Page 34 of After the Vows

They reach me and I kiss Chloe’s cheek.

“Hi, hubby to be.”

“Are you sure about this?” I don’t want to make a mistake. Not again.

“As sure as I am that mermaids are real.”

“But mermaids aren’t real.”

She giggles. “I’m sure. And mermaids are real.”

“Are you two ready?” Lily asks.

Chloe nods to Natalia. “I think you mean three.”

“We’re ready,” Natalia says.

“Welcome smugglers, bootleggers, rumrunners, and mermaids. We are gathered here today to join Lucas and Chloe in matrimony.”

Natalia clears her throat.

“And their daughter, Natalia,” Lily adds. “Please face each other and join hands.”

Natalia shuffles to the side and Chloe faces me with a big smile on her face. She’s beautiful on an average day but when she smiles at me? She’s beyond beautiful. It’s indescribable.

She wiggles her hands at me. “Hold my hands, ya big goof.”

I was so busy staring at her, I forgot what we were doing.

“Have you prepared vows?” Lily asks.

I clear my throat. “Chloe, I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us.”

“Thanks, big guy.”

“You’re supposed to say your vows to me now.”

“It seemed rude not to thank you for wanting to cherish me forever.”

I shake my head.

She squeezes my hands. “Okay, here goes. Lucas, I promise to cherish you always unless you forget to put the toilet seat down, to honor and sustain you as long as you don’t complain about my cooking, in sickness and in health but you’re on your own with puking because gross, in poverty and in wealth although I have my own money so no need to worry about thepoverty thing, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us assuming you die first of course.”

“You forgot to say you won’t hit him too hard if he snores!” Nova yells.

“Because I’m smacking him if he snores too loud!”

I lean close to whisper in her ear. “I don’t snore.”

She shivers and I smirk. I love how easily she’s affected by me. I bet I could get her to come within minutes of stripping off her clothes. Or maybe with her clothes on?

“Ahem. We’re not finished yet,” Lily says. “The rings.”

“I have them.” Natalia digs around in her pockets. “I swear I have them, Dad.”

I kneel down in front of her. “It’s okay. Take your time. First your right pocket.” Her lip trembles when she comes up empty. “Now, your left pocket.” A tear escapes her eye when the pocket is empty.

“I’m ruining your wedding!” she wails.

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