Page 41 of The Wedding Toast (The Hamiltons #10)

She wondered what Ava was up to when she paused and threw extra petals into the rows of seated guests. Callie was awesome, she let Ava do what she wanted to before easily guiding her back on their course.

Her dad laughed beside her. "Did you see what she was up to?"

"No – what?"

"She was throwing extra petals to her little friend – you know the one who goes around giving people names."

Becca squeezed his arm. "You mean Zia." She pressed a quick peck to his cheek and added, "Sir Strongheart. I love that name – it's perfect."

Her dad muttered something but they both froze when the music drifted to an end, and then one clear note on the cello had them clinging to each other.

Her dad straightened his shoulders. "Are you ready, love?"

She nodded, her throat so tight that she couldn't even squeeze out a yes.

He kissed her cheek. "Then off we go. Your mom said I'm walking you to your future, and that feels right to me."

"That's because it is right, Dad. Jacob's my future, but you and Mom are coming right along with me."

He held her arm as they moved to just inside the doors ready to step out when the song started to play. From here she could see all the way to the front, but she didn't look at Jacob until the first notes sounded, then she stepped out at her dad's side.

Just as she'd hoped, Jacob's gaze met hers above the crowd. Her eyes filled with tears when he reached up to cover his heart with his hand before pointing at her. She blew him a kiss and loved the huge smile on his face.

Her dad chuckled beside her. "Come on, love. Let's get down these stairs and get on with it."

~ ~ ~

Jacob felt as though his heart might explode in his chest when he saw Becca finally step out of the doors.

She looked stunning but then to him, she always did.

He loved that she looked straight at him, and when she met his gaze, his hand came up to his heart as if it could help him contain all the love that wanted to overflow from it.

Of course it couldn't, so he pointed at her, needing her to know that everything in his heart was for her.

He took a couple of deep breaths to compose himself as the music began to play, and she and Chuck made their way carefully down the steps.

He'd wanted to set up a gazebo at the bottom as a kind of staging area so that her walk to the arch wouldn't begin with what felt to him like a dangerous descent.

He'd been voted down on that one, but he didn't relax until she and Chuck were safely on level ground.

Bentley chuckled beside him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"This isn't the moment, but I have to tell you that I'll be asking for your advice about wedding music."

That made Jacob smile. “‘What a Wonderful World’ was Becca’s choice.”

“And this — ‘Over the Rainbow’?” Bentley asked. “Was this you? I guess getting married is like a land you never dreamed of.”

Jacob chuckled. "It is. But what matters the most is that Becca's here with me now – she's not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Don’t laugh!"

He hadn't taken his eyes off Becca the whole time. She looked so happy as she and her dad walked up the path between the rows of seats. She was like a bright light and people lit up as she passed. She’d brightened up his life in every sense since he met her – she was his shining star.

And then she was there, standing in front of him, and all the nerves and the tension melted away.

Callie came to take her flowers before standing off to one side.

Chuck cleared his throat as he shook Jacob's hand. "I've told you before, I'm gaining a son, and that's all there is to it, son."

Jacob pulled him in closer, and Chuck gave him a powerful hug before stepping back. He kissed Becca's cheek, then went to sit with Darlene.

~ ~ ~

When they turned to face each other, Becca gripped Jacob’s hands so tightly that he winced and winked at her.

She let out a little laugh. He hadn’t believed her when they first met that being a Kansas farm girl meant she was strong. She squeezed again, more gently, and winked back, making him chuckle.

The officiant paused to smile at them as he addressed the guests.

She knew he was welcoming them and saying nice things about her and Jacob and love and marriage, but she felt like he and everyone else were far away.

Like she and Jacob were standing here in their own little bubble, about to promise the rest of their lives to each other. She just wanted to get on with it.

It all seemed to go by in a blur; she was vaguely aware of repeating words, of Jacob’s gorgeous gray eyes shining at her as he promised to love her and honor her, and she promised to love and protect him right back. And then Bentley stepped forward with the rings.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth when she saw them – they each had a row of tiny blue stones in them. They still looked like wedding bands, but … She looked up into his eyes and he nodded. She wanted to kiss him already!

They’d decided that she should go first because she’d been so nervous when they practiced – her hands had shaken and her voice had wobbled, and Jacob said if she wanted to go first, he didn’t mind.

So, she took the ring from the little pillow and said, “I give you this ring as a token …” but then she laughed. She couldn’t help it – Callie’s words from earlier had come back to her.

She panicked for a moment – she so should not be laughing!

But Jacob was smiling, looking like he was about to start laughing with her.

She turned to look out at all the people watching them.

They weren’t some scary group of strangers.

Even the Napa bigwigs and people she didn’t know were people Jacob cared about.

Most of them were their family and friends.

So, she laughed again, wanting to share her delight with them.

“I get to put a ring on him!”

She loved the way the laughter rippled around the crowd. She loved even more the sound of Jacob’s low chuckle and the way he tugged on her hand and said, “I’m right here waiting.”

She slid the ring onto his finger, said all the words, loved the feel of it when he slid her ring on. Loved even more the look in his eyes as he talked about forever.

And then it was done.

The officiant smiled at them. “Having witnessed your vows and the love you’ve declared, I now have the joy of pronouncing you married. You can now seal your union with a kiss.”

She looped her arms around Jacob’s neck, and he closed his arms around her waist, crushing her to his chest as he claimed her mouth in one of his soul-searing Jacob-kisses.

When they finally came up for air, she was vaguely aware of the applause and the whistles – no doubt that was Xander and Slade – but all she could focus on was Jacob, the love that shone in his eyes for her, and all the love and happiness she hoped he could see reflected in her own.