Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
It was just us, surrounded by our loved ones, ready to exchange vows and rings that would tie us together forever.
“Earth to Aleks!” A hand clapped down on my shoulder, and I turned to see Carter wearing his signature too-wide grin. He always looked like a kid in a candy store. “You good, man? You’ve got that ‘wedding jitters’ look.”
I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head. “No jitters. Just... taking it all in.”
Carter raised an eyebrow, following my gaze around the room. “Well, take it in later. Right now, we need your muscle in the dining room. Something about a garland that refuses to cooperate.”
He’d no sooner said the words before a golden retriever puppy ran past us with a high heel in his mouth, the poor thing struggling to drag it along as Liv chased after him.
“Carter! I swear to God, if your dog chews my Manolos, I will take your next tooth out without anesthesia!”
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath, and then he was shrugging at me with that goofy grin again. “Guess getting a new puppy this week wasn’t my brightest idea.”
“You think?”
He laughed with another squeeze of my shoulder. Then, he took off, chasing after Liv like he always had been. “Zamboni! Bad dog, Zambo. Drop it. Drooop it.” He pretended to scold the pup when he caught up with it, but I didn’t miss how he secretly scratched behind the thing’s ear with a wink like he’d trained it to help him get Livia’s attention.
I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Garland, Su Man,” he reminded me as he put his arm around our perturbed team dentist, showing her proudly that her high heel was unharmed. She shoved him away, but I swore I saw a smirk on those dark rose lips of hers.
I could hear the guys in the dining room calling for my help, but I hesitated, my gaze drifting to the stairs as if I might catch a glimpse of her.
My bride. My Mia. The girl I’d been so sure I could never have.
And now, the woman I’d spend the rest of my life proving I deserved.
• • •
Everything came together just in the knick of time, our guests who had doubled as party planners taking their seats and settling in to relax and enjoy the wedding with just ten minutes to spare. Daddy P stood begrudgingly at the altar made of reclaimed wood and draped with greenery, fairy lights, and chrysanthemums.
With the help of Chloe and Ava begging him, he’d agreed to be our officiant. I knew he was perfect because it would be short, sweet, and to the point — which was exactly what we wanted.
There were no groomsmen, no bridesmaids, just all our family and friends seated in the cozy space as the snow fell harder outside. A violinist played softly in the corner of the room as everyone settled in, and I stood by the stairs again, knowing it was just about time for me to take my place next to Will.
And then Mia would walk down the aisle to me.
I shook my head in disbelief, a smile curving my lips as my heart squeezed in my chest.
“Now that’s the face I’ve always dreamed of seeing on the man about to marry my little girl.”
Charlie met me with a warm grin when I turned to face him, opening his arms wide for a hug. He clapped me hard on the back, holding me longer and tighter than usual before he released me.
“Shouldn’t you be with that little girl right now?” I reminded him.
“She’s having a moment with her mother, and if I have any prayer of holding myself together through this ceremony, I can’t witness my two favorite girls in the world crying or I’ll be in a puddle on the floor, too.”
“I’ve given up on any hope of holding back tears,” I confessed.
“Well, we can be a mess together, then.” Charlie’s smile softened, his eyes searching mine. “It’s a great day for this father. I have always been so proud to call you my son, even if you weren’t technically family. Now, you will be.”
Proud.
My chest seized at the word. I knew he’d been proud of me as a hockey player, maybe even as a student. But… was he proud that I was the one his daughter had chosen?
I thought about a moment in this house where I was everything but proud, when this man had found me with a handful of pills and talked me down. The next day, he’d insisted I get help, and I had. Other than that, we hadn’t spoken of it since.
But could he really be proud Mia chose me if he knew what lived inside me?
Charlie shifted on his feet, glancing out the window at the snow as it thickened, the flurries sticking to the glass. He let out a breath that seemed heavier than the moment called for, his hands finding his pockets before his gaze returned to me.