Page 26 of Fall to Me
“You were stubborn, closed off, and absolutely infuriating. But underneath that rough exterior was a man with the biggest heart who took my son under his wing. You went from being my rival to my best friend to the man I want to spend forever with. Never in a million years did I expect you. You’ve spent every single day choosing me, and I vow to do the same for you.”
Her voice trembles.
“I promise to never run, unless it’s into your arms. I’ll always fight for you, challenge you, and love you in every imperfect moment. I’m yours. In this life and the next.”
He squeezes her hand and mouthsI love you.
“By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Cal, you may kiss your bride!”
Cal dips Aspen, and when his lips meet hers, cheers erupt. A loud whistle bounce off the canyon walls.
Tucker covers his eyes. “Nope. No. Nope. Don’t need to see it. Do not need to see it.”
I throw my head back and laugh. That kid is seriously my favorite person.
Cal and Aspen raise their locked hands in the air as they make their way back down the aisle. Then Carter turns to me with a lopsided smile and reaches for my hand. We follow behind Cal and Aspen to the sound of applause folding around us, and as we pass my dad, Carter lifts my hand and places a deliberate kiss. The warmth of his mouth lingers on my skin as he holds my gaze, then winks, the corner of his mouth twitching with that annoying smirk.
My stomach flutters, and I damn near forget how to breathe.
“Your husband’s been lookin’ at you all night like you’re a snack.” Hannah giggles, taking a sip of her cocktail.
I hold up my glass wondering if it’s real crystal or not. This place is snazzy. It has to be real crystal.
Lowering the glass back down, I give her a wink and counter, “He’s the snack.”
“I thought you said you didn’t like him.”
“Yeah, well, you all knew I was lying, and now the cat’s out of the bag.”
Shrugging, I toss back the drink, swallowing down every last drop. Before I can order another cocktail, Hannah drags me toward the dance floor.
Ahhh, I love this song. After five drinks, the headache I woke up with has officially subsided. I haven’t done a weekend bender like this since college. My limbs feel all noodley. Noodley. Is that even a word? It feels like a word. If not, it should be.
“You, know who else is a snack?” Hannah calls out.
I raise a brow in question.
She tilts her head toward the guys.
“Aiden?” I screech, my voice too loud. People turn to look at me. Yep. Definitely too loud. “I mean, I guess I always thought you two had like, this friends with benefits thing going on . . .” My eyes bug out of my head. “Wait. Are you saying?—?”
She doubles over laughing, shaking her head. “No, you idiot. I’m not pterodactyl girl, and I’ve never been with Aiden in that way. He’s just a friend. The one on the other side of your husband.”
I squint, looking over to see who she’s talking about.
“Sean Mac?!” I screech again.
She slaps a hand over my mouth. “Shutup,” she hisses through laughter, looking around in full panic. “You are definitely not as quiet as you think you are when you’ve been drinking.”
When she uncovers my mouth, I look around to make sure Luke, her dad and the team’s head coach, isn’t within ear shot.
“Sorry.”
“That man-bun with the close-cut sides is really doing it for me. Over there looking like a Viking God. Whew.” She fans her face. “He certainly looks nothing like the boy I met when I was in college. The other day I went down to the ice to talk to my dad, Sean was out there stretching . . . Girl, the man went into full splits.”
“You know who can also do the splits?” I nod toward Carter.
Hannah’s eyes go wide. “No way.”
