And my ridiculously handsome fiancé.
He looks hot.
Black suit. Silver bolo tie. Stark white suit shirt. White cowboy hat. Black boots. And eyes, fierce evergreen eyes, fixed right on me.
“Oh my god.” I gasp as tears start to well in my eyes.
He lets out a shaky laugh. “Don’t start, D. I’m barely holding it together.”
We meet halfway, both of us stopping at the exact same moment, staring at each other like we forgot the rest of the world exists.
“You look …” He exhales. “Derrick, you look unbelievable.”
“So do you,” I whisper, eyes burning. “Holy shit, Charlie.”
He reaches for my hand, hesitates, then does it anyway, warm fingers wrapping around mine.
We lean in.
Instinct.
Habit.
Home.
Our noses almost brush.
“Don’t kiss,” he whispers.
“I want to kiss you,” I whisper back.
We both laugh, our foreheads almost touching, breath mingling in the cold air. Charlotte makes a quiet sound behind us, something between a gasp and a prayer. I hope she captured the moment because I want to be able to relieve this feeling forever.
Charlie squeezes my hand. “This is real.”
“Yeah,” I say softly. “We’re really doing this.”
“Derrick,” he murmurs, voice low, “I love you.”
My chest tightens. “I love you too.”
We don’t kiss. Even though I want to so badly. We just breathe each other in while the snow falls around us like the universe blessing this exact second.
Camryn appears, wiping under one eye even though she’ll deny it later.
“Okay, lovebirds. Processional time. Everyone else is already lined up.”
We follow her back to the main path leading toward the opening of the barn. The doors to the main area are closed, but I can see the soft glow of the lanterns marking out our aisle. Two large fall-inspired bouquets stand on either side of the entrance. They are spectacular, I can’t wait to see what the barn looks like inside.
Camryn and Kimberly open the barn doors, and everyone turns as the Gypsy Sisters start playing on their guitars, the sound echoing all around us.
The wedding party begins to move. Charlie’s parents first, arm in arm, smiling proudly. Then the Sinclairs, and then it’s Sienna and Vanessa’s parents. Next is the young kids being pulled by a miniature pony on a wagon with Becca holding the reins, making sure the pony does as it’s told. Everyone laughs when they see the kids come out as they throw eucalyptus leavesinstead of rose petals, a nod to my home along the aisle. Then the rest of Stacey’s nieces and nephews follow.
“The barn looks amazing,” Charlie whispers to me. We’re able to take it in while we wait, the fairy lights hanging everywhere, fall-colored garlands hanging over the aisle, soft candlelight, the rows of wooden benches, and the flower arch at the end of the aisle, with the cascading florals and fabric. It’s beyond anything I could have dreamed of.
Next is my Dirty Texas family, each one of them arm in arm walking down the aisle with their partners.
And then, the music changes. A soft swell of strings.
