Wedding Day (4 years before the book’s epilogue)
Sam
“I can’t believe you’re getting married. You, the person with the worst luck with men,” my sister commented from beside me.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and touched my cheek. I almost couldn’t believe the person reflected was me. My hair was meticulously styled to look effortless but contained all at the same time, and my skin had never looked clearer.
“You’re going to smudge your makeup,” Lana chided and smacked my hand away from my face.
The makeup artist had just finished covering the latest cursed pimple that had decided it was appropriate to appear in the middle of my cheek the night before my wedding. Despite using the aloe moisturizer Lana gave me for the past year, it seemed even aloe wasn’t strong enough to combat these damn stress pimples.
“Unckie, pwetty!” Junior exclaimed as he raised his hands above his head. It was his way of asking to be picked up.
I chuckled and obliged to his request by placing him on my lap. Who the heck knew where he’d learn the word “pretty” from. And though he still wasn’t able to say it properly, that didn’t stop him from saying “pwetty” to anyone and anything he could.
“Junior, Unckie isn’t pretty. I’m handsome. Can you say ‘Unckie is handsome’?” I seriously taught him, but Junior only tilted his head to the side before giggling liked I’d told him the funniest joke he’d heard in his short life.
I couldn’t even be mad considering how cute he was and pulled him in for a hug, but before I could, the weight on my lap disappeared.
“Let’s play over here or else you’re going to make your unckie not pretty anymore,” Lana teased and cast a smug look directed toward my pimple. Junior giggled and hugged his mom’s neck.
“Excuse you! I’m always pretty whether I have clear skin or not.” I gritted out. “Just ask Ryker!”
Lana snorted. “The man’s so head over heels for you he’d probably think you’re pretty even if you were covered in shit!”
“Shit! Shit!” Junior repeated in a happy babble.
“Look what you’re teaching my nephew,” I said to my sister with a glare, then turned to Junior with a gentle smile. “Don’t listen to your mommy. She has a potty mouth and good boys don’t want a toilet for a mouth.”
Lana rolled her eyes while Junior giggled again and leaned into his mother’s arms.
“How are we looking in here? It’s almost time,” Gramps said, entering the tent we were using to get ready.
Annabelle followed closely behind Gramps. She’d been hanging around Gramps more often these days, and I was starting to suspect she was crushing on the old man. It would be nice for Gramps to find love after so many years of staying single, but him being with my landlady just felt wrong somehow.
“Why they look stunning, don’t they, Russell?” Annabelle placed a hand on Gramps’ arm and commented.
Gramps nodded and took a step back so there was a respectable amount of distance between them.
He probably thought he was being gentlemanly, but oh sweet summer child. I wonder where Gramps’ got his denseness from. Definitely not me, so it had to be Lana.
If Annabelle was really serious about Gramps, she wasn’t going to have an easy time, though by the unfazed smile Annabelle shot in reply to Gramps’ action, it looked like she was up for the challenge.
Gramps turned to me, eyes watery as he said in a choked voice, “You look good, son. I can’t believe you’re getting married already.”
“Oh, no, no, no. Don’t you dare cry, because then I’m going to cry and today is strictly a no-crying day. Smiles only,” I demanded.
“Ten bucks he’s going to cry by the end of the night,” Lana whispered behind her hand to Annabelle, but her words didn’t escape my excellent hearing.
I shot another glare my sister’s way, but before I had a chance to retort back, Gramps had already turned to take Junior from Lana’s arms.
“And who is this dashing young man? You’re just the cutest ring bearer I’ve ever seen,” Gramps cooed as he plopped a kiss on Junior’s cheek.
“GG!” Junior laughed and pretended to push his GG’s face away, but everyone could tell he was loving the attention by the way he leaned his face into Gramps’ kiss.
While Lana and Gramps fussed over Junior, Annabelle came to my side.
“You look great,” she said and leaned over to straightened my boutonnière.
“Thanks,” I replied with a smile.
Before she pulled back, she grinned up at me and dropped a bombshell. “I’m happy for you and Ryker, though I’m impressed you wiggled out of your little lie by making it real.”
Her words had me shooting to my feet. “You knew?” I exclaimed so loud it caught Gramps and Lana’s attention.
They gave me curious looks, but neither Annabelle or I paid them any mind. Annabelle merely chuckled and placed a finger to her lips. I continued to stare at her wide-eyed.
Annabelle knew this whole time that Ryker and I had lied about being engaged? Had she known from the start?
I was embarrassed as hell and could have crawled into a hole if not for our wedding planner popping her head into the space to tell us it was go time.
