Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Gabriella nods, glad to be put to use, and the two women head to the kitchen. Who needs a wedding coordinator when you’ve got Miranda Harrington at the reins? I’m glad to have her help, though, and wonder if she’s one of the ‘people’ who helped Cole.
In the primary bedroom, Kayla helps me change into my dress, and when I look in the mirror, I can’t believe it’s me. My hair and makeup were done this morning before we left and are perfect, my curls bouncing and my eyes subtly made up. The dress I chose is exactly what I wanted for a woodsy, forest-y wedding, with long sleeves, a deep V-neck, and lace flower appliqués on the bodice.
“I look like a bride,” I murmur, mostly to myself.
Kayla smiles, amused at my reaction as if this is the first time I’ve ever seen this dress, but she dabs at her eyes. “You do. You look stunning, and if my brother doesn’t tell you so, I’ll gouge his eyes out with one of those tiny cocktail forks.” She points out toward the kitchen and presumably, the forks, but rather than sounding threatening, she’s choked up.
“Oh, my gosh, I’m ready. I’m so excited. Let’s do this! I’m getting married!” I gush, hitching up my skirt and beelining for the door.
Kayla stops me. “Whoa there, girl. Let me see if Cole’s ready and get everyone to their places. There is a process to this, usually, you know? A method to the madness?”
Oh, yeah. There is supposed to be a sort of timeline to things today.
She leaves me in the bedroom for a few minutes, presumably to get everyone and everything set outside, and then peeks her head back in. “Still ready? Haven’t changed your mind? Because no refunds, exchanges, or returns on that model. He’d probably just stalk you, anyway,” she teases with a smirk.
I nod, already on the verge of tears. Happy ones, but I don’t want to ruin my makeup.
“I’m really excited to have another sister,” she says, but before I can answer, she closes the door.
Shit! I’m crying. I always wanted a sister, and now I’m getting three of them. Kayla, Luna, and Samantha have accepted me into their trio with open arms and kind hearts. There’s no drama, no backstabbing, no gossip. They’re genuinely good people. And they’re all different, and awesome because of it. One of my lifelong wishes is coming true today with them.
I dab at my eyes with a tissue and take a deep breath, then open the door to the rest of my life.
Cole
Standing on the back deck overlooking a lush, green forest, surrounded by my family, is not something I ever would’ve predicted. But more surprising than that is the beautiful woman walking toward me with both tears and a smile on her face.
I’ve come to learn how to read those tears, and they’re good ones. They’re tears that say she’s right where she wants to be and that she’s ready for forever. With me.
She’s stunning—her red curls a halo, her gray eyes bright, her hands gripping a small bouquet of white flowers for dear life, and her white dress flowing down to swirl around her ankles.
I’m tempted to go meet her halfway but force my feet to stay in place and let her come to me because that feels important. I want her to have her moment of being the center of attention for everyone, not only for me.
She’ll be the center of my universe for the rest of our lives.
In a few more steps, Janey’s in front of me. She hands her bouquet to Mason, her man of honor, and I whisper, “You look beautiful.”
“You do too!” she whispers back.
Everyone’s quiet, so they hear us both and laugh, which makes Janey blush. A year ago, I would have been pissed, but I’ve learned to read the laughter too. It’s the laughter of love.
When Janey looks around, she sees Gabriella holding up an iPad with a whole group of people from The Ivy on the screen. They couldn’t come but wanted to be here for us both, so live streaming it was a way to share with them. “Hi, guys!” she says, waving to her coworkers and patients, who wave back. “I’m getting married!”
They laugh, and there’s some chatter, and I’m pretty sure I hear Ace’s voice in the mix, “Protect the queen, kid.”
He doesn’t mean on the chess board. He’s talking about Janey, protective of her in a fatherly way even now, and I nod, having every intention of doing just that.
Janey turns back to me and we join hands. We decided to marry ourselves, and luckily, our state allows that, so there’s no officiant to make a big speech. It’s simple, it’s us, and that’s enough.
I swallow thickly and start. “I suck at words. And people. And talking to people. But you didn’t care. You climbed right into my cold heart and poured your sunshine in, making yourself at home there, fixing it with your love. You became my family and then gave me mine back.”