Chapter 28
twenty-eight
Four months later
I wasn’t sure this day would ever come. When I landed in Grovewood, I thought I was finding a safe place to hide from the pain and fear I was desperate to outrun.
Never in a hundred million years did I ever dream I would be standing in this beautiful garden, in a house that is my home in every way, waiting to walk outside and marry the love I spent my entire life searching for.
Beckett is more than I ever felt like I deserved in a partner. But I know now, the way he treats me and the way he makes me feel is exactly what I’ve always deserved. The faithful way he loves me is my wildest dream come true.
“You ready, Mama?” Jax asks, a wide smile on his face.
When we started planning this wedding, I always assumed Jax would be the one to walk me down the aisle to Beckett. But Jaxon had other ideas in mind. When I asked him, he turned me down, suggesting I walk alone. At first, I was hurt. But once we talked it through, I agree it’s more fitting for me.
I’m more myself with Beckett than I’ve ever been before.
This version of me is powerful and independent.
I can stand on my own, letting Beck support me but never control me.
His love for me is deep and unending. With him, I’ve considered things I never thought were possible in my life.
I could go to college. I can figure out what I want to do, not out of necessity but out of desire.
There’s no limit to the things I can do with him beside me, and I know no matter what I choose, he supports me.
As long as we do it together, he doesn’t care where this life takes us.
“I’m ready.” I say with a smile.
I pick up my flowers, cream-colored lilies wrapped in a soft green ribbon, and take Jaxon’s arm.
Next week he leaves for art school in London.
Knowing he will be a world away is truly terrifying, but I’ve given him all the tools he needs to create a beautiful life and the knowledge to understand we are always here for him, should he need us.
All I’ve ever wanted for my son was for him to take what I’ve built and run with it further than I ever have.
We walk around the patio towards the lawn where everyone has arranged a small ceremony for Beck and I.
When we started planning this wedding, Beckett told me not to hold anything back.
If I wanted it, we made it happen. This was the first time in my life I had no limits to bringing the vision I had alive.
Surprisingly, what I wanted wasn’t elaborate.
I would’ve been happy with Beck and I in a courthouse in Charleston, but this is the first and last wedding ceremony either of us will ever have, so I figured we should make it count.
The low-country air is thick with salt and jasmine as the fall sun slants through the canopy of live oaks, their limbs heavy with Spanish moss that sways in the breeze.
Beneath them, a clearing opens up, just wide enough for a few white wooden chairs and a simple arch twined with greenery and climbing Aster.
It’s an intimate gathering, only our friends and family surrounding us.
We only wanted the people who knew and loved us long before our stories intertwined here to support us today.
“I’m proud of you, Mom,” Jaxon says, and my eyes sting with tears. Most people would think parents are the ones who should always have pride in their children, but the weight of hearing your child say they’re proud of you is something different. Something so much more amazing.
“Thank you, honey. I hope you know I never would’ve been strong enough to make it so far in my life without having you here to motivate me. You’re the best thing I’ve ever created in this life, and I’m so very lucky to be your mom.” My palm brushes his cheek, and he pulls me in for a tight hug.
“I love you, Mama. I’ll see you at the altar,” he says, kissing my cheek and walking through the hanging moss and down the small aisle. He stops to hug Beckett where he stands in front of the officiant and then takes his place beside him.
I can see Beck, but he can’t see me yet.
Taking a few moments just to enjoy the view, I watch him chat with our friends.
His white linen shirt is rolled up to his elbows, corded forearms and tattoos on full display just how I like him.
He is truly a beautiful man. He smiles at his parents, laughing easily at something his dad says, and another piece of my heart melts into his smile.
He is all mine. Wholly and completely, forever and ever. Our love is old-world, the kind that spans lifetimes and centuries, constantly searching for each other. And now we can finally relax into our life together without the sins of our pasts looming over us.
A violin plays a soft, romantic song as everyone turns their attention to the end of the aisle.
I take a deep breath, stepping through the trees barefoot, my dress trailing just enough to catch the ground.
