Nick grasped her hands. “Becca—”
“Please,” she said, sensing that his concern for her was going to push him in the direction of caution, of taking things slow. “The best way to fight back the darkness is with love and light. The best way to cheat death is to live life with no regrets, holding nothing back, just throwing yourself into the messy, vibrant, unexpected beauty of it. That’s what I want. I don’t care about what happened. I refuse to let that win. I don’t want to wait to be your always and forever. And for you to be mine.”
He studied her face for a long moment, his pale eyes shiny and searching hers. Anticipation hung over the room like a balloon about to burst. “I would love nothing more than to make you my wife. As soon as humanly possible. But tomorrow will do.”
“BECCA, ARE YOU ready? It’s five o’clock, so it’s time,” Kat said.
Staring at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the bridal room at the inn, Becca nodded. One by one, her friends formed a tight circle behind her. Kat, one of the bravest, fiercest women she knew. Emilie, one of the strongest and most generous. Sara, one of the most courageous and certainly the most resilient. Jenna, one of the most compassionate, with so much passion for life that she’d helped a broken man rediscover that within himself again.
How lucky was Becca to be surrounded by such extraordinary women? The only one missing was her own mother, and a little part of Becca’s heart ached that her parents weren’t there to see everything that she and Charlie had become. But that just proved that you had to love and cherish the ones you cared about while they were in your life and never waste a single minute.
“You look gorgeous,” Sara said.
“We’re all fucking hot,” Kat said, making them all laugh.
“We are pretty stunning,” Becca said. The gowns, the flowers in their hands and in their hair, the happiness radiating out from every one of their faces. “And I’m ready.”
“Let me make sure the coast is clear. My brother has been a total crazy man about not seeing you.” Kat winked at her as she made for the door. Becca hadn’t seen Nick since they’d departed at noon for the salon. Truth be told, she was at her limit of missing him, too. “Okay, we’re good.”
They moved out into the main space, where Becca found Charlie waiting for her. The look he gave her was full of pride and affection.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked him.
“Great,” Charlie said. “I’m about to witness my favorite person on earth getting everything she ever wanted. How could I be anything but great?”
“I love you, Charlie,” she said, gently hugging him.
“Bridesmaids, it’s time to march,” Sonya said. The lady had seemed a little rattled when they’d first arrived, but she’d really gone above and beyond in putting Becca at ease. But if Becca was honest, she didn’t feel scarred by what had transpired there the day before. She felt freed.
One by one, her friends made their way to the dais at the far end of the courtyard.
“And now it’s your turn,” Sonya said as the music transitioned to the wedding march. “Congratulations, Becca.”
“Thank you,” she said as she slipped her arm through Charlie’s good one. They stepped through the door and out into the evening sunlight. “I want this for you someday, Charlie. This happiness, this belonging. You deserve it.”
He smiled. “I want it, too. And for the first time in my life, I believe I can have it.”
“Jeremy is amazing,” she said, giving him a little nudge with her elbow.
“Jeremy is everything,” Charlie whispered as they neared the back row of chairs. The happiness in the words filled Becca’s heart up to overflowing.
The audience all stood. It wasn’t a huge gathering—a handful of Nick’s friends from various stages of his life, some of Becca’s hospital colleagues and spouses, friends they’d made along the course of the investigation—Detective Vance, Walter and Louis Jackson, Chen. Ike and Jess, who worked at Hard Ink Tattoo, sat to the far side holding Eileen by her leash—the puppy wore a collar with wedding bells hanging off it and a veil that ran down her back. And to top it off, nearly twenty members of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club had come, some with dates, some without. Before all this, Becca had never before met a person in a motorcycle club, but without them, Nick and his teammates would never have been able to win all the fights that had ultimately allowed the guys to clear their names.
And finally put the past to rest.
Becca was looking forward to getting to know the Ravens more now that all the fighting was behind them.
Looking up, Becca found Nick straight ahead of her, looking as sexy as she’d ever seen him. His dress uniform highlighted the strong width of his shoulders and the trim leanness of his waist. Metals hanging on one side of his chest spoke of a man of honor, loyalty, bravery, and so much more. But what she most noticed was the expression on his face. Total, abject, unrestrained love, unconditional devotion, incredible respect.
If you had those things with the person walking through life with you, what more could you possibly want? Becca certainly didn’t know.
As she got closer, she could see the men standing up for Nick, standing by his side. Jeremy, who lived life with more pure delight than anyone she knew. Shane, within whom a fire to help and secure justice for others burned so bright. Marz, who was the most positive, loyal person she’d ever known. Easy, who would do anything for anyone, and who was one of the strongest people she’d ever met in her life, even if he didn’t yet know it. And Beckett, fierce and self-sacrificing, the quintessential good guy hiding under a gruff exterior. She loved that about him. She loved all of them.
On a table in front of the men stood seven framed photographs. Her father and the six men from their A-team who hadn’t survived that ambush on a dusty road in Afghanistan. They were all together again. Just as it should be.
Finally, she and Charlie reached the front. The chaplain asked, “Who presents this woman to be married to this man?”
“I do,” Charlie said. He kissed her on the cheek, then turned to take a seat.
Except before he could do so, Kat came down the two brick steps, grabbed his hand, and led him to stand with her. “You should be here, too,” she said.
It was the first moment all day that made Becca have to fight back tears.
Nick stepped forward and took her hand, and the glassiness in his eyes hammered the next nail into her effort to make it through the ceremony without smearing her makeup. As he guided her up the steps, he whispered, “I love you, Becca. I am absolutely the luckiest man alive.”
“I love you, too, Nick. Always and forever,” she whispered back.