“Yeah, I am actually happy. It’s still a little weird. I mean… I didn’t need to see you guys on the beach like that, and the thought of my best friend messing with my baby sister is strange, but… Cooper is a good guy, and you clearly need to be taken care of. So…” He rolls his eyes and pokes my side before handing me over to my husband to be. “Dad would be proud of you. He loved Cooper and you know he loved you.”

I turn back toward my brother and hug him close. “Thank you, big brother. I love you. Always.”

Bryan kisses my cheek. “Love you, too. Give him hell, okay?”

I grin and readjust the short A-line wedding gown I’m wearing. It’s off white with a flash of pink in the back, because that’s how I roll.

Cooper hasn’t stopped grinning since I came into his view. I sink my hand into his and stand before the minister, waiting for direction as I take in the moment.

The lake, the breeze, the dull roar of the waves, the gentle conversation of our friends and family, Cooper’s dark eyes, and the ink that peeks up from the collar of his black button up.

This was the perfect spot for our wedding. We’re staying here while our home is being built. Cooper designed the perfect little cabin complete with a wrap-around porch. It’s even overlooking the tree farm, just like my dream.

“You may exchange your vows,” the clergyman says, nodding toward Cooper to start.

I stare up at my fiancé in awe. I never thought we’d be here standing before our family and friends, professing our love and devotion in a public space. Maybe all of this is a dream. Maybe I’m still in that armchair inside, studying his movements, looking for a way in.

Cooper kisses my forehead, bringing with him the scent of cedar and pine. “My beautiful, baby girl. You breathed life into me where there was nothing. You’ve given me a reason to live that’s not work, and you’ve shown me what it’s like to be wild and free. I love that about you. I promise to give you my whole heart every day, to make you laugh, to keep you safe, to be honest and true, and to care for you all the days of my life, forever, and always.” He slides a gold band onto my hand and kisses me again.

“People say, when you know, you know. And with you, I’ve always known. Above everything, you’re my protector. You always have been. From the time I was a kid, you were there, showing me right from wrong, teaching me how the world worked, giving me the guidance I always needed. And now, here you are, signing up for a lifetime of crazy.” I grin. “Thank you for being you. I wake up every day knowing how lucky I am to have you, and I’ll never forget that. I promise to stand next to you and give you my heart, to entertain you with my drama, to cherish you like the king you are, to be faithful and true, and to love you forever and always.” I slide a gold band onto Cooper’s hand, and his hand cups my face.

“You may kiss your bride.” The words are spoken like an echo through time that I don’t actually hear. The whole thing is surreal.

My brother’s best friend. My lover. My husband. My future children’s father. My everything.

Cooper leans in and kisses my lips gently at first, then harder, wrapping me against his chest as though he won’t ever let go.

Our family cheers and we walk back down the aisle hand in hand, ready to take the world on together.

Shanna is at the end of the aisle holding the girls on each hip, a wide smile on her face. They were getting fussy during the ceremony, and she carried them out here so Bryan could watch. She’s so selfless. I hope I’m as sweet as she is someday, but I doubt I could ever be as good as her. “You two are gorgeous and I’m so happy for you.”

I lean into her and take Sienna into my arms. Both of the girls are bigger now. They hold their heads steady and they’re more alert when you’re talking to them. It’s funny how quickly things change.

People, life, ideas.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that life is ever evolving, growing, and changing. Sometimes for the better, other times for the worse.

I stare out at the dark blue horizon and notice a cloud that’s shaped like a fish. A perch to be exact. Maybe a five pounder. Either way, I’d bet we’d throw him back.

I laugh to myself and think of my father. He’d have loved to be here today, holding my hand, and telling goofy stories of me growing up, and I bet he’d have found some funny way to work Cooper into the embarrassment too. He’d have everyone laughing. Not at our expense, but in a way that made all the crazy love we felt for each other seem endearing and warm.

He’d also have helped me with my shop. Hell, he’d probably have a resident chair next to mine. Folks would count on him to tell stories about the giant fish he’d caught, and which lures he used to catch ‘em.

I can’t help but wonder what kind of grandpa he would be. I could see him piling grandbabies into his truck, taking them back to the honey hole, and spending the whole day eating snacks and talking about nothing and everything all at once.

It’s moments like these that make life worth living, and with Cooper I know they’re coming. He’ll hold on to me and he’ll protect me, and he’ll take our kids to that same honey hole, and he’ll fish with them until their bellies are full of snacks and their hearts are full of love. They’ll have their own way of doing things, and my kids will have memories like my own.

Dad will live on in everything I do, but there’s one thing I’ll make sure changes. One simple equation. A fact my father didn’t get right. A math problem, or a math trick, maybe. I’m not sure because numbers aren’t my thing. They never have been. Either way, I’m sticking with the facts. The simple, down to Earth, tried and true, grade school fact, that one plus one always equals two.

I have proof.

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