Chapter 23
HOLIDAY
Iadjust my burgundy dress as I sit behind Lucas’s immediate family, wondering if I made a mistake wearing something this formfitting to a wedding. But then I remember the look on Lucas’s face when I stepped out of that carriage, and I know I made the right choice.
My parents sit beside me. Dad is fidgeting with his tie, and Mom keeps dabbing at her eyes with a tissue even though the ceremony hasn’t started yet.
“This is so beautiful,” she whispers to me, squeezing my hand.
“You say that at every wedding,” Dad teases.
“Because it’s true.” Mom looks at me and there’s something knowing in her expression. “Weddings always make me emotional. Especially when they’re between two people who are clearly meant to be together.”
I know she’s not just talking about Jake and Claire.
The tent fills with guests. White chairs are arranged in neat rows facing the front, where an elegant arch covered in white roses and evergreen stands waiting.
Crystal chandeliers hang overhead, their light mixing with the thousands of white fairy lights strung across the ceiling.
Through the clear panels on the sides of the tent, I can see the fading sunset over the Christmas tree farm stretching out into the distance.
It’s magical and romantic and everything a winter wedding should be.
I turn to glance at the entrance where the groomsmen are gathering. Lucas looks so incredibly handsome in his tuxedo that my chest aches. He’s talking with Hudson and laughing at something, completely at ease. And when he smiles, I see that dimple, the one that only shows when it’s genuine.
Then, as if he can feel me watching him, he turns his head and our eyes meet across the tent.
Everything else fades away for a moment. The other guests disappear. The music becomes background noise. It’s just him and me with an eternity in front of us. He doesn’t look away, and neither do I.
“Holiday,” my mom says, grabbing my attention.
I blink at her. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Honey, you’re staring.” But she’s smiling when she says it.
“I’m not—”
“You absolutely are, sweetheart.” She pats my hand.
My dad clears his throat, but I can see the corner of his mouth twitching like he’s trying not to smile.
Sammy slides in next to me. He had to work today and told me he’d arrive a little later. “Hey, sis. What’s goin’ on?”
“Nothing,” I tell him.
“Mm-hmm,” my brother says, chuckling. He pulls a flask from inside his suit jacket and hands it to me. “You need to relax.”
I don’t deny it and lean into him, taking a few gulps.
More guests fill in around us. I recognize people from town dressed in their finest. The Jolly family sits in the front rows looking proud and emotional. Claire’s family and friends are sitting on the other side, looking elegant.
The energy in the tent shifts as the ceremony time draws closer. Conversations drop to hushed whispers. The photographers move into their positions with their cameras. The quartet in the corner adjusts their instruments. And then the music changes.
Everyone turns toward the back of the tent as the procession begins.
My heart races as I watch the entrance, knowing Lucas will walk down that aisle any second now.
Wendy appears with her cousin Dean. They walk slowly down the aisle, smiling as they pass.
Hudson walks with Emma, who looks absolutely radiant even though she’s very pregnant.
She’s moving slow, one hand on her belly, but she’s smiling widely.
When they pass our row, Emma catches my eye and winks at me before taking a seat in the front row.
No way she can stand on her feet for the entire ceremony.
Hudson gives her a quick kiss before moving next to Dean.
Then Lucas appears with Bella on his arm.
My breath catches in my throat.
He looks even more gorgeous up close. The suit fits him perfectly, emphasizing his broad shoulders and the strong lines of his body.
His dark hair is styled but still has that slightly messy quality that makes me want to run my fingers through it.
His jaw is set with determination, but there’s something vulnerable in his eyes as he scans the crowd, wearing that soft smile.
Bella leans close and whispers something to him as they start walking. Whatever she says makes his entire face flush red, and he tries to hold back a wide smile but fails. She says something else and he actually laughs out loud, shaking his head at her like he wants her to stop talking.
I wonder what she said to make him blush like that. Knowing her, it was probably something completely inappropriate and exactly what he needed to hear.
When they pass my row, Lucas’s eyes find mine again.
It’s so damn intense, butterflies flutter.
It’s a good thing I’m not standing, or I might have gone weak in the knees.
There’s heat in his look, and longing, and something that looks dangerously close to love.
