Chapter 39
LEAH
I wake up on my wedding day morning in my sister’s spare bedroom. Instantly wide awake, my first thought is that I think I’m in love with my almost-husband.
No other thoughts compete. I’m not even interested in browsing my phone like I usually do when I first open my eyes.
I whisper, “I think I’m in love with my almost-husband.”
Shaking my head, that’s not true. Not quite.
I know I’m in love with Hudson.
At the first sound of me rustling, my sisters, Mami, aunties, and cousins mob me. Abuela pulls up the rear with a tray topped with coffee, buttered toast, and melon.
The next several hours are familiar with everyone getting ready—doing hair and makeup, reminiscing, and gossiping about each other in good fun and full of love.
One thing is different.
My story is woven in as the past merges with the present. Now, I’m the one in the bridal chair as Valentina does my hair, Dani applies my eyelashes, and Mami and Abuela beam with pride.
I want to tell them all to quit fussing over me, but this is what they do. I’m the star for today and at some point soon, it’ll be someone else’s turn, perhaps Marisol. Though I think my cousin Bridget will be next, if only to stop her from eloping.
We drive in a big caravan to the church and each car is decked out in wedding décor, including streamers, flags, and ribbons.
It’s like a veritable parade. Then again, my family has never been one for subtlety.
Ordinarily, I’d be thinking about how crazy this is.
However, the gown fits like a glove, the false eyelashes aren’t at risk of crawling across my cheeks, and I can’t stop smiling.
Then I recall the one little thing that I did a couple of weeks ago and panic seizes me.
At my first chance, I sneak away and find Hudson with the groomsmen. They all raise objections about how the groom isn’t supposed to see me yet, but I silence them with one sharp glance.
“We just have to talk for a second.”
I drag my fiancé away and into a nearby coat closet as they launch into concerned conversation about how I got cold feet. They’re warm, thank you very much.
I’m just worried about how a certain surprise detail might go. Before I get to that, a few other worries skip to the head of the line.
Hudson stands in the doorway wearing a black tuxedo with one hand casually in his pocket. If he’s as nervous as the men in my family about how I went off script, he doesn’t show it.
At weddings, usually, the focus is on the bride in her gown, but a tall, athletic man in a tux is underrated.
“Bridal magazines may sell more copies if they put you on the cover.”
His expression remains placid. “Are you volunteering me?”
“No, you’re all mine.” I grip his jaw in my hands, wondering how I got so lucky. All the same, there are a few more matters for us to discuss and I’m afraid of what he’ll say when I get to the biggest one, so I plan to ask about the smaller ones first.
His half smile fills as he looks me up and down. “You look amazing.”
“You do.”
I see a crack in his facade when he says, “You’re still in your robe.”
“My gown is underneath.” I point to it poking out the bottom. “Mami will kill me if she finds me here and she’ll murder you if you see me in my gown before we exchange vows.”
“Is everything okay?”
“We have to talk.”
“You’re calling it off,” he says, a statement, not a question.
“I just have to be sure …”
“That I want to do this?”
“And about the future. We can’t live in a bubble forever. We have our lives to live.”
“Together.”
“A while ago, you said there’s nothing here for you in Cobbiton.”
He plants his hand on my waist, pulling me closer. “I wasn’t expecting you, Leah. You changed the game. And I’ve upped mine. Meaning, I’ve proven I’m an asset to the team, and considering that meal we made and everything last night, I think you and I make a great one—a team that is.”
“Don’t you still own houses in Boston, Miami, and Houston? You could back out.”
“I’ll be gone a lot, but I’m not returning to any of those places unless Badaszek makes me.”
“And if you do?”
“We’ll figure that out. Not me. Not you. Us.”
My shoulder lifts demurely to my ear. “You’re right about being away a lot. I like going to games.”
“Then you’ll come with me.” I get a half-smile.
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“Leah? You’re almost my wife. Of course not. I’ll probably accidentally let the puck have its way if you’re not there.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“Okay, but my family gets carried away with the Thanksgiving meal.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I have a big appetite.”
