by Sara Mack
I do a quick check to make sure I have everything. Small clutch. Yes. Shoes. They’re on my feet. Bouquet. Yes. I inhale the ivory hydrangea and purple calla lily mix. When I lift the flowers, however, I realize my wrist is empty. Shoot.
“Are you ready?” Jules asks from behind me.
“I just need a second.”
She gives me an impatient glare.
“Go on.” I shoo her away. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
She reluctantly follows everyone else downstairs.
I walk to the overnight bag I brought and search for the tiny blue box. When I find it, I pop the lid and pull out the silver bracelet Oliver gave me. Four charms dangle from the links: a music note, a heart, a guitar, and, of course, a shark. I slide it over my hand. Perfect.
Picking up my flowers again, I take one last look at myself in the mirror before heading out the door. My dress is vintage lace, but simple. It’s ivory and sleeveless with a V-neck, plunging back, and a few rhinestones at the waist. I think it makes me look respectfully curvy and very 1920’s.
“Jen! Come on!” Jules hollers.
Good lord, the woman is going to have a heart attack. It’s not even her wedding day.
It’s mine.
~~~~
The limo delivers us to Heavenly Scent Herb Farm, located in my hometown, at precisely one o’clock. I know we took a chance with an outdoor ceremony, but Latson and I wanted something natural and intimate. Nothing big city, since that’s where we live and work. We opted for the Herb Farm because the grounds are gorgeous. Everywhere you look there’s a garden or hanging baskets overflowing with blooms or hidden statuaries. There’s even a waterfall next to the arbor where everyone will watch us say our vows.
“Okay, everyone.” Jules directs traffic. “Girls inside to the bridal room and parents outside to great guests.”
She totally missed her calling as a coordinator. That’s why I asked for her help. Things would be a mess without her.
As we stay hidden from the guys and the guests, we take a few pictures and do some last minute touch-ups. I haven’t felt nervous all day, but now, moments away from seeing Latson, I’m starting to get butterflies. I’m not anxious about the commitment; it’s just some of the day’s details have been kept secret from me. Ever since he furnished – then unfurnished – my apartment, Latson likes to surprise me. So far, all the surprises have been good, like a spontaneous trip to Seattle, tickets to see Mama Mia! (gotta love ABBA), and my proposal on the yacht he rented to cruise Lake Michigan. I did manage to surprise him with one thing: our rings. When he proposed, I shocked him by telling him to take back what he had bought me. I’d been thinking about it off and on, and when things were official, I got my first tattoo – around my left ring finger. He did the same, and we match.
Forever.
“It’s time,” Jules says, pulling me out of my memories.
“Good.” I follow her toward the door and my father. “I’m ready to get this show on the road.”
When I reach my dad, he takes my arm and then kisses my cheek. “You look beautiful.”
I blush. What is it about dads and compliments? “Thank you.”
As we follow the girls, he leans into my ear. “If he ever does you wrong, you tell me. I’ll take care of it.”
I hold out my hand, and he fist bumps me. Yep. My dad, the teacher, is a badass.
When we make it outside, I can hear the buzz of guests whispering and the sound of an acoustic guitar. It takes me a moment to recognize the song as “You and Me” by Lifehouse, and I stand on my toes so I can peek over heads to see who’s playing. I can barely make out Dean’s head by the officiant, and I realize it’s him. My expression immediately softens and … crap. I’m going to need tissues.
Gwen is the first to walk down the aisle, followed by Ariel, and then my maid of honor, Jules. She specifically instructed me to start walking after the music changed, so I chew on my lip and wait until I hear a pause. Dean begins to play “Marry Me” by Train, and I start to get a little shaky.
“Here we go,” my dad encourages me and pats my arm.
When we step into view, everyone stands. There’s less than a hundred people here, but it feels like an arena to me. My eyes bounce around the guests, and I pick out family members, Roxanne, Paul, and Drew. I find Kevin and Ashley next to Kyle and Addison and seeing them makes me smile. I haven’t talked to them in ages. If I’m not mistaken, Addison’s face looks a little puffy. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s pregnant. I swear, it’s contagious.
My dad starts to lead me forward and my eyes land on Latson’s father standing in the row across from my mom. He smiles when he sees me, and I’m so happy he reconciled things with his son enough to be here. I know the relationship is important to Oliver and, as much as Latson won’t admit it, he would be hurt if his dad missed today.
