Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Chance stands beside him in a navy three-piece suit with a crisp white shirt. His blonde hair is neatly styled, and in the warm light it looks almost like a halo, glittering golden strands framing his face. He looks at me like he isn’t even aware there are other people in the room and wouldn’t care regardless of who they are.
Dillon is smiling like a maniac, a wide, almost unhinged grin on his lips as he whoops when I walk in. I laugh, whatever tension or awkwardness might have been in the room evaporating with his shameless exuberance. He isn’t even wearing a suit and instead opts for slacks and a black button-down, the top couple of buttons undone and his sandy hair long enough now that he tucks it behind his ears.
The officiant, a longtime friend of Dillon’s parents, smiles warmly as I walk down the aisle to Green Day’s “Last Night on Earth.” When I reach them, the music fades, and Boone takes my hands, his grip steady and warm as he tucks me between himself and Chance.
We all turn toward the officiant, Chance’s arm sliding around my hip while I reach behind him for Dillon’s hand. Boone’s fingers stay linked with mine, his presence a towering comfort at my side. The officiant smiles at us before welcoming the few people gathered, talking about how love is love no matter what it looks like.
“They’ve written their own vows,” he says once he concludes his opening.
My stomach swoops, but Boone is ready, lifting a hand to show he’ll go first. I turn to him, Chance’s arm still wrapped around my hips and Dillon’s fingers tight around mine.
“Roxanne,” he says, his voice a little rougher than usual but no less certain than he’s been since he first told me they didn’t really fit into conventional boxes. “You brought peace to this home when we needed it most.”
I arch an eyebrow at him, and he chuckles before quietly adding, “You did, you know. The mob might’ve followed you here that one time, but that’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”
I smile, tears brimming in my eyes as he continues. “You showed me I could trust again. Love again. Live again. I promise to protect you, to listen to you, and to build a life with you. I choose you, Roxie. Every day, for the rest of my life, I will choose you.”
He kisses my knuckles, and I tremble, but then Chance turns me toward him when the officiant nods the go-ahead. He cups my cheeks gently, those eyes tender and loving on mine.
“Sunshine, you saved me. Not from danger, but from myself. You taught me how to find light after darkness and family after pain. I vow to be your shield, your partner, and your safe place. I vow to love you with everything I have and with every part of me, even the broken ones.”
Tears stream down my face by the time Dillon takes my hands, smiling like he’s about to burst. “It never stops amazing me that you took one look at the chaos that is our life and said, ‘Yeah, sure, I’ll marry all three of these lunatics.’”
He pauses when the audience chuckles, then continues, “Seriously, as far as I’m concerned, that deserves a medal. But you make everything brighter, Rox. I vow to make you laugh, to make you feel loved, and to help build a life full of joy, stupid inside jokes, and holidays the size of small festivals. You’re my heart, and I’ll spend my whole life proving that you’re making the right choice today.”
A sob rises in my throat as I look into his gorgeous blue eyes, but the officiant saves me from dissolving into a mess of tears when he nods at me. It’s my turn, and one of the babies kicks as if encouraging me.
“My loves,” I say, looking at each of them in turn. “When I first got here, I thought I was running for my life, but somehow, I ended up finding it instead. I found the life I had always dreamed of, the kind of love I never thought I would have.”
I inhale a shaky breath. “I’m so grateful to have found my family. My true loves. And I promise to stand with you, to grow with you, and to raise our family with you. I vow to love each of you wholly, fiercely, and endlessly, and to love all of us together no matter the challenges we may face in the future.”
The officiant nods at Boone, and he kisses me first, his lips meeting mine in a bruising kiss that makes me forget where we are. Chance is next, smiling as he guides my mouth to his with a hand on my throat, his lips gentle and loving, like he’s making another unspoken vow. Dillon takes over long before I’ve had enough. The tent erupts in applause when he sweeps me right off my feet, careful of the belly, and kisses me as fiercely as he ever has.