I stand on my tiptoes to peer through the swarms of people boarding the boat, squinting to try to see in the darkness.
“Excuse me, sorry!” I mumble as I haul the suitcase and squish my way through the hordes, butterflies rushing through me and energy filling my veins.
I reach the edge of the deck and lean against the railing, examining the dock as fast as I can.
Finally, I see arms waving around madly.
“Mel! Don’t get on the boat! Not yet!”
I let go of the handle and place both my hands on the railing, finally able to make out the figure. “Whitney?”
“Yes! It’s me!” She’s jumping. She’s not usually a jumper.
“What on earth are you doing?” I call back. “You were sleeping when I left. I put a note on the counter.”
“I know, I know.” She gestures for me to come back down the stairs.
I look around and debate the idea.
“You gotta come with me. Really quick,” she adds. “You can get back on the boat. It’s urgent maid-of-honor duties for my wedding.”
My jaw drops as I shake my head in disbelief. “Maid-of-honor duties? At five in the morning?”
“It’s, um, urgent. And I have to figure it out before you leave. Don’t worry, there will still be time.”
“Whit, you know I love you to death, but…” I glance at the enormous boat. My new home. My…destiny. Apparently. “Can’t this wait until I’m back after my first tour?”
“Uh…” She runs a hand through her long brown hair and holds her arms out wide. “No, it can’t. Please, Mel.”
I chew my lip and stare down at the water below.
You’ll find your fated mate on the water.
“Hurry!” Whitney calls.
Everything feels like it’s moving in slow motion. The rock of the boat, the people milling around and pushing past me, the wind blowing my hair back.
“Okay,” I yell back. “For you, cuz.”
“Yes!” She jumps again.
I clunk the suitcase awkwardly through the crowd and down the dock stairs, my heart racing in my chest as I try, once again, to center my breathing.
“Let’s go.” She grabs the luggage before I can ask another question and pulls me to her glossy white Range Rover (birthday present from Chase).
“Whit…where are we—”
“It’ll be quick. Promise.” She practically floors it out of the cruise port parking lot, and I rub my temples, confusion and feelings coursing through me a mile a minute.
Whitney drives like a madwoman and gives me zero clues about where we’re going or why the hell wedding planning had to be done right now.
I clutch the door handle as she speeds down the road and turns onto Oceanside. The street my studio is on. Or, what used to be my studio.
“What are we doing here?” I ask nervously, sadness welling up in my chest for the thousandth time since I woke up.
She doesn’t respond, but her inability to hide a grin sends a flurry of hope and curiosity and welcome excitement curling through me.
The sun is barely starting to peek out over the clouds, letting the slightest glow wash over South Florida, where everyone else is still asleep.
“You sure I’m still going to be able to get on the boat?” I give Whit some serious side-eye. Why can’t she understand I’m going where I’m supposed to be?
“Yes, now will you hush?” Her voice is way too giddy for this hour of the morning.
I study her suspiciously and watch the palm trees that line Oceanside fly by, sinking low in the cushy leather seat and shaking my head at the heaping mess that has become my life.
My mind goes back to Dylan. The way he tried to stop himself from laughing at my jokes. The way his eyes sparked and lit up like the Fourth of July when he saw his dad after that game. The way he’s…
Standing on the roof of my yoga studio?
I swear I stop breathing, and my heart skips about nine beats as Whitney pulls into the parking lot of the studio, and my entire body goes into shock as I try to process exactly what I’m looking at.
“What…the…” is all that whispers out of my throat.
I look at Whitney, my eyes enormous and my jaw practically on the floor. She’s grinning widely, looking proud.
I slowly turn my head back to the scene in front of me, wondering if this is some kind of crazy dream.
There he is, Dylan Rivera, standing on the remnants of my studio roof. Is he holding a hammer?
Below him, Chase Kennedy is hauling piles of wood into the dumpster. Leo Sterling is attempting to take out a broken window. Elliot Danes is putting up a tarp to cover the holes.
