24. Chapter 24 Harper Wedding #3
His shoulder brushes mine, warm, steady, and real.
General Tso lets out one final, triumphant crow before settling, His feathers ruffling as if satisfied with the attention he’s received. And just like that…
The moment resets. Not ruined. Not interrupted. Just… ours.
The officiant clears his throat again, a smile still tugging at his mouth.
“Well,” he says, glancing briefly at the rooster before looking back at us. “If there is no further… announcements…”
A ripple of quiet laughter moves through the crowd.
I glance at Cole. He meets my eyes. And this time, there’s no tension left. No nerves. Just certainty. Just us, ready.
The officiant waits just a beat longer, like he’s giving the universe one last chance to interrupt. When nothing else explodes, squawks, or runs down the aisle, he nods once and begins.
“Family and friends,” he says, voice warm and steady, “we’re gathered here today to witness something rare. Not just love… but chosen love. The kind that stands firm after fire, after fear, after everything that tries to tear it apart.”
My fingers curl slightly around Cole’s as he reaches for my hand without hesitation. His grip is warm, solid, and anchoring.
“I’m not going to make you stand here through a long speech,” the officiant continues, smiling faintly. “Because I think everyone here already knows what these two have been through to get to this moment.”
“I believe they have something they’d like to say to each other.”
My breath catches. Because we didn’t plan this. Not really. No rehearsed vows. No carefully written promises. Just… us.
Cole exhales beside me, like he’s stepping into something just as unknown. He lifts his gaze fully to mine. And everything else fades.
“I don’t do speeches,” he starts, voice low, rougher than usual.
A soft ripple of laughter moves through the crowd.
He ignores it. “I don’t do… a lot of things.” His jaw tightens briefly, then eases. “But I know how to show up. I know how to stay.”
My chest tightens.
“Every fire I’ve ever walked into, I knew what I was facing,” he continues. “I knew the risks. I knew how to handle it.”
His grip on my hand tightens just slightly.
“You?” He shakes his head once. “I didn’t know what hit me.”
Another soft laugh.
“But I knew one thing pretty damn fast.” His eyes lock on mine, unwavering. “I wasn’t walking away.” The words land deep.
“I don’t care how hard it gets. I don’t care what comes at us. I’m here for you, for our family.” His gaze flicks briefly to my stomach, then back. “Every day. No hesitation.”
My vision blurs slightly, emotion catching me off guard.
“You don’t have to do anything alone again,” he finishes quietly.
Silence settles over the crowd. Not empty. Full.
I swallow, trying to find my voice.
When I do, it comes softer than I expect.
“I spent a long time thinking I had to handle everything on my own,” I say. “That if I just worked hard enough, stayed strong enough, I wouldn’t need anyone.” I shake my head slightly. “I was wrong.”
Cole’s thumb presses lightly into my hand.
“I was scared when I came here,” I admit. “Scared of what people would see. Of what they’d think. Of what it meant to trust someone again.”
I take a breath. “But you didn’t make me feel weak for that.” My voice steadies. “You made me feel safe.”
His expression shifts just a crack, just enough to show how much that hits him.
“You didn’t run. You didn’t question. You just… stayed.”
My hand tightens around his.
“I choose you,” I say, the words clear now. Certain. “Not because it’s easy. Not because it’s perfect. But because it’s real. Because it’s you.”
A tear slips free before I can stop it. I don’t bother wiping it away. “And I’m done running, too.”
The officiant steps forward slightly, his voice softer now.
“Cole. Suzanne. Do you promise to stand beside each other through whatever comes? To choose each other, again and again, no matter how hard the road gets?”
“I do,” Cole says immediately. No hesitation. No pause. Just certainty.
“I do,” I echo.
The words settle between us like something permanent.
“Then by the power vested in me,” the officiant says, smiling now, “it’s my honor to pronounce you husband and wife.”
“You may kiss your bride.” Cole doesn’t hesitate.
He steps in, one hand sliding to the back of my neck, the other still holding mine as he pulls me closer. And then his mouth is on mine. Warm. Sure. Unquestioning. The kiss isn’t rushed. It’s not tentative. It’s everything we’ve been holding back. Everything we fought for.
The crowd erupts around us, cheers, whistles, laughter breaking through the moment as Smokey barks loudly at our feet like he’s been waiting for this exact cue.
And right on time…
“BWA-KAAAW!”
General Tso crows again from his post, sealing the moment with one final, chaotic declaration.
I laugh against Cole’s mouth, and he does too, the sound breaking between us as he presses his forehead briefly to mine.
“Hi, wife,” he murmurs. My heart stumbles. “Hi, husband.”
And for the first time in my life…
Everything feels exactly the way it’s supposed to.