Lucas and Bella separate when they reach the arch.
She moves to stand with her sister on the left side, and Lucas takes his position on the right, directly next to Jake and Hudson.
The three of them have always been close.
Lucas smiles at Jake and places his hand on his shoulder and squeezes. When Lucas looks out into the crowd, his eyes immediately find mine.
My mom squeezes my hand again, and when I glance at her, she’s definitely crying now.
Colby and his best friend Evie walk down the aisle together, looking as cute as can be. It reminds me of when Lucas and I did that for my sister’s wedding. I turn to my mom.
“Where’s Tricia?” I ask.
“In the back,” Mom tells me. “They just got here.”
“Oh, okay,” I say, turning to search for her. I immediately find Bethany and see my sister sitting next to her.
Jake looks nervous and excited and so incredibly happy as he waits for his bride.
Hudson says something that makes Jake smile and nod. The gesture is so tender and brotherly that it makes my throat tight.
The music shifts to the bridal march, and everyone stands.
Claire appears at the back of the tent on her father’s arm, and she is absolutely breathtaking.
Her dress is elegant and timeless, with an intricate lace detail on the bodice that catches the light from the chandeliers.
Her cathedral-length veil trails behind her like something out of a fairy tale.
Her face is glowing with happiness. She looks like a princess.
Jake’s entire face transforms when he sees his bride. His green eyes are definitely wet with tears, like he cannot believe his luck.
Lucas smiles at Claire, then watches his brother with admiration. There’s pride there, and happiness, and something soft and vulnerable that I don’t often see on his face. He’s watching Jake fall apart with joy, and there’s so much love in that look.
Lucas’s eyes shift from Jake to me. And I know exactly what he’s thinking because it’s on my mind, too.
I take in a deep breath, wondering if that could be us someday. Could we stand up there and make those promises with that kind of certainty? Or are we always meant to be chasing one another?
I want to believe it’s possible. I want that so badly it hurts.
Claire reaches the front, and her father kisses her cheek before placing her hand in Jake’s. Then he takes his seat, and Claire and Jake stand facing each other, hands clasped together, looking at each other like they’re the only two people in the world.
“Please be seated,” the pastor says, and everyone sits with a rustle of fabric.
Pastor John is an older man with kind eyes and a warm smile. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Claire Caitlyn Manchester and Jake Andrew Jolly in holy matrimony.”
His voice carries through the space.
“Marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully, reverently, and with the understanding that it is a sacred bond between two people who choose each other, day after day, through all of life’s seasons,” Pastor John continues.
Lucas’s jaw is tight, and his hands are clasped in front of him, but his eyes keep drifting toward me. When our gazes meet, something electric passes between us.
Choose each other. Day after day. Season after season.
Is that what we’ve been doing this entire time? Even when we were apart? Even when I was in Paris and he was here? Were we still choosing each other in some fundamental way that neither of us can really understand?
“Jake and Claire have chosen to write their own vows,” Pastor John continues. “Jake, you’re first.”
Jake takes both of her hands in his and sucks in a deep breath. When he speaks, his voice is thick with emotion.
“Claire, I’m not good at fancy words or big romantic gestures. You know that better than anyone.”
A ripple of laughter goes through the guests, and I find myself smiling even though tears are already forming in my eyes.
“But what I can tell you is this. From the moment I met you, you’ve been it for me. You literally walked into Merryville and everything in my life just clicked into place in a way I never expected.”
Claire’s eyes are watering as she rubs her thumbs across Jake’s.
“You make me want to be better. Braver. More open to the world and its possibilities.” Jake’s voice cracks as he tries to hold on to his emotions.
“You’ve taught me that love isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about showing up every single day and choosing each other, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.”
My vision is blurring. My mom offers me a tissue and I take it, dabbing my eyes.
Lucas glances at me, and I can barely breathe.
“I promise to choose you every day for the rest of my life,” Jake continues.
“I promise to support your dreams, even when they scare me. I promise to make you laugh when you’re stressed, to hold you when you cry, and to always, always be honest with you, even if it’s hard.
I promise to love you through every season, every challenge, every triumph, and every failure. ”