Nine
Nine
There were very few times in his life that Noah had been at a loss for words. As in, any form of articulate speech had vacated his brain and all he could do was feel. Grace’s hand was still in his and he was positive he could feel her pulse; it was racing like his own. Everyone else’s conversations faded to white noise in the background. The edges of everything but Grace blurred and she became, quite literally, his sole focus.
“What?” He whispered the word, his throat dryer than the croutons in the salad.
Grace grinned. Little heartbeats pulsed all over his skin like flares being set off along every inch of his body.
She leaned in. “I don’t care about the perfect time or place. I don’t care about a honeymoon or whether we have vanilla bean layer cake. I care that I get to marry you and these people are with us when we do it.”
“What are you two gossiping about?” Morty asked, reaching for more potatoes.
Noah sensed all eyes turning their way before he actually looked away from Grace’s happy gaze.
“Grace wants to get married. Tonight.”
An eruption of comments and questions followed, and Noah just looked back at Grace. His heart surged against his ribcage and he knew, all the way to his bones, that this was it. He’d end this day as Grace’s husband.
Noah felt like he was in a montage from one of the rom-coms Gracie liked to watch. Everyone dove into motion like they’d synchronized the evening and prepared for this completely sudden detour.
“Gracie, you go upstairs with Hailey and Everly. You look perfect but if you need to do anything to get ready, do it now,” Rosie said, standing up, in full command mode, like she organized weddings for a living rather than decorated homes and businesses. “Noah, you and your brothers go somewhere else in the house. I want the bride and groom out of the main area down here until we call you.”
Noah and Grace stood up along with everyone else, who seemed to be waiting on Rosie’s orders. Morty took a little longer to come out of his seat, his gaze on Grace, more serious than Noah was used to.
Grace’s hand trembled inside of Noah’s but she was staring back at Morty.
“This is what you really want?” Morty asked her.
She didn’t hesitate for even a fraction of a second. “More than anything.” Squeezing Noah’s hand, she looked up at him. “Is this okay?”
Reaching out, Noah cupped her cheek in his hand, stroking his thumb over her silky skin, gazing into the eyes that held his future and his heart. “More than okay. You’re all I want and need in this world, Gracie. And everything I didn’t know I was missing.”
Grace’s dreamy sigh was cut short by Rosie clapping her hands. “Save it for the vows. Go on, both of you, get gone. I need thirty minutes. Morty, I hope you have ideas for what you want to say because you and Grace are the only ordained ones, and she can’t marry herself.”
They sprang into action so quickly that Noah barely had time to kiss Grace before his brothers huddled around him and led him down the hall while their significant others took Grace upstairs.
Chris closed the door behind them as they went into the study and Noah started to pace.
“You okay, man?” Chris asked, putting both hands in his pockets and leaning against the door.
Wes sat on the arm of the couch, his back straight, his gaze assessing. Noah stopped and looked back and forth between them.
“I’m better than okay. I didn’t know you could love someone like this. And I wasn’t even trying to fight it, like you,” he said, pointing at Wes.
“Seems unnecessary to say but you’re right. I did. You didn’t. You’ve always jumped in with both feet and a grin on your face.”
“Though, of all the things you’ve jumped in to, I have to say, I’ve never seen you as happy as you are with Grace,” Chris said.
Noah threaded both hands into his hair, shaking his head. “I’d give her anything. Is it wrong to want this so badly, that I want to be her husband so badly, I’m not even pushing to make sure she won’t regret this?”
Chris smirked. “I think she’s pretty sure about you, and it’s not like she doesn’t know what she’s getting.”
Noah laughed, dropped his hands, and offered his brother the middle finger. “I don’t mean regret me, you ass. I mean, not having a big wedding. Something memorable that she can look back on and remember.”
Was Gracie just stressed and thought this was easier? Was it because of the reality show? Did that make her want to just get it over with?
“Admittedly, I’m no expert in this area, but I’d think with as much as you and Grace love each other, it won’t matter where you are, what you wear, or how many people are in attendance. It’ll be the greatest day because it’s the one you two chose to solidify your relationship into something more. Even if it is a bit sudden.” Wes’s voice was strong and patient. His older brother might not be as in touch with his feelings—or maybe he was too in touch with them and had spent too many years trying to squash them—but he was smart and rational. And he was right.
“I’m going to be Grace’s husband,” Noah said, emotions roughening the words. He blinked rapidly when unexpected tears burned his eyes. Holy shit.
“Yeah, you are,” Chris agreed, laughing as he pushed off the door and walked over to the built-in cabinetry. He opened a pull-down door that kept Noah’s best whiskey tucked away and poured three shots before passing them each one.
Wes stood, the three of them in a tight circle. Chris raised his glass. “Congratulations. You and Grace are perfect for each other and I’m so damn happy for you both. I never imagined any of us here, never mind all three of us finding the loves of our lives.”
Noah’s throat felt thick with emotion as he held Chris’s gaze and nodded.
Wes clapped Noah on the shoulder. “I’ve always admired the way you go after what you want and most of the time, get it. Grace challenged you in a way I hadn’t seen before and it made you a better man. I’m proud of you. Happy for you.”
“I love you guys,” Noah said, holding his glass out.
His brothers each tapped their shot glasses together before they drank down the whiskey. Warmth seeped through Noah’s chest and he knew it was from more than just the alcohol. He’d worked his whole life to prove himself to his father, and when that proved impossible, he’d followed Chris out to California. It hadn’t occurred to him that he’d been chasing the wrong thing. He didn’t need a portfolio, his father’s approval, or a hefty bank account. He needed happiness, and he’d found it in Grace.
And he planned on spending the rest of his life giving her back the same.