WEDDING DAY
Ian
“Are you nervous?” my brother asks. “I never thought I’d see the day when the Playmaker willingly got dragged down the aisle.”
I turn from where I’m staring out the window to the dense forest beyond the three-bedroom cabin, nestled in a hard-to-reach mountain valley about two hours from Skylark.
“Jesus Christ, Felix. Ever heard of a towel?” I hold up a hand to block my eyes.
“Dude, you spent years in locker rooms.” Felix stops in the doorway to the bedroom’s en-suite bathroom and wiggles his hips, shaking the family jewels. “My dick is not the first one you’ve seen, although I’d bet money it’s the biggest.”
Before I can answer, there’s a soft rap on the door, and Piper pokes her head in. “Ian, are you—oh my, God! Put some clothes on, you hairy beast.”
“If you don’t want a look at the goods, wait to be invited before you open the door,” Felix shouts back. “Or maybe you did want a little peek.”
Piper mutters a few words entirely at odds with her delicate features and the soft blonde braid around her head. She looks like a fairy princess but can curse like a sailor. My brother brings that out in people.
“As soon as the hairy beast is dressed, we’ll be down,” I tell her.
“Feel free to leave him chained to the bedpost.”
“Now she wants to play bondage games.” Felix walks to the closet, not bothering to cover himself. “Sorry, Princess, high maintenance isn’t my type.”
I offer her an apologetic smile as she growls low in her throat. “Five minutes, Pip. We’ll be down in five minutes.”
She slams the door, and I round on my brother. “Can you try to get along with my soon-to-be sister-in-law?”
“Dude,” Felix says, pulling up his red boxers, “I get along with everybody. Except pampered, entitled, pretentious brats.”
“Asshole,” Piper calls from the other side of the door before her footsteps stomp down the hall.
“Fucking killing me here, Felix,” I tell my brother. I’m not sure why Felix, who honestly does get along with almost everyone, took an instant dislike to Piper, but the two of them aren’t ruining this day with their bickering. Not on my watch.
“What can I say, bro?” Felix shrugs. “I’m a truth-teller.”
“Good for you. Nobody wants to hear it this weekend.”
If you asked me at the start of all this, I might have agreed with my brother’s assessment of Piper. Sadie was so spun up about keeping her sister happy, keeping the peace, and caring for her that my girl put her whole life on hold to do the job right.
But now I understand that they both suffered an unimaginable loss when their mom died. Hell, Piper was around Riva’s age when she lost the only parent she knew, and I can’t imagine that for my daughter. Since moving back to Skylark, Piper’s been trying to get her life together and not just be the baby sister who takes without ever giving in return.
And, damn, my Sadie is a giver. Loving people comes so naturally to her, and her ability to open her heart has changed mine in…well, I’ve lost count of the ways.
“I’ll play nice,” Felix grumbles. “Don’t want to rain on your parade and shit. But seriously, man. Why don’t you look nervous?”
“Because I’m not. This is the dream I never even let myself have.” I draw in a deep breath, realizing how deeply that statement resonates.
Felix adjusts the cuffs on his crisp white shirt. “I never thought I’d see the day somebody broke the Barlowe curse.”
I shake my head and feel nothing but light in my heart. “The curse was bullshit from the start, Felix. We aren’t cursed. That’s a story we sold ourselves. One we watched Dad live out, but it isn’t the truth.”
He snorts and catches the tie I toss his way. Even though it’s just immediate family—Piper, Riva, and Felix—with us for the ceremony, my daughter wants us all in dressy wedding attire.
The thought of seeing Sadie walking toward me in a white gown—and even more so, the knowledge that I’m going to be peeling it off her gorgeous body later—makes me a total sucker for tradition.
“Speak for yourself,” he grumbles.
“I am speaking for myself, but I’m also talking to you. You can act all you want like you don’t care about your girl and your best friend being together?—”
“Ex on both counts--girlfriend and best friend,” he clarifies, his voice tight.
“Exes,” I agree. “Blame it on the curse or whatever makes you feel better. But you’ve got a big heart inside that giant barrel chest of yours. Giving it to the right person is a fucking game changer.”
“Yeah, yeah, I might have to take your word on that one. Don’t go all sappy on me now, Playmaker.”
“Just spittin’ facts, Felix, straight from the heart.” I grab both our jackets off the hangers in the closet, but before taking his, Felix hugs me tightly.
“I’m so fucking happy for you, man. Sadie’s a good woman. You hit the jackpot, and nobody deserves it more.”
