Chapter Twenty-Eight
Wells
As I pull on my slacks for Leni’s wedding late Saturday afternoon, I glance into the bathroom at Victory putting on her makeup.
She’s leaning forward, applying eyeliner.
Her face is tipped up, her hand steady, and her lips are parted, like an artist midpainting.
She’s wearing the new dress we bought in Chaffee, the soft pastels hugging her curves.
One strap hangs off her shoulder, the back still unzipped.
I don’t want to think about her going back to the city tomorrow.
I like seeing her entrenched in my world, hugging my mom, joking with my dad, brothers, and friends, stealing glances at me across a fire while she’s chatting with the girls.
I thought our days apart were hard these last two months, but I know they’ll be even harder now.
Hell, I missed her like crazy this afternoon when I had to go in to work for a few hours, and she hung out with my sisters and some of the other girls.
Last night, when she and the girls were taking turns holding the babies, my future flashed before me like a movie.
I could see it so vividly, when Fitz and the guys called out to me, I didn’t even hear them.
They gave me hell for that, and we ended up having a pretty deep conversation about relationships.
I’ve never given much thought to how people fall in love.
But now I know, at least for me, it didn’t happen in a single moment or because of one particular thing.
It’s texts and games and furtive touches.
It’s holding hands in a city of millions of people and knowing there’s no one else I’d rather be with.
It’s the way her eyes light up with new ideas and her sweet laughter that I can pick out of countless others’.
It’s the way she cuddles into me when she’s sleeping, and takes over my bathroom like it’s her right, and that first-morning smile that says, Good.
You’re still here , like she worried it was all a dream.
She’s putting on mascara now, her mouth forming an O. She glances over as I put on my tie. “Are you okay out there?”
“More than okay. You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. Would you mind zipping me up?”
She gathers her hair over her shoulder and I step behind her. Our eyes meet in the mirror, my fingers brushing her skin as I zip her dress. It’s such a simple thing, zipping up a dress, but it feels much bigger because I want to do it today, a month from now, next year, when we’re old and gray.
“What were you and the guys huddled up about last night right before we left? It looked like you were scheming. Were you cooking up a prank for the wedding?”
I wrap my arms around her from behind and kiss her shoulder. “They asked me if you wanted to get married again.”
Her brows knit. “What did you tell them?”
“The truth.” I have a fleeting worry about the truth scaring her off, but I don’t hold it back, because I want to know if it’s her truth, too. “That we haven’t talked about it, but if you do want to get married again someday, it’s going to be to me .”
“Oh,” she says so softly, it’s impossible to read the feelings behind it. She turns in my arms and straightens my tie. “That was a confident answer.”
“I’m a confident guy.” I hold her a little tighter. “You’re it for me, sweet thing, but there’s no pressure to get married. I don’t mind being your boy toy until they bury me six feet under.”
“Promises, promises.” She grabs my tie and tugs me into a kiss.
The winery grounds have been transformed into a magical evening of twinkling lights and gorgeous flowers.
Leni and Raz said their vows just before sunset in a beautiful ceremony that left everyone glassy-eyed.
I’m not usually moved by weddings, but seeing my childhood best friend, the woman who taught me perhaps the greatest life lesson of all—how precious a trusting heart is—marry the man of her dreams brings a rush of happiness.
Leni is beautiful in a white off-the-shoulder satin gown, and Raz couldn’t take his eyes off her as she walked down the aisle and then stood before him while they pledged their love.
Now, beneath a canopy of lights strewn over the patio, surrounded by the people they love, as they dance their first dance as husband and wife, Raz is looking at her like she is the only thing he sees.
I know that feeling well, and I glance at the woman who owns my heart and soul so completely, even when we’re miles apart, she’s still all I see.
Victory is watching them with a dreamy expression. I hold her a little tighter against my side and kiss her temple, I love you on the tip of my tongue.
“They look beautiful, don’t they?” she says softly.
“They do. I’m happy for them.”
The song comes to an end, and we all applaud. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the DJ says. “Please join Leni and Raz on the dance floor.”
The Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody” blares from the speaker, and cheers erupt as people rush to the dance floor. Keira and Bellamy run over and loop their arms through Victory’s.
“Come on, Vic!” Bellamy urges as they drag her toward the dance floor.
“That’s it, just take my girl away,” I tease.
Victory beams over her shoulder, her eyes glittering in the moonlight, and my heart nearly explodes.
They join Leni, Shea, and the other girls, and they all dance in a hip-swaying, shoulders-shimmying circle.
Leni leans in, saying something that makes the others laugh, and Victory’s melodic laughter hits me square in the center of my chest. This is how she was meant to be, happy and carefree with a gaggle of other women who adore her as much as I do.
