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“Wow. ” Wes’s mouth dropped open as he turned his eyes toward the wooden staircase in the Atwater house. Addie was gingerly dipping

from one step to the next, careful not to snag her heel on the satin train of her gown, but her lips curled up in response

to his one-word show of approval. He hurried over to offer her his hand as she took the last few steps onto the landing.

“We’re too old to be doing this.” She squeezed his hand once she reached the ground level, but he wasn’t so eager to let go.

“I feel ridiculous dressed like this.”

“Um...” He shook his head, words still failing him. “You... nope...” He swallowed hard and allowed his eyes to indulge

in a leisurely stroll down the length of the dress, lingering perhaps a little too long at the spot where her leg became visible

via an expertly placed slit above her knee. “I mean...”

“Hey, Lai?” Cole came up behind Wes and shouted into the other room to his wife.

“Don’t quote me on this, but I think—I think —Wes approves of Addie’s dress.

” Cole slapped him on the shoulder and then added, “You look gorgeous, Add,” before scurrying into the kitchen to check on his hors d’oeuvres in the oven.

Laila squealed as she joined them at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, yay! You’re stunning, Addie. It’s official. I’m adding

a wedding line at the boutique.” Her hands ran down Addie’s abdomen, straightening out perceptible-only-to-Laila wrinkles.

“Aren’t you glad we went strapless?”

“Yes,” Wes answered, quickly realizing—when both ladies shot him a gently chiding glance—that the question hadn’t been directed

toward him.

“I guess. It’s just that these arms turned forty-one a couple weeks ago—”

“Oh, I don’t want to hear it,” Brynn called out from the hallway where she was putting the final touches on her makeup in

front of the mirror. “My arms have been forty-one for four months already.”

Sebastian stood from the couch and walked toward them. “And my arms are already happily settled in their mid-forties. Now

that that’s all established and it’s been acknowledged that we all look fantastic—especially you”—he playfully whacked Brynn

on the bottom as she passed from the hallway to the kitchen, causing her to turn back and exclaim, “Watch it!” through her

giggles—“are we ready to get this show on the road?”

“Almost,” Laila answered. “We’re just missing one thing.”

“What’s that?” Addie asked.

“The groom.” Cole came back around from the kitchen and leaned against the log column beside the staircase as he brushed a

fleck of oregano off the cuff of his shirt. “I’m pretty sure Jo will kill us if we show up without him.”

Addie sighed. “I’ll go check on him.” She turned to head back up the stairs, but Wes stopped her with a hand on her lower

back.

“No, let me. As spectacular as those forty-one-year-old legs of yours are, I fully expect them to revolt if you make them

go up and down these stairs in heels too many more times.”

He covered her mouth with his as she laughed, then ran up the steps and hurried toward the master bedroom. “Doc?” He knocked and then opened the door slowly when there was no answer. “Doc? Everything okay?”

Doc stood in front of the antique mirror over his dresser and grumbled as he threw his hands up in the air. “I give up. I’m

not wearing a stupid tie.”

“Oh no, no, no.” Wes crossed the room and joined him at the mirror. “That is not the note you want to start your marriage

out on. Here. Let me help.”

Doc sighed and turned away from the mirror. “Thanks. Truth is I can’t get my hands to stop shaking.”

“That’s understandable.” Wes nodded and unfurled the mess Doc had created, then took it from around his neck and straightened

it out. He laid the tie over his shoulder temporarily while he popped up Doc’s collar and then looped the tie back around.

“It’s a big day.”

“I guess.”

Wes laughed. “You guess? You’re getting remarried after thirty years alone. I’d say that makes for a pretty big day.”

“Except I never really was alone. Jo was there the entire time, which is what I guess makes this feel weird and right all

at the same time.” He slipped his fingers between his collar and his Adam’s apple and attempted to stretch his neck away from

the constriction.

“Would you stop?” Wes lifted his hands, waiting for Doc to remove his. “We’ll never get this done if you don’t stop wiggling.”

Doc huffed and lowered his arms to his sides.

“Thank you.” Wes picked up where he’d left off, looping the wide end over the small. “So listen, Doc. I just want you to know

that if you have any questions, you can feel free to ask me.”

Doc’s eyebrows rose. “What kind of questions?”

“You know.” He shrugged. “About the wedding night. It’s perfectly normal to be nervous—”

“Shut up, will ya?” Doc grumbled.

Wes grinned as he brought the wide end down through the loop he had created and tightened it against Doc’s neck. “All done. A perfect Windsor. Just like you taught me.”

Doc turned back to the mirror. “Not bad,” he acknowledged. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” He spotted the suit jacket on the bed and grabbed it and held it open for Doc to slip his arms into. “Need

anything else?”

“Nah. I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. You’re giving her away, right?”

Adelaide Springs was a town full of people who viewed Josephine Stoddard as a mother figure, and he was pretty sure he’d never

get over the honor of being the one she had asked to walk her down the aisle.

“Yeah. Any requests? Should I take my time or make quick work of it?”

“Eh... better make quick work of it. I guess we’ve waited long enough.”

Wes nodded. “Got it.” He gestured for Doc to go ahead and prepared to follow him to the door, but he couldn’t let him go without

saying one more thing. “Hey, Doc?”

“Yeah.” Doc took one last look in the mirror and smoothed down his hair.

“I just want to say... You know I didn’t have a dad growing up. And when the governor came into my life, all I could think

about was what I had been missing. Or what I thought I had been missing. Because the truth is, the only reason I’m able to see what a horrible father he was is because I spent

the first eighteen years of my life seeing what a great one you are. I’m sorry I didn’t realize that sooner. And I’m sorry

if I never thanked you.”

Doc met his eyes in the mirror and swallowed. “You taking good care of Addie is all the thanks I ever need.” He turned and

faced him and stretched out his arm. As they shook hands, Doc added, “But if you don’t mind me saying so, from one second-chancer

to another, I think one slow mover in this family is plenty.”

“I assure you, I’m not the one controlling the tempo.”

He thought of how far he and Addie had come in the six months he’d been back.

There hadn’t been a day for three of those months that he hadn’t had a ring in his pocket, but he was scared of rushing her.

She seemed as happy with him as he was with her, but Wes couldn’t help but feel like he needed to wait for a sign or something.

He wasn’t sure what that sign needed to be, but he’d been on the lookout for evidence that complete healing had taken place.

Of course, if he was being honest, he’d felt like there’d been complete healing between him and Addie for quite some time

now.

He choked down the lump forming under his tight collar. “Are you saying you’re ready to give me your blessing, Doc? I honestly

wasn’t convinced you were too sure about me yet.”

Doc shrugged and opened the door. “I wouldn’t have given you my blessing the first time if I wasn’t sure about you, kid. I

just ask one thing...”

Wes shook his head and sighed as they stepped out onto the second-floor landing. “Yes, Doc. You have my word I’ll show up

this time,” he said softly, and Doc laughed all the way down the stairs.