Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
The reception had ended in a blur of laughter, music, and lingering hugs.
Chris’s cheeks ached from smiling, her feet sore from dancing, but her heart—her heart was light.
In the hours since the ceremony, she and Josh had fallen into an easy rhythm—dancing to everything from Motown and country to slow love songs, sharing bites of cake, and laughing until their sides hurt.
Now, the ballroom was mostly empty, with only a few lingering guests wrapping up conversations as the staff moved efficiently through the cleanup.
Friends and family drifted upstairs, some of the women carrying their shoes after a night of nonstop dancing.
The air smelled faintly of roses and champagne as Chris stepped outside into the cool night, drawn once more to the garden.
Josh was already there, waiting for her.
He stood near the gazebo, his jacket slung over one shoulder, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled casually to his forearms, and his tie loosened at the collar.
Despite the close-cut style of his military haircut, it still managed to look slightly tousled, like he’d run a hand over it more than once. He looked ridiculously attractive.
She grinned as she approached. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He glanced down at what she held. “Is that our portrait?”
She nodded, carefully unrolling the five-by-seven sketched image. “Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to really look at it until now.”
He stepped closer, peering over her shoulder. An artist hired for the event had captured them mid-laugh—Josh’s hand at the small of her back, and Chris looking up at him with a smile that reached her eyes.
“Wow,” he said softly. “We look… happy.”
“We were.” She glanced sideways at him. “We are.”
Josh took his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “It’s getting cold.”
She gave him a grateful smile, slipping her arms into the sleeves. “Thanks.”
They stood there quietly for a moment, taking in the night.
The garden felt hushed now, wrapped in a softer kind of magic than earlier.
The overhead lights had been dimmed, and the drones that had danced across the sky two hours ago had been replaced by a glittering sea of stars and the soft glow of the moon.
Chris took a deep breath, the heady aroma of garden blooms mingling with the subtle warmth of Josh’s cologne, tickling her senses. She glanced around before returning her gaze to him. “It was a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?”
“One of the best I’ve ever been to. And not just because of the food.”
She chuckled. “I didn’t know you were such a cake enthusiast.” The multiple layers of the elaborate cake were done in different flavors. Josh had taken a small taste of each before declaring the lemon with vanilla icing was the best.
“What can I say? I’ve always had a sweet tooth. If it weren’t for PT five days a week, I’d be two hundred pounds heavier.”
They stood in silence for a few moments, soaking in the night, before she hugged the sketch gently to her chest. “I meant what I said in my speech. About how life can surprise you.”
Josh stared at her, listening.
“I used to think nights like this only happened to other people,” she whispered, her heart racing and knees trembling.
Deep down, she knew this evening wouldn’t just end with a kiss by her door—it would stretch on until dawn, when they were both completely sated from making love.
“Not the wedding itself. I mean… feeling this full, this alive.”
He stepped a little closer. “You looked like you were having a good time tonight.”
“I was. I still am.” Her smile faltered. “But that scares me more than I want to admit.”
His brow creased. “How come?”
She hesitated, then said, “Because I know what it’s like when things fall apart. When someone you love turns out to be someone you can’t trust. It wasn’t just my ex—I stopped trusting myself too.”
Her voice dropped. “I’ve been so careful since my divorce, always keeping men at a safe distance.
But tonight…” She swallowed hard. “Tonight made me realize that maybe I don’t want to live with a wall around my heart anymore.
Maybe there’s still something good ahead—if I’m brave enough to believe in it. ”
Josh nodded, his voice low and steady. “You don’t have to have it all figured out.”
“I know.” She gave a soft shrug. “But I want to stop hiding from the parts that feel too good to be real. Like this.” Her gaze searched his face. “Like you.”
He didn’t hesitate. One hand came up to brush a strand of hair from her cheek, his touch tender yet sending a shiver down her spine. He bent down, closing the distance between them. “Chris,” he whispered.
She leaned in.
Their mouths met in a collision of heat and hunger, releasing everything they hadn’t dared say aloud.
Every simmering glance, every subtle touch, every unspoken what-if from the weekend surged to the surface.
His hand slid to the back of her head, anchoring her as his tongue swept past her lips, claiming her with a certainty that left her breathless.
This wasn’t like the smoldering goodnight kisses they’d shared before, or even the sweeter ones of yesterday afternoon.
This was deeper—charged with intent and desire.
They hadn’t kissed during the wedding or reception, as if honoring an unspoken rule not to draw attention away from the newlyweds.
But now, with the night cocooning them and nothing in their way, restraint had no place between them.
When they finally pulled back, breathless, Josh rested his forehead lightly against hers. “So… we’re really doing this?”
She gave a soft laugh, her hand finding his. “I think we already are.”
He grinned. “Good. Because I’m all in.”
The moment stretched between them, potent and full of promise.
They strolled back to the hotel hand in hand, and Chris felt a kind of peace settle in her chest. Something warm, quiet, and full of hope. Not quite love yet. But the beginning of something that could be. And for the first time in a long time, she was ready to see where it might lead.