Page 4 of With You

“And I am so happy,” Deacon says, his voice laced with awe.

His hands straighten my bowtie one last time before he drops a gentle kiss to my lips. Stepping back, his arms fall to his sides, his blue eyes watery and filled to the brim with nothing but reverence for me.

“You’re ready now,” he says confidently.

“I know,” I say with a smile. “Now, hurry up and make me your husband.”

Straightening my spine,I button up my tuxedo jacket, and breathe through the anticipation that’s fluttering around in my stomach as I take in the room before me.

Our wedding was always going to be a small, intimate event, Deacon’s family and the few friends we have accumulated along the way. Both perpetual loners, it’s very easy for us to get sidetracked in our bubble, but when we let people in, it’s always a pleasant reminder, especially for Deacon, of just how much love there is in the world.

To give and receive.

Dressed to the nines, Wade squeezes my shoulder as I reach the end of the aisle. Both Deacon’s best man and our self-appointed marriage officiant, even though the decision was made when we were all heavily intoxicated, there really is nothing more perfect than the person who has supported us the most, marrying us today.

“Are you ready?” he asks.

“Are you?” I retort back. “Did you practice all your lines?”

He raises a bunch of folded papers. “I did, but I bought these as a backup.”

“Who would’ve thought it would be hard to officiate a wedding,” I tease.

“Harder than getting the license, that’s for sure.”

This makes us both laugh.

“Are you nervous?” Wade asks me. “Do you have your vows ready?”

I tap my temple. “I’ve got it all up here.”

“Show off,” he mutters.

Before either one of us gets the chance to say another word, Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love” starts to play on the speaker, and the flutter of anticipation returns to the pit of my stomach.

It doesn’t matter that we’ve already seen one another, touched and spoken to one another. It doesn’t matter that a million ‘I love you’s’ have already left my mouth for this man, and my lips have kissed him an endless number of times. Because nothing in existence could’ve prepared me for the way I would feel, watching Deacon walk down the aisle, arm in arm with his father, toward me.

Towardme.

An overwhelming sense of warmth fills me from head to toe. My love for him and his love for me; it overflows, spilling between us, drowning us in the best way possible.

They hold on to one another tightly, each of their steps still seemingly too far away.

I want them to hurry, I want Deacon close.

I want to make him my husband.

Bill Sutton is a stoic man I have known almost my whole life. I’ve seen him experience the worst things a parent can endure, and yet I have never seen him as overcome with emotion as he is right now.

The years have aged him, lines at the corners of his eyes, deep creases on his upper lip, proof that despite his denial, he has reacquainted himself with his love for tobacco these last few years. I know the tug-o-war between his remaining son and his wife has taken its toll, but even through the stream of tears that fall down his face, the pride and happiness he has for Deacon in this moment is unmissable.

When they finally reach the end of the aisle, Bill releases Deacon, just to hold his face in his hands and stare at his son. As they wordlessly stand there, in front of each other, I take in what is the history and the future of the Sutton family. They’ve been through a lot together since Rhett died, but they’ve worked harder at their relationship than I think either one of them ever expected, and today is proof that none of that hard work has gone to waste.

Bill kisses Deacon on the forehead before taking a step back. But when I expect him to move to the side, he surprises me by stepping forward and holding my own face in his hands.

“I’m so happy for you, son,” he says, his eyes full of unshed tears. “I’m so unbelievably happy for you both.”

Unable to contain the onslaught of emotions, I wordlessly nod through my own tears at the man who never once questioned taking me under his wing. Opening his heart and family to me all those years ago, single handedly changing thetrajectory of my life, making sure I knew I was welcome, I was wanted. I was loved.

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