Chapter 4 #2
At first, we stare at one another with our mouths just touching, then her eyelids flutter closed, and she melts against me.
She parts her lips and our tongues meet in the middle in a light caress as if to test the water, my hand cradling her cheek like she’s the most precious thing I’ve ever been able to call mine.
But it feels like a lightning bolt straight to the heart—amongst other things that I definitely don’t have time to dwell on right now. Suffice to say, I’m left with no lingering doubts that this is meant to be. That we’re meant to be.
When we pull apart, I already can’t bear to put space between us. I touch my forehead to hers, not missing her whispered, “thank you” before a slow rumble of applause and a few cheers from Em’s twin brothers fill the room.
I give her one last, quick kiss and step away, but still holding her hand, hoping that she realizes she’s anchoring me just as much as I’m trying to anchor her.
This may have started as something symbolic for Sully, but now that Pete has declared us married, there’s nothing more important to me now than her… this… us. And however long it takes, I’m willing to put in the work to prove that to my now wife.
Em’s fingers flex in mine and one look at her face as she looks down to our hands then back up to my face shows that the bubble has burst and reality is creeping back in.
Not wanting to make it worse, I gently relax my grip and slide my arm free, slowly stepping back and giving her space.
The room is awkwardly quiet until Sully barks out a raspy chuckle that startles everyone.
Em turns to the bed, brows furrowed in concern. “Dad?”
He shakes his head on the pillow and gazes lovingly up at his only daughter.
“The most beautiful bride in all of town since your Ma,” he says, holding up his hand and smiling when she leans her cheek against it.
His eyes drift to mine where I stand at Em’s side.
“Thank you, Jude. Knew the minute I saw you two together that this was meant to be.” He starts wheezing and struggling for breath, which makes Blair and Em launch into action to help him.
Seems his stubborn decision to stand up for Em during the ceremony is coming back to bite him in the butt now, though I know he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
A hand lands on my shoulder and turning my head, I find Dare nodding toward his father. “We’ll just be outside.” Moments later, it’s only myself, my wife, and my new father-in-law in the room.
“Dad, let’s get you back into bed,” Em says, concern written all over her face.
He nods and together, Em and I get him changed back into his pajama top and lying comfortably again, the mattress slightly inclined to help with his breathing.
I can’t help but smile as she fluffs his pillows and fusses over him until he huffs out a breath and somehow scrounges up the last of his energy to glare at her. “I’m OK, sweetheart.”
“Let me look after you,” she huffs. “I got married for you, it’s the least you can do.” Despite knowing it’s the truth, her blunt statement feels like I’ve stepped on barbed wire. That’s until I catch the smirk on her lips.
“You got to marry an honest-to-goodness mountain man,” he says shakily before his gaze switches between the two of us. “Thank you for givin’ me this. I can go a happy man now.”
“Too soon, Dad,” Em replies with a plastered-on smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “You’re not allowed to go anywhere yet. I still need all your secrets to keepin’ the twins in check, remember?”
He stares at her for a while, not saying a word.
“One last thing,” he rasps, holding onto Em’s hand and turning his other palm up for mine, not speaking until I slide my hand into his.
“Not the… weddin’ day… you expected. But y’all are goin’.
... to the Grill…. for a family dinner. Wilsons and Coopers…
. together.” He says between labored breaths.
One of Em’s brows arches sky high. “You tryin’ to get the town talkin’, old man? They’ll be expectin’ a brawl.”
“Maybe he wants ‘em fearin’ for their lives,” I reply, earning a snort from Em and a half-hearted, hard-fought grin out of her dad.
“Let a dyin’ man…have fun… before his time is up,” he replies weakly. “Want you to…have… good memories. You only get one… first husband, Em.” He winks my way.
“Dad!”
He chuckles before stopping short and wincing in pain.
The distraught look on Em’s face has me rushing to the door to call Blair back into the room.
Once she makes sure he’s comfortable and not in any pain, we reluctantly leave him in Blair’s care and reluctantly make our way down the mountain for dinner.
What we realized too late is that Sully knew his time was coming to an end, which is likely why he insisted we go out to dinner.
Because sometime while we were all at the restaurant, we were blissfully unaware that Sully Wilson squeezed Blair’s hand one last time and passed away with a peaceful smile on his face.
Little did I know, two weeks later, just one week after Sully Wilson was laid to rest, my wife packed up and left town in the middle of the night without a single word.
Not to her brothers. Not to me.
But I knew the moment she was gone, because the mountain made sure I sensed it. That’s when I knew our journey had truly begun.