Chapter Forty-One

Callie sat next to Birdy inside the wedding tent. Twinkle lights hung above them. Ivy and gorgeous pink-and-white flowers inside giant urns adorned the ends of each row of folding white chairs. Pastor Alvarez stood at the front with a warm smile on his face as a few remaining guests took their seats. Two large, breathtaking flower arrangements flanked the pastor from behind.

Music started. Conversation stopped.

Everyone turned to the back of the tent.

Outside the open flaps, the sun cast its final glow. The first people to walk down the aisle were Maverick, Mary Rose, and John. Callie had never seen Maverick look happier or more handsome. Mary Rose and John looked positively delighted. Next came Nova and a good friend of Maverick’s. The bridesmaid dress fit the setting and the mood and her best friend perfectly. Cole and Bethany were next, Gia in Bethany’s arms. A wave of sighs fanned out among the small crowd at how cute they were.

Callie barely registered them, though, because right behind the adorable family stood Hunter, Ava, and Andrew.

She’d been afraid to admit Hunter had stolen her heart, and now he stole her breath, too. His trimmed hair was GQ styled. Clean shaven, he flashed his dimples and white teeth, and her heart fluttered. When his bright blue eyes caught her stare and his smile widened, relief flooded her. She smiled back, a wordless promise she’d missed him and had something up her sleeve for him later.

“If I were fifty years younger, I’d give you a run for your money,” Birdy whispered from beside her. “I think several panties just melted.”

“Birdy. Shh.” Callie wouldn’t admit aloud she was one of those panty-melting people. But then she glanced down Hunter’s body, starting at his broad shoulders, sliding over his chest and abs, then down his legs, and to hell with it… “You’re totally right, though.”

But wait a minute. He wasn’t wearing the suit she’d designed for him.

She blinked to refocus and make sure she was seeing him clearly. Nope. Not her suit. Had something happened to it? Or worse, was he still upset with her so he’d decided not to give her the publicity she hoped for? Her gaze slid sideways to Ava, who looked beautiful in her MOH dress and then to Andrew who…was wearing Hunter’s suit.

She knew it as sure as she knew her own name. Why wasn’t Hunter wearing it?

The threesome walked by and took their places on either side of Pastor Alvarez.

Jenna came down the aisle next, confident and cheerful and absolutely adorable in her dress. She dropped rose petals down the aisle with flourish, her attention touching on guests until she reached the front row where she sat down next to her grandma and grandpa.

Maverick’s dog Barley took center stage after that, drawing oohs and ahhs from everyone. A white satin pillow tied to her back designated her the official ring bearer. She reached Maverick and waited for him to untie the gold bands before sitting beside the groomsmen.

As the music transitioned to the traditional wedding march, guests stood to watch Kennedy glide down the aisle on her father’s arm. Callie had never seen a more gorgeous bride. Love and joy radiated from her. She took her spot beside a beaming Maverick.

The simple ceremony had people laughing and crying. When Pastor Alvarez declared them husband and wife, Maverick gave her one hell of a kiss. They strode down the aisle hand-in-hand, the wedding party filing in behind them.

Callie only had eyes for Hunter’s suit, doublechecking to make sure she hadn’t been mistaken. “Hunter isn’t wearing the suit I made him,” she said to Birdy.

“That’s interesting.”

Very, but she didn’t have time to find out why now.

Birdy wrapped her arm around Callie’s as they walked to the other side of the ginormous tent where appetizers and cocktails were being served. They mingled with other guests, many of whom chatted about Callie’s business and wanted to know all about how she made her dresses and would she be making more suits like Hunter’s. She appreciated their interest. She shared she hadn’t decided on men’s suits yet and then excused herself when she noticed Vivian step outside.

Christmas Eve all by itself was magical, but stepping outside the tent to find stars twinkling in the sky and then decorative stars hanging from the trees, the smell of a fire blazing inside the inn a few hundred feet away, and lighted displays of reindeer, lampposts, and cone trees, made Callie believe wishes could come true. She was sure if she stood there long enough, she’d hear Santa ho-ho-ho-ing in the distance, delivering on wishes to kids across the globe.

She had a wish to make come true tonight.

“Hi, Vivian. You look lovely tonight.”

