Page 45 of The Wedding Toast (The Hamiltons #10)

He recognized the box immediately – a bottle of his favorite Cognac. He read the note that fell out.

"Is that from the hotel?" she asked.

He shook his head with a smile and handed the note over.

Congratulations!

Don't try telling me that love isn't the most important thing

in the world – not tonight.

Enjoy the Cognac – it'll be a nice change from all the champagne.

There's cola in the fridge for Becca's mixer.

She set the note down and came to wrap her arms around him. "You have the best friends."

"We do," he told her with a smile. He dropped a kiss on her lips. "What do you think – are you ready to get out of that dress?"

She nodded eagerly but stepped away from him. "I am, but there's one last thing I want to do first." She made a face. "If you can stand one last glass of champagne."

"I can if you want one. I can call down and I'm sure—"

He loved how sure of herself she looked when she said, "There's no need.

I already arranged it – it's in the fridge.

" She went to the bag that Callie had handed to her when they left.

"I have flutes and everything. All you need to do is drink a toast with me – then, we can get rid of the dress and get started on the married-people sex. "

He laughed. "I'll be happy to drink a toast to that."

He fetched the bottle from the fridge while she took out two very carefully wrapped flutes and set them on the table.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded.

He uncorked the bottle and had to laugh at the way she jumped when it popped even though she knew it was coming. That was just one of the thousands of little things he loved about her.

He poured and then handed a glass to her.

She raised it and met his gaze but didn't speak.

"Are you going to tell me what we're toasting to, Mrs. Jacobs?"

She nodded slowly. "In a moment, we'll drink to us, and to our future.

" She reached for his hand. "To all the years we'll get to spend together, all the babies we'll have, and the happy times, and the sad ones, and the fights that will come, and even to the days when it all feels hard and we wonder if. .."

He squeezed her hand. "I'll never wonder. This is the best decision of my life. I know we'll face tough times, but I'll always be glad that we're in it together. Okay?"

"Okay. I agree, but Jacob... this first toast isn't to any of that."

"What then?" he asked with a smile, wondering what she'd come up with.

Her eyes shone with tears as she said, "This one is to you, Jacob, the smiley little boy who didn't get to have his parents there today.

I know you loved our day. I know they've been gone a long time, and the last thing I want to do is make you sad right now.

But I know, Jacob. I know they were on your mind, and they were on mine too.

I know it might seem weird to other people, but I wanted us to raise a toast to them.

You see, I wish I could thank them, for raising you to be the man that you are, the man I'm now lucky enough to call my husband. "

Jacob squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath.

"Thank you."

She shook her head.

"I know you're not doing it for my thanks,” he added quickly. “I know it means something to you, and that's what I'm thanking you for. Not just for caring about me and how I feel, but for being who you are."

She nodded and raised her glass a little higher. "I could say the same words to you."

He raised his glass and tapped it against hers.

"Here's to my folks; I wish you'd met them.

It's sad, but it's true – they're the past. Here's to everyone we did get to share this day with; all the family and friends we love.

We're lucky that they are our present." He leaned in to press his lips to hers before he added, "And here's to you and me – to the amazing future ahead of us.

" He chuckled. "And when we're done toasting each other, I'd like to take my wife to bed. "

She tapped her glass against his. "I love you, Jacob."

He rested his forehead against hers and looked down into her eyes. "And I love you, Becca. Today, tomorrow, for always."

"Aww!"

That made him laugh. "You and your aww. Come on, let's go sit out on that balcony and watch the stars for a while, shall we?"

He sat down on the rattan sofa out on the balcony and pulled her onto his lap.

They laughed as they fought through the fabric of her dress just to get to each other.

He was looking forward to getting her out of it, but first, he wanted to sit here with her a while.

For them to enjoy the moment – and to start to get used to being Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs;

I hope you enjoyed this return to Napa for Jacob and Becca’s wedding.