“None of those words say what I want to say to you. But then I sat down and couldn’t figure out what I wanted to say either.”
He brings his eyes to mine and smiles. “I promise to love you until the day I die. I promise to protect you without thought, to push you to achieve your dreams, and to try to be the man you deserve.
“I promise to send you flowers for anniversaries, texts for no reason, and to kiss you in the rain. I promise to be faithful to you and only you for the rest of my life.”
“You remembered ...” I whisper, the words coming out in hiccupped sobs. My heart squeezes, so in love with this man that I almost can’t deal with it.
“You’ve given me everything I didn’t even know I wanted, Jada. You give me a reason to stop being the coach.” He winks.
I can’t help but laugh, my chest shaking with the force of my tears.
“I always felt like a part of me was missing. But when I found you, I found what was missing. It’s like you had my heart my whole life, and it’s just now that I’m put back together. You connect my life, put all the pieces into one man. And it’s with this ring, I give you all of these promises and my last name. With this ring, I give you ... me.”
He gazes into my eyes, his filling with tears. It causes my own to flow harder. He wipes them away with the pads of his thumb, his skin rough and warm against my skin.
He leans in to kiss me and the officiant clears his throat. “Not yet, Cane.”
The crowd laughs. A low growl emits from his throat, and I giggle.
Kari steps beside me and hands me a platinum wedding band, simple and masculine, for Cane. It’s exactly his style, and I know he’s picked it out. That makes me happy.
I glance at the officiant, and he smiles kindly.
“Would you like to repeat a set of vows or say something on your own?” he asks softly.
I tell him that I’ll repeat a set of vows because I have nothing planned. I had no idea I’d need them today. But as I start to speak, I realize I can’t. I don’t want to. I don’t know what I’m going to say, butI want him to know I love him more than a set of preconceived promises.
I take his hand and hold it in mine. I slip the band over his ring finger and then encapsulate his palm in my hands.
I can barely see through the fog of tears as I begin to speak. “I wanted to have something beautiful to say to you, some speech with wonderful words that told you how much I love you. But in typical Cane fashion, you just sprang this on me.”
The crowd laughs, and I laugh, too.
“But that’s one of the things I love most about you. Your passion, your drive. Your determination once you set your sights on something. I love the way you go after things, the way you went after me.
“When I look into your eyes, I see more love and respect than I’ve ever seen reflected back at me before. I promise to give you the same love and respect every day until I die. I promise to take care of you, to stand by your side when things are great and when they’re challenging, and I will push you to be everything you can be. I’ll be your lover, your wife, but most of all, I’ll always be your friend. And I promise to make cookies with you in the middle of the night any time you want. With this ring, I give you all those promises and my heart and soul. Forever.”
My voice breaks as the emotion takes over. Cane shakes his hand out of mine and wraps his arms around me.
“By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada ...”
I don’t hear the rest. Cane’s lips are on mine, my tears staining his cheeks. He pulls back just enough to whisper, “I love you, baby,” and kisses me again.
SIXTY-EIGHT
Cane
Everyone is talking,the conversation flowing as quickly as the champagne. Voices bounce around the large yet intimate room. Our friends and family seem to be enjoying themselves.
Family.
I now have a family.
Warmth erupts from my chest and carries through me. This feeling isn’t something I’ve had often, if ever. I feel connected to people in a way I haven’t been since my dad died.
I glance around the table at the faces I’ve seen before but now look at them differently. These people aremy family.
They’re talking, laughing, and telling stories, but I can't pull it away once my gaze settles on Jada.
