Storm raised his voice. “By the authority vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Suddenly, we were smiling at each other while still holding hands. I don’t know why but the moment seemed suspended in time.
Again, Storm spoke up, “Fuse, I believe you know what to do now.”
Fuse didn’t need to be told twice to kiss the bride. He tugged me close and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. When he pulled away, I was breathless and just wanted more. As if he knew what I was thinking, he leaned forward and gave me another quick kiss before we turned to face the guests.
A round of cheers went up. The whoops and hollers were enough to scare the neighbors two miles away. We walked back down the aisle and right into our new life together.
The party was still going strong in the back part of Fuse’s property. It was far enough away that we felt isolated, sitting on the porch swing. We could smell the smoke from the bonfire, hear the music and the brothers talking. They were loud, boisterous and everything that was right with the world in my opinion.
Fuse pulled me in under his arm and I stayed there, with my head against his chest, because I loved cuddling him. Getting to share his body heat was just a bonus.
My dress was going to need cleaning and the ivory sweater I’d layered over to chase away the chill later in the night had been an excellent call.
Fuse nuzzled his lips against my head and murmured, “I have something else for you.”
I lifted my head to look at him. He reached into the inside pocket of his cut and came out with a small red velvet jewelry box. He held it out without ceremony. “It’s a wedding gift, a little something to mark our special day.”
Taking the box from him, I told him, “You didn’t have to buy me a wedding gift. Becoming your wife is a gift in and of itself.”
“I know,” he joked. “I’m a stand-up guy. All the brothers say so.”
I opened the lid to find a gold bracelet with an infinity symbol embedded in the center. It was thick and not likely to break if I wore it all day. This was exactly the kind of thing I never would have bought for myself because it’s too expensive and might even be considered frivolous.
“Fuse, it’s beautiful.” I gushed.
“I want you to have nice things. You deserve them. Every woman does.” He plucked it out of the box and slid it around my wrist. He held my hand for a second just admiring the way it looked on me.
“It’s perfect,” I said sincerely.
He didn’t answer, just pressed his lips to my temple and settled back, and I curled into his side again and listened to the party carrying on without us and thought about the thing in my sweater pocket.
I reached into my pocket and my hand closed around a slim strip of plastic. I told him in a shaky voice, “I have something for you too.”
He looked down, curious to see what I was offering in my outstretched palm. It was a small white stick with two unmistakable lines.
I watched him look at it closely. The second he realized what it was, his hand tightened at my waist. Without looking up, he asked, “Is that what I think it is?”
Since his voice was laced with excitement, I volunteered, “Yes, we’re going to have a baby. I found out this morning. Grace ran out to get me some test kits, and they all came back positive.”
“Winter,” he gasped. “This is a much better gift than the one I gave you.”
Trying not to laugh, I told him, “If you think about it, this baby is more of a gift you gave me. I just get to carry it for nine months and then it becomes a gift we share.”
He took it out of my hand and quickly tucked it into his vest pocket. Then he wrapped me up in the tightest hug ever. “Thank you for choosing me. I won’t ever let you or our kid down.”
“I know you won’t. You’ve proven yourself over and over again. I don’t have any doubts about making a family with you.”
As we sat there, wrapped in each other’s arms, I couldn’t help but reflect on the set of circumstances that brought us together. The two of us finding each other had been a one in a million shot. All the choices we made along the way brought usto this moment and it felt like this was where we were meant to be.
When Fuse pressed a kiss to the top of my head, I thanked my lucky stars that we crossed paths. This was my one chance at happiness, and I was going to grab it with both hands and never let go.
THE END
