Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“I love you,” he murmured against my lips. “Love you so much, Landry.”
The words poured over me, sinking into every parched, longing crack in my soul like cool rain after a drought.
“Of course I’ll marry you. You’re my fucking husband.” I pressed my forehead to his. “But next time, baby, can you wait for me before flying off without saying a word?”
“Did you worry I was leaving you?” His eyes searched mine. “I saw the headlines. Right now, I might be in Mallorca with Jamie Winthrop—”
I snorted. “Cora might have something to say about that. No, Kenji,” I said more seriously. “I didn’t doubt for one second that you were off fixing things for me—”
“For us,” he corrected. “Because fixing things for the people I love is what I do.” He shrugged. “And we were kind of in a time crunch, you know?”
This man. This impossible man. My impossible man.
“How’d you even know I’d come?” I wondered.
Kenji slid down until he was back on his own feet. “Because I needed you. And being there when the people you love need you is what you do.” He brushed a lock of hair off my forehead. “You’re very dependable that way… even if it took me way too long to figure it out.”
“I do love you,” I whispered. “More than life.”
“I know,” Kenji said simply. “Now, c’mon. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
He tried tugging me toward the door, but I resisted. “You should know, I told Teddy I don’t want to be an MP. I withdrew my name from consideration.”
“Wait, really?” Kenji looked more concerned than surprised. “What about your family’s legacy? I was serious when I said I wanted to help you accomplish your dreams—”
“I know.” I pulled him close and cupped his beautiful, dear face. “And that’s what gave me the strength I needed to realize that you are my dream, and I want my legacy to be this. You and me. Us. The life we choose, the family we choose, everything we build together. You’ve already helped me accomplish so much, Kenj. Now it’s my turn to support you.”
As he stepped up on his toes to kiss me, I felt our love like a promise.
This, here, was our stated vow.
The actual ceremony was quick and cheerful. Each of the guys had volunteered to step forward and say something. Dev went first.
“A strong marriage is not two halves becoming whole, but two wholes growing together.” He nodded solemnly and stepped back.
I tried not to think that it sounded cliché as hell. And uncomfortably familiar.
Silas stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Marriage is not about finding the right person… but becoming the right partner.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Bash gave Silas a serious nod of approval before taking his place. “Like a river and the shore, true partners shape each other with time and grace.”
Foster muttered, “Mostly through years of gentle erosion.”
Were they joking? Had these come from the back of a soda can?
Zane stepped forward. “Love is the seed… but commitment is the garden.”
Ryan reached out and yanked Zane back as everyone tried not to howl with laughter.
Kenji snorted but tried to maintain his composure as the men who were supposed to love me most in the world spewed Chaska Inira bullshit all over my wedding.
Kush Whiteplume, the judge most likely to throw back a beer or three with us on a Saturday night in town, rolled his eyes at Foster before looking back at Kenji and me.
“It’s a blessing to solemnize a relationship in which I’ve been able to witness the, uh… seed flinging for a couple of years. May you live long and prosper with a sense of humor and a heap of patience. By the power vested in me by the great state of Wyoming, I now pronounce you… two wholes. Growing together. Or whatever the hell Devon said. Now… go on and kiss. You two earned it.”
Everyone burst out laughing as I grabbed my husband and kissed him soundly.
Warm puffs of air escaped his nose as he laughed, and I wondered just how many times I’d get to experience such a thing.
“I love you, Kenji.”
“I love you, too.”
A champagne cork popped, followed by a whoop. Way’s sister, Sheridan, and her husband brought out trays of appetizers and champagne glasses while Foster’s mother, Jo, danced around with Lellie in her arms. “With this Ring” by the Platters crooned over the Bluetooth speakers.
Balloons and streamers in birthday colors hung from the ceiling and walls, ostensibly for Lellie’s birthday but in reality for our wedding celebration. They had Kenji’s fastidious nature written all over them, and they were definitely too fresh to have been left over from her birthday party.
Kenji grinned up at me, his arms still wrapped around my waist. “You don’t seem bothered by all this. Just used to me telling you what to do?”