Chapter Nine
G
ive a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Give my aunts a fish and they’ll pull off one of the most beautiful weddings imaginable.
I don’t know how they did it. It truly had to be a miracle. The skeletal frame of our soon-to-be house had been wrapped in thousands of fairy lights. Candles glowed inside blue Mason jars, and garlands of yellow flowers spiraled down the posts. It was like walking into a dream.
“Wow,” my dad said.
“That is an understatement.” I looked up at him. “Maybe there’s still hope for our two families.”
He patted my hand. “I think there is. And it starts with you in Jax.”
I blinked hard against the tingle of tears. All these surges of feelings were giving me heartburn, but dammit, I couldn’t help it. These people had put aside their differences and created the most beautiful wedding ceremony for Jax and me. That would comfort me and keep my anger in check during future family gatherings.
I ran my hand across the satin of my grandma Bonnie’s gown. Thankfully, the bow had been removed, and the train shortened. I’d never again doubt my aunt’s skill as a seamstress. The dress was perfect. The decorations were perfect. And at the end of our makeshift aisle stood the perfect man. A fairytale.
Folding chairs had been set out in neat rows, and to my surprise, they were totally full. It seemed once the word got out that the wedding was going to take place, everybody dropped what they were doing. After all, seeing two feuding-families joined was far more entertaining than reruns.
“Ready?” Amy asked
.
I nodded. “Oh yeah.”
She held up her cell phone and tap the screen. The soft notes of violins whispered around us, slowly building in tempo. Amy had borrowed the Bluetooth sound system from the barbecue and bait shop she worked at, and Pachelbel’s Canon in D was the final ingredient for turning this night from spectacular to totally magical.
“Milady?” my dad said, offering me his arm.
I switched the bouquet of wildflowers Honey had made for me to my other hand and grasped his arm. “Here we go.”
“You got this,” he whispered.
I did, didn’t I?
The walk down the aisle seemed endless. All those faces staring at me, smiling. Even though the families had pulled this amazing wedding together, there were still obvious separations between the groups. To my left sat my family, and on the right sat Jax’s. Okay, so we couldn’t expect a total miracle, but I wasn’t about to complain.
My eyes settled on Jax, and my heart skipped a beat. How had I gotten so lucky to find a man like him? Then he smiled at me. Wow, he was so good looking, it was ridiculous. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.
After what seemed like an hour, my dad stopped and place my hand on Jax’s. “Take care of my baby.”
Jax’s gaze never left me. “I will, sir.”
“Sir?” Dad nodded and pursed his lips. “I like that.”
For like the four-thousandth time that day, I hugged him and then turned to my fiancé. He grasped my hands, his fingers locking with mine. Just touching him made it easier to breathe. Then the minister started talking, and I lost all track of time. His words passed over me and through me, and I could feel the bond between Jax and I growing stronger. Like tightening a golden rope, we were tied together for eternity. Suddenly, it was time for our vows.
Alarm shot through me. “I didn’t have time to write any vows.
”
“Just speak from your heart.” The minister placed a chubby hand against his chest. “That way you can’t go wrong.”
“Alrighty.” I looked at Jax. “Where to begin?” A ripple of laughter passed through the crowd, Jax grinned at me. “Jax, I vow to love you no matter what, even when you’re being incredibly annoying. And, I vow to respect you and honor you, in sickness and in health, blah blah blah. But you know all that already. That’s the easy stuff.” I inhaled. “I promise to be there for you every step of the way in life... and in death.” He squeezed my hand, letting me know he understood that when the time came, I would help him cross. “And, I’ll do that one thing in bed that you really like, even if I’m not in the mood. Forever and ever, amen.”
An audible gasp echoed through the crowd, but the snickers of laughter balanced out the audience’s reaction. What could I say? I was winging it.
“That was so good.” Jax leaned in and kissed me.
“We’re not to that part yet,” the minister said.
“Sorry.” Jax shook his head. “Not really.” His grip on my hands tightened. “Okay, my turn. Poppy, I vow to love, honor, and protect you and our children. No matter what the cost. I promise to love you till the end of time and beyond that.”
A lump formed in my throat, and my nose tingled. He was a lot better at this than I was. I wrangled my emotions back under control. “So far so good.”
“I promise to take care of you when you’re sick, to hold you when you’re sad, and will not ask you to do that thing I like if you’re not in the mood. These things I promise now and forever.”
The battle to keep my emotions in check raged inside me. I didn’t want to cry and ruin my makeup, but his words unraveled me.
Just when I thought I’d lose it; the minister began to speak again. We repeated some words, exchanged rings, and before I knew it, the
minister was pronouncing us husband-and-wife. “Now you may kiss the bride.”
Jax didn’t wait. Sweeping me into a full-body embrace, he crushed his mouth to mine. I opened to him, pouring all the emotions I’d kept in check until that moment into the kiss. I didn’t think I’d ever loved anybody as much as I loved the man I’d just married. He was the air I breathed, the blood in my veins, the reason for every beat of my heart. There were no more threads of doubt. This was where I truly belonged. I’d finally found my home.