Page 181 of Daddy, Take Me Away
Jared grinned again and I scowled. His arrogance was getting annoying. “I did, I do, and it does.” He glanced down at his plate of nearly untouched food. “But really… She's my Savi.”
This time it was Polly’s turn to be lost. “I beg your pardon?”
“Savi and I hooked up a few times. We went on a few dates. It was just casual because you guys are such good friends, and she had to go back home for the summer, but she’ll be back soon, and we’ve decided to make things official.”
“I’m sorry… What?”
“So see, I couldn’t be mad about you and Cas, even if I wanted to be, which I don’t. But if I did, well that would make me a pretty big hypocrite, wouldn't it?” Jared glanced down at his phone. “Speaking of which, she’s about to go on her break, and she’s gonna get all twisted up if I don't fill her in. I also need to get a room for the night because I'm not driving back home in this storm.” He motioned for the check and when it came, he paid and excused himself, leaving Polly and I alone in the booth.
Turning toward her, I took her hands in mine. “Well, babygirl, It sounds like we have your brother's blessing.”
She giggled and pressed her forehead against mine. “It certainly does. Way more than I could have ever imagined, on multiple levels.”
“Mmmhmm, I murmured, catching her lips in a soft kiss. “And it also sounds like he’s going home tomorrow. So what do you say we finish out this trip—the first of many adventures to come—and then we head home and get ready to start our lives together.” I took a deep breath and put it all on the line, more than I ever had before. “I meant what I said back at the hotel, babygirl. I love you and I'm all in. So what do you say?”
Her eyes sparkled with happiness. “I say… I love you too, Daddy, and… let’s do this thing!”
She threw her hands around my neck and crushed her lips against mine.
We were still kissing when Jared knocked on the diner window and the rain started again.
Epilogue
One year later
Grand Junction
Colorado National Monument
Polly
I licked my lips as I made my way up the turn in the mountain to where Cas had kissed me in the rain a year earlier. It was funny, we’d done basically everything before that moment, but the rain soaked makeout session had been where it clicked, where everything felt real.
And so, when Cas had finally gotten around to proposing a few months ago–on Valentine’s day; totally cliche but I didn't care–I had known instantly that I didn't want some big wedding at a church or some fancy event space. I wanted to get married at the monument.
And so here we were, Cas looking dapper in a black suit, standing just outside the guardrail with Jared looking just as handsome beside him. On the other side of a makeshift aisle that was nothing more than a pathway marked with rose petals, Savi stood, looking radiant in a dusky purple gown, the flowers in her hair matching the ones in her hand, her flowy dress just barely concealing her baby bump as she beamed at me, and then across the aisle at Jared.
We only had a few close friends and family in attendance. Cas’ parents and siblings, an uncle from our side and some of my college friends. Somebody played the wedding march on their phone, and I started the walk down the aisle, the journey that would take me to the love of my life, the one that would make me Mrs. Cas Duncan.
Butterflies swarmed my stomach, but I held my head high. I was walking down the aisle alone. My friends had commented on how modern it was, but the truth was I had no choice. Any suitable escort I might have had was already waiting at the makeshift altar.
The music stopped when I reached Savi, and with nobody to give me away, Cas took my hands in his, lifted my veil and kissed my cheek.
The “minister” Cas’ youngest brother, Alecs, a twenty-two-year-old kid who looked as if someone had out Cas through a carbon copy printer, nodded at us both, cleared his throat and began to speak.
We’d decided to go with traditional vows because neither of us were writers, and the vows were the only thing about us that would be even remotely traditional.
“Friends and family,” Alecs began, “We are gathered here today to bear joyful witness to the holy matrimony of Pollyanna Lynette Baker and Cas Aaron Duncan.”
The second Alecs spoke Cas’ full name, the bet came rushing back to me, as did the fact that after a few tries on the road, I’d never tried again to figure it out.
And honestly? I probably wouldn’t have guessed no matter how long I tried. But it didn’t matter. Winner’s choice? I’d already won. Everything I could have possibly asked for and then some.
I gasped and looked up into Cas’ twinkling eyes.
I barely heard the rest of the vows. I was on autopilot, drowning in Cas’ ocean-blue eyes. I said whatever was asked of me like a deliriously happy robot, and slid the ring on Cas’ finger like it was meant to be there.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” When Alecs spoke the words that sealed us together forever, everybody around us took two steps back. I was puzzled, until the rain started and Cas put his hands on my waist, pulling me close. His lips came crashing down on mine and he took me in his arms, kissing me as if he was drowning and I was his only source of air.
