Page 40 of Momcom Vacation

I freeze halfway through the kitchen. Shit. It may not be the most ideal time, but clearly I need to have a big talk with my stepson. Slowly, I turn back to Liam. “No. That’s hormones. I won’t lie and say that sex isn’t an important part of any relationship. But what I feel for your mom goes far, far beyond sex.”

Frowning, he jerks his head, forcing his hair out of his eyes.

I tap my chest. “The feeling right here? The pressure, the ache, the joy that live behind my ribcage? That’s all part of it.And right here.” I tap my head. “The comfort of knowing she gets me? That’s a huge part.”

With a nod, he steps around me and heads out the back door. Fuck, I have no idea if what I said makes any sense. We might need to revisit that. Right now, he’s heading toward the altar, and although it was what I needed, sex with Dylan has put us behind schedule. I helped her get into her dress before I slipped out the door, but she was touching up her makeup when I left, and from the look of things, our guests are already waiting on the beach.

I slip past Winnie, who is standing just inside the door, and with a nod at Frank, Dylan’s father, I head out and hustle across the yard, trying to catch up to Liam. My bare feet have barely hit the stand before my best friend steps up next to me.

“Where the heck have you been, Man Bun?” Beckett yanks my arm, throwing me off course, and with a scowl, undoes one of my shirt buttons.

“What the hell?” I bat his arm away. It’s one thing when Dylan strips me out of my clothes. It’s utterly different when it’s my best friend.

“It’s not buttoned right.” He points at a spot halfway down my shirt.

I follow, and when I see what he’s talking about, I chuckle. Quickly, I fix the buttons, then I head for the altar, where Liam is already standing next to an arch covered in flowers. Beckett is hot on my heels the whole way.

The sun is just about to set on the water, casting a pink and purple glow over everything.

Every detail is perfect. My chest tightens with gratitude for the man standing next to me. I turn to him, ready to pull him in for a hug and thank him, but before I can even get the words out, he’s bitching at me.

“I plan this perfect wedding and then you go and throw off the plans so you can claim your soon-to-be wife before the ceremony?—”

“Gross,” Liam moans as we step up next to him. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Fix your ducking hair,” Beckett grumbles.

I comply, pulling the tie from my hair and smoothing the strands back into a bun.

“Now both of you get into place. Winnie is coming.”

Heart in my throat, I watch Beckett’s stepdaughter make her way down the steps in a pretty ocean-blue dress.

Not wanting to have to pick between her three best friends, Dylan asked Winnie to be her maid of honor. I’d never seen Winnie, or Beckett, smile so big.

When she passes her mom, her lips tip up on one side.

“Well done, Bear,” Beckett says as she steps up to her spot beside the arch.

Blushing, she looks back toward the house.

The first few notes of “Feels Like Home,” play, and I spin.

When Dylan appears, holding her dad’s arm, my heart skips. The antique white lace clings to her body before flowing down and brushing the sand as she walks across it barefoot. The flower and crystal crown tucked into her long red hair makes her look like a goddess. She meets my eyes, and the smile splitting her face makes my entire body sag in relief.

“Liam,” I whisper over the music.

He angles in, but I can’t pull my eyes off his mother as she moves my way.

“When you find a girl who makes your heart speed up while simultaneously settling your soul? When she makes you laugh at her irrational, wild suggestions and yet she’s the smartest person you know? When she makes you want to be a better man because you want to give her all she deserves?” I nod and swallow pastthe lump in my throat. “That’s how you know. Someday your mom and I will watch you stand up next to her. And I can promise you it will be one of the best days of your life.”

“Jeez, you’re sappy today,” he mutters.

Behind me, Beckett chuckles.

Dylan approaches, and the guys fade into the background. Her father kisses her cheek, then he shakes my hand and shuffles to the front row.

My heart pounds as I watch my bride’s every move. I’m entranced.

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