My already thudding heart pounded even harder against my chest. Gramps and Annabelle left the tent first. Lana grabbed Junior’s hand and turned to leave, but she caught a glimpse at me and laughed.
She patted my back and shot me a toothy smile. “C’mon, your husband’s waiting for you.”
My husband.
When I started this ploy with my little lie, I never thought this would how it would all play out, but I was glad it did.
As I followed my sister out of the tent, I was brimming with excitement to see the man who was about to become my husband.
Ryker
Most people told me they were extremely nervous on their wedding day but not me. All I felt was a peaceful calm, like everything was falling into place as it was supposed to be.
My wedding to Sam was everything I could have hoped for. The weather was beautiful with not a single rain cloud in sight, and our wedding guests were laughing and chatting as they waited in the field in the vineyard where our wedding was held.
The music started and Lana walked down the white carpet with Junior in her arms. Junior was laughing as he tightly gripped the box our wedding rings were in.
Our flower girl, Karla, followed behind them in a beautiful light blue dress that matched the one Lana was wearing. Karla was all bright smiles as she threw sunflower petals in her wake.
Then the music changed into something slower, my heart paused, and everyone stood from their seats. The flap to the tent opposite mine opened, revealing Sam in a stunning white suit that matched mine.
He saw me too and smiled, eyes curving deeper than I’d seen them before. My heart restarted in my chest, beating stronger than ever at the sight of the love of my life. Everything else faded besides the man currently walking toward me.
My feet had started moving before I even realized it in my haste to get to him. We met in the middle.
It felt like a frog was stuck in my throat, but I managed to get out the words, “You look stunning.”
Sam’s already bright smile somehow got even brighter until it was even more blinding than the sun. He took the final step toward me and took my hand in his.
“And you look absolutely jaw-dropping. If I wasn’t already madly in love with you, seeing you there, getting ready to marry me, would have sealed the deal.”
His words had my face heating, but I didn’t have time to feel shy. Not when I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I gripped Sam’s hand tightly and walked down the aisle with him.
Our friends and family had bright smiles as they watched us. I caught sight of my parents. My dad had his arm wrapped around my mom, who was daintily wiping the tears from her eyes.
She’d been ecstatic when she first met Sam as my boyfriend. I couldn’t say my family wasn’t surprised when I’d told them I was dating and planned on marrying a man, but they quickly accepted it and stated they didn’t care about the gender of my partner. Mom was just happy that I’d found someone who made me smile.
When we reached the arch where the officiant was waiting to marry us off, our guests all sat. I took my place with my younger brother by my side, and Sam stood opposite me with Lana and Junior, who was in Lana’s arm.
“We’re gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sam Monroe and Ryker West…”
The officiant’s words faded into the background and my fingers on Sam’s hand tightened again. The only thing that currently existed was Sam and the way his eyes shone as his gaze only focused on me, as if he was looking directly into my soul and lodging himself into the deepest part of me.
I never thought I could be in tune with another person like I was with Sam. He and I just got each other. He was like an extension of me that’d finally made its way home, and that was something I’d never had with another person before.
And now we were making the promise to stick with each other through thick and thin. The impact of today finally hit me, and when the officiant asked Sam if he’d take me as his lawfully wedding husband, Sam said “I do,” and something wet fell on my cheeks.
Sam’s eyes widened in shock. They became even more watery as he exclaimed, “Oh, no. Don’t do this to me. If you cry, I’m going to cry, and we said we weren’t going to cry on our wedding.” Sam turned to our officiant. “Quick, do his part before he turns this entire thing into a crying-fest!”
I snorted and laughter sounded around me. The officiant chuckled as well but obliged and asked if I accepted my vows to Sam. Saying “I do” was easier than breathing.
We were pronounced husbands. Loud cheers drifted in the wind. Sam crashed into my arms and sealed a kiss to my lips. It tasted like love, salt, and Sam, and it was absolutely perfect.
When we pulled apart, my attention was pulled to the loud shouting from the side. Jones was hollering and hooting while smiling with the rest of our friends. We walked back down the aisle, laughing as our friends and family threw rice at us.
I lovingly looked at Sam, who was the brightest star of the day. He looked up and caught my gaze, the marbles in his eyes swirling a vibrant green and gold.
“I love you,” I said and pulled him tight against me.
Sam laughed, the sound tickling my ears as he whispered back his love for me.
Thank you for reading Promised Vow and their bonus wedding scene. I hope you enjoyed attending the wedding 🙂 This isn’t the last of Ryker and Sam, though! You’ll see them again in Promised Summer.
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