Lainey's cheeks were blistering red as she let me lead her up the winding staircase toward my bedroom.
Finally, after so much back and forth and the fear of losing her forever, I had the thing my heart desired.
We had a long road ahead of us, and every day would be filled with opportunity to grow and learn. I couldn’t wait to meet every challenge with her by my side.
"I love you," I whispered, as we pushed into my room.
"I love you too, Daddy," she said, touching her belly. "Now turn me into your feast."
Lainey winked, and I shut the door and locked it.
God I needed to get my own place soon.
EPILOGUE
Lainey
The chapel was nothing like the one where we'd drunkenly stumbled through vows six months ago. This one had flowers everywhere, white roses and peonies that filled the entire room with their scent. String lights hung from the ceiling and our families filled the pews, actually present this time to witness what we were doing.
It was much smaller than Vivienne had hoped for, but Kade had backed me up when I told them immediate family and friends only. With a crowd of fifty people, it was plenty for me. The reception—at the Atlas later this evening—would be a different story.
I stood at the back of the aisle in a simple white dress that accommodated my growing belly and looked at Kade waiting for me at the altar. He wore a dark suit and the same ring he'd never wanted to take off, and when our eyes met, he smiled like I wasthe only person in the world. It did things to my heart I would never be able to explain to anyone.
It had been six months since I made a choice that would alter my life forever and I didn't regret a thing. The bakery was thriving now. We'd hired three more people and orders came in daily from all over Nevada. Kade worked beside me every day, learning the business and making me laugh when the stress got too heavy. He'd given up his Lamborghini and his father's credit cards and we bought a minivan instead, though he still drove his Dad's Astin Martin now and then.
And in three months, we'd have a baby—a little girl, according to the ultrasound. Kade had cried when we found out. Then he spent the entire drive home talking about tea parties and teaching her to bake and threatening any boys who came near her.
"Ready?" My father offered his arm, and this time when I wrapped my hand around his firm bicep, I knew I was ready.
"More than ready," I said, smiling.
We walked down the aisle together, and I took in every detail. Mom sat crying in the front row, Wren grinning beside her. Nate had his phone out taking pictures, mostly of Kade, since his friends didn't believe his sister was marrying a celebrity. And after everything, I had managed to patch things up with Mandy too. She flew back for two days for my real wedding—one I had no intention of running out on this time. My heart was full.
Kade's parents sat with actual smiles on their faces that I knew were genuine. We'd had a few bumpy moments in the past few months, but in all they were wonderful people—quirky, but they had good hearts.
When we reached the altar, my father placed my hand in Kade's and stepped back. Kade's fingers threaded through mine and squeezed. Dad kissed me on the cheek and whispered that he loved me in my ear, and I felt my cheeks warm with nervous energy as I looked up at my husband while Dad found his seat.
"Hi," he said quietly.
"Hi," I said, smiling. I couldn't stop smiling. It was my dream come true to marry the man I loved more than anything in the world. I had never been happier.
The officiant began speaking, but I barely heard the words. I was too focused on the way Kade looked at me like I was everything. He had a way of making the entire world vanish from view when he looked me in the eye, and I lost all sense of time. Which wasn't always a good thing, but today, it was the only thing.
I thought about that first night in Vegas. How drunk we'd been. How reckless. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. We'd signed papers and stumbled through vows and woken up married to complete strangers.
But somehow, impossibly, we'd made it work.
Through his parents' threats and the media scrutiny and my own fears about being trapped or used or not good enough. Morning sickness had felt like it tried to kill me, and bakery disasters felt like five-alarm fires. But we were learning how to be partners in every sense of the word, even through fights and makeups and moments when I'd wondered if we were crazy for trying.
We'd made it to this chapel and this moment, where both of us were certain that this was what we wanted for the rest of our lives, and we were making the commitment in front of our family and friends.
"Do you have vows prepared?" the officiant asked after the haze of being lost in thought wore off and I started paying attention again.
Kade nodded and turned to face me fully. "The first time we did this, I was drunk and stupid and running from my life." Everyone chuckled, including Gavin, who sat next to Kade's parents. "But even then, some part of me knew you were special." He paused and I saw his throat constrict as he swallowed. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Lainey. You're smart and talented and you put up with all my flaws. You make me want to be better."
I felt tears starting and tried to blink them back.
"You're perfect for me," he continued. "And I can't wait to have a drove of children with you. With that much sugar in the house all the time, we'll need someone to eat it."
