Chapter 39
COLT
The music swelled, and everyone stood. And then I saw Hallie.
She appeared at the end of the aisle on her mother’s arm, and every thought in my head evaporated. She was radiant in the golden afternoon light, her dress simple and elegant, her smile bright enough to rival the sun.
She was walking toward me.
My bride. My wife. My future.
Her eyes locked on mine, and even from this distance, I could see them glistening with tears. Happy tears, it seemed. The good kind. Which was a relief.
Each step she took felt like an eternity and no time at all. I couldn’t look away. Couldn’t breathe. Could only watch as the woman I loved made her way to me through the candlelight and falling snow that had formed a light layer over the glass roof.
When she reached me, her mother kissed her cheek and then placed Hallie’s hand in mine.
“Take care of my girl,” she whispered.
“Always,” I promised.
Hallie’s mother sat down, leaving me with the most precious gift she could give me. Hallie turned to face me fully. Up close, she was even more beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were bright. The ring I’d given her—the one I’d designed specifically for her—sparkled on her finger.
“Everything looks amazing,” she whispered.
I squeezed her hands. “Especially you.”
She giggled. “If you love me so much, why don’t you marry me?”
The officiant, a local county judge, cleared his throat, smiling at both of us. “Shall we begin?”
“Yes,” we said in unison. Laughter rippled through our small gathering of guests.
The ceremony was short and sweet. The judge spoke about love and commitment and choosing each other every day. About how marriage was a journey, not a destination.
And then it was time for vows.
“Hallie,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “I wrote these down because I was afraid I’d forget everything the moment I saw you. But now that you’re here, I don’t need the paper.”
I pulled out the index card I’d tucked in my jacket pocket and made a show of crumpling it up. Hallie laughed, the sound like music in my ears.
“Here’s the truth,” I said. “I spent years building walls and keeping people out. Protecting myself from ever feeling too much. And then you tripped into my world and broke through every single defense I had.”
Hallie’s eyes were already glistening with tears.
“The second I touched you, I knew. My soul recognized you as the person I was always supposed to end up with. You made me laugh. You made me feel.” I tightened my grip on her hands.
“You made me believe that maybe I deserved a second chance at love. I love you. I am going to spend every day of the rest of my life showing you just how much. And if I mess up. If I miss a day or an opportunity to show you my love, I know you’ll call me out on it.
That’s what I want. Always and forever.”
She blinked at the tears forming on her face.
“I promise to always catch you when you fall. To bring you coffee the way you like it. To help you restore this beautiful, chaotic beach house. To wake you up when I need to hear your voice.” I smiled.
“And I promise to love you. Every single day. Even when you’re being stubborn.
Even when you’re stealing my shirts. Even when you’re making me eat vegetables. ”
She laughed through her tears. “I would never make you eat a vegetable.”
“You will,” I said. “And I’ll do it because I love you. Hallie Bellrose, you are my second chance. My redemption. My home. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life proving that I deserve you.”
The guests were sniffling now. I caught Frankie dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
Hallie took a shaky breath. “Okay,” she said. “No pressure following that.”
More laughter.
“Colt Jesson.” She said my name like it was something precious. “I thought I knew exactly what I was doing when I agreed to marry you the first time. I thought I had you figured out. Rich, arrogant playboy who needed his reputation cleaned up. Easy enough.”
A few awkward chuckles from the guests who knew our history.
“But then I got to know you. The real you. The man who chartered a private jet to come and give me the hug I so desperately needed. The man who is brave, kind, and beautiful deep down where it counts the most.”
If she kept going, I might need to get a tissue from Frankie. I was cool with being soft, but no way in hell was I going to cry in front of all these people.
“You taught me that it’s okay to let someone in. That vulnerability isn’t weakness. That love is worth the risk, even when it’s terrifying.” Her voice cracked. “You chose me, Colt. When you had every reason to walk away, you chose me. You forgave me. You showed me what real love looks like.”
Fuck. Now I was blinking back tears.
“So I promise to always be honest with you. To bring you lunch even when you’re being grumpy.
To help you design ridiculous engagement rings that are too beautiful for words.
To answer the phone at four in the morning, every single time.
” She squeezed my hands. “And I promise to love you. With everything I have. For the rest of my life. Because, Colt Jesson, you are my second chance too. And I’m never letting you go. ”
The judge had to take a moment to compose himself before he could speak.
“By the power vested in me by the state of New York,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Colt, you may kiss your bride.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I pulled Hallie into my arms and kissed her like I’d been waiting my whole life for this moment. Because I had been.
The kiss was perfect. Sweet and passionate and full of promise. When we finally pulled apart, our guests erupted in applause and cheers.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the judge announced. “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jesson!”