I can’t help the smile that breaks across my face when I see Beckett.
Tears fill his eyes instantly, and I find myself thanking my lucky stars for the kind, strong, emotional badass that chose me out of all the women in the world.
His hands tremble slightly, but his smile gives away all the joy he’s feeling.
When I finally reach him, I know my entire life has been leading to this walk, this moment with him.
I hand my flowers off to Ember as she blubbers happy tears.
“Hi, pretty girl. You are exquisite.” He smiles widely, and a blush creeps up my cheeks and chest.
“Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself, mister.” I say, smoothing his shirt across his chest as he takes my hands in his.
“If anyone here has any reason why these two should not be wed-” the officiant starts and Jaxon cuts him off.
“They can shut the fuck up.” He says, drawing laughter from everyone here.
“That’s my boy,” Beck says with pride.
“Do you two have any vows to exchange?” The officiant asks, stepping back to allow us our space.
“Willow, I could spend forever telling you all the incredible things I love about you. I could tell you all the ways I’m so grateful to be by your side and to walk through this life as your partner.
But you already know. Because you and I share one soul, and we have since we first met.
From this day until the last, I walk beside you.
In times of hardship and in times of joy, I am yours, and you will always be mine.
” Beckett smiles, and it takes everything in me not to dissolve into a puddle of tears right here at his feet.
“Damn, that was good shit.” Iris says, wheezing when Magnolia elbows him. I take a deep breath, for once not feeling any anxiety in the face of such a huge life event.
“Beckett, when you came into my life, I’ll admit that I was absolutely terrified.
My heart knew what my head didn’t want to admit.
I promise to stand beside you when life is rewarding, and to stand even closer when life gets hard.
To always be in your corner the way you have always been in mine.
To never forget how pure and unrelenting our love is.
In all of my planning for today, I could only find one quote to sum up how much you mean to me.
” I wipe the tears clouding my vision and continue.
“I only worry not that our love won’t endure, but I worry that if we live to be 100 and I get 70 years with you, how am I to fit all my love for you into just 70 years?” I take a deep breath to keep from sobbing.
“That’s how I know there will be life after this, and wherever that will be, we will find each other there like we’ve found each other here.
I will love you forever, for all eternity, and that still won’t be long enough.
” I barely finish speaking before Beckett pulls me against his chest, kissing me deeply.
His fingers tangle in my hair, directing my head whenever he wants to take me, and I sink into his kiss.
“Well, I suppose you can kiss the bride now.” The officiant says, our friends and family laughing in the background. But I barely hear anything outside of our mingled breaths.
“God, I love you, Mrs. Hayes.” Beck says, and I squeal.
“I love you more than anything.”
By the time the sun sets, we’ve danced and drank and enjoyed such a beautiful celebration with the most important people in our lives.
“You look incredible, my wife. The most beautiful vision I’ve ever seen. But as much as I love this dress, I want to see what it looks like on our bedroom floor.” Beckett smirks, kissing the column of my neck. Goosebumps race across my skin as my core clenches.
“Yes, please. Everybody can go now,” I tell him, and he laughs.
“I really don’t give a shit if they stay or go, but you’re coming with me.” He wraps a strong arm around my waist, lifting me up off the ground and walking towards the house. He’s worked so hard to rebuild his strength again over the past few months, and I’m grateful for it.
“Put me down. I don’t want you tiring yourself out before we get to the good part,” I smirk, pulling away from him as soon as my feet hit the ground.
He smacks my ass hard, and I yelp. I’ve missed this raw, uninhibited side of him.
I walk up the stairs backwards, daring him to chase me.
He follows with a predatory look in his eyes.
“I want you stripped bare, laid out in our bed just waiting for me to devour you in the next 30 seconds or else I will edge you until you’re ready to take back every beautiful word you pledged to me today.
” His voice is dark, the way I love it most. The borderline unhinged version of him is my favorite one by far.
“Guess I better hurry then,” I say, creeping even slower up the stairs. His eyes darken, and a sly smile spreads across my face.