Chapter 33 #2
“That was beautiful,” Vivian gushes, getting to her feet and swatting Barrett away. She takes Alison at arm’s length. “I want to be the first to welcome you into the family, Alison.”
“Thank you,” Alison grins. “I know that was quick and to the point, but I already have everything I want. And I didn’t want to have a stuffy event with a bunch of senators’ wives,” she cringes.
“Thank God for that,” Vivian laughs.
“I have one more announcement,” Barrett says, clearing his throat. “Hey, Hux. Where are you, buddy?”
His new step-son races in the room from the kitchen, a cookie hanging out of his mouth. “Yeah?”
Barrett stands in front of him, holding out a piece of paper. Alison steps to Barrett’s side, this time her face awash with more emotion than ever before. Vivian hands her a tissue as Alison latches on to Barrett’s arm.
“I want you to read this,” Barrett says, handing the paper to the child.
Huxley takes it. The cookie falls from his lip as his head snaps up to Barrett’s. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Like, really, really?”
“Like, really, really,” Barrett smiles.
Huxley launches himself into Barrett’s arms. Alison embraces them both, her arms enclosing the two men in her life. It’s a sight to see, even though I have no idea what was on that paper.
The family is quiet, watching something unfold in front of us. Vivian and Harris arrive in the center of the room and the five of them have a quiet conversation.
“What did the paper say?” I whisper to Ford.
“He’s adopting him,” Ford tells me. “His biological father signed his rights away.”
My vision now blurs as I watch Harris come away with a smile reminiscent of Ford’s.
His eyes shine with pride, of course, but maybe something else.
Maybe of a job well done. Harris Landry may have made millions of dollars in real estate over his lifetime, but his greatest accomplishment is his children.
Barrett looks at Ford. With a raise of his brow, he leads Alison and Huxley off to the side. Much to my surprise, Ford untangles my arm from around his waist and stands.
The room quiets again. I look at Mallory, then at Sienna, and they’re both looking at me with huge smiles.
My heart starts to race as I realize Ford hasn’t moved. He hasn’t disappeared to the bathroom as I expected, nor has he ventured into the kitchen for a second slice of apple pie. Instead, he’s standing in front of me, ignoring his family’s whispers, and waiting for my reaction.
“Ford?” I ask.
His eyes are sober, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he bends on one knee. I gasp, grabbing Camilla’s hand and squeezing it for dear life.
“Ellie,” he says, clearing his throat. “I’ve loved you since the day I first saw you. You were wearing jeans with the right knee out and a grey shirt that hung off your shoulder. You had mud everywhere and a fishing pole on the ground next to you.”
I vaguely hear his family chuckle, but I’m too focused on the gorgeous man in front of me to mind. I take his hand and place my thumb over the star in the crook of his fingers.
“I swore to myself if God ever gave me another chance with you, I wouldn’t blow it. That I’d do everything in my power to take care of you and love you the way you deserve to be loved.”
My hand touches the side of his face as the heat of my tears slides down my cheeks.
“A few weeks ago, I talked to your father.”
Just the mention of him causes my heart to flex in my chest. My bottom lip begins to tremble and I can barely see him through the onslaught of waterworks.
“He gave me permission, and his blessing, to ask you to be my wife.”
I hear gasps from around the room, but all I can do is watch the man in front of me, on his knee, telling me he did the one thing that matters. He thought of it all.
“It would be the biggest honor in the world if you would be Mrs. Ford Landry.”
“Yes,” I whisper. I don’t think twice about it. I don’t overthink it or reconsider. I just go with my gut, and that says to scoop this man up.
Ford brings a ring out of his pocket. A large but not gaudy diamond sits in a gold band encrusted with tiny diamonds. It’s simple and elegant and something I’d pick myself if I had the choice and resources.
“The diamonds around the edges are from your mother’s ring,” he whispers just for me to hear. “Your father gave it to me.”
I throw myself at him, telling him how much I love him and how happy he makes me. It’s a ramble, a tear-filled slug of words that I’m not even sure is coherent.
He stands, pulling me with him. “I have one final question.”
“What?” I laugh, wiping my eyes. “What else could you possibly ask me?”
“Will you marry me right now?”
I gasp. Mallory gasps. I think everyone might suck in a breath at Ford’s unexpected question.
“If you don’t want to, we can wait,” he admits. “If you want a big wedding, I’ll throw you the biggest damn wedding Savannah has ever seen. But we have a pastor here and he’s in possession of a wedding license we can sign …”
I search his eyes. I have no fear, no second thoughts—nothing but a smile on my face. “Yes. Let’s get married. Tonight.”
We take our positions in front of the podium to the cheers of the Landry family behind us. We sign our names to the marriage application and then hold hands as he reads from the Bible.
Our vows are repeated simply, easily, just like our relationship. And in a few minutes, we, too, are pronounced husband and wife.
The family nearly attacks us with hugs, kisses, and tears of joy. I’m welcomed to the family by promises of love, offers of goodwill, and warnings to prepare to fight over pie at Thanksgiving.
It’s simply one of the best moments of my entire life.
After everyone moves back into the kitchen, with Lincoln suggesting they break out the tequila, I finally make my way to Alison.
“I’m sorry we just butted in on your wedding,” I say.
She tosses me a wink. “Ford ran it by us before he did it,” she laughs. “We thought it would be fun to share an anniversary with you.” Pulling me into a hug, she grins. “Congratulations, Mrs. Landry.”
“Wow,” I say, trying to wrap my head around that. “I mean, to you too. But doesn’t that sound …”
“Amazing?” she offers.
“Amazing,” I concur.
It’s in this moment with this family, my family, that I realize I’m truly going to be okay. That the best things in life come when you take a chance and do things because they simply make you smile.
I look at Ford, my new husband, talking quietly with his father. It’s a simple scene—two men talking with glasses in their hands. My cheeks split as I feel my chest warm in a happiness that I can barely contain.
“What are you thinking about?” Danielle asks, coming up beside me. “You have a pretty serious look on your face.”
I tear my eyes away from Ford and look at her. I shrug. “Just how I need to remember that when storms roll in, how beautiful the rainbow is going to be.”