Chapter Twenty-Nine

Violet’s feet dragged as she followed Lexi out of the dressing area, Addie right on their heels.

While she could only imagine how much Tucker and Addie were waiting for this moment, it was the one Violet had dreaded since agreeing to fill in as bridesmaid.

But the day wasn’t about her, and as she glanced over her shoulder, the nerves that’d been using her stomach as a trampoline settled.

Addie reached up as if to twist the end of her ponytail around her finger before seeming to remember her hair had been weaved into a romantic updo. Her makeup was on the natural side, and her white gown fit her impeccably. She swiveled the toe of her bright yellow Converse sneaker as she fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger.

“You look beautiful,” Violet said, and tears rose, threatening to test the bounds of her waterproof mascara.

This was how she’d get through the day—by focusing on Addie’s happily ever after.

Lexi pivoted and grasped Addie’s hand. She grabbed one of Violet’s as well. “In all the madness, I’m not sure I told you two how much I’ve enjoyed planning this wedding. I can get a smidge uptight when it comes to being prepared—”

“No,” Addie teased, and the three of them giggled.

“I hide it well, I know,” Lexi said, eliciting more laughter. “But you two made it fun.”

Addie’s eyebrows arched. “Aversion to everything girly and all?”

“Yes. Mostly because Violet had my back with that.” Lexi gave Violet’s hand an affectionate squeeze.

Now Violet truly was going to cry. She dabbed a fingertip to the corners of her eyes, and Lexi waved a hand in front of her face as she demanded they cry on the inside.

While Violet knew it was time for her to return to her real life, in her heartbreak, she’d underestimated how much these women had come to mean to her. They’d instantly accepted her and made her feel welcome in a town she used to view as an adversary.

Then there was her reconciliation with Dad and Cheryl—and gah, Maisy and Isla—and if she thought about that now, no amount of blinking would prevent her from turning into a sobbing mess.

Footsteps broke through, a stride Violet somehow recognized, even as she told herself that was silly. It was simply because she couldn’t help thinking of Ford.

Not to mention it was time for him to join the bridal party.

He cleared his throat, and Violet told herself to think of him as the sun and avoid looking directly at him.

While her brain was on board, her eyes went rogue.

For all of Ford’s jokes about wearing a bridesmaid dress, the way he rocked a yellow bow tie, daisy boutonniere, and golden suspenders was unfair. His gray slacks hugged thighs she absolutely wasn’t going to think about. His jaw-length hair had been cut to right above his ears and was lightly gelled, and misery pumped in and out of Violet’s heart until her entire body ached with it.

Seeing him was harder than she imagined it’d be—and she’d imagined it plenty.

More than that, she’d hoped she’d feel differently now. But the mangled heart thudding away in her chest whispered that somehow, she still loved him.

As she sorted through the tornado of emotions, she snatched the furl of anger and clung on to it.

“Violet,” he said, and the blood in her body turned icy and sharp.

Lexi stepped forward and hissed at him, the words inaudible but the warning clear.

Will and Easton rounded the corner, dressed identically to Ford.

Lexi and Will did the telepathic-couple thing, and he pulled Ford aside while Lexi reached for the bouquets she’d kept in a cooler by the door.

The golden sunflowers, white daisies, and seeded eucalyptus contrasted the chiffon fabric of the yellow bridesmaid’s dresses. The ruched tops were practically identical to Addie’s strapless, sweetheart neckline, and the flirty skirts flared at the knees.

Addie’s father and grandmother arrived, and while seeing Ford had sucked every ounce of joy out of the air for Violet, Lucia managed to bring the happy vibes.

The older woman completed a twirl. The yellow tulle of her ankle-length skirt flared to reveal her pair of matching Converse sneakers. A sunflower adorned the white lace top, and the sunflower crown on her head contrasted her white curls. “Where is my basket? I ready to throw petals at everybody!”

“On the aisle, you mean,” Lexi said.

Lucia snatched the basket of petals, and Violet bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at how adeptly she’d avoided agreeing.

The woman did whatever she wanted, and Violet respected her spirit. When they’d discussed her outfit, Lucia insisted on a flower girl dress, scoffing at the conservative styles her daughter-in-law had shown her. In the end, they’d asked Lottie to tailor one.

Considering the way Lucia beamed and twirled, Violet was of the opinion more people should wear whatever they wanted. Who’d decided only little girls could enjoy tulle skirts and flower crowns?

Violet’s gaze snagged on Ford’s, and anguish sledgehammered her chest.

Another hit like that and she feared her heart might cease beating altogether.

“It’s time.” Lexi shooed Lucia to the front and then hooked her arm through Will’s. Violet settled her hand in the crook of Easton’s elbow, thankful Ford had moved behind her, where her eyes couldn’t as easily stray.

Mr. Murphy stepped up to the bride-to-be’s other side, he and Ford each taking one of her arms.

This setup had been settled on to counteract the uneven numbers, even before Violet had taken Alexandria’s place.

Still, the idea of being on the same aisle as Ford was excruciating.

Since her brain hated her, it drifted to the night when Ford had said he’d never play bridesmaid again, and she’d teasingly inquired What if I asked?

And he’d told her no, because it would mean she’d be marrying someone else and he could never watch her do that.

Stupid charming jerk, and even stupider me for thinking it was romantic at the time. Her idealized hopes and dreams had been exposed and on display, like the fool for love she’d always been.