The more the fog in my eyes clears, the more South Florida Riders I can see. They’re all here, even Andre Smoke, who doesn’t join the team until the fall. He’s the only one who seems to actually know what he’s doing.
“Are you kidding me?” I choke on a laugh, my throat tight with shock and surprise and my chest swelling and lifting with joy.
“Let’s go!” Whitney hops out of the car, and I do the same, knowing my legs feel like jelly and hoping I’ll even be able to stand on them.
“Melody Hayes,” Dylan calls from the roof. He’s shirtless and swinging a hammer at something.
I jog toward the building, propelled by adrenaline and electricity and love. “What on earth are you doing?” I yell, throwing my arms out as my hair blows back in the chilly wind.
“Fixing it,” he calls back.
Leo gives me a smile and a nod as he picks up a heap of drywall and walks past me.
I can barely breathe, and I sure as hell can’t get the smile off my face. Dylan is doing this for me. He got his entire team to do this for me.
Shit. He really does want me to stay.
“You guys?” I gesture around teasingly, looking up at him and unable to look away. “Why didn’t you just hire someone?”
“Yeah, well…” Dylan ruffles his hair and holds the hammer at his side. “That’s probably what we’re going to end up doing, but…if I’d just hired someone…” The wind blows hard as the sun comes up more, the sky glowing orange and light pink.
His silhouette contrasts against the sunrise as he stands on the roof. Everything about him is perfection.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
He yanks on something in front of him, and an enormous white banner drops down over the front of the studio.
As it snaps open, I read the giant words written with blue paint.
I LOVE YOU, MELODY, and then underneath it: (HOW’S THIS FOR A SIGN?)
Laughter bubbles up in my chest, and I hold my hands to my mouth, feeling the ground rock below me as my heart does somersaults.
“Danes,” Dylan calls, glancing down. “Ladder.”
Elliot drags the ladder over and leans it against the building as Dylan cautiously moves across the roof and onto it.
I instinctively rush forward as he climbs down each rung, my whole being feeling like it’s on fire.
“So this…you…” I laugh in disbelief and look all around the hilarious scene. “I’m supposed to be on a boat.”
“No.” He shakes his head wildly and grabs my shoulders. He’s more electric and charged and radiant than I’ve ever seen. “No, you’re supposed to be here. With me.”
I push hair out of my face. “I did see the sign.” I nod toward the white banner.
“It’s a good sign, right?” He juts his chin and wets his lips, smiling at me.
“It’s great, Dylan. This is all…amazing.”
“But you still think your destiny is on the boat.” He points a finger. “I thought you might say that. But listen. All those signs, all those messages from the universe and the psychic and everything else…they all pointed you right to me.”
I suck in a breath and widen my eyes.
“You will find your soul mate on the water, right?”
I nod slowly.
“What was your townhouse fil
led with the morning after we met? The very thing that led you to come and live with me.”
My belly swarms with butterflies. “Water,” I whisper.
“And you’ll know he’s the one when the leaves fall, yeah?” He turns and holds his arm toward the studio, smashed by an oak tree. “Well, there are the leaves. They fell. And it’s—”
“You,” I finish. Clouds clear away, and my heart swells, and the world seems to spin a thousand miles an hour around the two of us.
Dylan locks his gaze with mine, his deep, loving, magnificent brown eyes captivating me and holding me and adoring me. “See?” He cups my cheeks, making my knees weak. “It’s us. It’s supposed to be us.”
Without another second of hesitation or wonder or confusion, I plant my lips on his, falling into him as fireworks of passion and joy and perfection explode all through me.
Dylan picks me up and spins me around, making my hair fly back as I shriek with laughter, and all the Riders guys holler and cheer.
Even after he lowers me down, I still feel like I’m flying.
“You gave me this.” He reached into his pocket and pulls out the tiny Laughing Buddha. “And when I was looking at it, I realized that this is how you make me feel. This happy. Only you, Melody.”