More applause. More cheers. Frankie was whooping, and I caught Hallie’s mother openly weeping into a handkerchief.
I grabbed the faux fur coat I’d stashed nearby and draped it over Hallie’s shoulders. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
I took her hand and led her out of the enclosure, past the guests, and into the snow. She laughed as snowflakes caught in her hair, in her eyelashes.
“Colt, it’s freezing!”
“I know. Ditch those heels and run with me.”
We both kicked off our shoes and took off running toward the beach, our laughter echoing in the winter air. When we reached the sand, I pulled her close and kissed her again, slower this time, savoring it. I didn’t care that my feet were freezing. She gave me all the warmth I needed.
“We did it,” I murmured against her lips. “We’re married.”
“We’re married,” she echoed, smiling so wide it must have hurt.
We stood there for a moment, just the two of us in the falling snow, stealing this private moment before we had to go back and be “on” for everyone else.
“I love you,” Hallie said.
“I love you more.”
“Impossible.”
“Watch me prove it for the next fifty years.”
She laughed, and then we ran back to the house, hand in hand, ready to celebrate with the people we loved.
The reception was everything I’d hoped it would be and more.
The heated enclosure meant we could keep the party outside despite the February cold. Lights twinkled overhead. Music played. Food and drinks flowed freely.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the DJ announced. “For the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Colt Jesson!”
We entered to thunderous applause, and I couldn’t stop grinning. This was real. This was happening. Hallie was mine.
We had our first dance as husband and wife to the song we chose together.
I caught a glimpse of her mother, who was crying and smiling at the same time.
I held my wife close and tried to memorize every detail.
The way she felt in my arms. The way she smelled.
The way she looked at me like I was her entire world.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For choosing me.”
“Always,” she said. “I’ll always choose you.”
After our dance, the party really got started. Frankie, who’d been relatively composed during the ceremony, had apparently decided to let loose at the reception. I watched in amusement as she kicked off her heels and started dancing with reckless abandon.
“Your sister is something else,” Hallie said, laughing.
“Just wait. She’s just getting started.”
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Frankie appeared at our table with a tray of shots. Bright green shots that looked toxic.
“Drink up, newlyweds,” she said, pushing two toward us.
“What is this?” Hallie asked suspiciously.
“Love potion.” Frankie grinned. “Also known as midori, tequila, and regret.”
“Pass,” I said immediately.
“Nope. You’re drinking. Both of you. It’s tradition.”
“Since when?” Hallie asked.
“Since right now. Come on!”
Against our better judgment, we downed the shots. The taste was absolutely vile. Sweet and sour and burning all at once.
“That’s disgusting,” Hallie gasped.
“I think you just poisoned us,” I added.
“You’re welcome!” Frankie skipped off to terrorize other guests.
I looked at Hallie, and we both started laughing.
“Your family is insane,” she said.
“Our family,” I corrected. “You married into this. Too late to back out now.”
“Best decision I ever made.”
Across the room, I spotted Hallie and April talking to two of my business associates—both young, both wearing expensive suits, both probably trying to impress them with talk of their portfolios and investment strategies.
“Your friends are working the room,” I murmured in Hallie’s ear.
“Can you blame them? You’ve shown them what’s possible with a billionaire husband.”
“Hate to break it to you, but those two?” I nodded toward the men. “Not billionaires. Both have significant loans out and are basically drowning in debt. They just dress well.”
Hallie laughed so hard she snorted. “Should we tell them?”
“Nah. Let them have their fun.”
“They have boyfriends anyway,” she said. “For now.”
The night continued with dancing and toasts and more terrible shots courtesy of Frankie. Hallie’s mother gave a speech that made everyone cry. Frankie gave one that made everyone laugh. My friends from Valenteen congratulated me and said they’d never seen me this happy.
They were right. I’d never been this happy.
As the night wore on, Hallie and I found ourselves on the dance floor again, swaying together even though the song was upbeat.
“Today was beautiful,” she said.
“It was.”
“Thank you. For all of this. It’s perfect and memorable and just so us.”
“You don’t have to thank me. This is what marriage is, right? Taking care of each other. Making each other happy.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” I kissed her forehead. “Ready to get out of here?”
“Where would we go?”
I sighed. “Okay, how about we make them all go? I can turn off the heaters.”
She grinned. “While I am so very anxious to get started on our honeymoon, we do have the rest of our lives. Let’s let them enjoy all your hard work. Just for a little while longer.”
I sighed. And pouted. But she was right.
And I wasn’t mad at the thought of dancing with her all night. Even if I preferred for us both to be wearing a lot less clothing.