Page 56 of Promised Vows

Chapter Twenty-Four

ANNA

Exhaling slowly, I tried to relax the muscles between my shoulder blades. I was twenty-two and getting married to a man I’d met a month ago. If someone had told me that I’d happily walk down the aisle, nearly giddy to be exchanging vows with Ari Kalantzis, I would have laughed at them, but here I was, looking at myself in the mirror with butterflies in my stomach.

I had a good cry that day after the attempted kidnapping. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t considered pushing back the wedding, but I wasn’t keen on allowing Lorenzo to take this day from me. If he was still alive. I didn’t ask because as much as I disliked the creep, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about my almost-husband killing him right before our wedding.

My mind had been preoccupied anyway with all the things I’d had to do the previous two days. The final fitting of my dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses. The dusty rose was such a rich color, and Wren had outdone herself with the beaded details on them. They looked fantastic. Now that the waist on my dress was altered, it fit me even better than before.

The bachelorette party was a blast. Seeing Claire on a dance floor shaking what her momma gave her was hysterical. The girl couldn’t dance to save her life, but she’d sure had fun. I thought that was the very definition of a good party.

I flattened my hand against my stomach, inhaling and exhaling equally as slow. How had this become my life? I’d gone from having no one to sisters, brothers, and potentially being on the road to reconciling my relationship with my brother.

After I asked him to walk me down the aisle, things were different. He’d shown up at the rehearsal dinner because he’d had no choice now that he was in the wedding, but something had changed. It’d been a little awkward at first, but by the time everything was said and done, we’d sort of forged a tentative friendship. Or at least that’s what I hoped we were moving toward. He mentioned getting together for coffee sometime soon once we were past the wedding.

I’d already been through the something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new routine. It’d been sweet, and I was appreciative of the thoughtfulness. Aunt Helen, Marianna, and Elana went together and took care of the old and new, finding a pair of diamond hairpins. They were old, but new to me. They slipped them into my hair close to my veil. I loved them. Claire gave me a necklace to borrow, and Thea gave me the same thing she’d given Claire before her wedding: a small, blue-handled knife that I could conceal. She’d reasoned that after what happened, it was appropriate. I couldn’t disagree.

They left a few moments ago when I asked for a moment to myself. I wasn’t overwhelmed or having second thoughts. I wanted a moment to close my eyes, get my bearings, and take everything in.

A knock came from the door, and I strolled over to it, thinking it was Jason. When I opened the door, I was momentarily taken aback. “Papa?”

“Hello, darling.”

“I didn’t think you were coming,” I said, and as discreetly as I could, I peeked around the hallway looking for the two guards who had been stationed outside my door.

My father smiled. “I asked the guards to give me a moment with my daughter.” He held up his hands. “I told them I didn’t come to start trouble.”

As if that would make them leave.

He pointed to the right. “See? They’re right down there.”

I leaned forward a little more. I hadn’t exactly memorized the guys’ faces, but they did seem to be the same as far as height and build. “What do you want, Papa? Jason will be arriving any minute to escort me to the front of the church.” What would he do if he saw Papa here? I didn’t need these two sticks of dynamite blowing up at my wedding.

“Jason knows I’m here. See?” Papa held out his phone. “I’ve been talking to him.”

Eyeing my father, I slowly took his phone from him before lowering my gaze to the screen. Sure enough, there was a conversation between him and Jason. I looked up. “A truce?”

“A tentative one.”

“What brought that about?” My skepticism was high. The one thing Jason and Papa had in common was stubbornness.

Papa’s shoulders sagged. “The way you looked at me before I left the coffee shop haunted me. I couldn’t wash it from my mind, and I knew the only way I’d be able to attend was to, at least for the moment, set aside my issues with your brother. I know he’s walking you down the aisle.”

I returned my attention to the string of texts. There in black and white was Jason telling our father that he was walking me down the aisle. Jason had even offered to share it with Papa.

Tears burned in the back of my eyes. I almost wanted to pinch myself because I could barely believe my eyes. “Really?”

“Anything for you,” he said, gathering me in his arms. “I’m happiest when you’re happy.”

I flung myself into his arms. “Papa, this means so much to me.”

He patted my back. “I was a fool, my darling. I’m so sorry.” He squeezed me and then leaned back. ”How about I take you to Jason?”

“Okay,” I said, swooping up my bouquet sitting on the entrance table.I smiled as I slid my arm through his. “All right. I’m ready.”

“The things I do are only because I want what’s best for you.”

“I know, Papa, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

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