The only reason Ty cared about any of it was for Winnie. When he’d mentioned renting the golf cart that the Highland River Gardens offered, Winnie had readily agreed.
Not only that, but she’d taken it one step further and said they could ride down the aisle on it together, so he wouldn’t have to limp in front of everyone or stand there with everyone staring at him. “It solves both of our issues,” she’d said in her perpetually sunny way.
Ty smiled as he ducked out of the groom’s room and turned left down the hall. This center on Country Club Drive was huge, and theirs was not the only wedding that day. Their guests had been assigned parking lots A, B, and C, and they had a beautiful western-facing garden, with the altar set up at the back, so the sunset would come right underneath it.
He stepped out of the air conditioning and looked left, where he would’ve found a golf cart in another twenty minutes. Now, his beautiful Winnie already sat there, looking at her phone.
“Hey, I heard you were getting married today.”
She looked up, and relief poured through her expression. “Ty.” She stood, and Ty got the full view of her wedding gown: a wide-leg pantsuit in cream, of course, with intricate, beautiful, shiny appliqués of big, matching-color roses. His eyes dropped to her feet, where she wore a pair of gold heels, and then recentered on her waist as she fiddled with the tie there—a silky rusty-colored orange band that cinched her waist in.
He whistled and shook his head. “Wow. Whoever this guy is, he’s the luckiest man in the world.”
She smiled and dropped her chin. She took a step toward him, and he saw that the band around her waist flowed behindher almost like a train, and she wore sprigs of lavender and ripened wheat as a crown around her updo.
He fell in love with her all over again simply by looking at her, and when he reached her and swept his fingertips across hers, he fell again. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“Do you still want to marry me?”
Her eyes moved up to his. “Ty, of course I do.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t be here?”
Her jaw jumped, and she nodded. Anger flashed through him, because he’d been telling her for months that he wasnother ex-fiancé.
“I mean, obviously Iknewyou’d be here,” she said. She rolled her eyes and huffed out her breath. “I don’t know. I was ready, and I just wanted to see you in your suit before everyone else.”
“It’s actually a tux,” Ty said. “It’s got tails and everything.” He flipped one out on the side and grinned at his almost-bride. She smiled back, and she’d painted her lips a light peach, which really fit her all-natural theme.
He drew her into his arms, thrilled with the way she sagged against him and ran one hand up his chest. It seemed she didn’t have anything else to say, and perhaps she’d simply needed to see him in the flesh. He twined his fingers with hers, and they sat on the back seat of the golf cart together until their driver came out.
“Oh, you’re both here. I’m not late, am I?”
“No,” Ty said. “You’re right on time.”
“Well, let’s do this then.” The man wore a black suit, and he got behind the wheel of the golf cart and started it up. “I just have to wait for radio confirmation from your coordinator,” he said. Ty trusted that they knew what they were doing here, and he felt strong and masculine as Winnie leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Will you help me re-tie my bow when we get there?” she asked.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.”
“All right, is everyone in?” the man called.
Ty looked down and picked up one trailing end of Winnie’s bow and tucked it under her knee. “We’re ready.”
They’d already gotten directions from the driver, and Ty had ridden in many a golf cart in his life. The driver zipped them down the sidewalks and over to the Infinity Garden, which was surrounded by hedges and had a wide opening that a couple of cars could fit through.
One of the options for a ride had been a horse and carriage, but Winnie had opted for the cheaper golf cart, claiming she wanted people to see her pants as she walked down the aisle. Ty suspected it might have more to do with cost than she’d let on, but again, he didn’t care about much of any of it, as long as Winnie was happy.
“All right, we’re here.” The driver brought the golf cart to a halt and twisted toward them. “Are you going to stand up?”
“Yes, I think so.” Winnie looked over to Ty. “Do you still want to stand on the back here?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” He got off the golf cart and helped Winnie to her feet. When she was steady and holding the pole on her side, he stepped up onto the golf cart again, balancing himself with the pole on the side. It was on his right side, so he could use it to balance with his good left side.
When the driver asked if they were ready, Winnie said, “Yep, I think we’re ready.”