With all the thoughts jumping around my brain, I think I’m holding up pretty well. I’m walking in a straight line and everything, until my eyes fall on the two most important men in my life.
Standing at the end of the aisle, both Latson and Oliver wait for me. As we get closer to one another, my eyes stay glued on Latson. This man is trying to kill me. Who put him in that suit? It’s lethal. It’s cut perfectly to the plains of his waist and his chest, his shirt and necktie offset by the ivory handkerchief in his lapel pocket. His eyes swim in mine, and the only thing I can think about is running my hands through his hair and kissing him. My mind barely registers Pete, Carter, and Felix standing to his left.
When I reach the end of the aisle, the officiant asks who gives this woman to be wed. My dad looks at Oliver because this is their big line. O wanted a part in the ceremony and since he “found” me at the aquarium, we thought it would be appropriate for him to give me away, too.
My dad starts, “Her mother and I …”
“… and I do, too,” Oliver finishes.
The guests think it’s cute and they laugh. Latson looks like he could devour me as he takes my hand and leads me forward a few steps. He leans into my ear and his scent invades my senses. “I don’t have words to describe how gorgeous you look,” he whispers. “I’m not letting you out of the room during our honeymoon.”
The officiant clears her throat and smirks like she heard what he said. I squeeze his hand in admonishment and stand up straight. I can feel him laugh.
“Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to witness the joining of …”
The officiant’s voice fades away. I’m anxious to get to the “I do” part. We wrote our own vows, and I’ve been practicing mine for weeks. When it’s finally time, I give my flowers to Jules, face Latson, and smile up at him. “Hi.”
He grins. “Hi.”
I take a breath and then his hands, squeezing his fingers. “So, here’s the thing,” I say. “When you came into my life, I wasn’t expecting you.” His eyes light up. “All I wanted was space to sort things out, and you kept getting in the way.”
Laughter filters through the guests.
“Thank you for never giving up on me,” I say. “Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for encouraging my dreams, even though it’s sometimes hard for you. Thank you for allowing me into your life, for sharing your past, and letting me love Oliver.” I look at our joined hands and run my thumbs over the back of his. “Thank you for showing me it’s possible for one man to love one woman and be faithful to her without secrets and lies.”
My eyes meet his again and they look glassy. I swallow the lump in my throat; I’ve never seen him tear up before. “If someone had told me I would have to lose everything I had to find everything I need, I wouldn’t have believed them.” I pause. “You make me a believer. You’re my truth. You’re everything I need, and I love you. I promise to love you every day of my life.”
Latson clutches my fingers and then lets them go. He traces the side of my face with one hand before blinking to clear his eyes. “How am I supposed to compete with that?”
&nbs
p; Both Jules and Gwen say “aww” from behind me.
I expect him to take my hands again to say his vows, but instead he steps away from me. “My turn,” he says as Dean stands and hands him his guitar.
My knees go weak. He’s going to sing?
Latson sits down and sets the acoustic across his lap. “When I tried to write my vows my mind kept turning them into a song.” He gives me his dimple smile. “I guess that’s the only thing I know how to put on paper.” He sets his fingers against the strings. “I hope you like it.”
Like there’s a chance in hell I wouldn’t.
He starts to play and the song stays instrumental for a few moments. When he opens his mouth to sing, I get lost in the smooth sound of his voice:
“Against the world
Guarded and numb
An unforgiving path was the only one
I questioned my choices
And doubted my heart
Until we crashed together
And never fell apart.
You broke down my walls
And cut my chains,
I’ll use them to bind us together.
No words or tears can stop our flame
Fall with me into forever.
Funny how love comes off a myth
Until fate decides it’s time
I didn’t know I’d lost my soul
Until your blue eyes met mine.
You see things in me I’ve never seen
You’ve opened up my eyes
I vow to protect your giving heart
And love you until the day I die.
You broke down my walls
And cut my chains,
I’ll use them to bind us together.
No words or tears can stop our flame
Fall with me into forever.
You broke down my walls
And cut my chains
Bind yourself to me forever.
There’s nothing in the world
We can’t do
As long as we’re together.”
