Page 95 of Kiss the Bride

“Toilet seats and paper?”

By now, not only are our random guests but our family and friends in stitches, taking great delight in mocking my previous efforts at being house-trained.

“To be fair, when I’m living on my own, I don’t care about the toilet seat. But if you agree to us living together, I believe positive reinforcement can be used to train this old dog.”

“Oh,” now the twinkling in Olivia’s eyes gives away what she has in mind, “you mean, for every day you put the seat down, you want …”

“What have you got in mind?”

“I’ll let you beat me at our weekly run.”

“We’re running together?” I mock slow clap as if it’s a challenge I can’t wait to win.

“Only if you can keep up.”

“Oh, baby, the only way you’ll beat me is if you’re wearing tiny little yoga shorts.”

“Hunter!” My mother refuses to remain silent. “What are the two of you talking about?”

“Sorry, Mrs. Williams.” Olivia holds both phones. “You might have heard that my wedding didn’t happen.”

“I had heard that Mitch tripped and fell into Lina Cosling. Pete deserves better, and so do you.”

“About that, I ended up going on my honeymoon with the man who paid for it.”

“What!” the collective gasps from our mothers are drowned out by Liv’s friends. “Hunter paid for your honeymoon?”

“Mitchel, would you like to explain why I believe the best man is the better man for me?”

“You two-faced bastard.” Mitchel’s next wild punch is easy to parry away. He’s swinging for show, trying to save face.

“Mate, check out, go back to Sydney. I don’t know how you paid your way here, but there’s nothing left for you. Olivia and I have a few more days left of her honeymoon, and you’re not invited.”

To my surprise and Olivia’s obvious relief, Mitch storms off, looking ridiculous as his feet sink into the soft sand. I don’t care. He’s officially out of her life, and I can only hope the door is open for me.

“Babe?”

“Yes, Hunter.”

“I don’t care whether we live in my unit or your house. I don’t care if we sell both and find somewhere that is perfectly us. I don’t even care if we rent them out and live on my boat.”

“A little small, don’t think my shoes would fit.”

“Olivia Marie Woodgrove. You are my best friend and have been since we were babies. You are my first love, and I couldn’t stop loving you even when I tried. I loved you enough to want you to be happy, even when you loved another. I honestly never thought we’d get a second chance, but now that we have, I want you to know that this isn’t a sudden whim. Being with you is like diving into the ocean. We can have fun dog-paddling and splashing around, but the deeper we dive, the greater the views. I want to experience everything life has to offer, with you. I want to explore life’s beauty and adventures, with you. I promise to love you. I promise to cherish, honor, and respect you. I promisethat life won’t be boring, and it won’t always be perfect, but what we have together will be enough to see us through.”

“What are you saying, Mr. Williams?” Olivia takes my hands from her waist, bringing them to her lips. “You want to take this show on the road?”

“I want us to enjoy our honeymoon. I want us to go back home and live together. And then, when the time is right and you are as certain as I am, I want to put a gold band on your hand and proclaim to the world that I’m the lucky son-of-a-bitch that Olivia Marie agreed to marry.”

“I do.”

“What?”

“I, Olivia Marie Woodgrove, take you, Hunter Patrick Williams, to be my lover and best friend forever. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you. In sickness and in health. As we fight and makeup. As we forge a life together through the knowns and unknowns, I know one thing will hold true.”

Fuck, this was the girl who used to hate poetry.

“I will love you forever and hold you for always. From the mornings we wake and through our dreams we seize. One love, my true love will always hold true. Hunter Williams, I will marry you.”

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