I smiled down at the beautiful diamond band that his mother had helped him pick out.
“Nora,” the minister began, “repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”
Kyler held out his hand and I slipped the ring onto his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
I pulled the actual ring back and slipped it onto my own finger as he manifested a duplicate on his finger.
We met each other’s gaze and smiled.
“Now, by the powers vested in me,” the minister said. “I pronounce you husband and wife. Kyler, you may kiss your bride.”
Kyler wrapped his arms around my hips, pulling me flush against him. “Gladly.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, giving our guests the kiss they’d been waiting to see.
“Friends and family,” the minister announced when Kyler finally released me. “It is my true pleasure to introduce, Mr. and Mrs. Kyler Fletcher!”
Our family and friends hooted and cheered as Kyler took my hand and turned me to face our loved ones. I gasped when I found my father standing in a suit at the other end of the aisle. Tears stung my eyes as I smiled at him. He nodded. I looked to my mother who was staring in his direction, already answering the question if she could see him or not. Izzy tapped my arm, passing me my bouquet. Once I looked back, my father had disappeared. I pushed back my happy tears as Kyler and I made our way down the small aisle as husband and wife.
We spent the rest of the evening dancing on the beach under the stars. Eventually, our family and friends retreated to their rooms, and I was happy to finally be alone with my husband.
Kyler dipped me and I laughed; we were both so happy.
“This day couldn’t have been any more perfect,” I said.
“I think I might be able to make it even better,” Kyler said. “Come on.” He took my hand and walked me along the beach. “I want to tell you something.”
“Uh oh,” I said.
He laughed. “It’s nothing bad.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“I got you a gift,” he said.
My eyebrows furrowed. “What kind of gift?”
“A wedding gift, though I didn’t know at the time that it would be a wedding gift.”
“At what time?” I asked warily.
“Um, I think you might need to sit down for this.”
“You’re starting to freak me out,” I said.
“I just need you to hear me out.” He tugged me down until I was seated on the sand beside him. “The sacrifices you’re making to be with me are not lost on me.”
I shook my head. “There’s no sacrifice. I want this life. And I want it with you.”
He tilted his head, his eyes assessing my face with such love and devotion it still floored me even after two years. “When I was in Florida,” he began, “one of my teammates told me about a quick way to make money.”
My eyes widened. “Stripping?”
He chuckled. “No, not stripping.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’d make a great stripper,” I said with twitching lips.
His eyes narrowed. “Okay. But it wasn’t stripping. It was making…donations.” He winced, awaiting my reaction.
“Donations?” I asked, not understanding.