He means well, and he抯 also the closest thing I抣l ever have to a brother.
揧ou got cold feet??he asks gently.
I look at him flatly.
揧ou抮e worried she does??
?..or that she抣l outgrow me,?I admit harshly.
揃ut you抮e willing to risk it??
揙bviously. I need to know she抯 mine.?
揕isten, man, everybody freaks out about starting a new life till one day they wake up, and they抮e already living it. You抣l be fine, Burns.?
揃ut what if棓
揘o. Don抰 even. You抮e not me, and she抯 damn sure not Olivia,?he growls.
I check my watch.
揥e抳e got to get the hell out of here. If I抦 late, Dakota might keel over, and I can抰 do that to her.?
Wyatt follows me outside to the limo. Louis waits with a bright-red boutonniere pinned to his lapel, holding the door for us.
揑抦 sure you抣l want privacy with your new lady,?Wyatt says in the car, leaning in. 揝o I抦 taking Meadow camping for a few days while you抮e starting your honeymoon.?
I roll my eyes at him.
揟here抯 practically an acre between the guesthouse and mine. It抯 not like you抣l be interrupting anything. Besides, our flight leaves the next day.?
揕incoln, this was never meant to last forever. I抦 back on my feet, and you might need a place to put up your in-laws for a few days if they want to go sightseeing after you抮e gone,?he says.
揘evermore won抰 let them stay in the guesthouse. She wants them in a spare room in my house.?I shrug. 揑t works. We have plenty of space.?
Wyatt laughs and punches my arm. 揝ince I抣l be gone by the time they get here, maybe you can convince her.?
揌ow are you liking the mailroom, anyway??
揑t抯 a decent living. I have grunts to boss around. Everything抯 done neat and wrapped up at the end of the day. It抯 nice feeling useful again. Meadow got a job too.?
揘ice. Where at??
揂 daycare. Turns out she抯 really good with little kids.?
More good news for Wyatt. I smile.
揌as she met Micha yet??
He shakes his head. 揘ah. When school breaks in the spring, he抯 coming for a couple weeks. They抣l meet then.?
揧ou抮e doing well for a change, Emory. I抦 happy as hell to see it,?I say.
揧eah, no shit, because I owe it all to you.?
I laugh. 揔arma repaid. I抦 only alive on my wedding day thanks to you.?
We both look away like we抳e said too much. It抯 one of those awkward man moments where you抮e so damn happy it抯 hard to keep a lid on anything.
My phone buzzes, and I take it out of my pocket to glance at the screen.
Dakota: Where the hell are you?
Lincoln: Still early and on my way, Nevermore. No need to worry.
The phone rings a second later and I swipe the green icon.
揟alk to me,?I say, expecting my girl.
揗y new daughter is freaking out. Where are you, son??Ma practically screeches in my ear.
揂bout five or ten minutes out. Can you put her on??
A pause.
揌ello??Dakota抯 voice quivers.
揂re you crying, sweetheart??
揘o!?she lies with a sniffle.
揥hy are you freaking out??
揧ou wouldn抰 elope, and you抮e not here yet.?
揇akota, if the town car gets hit by a bus before we get there, I will crawl out of the wreck and carry Wyatt on my back.?I nod at him. The look he throws back says he抎 totally be the one carrying me.
揥hat if you抮e struck by lightning after that? There are hazards to marrying a Poe.?
Her voice is no longer shaky.
I laugh. 揥oman, you抳e already bewitched me. If lightning strikes after surviving the bus, I抣l put the fire out and keep coming.?
揌ow??
揥hat do you mean how? Stop, drop, and roll. Did you skip elementary school??
Wyatt laughs beside me. 揧ou want me to tell her I抣l get you there??
I shake my head. I enjoy flirting with my wife-to-be even if she抯 being ridiculous. The huge, splendid house attached to the golf club slowly comes into view.
揘evermore, we抮e pulling up now. I抣l see you soon.?
揥e抮e in the woods,?she says absently.
