Page 43 of Mismatched Mates

I forgot to breathe. I almost forgot to walk. The only thing that kept me going was the sudden feeling of eyes on me, and Victoria’s words in my head.

Mate.

Grant couldn’t be my mate. I refused to accept it. There were so many reasons why it was more complicated than it was worth, and the two boys standing with him were only part of the problem.

At the front of the barn, the flowers in my hand, I did my best to focus on Victoria and Luke as they held hands and exchanged vows.

Luke's voice, steady and warm, filled the barn. "Victoria, from the moment I met you, I knew you were different — even before I knew we’d been set up on a date.”

I watched as Victoria's eyes welled with tears, her smile radiant.

"I promise to be your partner in all things," Victoria responded, her voice clear despite the tears. "To stand by you in times of joy and sorrow, to nurture our family with patience and understanding."

Luke’s two kids, Beth and Adam, came in close for a family hug, and Victoria kneeled, promising them that she would always do her best by them and be the best stepmom she could.

My heart broke all over again. Shattered into several small pieces in my chest, and amongst the tears of happiness were other more complex emotions I couldn’t put names to.

Seeing Luke get his family reminded me that I had lost mine. A stupid, selfish thought I couldn’t quite banish. And it was especially stupid because we were better off.

Then there was Grant. I just wanted him. And despite all my best efforts, I couldn’t quite stop wanting.

Luke and Victoria led the way down the aisle again, and I followed, determinedly not looking at Grant. The photographer was already waiting for us, and we went straight into photos.

For obvious reasons, I opted not to have Grant join me—just because I’d found a boyfriend in their eyes didn’t mean that I wanted to have him in my brother’s wedding photos, etched into history forever—plus, even the boys were only in the larger family photos. Which meant, obviously, that every time I glanced over, they were with Grant.

First he had Lance in his arms, holding him up even though Lance was big—and heavy—for his age. Then he was holding Brandon up. Then he was taking a selfie with both of them, all three pulling stupid, goofy faces. When the boys joined me for the official photographs, Grant stood to one side, occasionally making silly faces at them so they’d laugh. When finally I released them, they raced back to Grant and dragged him back to his Porsche, where he let them sit in the driver’s seat and pretend to drive.

Every time I looked over, he was entertaining them, jacket off and grinning like he couldn’t quite contain himself. And they were laughing the way they hadn’t really laughed since Jason left.

In between shots, my mother managed to whisper in my ear, “If I’d known you were so looking, I could have set you up with a nice bear.”

I glanced at her sharply, warning her under my breath. “Now’s not that time or the place.” Imagine what she would have said if she knew the truth.

She bristled but kept silent, smiling widely for the camera.

By the time the photos were done and the barn was re-outfitted for the reception, my head felt like it had been scrambled. All the reasons I’d had for convincing myself Grant couldn’t be my mate—the fact that his life couldn’t integrate with mine, and he couldn’t be expected to step up and father my rambunctious boys—had been smashed into smithereens.

He wasgoodwith the kids. And it was easy to see at a glance that they loved him in return.

The second he could, he came over, the boys hanging off his arm, and kissed me on the lips. “You look stunning,” he told me.

“You’re looking dapper yourself.”

“Dapper? Are we from the nineteen twenties?” He pressed a kiss to my fingers, the gesture absent as though he’d doneit routinely, even though he hadn’t. My heart skipped several beats, heading straight for cardiac arrest.

“Mom,” Brandon said, tugging at my hand. “Grandma said there’s going to be a DJ later. Is that true?”

“He won’t play any of the songs you like,” I warned. “It’ll be old people music.”

Grant snorted. “Old people?”

“As far as they’re concerned, early 2000s hits are old,” I said.

Lance rolled his eyes. “Duh. Because we weren’t even born then. Mom, did you know that some butterflies only live for a few hours?”

I glanced at Grant, who grimaced. “My knowledge has been severely tested.”

“I didn’t know that,” I said. “What else did you learn?”

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