Page 65 of Sutton and the CEO Forever

“To new beginnings, and happier tomorrows,” Sutton called out.

“To friendship,” Alice added, and they all drank.

Natalie sat back into her seat. For some reason, her stomach wasn’t agreeing with her.

“What will you have, Nat?” Martha asked with a smile.

“Oh, I am fine. Thank you, Martha. I had a large breakfast.”

Martha nodded but looked at Natalie long and hard before moving on to the next person.

“Remember, you need to pick up your dresses from the bridal shop by tomorrow at five. And then, everything should be ready from there.” Candice seemed to be glowing, “I am just so excited and thankful I am out of that stupid boot!”

Alice beamed. “That was some of my best shooting.”

Candice leaned over and took the older woman’s hand, “You saved my life. It’s hard to imagine all of that drama happened and look how far we have come.”

It was true. Each of the women had grown in ways that couldn’t be measured. And while they were shy one of their soldiers, Reena’s presence was never very far from them.

“You look like shit,”Brian patted Knox on the back and grinned at Mark, who was laughing.

Knox fought the urge to flip off the Williams brothers in the church house. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been more nervous. The church was packed once again, only this time it wasn’t to wish someone goodbye.

Knox and Candice had decided to marry in the small Otterville Falls Chapel. The old organ pounded out a decisive cord, and then the wedding march began.

Mark, Brian, and Knox automatically stiffened and moved into place. Avery and Evie were honorary flower girls, not being quite big enough yet to be trusted to make it down the aisle without eating the rose petals.

The bridesmaids began to sweep in, first Katie and then Natalie, followed by Sutton, the maid of honor. They passed all of the smiling friends and family from Otterville Falls and New York. Mandy and Elliot were in the second row with their daughter.

Gina and Marco had made the car trip down, opting to leave their girls with their favorite babysitter, Jackson. A couple Knox didn’t know sat between them and Julio, and he immediately remembered that Julio’s cousin Jennings and his wife Shay came in to meet Natalie.

Will Jennings had met her once years ago, but his beautiful wife had never had the pleasure. They had a sweet little boy with them that seemed to enjoy playing on Julio’s lap.

Alice sat behind them in a dress that was so loud it nearly blinded a body. But that was nothing compared to the shining grin on her face. It matched perfectly with the older gentleman that was sitting beside her. Perhaps love was once again in the air?

Candice appeared at the back of the chapel, and all thoughts of who was in attendance vanished. Her curvy body was wrapped in off-white silk, the shoulders were bare, and the neck went nearly all the way up in the front. The beading was magnificent, and Knox knew that Sutton had insisted that Candice get any wedding dress she wanted.

He was damn well impressed with her selection. Candice’s dark hair was swept up in a fancy number that Knox hadn’t the slightest clue how to pronounce. And her beautiful face was lifted toward his.

Damn it, Knox was going to cry, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Fuck, what kind of badass sheriff cries at his own wedding?

But as she walked toward him, Knox felt all of his dreams coming true. They had been through their ups and downs, and life would never be perfect. But surrounded by the people who loved them on this special day, Knox felt like the future was limitless.

“Who gives this woman…”

“I love you,” Knox interrupted the priest.

The father sighed, “Now, there are a few things I have to say, so we can do this the easy way or the hard way?”

Candice snickered, and Knox’s lips twitched.

“Proposals at funerals and declarations at weddings, this assignment in Otterville Falls is certainly an interesting one.”

35

It was a short two weeks later that Katie finally dragged a very cranky Natalie to the local drugstore. Katie was tired of listening to Natalie complain about how tired she was and how her stomach just wasn’t sitting right with her.

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