Chapter Eight #3
After a last caress of her tongue, and a nip of her lip, Linc lifted his head. He didn’t speak, simply stared at her as he licked his lips, as if attempting to memorize her taste.
“We should probably go in before people wonder what we’re doing out here,” she whispered after a moment, unsure as to what else to say. She figured grabbing him and pulling him into the back seat was out, so the alternative was acting almost as if that amazing kiss hadn’t happened.
“We’re moving forward from here,” Linc promised in a low, growly voice, as if he could hear her last thought. “We can go as slow as you want, but I’d like to explore this chemistry we have.”
Giddiness filled Harper. She wanted to let out a girly screech and jump up and down with joy. He wanted to see where things between them could go! Forgetting her negative thoughts from earlier, she smiled at him a little shyly and nodded.
“Yes? You want to date?”
“Yes, Linc. I’d like that a lot.”
“Good. Me too. Come on. Let’s go see what chaos awaits us inside.”
He caressed her arm one last time before turning to get out of the car. In a daze, Harper did the same, and while he didn’t take her hand when they met up at the front of his car, he did walk a little closer to her than usual.
Moving back to Maine hadn’t been anything like she’d thought it would be when she’d made the decision.
Living with her dad hadn’t worked out, but somehow she’d been accepted as part of the Young family, something she never would’ve guessed could happen in a million years.
Kash was thriving, even with the bullying situation, and Harper knew it was all because of Linc.
And if someone had told her twenty years ago that she’d be dating the boy she’d tormented relentlessly, she would’ve laughed in their face.
And yet, here she was.
Life was funny. It moved in twists and turns, and you just had to keep moving forward, hoping for the best when it gave you its worst. Harper could only hope and pray that she’d already experienced the worst life had in store for her, because she didn’t think she’d survive being given a glimpse of heaven and having it snatched away again.
She didn’t deserve Linc, but she damn well sure was going to try. Was going to do her best to be a better person than she had been in the past.
As they neared the front door, they could hear laughter inside.
“Ready?” Linc asked with a small grin.
“Ready,” Harper agreed.
He lifted a hand and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear in a tender, intimate gesture, before reaching for the door handle.
“Do you, Britt Starkweather, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and hold. In sickness and health. For richer or poorer. And when he’s being so annoying, all you want to do is throw him out the window?”
Everyone chuckled at Knox’s question. Harper had been surprised to learn he was officiating his brother’s wedding ceremony, but he was perfect for the role. Both poignant and funny at the same time.
Everyone was standing on the back deck. The sun wasn’t shining, and it was kind of a bleary December day on the coast, but no one noticed the weather.
Everyone’s attention was on Britt and Chad.
She had a baby bump that could clearly be seen under her white wedding dress.
It was a simple long-sleeve sheath that flowed gracefully over her hips, reaching the deck.
Harper knew she was wearing white sneakers under her dress. Sneakers that had been covered with hundreds of sequins, so they sparkled like diamonds. She was carrying a handkerchief that Evelyn had carried at her own wedding, decades ago, and there was a picture of Austin Young on the table nearby.
There weren’t many decorations, no gaudy balloons or streamers.
There was one bouquet of flowers that, surprisingly, Victor had brought over when he’d arrived ten minutes ago.
They were a touch wilted and weren’t in a fancy vase.
In fact, they were still wrapped in the paper from the grocery store where he’d bought them.
But the fact that he’d gone out of his way to bring something wasn’t lost on anyone in attendance. He was trying to be more neighborly, and that was what mattered.
Kash was bouncing from foot to foot as he watched intently, completely focused on the couple in front of them. Evelyn was standing between Zach and Marit, an arm around each of theirs, smiling from ear to ear.
And Harper was standing so close to Linc, she could feel his body heat. Which was good because she needed it. The short-sleeve dress wasn’t warm in the least, and standing outside was quickly making her chilled.
“Yes.”
