Page 96 of Moonlit Kisses

Molly and Martin stop where the chairs for our guests begin, and I can’t peel my eyes away from her. Martin whispers something in her ear, making her smile, and kisses her cheek, then takes the empty seat next to Beth. He’s beaming broadly, showing the dimples that match his daughters’.

Molly moves forward on her own and I can’t stand it. I want her to know that she’s no longer on her own. I will walk any pathway with her from here on out, so I take long strides to meet her in the aisle between the small number of guests we invited today.

I reach forward, taking her smooth hand in my calloused one. “Hey,” I whisper. I know I’m not supposed to kiss her yet, but she looks too divine to not lay my lips on hers.

She smiles at me, and I take my first full breath in the last twenty-five and a half hours. “Hey,” she whispers back.

We stand with our eyes locked, silver to hazel, the warm salty breeze blowing the loose strands of Molly’s hair around her gorgeous face. “You are stunning.”

Her eyes skim down my body and then return to mine. “You’re incredibly handsome, yourself, Max.” She left it up to me to choose what I wanted to wear today. I chose a sandy colored linen suit with a white shirt, leaving my feet bare. Aaron’s wearing the same getup.

“Are you ready to become Mrs. Stanfield?”

Her smile widens further, deepening those dimples I love so much. Beneath the early evening sun, her eyes twinkle and she nods. “Absolutely, Mr. Stanfield.”

I hold out my arm and Molly nestles her hand in the crook, holding her bouquet of blush pink roses in her other hand. We take the final few steps toward the celebrant together. Exactly how we’re going to tackle everything from now on.

The celebrant, an older woman who is a friend of Beth’s, smiles at both of us. “Are you two ready to make your lifelong promises to each other?”

I nod. “Yes, I am.” Let’s get this show on the road. The sooner she says those magical words and signs the formal paperwork, the sooner she’s mine in every sense of the word.

Molly smiles. “Me too.” She glances at me and then turns back to the celebrant, squeezing my hand in hers.

The celebrant raises her voice slightly. “Before we begin, I would like to thank you all for attending today’s ceremony to bear witness to the joining of Molly Lewis and Max Stanfield. I am duly authorized by law to solemnize marriages according to the law. So, everything that happens here today will be legal and binding.” She gives everyone a bright smile, her kind eyes glittering in the early evening sun. “We are here today because Max and Molly want to be bound together in the eyes of the law. A marriage is a joining of two souls who are complete and fulfilled in their own right but choose to tie themselves to a partner for life because they want to share their life’s journey with that person. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with Max and Molly, and I’ve gotten to know two highly capable, kind and caring individuals who, on their own, could navigate their life’s journey just fine. However, together, I believe they will lead a beautiful life rich in love, family, and togetherness. Marriage is about compromise and compassion, understanding and unity. I see all of that between Max and Molly.” She looks at me. “Max, would you like to share your promises with Molly?”

I turn toward Molly as I nod and lock my eyes on my future, taking her soft hands in mine. “Molly. When I first laid eyes on you, I was struck by your beauty. However, based on how you looked, I developed a preconceived notion of what you would be like as a person. You have spent the last few months destroying my incorrect assumptions and have surprised me at every turn, showing me that the beauty inside of you surpasses that which we can see. Which is spectacular.” I wriggle my eyebrows at Molly, making her and our guests chuckle. “Since I first met you, you’ve shown me you’re a compassionate, forgiving, resilient, and strong woman. You’ve shown courage and grace in situations which would break most people and my respect for you is only surpassed by my love.

“In you, I see the qualities I’ve always wanted in my life partner and the mother of my children. Because of this, I promise to spend my days working alongside you, building our business, raising our family, creating a home, and enjoying family time and vacations. I promise to spend my nights cuddled up on the couch with you, loving you, and lying beside you. I promise to care for you, support you, and love you through good times and bad, until the very end of time.

