Page 56 of Keeping You
The officiant smiles.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Luke cups my face and kisses me, and the world around us erupts into cheers I don’t hear.
“Mrs. Caldwell,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Mr. Cooper,” I tease, laughing with him.
The reception is everything I hoped it would be—messy, joyful, and buzzing with enough gossip to power Cupid’s Creek for the next decade. Luke and I can hardly move two steps without someone stopping us to offer congratulations or a story about how they “always knew.” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard that tonight.
I spot Anna near the cake table, Harper at her side, both of them glowing in their bridesmaid dresses. I start to head toward them to thank Anna for the beautiful cake, but before I can, two women drift across my path.
“Did you hear?” one whispers to the other, though not nearly quietly enough. “A new bakery’s opening on Main. Out-of-towners. Supposed to be really fancy.”
“Poor Anna,” the other replies with a sympathetic shake of her head. “As if she hasn’t had enough on her plate.”
My stomach twists, but when I glance at Anna, I notice her expression is too calm. I know her well enough to recognize the steel in her spine, the smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Harper must see it too, because she leans in and murmurs something I can’t catch, her hand resting on Anna’s arm like an anchor.
A moment later, Anna excuses herself and heads outside for a breath of air, casting me an apologetic glance when she hurriesby. I watch her go, worried because I know that look. It’s the one a woman gets when she’s planning her next move.
Later, when Luke and I finally steal a quiet moment together near the edge of the dance floor, I find myself glancing toward the doors where his sister disappeared. “She’ll be okay,” he says, following my gaze, though I see concern on his face.
“I know,” I say softly. “She’s stronger than people give her credit for. But I hate that it always feels like she has to prove herself.”
He slides an arm around my waist, tugging me closer. “She’ll figure it out. And you know what? So will we. No matter what this town throws at us.”
I tip my head back to meet his eyes, thrilled at the absolute certainty there. “Keeping you might be the only thing I’ve ever really been sure of.”
His grin is slow and devastating, the kind that still makes my heart stumble. “Good,” he says, pressing his lips to mine. “Because I’m never letting you go.”
