Page 80 of Cross My Heart

I wasn’t sure if Aiden was comfortable with us discussing our relationship with our families, much less spending the holiday together.

He didn’t have a large family, so he might not have been thinking about it at all. He was used to being deployed over the holidays.

I showered quickly, applied my makeup, let my hair dry straight, and then got dressed. It was the same gown I’d worn for our fancy dinner when we were snowed in. It was hard to believe that was only a few days ago. It felt like a lifetime.

When a knock sounded on the door, I opened it, expecting Aiden, but it was Aria.

“We’re seating guests for the wedding. I wanted to let you know.”

“Do you need help?”

Aria waved me off. “Your job is to relax and enjoy the wedding.”

Aiden was standing up for Heath, and I was just a guest.

I felt a little out of place because I didn’t know the Monroes that well yet. Thankfully, Daphne and Izzy were attending with Cole. “I’ll be right down.”

“I’ll finish my rounds to make sure everyone makes it downstairs on time,” Aria said as she continued down the hall.

The only people who needed to be there were Marley and Heath. I didn’t think they cared if anyone else made it. Their love was all that mattered.

I grabbed my clutch and made my way down the stairs to the lobby where I found Izzy waiting, a winter coat covering her puffy gown.

Daphne smiled. “She’s been waiting for you.”

“You look like a princess,” I said to Izzy as she attempted a curtsy.

Cole took her hand. “I think we need to have a seat. The wedding starts soon.”

“When do we get cake?” Izzy asked him as he led her outside, and I didn’t hear him answer.

Daphne watched them go, covering her chest with the palm of her hand. “He’s so sweet with her.” Then she turned her attention to me and lowered her voice, “He’s going to adopt her.”

“How is that possible? She has a biological father,” I said.

“Cole wanted to meet with Trent before we got married. He asked Trent to terminate his parental rights, making way for him to adopt Izzy.”

“That’s amazing.” Cole’s love for Daphne and Izzy was undeniable.

“Izzy deserves someone who’s present in her life, and that was never her father.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

We hooked elbows and walked outside.

The day was sunny and cool, but there were heaters strategically placed throughout the rows of chairs.

“Have a seat. We’re going to make this quick. It’s cold even with the heaters,” Aria said.

“You got it,” I said to her as we sat in the row next to Cole and Izzy.

I hadn’t seen Aiden since we’d woken up this morning. There hadn’t been time for more than a rushed kiss. I’d hoped to see him again before the wedding, but Marley and Heath must have kept him busy with prewedding activities.

The rest of the guests were seated. Heath’s brothers—Sebastian, Emmett, Talon, and Knox—stood on the porch.

A string quartet sat off to the side, and as soon as they lifted their instruments and strummed the first note, the guests turned to watch the flower girls, Addy and Ember, walk down the aisle. One by one, they threw red petals onto the white runner, grinning at people they knew in the crowd. When I looked at the men on the porch, their expressions were soft and full of love.

The bridal party was next: Ireland, Sarah, Hanna, and Holly. They lined up on Marley’s side of the porch. When the wedding march sounded, everyone stood.

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