“Molly, I prayed for someone exactly like you and here you are. I am incredibly proud to have you as the woman who will be standing by my side for the rest of our days. I promise to be the best man I can be, the man you deserve. Because, Molly, I never want to let you down or disappoint you. I never want to make you sad. I want to give you the world and I look forward to building this life together.” I lean in, swiping my lips against hers, and whisper, “And even though we’re going to create our own family, I also give you mine.” Her eyes become a little glassy as I touch my forehead to hers.

“Every day, I want to swim in the deepest part of the ocean with you. I love you, Molly. Today and every single day to come until my last breath.” There’s no way I can resist the temptation of her lips so close to mine as our breaths join in the shared space. I touch my lips to hers in a way I hope shows everything she means to me.

“That was lovely, Max. Molly, would you like to share your promises with Max?”

She nods and turns her gaze on me, making my heart pound. “Max. From our first interaction to now, you’ve always kept me safe and ensured that I have everything I need, whether it was making sure my car was running perfectly, or that I ate, or that I had a safe place to stay. You gave me the sunshine during some of my darkest days and I will be forever thankful that you were brought into my life.

“As much as I love the way you look, it’s what’s inside that made me fall in love with you.” She raises her hand, placing it over my heart. The heat from her touch burns through the fabric of my clothes into mine. “It was your kind and tender heart, your generous soul, and the way you care for your family and the people in the community, expecting nothing in return that made me fall for you. You’re a good man. The very best, Max. And you’re the man I want by my side as I navigate this life. Your patience, compassion, care, and understanding are the qualities I’ve always looked for in my partner, because they are the qualities I consider most important for my children’s happiness. You are the man I want to father my children, to nurture them, and to help them grow into the best possible people.

“I promise to always put you and our family first above all others and the busyness that life can become. I promise to always support you, encourage you, and cheer for you, as well as congratulate you and commiserate with you. I plan to be by your side through everything life throws our way, whether it be good, bad, or in between. I promise to give my all, every single day, to you and the family we create.” She wriggles her eyebrows, making me chuckle. “Max, I look forward to falling in love with you every single day until I’m no longer here to fall.” She presses her lips to mine. “I love you, Max. And I can’t wait to swim in the deepest part of the ocean with you, unequivocally yours.”

She leans forward, and I cup her face in my hands and meld our mouths together. This woman, who’s had so little, gone through so much, gives so freely of herself to me and others. I pull back the smallest amount and whisper, “You slay me, Molly.”

The celebrant clears her throat, reminding me we still have shit to get through before I can ravage my wife’s mouth. “That was beautiful and very meaningful, Molly.”

We complete our vows with the traditional promises to care for each other through sickness and health until death do us part. The muscles in my body seem to breathe a sigh of relief that Molly is now officially mine.

Finally, we exchange rings. As I slide Molly’s diamond-studded band onto her delicate finger to join the engagement ring, I feel something settle deep inside. Seeing the physical token of her bound to me on her finger gives me a sense of peace I never anticipated. And when she slides my heavy-duty black tungsten band down my finger on my left hand, I see the same feeling of peace in Molly’s eyes.

We both tilt our heads up, our eyes locking on the other as the sun sinks below the horizon. The golden glow on Molly’s skin makes her appear to be an angel, reminding me of the first impression I ever had of her.

When the celebrant finally pronounces us husband and wife, our families and friends cheer as I seal my mouth to my wife’s. My world narrows to this moment, to the sensation of her lips beneath mine, my tongue tasting her. Our shared breaths binding us together in a moment that transcends all others that have come before this.

She is my heart, the reason I’m here. She is my future, my life, my forever. Our bodies press against each other, molding together perfectly, our hearts beating in sync against each other’s.

Aaron clears his throat, tearing us apart and stealing our moment so we can sign the formal papers. If he weren’t my best friend, I would fucking lay him out for interrupting the best kiss I’ve ever had. We step forward, officially husband and wife, to be congratulated by each of our guests. I keep Molly’s hand in mine because I’m never letting this woman go.

CHAPTER49

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