“It might take me some time to work through things. I’ve … got a lot of baggage.”
She lifted her shoulders. “We all have baggage. You just happen to have a heavier load than most. But I’m here for you, Ryan. And I’m a good listener.”
“You’re more than that.” Overcome with emotion, I let go of her hand and cradled her head in my palms. “You’re beautiful and brilliant. You’re sweet and funny. And you’re so damn strong. I love that about you. I love everything about you.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to, you know. Love everything about me.”
“If I ever discover something about you I don’t love, I’ll let you know.” I wanted to kiss her, but I didn’t want to ruin her lipstick. Instead, I rested my forehead on hers. “Stella. Say it’s not too late. Say you’ll give me another chance.” I swallowed the last of my nerves and said what I felt. “Say you’re still in love with me, because I’m still in love with you.”
She smiled, and I felt her breath against my lips as she laughed softly. “I’m even more in love with you now than I was before.”
I pressed my lips to hers. Fuck the lipstick.
The kitchen door swung open. “Stella? Oh!”
Over Stella’s shoulder I saw Skylar in the doorway, her hands over her mouth. “I’m so sorry! But the ceremony is about to start and we need Stella upstairs.”
“It’s okay,” I said, brushing my thumb over Stella’s lips. “Although I think I smudged her.”
“Lipstick can be touched up,” Skylar said confidently. “Not a problem.”
Stella grinned at me. “You’re staying, right?”
“Of course I am. I’m Grams’s date.”
She burst out laughing. “That little minx orchestrated this whole thing, didn’t she?”
“From start to finish,” I said as we left the kitchen and moved down the hall.
“What finish?” she said, elbowing me. “This is only the beginning, we can’t talk about the end!”
At the foot of the stairs, I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to me for another kiss. “There’s not going to be an end.”
The look she gave me before running up the steps made the room spin and my chest cave and my stomach perform a series of aerobatic loops that only love could inspire.
As she blew me a kiss from the top of the stairs and disappeared around the corner, I said something to myself that I never imagined I’d say.
I’m the luckiest fucking guy on earth.
And it was all because of her.
Forty
Stella
I burst into the Bride’s Room, breathless and ecstatic, and leaned back against the door
“Where were you?” Emme asked. “We were frantic!”
“I was in the kitchen.”
“With who? There is no way Grams put that look in your eye,” Maren said. She was holding two bouquets in her hands.
“What look?” But I started laughing uncontrollably.
“Oh my God, are you drunk?” demanded Emme, marching over to me with her dress bunched up in her hands. “Look at your lipstick! What did you do?”
“Relax,” I said, going over to the table where I’d set my evening bag. “I’ll fix it.”
“But answer the question,” Maren said impatiently, following me to the mirror and peering over my shoulder as I wiped my mouth off with a tissue and reapplied the glossy rose color.
I left them hanging until I recapped the tube. “I was with Ryan.”
“Ryan!” they shouted in unison.
“He’s here?” The shock in Emme’s tone told me she hadn’t known about Grams’s plan.
“Yes. Evidently Grams cooked up this reunion. He’s her date.”
Maren laughed. “Only Grams.”
“I’m so flustered,” Emme said, shaking her head. “Where is he going to sit at dinner?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I told her.
“He can have Stella’s seat and she’ll sit in his lap,” Maren offered with a giggle.
“Ready, everyone?” Skylar poked her head in the room.
“Yes,” Emme said, taking a deep breath. “We are. Stella, can you hand me my flowers?”
I grabbed her bouquet off the table and gave it to her. Maren would carry mine so I could help Emme get down the stairs without getting tangled up in her gown.
“Okay.” Before we left the room, Emme looked at us. “This is it.”
“This is it,” I said, tearing up again.
Maren’s eyes were wet too. “This is it.”
We made our way down the stairs and into the winery, which was connected to the house by a long hallway. The ceremony would take place in the tasting room, and the reception would be held in a huge tent on the back lawn. We heard the string quartet playing as we snuck into a vestibule at the back.
“Okay, stay in here,” Skylar said, her tone hushed as she shepherded us out of sight. “I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, she returned with our parents, their plus ones, Grams, and Ryan. His smile sent my heart skipping like a stone across the bay. I smiled back, and felt Maren poke my shoulder from behind.
“Is that him?” she whispered. “He’s hot as fuck. And my God, he’s huge.”
Laughing, I looked at her over my shoulder. “It is him. And I know.”
There wasn’t any time to make introductions, but I did blow him a kiss and stick my tongue out at Grams as they walked by. She winked back.
