Chapter Chapter Twenty Seven #2
“What, you kissing me?” I teased.
“Yes. I can’t stop, babe. If I kiss you again, we’re never going to make it inside the house.”
I laughed as he gave me his arm and asked, “Shall we?”
“Yes.”
To say that I was emotional was an understatement. This day felt a little bit surreal. Knox had told me a few times that he wanted to make all my dreams come true, but I’d figured that meant helping with the sponsorships and buying my favorite ice cream. This was something else entirely.
The second we opened the front door, everyone yelled, “Surprise!”
Jeremy came running toward us. “Did she say yes, Uncle Knox?”
Everyone burst out laughing as I held up my ring for him and everyone else to see. Mom was right behind him, tears in her eyes.
“Of course,” I said.
“Good God. Thank you,” Griffin said. “Imagine having to take everything down because she said no.”
“Congratulations, darling,” Mom said. She hugged me and then stepped back quickly. As the others approached, she whispered, “Knox is fabulous. Even more so than I thought.”
“I quite agree with you,” I said.
I quickly looked down at myself to assess my outfit. I was wearing a white dress with flowery motifs; thankfully, it worked perfectly for the occasion. The other women in the group had on beautiful but not overly elegant dresses.
“Son, I’m proud of you,” Bruce said, patting his shoulder.
Susan beamed at me. “I always knew you’d be a positive influence on my boy. But this, I have to say, is a very surprising turn.”
“Mom,” Knox said, “what are you doing?”
Susan pulled back and looked at her son. “Just speaking the truth. That’s all.”
I took in every detail of the decorations. There were small flower arrangements throughout the living room and kitchen. Several tables with white tablecloths dotted the front yard, and there were bows around the chairs, and champagne glasses were being served from a cart.
“Uncle Knox, at the wedding, can I be the ringbearer?” Jeremy asked.
I was surprised. I’d assumed that he’d feel too old for that, but clearly not.
Knox looked at me, and I nodded. “Of course. We’d be lucky to have you as a ringbearer.”
I honestly still couldn’t wrap my mind around everything. It didn’t feel real. I was going to marry Knox, and our life together would be amazing.
As everyone grabbed a glass of wine, music started playing, and I teared up.
“Knox,” I whispered.
The first dance song was playing, and I realized it was a remix of the one we’d first danced to together in college.
“Amy, let me tell you a secret. The first time we danced, I wanted to make you mine right away. I’ve played that evening in my head a million times. Never could I forget the song or that night with you. But I figured a remix was appropriate because it took a while to get here.”
I laughed through my tears. “Yes. Yes, you’re right. It fits the moment so much better.”
“That was my input, by the way,” Finn said.
I looked at him and grinned. “So, you’ve been part of the planning for all this?”
“Yeah.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You weren’t at all shocked that Knox was planning to propose?”
“Nah, not at all. I still think something happened to him after the accident. And I started to accept that I’m simply different from this whole bunch. No one else meant it when they said they wanted to be eternal bachelors, but that’s fine. I do mean it.”
Wyatt cocked a brow at him. “Is that why you’re texting with Olivia?”
Finn frowned. “She texted me. She needs help with something, that’s all.”
I looked from Finn to Knox. “That’s the Olivia you were talking about in the car when we went to the charity event?”
“Yes, it is,” Finn replied. “And it’s nothing. Wyatt, how do you even know?”
Wyatt shrugged. “Just happened to be looking over your shoulder.”
I laughed as Knox pulled me toward the space between the tables. It wasn’t big, but it worked as a dance floor. He immediately put one hand on my waist, and we started to move to the rhythm slowly.
“I think Finn is starting to panic that he’s the last single guy left of the Sterlings. Think there’s anything between him and Olivia?” I asked.
“Probably,” Knox said, kissing my cheek, “but I don’t want to talk about him. This moment is for us, babe, and no one else.”
As we moved, everything around us faded: the laughter, the whispers, even the music. It was just me and Knox. Part of me still couldn’t believe that we were that couple. Our lives were so intertwined now that I was his and he was mine.
“Thank you for everything,” I whispered.
“Your happiness will always be my pleasure. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you wake up every morning and think, ‘Damn, I’m happy to be Knox’s wife.’”
“You already made me the happiest woman ever,” I informed him.
“Our life is only going to get better and better, Amy. I promise you that.”
And I believed every word.
As everyone around us started to dance, I could practically feel all the love they had for us like a warm hug. My heart was bursting with happiness. This day couldn’t be more perfect, and I loved Knox even more for making it happen.