Page 34 of How Sweet It Is (Willow Shade Island #3)

I never used to get the big deal about weddings.

White flowers, happy tears, promises no one can guarantee they’ll keep. It always seemed like a lot of fuss for something that could break apart just as easily as it came together.

But then the music starts, and Skyler, five years old and deadly serious, emerges from the back door in a little ivory dress, gripping her basket like it’s mission-critical.

She looks like a cupcake with curls, and every person in Tobias’s backyard goes quiet as she takes her first step down the aisle.

She throws a handful of petals then stops. Dips a hand in again. Throws another.

It’s not graceful. She’s got no rhythm. At one point, she forgets what she’s doing entirely and waves at Micah. And it’s perfect.

My throat gets tight before I even realize what’s happening.

Next comes Kiki, and if I thought Skyler was going to undo me, I had no idea what was coming.

Kiki’s on Noah’s arm because of all the tension between her and her family. Her hair is pinned back with some flower thing that makes her look like she walked out of a bridal magazine. But that’s not what gets me.

It’s the way Tobias looks at her. Like he can’t believe he gets this moment.

His eyes are already shining before she even reaches him. He lets out a breath like he’s been holding it for months, and when Noah passes her over, Tobias holds on, forehead to hers for a beat too long, like he’s not ready to let the world in yet.

I glance at Claire.

Her posture’s straight, arms crossed lightly, like she’s trying to seem indifferent. But her eyes are shining. She’s watching Kiki the way I’ve seen people watch fireworks—like it’s beautiful and fleeting and they’re afraid to blink.

I lean a little closer to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. The ceremony begins. Pastor Morgan says a few words and reads a couple of scriptures. Then it’s time for the vows.

Kiki clears her throat. “Tobias, the first time you saw me, you thought I was homeless. To be fair, I wasn’t far from it. But what you didn’t know was that I came to this island with two pennies and a prayer and the tiniest sliver of hope that I could catch a glimpse of my biological daughter.”

Ooh, big reveal. I glance around the crowd. Most people here already know about Skyler being Kiki’s daughter, but I spy a few shocked faces. Skyler’s sitting with Noah and Savannah, playing with her basket. I assume Kiki already told her, since she’s revealing it to the world now.

Kiki goes on. “I had no plan, no stability, and definitely no reason to believe a grumpy, guarded man like you would become my person. But somehow, against all odds, and probably against your better judgment”—this gets a few chuckles—“you let me in. And in you, I found everything I didn’t know I was allowed to dream about.

I found a home. A partner who sees me, all of me, and still chooses me. Every single day.”

A few sniffles sound in the crowd. I admit, I’m trying to hold it together, knowing the full story.

“You gave me family. You gave me unconditional love. And you gave me this beautiful life I never thought I deserved. So today, I vow to keep choosing you back. To laugh with you in the sunshine and hold you in the storm. And to keep loving you with all my heart, with all my soul, and yes, even with my last two pennies.”

Tobias shifts, and I can see he’s trying to tamp down his emotions. “Kiki, you came into my life like a hurricane. You had no plans, hardly any possessions, and zero concept of personal boundaries. And somehow, in the middle of all that chaos, you made me feel seen.”

I smile because that describes Kiki perfectly.

He continues. “When I first met you, I thought you were lost. Now, I know I was the one who was lost. For years, I guarded my heart like it was some kind of top secret national treasure. But you… you waltzed in with your laughter and your optimism and your way of seeing right through me, and you cracked me wide open. You taught me that love doesn’t have to be complicated to be real. ”

My heart tightens in my chest, and I glance at Claire. Things between us certainly are complicated. Everyone’s calling her Amelia, after all. But my feelings for her have grown over the past few weeks. Have they grown into something real?

I look back at Tobias as he keeps talking.

“You taught me that it’s okay to let go, to lean in, to trust that someone’s not going to leave just because life gets hard.

You are my joy. My peace. My chaos. My calm.

And I vow to never stop being the man who makes you laugh, who holds your hand through the mess, and who shows up, even when I’m grumpy. ”

Another round of chuckles spread through the crowd. We all know Tobias’s resting face is grumpy.

“I promise to protect what we have, to grow with you, and to never, ever doubt the power of two pennies and a prayer. You brought light into my life, Kiki. And I will spend every day making sure you never forget just how brightly you shine.”

