Page 69 of Turbulent Fires

Wolf grins. “I like it.”

Chloe raises her latte in a salute. “Drink. Survive. Resist the urge to elope.”

“Too late,” I mutter.

“You didn’t?”

“No, but we want to.”

“It’s not worth it. You’ll be hunted down,” she warns.

Wolf wraps his arm around me, pulling me close as another clipboard approaches. I can’t take another moment of this. I give Wolf a kiss, then stand.

“Okay, I’m going to save everyone some time,” I announce. The buzzing room turns and looks at us. “Neither one of us cares how this goes. We don’t care if there’s a glitter cannon or fireworks. We don’t care if it’s vanilla cake or red velvet. We don’t care if my gown is gold, white, pearl, or ivory. We honestly don’t care. We want to say our vows and be each other’s eternity.”

Wolf rises next to me. “Because that’s all that matters.”

The people in the room don’t know what to do. “So, we’re out. Have fun making all of the decisions. Chloe will be happy to answer any questions you have,” I say.

Chloe’s eyes widen as she looks at me like I’ve betrayed her. I wink, take Wolf’s hand, and we run from the room. We’re laughing as we rush away, feeling free for the first time since we announced we were getting married.

We’re on the island and know it’s not safe to go to his house where we can be found. We rush to the Glenmore Plaza Hotel, are fortunate enough to get the suite, then close ourselves inside. We order food and wine from room service. When it arrives, we move to the balcony and collapse on the cozy couch as we gaze at the harbor and drink copious amounts of wine.

“No more dresses, seating charts, toasts, samples, just you and me,” he says with a sigh of satisfaction.

“It will be you and me from here on out.”

We’re in heaven with our phones turned off and our lives stretched out before us. We’ll get through this torture, and in the end, it will all be worth it.

“I love you, Mr. Young.”

“I love you, soon-to-be Mrs. Young.”

I lean against him with a sigh. It doesn’t get better than this, the two of us alone on a beautiful balcony, looking out at a peaceful ocean. Whoever’s so excited about the actual ceremony can plan it all. They get their good time, and we get ours.

“It doesn’t matter how the wedding goes or what food we eat. All that matters is you and I become husband and wife,” I tell him.

“You won’t have regrets if they pick the wrong things?”

“Not a single one. All of that is simply noise. What’s important is that we’re together.”

He pulls me close, and I lean into him, exactly where I’m meant to be. This is heaven. The chaos might be a part of life, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. The peace at the end of the storm is what we’re living for.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Audrey

Of all of the things to be asked about in the week leading up to my wedding, something I never imagined talking about was chargers. You might be thinking of phone chargers. Nope. My mother said we needed plate chargers. Yep. You heard that right, plate chargers. I didn’t know and didn’t care what those are... expensive nonsense, but at this point, none of it matters.

What matters is the bone-deep certainty that today is the day I’ll walk down the aisle, straight into Wolf’s arms. Today we become husband and wife. I’ve handled the dozens of emails about napkin folds, shades of pink, sizes of bread... on and on. But that’s over. I’ll never again get an email, text, or phone call about wedding planning. I vow if I’m blessed with a daughter, that I won’t put her through this torture. I’m going to suggest a simple beach wedding thousands of miles away.

The bridal suite at the Descanso Beach Club is currently buzzing with excitement. Chloe’s steaming my veil while arguing with a DJ over the phone. My mother’s in the next room requesting a backup cake in case the primary cake loses its structural integrity. I don’t care. I’m standing barefoot on the cool tile, gazing out the wide glass doors in awe at the calm ocean on a stunning summer day.

Our ceremony will take place on the grass beyond the cabana bar, where white chairs line a driftwood arch draped in flowing linen and eucalyptus with pink and blush flowers. The ocean sparkles as if diamonds have risen to the top to give me a perfect view on this glorious day. The gentle breeze blowing inside carries a mix of salt and Jasmine from the floral garlands hanging from the chairs. It’s as if Mother Nature herself has RSVP’d to my wedding, giving her blessing on this special day.

Gazing out the window, I notice it’s quieted in our suite. I sense Chloe move up beside me. “Are you nervous?” she asks, handing me a bottle of water.

I beam at her. “I feel like I should have some nerves, but all I feel is peace and joy.”

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