Page 18 of The Mountain Man's Flame

I tell him I love him too and end the call with a huge smile on my face. I still can’t believe I’m getting to marry the hottest firefighter in Mount Bliss.

There’s a knock on the door and Maggie rushes forward to check on it while Lyla reapplies my lipstick. I love the way the four of us have adopted each other.

I glance in the mirror and catch sight of Everly. She’s in the corner, sipping a water. I thought it was going to take an act of God to get Owen to leave her alone. He’s been waiting on her hand and foot during the pregnancy, but she insisted he had to give her some girl time. He growled and pouted but finally stalked off to go be with the boys.

“Are you alright?” I ask Everly. Out of all of us, she’s had the toughest pregnancy.

She gives me a nod and a small smile. “I’m just so happy for you. I’m so happy for all of us.” Her voice wobbles on the last note and Lyla rushes over to her with tissues.

Someone clears their throat, and I turn to see Aiden’s dad standing there. The big, burly man is like an older version ofAiden, only with less hair. He looks handsome today in his charcoal suit.

“I’d like to talk with the bride,” he says. Royal might come across as gruff to others, but I’ve seen a side of him that’s quiet and gentle. He’s a great father-in-law already and I love his wife just as fiercely as I do him.

“What’s going on?” I turn my back to the vanity and face him. He’s close to all of his future daughter-in-laws. But for some reason, I feel like we have a special relationship. He’s taken me under his wing.

“He didn’t come, did he?”

I blink back tears. “I sent an invitation.” It’s not that I miss my dad. It’s that I wish I had a dad. Someone strong and true like Royal.

“Aiden told me that.”

“I didn’t think he’d show,” I explain. I know from a lifetime of disappointment not to put any hope in my dad.

Evan didn’t make it either. His appendix ruptured yesterday and he’s in the hospital. I don’t have any family here today.

“It ain’t my place. But if you’ll have me, I’d love to walk you down the aisle.”

“That would be the nicest thing.” I sniff and he hands me a handkerchief. “Sorry, pregnancy hormones.”

“Yep, there’s a lot of those going around here.” His smile lets me know he doesn’t mind at all. Royal and his wife are looking forward to having five grandbabies to spoil soon.

I swipe at my face before Royal gets the girls back in the room. There’s one final flurry of activity as makeup is fixed and dresses are pinned. Then just like that, I’m standing behind the doors of the little bitty church, clinging to Royal’s arm.

“Not nervous, are you?” He asks as I watch Lyla walk down the aisle with Amos.

I smile, feeling the happiness bubble up inside of me. I thought that given my history, I’d feel anxious or insecure in this moment. But I don’t.

All I feel is loved. Loved by my future husband. Loved by his parents. Loved by his brothers. Loved by my new sisters. If anything, it feels like my heart could burst from all the joy in it. “No, I’m walking toward the love of my life.”

My heart is filled with so much joy when the doors are opened, and I finally see Aiden’s smiling face. I can only hope that all the love in his gaze is reflected in mine because I can’t imagine being any happier than I am right now. Even if I live to be a hundred, I’ll always remember this moment and always cherish it.

When Royal presses a kiss to my cheek, I squeeze his hand.

Then I’m standing in front of my new husband. He mouths, “I love you.”

I whisper it back as the preacher guides us through our vows. Aiden promises to love, cherish, and honor me. He also promises to always be the one to kill the spiders and that makes the crowd chuckle.

He presses a gentle kiss to my lips at the end of the ceremony. “Welcome to our forever, Nova.”

EPILOGUE

AIDEN

“For the last time,you can’t dare your brother to go down the fuckin’ pole!”

Yeah, this isn’t my proudest dad moment. But Nova dropped the kids off at the station about three hours ago and they’re hyped up on sugar. You’d think they would run out of energy at some point.

Carl, my oldest, hunches his shoulders. “Sorry, Dad.”

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