I push my hair behind my ears as my eyes well with emotion. Good emotion. “Dylan, I—”
“All the signs…” His voice is low, but charged with intensity and passion. “It all makes sense. Will you please stay? I’ll help you fix your studio. It’ll be better than ever. Will you please be with me, Melody? Because you’re my soul mate. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that.”
I hold his hands with the tiny statue in them and look up at his handsome, loving face. My whole body is on fire as a warm sense of peace wraps itself around me. “I love you, too. Yes.” I nod vigorously, knowing I’ve never in my life been so certain about something. The banner on the studio, the love in his eyes, the crystal clarity in my mind. “Yes, Dylan!”
He kisses me hard, and we laugh through the kiss. “And you know this is destiny, because the universe says so.”
“No.” I smile and shake my head and let the wind ripple through my hair, lifting myself onto my toes and feeling completely electric and weightless and overcome with joy. “This is destiny because I say it is. And that…” I point to the white banner draped across the building. “That’s the best damn sign I’ve ever seen.”
Dylan laughs and presses his forehead to mine, holding me close and tight and making the entire world melt away.
He kisses me softly. “Namaste, baby.”
Epilogue
Dylan
“Is everything ready to go?” Melody’s smile lights up brighter than the sun as we stand barefoot in the sand on a crystal-clear summer day. She dances around in a flowery sundress that flawlessly matches her hair and her eyes and her personality.
I subtly graze my finger over the little box in my back pocket, feeling a spike in my heart rate as chills of excitement and nerves ripple down my spine.
“Yeah.” I clasp my hands together and glance around the beach, trying my best to hide the jitters. “Everything’s looking perfect.”
She bounces on her toes and plants a sweet kiss on my lips. “Almost as perfect as you.” With a cheesy grin and a tap on my nose, Melody hurries away to help my mom finish getting ready.
I take in a deep breath of the salty breeze and try to relax, looking out over the ocean and at the beautiful display of chairs and flowers and a white wooden arch with ribbons decorating it. Melody and I have been an “official” couple for only about six months now, but…when you know, you know. And what better place to ask her to spend the rest of her life with me than at my parents’ vow renewal? She loves cheesy romance, and she loves the beach, and she loves…me.
I feel a wash of warmth and airiness as I slide my hands into the pockets of my khakis and head over to say hey to my teammates.
“It’s really cool of you guys to all come, seriously.” I high-five and fist-bump and bro-hug all my closest boys on the Riders, knowing this day could literally not get more amazing.
Well, once she says yes.
“We wouldn’t miss it, bro.” Chase wraps an arm around Whitney.
“Mommy! Daddy!” Asher belts out. “Watch how fast I can go!” He takes off running and giggling down the beach.
“Nice, buddy!” Elliot calls after him. “You’re practically running a 4.4.”
Jessica smiles. “Practically.”
“All right. You know the drill, little dude.” Leo Sterling raises his brows and talks directly to the tiny lump wrapped in a blanket in Frankie’s arms. “Don’t cry during the wedding thing.”
Frankie laughs and props up the infant, rolling her eyes at her husband. “It’s a vow renewal. And nobody’s gonna be crying, right, Sammy?”
Sammy, wearing a Riders-colored onesie, doesn’t respond.
I smile and shake my head, my heart tugging at the realization that I finally have what they have. What I’ve always wanted. Melody is wild and outrageous and bubbly and pink-haired, and she’s mine.
“Rivera!”
I recognize the booming voice of Andre Smoke and turn around to greet him. “Smoke! You made it!”
He pats my shoulder and smiles wide. “Hell yeah, bro. My trade for the season became official last week. So I’m really part of the team now!” He glances around at the weddinglike setup and decorations on the beach. “You all are, like…really close. Do a lot of family kinda shit.” His massive chest shakes with a chuckle.
“Yeah.” I furrow my brow and smile at the thought. “It’s a really awesome group of guys. We’re always there for each other, as painfully cheesy as that sounds.”
