Page 67 of Beginnings By the Sea

As I watched her swing her arm back to throw, I told myself I wouldn’t even attempt to reach for them. But as I watched the flowers sail through the air straight toward me, I had no choice but to catch them before they hit me in the head. The crowd cheered, but there were a few scowls from the women around me. Luckily, the music started up again and Miles came to my side. He pulled me into him and kissed me.

“It must be a sign,” he said, nodding at the flowers.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I was wondering if you were ever going to ask me to marry you again.”

A mischievous twinkle sparkled in his eyes. “Do you still have your rings?”

It just so happened that I did, hidden away in a small jewelry box in my pajama drawer.

“I do,” I replied. “You?”

Miles nodded, his expression serious. “Tucked away for when I needed it again. I was hoping one day I would.”

My heart raced and I cupped his cheek. “How about you get it out and we try this whole marriage thing again?”

Miles held me tighter, his eyes full of longing. “Is that what you want?”

There was no hesitation.

“Yes. More than anything. I don’t need a fancy wedding; I just need you.”

My eyes started to burn when Miles rested his forehead on mine. “Think it’ll work this time?”

Our lips touched and I breathed him in. “I know it will.”

33

NYLA

AUGUST

Our August wedding was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. The sun shone brightly overhead all day, and the temperature hovered around eighty degrees. The ceremony was small with just our parents and close friends attending: no extended family. Although, we had no doubt word had spread to Cohen of our nuptials. Luckily, he didn’t try to contact us. I was pretty sure he was gone for good from our lives.

Everleigh was my matron of honor and Luke stood by Miles as his best man, just like he did before at our first wedding. Since Everleigh got married in her backyard by the beach and it was so beautiful, I took her idea and did the same.

Miles and I said our vows in front of the big oak tree in our backyard with the Intracoastal Waterway as the perfect backdrop. My dress was simple, just a silky off-white gown that gently hugged my body.

Now that everyone had left, I changed out of my dress into shorts and a tank top and sat on the dock, enjoying the last rays of sunshine shimmering across the water. I lifted my hand and smiled as my engagement ring sparkled.

“If you wanted a new ring, I would’ve gotten you one,” Miles said from behind me. I didn’t even hear him walk across the dock. “I did sell my house in Virginia, which gave us quite an impressive sum of money.”

This was true. We had a lot of money in the bank and it was lovely. He’d also taken a job at the local fire station. For once, everything was finally coming together perfectly.

Miles sat beside me and handed me a glass of wine, even though I was still full from our exquisite dinner, catered by The Beachcomber, and our delicious wedding cake. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.

Miles moved closer so I rested my head on his shoulder. “My ring is perfect,” I whispered, staring down at it. It was a small diamond, but that didn’t matter to me. All that mattered was that Miles was mine again. I lifted my face to his and kissed him. “I wouldn’t trade it in for anything else.”

The diamond on my finger sparkled in the dim light as I took a sip of my wine and closed my eyes to savor the heady flavor that lingered on my tongue. I opened my eyes and set the glass down on the dock beside us before curling up in Miles’s lap. He chuckled and gently brushed an errant strand of hair away from my face.

“Are you ready to start our honeymoon now?” he asked, gazing into my eyes.

In just a few short hours, we were going to be on a plane to the Maldives. It was a place we’d always wanted to go to but never could afford it. I felt my heart flutter as I wrapped my arms around Miles’s neck and smiled at him.

“I’m down for that. Then, afterward, I might have to snag another piece of wedding cake.” It was lemon flavored with buttercream icing, the perfect combination.

Miles laughed and shook his head. “You’re not going to try sneaking some in your luggage, are you?”

That thought hadn’t escaped my mind, but I didn’t want to ruin a perfectly good cake.

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