Page 107 of Wrecked for Love
CLAIRE
My belly had grown round and full with the life we had created together, but that didn’t stop me from saying “yes” when Elia proposed in New York—at the very spot where Cody and I had taken the wefie Elia framed.
Cody had been cremated, his ashes buried in a cemetery in Brooklyn. The ceremony was simple, just Elia and me, but I could feel it. Cody had been there. My Batman had been with me.
Now, here we were, standing before our closest friends and family and coming full circle at The Lazy Moose, the place where it had all started.
A lively breeze rustled the golden fields as I arrived at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage. The soft clip-clop of hooves over the dirt path was soothing, each step carrying me closer to the man who had brought me back to life. Wildflowers tied to the carriage swayed as we moved. The horses, adorned with delicate garlands, moved gracefully, their dark coats gleaming under the soft glow of the setting sun.
Annette was by my side as my maid of honor, her ever-tomboyish spirit somehow softened by the elegance of the day.She had made an exception, wearing a satin dress for me, though she’d slipped on her favorite boots underneath.
Ahead, the wedding arch came into view. The aisle stretched out, not a man-made path but one that nature had carved through the fields. A mix of wild lavender, sage, and buttercups lined the way, their colors blending seamlessly with the rolling hills beyond. The landscape of The Lazy Moose—endless fields meeting the foothills of the Montana mountains—created the most breathtaking backdrop.
Elia stood waiting for me at the end of the aisle, with Logan by his side. They made a striking pair. Logan looked sharp in his suit, but it was Elia who stole my breath. Today, he wore a tuxedo, a far cry from his usual rugged cowboy look.
“Is that…him?” Annette whispered, her mouth agape.
“Yeah, that’s my man,” I replied proudly.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and he had never looked more dapper. Yet, even dressed to perfection, his eyes hadn’t changed. They were still steady, warm, and filled with the same tenderness that made me fall for him in the first place.
“Oh, you’re gonna be a beautiful baby,” Annette sang, her hand resting on my belly.
When the carriage came to a stop, I stepped down, my dress drifting around me like a soft cloud. Logan appeared beside the carriage, offering his hand to help me down, while Annette slipped a bouquet of sunflowers and pale yellow roses into my hands—blooms straight from my own nursery.
“My best friend is the luckiest son of a bitch!” Logan declared, then winced. “Sorry, sorry. I mean, you look stunning, Claire.”
“Thanks, Log,” I said.
“Ready for this? You can still change your mind,” he quipped.
“Let’s not keep him waiting. Look at him!” I said, motioning to Elia, who was silhouetted against a sky streaked with amberand indigo, as if the horizon had been brushed by an unseen hand.
As Logan walked me down the aisle, it felt like the earth had carved this path just for us. The light danced off the pond as we passed, and with each step, I felt grounded in this place—the land that had not only given me a second chance but had rooted me in a way I never thought possible. What was once my refuge from a life of running had become my salvation, healing the pieces of me I thought were lost forever.
The soft grass cushioned my steps as I made my way toward Elia. At that moment, there was no one else—just us and the love that had endured every hit, bruised but unbroken, surviving the blows of those who had tried to tear us apart.
“Elia,” I began, my voice soft but steady, “I used to think I could face this world alone, that I didn’t need anyone to lean on. But you changed that. You’ve shown me what it means to be loved, to be cherished, and I promise to stand by you just as you’ve stood by me.”
Elia smiled a grin that made me feel like I was home. He then squeezed my hands.
“Claire,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “For so long, I thought surviving was the same as living—that I’d already lost everything. But then you came along. You brought light back into a place I never thought would shine again. I promise to love you with everything I have, every single day, for the rest of my life.”
Tears brimmed in my eyes as I nodded, the moment too perfect for words. As we exchanged rings, I felt it—the certainty, the peace. Elia was my home now. He always had been.
With a tender kiss sealing our vows, we stepped forward into our forever, hand in hand, our hearts bound as one.
Dinner was served under a sky sprinkled with stars, the cool evening air wrapping us in its embrace. Hank, determined not torepeat past mishaps, had made sure Diesel the bull was securely locked away.
“Is it true you’ve been accepted into the veterinary program at Washington University?” Logan asked between bites of his tri-tip steak.
“Yeah, they’ve got a partnership with the University of Montana, so I can start here,” I explained, feeling my dream of becoming a vet was finally within reach. As for my writing? I’d decided to keep it as a side hobby. Elia had read my unfinished manuscript, turning shades of red at nearly every page. While he encouraged me to keep going, I knew it was starting to sound a little too close to a biography.
Avoiding any talk of my writing in this wedding crowd, I focused on my enrolment. “Eventually, I’ll have to finish my degree in Washington, though I’m still figuring out how that’ll work with…well, everything,” I said, my hand resting on my growing belly.
Elia reached for my hand and brushed his lips against it. “We’ll make it work. I’m ready for some time away from Buffaloberry.”
I rested my cheek on his shoulder. “Oh, thanks, baby.”
