Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Kendall
I looked across the table at Jude. He was holding my hand, sipping his coffee, and talking casually with Graham. As I looked around Firehouse Café, I realized everything in my life finally felt like it had fallen into place.
It wasn’t perfect—because life never would be—but this moment with my best friend felt as close to perfect as possible.
He’d brought me to my knees in the shower this morning and then carefully dabbed around the stitches on my leg when we were toweling off, insisting that I needed to be careful.
He told me he loved me. Again. I’d never get tired of hearing those words from him. Now, we were simply having coffee.
Tommy had called with an update on how Travis did last night. The mundane details of the morning felt so profoundly good.
“Have a good one,” Graham was saying. He waved as he stepped back, catching his wife’s hand as they left the café.
Jude’s gaze met mine across the table. After a few beats, while we smiled at each other and I felt almost goofy about it, he tipped his head to the side, his eyes sobering. “Can we just get to the point?” he asked.
“What point?”
“The point when we just go ahead and get married.”
I almost choked on the swallow of coffee I’d just taken.
“Are you serious?” I sputtered.
“Absolutely. I know exactly who and what I want. Is there any doubt in your mind?”
I shook my head slowly as joy rose in a cacophony inside, like a flock of birds taking flight and calling to each other. “No. There’s not.” I took a shaky breath, letting it out in a gust. “Are we talking like a ceremony, or something else?”
“I’m thinking we go get our marriage license and take care of the whole thing at the courthouse,” Jude said flatly.
“Today?” I squeaked. “Is that even possible?”
Janet overheard us and squealed. “You can get your license today and get married as soon as the three-day waiting period is over. I would like to be one of your witnesses. You need two,” she said.
As if caught in a rushing current of water, we were walking together down to the small courthouse. Janet was practically bouncing with glee. She’d called Maggie to agree to be the other witness.
Within the hour, we had our marriage license.
Within three days, almost to the minute, we were getting married at the courthouse.
The entire Silver family was there, along with my parents and my brother.
When the judge pronounced us officially bound by marriage, Jude stepped closer, palming my cheek before pressing a kiss to my forehead, then my lips, and murmuring, I love you again and again.
Hot tears were rolling down my cheeks. I didn’t usually cry in front of people, but it was that kind of day. The courthouse staff even let Travis come in for the ceremony.
Who knew a wedding with a husky howling in the courthouse would go viral online when one of the court clerks posted it? Jude and I didn’t spend much time online, but it was all over town, and everyone was thrilled.
That afternoon, Jude took my hand and walked me out to an older cabin on the Heartfire Falls property. “I didn’t even know this was here,” I said as my gaze arced around.
“It’s not too far away from the main resort, but we really need to do some upgrades. What do you think?” he asked.
“Well, it’s got the basics,” I said slowly.
The cabin had a living room, an efficiency kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom, along with a mudroom in the back with space for laundry.
“I’ll work on it in my spare time,” he added.
“Jude, you have no spare time,” I pointed out with an eye roll.
“Yeah, but I have five brothers.”
I threw my head back with a laugh. Just when I caught my breath, he kissed me. That evening, we had dinner with his family. This was my life now.
When we fell asleep later, Jude smoothed his hand over the curve of my shoulder and down my side before it came to rest on my belly.
“You’re mine to hold every night,” he whispered.