“Hi, Callie. Thank you. You do, too.”

They awkwardly stared at each other before both speaking at the same time. “You first,” Callie said.

“The maid of honor dress was gorgeous. And the best man suit…”

“Was worn by Andrew,” she finished.

“How did you…of course, you knew. You could probably tell the second they walked down the aisle. Hunter tried to find a suit as similar to your design as possible.”

Callie’s brows knit in confusion. “How, why—”

“I’ve said too much already. I’m sure Hunter will explain.” She waved away the statement like it wasn’t a big deal. “What did you want to tell me?”

“Just that I’d noticed Hunter wasn’t wearing the suit but I hope you’ll stick around a little longer.”

Vivian narrowed her eyes. “For reasons that have to do with my article?”

“Yes.”

“Shall I wait for your signal that it’s okay for me to leave, then?”

“I’m confident you’ll know when.” She smiled in goodbye and strode back into the tent. In her periphery, she’d noticed the bridal party had finished with photos and was trickling back into the tent. She made a quick stop to remind the bandleader of the plan before taking residence along the perimeter of the tent so as not to be noticed.

The only glitch to her plan was only she knew about it and she hoped Kennedy and Maverick wouldn’t be upset with her.

She thrummed her fingers on her leg. The wait was killing her.

The bride and groom took to the dance floor for their first dance. “All of Me” by John Legend. The bridal party joined afterward, Hunter twirling Jenna while Andrew danced with Ava. Andrew did look exceptionally handsome in her designer suit. She hoped it made him lucky in love.

Before she could ponder why Hunter hadn’t worn it, she stepped closer to the dance floor. The band had transitioned to a pop song and invited everyone to dance. Callie nodded to the band leader, who nodded back. The next song was hers.

She’d kept an eye on Hunter and noticed him looking around. Finally spotting someone or something, he made a beeline and ended up in front of Birdy. Birdy shook her head. Uh-oh. Hunt spun around, searched again, and this time his eyes found hers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please clear the dancefloor, we have something special for you,” the bandleader said.

Hunter wasted no time marching toward her. He reached her just before the bandleader said, “Hunter, this one’s for you.”

He turned toward the band with adorable confusion. “Be right back, cowboy,” she whispered to him.

You’ve got this, Callie Carmichael. She accepted a microphone from the bandleader. “Good evening, everyone,” she said, testing the mic and tapping it with her hand.

“We can hear you!” Nova called out, clearly excited about whatever Callie was about to do.

“First off, congratulations, Kennedy and Maverick!”

The guests cheered and offered more congrats.

“Secondly, I’m sorry I didn’t clear this with you in advance, but I wanted the first person to know about it to be standing right there.” She pointed to Hunter. Then heart hammering, she gave a nod to the bandleader, and the band started to play “Marry You” by Bruno Mars.

With help from the band—thank God, because she couldn’t carry a tune at all—Callie sang the song to Hunter.

She never once took her eyes off him.

He never once took his eyes off her.

She slowly walked toward him, taking baby steps.

He stayed rooted to his spot until someone gave him a little push that knocked him off-balance. He took baby steps toward her.

Everyone in the ballroom disappeared. It was just the two of them. It wasn’t the most original idea. It might even be cliché. But Callie couldn’t think of a better song to tell Hunter she loved him.

She loved him so much.

As the song came to a close, whistles, cheers, sighs, and applause surrounded them. Callie was pretty sure there wasn’t a person who remained in their seat.

When the song ended, Hunter picked her up and swung her around. “That was awesome,” he said, placing her back on the floor. She’d never seen him smile wider.

“So, what do you say?” Callie said into the microphone. “Hunter Owens, will you marry me?” She didn’t get down on one knee. She thought he might like to do that sometime.

He took the microphone from her. “Callie Carmichael, you bet your sweet ass I’ll marry you, but how about we slow down a little and date for a while first?”

How had she ever doubted him the perfect man for her? He inherently knew going slow would make her happy. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

They stuck around for congratulations before stumbling outside, high on happiness—and craving some quiet, alone time.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Hunter’s soft, sexy voice in her ear sent quivers up and down her arms. His arms were wrapped around her from behind, keeping her safe. Protected.