I slap his back a couple of times, and we head down the hallway. I don’t know what I deserve and still have trouble believing it’s someone as amazing as Sadie. But I’m not looking the karmic gift horse in the mouth. She’s mine, and I’m keeping her forever.
“You did good on this place, too,” Felix says. “The chill lumberjack vibe works for you.”
I glance around the log cabin, taking in the rustic aesthetic that appealed to me from the start. A large stone fireplace is the focal point of the main living area and sliding doors on either side open to an expansive deck. The deck where Sadie and I will say our vows surrounded by the people we love most in the world. Sally, Trina and her book club friends are planning a reception the evening of our return to Skylark, which is fine with me because I want to keep the celebration going forever.
“You’re welcome to use it any time.” I put an offer on this cabin the day after I asked Sadie to marry me. The same day we signed the contract to buy a fifty-acre property that butts up against the National Forest on the edge of Skylark.
If I had my way, I would have bought an island for just her, Riva, and me. Now that Sadie is mine, I’m greedy—I want all of her to myself. At the same time, it feels good that my daughter and I have found a place to call home—not just with Sadie but as part of this small, quirky community.
I heard somewhere that the biggest joy is in the smallest moments, and that’s been confirmed by the life we’re building in Skylark—a shared cup of coffee on a lazy weekend morning, seeing Sadie’s engagement ring in the ceramic bowl she keeps on the dresser when she’s training her pack, slipping it back onto her finger each night—I’m here for every tiny moment.
Riva is waiting in a flowing peach dress at the bottom of the stairs and smiling like she’s never been happier. The deep certainty filling my heart expands even more. She’s also holding the leashes of three dapper dogs. “Aren’t they the cutest?”
“You’re the cutest,” I tell her and press a kiss to the top of her head. “But the crew cleans up nice.”
Beast sits proudly with a ridiculous black bow tie fastened around his scrawny neck while Princess sports a frilly skirty that she is clearly not thrilled about. Max has a crown of wildflowers slightly askew on his head, his tail thumping on the wood floor.
“You ready for this, kid?” Felix reaches out to ruffle her hair, but she ducks away with a giggle.
“I’m not the one getting married.” She points toward the patio. “Go, you guys. Dad’s not supposed to see Sadie before the wedding. It’s bad luck.”
“I make my own luck,” I mutter, but I do as I’m told.
The scent of pine hangs on the breeze, and the bright summer sun bathes the trees surrounding the cabin in dappled light. The deck is decorated with wildflowers in mason jars and a simple wooden arch where we’ll say our vows. We picked up the marriage license on our way out of town yesterday, knowing we wanted to perform the ceremony ourselves.
Felix elbows me as we wait. “Still not nervous?”
I shake my head. “Not even a little.”
The door opens, and Riva walks toward us with Beast and Princess. Tears prick the back of my eyes as I blow my sweet daughter a kiss. My heart feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest, and I hear Felix give a watery sniff. My brother’s an even bigger sap than me.
Piper follows Riva with Max at her side, managing to keep her smile locked in place even when her gaze strays to Felix, who whistles under his breath. Yeah, Piper is stunning, but then Sadie steps out onto the porch, and everything else falls away.
Her white dress is a simple sheath that clings in all the right places. Her hair is half-up, half-down, a few wildflowers tucked at the crown. But her gentle eyes—locked on mine—nearly wreck me.
I blink hard, and Felix shoves a crumpled tissue into my hand. I don’t know where that thing has been but gratefully dab at the corners of my eyes before shoving it into my pocket.
Sadie tilts her head, a slow smile curling her lips as she stops in front of me. “You good?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah. Just…" I shake my head and cup her face in my palms. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
She slides her hands up my chest, holding onto my lapels. “You’re pretty handsome yourself, Playmaker.”
My chest tightens with emotion. “The Playmaker’s retired, sweetheart. It’s just Ian and Sadie. For the rest of our lives.”
Her breath seems to catch as her smile widens. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.”
I know I should wait to kiss her until we’ve read our vows, but I can’t resist brushing my lips across hers.
“Dad, ick,” Riva grumbles.
“All the ick,” Felix confirms, and I hear Piper stifle a laugh.
But nothing can burst the bubble of happiness I’m floating in right now. “Sadie?”
“Yes, Ian?” she whispers.
I press my forehead to hers. “I’m going to love you forever.”
She lets out a soft sigh. “Then let’s get married.”
Sometimes life takes you on a path you never expected, but with the right person at your side, it turns out exactly right.