Page 53 of Wild for the Knight (The Wilder Brothers #2)
I’m standing across from Tate in a tiny wedding chapel in a podunk town in Georgia.
Our hands are held between us, and a preacher is talking, but I can’t tell you a single thing he’s saying.
My eyes are glued to the man in front of me, transported back to Hannah and Greyson’s wedding when I let myself imagine this very moment.
Telling myself it was a fever dream, that there was no way we’d ever end up here.
There isn’t anything that could have prepared me for the storm that is Tatum Wilder.
For him to be my knight in shining armor more times than I can count.
The pain of losing him pales in comparison to the love I feel right now.
My thoughts are interrupted by the clearing of a throat.
I tear my eyes from his and meet those of the preacher.
“Your vows, Ms. Knight.” I shiver. I may be a Knight now, but I’ll walk out of here, Mrs. Wilder. I can’t freaking wait.
My hands squeeze Tate’s as our eyes meet once again, “Sunshine,” he chuckles, eyes welling with tears, and I haven’t said anything yet. “There are many parts of life I’m ashamed of, parts of me I feel like I have to hide. Parts I’ve successfully hidden from everyone but you.”
I bite the inside of my cheek hard to keep myself from crying.
“You saved me from a situation that could have gone from bad to worse for the second time. You strong-armed your way into being my friend in the most insufferable way. Insisting on going running with me, not letting me get lost in my head, and coming to the rescue anytime I called. ”
I watch as the first tear trails down his face, a wobbly smile on his lips.
“I knew I loved you the first time we made dinner together here, in Georgia, surrounded by our friends. I knew there was no one else for me when you dumped half your chicken on my plate, somehow knowing the portion I had wasn’t enough.
I knew I was royally screwed when my best friend tried to set you up with someone else and it felt like my heart had been ripped from my body. ”
My tears are flowing at this point, my hands shake in his.
“The month we spent apart was the worst time of my life. Getting to know you, the real you, the one you hide behind a seemingly impenetrable wall, is the greatest gift I’ve ever been given, Tatum Wilder.
There is nothing I take greater joy in than knowing and loving you, fully without question.
” I take our plastic dollar store ring and slide it on his finger, only for it to be stopped at his second knuckle.
He lets out a soft laugh as he looks down at it.
“I vow to always be in your corner, to love you like you deserve. I promise to let you pick the movie every once in a while, if you always dance for me while we’re making dinner.
I promise to come to every home game, wearing the right jersey this time. ”
His smile widens. “Thanks for reminding me, I still need to punish you for that.” He grumbles.
My thighs squeeze together. What a lovely thought.
It’s also a thought that has completely derailed my speech.
“Uhh, well. I forgot where I was going with the rest of that. But I promise to love you and be faithful to you for as long as I shall live. Oh, and I’ll try not to attempt to control every aspect of our lives. Amen? ”
I look at Mr. Preacher and see a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, slow and knowing. Like he’s in on an old inside joke. Glad he’s enjoying this. “Mr. Wilder, your vows,” he says.
Tate steps in closer, bringing my hand to rest on the tattoo on his right bicep.
“Tink.” He flashes me a smile. “The first time I met you, you watched me wrestle my brother to the ground. The same day, you handed me my ass on a silver platter for upsetting your best friend.” I let out a loud laugh at the memory.
That was a fun day. Well, for me at least.
“For the two years that followed, we did the dance. The constant push and pull, playing Devil’s advocate with you on a weekly basis, became the highlight of my week.
” He squeezes the hand still in his, “All this time, when I thought you were purposely getting under my skin, you were busy dismantling the walls around my heart brick by brick. I realized I didn’t hate you the second my lips touched yours at the gas station. ”
I lick my lips, catching a few stray tears that had fallen.
“But I knew I loved you when you fell asleep on me the first time. I knew, without a doubt, that it was you or no one. The way we fit together, the way we challenged each other, pulling the other out of comfort zones we had become complacent in.”
His hand comes to cradle my face as his eyes begin to leak water again. “I knew I couldn’t live without you when I woke up the next morning and you were gone. I knew I’d burn the world down for you when you called, and I heard the fear in your voice.”
He slides his ring on my finger, smiling when it actually makes it all the way down. “I vow to always love you, to take you on as many rides on the bike, when it’s fixed, as you want. I vow to rub your butt and tell you how pretty you are, every night for the rest of our lives.”
I might as well be a sprinkler system at this point with the speed these tears are falling. “I promise to learn how to properly wrap your hands when you go boxing, so we can spend extra time together. I promise to read all the male parts of your spicy books.”
I throw my head back and croak out, “Praise the Lord!” The three of us laugh, his head shaking slightly before he continues.
His next words act as the nail in the coffin.
“I promise to be faithful to you for as long as there’s breath in my lungs.
It’ll be you and me until we’re six feet under.
I promise to cut your apples into exactly eight slices with the skin peeled off.
I promise to make my protein shakes bigger so we can split them.
I promise to love you, unapologetically, the way you have always deserved to be loved. ”
His forehead meets mine as he takes a deep inhale, letting it out as he says, “Damn. I am wild for you, Knight.” And then he’s kissing me. Sealing the deal, in a toe-curling, mind-melting kiss that I’ll forever play on repeat.
“Well, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The preacher we totally forgot about says. We pull away in laughter as we shake his hand. “You may kiss the bride.” I wonder how many people make it through this entire thing without kissing before it’s time.
Tate lifts our joined hands in the air before scooping me up bridal style and carrying me out of the chapel. Once we make it over the threshold, he looks down at me with nothing but love and awe. “I love you, Mrs. Wilder.”
God, I love the sound of that. “Take me home, Mr. Wilder. ”
His chest rumbles with a growl. “With pleasure,” he says as he throws me in the passenger seat, pulling the seat belt over me and locking it in place.
With a quick kiss on the lips, he rounds the front of the car, with one hand draped over the steering wheel, he looks at me.
“Can I take you out when we get home, Mrs. Wilder?”
My hand flies to my chest just like it did the time before when he asked this question. “Why, Tatum Wilder! Are you asking me on a date?”
His smile is different now than it was all those months ago.
It’s softer, deeper. The kind that settles in the corners of his mouth and lingers, like he can’t quite believe this is real.
And his eyes, God, his eyes, hold the kind of warmth that makes me feel like I’m the center of his entire universe. “Depends. Is your answer yes?”
I launch myself across the center console, planting a kiss on his cheek, before nipping at his ear as I whisper the only answer I will ever give him to that question. “Yes.”