Page 172 of Bossy Romance

Greta, Alexa’s nurse, pokes her head in. “Is the groom ready?”

Not even close.

I lift my chin. “Yeah.”

“I’ll see you in the chapel then.”

I wait a few minutes and then march through the hospital hallways. Nurses smile and whisper as I walk by. Doctors nod. A few slip me congratulatory handshakes. It’s not every day a guy in a suit comes barreling through the hospital, ready to marry a patient. I’m sure the news has spread all over the building by now.

Can they tell that my heart is beating a million miles a minute? Can they tell I’m sweating enough to fill a lake?

Every step feels like I’m sinking deeper into mud.

But I keep going.

My hands press against the chapel doors.

I hesitate and then push.

Sunlight streams through the stained glass windows. The ends of the pews are decorated with white fabric and large, exaggerated bows. The officiant is standing at the front of the room, grinning broadly.

He welcomes me with a nod. “Mr. Harrison. Big day today.”

“Thanks for doing this.”

“No problem.”

The doors open and Rowan comes walking down the aisle. He’s balancing the pillow holding two rings. Alexa roped in one of the little patients in the hospital to be her flower girl. She and Rowan move together down the aisle.

I smile softly at my son. Sazuki’s right. He’s going to remember these moments with his mom for the rest of his life. This means more than a simple wedding ceremony. It means happiness. It means family. It means everything.

Rowan grins at me and moves to the side of the podium.

The doors open again and Alexa comes out. She’s sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a white dress. Fabric is flowing out from behind the wheelchair, making her wedding veil look longer and fuller.

I told her to get the dress she wanted and, though it had to be altered to fit her deteriorating body, it still looks fashionable.

Greta wheels Alexa to the front and helps her to stand.

I notice what she’s doing and offer my arm. “Hey, you don’t have to get up.”

“If we’re going to do this, we’ll do it right,” Alexa says with a smile.

“Once you get tired, sit down again.”

“Don’t worry,” the officiant says. “I won’t make this long.”

Alexa puts her hand in mine. It feels frail. Her skin is paper-thin.

My heart is moved with compassion for her, but that’s it. It goes no further.

As the officiant drones on, I escape into my mind and picture what my wedding to Nova would have looked like.

Rowan would keep his gig as ring boy and one of Dejonae or Kenya or Dawn’s children would have been the flower girl. Maybe all three. I can see Niko throwing flowers like gun shots at the ground. I can see Belle skipping with her basket, gap-toothed smile flashing at all the attendants. I can even see Beth calculating the ratio of flowers to aisle space and moving with sure, practiced steps.

And then Nova would have appeared in a white dress that’s as sexy and sophisticated as she is. It would probably be something form-fitting, just like those pencil skirts she favors. Her hair would be out, wild and curly. Or maybe she’d pin it back in an elegant style. Either way, she would have been glorious.

I would have fainted in shock at how stunning she was. And after Sazuki and the other guys resuscitated me, I’d probably leak a tear of joy and gratitude that the woman I loved had finally said yes.

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