Skylar lined everyone up, starting with Ryan and Grams, then Nate’s mom, who was being escorted by Roberto, who’d volunteered to fill in since Nate’s father had passed away years earlier. My mom and her boyfriend Phil were next, and then the wedding party—first Maren, then me, and finally Emme and our dad.
Watching Ryan move up the aisle, his shoulders broad and strong, with tiny, scheming Grams on his arm put a lump in my throat. I couldn’t wait to hear the story of how she lured him here. A funeral? Good God, the woman had no shame, but I guess there’s not much point in it at ninety-two.
When the parents were seated, I saw Nate and his two groomsmen move to the front of the room and stand by the fireplace, where the officiant waited. I couldn’t resist glancing back at Emme, who looked nervous but happy on our dad’s arm. I smiled at her. “Love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too,” she whispered back, her eyes shining. “Thanks for everything.”
Then it was my turn.
I walked slowly but with purpose, and when I got near the front of the room, my eyes found Ryan’s immediately. I was so happy for so many reasons, I barely felt my feet on the ground.
I reached the fireplace and gave Nate a grin before taking my place next to Maren. The music changed, and the guests all rose. Maren grabbed my hand.
Emme drifted down the aisle like Bridal Barbie, and the crowd murmured in awe. I didn’t blame them one bit. Nate met them at the end of the aisle, shook my father’s hand, and took Emme’s. Maren squeezed mine.
“Soon it’ll be your turn,” I whispered.
She looked at me over her shoulder. “And then yours.”
I smiled. “Maybe someday.”
But as I listened to my sister and Nate exchange their vows and promise to love, honor, and cherish one another for the rest of their lives, I caught Ryan’s eye and saw him touch his heart.
And I knew that my someday would come.
As soon as I could after the ceremony, I found Ryan in the reception tent and dragged him back into the house. Pulling him into the first empty room I came to, I shut the door and threw my arms around him, sealing my mouth to his.
He groaned and wrapped me in his powerful embrace, lifting me right off the floor. We kissed until we were hot and breathless and starting to get frustrated with clothing.
“We better stop,” he said, “or I’m going to tear you apart before dinner.”
“Save it for later?” I asked, my body desperate to feel his again.
“Definitely. You have no idea how much I missed you.”
She lifted her shoulders. “We all have baggage. You just happen to have a heavier load than most. But I’m here for you, Ryan. And I’m a good listener.”
“You’re more than that.” Overcome with emotion, I let go of her hand and cradled her head in my palms. “You’re beautiful and brilliant. You’re sweet and funny. And you’re so damn strong. I love that about you. I love everything about you.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to, you know. Love everything about me.”
“If I ever discover something about you I don’t love, I’ll let you know.” I wanted to kiss her, but I didn’t want to ruin her lipstick. Instead, I rested my forehead on hers. “Stella. Say it’s not too late. Say you’ll give me another chance.” I swallowed the last of my nerves and said what I felt. “Say you’re still in love with me, because I’m still in love with you.”
She smiled, and I felt her breath against my lips as she laughed softly. “I’m even more in love with you now than I was before.”
I pressed my lips to hers. Fuck the lipstick.
The kitchen door swung open. “Stella? Oh!”
Over Stella’s shoulder I saw Skylar in the doorway, her hands over her mouth. “I’m so sorry! But the ceremony is about to start and we need Stella upstairs.”
“It’s okay,” I said, brushing my thumb over Stella’s lips. “Although I think I smudged her.”
“Lipstick can be touched up,” Skylar said confidently. “Not a problem.”
Stella grinned at me. “You’re staying, right?”
“Of course I am. I’m Grams’s date.”
She burst out laughing. “That little minx orchestrated this whole thing, didn’t she?”
“From start to finish,” I said as we left the kitchen and moved down the hall.
“What finish?” she said, elbowing me. “This is only the beginning, we can’t talk about the end!”
At the foot of the stairs, I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to me for another kiss. “There’s not going to be an end.”
The look she gave me before running up the steps made the room spin and my chest cave and my stomach perform a series of aerobatic loops that only love could inspire.
As she blew me a kiss from the top of the stairs and disappeared around the corner, I said something to myself that I never imagined I’d say.
I’m the luckiest fucking guy on earth.
And it was all because of her.
Forty
Stella
I burst into the Bride’s Room, breathless and ecstatic, and leaned back against the door
“Where were you?” Emme asked. “We were frantic!”
“I was in the kitchen.”
