Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Fern
Five Years Later…
“Mommy! Mommy! They’re kissing again!”
I look down to see my four-year-old daughter tugging on the hem of my dress, her bright eyes wide with delight.
Across the lawn, the bride and groom are locked in another kiss while their guests cheer and clap. Rose petals drift through the warm summer air, and the late afternoon sun turns everything golden.
“Of course they are,” I laugh softly, bending down to brush a curl away from my daughter’s face. “They just got married.”
“But they already kissed,” she says as if that should have been the end of it.
I grin. “When you love someone, you tend to kiss them more than once.”
She considers that very seriously.
“Oh,” she says finally.
Behind her, the big wooden doors of Fernwood Estates stand open, twinkle lights glowing inside even though the sun hasn’t quite set yet. The scent of fresh flowers floats through the air, peonies and wild roses arranged in tall centerpieces on the reception tables.
Five years ago, this place was nothing more than an abandoned property with a leaning barn and weeds taller than me.
Now it’s my dream come to life. My very own wedding venue. The best decision I ever made.
Well… the second best.
“Mommy,” my daughter says suddenly. “Daddy said you forgot to eat again.”
I sigh. Of course he did.
Before I can respond, a deep voice rumbles behind us.
“That’s because she did.”
My heart does the same thing it always does when I hear Jackson’s voice. Even after five years. Even after two kids. Even after thousands of mornings waking up beside him.
I turn around, and there he is. Six-foot-four of broad shoulders and quiet intensity, dark hair still cropped short, green eyes focused entirely on me like I’m the only person on this entire property.
Some things never change.
Jackson Carter still looks at me like I hung the moon. He’s holding a plate of food in one hand, and our baby boy is balanced easily on his other hip.
Our son, one year old and full of stubborn determination, grins at me around the fist he’s currently chewing on.
My heart melts in my chest.
“Hi, handsome,” I murmur.
Jackson’s gaze softens immediately. “Hey, sweetheart.”
That word still makes me warm all over.
My daughter darts forward and wraps her arms around Jackson’s leg. “Daddy! Mommy says people kiss a lot when they love each other!”
Jackson lifts one eyebrow slowly. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He glances at me, a spark of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Well,” he says thoughtfully, “your mom’s the expert on that.”
Heat rushes into my cheeks. “Jackson.”
He grins and holds out the plate toward me. “Eat.”
I sigh dramatically. “You’re very bossy.”
“You forgot lunch,” he says calmly. “You were busy making sure everyone else had a perfect day.”
“That’s my job.”
“And making sure you eat is mine.”
I roll my eyes, but I take the plate because he’s right. He’s always right about things like this.
Jackson watches until I take a bite before he relaxes. Five years together, and he still does that. Still makes sure I’m taken care of, still brings me food when I forget to eat, still looks at me like he did the day we met in that hotel lobby.
Sometimes I still can’t believe it.
My daughter tugs on his arm. “Daddy, can we dance now?”
Jackson glances at the reception tent where music has started playing. “You wanna dance?”
“Yes!”
He looks down at our son. “What about you, buddy?”
Our baby babbles happily.
“Good enough.”
Jackson scoops our daughter up under one arm while still holding our son in the other, like they weigh nothing. To him, they probably don’t. The man carried me up a flight of hotel stairs once, like it was nothing. Two kids are clearly no problem.
He glances back at me. “You coming?”
I take another bite of food and shake my head. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Jackson studies me for a second like he knows I’m lying, but he nods anyway. “Don’t disappear.”
“I won’t.”
He heads toward the dance floor with both kids. My daughter’s laughter rings across the lawn. I watch them go, my chest swelling so full it almost hurts.
Five years ago, I thought I’d always be the woman behind the scenes. The one making beautiful moments for everyone else. The one people overlooked. The one whose family treated her like she was nothing more than hired help.
I thought love like this was something that happened to other people. Not to me. Then I ran into Jackson Carter, and everything changed.
Music drifts across the property as the sun sinks lower in the sky. Inside the barn, the reception is in full swing. Jackson stands near the dance floor, our daughter perched on his shoulders while he gently bounces our son in his arms.
Jackson looks completely unbothered. Completely happy. Completely at home.
My throat tightens.
Jackson never had a real family growing up, but he built one anyway. With me. With our kids. With this life.
He glances up suddenly and catches me watching him. Our eyes meet, and just like always, the rest of the world fades away.
He walks toward me, the kids still in tow.
“Bride and groom good?”
“Perfect.”
He studies me. “You look tired.”
“Good tired.”
Jackson sets our son in the stroller nearby before gently lifting our daughter down. “Go dance with Aunt Jem,” he tells her.
My best friend waves from the dance floor. Our daughter takes off running.
Jackson straightens slowly and holds out his hand. “Dance with me.”
I laugh softly. “Right now?”
“Right now.”
Guests swirl around us, music playing, lights glowing overhead, but Jackson doesn’t care about any of that. He looks at me the way he always has, like I’m the only thing in the room.
I slip my hand into his, and he pulls me close. His arms wrap around my waist. My cheek presses against his chest. We sway slowly in the middle of the barn.
Jackson and I moved into the house on this property five years ago.
We realized quickly that my old apartment was too small for us, so he bought us this place.
When I mentioned that I wanted to have my own venue for weddings, he got right to work rebuilding this old barn.
He made it rustic and charming, even better than what I had envisioned.
He’s been helping out with the business ever since. He hangs string lights, sets up tables and decorations, and helps with vendors. Whatever I need, he’s always there.
It was a weird adjustment at first. I went from being invisible to my family to having someone who was always looking out for me.
Speaking of family… with Jackson’s help, I officially cut them out of my life a little over four years ago.
They showed me over and over again that they didn’t have my best interests at heart.
They proved that they didn’t care about me or my life, and honestly, I’m so much happier not having to deal with any of them. I have my own family now.
Jackson’s hand slides gently up my back, and as if he can read my mind, he says, “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You and the kids.”
Emotion tightens my throat. Five years later, and his words still hit just as hard.
I tip my head back to look at him. “You chased me across an airport once.”
Jackson grins. “Best decision I ever made.”
“Mine too.”
Outside, the sky darkens to deep blue. Twinkle lights glow across Fernwood Estates. Guests laugh and dance. Our daughter twirls across the floor. Our baby sleeps happily in his stroller. And Jackson holds me like I’m the most important thing in the world.
Five years ago, I was planning someone else’s wedding. Exhausted, overworked, invisible.
Now I have this.
This life.
This family.
This love.
Jackson presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Best wedding I’ve ever been to,” he murmurs.
I laugh softly. “You say that about all of them.”
He shakes his head. “Only because you’re in charge of them.”
I squeeze him tighter because somewhere along the way, I stopped being the woman who made dreams come true for everyone else.
I got to live my own.