Chapter Twenty-Four
Charlotte looked in the mirror; she loved the dress. She was so grateful to Holly for helping her find it and for getting it here in a week.
“You look gorgeous, Beanpole,” said Missy with a smile. “But you’d better hurry your ass up. The last thing you want to do is be late. Poor Ben would probably have a heart attack, thinking you weren’t coming.”
Emma laughed. “Poor guy probably would, too. Whenever I’ve seen him this week he looks as though he’s walking on air. He still can’t believe it’s really happening.”
“I’m not sure I can, either,” said Charlotte. “I mean, yes, this is what I always dreamed about. But it’s hard to believe that he pulled it all together in just a week.”
“Well,” said Missy, “the two of you have wasted enough time already.”
“Missy!” Emma scowled at her.
Missy shrugged and grinned at Charlotte. “Well, it’s true.”
“It is,” said Charlotte. “And I don’t plan on wasting anymore. What time is it?”
Emma looked at her watch. “It’s time to go.”
Charlotte sucked in a deep breath. She wasn’t trying to calm nerves; it was more a case of keeping her excitement in check.
She hugged first Emma and then Missy and linked arms with them.
Once they were outside, the three of them walked down the steps that way.
Charlotte was so happy that not only was she getting back the only man she’d ever loved, she was also getting back the two best friends she’d ever had.
~ ~ ~
Ben stood by the railing. They’d set up the back deck of the restaurant for the wedding.
Rows of chairs faced where he was standing, and someone—he had no idea who—had set up an arch woven with flowers.
He would never have thought of it, but it did look nice.
It was weird, standing here staring out at a sea of faces.
So many friends, his parents, and Charlotte’s—it seemed the whole town was here.
“You doing okay, son?”
He turned to smile at Joe who was standing beside him. “I am. I’ll be doing better when she arrives. I want to say I’m not nervous, but that would be a lie. I know she’s coming, but there’s that tiny little doubt in the back of my mind and the pit of my stomach.”
Joe smiled and grasped his shoulder. “There’s no doubt at all. She’ll be here.”
Ben nodded. In his heart, he knew Joe was right. “You’ve got the rings, right?”
Joe patted his pocket. “I think so. Though why you trusted such an important job as this to a forgetful old codger like me, I don’t know.” His eyes glistened as he added, “But I’m glad you did.”
Ben nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
He’d always thought that if he got married he’d ask Pete to be his best man.
Pete or Chance. Since Charlotte had come back, he’d even considered asking Smoke.
He would have liked to have any of them standing beside him.
But when it came down to it, he wanted the best man in his life standing beside him today.
And there was no question who that man was. It was his grandpa, Joe.
“I think she’s here.”
Ben watched as the white limo he’d hired made its way across the square.
Heads turned to watch, but he knew he wouldn’t see her until she came out of the back of the restaurant.
When she finally appeared, he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
She was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her.
She made her way slowly down the aisle between the rows of chairs, holding his gaze the whole way.
Her dad walked by her side, and Ben was pleasantly surprised by the encouraging smile he gave him as he approached.
It felt like that short walk took forever, but eventually she reached him.
Her dad came to Ben and hugged him. “I’m sorry; this should have happened years ago. ”
Ben was so stunned by those words he stepped back when Charlie’s dad let go. He sure as hell hadn’t expected that, but he didn’t have time to think about it now. Charlotte smiled at him and they turned to face the officiant.
As they listened to him talk, Ben’s mind was hazy, he couldn’t focus on the words, just on the fact that he and Charlotte were here and they were about to be married.
The way she was smiling at him told him she was feeling the same way; the words might be going over their heads, but the meaning was binding their hearts together forever.
It took him a moment to realize that the officiant was giving him his cue. It was time for him and Charlotte to read the vows they had written. He scrabbled in his pocket for the piece of paper he had ready, not trusting himself to get it right without it.
He took hold of Charlotte’s hand and looked into her eyes. In that moment, he knew he didn’t need any prompt or paper, he was simply speaking from the heart.
“Charlie, I wish that we had done this sixteen years ago, but we didn’t, and we can’t change that.
All we can do is make the most of what is.
I’ve learned a lot in these sixteen years, and especially in the last few.
Today what I promise you is that I will bring all that I have learned to our marriage and our life.
And I will try to live by these lessons. ”
Charlotte nodded. “I make these same vows to you. I promise you I will try to: Love like I’ve never been hurt. We can’t let the pain of the past steal the joy of the present.”
Ben smiled. “I promise I will work like I don’t need the money.
” He smiled at the ripple of laughter that raised from the crowd.
“It’s not about the money, it’s about being happy.
And I will dance like nobody’s watching.
” He sought out Dan and smiled at him. “We need to be true to ourselves, no matter what.” Next, he sought Smoke’s face in the crowd.
“I will fly like I’ve never been grounded.
” He squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “You are my wings.”
“I promise you we will learn to laugh like we’ve never cried,” said Charlotte. “There will be more tears, no doubt about it, but I hope we’ll always find ways to laugh again. And I promise you I’ll sing like nobody’s listening. I will never try to hide my truth from you.”
Ben smiled. This felt so right. “Whenever I smile, you will always know that I mean it.” He nodded at Gabe and Renee.
“Now that we’re together again,” said Charlotte as she smiled at April, “We have proof that we were right to dream like nothing’s impossible. And I promise you I’ll never stop dreaming.”
“Our life has been quite the ride.” Ben looked for Lily and saw the tears streaming down her face. “We fell down in a way most would never recover from, but I promise you that from this day forward, we’ll ride like we’ve never fallen.”
Joe stepped forward with the rings.
Charlotte smiled and looked deep into Ben’s eyes. As she slid the ring onto his finger, she said, “With this ring I promise you that from this day forward I will love you and do all that I can, each and every day to make you happy.”
Ben nodded and slipped the ring onto her finger. “And with this ring I promise you that I will make the most of each and every day, and that together we will live like there’s no tomorrow.”
The pastor smiled. “And by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Ben felt as though his heart might burst in his chest as they walked back down between the rows of chairs. This was it. They were finally married;
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