Chapter 24 #2
“Casey? Do you have your vows?” Ramsey asked.
Casey drew a breath and smiled. “I, Casey White, take you, Landon Boyd, to be my lawfully wedded husband. For better or worse, in sickness and health. When you go overboard and do too much. When you drive me crazy with your endless love. When you ask for nothing from me and don’t let me know what you need.
I vow to love you, cherish you, honor you, and adore you every day, till death do us part. ”
I grinned at my bride. She was stunning. The smile on her face made my heart full. All over again.
“I think we can all agree these two are a good fit for each other,” Ramsey said. “Now, the rings?” He offered the book he held to our attendants.
Andre, my best man, set the ring I bought for Casey on the book. Melody, the matron of honor, put my ring next to Casey’s.
“These rings are a symbol of your love and commitment. Whether you have them on or not, these rings are a gift to show your dedication. Just like your love, these rings have no beginning and no end. They continue forever and will never be broken.” He held the book closer to me. “Landon.”
I picked up Casey’s ring and held her hand. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
She repeated the process for me, not releasing my hand.
“By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may… Well, he took care of that,” Ramsey said.
I ignored him and kissed my wife. Chastely. Mostly. A little church tongue. Because I couldn’t resist her.
My wife.
I took her hand and led her to the back of the space, giving us a minute alone before the crowd descended. “I love you.”
She smiled, her face brightening. She was finally feeling better, the second trimester giving her energy she hadn’t had during the first. “I love you. Husband.”
“Fuck,” I hissed, resting my forehead against hers. “You need to watch that, or I’ll skip this reception and take you home.”
She chuckled. “I’ll make sure to say it often later.”
“Please do, wife.”
She shivered. “Yeah, I like that.”
“God, I love you.”
“I love you.”
“All right, you two, there are children here,” Andre said, grinning and clapping me on the back. “Congratulations.” He hugged me tight, then turned to Casey. “And condolences.”
My wife giggled.
“Some best man you are.” I shook my head at him.
“Just bringing you back down to earth before you run out that door and disappear,” Andre said, all too observant.
“Just wait,” I told him.
Andre winked. “Trust me, I’m not questioning you. Just making sure you enjoy the rest of the day. I hear it’s fun.”
“It is fun,” Melody said. “And we’re all here to celebrate with you.” She hugged Casey. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Casey said.
“And I’m so happy you found each other.” Melody hugged me.
Being welcomed into the group of friends so completely was something I never expected.
Casey and Melody were close, and Ramsey accepted me without question.
With his friendship, the rest of the men who met every week became my friends, too.
Ian, Hudson, James, Nico, all of them. And they all showed up for our wedding, to celebrate Casey and me.
“Thank you for being here,” I told Melody.
She grinned. “There’s nowhere else we’d rather be. I told you that when you asked me if I thought this was a good idea.”
“And I appreciate that you said yes,” Casey teased. “He seems to know what I want and need without me even knowing, and I thank you for going along with it.”
“You two are perfect together,” Melody said.
“She’s perfect. I just bask in her glow.” I hugged my wife to my side and kissed her. “The flowers are pretty good, right?”
“The flowers are amazing. Just like you are.”
I smiled at her. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to. It was hard to end things with Reegan. To think I would be alone forever. To wonder if I’d ever find someone who turned me inside out and made me want more.
But then Casey walked into my shop and tripped over my display and stole my heart when I wasn’t even looking for her. She gave me a happiness I didn’t know was possible.
Trent and Finley MacKellar offered their house for our reception since their group usually spent the evening there for New Year’s Eve.
It was an easy choice to go with the flow and let our wedding reception be a party that we didn’t have to stress out about.
Melody assured me Casey would be okay with it, and once Casey found out, she loved the idea of a family event that didn’t make her the center of attention.
We ate dinner, and all the kids ran around and enjoyed their night. Trent and Finley invited all the kids to spend the night as one giant sleepover, giving the parents who wanted a night off some time to themselves.
Casey watched Mikayla laugh with Amber and rested a hand on her slowly expanding belly.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. “What do you think about our life so far, Mrs. Boyd?”
She chuckled and threaded her fingers through mine. “I think it’s pretty spectacular. We’re surrounded by family and friends, and we already have something special to look forward to next year.”
I rubbed my thumbs over her belly. “We do. I just hope we find a house before this one arrives.”
“We will,” Casey said. “I have no doubt there will be more houses for sale once spring rolls around. It always happens.”
“I hope so. I want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”
She turned to face me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her fingers teased the short hairs on the back of my neck. She looked up at me with a smile in her eyes. “I already have more than I ever dreamed of. I have you.”
“I love you so much, Casey.”
“Enough to sneak me out of here?”
“You’re ready to go?”
She nodded. “I am. Let’s—”
“Thirty seconds to midnight! Everyone grab their sparklers and we can go outside!” Finley called out.
Finley and Blake walked around handing out sparklers to everyone. A crowd gathered in their backyard, with the kids running through the snow and the adults sticking to the patio.
“Do you want sparklers?” Blake asked us.
Casey looked at me, desire sparkling in her eyes.
“I think we’re going to call it a night,” I told her, taking my wife’s hand.
Blake grinned like a woman who understood very well. “Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year,” we said as we hurried toward the door. I grabbed our jackets as the countdown started.
“Ten!”
I helped Casey into her coat.
“Nine!”
I threw my coat over my shoulder.
“Eight!”
I opened the front door.
“Seven!”
We walked out into the cold.
“Six!”
I grabbed her hand.
“Five!”
We hurried toward the car.
“Four!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
I pulled my wife into my arms.
“Happy New Year, my wife,” I whispered.
“Happy New Year, my husband.”
Fireworks went off over the water, cheers rang out all around town. And I kissed the woman I loved, my wife, my forever.
My happiness.