Page 65 of Devotion: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 1)

Chapter Nineteen

Icame out of the bath and wrapped a large towel around me. Lachlan went to get dressed in another bedroom for the ceremony, leaving me in his room. I glanced at myself in the mirror.

Holy shit, I’m getting married!

It felt surreal, a dream. Must be a good one, because I felt like I was floating, that anticipation flowing through my body. I couldn’t wait to be back in the bedroom, with him.

My necklace caught my eye, with Hunter’s and my wedding rings hanging off the chain. I hadn't taken it off since I left for my book tour right before his death. Except for last night when Lachlan took it off, it hadn’t left my neck.

My trembling fingers reached out behind my neck and it took me quite a few attempts to take it off for the first time in over ten months. I laid it down into a little jewelry dish in the bathroom. I couldn’t explain it but I felt a little bit lighter.

I heard knocking on the bedroom door.

“Come in, Ainslee,” I yelled out. I was impressed she was knocking and waiting for me to answer rather than barging in.

She entered the room beaming with a happy smile and dressed for the wedding. As always, she looked beautiful. She wore a scarlet red floating dress that was surprisingly simple. It was the simplest dress I had seen her wear thus far.

She glanced behind her and motioned her head for someone to come in.

“Hold on, I’m in my towel,” I objected as I turned around to run into the bathroom when I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Surprise,” Ainslee exclaimed as Elise strolled towards me.

“What? How?” I stuttered.

“You wouldn’t think I’d miss your wedding,” she hugged me tightly while I still stood dumbfounded.

“Unless you don’t want me here,” she asked worriedly.

“No,” I told her and hurriedly corrected myself as I hugged her. “I mean, yes! Of course I want you here. I just mentioned this morning I wished you were here.”

She squealed and hugged me tightly one more time.

“I can’t believe it,” she exclaimed.

“Me either,” I told her. “Did Brandon come with you? Anyone else? How did you get here so fast?”

She laughed. “That is a lot of questions. Yes, Brandon is with me. We wouldn’t miss it for the world. Lachlan sent a plane for us,” she chattered and added understanding my question. “It is only the two of us.”

Thank God,I thought.

She was dressed in a matching dress as Ainslee, and the red accented her light hair.

“You look beautiful,” I told her. “Red always looked great on you.”

She hugged me tightly one more time.

“I’m so happy for you,” she mumbled. “Shocked and surprised, but happy. And you look like you are glowing.” She took a deep breath and added in a choking voice. “Like my beautiful little sister again.”

I chuckled and her startled look landed on me. “I’m naked, wrapped in the towel.”

“You chuckled?” She stared in shock. My poor big sister, I really managed to add so many worries into her life over last year.

“Okay,” Ainslee interrupted. “You two can reminisce while I am getting her ready. We don’t have much time to get her all dressed in her wedding gown.”

“Darn, how does the dress look?” I asked worried about what she came up with. “I told Lachlan, I would not wear something loud. I swear, if that’s what you have…” I stopped myself as she pulled out a dress out of the closet.

“Wow,” it was Elise that spoke.

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