Page 28 of Bargain Match

I can’t breathe.

All I can do is bask in the contentment swelling in my chest as Hadley walks down the aisle toward me.

“She’s bonny, yer bride,” Malcolm says.

I nod, for once not minding what the chatty man has to say. After all, I’m in agreement. My best friend—my bride—looks gorgeous.

She always does, but today… today she’s achieved a whole new level. She’s wearing a long, flowing white dress that she found God knows where on such short notice. Whoever made it deserves an award. It hugs her in all the right places, showing off the curves that I love so much.

She’s also wearing a piece of tartan—my family’s colors, according to Glynis—draped from her waist. Though the plaid only has new meaning to me, I can’t help but brim with pride seeing her wear it.

And holding the tartan in place on her dress is a silver brooch that Glynis gave her.

It’s a tradition. A long-standing one that tells the world we belong to each other. Now. Always. Till death do we part and beyond.

An invisible hand squeezes my heart, and my eyes are suddenly a little damp. I blink furiously to hold back the tears. Two weeks of being openly in love with Hadley, and I’m turning into a damn babbling brook.

That that makes me smirk.

She’s wearing her strawberry blonde hair down, falling in loose curls over her shoulders. Just the way I like it. It makes it so much easier to tangle my fingers in it when she wears it like that.

And around her head, she’s wearing a crown of flowers that matches her her bouquet. She looks sweet. Like an angel.

Her electric blue gaze meets mine and she bites her bottom. It sends an instant jolt to my gut, and my dick twitches. I shift my stance and fold my hands in front of me. We’re not in a church. But we’re about to promise to love each other in front of new friends and God. I don’t need to have a raging boner while we exchange vows.

As if she knows what she’s done, Hadley’s lips curve into a smirk of her own.

There she is. My mischievous friend who is always roping me into her schemes.

If I hadn’t gone behind her back to have the matchmaker set us up on this trip, I’d think Hadley was the one who had this outcome planned all along.

I can’t wait until the officiant says, “You may kiss the bride,” or whatever the hell they say. I can’t wait to kiss my woman and show her and all our witnesses how much I love her.

“The hell with it,” I mutter as she reaches my side.

I take her hand and tug her close. She gives a little yelp of surprise, but relaxes as I grip her by the waist and lower my head toward hers.

“Hey.” I brush a kiss over her lips.

She gives a half grin. “Hey, yourself.”

“I hope you don’t mind that I’m skipping a couple of steps here.” I kiss her again, longer this time, and with more heat.

She’s out of breath when I pull back. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As I lean in to steal one more kiss, the officiant clears his throat. “Pardon for the interruption, but would ye mind if we proceed with the ceremony?”

The ceremony that’ll turn my best friend into my wife. “Not at all.”

I can’t take my eyes off of Hadley through the whole ceremony. It takes a lot of effort to listen to the words the officiant says, because I’m so wrapped up in my bride.

But I want to listen. I need to hear the words.

They’re the most important ones I’ll ever hear or say.

And when I hear Hadley promise to love and honor me for the rest of our lives, well, I’d be lying if I said my eyes don’t get a little teary again.

Before the officiant can finish proclaiming us husband and wife, Hadley is back in my arms. And we seal the deal of our lifetime the best way possible.

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