Page 21 of SEAL'S Secret Vows

Brows lifted, Sarah just stares at me till Maddie elbows her and says, graciously, “Yes.”

“Take a seat,” says a man in wide framed glasses. “And if the bride is ready?”

I blink in surprise. Sarah and Maddie sit next to the four strangers. Chase walks down the ‘aisle’ and holds out his arm to me.

“You’re giving me away and marrying me?” I ask with a smirk.

He winks. “I can do it all.”

We wait a few feet away from where the man with the glasses sits who is apparently in charge. He’s fumbling with a CD player.

I raise my brows at the man. Chase shrugs. “Found him on Craigslist,” Chase mutters. “Looks the part of a minister, right?”

I snort, nodding. “Very minister-y.”

Chase smirks. “Smile for the camera,wifey.” He nods towards a photographer.

I startle. I hadn’t seen the photographer before.

“The photos are for you,” Chase murmurs. He holds my hand, and I tense. “For whatever you want to do with them.”

I blink rapidly. “For Ethan,” I mutter.

Chase nods. “I figured it’d be an easy sell.”

I nod. “And those guys?”

Chase glances over at the four strangers. “Craigslist really is easy to use.”

I laugh. Chase grins at me.

The man in the glasses clears his throat. “Ready? I’ve got work in an hour.”

Chase and I exchange amused glances.

“Sure,” I say. Then the music starts.

It sounds tinny and too soft, but we go down the fake aisle anyway. I almost trip, but Chase holds onto me tightly.

We stand in what looks like the right position. Javier stands a few feet away, looking oddly moved.

“Do you want to do your own vows?” The fake minister asks.

I almost laugh. “What’s the point?” I whisper.

Chase glances at Javier and Sarah, and shrugs. “I, Chase Steele, vow to take you, Nora Evans, as my wife.” He starts, voice full of amusement. His eyes are shining, and his hair has streaks of gold in the sunlight. He looks so beautiful. “I vow to be by your side, to help you no matter what you’re going through, and to always support you.”

His words are friendly—not inappropriate. But they still make my cheeks burn.

He nods towards me. I feel a burst of nerves.

“I, Nora Evans, vow to take you, Chase Steele, as my husband.” The words feel strange in my mouth. “I vow to be your friend. To be your partner in whatever way I can. To remind you to take a break.”

He grins at me.

I grin back.

The minister clears his throat. “Uh, so, I now pronounce you husband and wife?” He says it like a question.

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