My throat is tight as I watch them kiss. Even Micah is wiping at his eyes behind his long hair. Savannah’s clutching Noah’s hand like she might float away otherwise. Claire… She’s frozen, blinking fast. But her eyes are fixed on Kiki like she’s memorizing her.

I look at the photographer, some peppy woman with a giant camera and zero chill who’s circling the ceremony like it’s the Met Gala. I spot her lens shift toward Claire, probably capturing the emotion in the crowd.

I turn Claire’s face toward me. She cannot be in any of the photos. Not when there’s a chance one will get leaked online. She told me that creep is under house arrest, but I don’t trust him or his men.

The crowd claps as Tobias and Kiki kiss, sealing the moment, and Skyler bounces in her chair like she’s just won a prize.

Everyone stands. The feeling in my chest swells.

I lean toward Claire, keeping my voice low. “You okay?”

She nods but doesn’t say anything and just swipes quickly at one cheek.

I angle myself slightly in front of her when the photographer swings her lens back toward the guests, subtly stepping into the frame. Claire gives me a small, grateful look.

“I’ve got you,” I murmur.

And for the first time, I realize I want to keep having her. Not for a night. Not for a joke. For real.

Forever suddenly doesn’t feel so scary.

It feels possible.

The ceremony’s barely over before the photographer’s rallying the troops like she’s leading a battlefield charge.

“Okay! Let’s get the whole family first!”

She claps like we’re a kindergarten class and starts pointing people into place with the confidence of someone who has wrangled toddlers and uncles with beer bellies before.

“Bride’s family on this side, groom’s family on that side, partners next to your dates. Let’s go , people!”

Claire’s hand tightens around her clutch like it’s a weapon.

I lean in. “Thinking of bolting?”

“Thinking of hiding in the bathroom,” she mutters. “If I hide behind Skyler’s fort, think no one will notice me?”

“You underestimate how pretty you look today,” I say with a grin.

She narrows her eyes at me. “That’s not helping.”

I slip my hand around her waist, guiding her backward a step as the photographer ushers people into frame. “All right. Let the magician work.”

“Magician?”

“I’m going to make you disappear,” I whisper, scanning the shrubbery for a hiding spot. I walk her over to a hedge. “Now duck.”

“What?”

“Now!”

She crouches down, and I casually walk to where my family is.

“Where’s Amelia?” Savannah asks.

I shrug like it’s not a big deal. “I can’t find her.”

“She was just standing there with you.” Savannah scans the crowd.

“It’s okay,” Micah says. “He’ll be dating someone else next week anyway.”

Savannah gasps. “Micah!”

I laugh and point at the impatient camera woman. “He’s not wrong,” I say lightly. Except this time, he might be.

Pictures are taken, and I duck away to the shrub. “You okay?” I ask the foliage.

“My legs are cramping,” the shrub says to me.

“Levi, get back in here!” Kiki calls, waving me forward from the center of the group.

The photographer echoes it, excited. “Yes! I need to get the brothers of the groom!”

“Can’t. I’m holding up this decorative bush,” I call back, gesturing vaguely behind me. “Critical landscaping duty.”

Claire stifles a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously helpful,” I say.

“Get over there,” she hisses.

I laugh and go back in front of the camera. As the photographer takes family photos, I see Claire pop out from behind the shrub. I guess since the camera is pointed at me, she feels relatively safe uncramping her legs.

But it doesn’t take long before the photographer is prowling again, trying to get “fun candids” of couples kissing and guests laughing like they don’t know they’re being watched.

Claire keeps subtly ducking behind taller people, pretending to check her phone, adjust her shoe, or help Skyler retie her sash. Anything to avoid the lens.

At one point, she tries to disappear under the gift table, but Savannah catches her arm.

“Oh, Amelia! Quick photo!” Savannah says brightly, trying to pull her in for a pic.

Claire freezes, and I jump in. “Sorry, can’t. She’s got spinach in her teeth.”

Savannah blinks. “She hasn’t eaten anything.”

“Exactly,” I say solemnly, dragging Claire backward. “It’s a mystery spinach. Very contagious.”

We leave Savannah, who just looks confused. When we’re out of earshot, Claire pokes me. “That was the worst excuse ever.”

“And yet you’re not in a photo, are you?”

She snorts. “Point.”

I put out my elbow. “Are you ready to go to the church and help me get the cake set up?”

She slides her hand into the crook of my arm. “Yes.”

I have to admit, it feels good to have her on my arm.