Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 131455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
The soft knock at the door sends her scurrying to stop whoever’s on the other side. “You can’t see the bride before the wedding, Dad. We talked about this.”
“I’m a dad, but not that one.”
She throws the door open, laughing. “Oh, that’s okay, then.” She whistles in appreciation, giving Dad a thumbs up. “I have to say you look good in a tux, Mr. Cole.”
He chuckles and brushes invisible lint off his shoulder. “Thank you, Tatum. You look very nice tonight.”
She steps aside to give me a full view of him, and my throat clogs with emotion. He does look good—very good—almost like the young man from his wedding pictures. He’s come a long way from the mess of a man he became. Pride swells in my chest when I think of how much it must take for him to look as genuinely happy and hopeful as he does today.
His breath catches when he sees me, and his eyes start to water. Tatum clears her throat, offering me a meaningful look before saying, “I’d better get outside. God only knows how things might fall apart if I’m not around to keep everybody in line.”
That leaves Dad and me alone. “How do I look?” I whisper, doing a full turn for him.
“Like a princess,” he chokes out. “I told myself I wouldn’t get emotional, but that was before I saw you in that dress. You’re so grown-up… and stunning.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m only telling you the truth.”
“That’s not what I meant. Thank you for being here. Thank you for loving me enough to care as much as you do. Even when I’ve disagreed with you, I know you were coming from the right place. I need you to know I understand that.”
“And I need you to understand I’m always going to care first and foremost about you. I see how happy you are today and I know this is the right thing. This is what you need. I’m just glad I get to be a part of it.” He makes a move like he wants to give me a hug, but holds himself back. “I don’t want to ruin you.”
“I don’t think you could.” I wrap him in a tight hug, my eyes closed while hoping to hold this moment for as long as possible. No anger, no resentment, no fear. Just the two of us together one last time before I become an official Torrio.
“Are you ready for this?” he asks before releasing me.
“Very.” And I mean it. I mean it with all my heart, with every fiber of my being. I’m ready to be Callum’s wife. I want the world to know we belong to each other, that I’m by his side no matter what.
It’s nearing seven o’clock, go time. I touch up my makeup once more before Tatum hurries into the room. “Everything’s ready. Are you good?”
I hand over her bouquet. “Let’s do this.”
Dad takes my arm once we step into the hall outside Tatum’s room, and with her leading the way, we walk through her wing to the exit closest to the backyard. It was either this or go through the kitchen, but that seemed like a bad idea with Sheryl finishing the wedding dinner we’ll eat after the ceremony.
At first, I stop short of stepping out into the night. “Whoa.”
It’s like something from a fairy tale. I knew Tatum worked miracles, but I didn’t expect this. There are white fairy lights strung in the bushes and trees. A white runner starts at the door and leads to the arch, flanked on both sides by flickering pillar candles on stands. There are rose petals strewn the runner’s length, leading to the spectacular floral arch and the dozens of lights and candles arranged around it. The sun is setting, the last streaks of pink and purple on the western horizon, and altogether the effect is breathtaking.
It’s beautiful but there’s nothing more breathtaking than the sight of the man waiting for me under the arch. I’ve never seen him look as handsome as he does in his black tux with its cream rose to match the flowers in my bouquet. Romero stands behind him, and even he is smiling in a way I’ve never seen before. Like a genuine, happy smile. Yet another miracle.
It’s Callum I can’t take my eyes off as Dad walks me down the makeshift aisle. This is it. Everything’s been leading up to this very moment. It might feel inevitable now, but I can’t pretend there weren’t moments when I wondered if we’d ever reach this place. So many reasons why this moment might never have come: close calls, fights, lies. Maybe that’s what makes this so sweet now, the sense of our happiness being earned. We both fought hard to get to this place.
I wonder if Callum is thinking the same thing as we slowly approach while the wedding march plays through a speaker hidden somewhere. I wonder if he’s thinking back to how far we’ve come. Either that, or he’s reflecting on how he knew all along that this was where we would end up. That’s the thing about him. He always knows exactly what he wants and stops at nothing until he gets it.