Page 33

STACEY

The hotel suite is nothing short of luxurious. Floor-to-ceiling windows dominate one side of the space, letting in a flood of natural light and offering a breathtaking view of Miami's glittering skyline and the turquoise ocean beyond. The sunlight catches on the polished surfaces of the room—mirrored tables, sleek countertops, and gold accents that gleam with a quiet opulence.

Millie is perched on the chaise lounge in the sitting area, her tiny flower girl dress spread out around her like a little cloud of cream-colored tulle. She’s swinging her legs back and forth, humming to herself. She’s completely oblivious to the whirlwind of activity around us.

In the bathroom, where I’ve been fussing over my hair for the last twenty minutes, the countertops are marble—cool under my fingers—and the mirrors are framed with soft lighting that makes everyone look like they’ve just stepped off a runway. My makeup bag is sprawled out across the double vanity, brushes and compacts scattered amidst the chaos.

Millie calls out to me, holding up her little sparkly shoes. “Mommy, do you think these are too shiny?”

I laugh, my tension easing for a moment as I poke my head out of the bathroom door. “You can never have too much sparkle, baby. You’re perfect.”

She grins and hops off the chaise, running over to the full-length mirror near the closet to admire herself.

“Do you think Auntie Grace will cry when she sees Uncle Jensen?”

“I bet she will,” I say, smoothing the skirt of my dress as I step out of the bathroom completely. “And I think Uncle Jensen will cry when he sees her, too.”

Millie grins, satisfied with this answer, and grabs her little basket of petals. “I’m ready!”

Owen’s mother appears at my side, offering a patient smile as she adjusts Millie’s basket strap.

“She’s got this,” she says, her voice full of encouragement.

“Thanks again for everything, Margaret. We couldn’t have made this trip without you.”

Strange as it might sound, back before I asked Margaret to come, I contemplated inviting my mom to come along in order to watch Millie for us, but I decided it was too much too soon. We’re back in contact with each other, but it’s only been a couple of months, and while she’s become much more accepting of Owen after his public declaration that he’s totally dedicated to Millie and me, there’s a lot to be mended between us. Still, we’re making progress, slow and steady as it is, and I’m happy about that. A babysitting trip like this will have to wait for another time. I do want to heal that wound, as much as I know it won’t be easy. For now, though, I’m really glad Margaret is here.

Margaret waves me off. “Of course! I wouldn’t miss seeing Millie being the best flower girl in the whole world.”

Millie giggles and takes Margaret’s hand. “Let’s go!”

The three of us make our way out of the hotel room and head down to the lobby. Just as we’re stepping out of the elevator, a loud voice greets us from the hotel’s entrance.

“I cannot believe that man! Who does he think he is?”

I see Rylee storming in, her oversized sunglasses perched on her head, and a suitcase rolling behind her with a brand-new luggage tag still attached.

“Rylee!” I call her name as she draws near. “Thank God! We were starting to worry you wouldn’t make it when your flight was canceled yesterday.” I pause and look her up and down. She’s flushed and mussed, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “Rough trip?”

“You could say that,” she huffs. “Some asshole at the airport almost stole my luggage! Can you believe it? Thank God I’ve been hitting the gym — my brand-new bag doubles as a weapon. One good swing and he backed off.”

I chuckle. “I can only imagine. Did you leave him conscious?”

“Barely,” Rylee says with a sniff. “But enough about him. Where’s the bride? And more importantly, where’s the champagne?”

Millie tugs at Rylee’s sleeve. “Auntie Rylee, you missed me practicing my flower walk!”

Rylee’s demeanor softens instantly. “Oh no! You’ll have to show me before the ceremony, peanut.”

Millie nods. “Okay!”

“We’re just heading to the bridal suite to help Grace finish getting ready,” I tell Rylee. “We’ll see you there.”

“You betcha,” Rylee nods. “I’m going to get checked in and I’ll be right down.”

She turns to head to the front desk and Margaret, Millie, and I make our way down the hall toward the suite.

When we reach the door, I knock before opening it and stick my head inside the room.

“Are we decent?” I call out.

“Come on in!” Skyler replies.

Walking in the room, Millie instantly slips her hand from mine and rushes through the suite’s lushly decorated sitting room into the dressing room beyond. Her feet are silent on the plush, white carpet. Margaret and I follow after her, and when we step into the next room, I stop and laugh. Millie is standing in front of Grace, Skyler, and Sutton, spinning in a circle to show off her dress. Grace has a silk white robe on, while Sutton and Skyler are already wearing their bridesmaid dresses, which are identical to mine. Floor-length, gauzy, and light green. They’re the type of dresses that look good on more than one body type, so Skyler’s curves as well as Sutton’s smaller, leaner figure both look stunning in them.

Grace claps her hands in delight and exclaims, “Oh, Millie! You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Millie beams. “Are you going to put on your dress now?”

Nodding, Grace says, “Yes I am. I was waiting for you to come back before I did.”

Millie claps her hands in delight. Grace gets up and Sutton goes to grab her wedding dress, hanging in front of a large window which looks out over the beach and ocean. The dress is a delicate chiffon in soft-white. It has spaghetti straps and a low-cut back. It’s flowy and ethereal, and really perfect for a beach wedding.

