Jordan laughed at her joke about where the wedding was to be held, and I rolled my eyes. “Funny. And by the way, not to make you nervous or anything, but you look pretty incredible yourself in that dress. Maybe tonight’s the night Gage asks you out.”
She smoothed her hands down over her hips and slinked toward the door. “Oh, by the way, I can report that those muscles are real and there’s no sex with bugs.”
I thought about what she just said and laughed. “You’re terrible!”
Turning her head, she peered over her shoulder at me. “Nothing terrible about it.”
“How? Jordan, did you…?”
She winked and then shook her head. “Not yet, but he stopped by my apartment one night last week. We had a nice time together.”
“Take it easy on my bodyguard, okay? He saved my life.”
Jordan dropped the sexy act and nodded. “I would never do anything to hurt him, sweetie. It’s not everyday I have a chance with a hero.”
“Okay. Then you have my blessing.”
A knock at the door ended our serious moment, and she opened it to Gage standing there. With a smile, he asked, “Did someone order a hero?”
A blush raced up her cheeks, and Jordan turned to look at me with a silly grin. “Mental note to self. Hearing and skulking—expert level.”
“Nina, it’s time. You ready?” Gage asked, sneaking a look at Jordan.
“I am. Jordan, you ready?”
She nodded and held out her hand to take mine. Squeezing it, she whispered, “I love you, Nina. Now go marry that sexy man so we can have champagne and cake.”
“And dancing,” I added. Looking past her at Gage, I asked, “Do you dance?”
Flashing us a charming smile, he winked and said, “A little. Enough to get by.”
I couldn’t help myself and joked, “Saves damsels in distress, has superhero hearing, and he dances?”
Jordan shook her head and walked out mumbling, “Let’s go, Cupid. Tristan’s waiting.”
Gage laughed as she passed, and when she was out of earshot, said, “She’s a handful. I’m wondering what you’ve gotten me into.”
“Nothing you can’t handle.”
From the back of the house the sound of the harpist playing the wedding march filtered through the open windows of the bedroom signaling it was time to go. Gage held out his hand for mine and gave me a gentle smile. “You’re on. If we don’t get out there, Tristan’s going to think you’re not showing up.”
I took his hand and laughed. “We’ve had enough of that. I’m ready.”
The stone pathway to the garden lay before me, the final walk to Tristan and our new life together. In my hand, I held my bouquet of pink and white roses straight from our garden. Tied with a baby pink ribbon, it was simple and just what I wanted for my big day. With Gage’s arm linked in mine, I gazed down the pathway at Tristan as he waited for me stunning in his black tux, his expression a mix of anticipation and love.
We slowly made our way, passing boughs of baby’s breath hanging by deep pink ribbons from shepherd’s hooks above tea light lanterns to guide us on our way down the stone pathway. Jordan stood to the left of the minister in her gorgeous peacock blue gown holding her own bouquet of baby’s breath she chose herself, and candles of all sizes stood flickering soft light behind the altar
Jensen, Maria, and Tristan’s assistant Michelle and her husband sat watching Gage and me as we moved closer to the moment he’d give me away. His strong arm held me stable, even as my knees shook from nerves, and then I saw Daryl. Dressed in a black tux similar to Tristan’s, he stood at his side as his best man, an odd but understandable choice. Still sporting his mountain man style, he looked like he’d gotten that bushy red hair of his cut and even taken an inch or two off his prized beard for the occasion. He smiled one of those rare Daryl smiles that lit up his features and made me want to giggle.
We were quite a group.
Finally, we reached the end of the pathway and Gage leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. With a simple smile, he handed me to Tristan, and he took my hand in his, giving it a small squeeze. In that moment, nothing else in the world mattered but us and the life we were about to embark on. I looked up at him and saw in his face everything would be all right.
We faced the minister in front of us and listened as he began the ceremony. “We’re gathered here together to celebrate the joining of Tristan and Nina. We rejoice in the love of this man and this woman and wish them happiness. Marriage symbolizes the joining of two hearts, each person retaining their own individualism as both travel their path together.”
Tristan squeezed my hand as the minister announced we’d written our own vows, and we turned to face each other. I pulled the sheet of paper I’d written mine on from the silk satchel around my wrist, and when I looked back at him, I saw he had nothing in his hand.
Searching his face, I tried to understand what was happening. Had he changed his mind? Fear tore through me, but he simply smiled at me and began speaking.
“Nina, I tried over and over to write my vows last night, but I never found the right words. I woke up this morning and tried again, but still nothing came. I decided I’d just say what was in my heart when it was time, so I hope this comes out right. All my life, I’ve had whatever my heart desired, and I thought I was happy. Then I lost everything and happiness became something I believed I’d never be lucky enough to have again. I lived like that until one day I was convinced I was meant to be alone. Then one night I met you, and from that moment I’ve been happier than any man could hope to be.”
He stopped for a moment as I struggled to hold back the tears. This man who said so little most times was standing there in front of our friends confessing his love in a way only he could. My heart swelled at how tender and sweet his vows truly were. Straight from his heart, they were him.
“I promise to be the one who makes your days brighter. When the rest of the world can’t or won’t see who you are, I will. I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes, but I can promise that you’ll never doubt I love you more than my clumsy words can ever say. I love you, Nina.”
I covered my mouth with my hand, whispering, “Oh, Tristan” as the tears I’d held back finally began rolling down my cheeks. “That was beautiful.”
He silently nodded and gave me a tender smile. I looked at my vows I’d written the night before and suddenly wanted to give him the honesty he’d given me. Stuffing the paper back into my satchel, I held his hand and said what was in my heart.