Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Lilith poked her head into the room. “Darling, it’s time. Are you ready?”
I drew in a deep breath and nodded my head. “I’ve never been more ready.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my beating heart.
“Are you okay?”
My eyes snapped open to see Gus standing beside me. “Gus? What are you doing down here?”
He smiled. “I came to walk you up the aisle…or, um…the hill.”
Surprised, confused, and overwhelmed by his kindness, I opened my mouth to reply…but nothing came out.
Reaching for my hand, he gently squeezed it. “Ladd and I talked last night about your father not being here to walk with you, and I asked him if he thought it would be okay if I offered.”
A single tear slipped free and rolled down my cheek.
Gus lifted his hand and gently brushed it away. “Would it be okay, Viv?”
Nodding, I was barely able to speak. “I’d be honored.”
He put my hand on his arm, and we started up the trail. Halfway to the top, I noticed the path was covered with rose petals. I leaned in and said, “That’s a lot of rose petals.”
Chuckling, he replied, “Apparently, you can buy them like that for this very reason.”
We both laughed as we made our way up. My heart started to beat faster as we approached the top. Once we made it over the crest, I sucked in a breath.
White chairs were set on either side of the path that led to the arbor. The same flowers that were in my bouquet were in small pots at the beginning of each row of chairs. Mason jars with tea lights hung from the trees and added a particularly romantic touch to the area. The sun was low in the sky, already turning a beautiful color.
But the most beautiful sight was Ladd, standing in a black tux and wearing a black cowboy hat, a broad grin on his face as he wiped his tears away. David stood next to him wearing almost the identical outfit, right down to the black cowboy hat. He placed his hand on Ladd’s shoulder, leaning in to say something to his brother.
Lily stood opposite them, wearing a stunning light blue gown and holding white and blue peonies. She was also wiping away a tear. And directly in front of me now was little Logan, our flower girl, tossing rose petals as high as she could while she skipped, rather than walked.
She also cried out, “I’m almost there, Ladd!”
Everyone laughed, including me and Gus.
The closer I got to Ladd, though, the more everyone seemed to slip away. Gus and I stopped at the arbor, and the preacher, who was a family friend, and who’d baptized all of Nellie and Gus’s boys, asked who was giving me away.
Gus proudly responded. “She’s not mine to give up, and anyone who’d ever want to would be crazy.” I sniffled and held back my tears as he went on. “I am, however, here to escort her to my son to become a part of our family.”
Gus started to let go of my arm, but I turned to face him. I reached up and kissed his cheek as I whispered, “Thank you, Gus.”
He winked. “I’m not losing a son. I’m actually gaining a daughter.” My chin wobbled, and he cupped my cheeks. “Don’t you start crying now. You’ll make me cry. I love you, Vivianne.”
A sob slipped free. “I love you too, Gus.”
“Dad,” he corrected.
Nodding, I whispered, “Dad.”
Ladd stepped forward. “Um, Dad, why are you making my future wife cry?”
Gus and I both laughed with tears in our eyes, and he placed my hand in Ladd’s.
Leaning down, Ladd whispered, “You look so beautiful.”
“And you look so handsome.”
We turned and stepped up to the preacher, who smiled at both of us.
The rest of the ceremony was a blur. I was lost in Ladd’s eyes as we stared at one another. We said our vows, and right before the preacher told Ladd he could kiss the bride, Ladd drew in…then stopped.
“Look at the sky, Viv.”
I turned to see the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on. The sky was a gorgeous dark orange, casting its show down on the tops of the mountains and clouds. The lake below held a mirrored image of the skyline, and I nearly lost my breath.
This was home now. This was where I would live the rest of my life. Where I would have kids and watch the wonder on their faces as we showed them this same view. Where I would grow old with Ladd and, if we were both blessed, watch our children be married in this same spot, and our grandchildren be born and raised.
This was the place where I discovered what family truly meant, and where love bloomed and grew.
This was heaven on Earth.
Facing Ladd, I slowly smiled up at him.