Chapter 26 #2
Reece heard them distantly. Okay, he really couldn’t recall a thing the pastor said. All his focus was on Maggie. On the way her hand trembled slightly in his. On the tears shining in her eyes. On the small smile that said she was as overwhelmed as he was.
"Reece," the pastor said, catching his attention. "Do you take Maggie to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
"I do," Reece said. His voice was steady. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life.
"Maggie," the pastor turned to her. "Do you take Reece to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"
"I do," Maggie said the words clear and strong with no hesitation.
The pastor smiled. "The rings?"
Talon stepped forward, producing the wedding bands from his pocket. Simple gold bands. Classic and traditional.
Reece took Maggie's ring. Slid it onto her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."
Maggie took his ring, and her fingers trembled as she slid it onto his hand. "With this ring, I thee wed."
"By the power vested in me," the pastor said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Reece, you may kiss your bride."
Reece pulled Maggie close and kissed her with a soft, sweet kiss that promised her the world.
The church erupted in applause and cheers.
When they broke apart, Maggie was grinning. "We did it."
"Yeah," Reece said. "We did."
The organ began playing again in a triumphant and joyful song. They turned and walked back down the aisle together. Mr. and Mrs. Reece King. They walked past smiling faces, happy tears, and people standing to get a better look.
The photographer was waiting outside, already directing them toward the best light for pictures.
The next hour passed in a blur of posed shots and group photos. Maggie with her bridesmaids. Reece with his groomsmen. Both families together. Just the bride and groom. Maggie with her parents. Reece with his parents. Everyone together. It was fun and exhausting all at once.
Through it all, Reece kept finding Maggie's hand. Holding on. Anchoring both of them through the chaos.
Finally, they were released. The reception was already starting at the town hall. Guests had been instructed to make their way there. The bridal party loaded into cars decorated with white ribbons and tin cans. That was Maggie’s brother’s work, without a doubt.
The town hall looked amazing. White fabric was draped everywhere. The same flowers from the church had been transported there, creating a garden atmosphere inside the old building. Round tables filled the main room, covered in white linens, with centerpieces of roses and candles on each one.
And outside, the tents were set up. Three massive white structures erected on the lawn to handle the overflow of guests. Inside them, more tables. More flowers. A dance floor. A stage for the band and, of course, two bars.
It was perfect and more than Reece had imagined when they'd started planning this.
They entered to applause and took their seats at the head table. The bridal party filled in around them.
Dinner was served, and it was traditional Nebraska fare. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Homemade rolls. Pies for dessert—apple, cherry, and pecan.
Then the toasts began. Talon stood first as his best man. Talon was his closest friend, and he held a champagne glass that looked tiny in his hand.
"For those who don't know me," Talon said, "I'm Talon King. Reece's cousin. And I've known this guy since we were kids running around causing trouble for our parents."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"Reece has always been the shy one," Talon continued. That got a laugh from his team. “Since when?” Rip asked from one of the tables.
“Seriously, he was,” Talon defended his statement. "He was the one who planned everything. Who always thought three steps ahead. He never takes unnecessary risks." He paused. "Until he met Maggie."
More laughter.
"Maggie," Talon turned to her, "you made him take the biggest risk of his life. He left Guardian in search of something he couldn’t define, and he found you. I personally think he struck gold. And because I like you so much, I’m giving you fair warning. Never, and I mean never, let him make you coffee.”
An explosion of laughter from the tables made Reece roll his eyes. Yeah, he sucked at making coffee … and maybe that was on purpose, but he’d never admit it.
Talon’s expression softened. "And as we’ve talked these past months, I can tell you were the absolute best risk he ever took.
You make him better. You make him happy.
" He grinned and paused. "So, here's to Reece and Maggie," Talon raised his glass.
"May your life together be filled with love, laughter, and adventures.
May you always have each other's backs. And may you build something beautiful together.
" He paused. "Also, Reece, you owe me fifty bucks.
I bet Uncle Jason you'd be married before you turned thirty-five.
He won the bet by three months." His father held up a fifty-dollar bill.
The room erupted in laughter and applause.
Reece shook his head, grinning despite himself.
Rachel stood next as Maggie’s maid of honor.
She spoke about Maggie's strength and integrity. About watching her rebuild a struggling business into something that now worked and was built on Maggie’s morals and ethics.
None of the townsfolk knew what she did, so Rachel kept it general but specific enough to let them know their Maggie was something special.
Then she went on about how perfect she and Reece were together.
He stared at Maggie through it all. She was perfect for him, and in her perfection, he was made whole.
He wondered if people saw that as much as he knew the truth of it.
More toasts followed. They were shorter and sweeter. Each one adding to the celebration.
Then the music started.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the DJ announced, "please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Reece King to the dance floor for their first dance."
Reece stood. Offered his hand to Maggie and she took it.
They walked onto the dance floor together. The band began playing something slow and romantic. Reece didn't know what it was. Maggie had picked it. He'd told her to choose whatever made her happy.
He pulled her close. One hand on her waist. The other holding hers.
They swayed together while everyone watched.
"This is perfect," Maggie whispered.
