I turned my attention to Ryder when he squeezed my hand.
“Ry,” I whispered.
He had tears in his eyes as he said, “You look so beautiful, sweetness.”
Warmth filled my pounding heart when he suddenly dropped to his knee and reached for my left hand, which I gave to him freely.
“What’re doin’?” I asked, my heart pounding against my chest.
“I didn’t do it correctly the first time around, but I want to start off by doing it the right way now.”
Oh, my God.
“There’s no one but you, Bran,” Ryder began, his chest puffed out. “I never thought I’d be the type to settle down and get married until you, quite literally, fell into my life. I never thought I’d want a wife, a family, and someone to love me as much as you do until you smiled in my direction and took my breath away. I never thought, after everything I’ve been through in my life, that someone as beautiful, smart and selfless as you would stick by my side through thick and thin, but you have. I’m not perfect, and I have my flaws, but you love me in spite of that. You have changed me, and my entire life for the better. You love my brothers, like they are your own, and you made us part of your family. You’ve given me purpose. Will you do me the greatest of honour of being my wife?”
It took the might of God and willpower I never knew I had not to burst into tears there and then. I squeezed his hand to the point of pain and said, “Yes!”
Ryder’s shoulders sagged with relief, and I heard practically everyone release a shaky breath. I looked to my family and friends and raised a brow, “You all thought after six years I was lettin’ him out of this church without puttin’ a ring on me finger, really?”
Everyone laughed, even the priest.
“We were hoping you’d say that,” Ryder chuckled as he got to his feet.
“You don’t need to hope anymore.” I took his other hand in mine and said, “I’m ready.”
“Really ready?” he asked.
I nodded, forcing back the tears that gathered when he told me how much I meant to him. “I’ve never been more ready for anythin’ in me entire life. I need to be your wife, honey.”
He leaned his forehead down, and rubbed the tip of his nose against mine. With his voice, and body, trembling he said, “You’re my everything, sweetness.”
“And you’re mine.”
His lip twitched. “Have I surprised you?”
I closed my eyes and breathed him in. I bathed in his scent, touch, and the love he offered me in waves. I re-opened my eyes, and looked up into his shining ones.
“Surprised me?” I repeated. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel like this is real. You have given me everything I didn’t know I wanted in a weddin’. Thank you so much.”
Ryder hugged me tightly before we separated, held hands and looked at the priest.
With a smile he began to read prayers, and I’m sorry to say that it all became background noise because my entire focus was on the man before me. He clouded all of my senses, and I had zero problems with that.
I was pulled from my Ryder clouded thoughts when the priest asked me if I wanted to recite the standard vows to take Ryder as my husband, but I told him I wanted to go with my own. I stuck to the original first line then spoke from my heart.
“I, Branna Fiadh Murphy, take you, Ryder James Slater, to be my husband. I promise to never leave you. I promise to always be there to say good night. I promise to never go to bed angry. I promise to always take care of you, to love you, to cherish you. I promise my heart, body and soul to you—forever. I love you so much, darlin’.”
I held my breath when Ryder began to speak.
“I, Ryder James Slater, take you, Branna Fiadh Murphy, to be my wife.” I beamed when he decided to do the same with his vows to me, and repeat it back to me what I said instead of sticking to the original one.
I looked to my right when my sister stepped up with Georgie and together—with a little more take than give from Georgie—they gave me a beautiful silver band that I slipped onto Ryder’s ring finger, and Kane stepped up and gave him the matching ring that he slipped onto mine.
It was magic.
And if I thought it was a dream before, it most definitely was when Ryder surprised me again. He turned and took a beautiful candle with lace tied around the middle with names engraved on it in gold from Kane.
My parents’ names.
A sob tore from me before Ryder even spoke, and he smiled at me when he saw how touched I was.
“Branna,” he began, “I know that if your parents were here today they would be so proud of the woman you have become. We light this candle today in remembrance of them. In honour of them. They raised the woman who I love more than life itself and I wish so much that they could be sitting with us today.”
My sister joined me in crying tears of love for Ryder, and our dearly missed parents.