Page 131 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bride

Finally.

Bobbing her head in agreement, she slips her arm through mine and leads me to the door of the small changing room at the back of the chapel in the non-denominational church in Millsburg.

Though neither Silas nor I are religious, heinsistedwe do it here this time, with a minister and the people we consider our friends as our witnesses.

The right way.

Ursula opens the door, and Joey whirls to face us from his spot in the hallway.

Dressed in a tux, his dark hair slicked back, he looks far older than his eighteen years, but maybe it was the time he spent in custody or the things he saw there, the things he did that put him there, that have aged him so much, so quickly.

The part of me that remembers him as that scared little boy hates that he’s had to grow up so fast. I had to when Mom died, and I wished for something more for him.

His green eyes trail down over my dress, the corner of his mouth curling up. “Has Silas seen this?”

I shake my head, fighting a grin. “No.”

He laughs. “He’s going to love it.”

“I know.” I step forward and pull him into an embrace, still not one hundred percent over the need to touch him constantly to assure myself that he’s really safe and here and that his ordeal is truly over now that the district attorney has dropped all the charges. “I’m so happy you’re here with us.”

Pulling back, tears shimmer in his gaze. “Me, too. You and Silas didn’t have to do everything you’ve done for me. I—”

“Yes, we did. And you’re always welcome here, with us, for as long as you want to stay…or as long as you can tolerate him.”

I grin and Joey returns it, then offers me his arm.

“Are you ready?”

More than ready…

The last few months since we had ouroriginalmarriage annulled and the contract voided, things between us have been incredible. But things felt…off.

Not wearing the rings, knowing we weren’t legally bound to each other, left a hole deep in my chest I hadn’t thought it would. Silas felt it, too. He cared more about getting the new wedding planned than he did about officially giving up the role of CEO of Bolton Steel.

But once Marty was finally arrested and charged for some of his crimes, it seemed the only thing still unresolved was the two of us saying “I do” and actually meaning it.

And it’s finally time.

We make our way to the back double doors of the church, and Ursula slips inside in front of us, giving me the double thumbs up.

I take a long, deep breath and close my eyes as the music starts.

All those months ago, when I sat across the desk from Carly, discussing what it would be like to be a mail-order bride, I never imagined this was a possibility. When she mentioned falling in love, I thought it was a joke, something she said to clients to try to get them to sign on for something so insane. But then I went and fell for the grumpy mountain man who bought me.

And look where it got us.

Here.

Today.

Finally doing it “the right way,” according to Silas.

The double doors swing open, letting the music stream out to us.

Light. Happy. Inviting celebration of a day that feels like it’s been so long coming.

Our friends stand in the pews toward the front, but my eyes don’t even register them. They fall on the man waiting for me at the altar, dressed in an immaculate tux that hugs his perfectly muscled form and stands in stark contrast against his sandy-blond hair flowing over his shoulders.

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