“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri was played by a pianist and cellist as the love of his life walked down the canopy-covered aisle holding the arm of each of her brothers. Lights on the surrounding trees twinkled against the darkness, giving the whole setup a storybook feel. As Mac stood waiting for her, he truly understood that all the heartache of the past had led them to this one defining moment.
Since their group of friends and family attending the wedding was so small, they hadn’t bothered with giving anyone in the wedding party formal titles. Instead everyone circled the altar, leaving just a small opening for Ava, Declan, and Brant. Mac’s mom and dad, Dominic, Gage, Ella, and Sofia Grace had been able to make the last-minute ceremony thanks to the generosity of Mark DeSanto. He was a friend of the Stone family as well as a business associate to Danvers. When Brant told him about the wedding, he had insisted on helping in any way possible. His private jet had picked up their guests from Myrtle Beach earlier, and they had arrived in plenty of time for the wedding. Mac’s parents were so thrilled that he and Ava were finally getting married that they wouldn’t have held a grudge over missing the wedding, but he could tell they were happy to be here.
When both Declan and Brant arrived at his side, placing their sister’s hand in his, they clapped him on the back, signifying without words their trust in him. He swallowed a huge lump in his throat as he nodded once to the men he thought of as brothers. Beside him, Gage whistled low under his breath as he glimpsed Ava. Dominic elbowed him in the stomach, causing the other man to let out a low groan before giving Dominic a dirty look. Mac was so grateful to have his friends there with him as he took the step he had always dreamed of with his forever girl.
He took advantage of the fact that Ava wasn’t wearing a veil to lean in and give her a quick kiss on her neck. “I love you, baby,” he whispered for her ears only. She mouthed the words back to him as the officiate started the ceremony. Both he and Ava had opted to have a simple service, including traditional vows. They had already said everything that was in their hearts to each other earlier in private. They answered the questions that were asked of them and repeated their promises when prompted, but their eyes never left each other. The world faded away as they were pronounced husband and wife. As Mac pressed his lips to hers, he felt the pain and sorrow of the past slip away and out of the ashes arose a beautiful commitment that staggered him with its perfection. Because he knew that, no matter what happened in the future, as long as Ava was at his side, life would be beautiful. And he intended to spend the rest of his life loving her—always loving her.