Page 41

Two Years Later

Alice

Mid-October may not have been the best time for a wedding in terms of weather, but it sure is gorgeous at our cabin. The changing colors of the leaves painted a beautiful mosaic on the drive up, and I smile thinking back on the wedding pictures we took yesterday at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Our friends are here for the weekend, which is a feat considering Ash and Eli still play in the NHL and Olivia had her first game in the same league recently.

Robbie and Alex were more than happy to come up and spend some extra time here as they met with their business partner, Jason, who now oversees the Traverse City branch of Blue Line Brigade.

Malia has led the Thunderbirds to two PVF championships as the head coach for the volleyball team, and she’s happily agreed to be one of my bridesmaids, alongside my old work friend Megan and, of course, Olivia. My rock. My maid of honor.

The air is chilly, but not cold enough that we’d need coats. Yet I still bounce on my feet, waiting around the building for our cue.

“Nervous?” my dad asks, a glossy sheen to his blue eyes.

I blink and roll my eyes. “Not even a little bit.” I smirk, and he pats my hand where it rests on his forearm.

“I’m surprised you guys didn’t elope the day after he got you the house.” He laughs and shakes his head in wonder.

“That’s the day he asked me to marry him,” I say, smiling as I think back on that Christmas Day.

After everyone left, Jordan gave me a tour of the rest of the house.

The finished basement where we ended up building a custom gaming table and housed hundreds of board games; the four-season den that ended up being my office; the bookshelves he custom-ordered; and the two bedrooms, one of which was fully furnished.

After he spent hours touching me, telling me how much he loved me, how he couldn’t wait to start a family, he asked me to marry him.

He asked me to go down to City Hall with him so we could elope.

But I had one request before we gave in and started on forever.

I begged him to reconsider getting a hip replacement.

We weighed all the pros and cons together and he eventually agreed that it would be the best thing for his health in the long run.

Even though the recovery was tough and he had to take a leave of absence, we got through it together.

And now, a year later, he’s back to coaching the Manticores and spending some of his free time with Robbie’s organization.

“Did he?” my dad asks, his mostly gray mustache twitching.

“I wanted to make sure he was happy with his health and progress before we took that step,” I say.

“Smart cookie.”

“And you’re good to go,” the emcee says, waving us down.

I take a deep breath, and my dad leads me as we turn the corner and face the crowd of people standing and smiling at us.

I smile back as we walk down the aisle, but my eyes never stray away from my almost-husband.

He looks stunning in his maroon suit—a color that turns his eyes a pretty shade of amber.

My heart races as we approach, and Jordan reaches out for me. My left hand grazes his right palm and he squeezes my fingers, bringing them up to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles. His thumb rubs over the princess cut engagement ring he put there the day after his surgery.

The ceremony moves quickly, and soon the minister asks us to say our vows.

Olivia hands me my notebook and I blow out a breath, trying to steady all my overwhelming feelings.

I don’t mind being the center of attention, having done a few author events by now and advertising my books.

But this is different—it’s personal. All our loved ones are here, witnessing the promise Jordan and I are making to each other.

“J, from the moment I face-planted into your arms twelve years ago, I always hoped we’d make it here,” I say, the laughter from the crowd steadying me.

“It’s no shock that I’ve written your name next to mine in every notebook, and every scrap of paper, wishing I could manifest our love.

What was an unrequited, one-sided crush turned into stolen glances and late-night conversations.

And when life tore us apart,” I say, blinking back tears and looking up at Jordan, “I thought I’d never have that kind of connection again.

I’m so glad that I was wrong,” I say with a wet laugh.

Jordan wipes a tear away and reaches out a hand that I gladly take before continuing.

“I always knew what we had was special, that you’d be in my life one way or another. And I promise to always have your back. I promise to love you, to cherish you, to let you be the passenger princess, to always let you win at games?—”

Jordan laughs, his bottom lip wobbling. “Sore loser,” he whispers thickly, but it’s loud enough for our wedding party to hear and crack up.

“I promise to be yours until death do us part. I love you so much,” I say, letting a tear drop and handing the notebook back to Olivia. She takes it and dabs at my wet cheek with her sleeve as more chuckles rise up from the crowd of guests.

“Jordan, you may read your vows now,” the minister says, and Jordan gives me a big smile.

His fingers tighten around mine again as he grounds himself to me.

He doesn’t reach for a piece of paper, but rather speaks from the heart.

My heart melts at the significance of it, knowing that he still deals with anxiety most days, and that speaking in front of all these people can’t be easy.

“I’m not great with words, as you well know. I often bask in the silence around me, content to just be around you. I love watching you grow and want you to know that I’m so incredibly proud of everything you have accomplished. You inspire me every day to be the best version of myself.

“You’ve been my rock these past few years and I can’t imagine my life without you.

I may not be perfect, but I’ll try my damn hardest to never let you down, to never make you feel small.

You light up my whole world and if death were to part us, I promise I will find you in the next life, so you can be my beacon once more,” he says through tears, eyes never straying from mine.

“I love you, Alice.”

“I love you too, J.”

My heart might burst out of my chest if I can’t kiss him soon. I look at the minister, antsy to get this going.