"Yeah," Reece agreed. "It is." He couldn’t take his eyes off the woman he’d just married. She was everything he’d ever wanted. With her, the world made sense. The chaos stilled, and the questions finally had answers.
She smiled at him and then glanced around before looking up at him and saying, "Thank you. For all of this. For making today everything I wanted."
"You're worth it," Reece said simply. "You're worth everything." Because she was. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.
After the song ended, the DJ invited others onto the floor.
"Maggie," the DJ called, "your father is waiting for his dance."
Richard Brooks stepped onto the floor, and Maggie moved into her father's arms. They danced to something old and country. Father and daughter. Sarah was crying again from her seat at the family table. He watched as Richard wiped a tear from Maggie’s eye with a pressed handkerchief.
But she was smiling. That was all that mattered. Her happiness.
Then it was Reece's turn.
His mother appeared beside him. Faith King, elegant in her pale blue dress, smiled up at her son.
"May I have this dance?" she asked.
"Always," Reece said.
They moved onto the floor. Danced to something his mother had chosen. She'd raised four children. Built a life with his father and supported his Dad through injury and recovery and everything that came after. She was an amazing woman.
"I'm proud of you," Faith said quietly. "Not just for today. For everything. For the man you've become."
He stared down at her. The woman who’d sacrificed so much for him. "Thanks, Mom."
"Maggie's wonderful," Faith continued. "She's going to keep you happy."
Reece smiled. "She will. And I pray I can be the man she needs me to be."
"Oh, honey. You are that man. You’re an amazing person." Faith reached up and touched his cheek. "Be happy, sweetheart. That's all I want for you."
"I am," Reece said, and yeah, that was a catch in his throat, but damn it, his mom shot an arrow straight through his heart with those words. "Happier than I've ever been."
The dance ended, and his mother kissed his cheek before returning to his father.
The rest of the reception passed in a blur of dancing, laughter, and celebration. The cake cutting came next, and Reece made sure no cake was smashed in Maggie’s face. Her warning about the cost of her makeup and hair was firmly implanted after the tenth time she’d said it.
He laughed at the bouquet toss. Not because of the toss, but because of the fact that Raven, an assassin Reece had worked with before, who, like many others, was there for protection, happened to be walking behind the crowd and caught it.
She looked at the bouquet, said, “Nope,” and tossed it into the crowd of single women again.
The garter toss came next, one of those traditional moments that made the older guests smile and laugh while the younger ones cheered.
Finally, as the sun began to set, it was time to leave.
Maggie changed out of her wedding dress into a simple traveling outfit. Reece loosened his tie and shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket.
They said goodbye to their families. Hugged everyone and promised to call when they landed.
A black sedan waited outside.
"Where are we going?" Maggie asked as they climbed in.
"The airport," Reece said.
Maggie made a face at him. "I know that. Where are we flying to?"
"It's a surprise."
She'd given him permission to plan the honeymoon, and she’d told him to pick somewhere she'd never been. Somewhere special. After talking with her mom, he’d decided on Paris.
The car drove them to the small regional airport, past the main terminal to the private aviation area.
A Gulfstream G650 sat waiting on the tarmac. Sleek and black with a Guardian Security logo discreetly placed near the tail.
Maggie stopped walking and stared at the jet. "Reece," she said slowly. "Is that ours?"
"My father’s, actually," Reece corrected. "But yeah. We're using it."
She turned to look at him. Eyes wide. "You said you were well off. This isn't well off. This is stinking rich!"
Reece couldn't help but smile. "Guardian has resources."
"Resources," Maggie repeated faintly. "That's a fifty-million-dollar plane."
"Closer to seventy," Reece admitted. "But who's counting?"
Maggie put her face in her hands. "Oh my God."
Reece pulled her close. Kissed the top of her head. "Hey. Look at me."
She looked up.
"Money doesn't matter," Reece said. "The plane doesn't matter. What matters is you and me. Together. Building a life. Building something that means something."
"I know, but—"
"But nothing." He kissed her. "I'm the richest man in the world, Maggie. Not because of Guardian or my family or anything material. Because of you. Because you chose me. Because you love me. That's the only wealth that matters."
Her eyes were bright. "That's really sappy."
"Yeah, well, you married me anyway."
She laughed. Kissed him. "I did. Best decision ever."
"Second best," Reece corrected. "First was finding those gates."
"You're never going to let that go, are you?"
"Never."
They boarded the plane and settled into seats that were more comfortable than most living room furniture. The crew welcomed them aboard. Offered champagne. Explained the flight plan.
“We hope you have a comfortable trip. It will take us eleven hours to reach Charles De Gaulle Airport.” Eleven hours to Paris.
Maggie's face when she heard the destination was worth every penny. She turned to him. “Paris? We’re going to Paris?”
“We are.” He took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth.
She didn’t try to stop the tears this time. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” He held her hand as the plane taxied and lifted off.
As they climbed into the darkening sky, Nebraska disappeared along with the church where they’d been married, the town hall where they’d celebrated, and the people who’d loved and supported them.
And ahead of them was an unlimited future.
A future yet to be written and filled with endless possibilities.