That dizzy feeling that filled her head and belly and had been absent for the past two weeks they’d been apart came flooding back. “I was thinking about how magical it is this time of year,” she said softly.

“I believed in Santa until I was nine. Maverick and Cole kept him alive for me even when kids at school told me he wasn’t real.”

“Were you devastated when you found out the truth?”

“Of course. Weren’t you?”

She nodded and shivered, the cold penetrating their embrace. He quickly took off his suit coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, and she knew. She knew without a doubt he’d keep her heart safe and warm and forever be there when she needed him. Without complaint. Without a second thought. The little things would never go unnoticed.

They stayed like that for a few quiet moments, enjoying the stars and Christmas lights. The sounds of joy behind them in the tent. The comfort of home glowing in the windows of the inn in front of them. He clasped their fingers and led her inside, to the library where a blazing fire warmed the room and books lined every shelf.

Hunter sat them down on the couch, never letting go of her hand. “You are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, and that performance was one I will never ever forget. Thank you.” His gaze raked over her, slowly, appreciatively. Her body quivered yet again.

“Thank you for saying yes.”

“Was there ever any doubt?”

“A little.”

“Callie, Callie, Callie. There is no one for me but you.”

She loved the sound of that. “Is that why you aren’t wearing the suit I made?”

“Yes. I asked Kennedy if I could wear something else, and she was fine with it. As luck would have it, Andrew and I are close enough in size that we just switched. I let Vivian know so she could follow up with Andrew now.”

“But no one else knows,” she said. “I noticed, of course, but to everyone else, you were in my suit.”

The corners of his mouth lifted. “True. But I think after the show you just gave, that story is going to take a backseat.” He turned his body so he faced her fully. “We both wanted to show each other how much we meant to one another. I didn’t wear the suit because I’ve already found the love of my life.” He made a fist with his free hand and placed it over his heart. “She’s been right here for a very long time, but it wasn’t until we became adults that we connected on the level I’ve been wishing for. And I don’t mean just in bed. I want to be with her all the time, hear everything she has to say, and learn all her secrets and hopes and plans for the future.”

Callie’s own heart doubled in size, reaching for his.

“I love you, Triple C, more than you’ll ever know. I shouldn’t have let you walk out of my car that night. I should have stayed and fought. With you. For you. I won’t make the same mistake again. And I meant what I said about us going slow. We can be engaged forever if you want. I don’t know how to not love you. You’re the person I want to keep. You’ve always been that person.”

Were her feet touching the ground? She didn’t think so. “I love you, too. And I’m ready. To never let go and to trust you won’t let me down. I’m ready to give you my heart and be open to love and any mistakes and messy situations we find ourselves in. I promise to never give up on you. On us. I know there are no guarantees in life, but you’re the person I want to keep, too, and I’m so sorry for pushing you away.”

“I’m a guarantee, Cal.” He touched his forehead to hers, looked deep into her eyes. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more.”

He kissed her. The kind of kiss she’d never ever forget. Full of admiration. Passion. Affection. Desire and love. She kissed him back, wrapped her arms around his neck, melted against him. Open-mouthed kisses. Close-mouthed kisses. Every swipe of his tongue and press of his lips sealed the commitment they made to each other.

“I think I might be addicted to you,” she teased when he pulled back.

“Thank God, because I’m definitely addicted to you.” He leaned forward, put his mouth to her ear. “I want to lift your dress and lick between your legs so bad right now.” The husky, erotic whisper had her pulling in a sharp breath.

“But.” He scooted back. “My brother is only getting married once, and I don’t want to miss out on the fun and celebration, so what do you say we save that for later and go party with our family and friends?”

He said “our.” Not “my.” She wanted to kiss him until tomorrow. Thank him for making her feel like she truly belonged. She also understood how much he needed to be back inside the tent.

She jumped to her feet. “Let’s go.”

They joined the reception. They ate, drank, and danced. Word spread about the suit switch, and when Hunter spun her to the middle of the dance floor, dipped her, and then kissed her senseless in front of everyone, she didn’t fight it. Or doubt it.

She’d already asked him to marry her in front of everyone.

“Every kiss has led to this,” he told her on the upswing.

And they were just getting started.