In order to survive the rest of the evening, the walls around her heart needed to be reinforced. As in extra bricks, a layer of steel spikes, and a moat with a giant, man-eating alligator.

Think porcupine. Prickly, and if Ford dares to get close, I’ll make sure he ends up with a face full of quills.

In a non-dramatic way, of course, since I refuse to be accused of ruining another person’s wedding with my relationship fails.

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…

Summoning every last drop of her willpower, Violet plastered on a crowd-pleasing smile and began her very last march down an aisle.

…

Razor-edged desperation seized Ford as he watched Violet head away from him on one of his best friend’s arms.

While he had no one but himself to blame, it felt as though Easton had ripped her away, and the farther and farther she got, the stronger his sense of urgency became.

She was slipping through his fingers, and not just physically. He’d seen the hurt in her eyes, quickly replaced by scorn.

Last night, by the time they’d gotten Mr. Wagner settled at the hospital in Alexander City, it’d been nearly eleven. Then a nurse insisted Ford get the scrapes and cuts on his leg tended to, ignoring his many attempts at insisting he was fine.

By the time all was said and done, he got home at one thirty in the morning. Exhausted, he fell into bed without setting an alarm and woke late. After walking the dogs, he raced to Maisy’s house to try to make things right.

Only Maisy had informed him Violet wasn’t there and refused to tell him where he could find her. While he was sure he’d see her at the wedding, he’d wanted to fix things before the ceremony.

Her phone had gone straight to voicemail, though, and now he realized she’d been with Murph and Lexi, getting ready.

“You could’ve warned me about Violet being a bridesmaid,” he whispered to Addie.

“I’m trying to avoid drama and not have a panic attack, okay? It was stressful enough that Alexandria ended up on bedrest, and I had to scramble to ensure everything went smoothly while worrying about her.

“But it’s my wedding, and I don’t have to explain anything to you. And trust me, this is the least violent of the options I considered after finding out you dumped Violet. How big of an idiot do you have to be to let someone like that get away?” Addie fired a stern expression his way. “And I say that with love.”

He’d hate to hear it without the love part. “I know I fucked up.”

“Damn right, you did.”

Mr. Murphy peeked around from Addie’s other side, his eyes wide. “Not to sound like my wife, but you two do realize we’re a handful of minutes away from standin’ in front of the preacher.”

“I’m painfully aware,” Addie said. Then she turned to Ford, her hand dropping from his arm to her hip. “Look, after this shindig, I’ll have some more words for you. Right now, I’m fixin’ to get hitched to my sexy best friend.”

That was the reality check Ford needed to pull his head out of his ass. “And I’m doin’ a shi—crappy job of being your dude of honor. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up.” He straightened and settled her hand in the crook of his elbow once again.

With everyone else in place at the front, Lucia was off and on her way.

She grabbed a handful of sunflower petals and flung them in a wide arch, one that unmistakably hit people on the edges of the walkway. She spun and flung and spread smiles to everyone around her, and Ford forced himself to focus on the wedding. On making sure Addie got every single thing she wanted today.

But then he had a thought, one that aroused his curiosity yet again, and he’d never been good at keeping his trap shut. “Here’s another thing I probably shouldn’t be asking about right now, but how’d you and Tuck smooth over your fight? The one about playing catch with your son?”

“Totally wrong moment, but I reckon we have another thirty seconds to kill. After I cooled down, Tucker came over and apologized. He told me that when he gave more thought to the idea of having kids, he realized our superior athletic genes would be passed on whether we have a son or a daughter.”

The smile that curved her lips spoke volumes about how much she loved Tucker and the idea of having a family with him. “Then he added that when it came down to it, the only thing that mattered to him was that regardless of what our future held, the most important thing was we would be going through it together.”

Addie leaned her head on Ford’s shoulder. “I get to spend my life with Tucker Crawford. Once you find the right person, the other things you thought were so important fade away.”

“Hear, hear,” Mr. Murphy added from her other side, pride beaming from the man as he grinned at his daughter.

The music switched, signaling it was time to get this show on the road.

As promised, Ford did a quick check to ensure Addie’s dress and hair were perfect, and then he started down the aisle. Right foot, left foot, Ford repeated in his head, forcing himself to walk slower than usual.

As they neared the end, he couldn’t help himself anymore. Thanks to the lightbulb moment he’d had last night, he’d already been sure he was in love with Violet and didn’t want to live without her.

As he gazed at her, the music, the decorations, everything but her faded into the background.

Throughout the ceremony, he couldn’t help glancing at her here and there.

When Tucker and Addie read their vows, a glowing, raptured expression befell Violet’s features, her watery smile stirring up emotions he didn’t realize he had: joy, empathy, and so much adoration he thought he might drown in it.

Addie promised to give Tucker the benefit of the doubt; to wear his “ratty Saints cap” on the rare occasion; and to accompany him fishing on his handcrafted boats.

Tucker vowed to only protect Addie when she asked, which he knew would be never because she was too stubborn. Then he told her she could protect him anytime.

“For a long time, the future scared me,” Tucker said. “But then I returned to Uncertainty and became certain that as long as you, Addison Diana Murphy, were in my life, it’d be full of joy, love, and happiness.”

As much as Ford hated to admit it, he’d gotten scared. He’d let other people—and his past—mess with his head.

Violet Abrams was his future, though. And as soon as the ceremony was over, he was going to do whatever it took to win her back.