“I live for the cheese, man. I’m here for it.”
I swallow another wave of nerves as I compulsively reach back to make sure the box is still in my pocket.
The sea breeze cools down the humid, summer air, and I let the warmth settle on my skin. Melody would say this is the most perfect day ever and that it has some kind of incredible energy. I had to pick a day with good energy. For her.
I look over to see her sipping a glass of champagne and cooing over Frankie and Leo’s baby. My chest swells. Melody’s going to be the most incredible mom.
“Dylan! Sweetie!” Mom is rushing up to me, jogging through the sand while holding up the skirt of her elegant, flowy white dress.
“Mom, you look—”
“Honey, listen up.” She’s out of breath, and her face is flushed.
“What’s going on?”
“Father Tom canceled. Super last-minute. His daughter went into labor, and his grandchild is being born.” She holds her chest and tries to catch her breath. “Which is wonderful. For him. But we don’t have a minister! How can you get your vows renewed without a—”
“Mom.” I place my hands on her shoulders and give her a steady gaze, taking a deep breath to calm her down. “Don’t worry. Go finish getting ready, and by the time the ceremony starts, I’ll have this handled.”
“But, Dylan, how can you—”
“I got it. I have a plan.” I nod with certainty and pat her back as she walks hesitantly back to the building.
I have absolutely no plan. But the ring in my pocket has me flying on cloud nine and feeling way too good about myself.
I glance at my watch. The vow renewal is supposed to start in fifteen minutes.
My teammates are standing around the bar, clinking glasses, laughing, shooting the shit, as always. If I can get those idiots to help me win Melody back at four in the morning, I can get them to do anything.
“Yo, guys.” I rush over and slide into the circle. “There’s sort of a last-minute problem, and I need your help.”
“A clutch moment.” Chase knocks back a beer. “I love clutch moments. Hit me with it, soccer boy.”
I lean against the bar and lower my voice. “The minister canceled, and there’s no one who can do the c
eremony. In order for it to be an ‘official’ vow renewal, the person doing it has to be ordained.”
“Can’t someone just say they’re ordained?” Leo suggests.
“No, asshole. I’m not lying to my mom. This matters to her.”
“There isn’t, like, a number you can call?” Chase asks.
“A number?” Elliot snorts. “An emergency hotline for all your last-minute minister needs? Yeah, that exists.”
I glance past Elliot and find Melody’s electric gaze. She locks eyes with me as she laughs with the other women. She winks and blows me a kiss, standing there like a radiant, colorful, living ray of light.
Today has to be perfect. It has to be gooey and romantic and beachy and perfect, and dammit, I need a priest!
“Dude!” Leo smacks my back. “You’re not gonna believe this.”
I draw back. “You better have pulled the goddamn pope out of your ass.”
“Even better, bro.” He grabs my arm and yanks me back to the bar, where Andre Smoke appears to be telling a lively and animated story.
“I know. Smoke is here. I talked to him earlier.” I pull my arm from his grasp. “I got serious shit to deal with, Sterling.”
“Rivera.” Leo grabs my shoulders and shakes them. “He’s fucking ordained.”
Laughter, relief, and flat-out shock wash over me. “Wait, really?”
“It’s true.” Andre shakes his head and gives a blinding smile. “It was a weird bet in college. Some of my teammates at LSU talked me into it after we’d had a few too many. The idea was, in order to really have God on our side for the college playoffs, we needed a literal minister on the defensive line. Like I said, a few too many,” he adds.
My jaw goes slack. “That is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.” I hit his shoulder. “But I am so glad it happened.”
The sun beats down on the beach as everything falls back into running smoothly. I find Melody, and she squeezes my hand through the entire ceremony. Frankie and Leo’s baby stays perfectly silent, and my mom and dad are beaming with palpable joy and love as they exchange their vows. Again.
Smoke looks equal parts hilarious and distinguished under the wooden arch, which his head practically touches, as he leads the proceedings.
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