Britt’s answer was short and sweet, and all her attention was on her soon-to-be husband. They were holding hands as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“Do you, Chad Young, take this beautiful, amazing, too-good-for-you woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and hold. For richer and poorer, in sickness and health. And promise to get up in the middle of the night when your kid is puking his guts out so she doesn’t have to?”
Everyone laughed again.
“Absolutely,” Chad said with a firm nod.
“I understand you have your own vows you want to share? As if mine weren’t good enough?” Knox quipped.
Harper loved this. Loved how everyone was having a good time. How the ceremony wasn’t formal and fussy. She even saw a half smile on her dad’s face, which was something she’d always remember.
Britt released one of Chad’s hands to reach into the neckline of her dress and pull out a piece of paper.
“What else do you have in there?” Chad asked, as he leaned forward and peered down her dress. Britt smacked his head with the folded paper and put a hand over her chest.
Laughter rang out again, as she unfolded the paper and cleared her throat.
“I promise to always respect and admire you, Chad, and to appreciate you for who you are, as well as the person you want to become in the future. I promise that your dreams will be my dreams, and that I will do everything in my power to make them a reality for us both. I promise to encourage you and hopefully inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you when needed. I promise to nurture the love between us in good times and bad, when life is simple and when it’s not, when loving you is easy, and when it takes a whole lot of effort. ”
Everyone chuckled at that, and Britt turned her head to smile at her new family before continuing.
“I promise to be faithful to you, and place you and our family above all else. And finally, I promise to love you with everything I am and everything within me, today and every day. To walk beside you, in front of you when necessary, and even behind you, letting you take the limelight and accolades you deserve. I promise to be with you, heart and soul, wherever life takes us . . . together.”
Harper sniffed. She didn’t think she’d ever heard such heartfelt vows in her life.
Chad leaned down and kissed Britt gently.
“Hey! It’s not time for that yet, bro. Chill out!”
Shaking his head at his brother’s antics, Chad pulled his own piece of paper from his back pocket. He took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and licked his lips before speaking.
“Britt, I vow to love you to the end of my days. To grow with you, and not apart. To make my accomplishments ours, and your challenges mine. To love you deeply and honestly as your teammate and partner. I choose you. To stand by your side and sleep in your arms. To learn and grow with you, even as time and life change us both. To laugh with you in the best of times and carry you through the worst. To never take your actions, words, and kindness for granted. I vow to consider your well-being as important as my own. From this day forward, you’re my family, whether you like it or not. ”
Once again, everyone chuckled.
“I vow to fight for life, for joy, for us. For our future, for your dreams, our love, and to uplift you and make you a better person for choosing to be with me. To always do what’s best for you and our children, and to be the kind of father I had .
. . patient, kind, and embarrassing.” Chad grinned and winked at his mom before finishing.
“I will be the best husband and person I know how to be. And when I screw it up, I know you’ll be there to guide me. I love you, Britt. You make me a better man, brother, son, and partner. I can’t wait to see where life takes us. Together.”
There was a long pause. And then Knox said, “Oh, you’re done being mushy? Good.”
Chad rolled his eyes at his brother, but he was smiling, so it was obvious he wasn’t too annoyed by his jokes.
“My turn to be a little mushy,” Knox said.
“Please look down at the hands of the person you’re holding right now.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, today on your wedding day.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours as you build your future together.
They are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind and heart.
They’ll wipe tears from your eyes, both of joy and sorrow.
“They’re the hands that will hold your children, will hold your family together, and will give you strength when you need it most. And when these hands are wrinkled and aged, they will still be reaching for yours, giving you the same unspoken strength and tenderness you feel right this moment.”
Harper didn’t feel bad about the tears coursing down her cheeks, since all the other women in the small group were crying. Even the men looked moved by Knox’s words.
“Time for the rings. I blew my wad with the amazing speech about your hands, so do your thing and put them on each other.”
Chuckles rippled through the group as Chad and Britt exchanged rings.