Page 54 of Aidan

“I know you are, but it’s not time yet.” I face the mirror and meet Caitlín’s eyes with a smile and she goes back to putting the finishing touches on my hair.

Nessa calls my sister over and the two of them talk and giggle.Butterflies have been swarming around in my stomach all day. Today I become Aidan’s wife. Something I never dreamed possible. The past five days have been surreal. We’ve both been so busy during the day that we barely saw each other. But the nights? The nights have been incredible.

The first time we’d had sex, it had been fucking. Since he proposed, and although he didn’t actually say he loved me, he’s made love to me like he does. And while him admitting that hethinkshe’s falling in love with me might not be enough for another woman, it is for me. I’ve always judged a person on their actions more than their words, and everything Aidan has done over the last few weeks—god, the last five years—tells me he loves me. I can be patient.

“All done,” Caitlín announces.

I stare at myself in the mirror. She’s pinned the sides back in loose twists and left the rest to cascade down in long waves. My makeup is light and natural with a pale pink lip gloss that shines, but doesn’t look wet. Taking a deep breath, I stand and turn to face the three of them. “How do I look?”

“Absolutely stunning,” Caitlín breathes out in awe while Nessa and Aisling nod their heads with eyes wide and mouths gaped.

There’s a narrow full-length mirror attached to the back of the door and I walk over to it to study myself. My dress is a simple, but beautiful A-line with a sharp V-neckline that shows the perfect amount of cleavage. The asymmetrical skirt is a triple-layered satin that’s shorter in the front before lengthening and billowing out around the back. I turn around and twist at the waist to glance over my shoulder. The straps are almost a halter, except they form an X centered right between my shoulder blades exposing my lower back in the triangle-shaped opening. There aren’t any other embellishments. The minute I laid eyes on it, my gut told me it was the one.

For the second time, there’s a knock on the door. Caitlín goes to answer it. On the other side is Carrick.

“The priest is here and everyone’s in their places whenever you ladies are ready,” he tells her after a brief kiss on the cheek.

She turns back to me with a huge smile. “You ready to put that ball and chain on my cousin?”

I snort and burst out laughing. “I’m ready.”

With Aisling skipping between them, Caitlín and Nessa head to the small suite where the ceremony will take place. Carrick turns toward me with a soft smile that changes his face entirely. He isn’t the head of the Irish mafia today. He’s the father whose son is getting married and the father-figure who is walking me down the aisle.

He takes both my hands. “You look beautiful. I’m so happy for you and Aidan and I’m proud to call you daughter.”

Tears well at his kind words. But they’re also a reminder that neither Mum nor Da are here to see me get married. Da had always liked Aidan.

“Thank you, Carrick. Not just for welcoming me as part of your family, but for raising such an amazing son.”

“I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.” He loops my hand around his elbow and leads me to where everyone—where Aidan—awaits.

The sound of music reaches me through the closed doors of the room and we stop in front of them. Two ushers who work for the venue stand on either side of it. Carrick lays his hand over mine and squeezes it gently. I swallow at the sudden rush of emotion. We stand there for several minutes until finally the song changes and that’s our cue. The two men each grab a handle and pull apart the double doors.

Heads turn and then we’re slowly moving forward. Both our families are seated in chairs that are placed on two sides of the room forming an aisle in between both sections. At the head of it stands Caitlín, Nessa, and Aisling on the left. To the right are Kellen and Carson who both nearly cried when Aidan asked them to stand up with him. And directly in the center, just in front of the priest, is Aidan. Our gazes lock and neither of us can look away as his Da and I draw closer.

Even from this distance, love shines from his eyes. I feel it deep inside me. No one has ever looked at me like this. I suspect it’s the same way I’m looking at him. My heart is full to bursting. It takes far too long, although it’s only a minute, but finally, Carrick and I stop next to Aidan. The priest speaks but it’s nothing but a buzzing in my ears. All I can focus on is the man in front of me.

There’s a soft tug on my arm as Carrick releases my hold on him. He ghosts a kiss across my cheek and then Aidan’s strong, calloused hands are wrapped around mine and he brings both sets of knuckles up to his mouth for a soft and gentle kiss.

The priest speaks again, and somehow, I manage to give all the appropriate responses at the right time. Then he faces Aidan.

“Do you have the ring?”

Aidan lets go of my hands and turns to Kellen behind him, who passes him the plain platinum band. Then he’s facing me again and taking my left hand.

“You may place the ring on Sorcha’s finger and speak your vows now,” the priest instructs.

I blink. We were supposed to have our own vows? Mild panic rises, but then it’s soothed away by Aidan’s voice.

“Sorcha Noreen O’Connell. You’ve been my best friend. My confidante. My lover. Now, you’ll be my wife. The woman I plan on spending the rest of my life honoring, cherishing”—he pauses, a bright light shining from his eyes, and slowly releases a breath as he slides the band in place—“and loving to the best of my ability. Thank you for never giving up on me. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that every day you know how much I care for you. How much I love you. I’m sorry it took so long for me to realize.”

I take in a shuddering breath and barely hold back my sob. Tears streak down my cheeks.

“Sorcha would you like to make a vow?” the priest asks, as though he knew ahead of time that I hadn’t prepared one.

Except it doesn’t matter, because as soon as Caitlín gives me the ring, I speak from my heart. “Aidan Brian Donnelly. Five years ago you saved me. Not just from a bad situation, but from grief. You’ve been there for me through everything, never wavering in your friendship and support. From that first moment I’ve loved you and only dreamed that one day you might love me, too. Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”

The priest says a final prayer and then, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

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