Page 71 of Silver Sanctuary
Her wedding dress was simple—sleek silk that draped over every curve like it was made out of liquid.
“My god.”
She smiled, walking hand in hand with Embrie by her side. He forced himself to blink, the lump of emotion in his throat growing with each step they took toward him.
They both looked so beautiful. His girls.His.They were about to become his family.
Forever.
“What?” He chuckled as her eyes grew even wider as she closed in on him.
“You look so handsome.” Lacy’s hand came to rest on his chest. “You took my breath away.”
He couldn’t hold back. His head dipped so his lips were right against hers. “I think you stole my line,wife.”
“I’m not your wife yet.”
“Technicalities I don’t really care about.” Nash’s lips pressed against hers, noting how soft they felt with the rose-petal-colored lipstick sliding between them.
“I didn’t realize you’d be wearing your dress whites. It feels so…”
“Weird? Formal?”
“No. Like a fairy tale.”
“Lacy.” The officiant looked over at her. God, her whole body was shaking with nerves. Why the hell had she let Nash talk her into saying something for her vows other than the scripted lines? He was going to say something beautiful, and make everyone in the room cry, and she was going to look ungrateful. Like she didn’t understand everything he was giving up, everything he was risking, by becoming her husband. “We’re ready for you to say your vows now, and to exchange rings.”
Lacy knew her face must have shown her panic because Nash just chuckled and winked, holding his hand out toward Hawk. Two solid gold bands were placed in his palm and she let out a sigh of relief. Of course he had that covered.
“Breathe, Lace. Whatever you say will be perfect,” Nash whispered.
She nodded, tears already gathering in the corner of her eyes as she took the bigger of the two bands and warmed the metal in her hand.
“There was this moment, the first time you came into Petals, where the air stopped moving. You were standing there,listening to a customer—someone from my past—say truly awful things about me. And instead of turning around, instead of walking out the door, you came to my rescue. You knew nothing about me, and yet, you chose to stand up for me—to protect me. To make sure I was safe, and okay. That’s the kind of man you are, Nash Caldwell. And from the second that air went still, and my heart hitched in my chest, I prayed for this moment.”
She laughed, but it was messy and soggy, and she really wished she had a tissue because surely the tears were about to come. As if reading her mind, Lily popped up and handed her one, before making her way back to her seat.
“Do you remember giving me your business card?” she asked.
He nodded.
“I threw it away.” The guys chuckled, but she kept going. “I threw it away, because before you, there was never a single person I could count on in my life. Not a single person who ever genuinely wanted to help me. Not a friend, or family member, or parent—” Her voice caught. “Who loved me.”
The first tear fell, and Lacy feared it was just the beginning.
“But you do. And I know that without you ever having to say the words. Because it’s in the way your hand rests on the small of my back whenever you’re standing beside me. The way you look behind us, and keep an eye on the path in front of us to make sure we’re safe. The way you play with and tease Embrie—the way you teach her. It’s in the way you never make a fuss about your needs, but will burn the world down to make sure mine are taken care of. You are the most genuinely good human I know, and I’m going to work every day to be worthy of the love that you pour into me?—”
“You are worthy,” he interrupted. “Just as you are. Yesterday,today, tomorrow. You don’t have to do anything to earn my love. It’s yours.”
Her hands shook as she pushed the ring onto his finger before reaching up, soggy tissue still clamped in one, to cup his face. “My heart belongs to you, Nash. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
He moved so quickly she didn’t have a chance to remind him that they were in the middle of their vows. The kiss was everything she needed. Every doubt or fear washed away in the heat of their connection. Whistles and cheers rang out around them.
The officiant cleared his throat. “I think that part is forafterMr. Caldwell says his vows.”
Lacy’s face was surely a mess. Nash took her hands in his and a sudden rush of excitement washed over her as she waited for him to start his vows.