“Repeat after me,” he says, walking us through the rest of the ceremony. Jordan and I grin at each other, our hands swaying together in front of us. Mine shake as I place the rose gold band on his finger, but his hands are steady in contrast.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

Jordan

“Thank god,” I say, cupping my wife’s face and capturing her lips in a bruising kiss. I don’t care that we have an audience, I need to feel her against me. I need to know she’s mine. Forever.

Alice lets out the smallest moan against me and I smile into the kiss. I can’t wait to get her out of this dress and into my lap. In one quick movement, I swing us around and dip her, our mouths still fused together. Everyone cheers and hollers as we come up for air and rush up the aisle.

“You have no idea how much I want you out of this fucking dress,” I growl in her ear as we get inside the venue at one of our favorite wineries here in Traverse City.

“I think I have some idea,” she says as she runs a hand over the bulge in my pants. I grunt and she leans into me, peppering kisses to my clean-shaven jaw and scraping her teeth down the side of my neck. I shudder and keep her at arm’s length right as more people start walking into the venue.

“You are a menace,” I whisper, twirling her, admiring the way her dress billows with the movement. “A gorgeous little menace.”

“I’ll be so good to you later,” she promises, a smirk playing on her lips.

Weddings have never been something I looked forward to. I’ve always found it draining, especially things like this—talking to so many people, one after the other with seemingly no break. But the look of pure happiness on Alice’s face makes all of it worth it.

After our first dance, we eat the first course of our meal and sit through some thoughtful and hilarious speeches from our families and friends as Olivia and Ash take the stage with loving messages and hilarious memories.

By the time everyone leaves, our feet hurt from dancing, our cheeks hurt from smiling, and our hearts are full.

“Ready to get some rest?” I ask Alice as she leans into my side in the elevator up to our room at the venue. My hand wraps around her shoulder and I kiss the top of her head.

“I have other plans,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows at me seductively.

“You barely slept last night, let’s get you in some comfy pajamas and you can do filthy unspeakable things to me tomorrow,” I chuckle.

The room is dark as we enter, and I turn the light on the dimmest setting. Alice is still a little tipsy from the shots she did earlier, and I steady her on her feet, my palm splayed against her back.

“Did you have a good time?” she asks, yawning.

“The best,” I mumble against her forehead, gently turning her around and getting to work on the buttons of her dress. My fingertips graze her spine with each pop of a button and my mouth leaves a trail of kisses behind, covering up the goosebumps forming on her skin.

I kneel down as I kiss the last spot at the base of her spine and my hands trail up her calves and legs, all the way to her garter.

While her dress is short and stops at her knees, there’s plenty of layers I need to get through, so I throw the material over my head and kiss the inside of her thigh before dragging the garter down with my teeth.

Alice moans above me and mumbles something incoherent. I chuckle and pull myself out from under her dress. “Arms up, baby.”

She does as instructed and I lift the dress off her, making sure it doesn’t snag in the braided crown atop her head.

Gently, I set it down on the couch and return to my wife.

Her eyes are half closed, but a smile still takes over her pretty pink lips.

I kiss her cheek and reach behind her to pop open her push-up bra.

It falls to the floor with a thud and I run my hands down her sides, my thumbs hooking into her lace panties, and pulling them off too.

I take a second to admire her while she’s naked and soft. God, she’s perfect .

“Sit here for a second,” I say, leading her to the side of the bed.

She does as she’s told, looking at me through half lidded eyes as I take off my suit and under-layers.

I leave my boxers on, and she frowns. “Don’t pout, baby,” I laugh, reaching over on the bed and dragging her pajamas closer to me. “Arms up one more time.”

Alice gives me her cute-but-infuriated look, which just makes her resemble a grumpy cat, but she listens anyway. I pull her silky shirt down her torso and instruct her to stand.

She wobbles again and I steady her with a hand on her hip.

As I drag one side of her matching pants onto one leg, her hands find purchase in my hair, and she scrapes her nails on my scalp in a soothing motion.

“I married the best man today,” she says, looking down at me with a soft look in her eyes.

“I married the love of my life,” I respond, swiftly kissing her lips and redirecting my attention to pulling all the pins out of her hair.

“I should brush it,” she says, taking a step towards the bathroom, and I blindly follow. I pull the rest of her hair out of her braids and brush it over a few times, tying it in a low ponytail at the back of her neck.

I spot the makeup wipes on the counter and take a few out, remembering her nightly skin care routine.

With one hand, I tip her chin up so I can better see what I’m doing.

With the other, I press the wipe to her face and rub in gentle circles until all the foundation comes off.

I grab a few more wipes and run them over her eyelids and mouth.

By the time I’m done, she looks like my everyday Alice again—just as gorgeous and smelling faintly of coconut. She smiles at me, and I allow myself one more kiss. She opens up and chases me with her tongue, tasting like the cherry cake we shared for dessert.

I sigh and pick her up, bridal style. “I think I was supposed to do this earlier,” I say, walking her to the bed and setting her down.

She laughs and keeps her arms around my neck as I pull the covers on top of us. “We’ll figure it out. Together,” she says, and I press one last kiss to her forehead before she falls asleep in my arms.

“Together.” I smile, letting sleep pull me under.

The End.