Page 66 of The Light to My Darkness (The Light to My Darkness 1)

"I love you, Penny. I love you with everything that I am." His lips crashed against mine.

I love you. I loved that carnal need of his. I loved that it matched my own.

"Ow, ow!" Rob said from behind us. "You'd think you two were the ones that just got hitched."

James laughed and released me from his grip. "Don't you have a wife you can go bother?"

Rob waved his hand through the air. "Nothing I do bothers Daphne."

"Is that so?" Daphne said and caught his hand. "You guys, they want to take a few pictures back up at the altar."

James looped his arm behind my back. "Once the dancing starts, do you think we could sneak away for a few minutes?"

I smiled up at him. "Did you think I'd let you fly across the Atlantic without a proper sendoff?"

"I hoped that would be your answer."

"Daddy!" Scarlett called and ran over to us.

He leaned down and picked her up.

She giggled as he peppered her face with kisses.

"You were perfect, pumpkin," he said.

"I know."

She was also way more confident than I was at her age. Hell, maybe she was more confident than I was now.

Chapter 23

Saturday

I cleared my throat for the second time. My hands were shaking so badly, I knew it must look like I was about to drop the mic. Matt had killed his speech. He had the whole place in fits of laughter. How was I supposed to top that? James put his hand on my knee. I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Somehow knowing that he was beside me calmed me down. I took a deep breath. You can do this. "Bee, you were the first real friend I made in New York. Well, besides for James' friends, which included your new husband. I never thought someone would be able to tame him."

A few people laughed, including Mason and Bee.

"But seriously, Bee. I struggled moving to New York, leaving everyone I knew back home. But you made me feel like I was accepted here. The big bad city terrified me. Moving here from a small town in Delaware was quite the adjustment. And you understood that too. You were a piece of home. You were open and kind and warm. Unlike most of the people here."

More people seemed to laugh at that joke. My hand stopped shaking so dramatically.

"You were basically me except that you were totally killing it."

"That's so not true, Penny!" Bee said with a laugh.

"It is true! You made me realize that I c

ould belong here too." I put my hand on my chest. "And I'm so, so grateful to you for that."

Bee gave me a tight-lipped smile. It looked like she might start crying again.

"I love you, Bee. I love you both. You're two of my best friends. I can't believe two of the nicest people I've ever met were able to find love with one another. I think you're perfect together. And I truly believe that you can make it through anything. Your love is timeless. You're timeless." I held up my glass. "To the happy couple."

There was a smattering of applause. Not nearly as loud as what Matt had gotten, but I'd take it. I quickly sat back down.

James put his arm around my shoulders. "You were amazing."

I laughed. "I wasn't." I turned my head toward his. "But thank you. I still can't believe how nervous I get when I have to speak in front of a crowd. You were a terrible Comm professor."

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