My heart is doing cartwheels, and my mascara is fighting for its life. Damn him and his perfect words. I’m gonna kiss him stupid later.
Bree leans in to read the note, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face. “Damn, that’s romantic. You sure you don’t want to share? I could be a really supportive sister wife.”
I can’t help but laugh, the sound bubbling up easily. “Absolutely not. This one’s mine.”
She shakes her head as she fastens the little compass to my bouquet. “Yeah, I get it. I wouldn’t share, either. Man writes like that, I’d chain him to the porch swing.”
Right then, Lucy pops her head around the doorframe. “Hello, my dear future sister-in-law! We’re ready for you.”
I take a deep breath. It’s happening. It’s really happening.
I can feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me, waiting for a sign of nerves or second thoughts. But nope, that’s not happening. Instead, I flash them a big, determined smile.
“Let’s go, ladies. I’ve got a man waiting for me at the end of the aisle.”
forty-six
KNOX
Istand at the edge of the loch in my backyard, watching the stillness of the water. The air’s thick with people chatting and buzzing with excitement. Juliette’s about to walk down the aisle, and I swear, my chest might explode. It’s been one hell of a ride to get here but all of it led to this moment. And damn if I’m not grateful for every bit of it.
I haven’t laid eyes on Juliette in two days. She insisted on that old tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding, so she’s been staying with Rose. I got kicked out of my own house this morning so the girls had a place to get ready. Something about better lighting, more space, and “the right energy.”
Cal’s next to me as we wait for the ceremony to kick off. He looks over at me, his mouth stretched wide. “You ready, brother?”
I crack a grin of my own. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
I catch a quick look at the front of the aisle. Bree’s over there, messing with her bouquet and shooting Cal a look that’sall kinds of trouble. Cal pulls the same stuff when she’s none the wiser, but the guy’s about as subtle as a wrecking ball.
And then I see Juliette. She’s coming down the path from the house, arm tucked into her aunt’s, sunlight catching the edge of her dress. My lungs forget what they’re supposed to do. Everything else fades out—every voice, every sound—until it’s just her. Radiant. Untouchable. Mine.
God, she’s breathtaking.
And not just because she looks like something out of a dream in that dress, but because it’s her. The woman who loves harder than anyone I’ve ever met.
Every step she takes toward me feels like gravity shifting.
I don’t even bother pretending I’m holding it together. The tears come, and I let them. How could I not? She’s everything, and somehow, she’s walking straight tome.
When they reach the end of the aisle, Juliette’s hand slips into mine. Just like that, the universe lines everything up. All the mistakes, all the missed chances, were just pieces of a puzzle that led to this exact moment.
“You are stunning,mo ghràidh,” I whisper as she looks up at me, her eyes shining with tears of her own. I want this moment burned into my memory.
The chatter of the small crowd fades into the background, the rustling of clothes and the shuffle of feet all muffled by the sound of my heartbeat. My stepdad starts the ceremony, his voice a familiar rumble in the air. I catch bits of what he’s saying, but my focus stays on Juliette.
When it’s time for the vows, I take a breath to steady myself. “Juliette, from the moment I met you, I knew my life was about to get a lot more interesting. You’ve made me better in ways I didn’t know I needed. Even when we’re chasing after your wild ideas or you’re squeezing another pair of shoes into acloset that’s already full, I’m totally and completely enamored by you.”
A pause. A breath.
“I promise to laugh with you, to listen when the days get quiet, to be your home no matter where life takes us. I’ll choose you, over and over. Not just today, but every day after this, for as long as I’m lucky enough to have you.”
I slide the diamond wedding band onto her finger, and my heart swells in my chest. Seeing it on her, knowing she’s mine not just in name, but in every way that counts, undoes me. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, wrapped in lace and wild grace.
My stepdad gives a slight nod toward Juliette, signaling her turn for the vows. She looks up at me with those eyes, and I swear, the rest of the world just blurs.
“Knox.Captain,” she teases. “You’ve brought laughter, adventure, and a few extra pounds from your cooking into my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. You are my safe haven, and the home I’ve always dreamed of. I promise to make you laugh when you’re taking life too seriously, and I’ll always find a way to keep things interesting. I’m so lucky that forever gets to be with you.”
She slips the titanium band onto my finger, and my last thread of restraint snaps clean in two.