As Sutton brings the dress over to Grace, I notice the bright shade of teal in her dark brown hair, which is pulled back into an elegant chignon at the back of her head. I haven’t known Sutton for long, but I’m blown away by just how cool and elegant she is, as well as crazy intelligent.

We help Grace into her dress, and by the time she’s ready, there’s a knock on the suite’s door.

“Hello!” Rylee’s voice floats through the room. “Where are my ladies at?”

“We’re in here!” Sutton calls.

The next moment, Rylee comes strolling into the room, wearing her bridesmaid dress and looking much more put together than when I saw her in the lobby. She stops in the doorway and beams as her eyes land on Grace.

“Oh, my God!” she exclaims. “You are gorgeous!”

Grace curtsies, showing off the flowy qualities of the skirt once again, and grins. “Thank God you’re here! I was getting ready to make Jensen rent a private jet to go get you!”

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Rylee declares. “Even if I had to stow away on a cargo plane, I was making it to this damn wedding.”

Laughing, Grace looks around at all of us, her eyes shimmering with happiness.

“All right, ladies,” she says. “Let’s go get me married.”

The wedding is set up on a private stretch of the beach behind the resort. There’s an arch draped with lush greenery and soft white flowers over the altar. The backdrop of crashing waves makes the whole scene feel like something out of a dream. As we approach, Owen catches sight of us and breaks away from the cluster of groomsmen chatting together to come meet us.

“There are my girls,” he says with a wide smile. He gives me a quick kiss, then squats down in front of Millie. “You ready, kiddo?”

Millie grins. “I’m ready, Daddy!”

“All right!” he kisses her forehead. “We should go line up, the wedding is going to start soon!”

As the procession begins, I walk toward the front with Owen, and I have a moment where I can clearly picture us doing this for our own wedding. When we reach the altar and part ways, he gives me a smile that makes my heart race and I’m reluctant to let him go. I move to the side, forcing myself to focus on what’s happening, and not on my fantasies of standing at this altar with Owen as we say our own vows, promising our lives to one another. Soon, Millie makes her way down the aisle with all the confidence in the world, tossing petals like a pro. I glance at Owen, and he’s beaming, his eyes fixed on her with pride.

When Grace appears, led by her dad and radiant in her flowing gown, Jensen does, in fact, start crying, and I can hear a collective “aww” ripple through the guests.

As she reaches him, Jensen takes her hands in his and gazes at her like she’s the most precious thing in the whole world to him, and knowing Jensen, she is.

“Welcome, friends and family of this happy couple,” the officiant begins, his voice loud and carrying across the gathered crowd with ease. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two beautiful people…”

As the officiant speaks, Grace and Jensen continue to gaze at each other and it’s clear the rest of us don’t exist to them right now. They’re in a world all their own. Catching Owen’s eye from where he’s standing in line with the groomsmen, he gives me a soft smile. It makes my chest tight and a sense of longing rushes through me.

Grace and Jensen are getting their forever together… and I want mine with Owen, as well.

When it’s time for the vows, the officiant asks Jensen to go first.

He clears his throat, and for a moment, I’m not sure if he’ll be able to get through what he wants to say— he’s so overwhelmed with emotion.

At last, he begins. “Grace, when I first met you, I had no idea that you were going to be the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with… but I knew you were special. I knew, somehow, that you would change my life. It was only supposed to be a spring break fling, but you were always so much more than that. Which is why I instantly knew one week with you would never be enough. I wanted forever with you, and even when I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again, a part of me always knew you and I were meant to be. I love you with all my heart, and I vow that I will continue to love you, cherish you, honor you, and adore you for the rest of my life, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad. I am yours, body, heart, and soul from now until death, and even beyond.”

By the time he’s finished, tears are running down my cheeks, and I’m not the only one. I’m pretty sure half of the people present are crying right now.

The officiant looks to Grace nexts “You may say your vows now.”

Grace takes a deep breath and wipes away a stray tear before beginning. “Jensen, I wasn’t looking for anything more than a week of fun, where I could let loose and pretend to be someone different. Then I met you, and my whole world changed… I just didn’t realize it at first. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. With you, I’m able to be fully myself. I’m a better person because you love me, and I will always be grateful that we found each other again and that you never gave up on us. I love you, Jensen, and I vow to always love you, cherish you, honor you, and adore you. In sickness and in health, in good times and bad. I am yours, body, heart, and soul from now until death, and definitely beyond.”

I can hardly take this. They’re words are so full of genuine affection and devotion, it makes my heart swell and tears of joy cloud my vision. Before I know it, the officiant is declaring, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Jensen grabs Grace and dips her as he kisses her hard. We all cheer and clap, and then follow them as they make their way back up the aisle and head toward the resort, where the reception is being held poolside.

Waiters are already there with trays of appetizers and champagne. A live band is playing beside an open space on the pool deck, meant to be the dance floor. There’s no sit-down dinner, but food stations set up that guests can wander between. One has flatbreads, another has cheeses and meats, a third has shrimp cocktail, and the options go on and on. Small tables and chairs have been set up where we can sit and talk and eat, but it’s a casual atmosphere — a party where everyone can just relax and have a good time.

