Page 83 of Falling for You
I’m standing in the parking area with Mom, Pops, Willow, Violet and Evelyn. Evelyn is holding Olivia in her matching dress to mine.
Our dresses are cream satin with a sheer overlay dotted with pearls. The sheer material was used to create bell sleeves. Mine has a deep V in the front and the back. Olivia’s dress has the same overlay but only a few pearls on her chest.
“Okay girls, it’s time!” Mom ushers us closer to the makeshift aisle.
Cooper stands with his hand extended, ready to walk her to her seat in the front row.
We kept the wedding small, family and close friends only. Roman’s parents are seated on his side, complete with disapproving scowls on their faces. This is not what they pictured for their son, but we don’t give a shit.
Each girl follows the one before them in their dusty rose dresses, down the beach. Evelyn goes last, handing Olivia to Mom before she takes her spot at the altar.
I peek around a rock that is hiding me and see Roman is already crying and looking at Olivia.
The only one missing from Roman’s side is Hunter. He refused to stand with him. But I spy him sitting in the back row by himself, his eyes are trained on Evelyn, tracking her every movement and I wonder idly if this has something to do with him being so hard on Roman.
When he refused to be Rome’s best man, it hurt him a lot and took him a while to get over. But in the end, it’s Hunter’s decision and consequences that he has to live with.
“It’s our turn, baby girl.”
I hook my arm through Pops’ and we start to walk when the music changes on the speaker that G brought.
All eyes turn to me as we start walking down the beach.
The only ones I care about are Roman’s.
Pops gives me away to Rome, kissing my cheek and shaking his hand.
“Hey, Stud.”
“You look stunning, Sunshine.”
Clark clears his throat, ready to start the ceremony and not listen to us.
I still can’t believe he got ordained on the internet just to marry us.
We repeat vows after Clark tells us to, and I can’t take my eyes off Roman. Before I know it Clark is ending the ceremony.
“For the first time, it’s my honor to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Roman Thomas. You may now kiss your bride!”
Roman grips me at the waist and pulls me flush to him. He bends me at my waist and kisses me deeply. When we come up for air everyone is out of their seats cheering for us as we walkdown the aisle and get directly into the car that will bring us back to the inn for the very first Balsam Cliffs Inn wedding reception with half the town.
But certainly not the last.
