“They’ll be adorable. I can’t wait to see them.” He noticed she had her phone’s camera at the ready.
And he was overcome with appreciation and admiration for her. All through the processional, he kept her tucked against his side, as Ghost and Brian stepped up to the altar and Candace walked up the aisle, beaming at her husband and stunning in dark purple, or plum, rather. The men had opted for all black with the only splashes of color their ties. One of Ghost’s nephews was the ring bearer, and then Ashley and Mia came excitedly up the aisle, tossing petals to the ground…and in the air, and even a couple in Jared’s lap, doling out hugs to anyone they recognized in the congregation, while Starla laughed and snapped picture after picture.
And then came the bride.
Oh, the bride.
The guests stood, and the woman who’d once been the embodiment of all of Jared’s dreams walked at her father’s side to marry someone else. She was beautiful. Yeah, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little tug in his chest, but it was by no means the shard of pain it would have been earlier this year. Her dress was simple and elegant, more a pale shimmering gold than white, and as she passed, he was stunned to see its plummeting back was perfect for showing off the tattoo of vibrant ivy leaves that cascaded down to cover her old surgery scar.
“Ohhhh,” Starla breathed happily at his side. “It turned out gorgeous.”
“It’s beautiful. But I can’t believe she did that,” he murmured back.
“I know, I never thought she would. They’ve been working on it for a while after hours. And the way she’s showing it off—I love it. Look at Candace’s mom. She’s about to have a stroke.”
Jared chuckled. Macy had always been about never looking back once she made a decision. If she was going to let Ghost give her a tattoo, then hell yes, she was going to show it off. Good for her. After her horse riding accident, she’d practically gone into a cocoon, not wanting to hear from him or any of their old friends. She’d emerged better and stronger and had a new life now, new friends. And they were good ones. He was happy to be among their circle now himself.
Daryl handed Macy over to Ghost and the two men’s handshake turned into a brief backslapping hug while Macy’s eyes brimmed a little. They exchanged words, and while no one could hear but them, whatever Daryl said caused a wash of emotion on the groom’s face and had Macy swiping at escaped tears. Even Starla opened her clutch and grasped for a tissue.
Jared understood the emotion. Both of Ghost’s parents had passed when he was little. But whatever traumas he’d endured, he was about to become a member of the best family Jared knew, and they thought the world of him. He couldn’t imagine not having his own parents around to see him get married.
His gaze was drawn again to Starla’s delicate profile as everyone settled in their seats and the officiant began. Damn. He’d been down the aisle once already. There had been moments he’d vowed never to do it again, but in truth, the whole idea had been so beyond the realm of possibility that for the most part, he’d never given it much thought. But now that she was such a steady fixture in his life, sometimes it was all he could think about.
God, she was beautiful. The sunlight played in her platinum hair, and the breeze kept teasing him with the faintest hint of her scent. He would know her anywhere by smell alone.
Either the ceremony was short or Jared was too wrapped up in his own matrimonial thoughts to pay much attention to it, but suddenly Ghost and Macy were striding up the aisle all smiles to music and their guests’ applause. Brian and Candace followed close behind them arm in arm and smiling mostly at each other. Those two had been so inseparable, it was a miracle they’d managed to stand on opposite sides of the altar for the ceremony.
Starla sighed with what sounded like happy relief. Instead of going with the wedding party, Ashley and Mia ran straight to them, babbling excitedly. Starla cooed over how pretty they’d looked and what a good job they’d done, then showed them some of the pictures she’d snapped.
“So,” she began once they’d completely taken the phone away from her to thumb through the photos, “are we going over to the reception?”
“It’s up to you,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. “I know you’d like to spend time with everyone.”