“There are also games of the charades and board variety”
“I played along last night,” he counters.
“What about living together stuff? I can be messy and regularly have several half-finished projects going.”
“Maybe I find that endearing. It’ll remind me that we’re doing life together.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Quite the opposite, Leah.”
“I get overwhelmed easily and often subscribe to or purchase random things on social media. I have no less than at least six unfinished classes and workshops and unopened boxes under the beds at my parents’ house because my apartment was at capacity.”
“We can rein it in together.”
“Really?”
He nods emphatically. “I’m looking forward to getting to know your quirks. I like that you talk with your hands. I plan to make you breakfast in bed every Saturday that I’m home and when I’m not, we’ll order room service.”
“Why are you so good?”
He glances at his feet. “Because I had it bad for so long. By the time you started hanging out with just Hunter, my mother was gone half the time. Before that, I did everything I could to avoid her various boyfriends.”
“Is that why you were outside all the time?”
“I have them to thank for my getting so good at hockey.”
“You’re also incredibly hardworking and talented.”
He shuffles his foot. “Aw. Shucks.”
“I realized that I’d been telling myself a story about who I was and who you were. You were a moody teenager and turned into the boy next door.”
I add, “You were the girl next door and went broody.”
I scoff. “You were arrogant.”
“Preoccupied with a certain twin.” He points to me.
“I feel called out.” I mock huff.
Hudson shifts his weight. “Back when we were kids and would play street hockey, I was all about winning by a huge margin. I wanted to crush them. Now, I want to play with the best team and I want to win against an equal opponent. The top that hockey has to offer. The same goes with us. You challenge me in all the good ways. The only difference is, we’re playing for the same team. We have the same goal.”
“What’s that?”
“A hockily ever after.”
It cannot be helped, I squeal and fling my arms around his neck.
“What are you two doing in there?” my aunt Leticia calls.
Hudson’s nose brushes mine. His eyes are at half-mast.
“What do you think we’re doing?” I holler back.
A crowd gathers in the hallway as they speculate, but the chatter fades into the background.
To Hudson, I say, “They interrupt a lot. Interfere too.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” he answers, voice raspy.
“Thanksgiving is absolute family chaos. And Christmas? You won’t know what hit you.”
“I’m here for it. I like your family.”
I swish my lips to one side. “Ah. I see. That’s why you agreed to marry me, so you could take part in this madness.”
His lips ripple with a grin. “And other reasons.”
“What about your family … what if they took part in the holidays or showed up for our wedding?” My stomach leaps as I speak these specific words, but this is my last chance to prepare.
“They’ve never even come to one of my games.”
“What if they did?”
He lifts one shoulder. “It would be cool, I guess.”
I let out a long breath. Maybe the girls were right: I’ve been looking for red flags when green ones have been waving in front of my face.
“Okay, so one more thing …”
Both of his eyebrows lift.
I whisper, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
His smile grows. “I know.”
I playfully swat him.
“Can we go get married now?” he asks.
“Well, maybe one more thing?”
He groans.
“Is it bad luck to kiss before the wedding?”
I’ve got his full attention. “We’ve already done things out of order.”
I blush at the idea of kissing him. “Great point. I’m glad you see it that way.”
“You’ll have to reapply your lipstick.” He flashes me a heated gaze.
“It’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
I cup his jaw and plant my mouth on his.
Gently gripping my waist, he draws me near.
I hear thunder until I realize it’s Hudson’s heart … and mine.
The kiss turns soft, tender. It’s a wedding day kiss that comes with the promise that there will be many more.
Just before we leave the coat room, Hudson says, “I’ve fallen in love with you, too, Leah. In fact, it was a love at second sight.”
“Is that a thing?”
“I didn’t know what love was until that night at your parents’ anniversary party. It’s only grown since. I love you, Leah Maria.”
The little stitches that have pieced together my heart dissolve because it’s one thing to hear those words from my family. It’s another entirely to have the man you love say them and mean it.