Page 73 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

Holly grinned.

“As for all the little glitches,” Vivian said, half-shrugging, “I heard an adage once that stayed with me.You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to swim.”

Holly scoffed. “Maybe I’ve exaggerated it all in my mind, but I feel like I’m barely keeping afloat.”

“Honey. You’re sailing.” Vivian adjusted Holly’s veil. “So, no. I don’t think there are any signs saying you shouldn’t get married. I think the signs are saying you and Nick are strong.”

A knock at the door interrupted them.

Vivian patted her daughter’s hand and stood. “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Nick answered.

Holly jumped to her feet and hurried to the door. “You can’t come in.”

“I know,” he said. “I’m not going to tempt fate. Don’t worry. I just wanted to check on you.”

Holly and Vivian exchanged a look.

“We can crack the door open,” Vivian suggested. “Only enough so you can hear each other. But no peeking.”

Nick laughed. “No peeking, I promise.”

Vivian turned the knob and opened the door an inch. Then she backed away, sitting on the chair at the far end of the room to give them space.

“So I take it you heard,” Nick said.

Holly held her hands to her chest. “I did. And I’m sorry. I told you I have baggage. This is what happens when you have baggage.”

“This isn’t your fault, Holly. You are the victim here. And everything’s been dealt with. We’re battling off the hurricane.”

Vivian wrinkled her brow. Holly waved a hand at her.

“He’s trying to intimidate us. That’s all,” Nick said. “Don’t let him. You know the saying, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’”

“Sounds like something your dad would say.”

“Actually, it’s Eleanor Roosevelt.”

Holly sighed. “I don’t want him to ruin our day.”

“Say the word, and we’ll run away now. Elope.”

“You’d do that?”

“For you? Yes. In a heartbeat. I would marry you in a monsoon. I would marry you in a landfill. All that matters is that I get to spend every day with the love of my life from here on out.”

Holly traced the carvings in the door with her finger. “That’s all I want, too.”

“Holly, I can’t wait to marry you. I can’t wait to share a thousand adventures with you. Because no matter what life throws at us, I know that with you, it will be incredible.”

The churning in her stomach disappeared, replaced by hope. “Then I guess we should get married.”

Nick chuckled. “Sounds like a plan. Rachel will tell you when everything’s ready to go.”

“Nick?”

“Yeah?”

---