揑 know. You抣l be the one in the white dress, right??
揢m, well...?
揧ou抮e not in a white dress??I can抰 tell if she抯 joking as I say, 揑 thought we picked the new Haughty But Nice line??
揥e did. I just had it dyed black. It felt right.?
For a second, I抦 planted in my seat.
揧ou dyed your wedding dress black??
Wyatt barks laughter beside me, head back and fingers in his eyes.
揗m-hmm. But I have cool peacock feathers in my hair! Hair accessories by day, pens by night.?
One more look at Wyatt and I lose my shit. I抦 doubled over in my seat, laughing so hard I need to wipe my eyes.
揕incoln??she says for the fifth time.
揧ou抮e lucky I love you. See you soon,?I promise.
揧ou抮e not upset I dyed the dress without telling you??she asks in a small voice.
揝urprised, yes. Not upset. As long as you抮e mine today, I don抰 care if you show up in palm leaves strapped together.?
揑抦 already yours,?she whispers happily.
I smile. 揂nd I want that on paper, Mrs. Almost-Burns.?
We抮e passing through the gated entrance, winding up to the walkway that will bring us to our spot in the woods where we have everything set up for the big show.
揝ee you soon,?I tell her one more time, already throbbing at how she抣l look in that dress.
Wyatt looks at me with some insufferable bullshit clearly on his lips.
揥hat??I prompt.
揧ou抮e getting married in the woods at dusk and your bride抯 wearing a black dress. You really are wifeing up a Poe, dude.?
揝hut up,?I warn, trying not to smile.
Because he抯 too right, and I wouldn抰 have it any other way.
He gets out of the car ahead of me when Louis looks back and gives me his best wishes.
I trail behind my best friend and we start down the walkway. He moves quicker than I expect, well adapted to his new leg now.
The walkway takes us to a circular clearing tucked in a thicket of huge old trees. A judge stands in the middle of the circle with the Bible. Two lines of tall white folding chairs are arranged neatly around the paved circle, and my mom waits at the end in a lace dress.
I take her arm. 揕et抯 find you a seat. I抦 sure you抳e been running your tail off.?
揙h, Lincoln, she抯 so beautiful today. You抣l cry when you see her.?She blots her eyes, already shedding enough tears for the entire guest list.
I laugh softly, pleasantly surprised.
I expected Ma to be taken aback by the black dress. Apparently, she抯 so happy I抦 tying the knot that she doesn抰 even mention it.
Wyatt and I lead her to the front row seating, and then I wait next to the judge. Wyatt stands beside me, adjusting his tie.
Then, with a swell of violins, my future begins.
Eliza steps out of the trees at the end of the aisle in a sleek blue Haughty But Nice bridesmaid gown, slowly walking toward us. She carries a small bundle of white baby抯 breath and moves like she抯 gliding on air, only stopping when she抯 next to us, leaving a space for my Nevermore.
Dakota and her dad come out of the trees next, and she抯梟ot wearing the black dress she promised.
My eyebrows pull down as I swallow a chuckle. My heart hits my rib cage at the same time.
揧ou fell for it,?Wyatt whispers conspiratorially.
I抎 dart him a look if I wasn抰 transfixed on the angel in front of me.
揝he loves to harass me,?I mutter, grateful that I抳e got an entire lifetime of that ahead.
The dress she actually wears is white, flowing around her flawlessly like silk fog. With tiny rosebuds pinned in her blond hair, she抎 be the envy of every runway model up and down the West Coast.
揝he抯...breathtaking,?I whisper, my voice stolen.
Wyatt smiles knowingly.
Her father, a large pleasant man with a round face and rounder gut, walks her to me and places her hand in mine.
揟ake care of her for me,?he whispers, clasping my hand so tight in his it almost breaks.
揑 will, Harold,?I promise.
揥e wrote our own vows,?Dakota says.
The judge smiles. 揋o ahead and get started, if you please.?
揑抣l go first,?she offers.
Oh, shit.