Page 71 of Waiting for Redemption

“She said she needed you.” I’m not sure I’ve ever felt joy like this before. Hearing that Ruby said she neededme. I’m practically sprinting as I make my way up the hill, but when I reach the top, I still don’t see her. I walk a few more steps and round the corner where a wall of hedges stands.

There she is.

When my gaze lands on her I have to blink a few times to ensure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me.

“Oh my god.” The words slip past my lips before I realize I’m saying them out loud. Her eyes snap up to mine and a look of shock similar to the one I’m wearing spreads across her face.

“Honey, you look…perfect.” Her eyes glisten as they make their way to mine after taking in my uniform.

“So do you.” Her voice sounds so small today. Ruby is typically loud, confident, and unafraid to speak her mind, but today I can feel her holding back.

“Is everything okay? Max said you needed me?” I try to hide the pride in my voice, though I’m feeling it everywhere else. Her head drops as she picks at one of the black flowers in her bouquet. The mostRuby Ranesbouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen and I fucking love it.

“Yeah. I just…” She lifts her head, bravely looking me in the eye. “I am so sorry, Tank. For all of this. I know you had your reasons for putting distance between us, and I learned to be okay with that. But dragging you into this mess thedayyou showed back up in my life. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to apologize enough for that.” Her lip quivers as she tries to keep her composure.

I want to shake her and tell her if she’d just read my letter, she would know why things were the way that they were. Then she might understand that the time we spent away from each other didn’t make my feelings for herchange, it only magnified them. Then she might know that being here with her today is the best possible outcome I could have hoped for. But I don’t have time to tell her all of that now. Because there’s a judge and a purple sky waiting for us at the bottom of this hill and I refuse to let her miss it.

“Ruby Ranes, you listen to me and you listen closely. Do noteverapologize for giving me the opportunity to stand here with you today. Because if I didn’t want to be doing this, I wouldn’t.” Her eyes don’t waver from mine as she takes in every word of what I’ve just said, nodding to let me know she understands.

I know she’s probably still thinking I’m only doing this for Hendrix, but she’ll soon learn that if it were anyone else but her, anyone else butthem—I would offer to bury a man before committing myself to a marriage I wanted no part of. But it’s not anyone else, it’s Ruby and Hendrix—and when I pictured a future for myself worth living for, they were it.

“Are you ready?” I ask, tucking a stray hair behind her shoulder.

“I’m ready,” she agrees. I offer her my arm and she links hers through it. Before we make it two steps, she pulls me back to stop me.

“Wait.” She gasps. “I forgot the whole reason I needed you up here.” My brows knit together in confusion.

“Which is?”

“What’s your legal name?” She glances at my name badge that readsT. LANDRYand looks back up at me. “Or is it really Tank?” I can’t help but laugh as I remember her barging into my apartment asking that very question a week ago.

“Uh, it’s Tate. Tate Landry.”

“Tate,” she whispers, smiling to herself. “So where did Tank come from then?” She laughs, the sight and sound making time stand still as I take her in.

“Long story short, I ran Tucker over with our battery-operated Jeep…severaltimes when we were kids.” I chuckle, remembering how mad he would get when I would catch him and take him out at the heels.

“Oh my god, that doesn’t surprise me at all,” Ruby exclaims, laughing once again.

“Shall we?” She nods in agreement as we begin walking down the hill again. I glance down at her when she gets her first glimpse at the sunset, and the look in her eyes puts the most gorgeous sunset I’ve ever seen to shame. Nothing compares to the beauty that is my wife.

When we make it to the altar, I can tell the judge is saying something, but Ruby during golden hour is something to be savored. My attention only refocuses when the judge starts the Declaration of Intent.

We both make it to the part where we say “I do”but Ruby has barely looked up at me through the entire ceremony. I know this isn’t ideal for her, but I need those honey-brown eyes on me. When I reach over and grab her pinky with mine she finally looks up, stealing my breath with one simple look. I can’t believe we’re actually here.

“Do we have the rings?” The judge asks, as panic immediately flashes across Ruby’s face. I simply give her a wink and pull them out of my pocket. She looks up at me in surprise as I hand mine over to her.

“It is now time to say your vows. Ruby, repeat after me.” And she does.

“With this ring, I thee wed. I do promise to love, honor, and cherish you, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

But now it’s my turn, and I won’t do this without her full attention on me. When her hand is held out for me to slip her ring onto her finger, I lift her chin the way I’ve done so many times before, as I begin repeating our vows.

“With this ring, I thee wed. I do promise to love, honor, and cherish you, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health.Not even death shall part us.”I can see Taylor’s mouth pop open from my peripheral vision, and Leah slapping Lauren’s arm relentlessly. But my main focus right now is the way Ruby’s breath picks up ever so slightly from my words. It’s a small change to our vows, but one I will take very seriously.

See, I like to think death tried to keep us apart once– and failed. After months of healing, and learning what exactly I would live and die for—they’re bothher.I’d crawl out of the deepest of graves to be with her.

“By the power vested in me, by the State of Tennessee, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

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