Page 17 of Catching Her Heart
"Are you kidding?" I reach up to touch his cheek. "Best decision I ever made."
"Even with Bridget's singing?"
"Especially with Bridget's singing. Though I'm drawing the line if she wants to sing at the actual ceremony tomorrow."
"Too late," Ted grins. "She's already planned her playlist."
"Ted Brennan, please tell me you're joking."
"Okay, I'm joking."
"But you're not really joking, are you?"
"Not even a little bit."
I groan and drop my forehead against his chest. "What have I gotten myself into?"
"A lifetime of off-key serenades, interfering family members, and reporters asking if I'm going to hit better now that I'm married."
"And?"
"And a lifetime of coffee dates, inside jokes, and falling asleep next to the woman who makes me want to be better at everything." His arms tighten around me. "Still sound good to you?"
I pull back to look at him, at this man who saw past my professional armor from day one, who trusted me enough to share his dreams and patient enough to forgive my mistakes. Tomorrow I become Mrs. Ted Brennan, and I honestly can't wait.
"Sounds perfect," I say, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him.
From across the dance floor, I hear Bridget's delighted squeal as Aaron dips her again, and I can't help but smile. I’m so happy right now I just want everyone else to be happy, too.
CHAPTER NINE
I'm standingin the bridal suite at the chapel in the middle of town, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror, when chaos descends in the form of Kathleen Brennan carrying what appears to be enough food to feed a small army.
"Piper, sweetheart!" she bustles through the door, arms laden with a massive wicker basket. "I brought emergency snacks. You can't get married on an empty stomach. Did you eat breakfast? You look pale. Are you eating enough? Here, have a muffin."
Before I can protest, she's thrust a blueberry muffin into my hands and is unpacking the basket with the efficiency of a military quartermaster.
"Mom," Bridget says, appearing behind her with my veil draped over her arm, "the ceremony isn't for two hours. She's not going to starve."
"You never know," Kathleen insists, arranging sandwiches and fruit on every available surface. "Wedding nerves can make you forget to eat, and then you faint at the altar, and then the photos are ruined, and?—"
"Kathleen," my mom interrupts gently, stepping into the chaos, "breathe. Piper's fine."
I watch in amazement as my usually reserved mother takes charge of the situation. Over the past year, she's developed an impressive ability to handle Brennan family emergencies.
"Now," Mom continues, "why don't you and I go check on the flowers while the girls finish getting ready?"
"But what if she gets hungry?" Kathleen protests.
"Then she'll eat one of the seventeen sandwiches you brought," Mom says with a smile, gently steering her future in-law toward the door.
As they leave, I turn back to the mirror and nearly scream. "Where are my shoes?"
The bridal suite erupts into panic mode. Bridget drops the veil and starts crawling under the settee. My college roommate Sarah emerges from the bathroom with half-applied mascara to search the closet. Even my normally calm sister-in-law-to-be joins the frantic hunt.
"When did you see them last?" Bridget calls from under a table.
"I put them right here by the mirror!" I point to the empty spot where my beautiful ivory heels should be. "They were here when I got dressed!"
