Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Asher
It’s our wedding day…
Finally, the day has arrived. And we’re in St. Barts again. We’re getting married on the beach.
It’s the first week of January and I feel like I’m making the greatest start to my year.
I’m in the hotel dressing room getting ready. The ceremony will begin in half an hour.
I stand in front of the full-length mirror. After adjusting the collar of my shirt I stare at my reflection, feeling happier than I’ve ever felt in my life.
It feels surreal that things worked out for me. And how they worked out.
For a start, I’m alive and I’m marrying the girl of my dreams.
I remember feeling doomed several times over the last few years but nothing was as dark as the day I got shot and thought my life was over.
That day, as I watched Harper’s face fade away from my mind, I thought that was it.
When I got my second chance I decided that nothing was going to stop me from having the life I wanted and doing everything I always dreamed of with her.
It starts today. The instant Harper and I take our vows.
A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. My father steps in, his suit perfectly pressed, his tie neat. I give him a nod in the mirror and he steps closer, resting a hand on my shoulder.
“You ready, son?” His voice is steady but there’s a softness in his eyes.
I meet his gaze through the mirror. “More than anything.” My heart beats a little faster just saying it out loud.
He chuckles, low and deep, as if he’s remembering his own wedding day. “I’m proud of you.” He pauses and I can already feel the warmth of what he’s about to say next surrounding my heart. “You found true love. I can’t tell you how much I wanted that for you. It worked out in the end.”
“It did.”
“You’ve come a long way. I’ve already started the process of transferring the CFO title to you. It should be done by the time you get home.”
I smile back at him, my heart beating faster with the thrill of finally achieving my goal. “Thanks, Father. I really appreciate that.”
“It is the least I can do. You more than deserve it.” His grip tightens on my shoulder briefly before he lets go. “I still can’t believe all that we’ve been through. I almost lost you.”
“I made it back.”
“I know, and I’m grateful. During the time Nigel and Nolan were around I put you through unnecessary stress, which led to everything else. All the bad that could have taken you away from us.”
He’s not wrong but at least he’s seen the error in his ways. “It’s okay. They’re out of our lives now.”
“For good.”
Nothing gave me more pleasure than putting Nolan behind bars. Nigel is locked up for his crimes, too and will probably die in prison. The last I checked, Portia had moved to Switzerland and hooked up with an eighty-year-old man with a sizable fortune.
The best part is that I don’t have to think about any of them ever again.
Father’s smile grows. “Let’s get you married, son.”
“Let’s go.”
We both laugh and he ruffles my hair like he used to when I was a kid.
The bright afternoon sunlight casts a golden hue over the guests before me.
I stand between the priest and my best men: Father, Hunter, and Luc. I have one left to join us: he’ll take his place after he walks my bride down the aisle.
I look at my guests and smile at them. Everyone is here to witness this magical day.
The violin music begins playing the Wedding March. And then I see her.
Harper appears at the top of the aisle, her hand resting lightly on Josh’s arm.
My heart stops and the world slows down.
She looks radiant with her hair flowing down her shoulders in long graceful waves.
Her white sleeveless dress makes her look like she just stepped out of a fairytale and into my life.
Her eyes are fixed on me and for a moment, everything else fades away.
I can’t breathe. I don’t want to. I just want to watch her, to memorize every detail of this moment. And her.
I think of every adventure we’ve had and the ones that haven’t been written yet.
I’m eager to see what those will look like.
When Harper and Josh reach me, Josh hands her over to me. He gives me an added blessing with a quick hug I appreciate. Then he takes his place next to my groomsmen.
Harper stands before me now, her eyes locked on mine, and I know we’re meant to be.
We take our vows, pledging to love each other forever, and she finally becomes mine.
My wife, my girl, my everything.
The goddess of my heart.