Page 66 of Billionaire's Accidental Marriage
“Would either of you like to go first?” the officiant asked.
I nodded. “I would.”
Mike smiled as the magistrate ushered his hand toward me. “We’re ready when you are.”
So, I cleared my throat and drew in a deep breath before I launched into the speech I had memorized over the past week.
“Michael, I’ve known you basically my entire life. And if someone would have told me that I would eventually marry you, I might have actually laughed in their face. Not because it was a funny notion, but because it seemed too farfetched that a man of your stature, your grace, and your intelligence would waste your time on some woman working at a spa, trying to make her way in the world.”
I paused for a moment to control the tears percolating behind my eyes before I cleared my throat.
“But then, Dad died. And the only person who made me feel even remotely comfortable in my grief was you. The only person who gave me any sort of hopeful, guiding light was you. Out of nowhere, you came walking in with a white horse next to you, and you urged me to get up onto its back so you could walk me around for a little while. So, you could guide me through the ups and downs until I could guide myself. You weren’t my knight in shining armor because I didn’t need saving. However, you were my man in glistening white as you scooped me off the ground and placed me on your horse so I could rest. You nursed me back to health. You gave me hope when I felt all was lost. And at the end of the day, when I still wasn’t sure which way to step, you were there to guide me with a soft voice and a mind full of knowledge I didn’t know I needed.”
Mike’s tears slipped down his cheeks, and it took all I had to keep my composure.
“You did more than save me, Michael. You showed me that life could go on after my father’s death. You showed me how to take a worst-case scenario and turn it into the best thing that had ever happened to me. And as God is my witness—in front of our friends and family here today—I promise you that I will always do my best to be the same for you. To be the guiding light you need when you’re down and to get your ass up on that horse when you can’t walk for yourself. I promise to be the voice of reason when you’re flustered, the voice of intelligence when you’re about to screw something up, and the voice of patience when all you need is some time to work through things. I promise to be everything you are to me, and more, for the rest of my days. No matter what.”
I heard people sniffling all across the small gathering of people as Michael cleared his throat.
“That’s a hard act to follow, you know.”
The crowd burst out laughing as I scooped Junior out of his arms. I cradled our son, who had his father’s breathtaking eyes, and watched as he looked up at me with the biggest smile I’d ever seen. I never knew a love so great until I gave birth to him, until I held him in my arms for the very first time and saw how strong he was, even though he was an entire month early.
But, when Michael started speaking, my gaze whipped up and never left his stare.
“Maggie, you are the craziest, wildest, most insane thing to ever happen to me. As a man with a plan who lives his life by his schedule twenty-four-seven, you came out of nowhere and flipped my entire schedule over onto its head. When the news of your father’s death circulated, I knew I had to be there to support you. To comfort you in any way necessary. But, I could have never predicted the path that would throw us down when I wrapped my arms around you and let you cry against my shoulder.”
He cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes before taking my free hand within his.
“You delight me and inspire me. Every time I roll over and see you sleeping next to me, I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. There are moments where the happiness is so great, and the joy is so overwhelming, that I’m fearful I’ll wake up from a dream-state and be alone in some hotel room somewhere with no one to cherish or share my life with. You are, without a shadow of a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to me. You brought spontaneity and happiness back into my life. You dared me to dream of a world outside of my home office. You gave me a son, for crying out loud, and not once have you complained or told me you regretted anything. So, here is my promise to you.”
I stood there, waiting with bated breath as he took a step closer to me.
“I promise you that I will never forsake you. I will never intentionally hurt you, and if I do hurt you, I will toss everything on my schedule out the window to make it better. I promise you that you’ll never want for anything, that you and our son will have everything you two need in order to succeed in this world. And if there ever comes a choice to choose between my work life and my family, I will happily sell my family’s business to do what is right by you two. Because you and Junior are my world now. You guys are my focus. Not my schedule, not my home office, and certainly not my restaurants. But, you two. Forever. No matter what comes our way.”
My lower lip quivered as I blinked my eyes. “You’re going to ruin my makeup.”
The crowd sniffled and dabbed at their eyes as the magistrate cleared his throat.
“Mr. Gainsley, I believe you have the rings.”
I furrowed my brow. “Wait, what rings?”
He lifted my left hand and dug around in his pocket before pulling out the most gorgeous ring I’d ever seen in my life. The beautiful canary diamond was surrounded by sparkling emeralds, all wrapped together in a white gold band that glistened with the sunlight streamed through the chapel's stained glass. Tears streaked my face as he slid it onto my finger, and I watched as it nestled softly against my skin. Then, he handed me a matching white gold band, punctuated with interchanging canary diamonds and emeralds. It was an honor to take it and slide it up his left ring finger.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
He flipped my veil over and gazed into my eyes. “So are you.”
Then the magistrate smiled. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, once again, husband and wife. Mr. Gainsley? Kiss your bride and get out of here.”
He scooped me into his arms with his free hand cradling our little baby boy’s head, and when his lips crashed against my own, my life finally felt complete. People stood to their feet and clapped, cheering us on as my head tilted off to the side. I felt my lipstick smudging. Our tongues clung to one another as they danced for joy. And it wasn’t until Margo yelled up at us that I realized we were still standing at the front of the chapel.
“You’ll have Irish twins if you don’t cut that out!”
The roar of everyone’s laughter caused us to laugh, and before I knew it, we were walking down the aisle while our loved ones around us rejoiced. Junior slept soundly in the crook of my arm, unbothered by the chaos around us. I motioned for Margo and Ginger and Guadalupe. I saw the photographer Michael had hired trying to round us up for some pictures. And as we all started gathering outside for our celebration before heading to the reception we had never had, I heard my husband’s whispered voice against the shell of my ear.
“I’ll love you until the day I die, Mrs. Gainsley.”
I looked up at him and smiled as the photographer started snapping pictures.
“You took the words right out of my mouth, Mr. Gainsley.”
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