
He’s so beautiful.
Once the pastor said they were officially Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun, the room erupted. They bulldozed down the aisle as Hayden and I followed. People hugged, cheered, and cried.
It was a blur of joy and feelings, and I floated. I was so happy for Penny and Christian, overcome with so much happiness. My parents hugged me and then Hayden. My aunts all lined up too, but Hayden never released his grip on my hand.
Gwen burst through the crowd toward us, hugging our legs before Hayden picked her up. “Hey, sweetie, I’m going to have Gigi take you to dinner, okay? Daddy needs to help Charlotte with something for a little while.”
“Okay! Gigi said she has a puzzle for me.”
“How fun!” I said, leaning over to kiss her. “You look beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful, Aunt Lotte!”