“Guess it’s just you and me, bro,” Fitz says as he sidles up to me, thumbing out a text.
“And me,” Grant says as he appears by my other side.
“Where’s Stevie?” I ask.
Grant motions to our mother, cuddling the baby on the other side of the patio. “You’ve been attached to that phone all evening, Fitz. Is that the mystery woman you left to meet up with last night?”
Fitz pockets his phone. “Yeah.”
“Is she coming to hang out with us?” I ask. “You know Leni and Raz won’t mind.”
“No. No need to add grapes to the gossip vine. She’s only here for the weekend.”
There’s a touch of disappointment in Fitz’s voice. He has always kept his personal life private, so much so, he usually refrains from texting women when he’s out with all of us, which makes me curious. “You seem into her.”
Fitz watches the girls dance, giving me a half-hearted shrug, but the way his lips quirk up betrays that nonchalance and has me and Grant exchanging inquisitive glances.
“Are you meeting up with her when you leave here?” Grant asks.
Fitz glances at us and cocks a brow. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I chuckle. “Does the mystery woman have a name?”
“Yeah, it’s Jen .”
“Sounding a little dreamy there, bro,” Grant says.
Fitz scoffs.
“As much fun as it is to debate Fitz’s love life, what do you say we crash the girls’ dance party?”
“Hell yeah,” Grant says, and the three of us head over to the dance floor.
Jules squeals, and as she reaches for Grant, Fitz says, “Have no fear, ladies, your dance partners are here,” sparking snarky comments from Keira and Bellamy and laughter from the others.
My eyes lock with Victory’s, electricity thrumming between us as I reach for her. “Hey, hot stuff. Lookin’ for a date?”
“Only if he’s tall, dark, and already mine.”
As the evening gives way to night, my father sweeps Victory onto the dance floor, and I accompany my mother for a slow dance. Victory is all smiles, and I wonder what my father is saying to her.
“You haven’t taken your eyes off her all night.” My mother gazes thoughtfully up at me.
“Sorry, Mom. I don’t mean to be rude.”
“You’re not, honey. It’s a good thing, seeing you this happy. You’ve always been a little restless, and that’s probably your father’s and my fault, but with Victory, you seem settled in a way I haven’t seen in you since the first couple of years after you bought the restaurant.”
“It’s not your fault I was restless.”
“It’s okay, honey. We know we’re not perfect parents.
We were so young when we had all of you.
I love our family, but as you know, being a Silver can be a burden as much as it is a gift.
Life got overwhelming for a bit, and I got a little lost when you kids were young.
Thankfully, your father loved me and all of you enough to stick around while I got my head on straight. ”
“I get it, Mom. You already explained all of that to us.”
“I know, but now you’re journeying into an exciting new chapter in your life, and I want to say I’m sorry to you .
I’m sorry for the difficult years and for trying to get you to stay on the island instead of supporting your dreams of growing your business elsewhere.
Now that Grant is back and we’re all together, I treasure our occasional family breakfasts, and seeing you at the restaurant and around town.
I guess my mama heart doesn’t want to lose more time with any of you, but that’s not fair.
There’s a big world out there, and I want you to do what makes you happy. ”
“I know you do, but when I open the restaurant, I’m not leaving for good. Even if I do decide to move away at some point, you know I’ll always come back to visit.”
“Yes, I do, but we all know how busy life can get.”
“Never too busy for family.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because if we didn’t see you and your sweetheart, we’d miss you both. As you can see”—she glances at my father and Victory—“she’s already taken root in our hearts.”
My father twirls Victory, and her smiling eyes catch mine for only a second before she’s in his arms again. “Don’t worry, Mom. She hasn’t just taken root in mine. She claimed the whole damn thing.”
The song ends, and we head over to Victory and my father. “Hey, old man, want to swap chicks?”
My father laughs. As we each reach for the hand of the woman we love, the DJ’s voice cuts through the air. “This next song is for a very special couple.”
Everyone looks around the crowded dance floor as Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There for You” comes on. Victory’s eyes fill with disbelief.
“They’re playing our song, sweetheart.” I take her hand, drawing her into my arms as “ Aw s” and “ Go, Wells ” ring out around us.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she says quietly.
“I told you I wanted to be the guy you can count on. The one you smile when you think about. The best way to do that is to give you so many reasons to smile, it’s impossible not to when you think of me.”
“It’s already impossible not to smile when I think of you,” she says as other couples join us on the dance floor.
“Then it’s time for phase two.”
“What’s phase two?”
“One last night beneath the stars on my boat, loving you so thoroughly, you never want to leave.”