When he finishes the song, silence falls around us. He studies my face, and I try to breathe; it’s difficult when my pulse is pounding so hard. Our family and friends start to clap, but I’m not having any of that. What he just did for me, said to me, deserves more than polite applause.
I throw myself in Latson’s lap as soon as he’s rid of the guitar. He laughs and grabs ahold of my waist as I take his face in both of my hands. I plant the most inappropriate kiss that I can on his lips, but I don’t care. He doesn’t either because he gives it right back and his fingers start to roam.
“I guess we’ll just skip to the end,” I hear the officiant laugh. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You can … keep doing what you’re doing.”
I hear the bridal party cheer, and I smile against Latson’s mouth. We did it. “I love you, husband.”
He holds me tighter to him. “I love you, Little Bird.”
Acknowledgements
As a writer, it’s hard to crush a character. Especially one you really like. In Sparrow, Jen was only supposed to be a blip – an ex-girlfriend to show Kyle’s inability to commit since losing Addison. Boy, did she have other plans for me! To quote Kyle, the “cute, funny, and talented” bartender became a much bigger part of Sparrow than I had originally planned (I didn’t see the twist with Derek until I was literally writing the chapter). While what happened to Jen in Sparrow was right for that story, it wasn’t right for her. I owed her, and she let me know it, too. She’s been living in my mind for the last year, questioning happily-ever-after’s and wondering if she’d get hers. I’m happy to say she found her forever with Latson. I hope readers will agree that she finally got the love and attention she deserves.
With that said, there are a few people I need to thank for their support and encouragement:
My family. Thank you to Drew – fictional Union drummer to readers, but real-life husband to me. Thank you for being in my band, for your “fight” advice, and for finding the Pink Floyd quote. Thank you to my son, my Oliver inspiration, for being adorable and loving Nerf and Minecraft so much that O does, too. And thank you to my daughter who, like an agent, is always checking up on me: “How much did you write today, Mom? Only a paragraph? You need to get moving!”
My betas. Koz, Tartney, JFF, and Brooke. This was a long process, ladies. Thank you for sticking with me. I know receiving one chapter every couple weeks, sometimes once a month, is tedious. Thank you for your faith in Latson and Jen (“She needs to be married and have tons of Latson babies!”), and for your faith in me.
My Street Team. Jenn L., Barbie, Tracey, Sonya, Lisa, Retta, Jordan, Charlotte, James, Angela, Brianie, Sarah, Deanna, Lyndsey, Tami, Colleen, Lindsey L., Christina, Leann, Kendra, Ginelle, Shawanda, Tiffany, Aubrey, Breena, Lori, Michele, Gloria, and Mary Ann. Whether we’re Facebook friends, in-person friends, or family, thank you for your never-ending support. Last but not least, a special thank you to Joelle – if it were up to her, the entire universe would know about my books. Her promotion is tireless, and I love her for it.
Dean McCarthy and the Union ~ Set List
All of the songs written by Dean and played on the Renegade Tour were inspired by real books written by authors who have become good friends. If you’re curious, check out the links below:
To Hell and Back
By Leigha Taylor
Breaking Free
By S.M. Koz
The Short Life of Sparrows
By Emm Cole
Over-Exposed
By Julie Jaret
Out of the Blu
By Jennifer Fisch-Ferguson
(coming soon)
Of course, Dean has more than five songs, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t fit them all into the story. Here is the rest of his set list:
Old No. 7
Tribute to my brother’s old band.
Paul, in Cardinal, is my real brother who plays bass.
Arrow On The Doorpost
The Walking Dead. Need I say more?
Until the End of Forever
See Guardian by Sara Mack
Red Ribbon
Eclipse, my favorite book of the Twilight Series
Raven
In honor of my daughter’s ice hockey team.
Those girls are some kick-ass chicks, just like Jen.
About the Author
Sara Mack is a Michigan native who grew up with her nose in books. She is a wife and a hockey mom on top of being trapped in an office forty hours a week. Her spare time is spent one-clicking on Amazon and devouring books on her Kindle, cleaning up after her kids and two elderly cats, attempting to keep her flower garden alive, and, of course, writing. She has an unnatural affinity for dark chocolate, iced tea, and bacon.
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Other books by Sara Mack:
Sparrow
The Guardian Trilogy
Guardian
Allegiant
Reborn
Available on Amazon