While the guests all mingle, getting food and drinking cocktails, the photographer gathers the bridal party all together for pictures. We take a few big group shots, then it’s just the bridesmaids and Grace, then the groomsmen and Jensen. While the girls stand off to the side waiting for the guys to finish, Rylee comes up next to me and lets out a low humming sound.

“There are some fine men here,” she says with a grin, her eyes sparkling like she’s a kid in a candy store.

I chuckle and nod. “There sure are.”

She bumps her shoulder against mine and nods towards the large, dark haired man talking to Zander and standing to Jensen’s right. The resemblance between Jensen and him is uncanny, except for the fact that the guy is so huge he makes even Jensen look small.

“See him?” Rylee whispers. “Tyler? Jensen’s brother?”

“Uh-huh,” I reply. “It’s hard not to see him. Isn’t he a football player? Like a safety or something?”

“Linebacker. Anyway, I am going to climb that man like Everest,” she declares. “I finally dumped my cheating bastard of an ex, and you know what they say the best way to heal a broken heart is.”

“Um…no, I don’t.”

“A bigger and better dick.”

I let out a snort of laughter. “Well, a girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do, I suppose.”

“Hell yes.”

Suddenly, I notice that Zander is gazing over at us…or, rather, scowling. Does he think we’re talking about him? I frown, but before I can say anything to Rylee about it, the photographer reclaims his attention.

Oh, well. Whatever.

Once the pictures are all done, we join the rest of the guests for food, drinks, and the dancing starts right away. Grace and Jensen sway together as the band plays a soft, romantic song, and I’m transfixed as I watch them. They’re so in love and so happy.

Just like I am with Owen.

When the song ends, Grace waves over a waiter and takes two champagne flutes from his tray, handing one to Jensen and carefully tapping hers to get the crowd’s attention. Everyone quiets down, turning toward her with expectant smiles.

“I’d like to make a toast,” she begins, her tone warm and steady. “I know it’s usually traditional to let the parents and the wedding party go first with these, but I have something I want to say and I don’t want to wait to say it.” She looks at Jensen and smiles. “To love. Real, messy, complicated love — the kind that surprises us, frustrates us, and, in the end, teaches us that it’s the best thing we’ll ever fight for. I never thought I’d be the kind of person standing here, giving a toast like this, but life has a funny way of proving us wrong. To all of us who’ve stumbled, doubted, or put up walls… let’s remember that true love doesn’t care about the obstacles we set in its way. It will find us anyway.”

Her gaze lands on Skyler, then me, a knowing twinkle in her eye. “Here’s to the women who’ve learned to let it in — and to the men who were brave enough to stand by us while we figured it out.”

The crowd erupts in applause, glasses clinking, and I can’t help but smile. I glance at Owen, who’s already watching me, his expression unreadable but warm.

After dinner, the dance floor becomes a whirl of motion and laughter. Millie is spinning with Skyler, her tiny arms flung out in delight, while Rylee tries to teach Margaret some ridiculous looking dance move. Jayce, Zander, and Wilder are all standing together near the bar, laughing and drinking as they watch the crowd. They’re all still riding the high of their Stanley Cup win, and I can only imagine the wild mischief they’re going to end up getting into tonight.

Owen steps closer, leaning down to my ear. “Let’s take a walk.”

I nod, my heart fluttering.

We stroll along the beach, the sand cool under our bare feet and the waves lapping gently at the shore. The noise of the party fades into the background, leaving just the sound of the ocean and the soft rhythm of our steps.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” I say, my voice tentative.

“Me too,” Owen replies, his tone carrying the same nervous energy.

We stop walking, turning to face each other at the same time.

“Stacey—”

“Owen—”

Our names collide in the air, and we both laugh, the tension breaking for a moment.

“You first,” he says, stepping closer.

“No, you,” I insist, suddenly shy.

“Okay,” he says, taking a deep breath. “I’ve actually been wanting to do this for a long time now.” He suddenly sinks to one knee and pulls a velvet box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. “Stacey Dixon, you are the love of my life. There has never been anyone but you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Millie. I want us to build a life together and grow our family together. So what I want to ask is, well… Stace, will you marry me?”

I blink, stunned, and just as the words settle in, I burst out, “I’m pregnant.”

For a moment, we both freeze, the reality of what we’ve both just said hanging between us.

“You’re—”

“You want to?—”

The silence lasts half a beat before Owen stands up and starts laughing, a deep, joyful sound that makes my eyes well up.

“Stacey,” he says, his voice softening, “I love you. I love Millie. I love… all of us.” He places his hands on my waist, pulling me close. “So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”

Tears spill over as I nod, unable to find my voice for several seconds.

Finally, I manage to whisper, “Yes. Yes, I will.”

He pulls me in and gives me a deep, toe-curling kiss.

When we pull apart, he grins. “And you’re pregnant?”

I laugh, wiping at my tears. “Surprise?”

“Best surprise ever.”