Chapter 48
Chapter forty-eight
Paisley & Greyson
Paisley
Most girls dream about their wedding day at some point in their life. I did, but I never expected that my third official wedding would be my favourite.
Because on September fifteenth, our fourth wedding anniversary, I married Greyson Satterfield. Again.
“You’re a vision, honey,” Mama D said, buttoning up the back of my dress as I stood in front of the floor-length mirror in their guest room.
I swished the chiffon skirt of my wedding gown and smiled at the woman in the mirror.
There was something magical about wedding dresses.
Or maybe it was because I was a different woman than I’d been four years ago.
I’d lived a bit more life, lost and loved—I’d grown. “Thank you for helping with this.”
She cupped my cheeks with her hands. “Sugar, you’re family. You always have been.”
“Mama D, don’t make her cry!” Stephanie scolded lightly from behind us where she was fixing Liz’s eye makeup.
“Weddings were made for crying. The good kind.” Mama D hugged me close, and I sank into the maternal comfort. My own mother should have been here helping me. But not all stories turned out the way we planned. And some of them turned out better than we dared to dream.
Juliet handed me a bouquet of blue hydrangeas, eucalyptus, and white roses. Just like the bouquet Greyson brought me on our first date. While not all my memories had come back, many were easing from hazy to solid. Our first date being one of them.
“Hold still,” Stephanie grumbled as Liz tried to wiggle away to hug me. “You’re worse than my niece trying to get out of bath time. There.”
When Stephanie finally released her, Liz threw her arms around me. “I can’t believe three of us got married this year!” She pulled back and shot a look at Juliet. “And yes, I know this is technically a vow renewal.”
Juliet only smiled, her hand absently resting on her baby bump. She was due in December and Liz a few weeks later in January.
“Who’d have thought a decade ago we’d be here?” I said, smiling.
Liz sniffed.
“No!” Stephanie cried. “No tears! You forgot your waterproof eyeliner, and I already fixed it once.”
I giggled, and Mama D handed Liz a tissue.
“Let’s get you down to your groom.” Juliet squeezed my arm, and then I was ushered downstairs.
Stephanie held the long skirt of the dress so I didn’t trip. Thank goodness I’d had the sense years ago to decide on flats and not heels.
“You ready?” Pops asked from the foot of the stairs.
I studied the quiet man with his tanned face and laugh lines, blue eyes that looked so much like Greyson’s, his salt-and-pepper hair curling at the ends around his shirt collar.
He’d walked me down the aisle—both times—and taught me how to drive when I moved to Serenity Springs at twenty-three because no one else had taken the time before.
I’d never truly known my father. Never had a father figure.
But I’d lucked out with Ian Satterfield for a father-in-law.
Taking his arm, I beamed up at him. “Ready.”
His returning smile crinkled his eyes, and he patted my hand lightly. “I always wished I had another girl to walk down the aisle. I’m honoured you allowed me to.”
Now it was my turn to sniff. Even back before I’d had a claim on this family by marriage, they’d accepted me as one of them. I belonged.
September-afternoon sunshine warmed the crispness of the air, hinting at the promise of fall. Our cluster of friends, gathered in white folding chairs on the back lawn, rose as Pops led me down the makeshift aisle, littered with rose petals.
If I looked around, I’d see the smiling faces of the people I loved best. My people. But all I could see was Greyson, standing with Pastor John. Waiting for me, eyes wet with tears.
We’d made it. From Helm’s Deep to Mordor and back to the Shire again. It wasn’t the same world I’d known before, and I wasn’t the same woman. But I’d fallen in love with the man who held my entire heart, scars and all, a second time—literally.
Greyson
There were some days that stuck with you for a lifetime. Having the privilege of watching my bride walk down the aisle to me a second time was one of those days. It was every bit as memorable as the first time.
We’d kept the guest list to close family and a few best friends and used my parents’ backyard. Just like we had four years ago.
Cal gripped my shoulder from where he stood as best man while my throat bobbed with uncontrolled emotion.
Paisley was beautiful. My wife. Seeing her in the dress in our room weeks ago had stolen my breath. Watching Pops escort her down the aisle, her smile bright and full of love, had my heart doing somersaults.
I couldn’t tear my gaze from her as Pops handed her off to me, and we stood in front of Pastor John and our loved ones. We were doing this. Again.
Paisley bounced on her toes, eyes shining with love and adoration as we renewed our vows.
This woman was mine. My wife. My heart. And next to God, my everything.
And she’d chosen me again. There were some blanks still.
Memories had started to surface in hazy wisps.
But we were finally back on the same page. Writing our story together.
In sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part—take two.