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Tugging at his collar, Coop reminded himself not to lock his knees. Passing out during the wedding would be bad—very bad. What was the hold up? He scanned the crowd.
His mom dabbed her eyes. His dad nodded. Nellie’s mom beamed, but the tissue clutched in her hand made Coop smile. He wasn’t the only one who’d likely shed a tear.
Nellie had done a fabulous job of planning the wedding in such a short timeframe. Who knew the old once-burned building could be so beautiful? Tiny lights dangled from the ceiling. Guests filled a mix of pews and chairs. Rays of sunset poured into the space, bathing the whole room in a warm, perfect light.
He glanced over at Tanner, who looked completely comfortable in his monkey suit, and Seth, who had probably never worn one before.
Tanner pulled his gaze away from his girlfriend just long enough to flash Coop a smile.
The music started, and two little girls flitted up the aisle, dropping rose petals. They stopped near the front and waved at their dad, Milo, a friend of Tanner and Nellie. Coop’s nephew followed them up the aisle, looking as happy to be there as a cat in a room full of dogs. He tossed the pillow up in the air and caught it, and Coop stifled a laugh. His sister, Caroline, looked like she might pass out.
The rings were in Tanner’s pocket, and Coop was glad he’d insisted on that.
Two of Nellie’s friends, who had flown in for the wedding, marched up the aisle. Coop wanted them all to hurry. Once everyone was in place, he’d get to see Nellie.
The music changed. The crowd stood. Coop’s heart rate skyrocketed.
Clutching her dad’s arm, Nellie stood at the end of the aisle. Coop couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She made him believe in happily-ever-after.
***
COOP FELL BACKWARD on the bed. “Europe. I can’t believe it.”
“Thanks to the long plane ride, I managed to get some sleep. Someone kept me up all night after the wedding.” Nellie climbed on top of him, her hair curtaining them onto their own private heaven.
“Nellie Cooper. Have I told you how much I love the way that sounds?”
“About a hundred times since we left the airport.” She pressed her lips to his, the sugary drizzle from her pastry adding a nice surprise. “Any regrets?”
“About you? Are you crazy?”
“About selling the shop.”
For weeks, he’d waffled on the decision, but here, now, he had no regrets. “No. They said I could work there as long as I wanted and you, too. I have much less pressure, and I still get to do what I enjoy. The best part is I get to spend three months with you in Europe. I’m not quite sure Seth was up to covering for me.”
“There is a long list of things I’ve never done, and I want to do them all with you.” Nellie ran her fingers through his beard.
Coop tickled her and rolled her over. “What about all the things that neither of us want to do? Can we just skip those? Never have I ever eaten a toad, and—honestly—I don’t want to.”
“Snails?”
“I might be willing to give them a try, but only at a restaurant.”
She cradled his face. “We never talked about kids.”
“Let’s start now.” He winked and toyed with the button on her blouse.
She swatted his hand. “I’m trying to be serious.”
“If you want them, I want them. One, two, five, eight. I don’t care how many, and I hope they all look like you.”
“I do want kids.” Those chocolate pools sparkled with excitement. “Where should we visit first? There’s so much to see.”
“And it’ll all still be there in a couple hours.” He pulled her closer. “I was serious about starting now.”