“With who? There is no way Grams put that look in your eye,” Maren said. She was holding two bouquets in her hands.
“What look?” But I started laughing uncontrollably.
“Oh my God, are you drunk?” demanded Emme, marching over to me with her dress bunched up in her hands. “Look at your lipstick! What did you do?”
“Relax,” I said, going over to the table where I’d set my evening bag. “I’ll fix it.”
“But answer the question,” Maren said impatiently, following me to the mirror and peering over my shoulder as I wiped my mouth off with a tissue and reapplied the glossy rose color.
I left them hanging until I recapped the tube. “I was with Ryan.”
“Ryan!” they shouted in unison.
“He’s here?” The shock in Emme’s tone told me she hadn’t known about Grams’s plan.
“Yes. Evidently Grams cooked up this reunion. He’s her date.”
Maren laughed. “Only Grams.”
“I’m so flustered,” Emme said, shaking her head. “Where is he going to sit at dinner?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I told her.
“He can have Stella’s seat and she’ll sit in his lap,” Maren offered with a giggle.
“Ready, everyone?” Skylar poked her head in the room.
“Yes,” Emme said, taking a deep breath. “We are. Stella, can you hand me my flowers?”
I grabbed her bouquet off the table and gave it to her. Maren would carry mine so I could help Emme get down the stairs without getting tangled up in her gown.
“Okay.” Before we left the room, Emme looked at us. “This is it.”
“This is it,” I said, tearing up again.
Maren’s eyes were wet too. “This is it.”
We made our way down the stairs and into the winery, which was connected to the house by a long hallway. The ceremony would take place in the tasting room, and the reception would be held in a huge tent on the back lawn. We heard the string quartet playing as we snuck into a vestibule at the back.
“Okay, stay in here,” Skylar said, her tone hushed as she shepherded us out of sight. “I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, she returned with our parents, their plus ones, Grams, and Ryan. His smile sent my heart skipping like a stone across the bay. I smiled back, and felt Maren poke my shoulder from behind.
“Is that him?” she whispered. “He’s hot as fuck. And my God, he’s huge.”
Laughing, I looked at her over my shoulder. “It is him. And I know.”
There wasn’t any time to make introductions, but I did blow him a kiss and stick my tongue out at Grams as they walked by. She winked back.
Skylar lined everyone up, starting with Ryan and Grams, then Nate’s mom, who was being escorted by Roberto, who’d volunteered to fill in since Nate’s father had passed away years earlier. My mom and her boyfriend Phil were next, and then the wedding party—first Maren, then me, and finally Emme and our dad.
Watching Ryan move up the aisle, his shoulders broad and strong, with tiny, scheming Grams on his arm put a lump in my throat. I couldn’t wait to hear the story of how she lured him here. A funeral? Good God, the woman had no shame, but I guess there’s not much point in it at ninety-two.
When the parents were seated, I saw Nate and his two groomsmen move to the front of the room and stand by the fireplace, where the officiant waited. I couldn’t resist glancing back at Emme, who looked nervous but happy on our dad’s arm. I smiled at her. “Love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too,” she whispered back, her eyes shining. “Thanks for everything.”
Then it was my turn.
I walked slowly but with purpose, and when I got near the front of the room, my eyes found Ryan’s immediately. I was so happy for so many reasons, I barely felt my feet on the ground.
I reached the fireplace and gave Nate a grin before taking my place next to Maren. The music changed, and the guests all rose. Maren grabbed my hand.
Emme drifted down the aisle like Bridal Barbie, and the crowd murmured in awe. I didn’t blame them one bit. Nate met them at the end of the aisle, shook my father’s hand, and took Emme’s. Maren squeezed mine.
“Soon it’ll be your turn,” I whispered.
She looked at me over her shoulder. “And then yours.”
I smiled. “Maybe someday.”
But as I listened to my sister and Nate exchange their vows and promise to love, honor, and cherish one another for the rest of their lives, I caught Ryan’s eye and saw him touch his heart.
And I knew that my someday would come.
As soon as I could after the ceremony, I found Ryan in the reception tent and dragged him back into the house. Pulling him into the first empty room I came to, I shut the door and threw my arms around him, sealing my mouth to his.
He groaned and wrapped me in his powerful embrace, lifting me right off the floor. We kissed until we were hot and breathless and starting to get frustrated with clothing.
“We better stop,” he said, “or I’m going to tear you apart before dinner.”
“Save it for later?” I asked, my body desperate to feel his again.
“Definitely. You have no idea how much I missed you.”
