“Yeah? Well I’m prouder.”
“And you’re a jackass.”
Gaige shrugs off Tucker’s words. “This is true.”
“But for real,” Tucker says, “you’ve come a long way in your life. I’ve watched you grow from a scrawny moron to a semi-good-looking savvy business man. You have an amazing kid, who for some reason adores you, and a girl that blows all but my Maura out of the water. You’re doing awesome.”
I lift a brow at how he so intricately weaved together insults and compliments. “Uh, thanks?”
He claps my shoulder again. “Yeah, no problem, bud.”
Gaige snickers from my other side and I have the urge to punch him in the stomach for it. Instead I settle for a verbal lashing. “Still prouder, asshat?”
He grins. “Definitely.”
“It’s time,” Tucker says.
“You ready?” Gaige asks.
Blowing out an encouraging breath, I turn to face my future, my new life. “I’m ready.”
We make our way back into the house only to get stopped by Maura in the living room, armed and ready with one of our mini instant Polaroid cameras.
“Don’t move. I want to take a picture of this. You three look so handsome together.”
“But I’m the cutest one, right?” Tucker tries.
“You’re okay. Now, get together. The lighting is just right behind you guys.”
We throw our arms around one another, and just when she’s about to snap the picture, Tuck reaches out and slaps Gaige in the stomach, and I bust out in laughter instantly. I already know the print is a keeper.
“Okay, you’re free to go. Wait! Where’s the best man?”
“I’m here!” Joey comes rushing out of the back bedroom wearing a tuxedo t-shirt and jean shorts. She’s adorable looking. “Ready, Freddy!”
“Wow, Joe. You almost look as ridiculous as Uncle Tuck does.”
She beams at Gaige. “Thanks, Uncle G.”
Gaige holds his hand out to high-five her for unknowingly being an accessory to insulting Tucker. I smile, loving how proud she is about her outfit no matter who teases her.
Joey frowns at his hand. “This is a fist-bump family. Who let you in here?”
This time everyone explodes in fits of laughter, partly because of what Joey said and the other part due to the disbelief coating Gaige’s face.
Still stunned, he says, “Are you sure you’re not mine?”
Joey just shrugs and moves toward the front door. “Last one down there is the biggest loser in the world!”
“Too bad that title already belongs to Gaige,” Tucker quietly comments, sniggering to himself.
All I hear is a loud thwack as I follow Joey out the front door, my two knucklehead groomsmen hot on my heels.
We reach the beach and makeshift altar, pass through the small crowd, and take our places—me, Joey, Tucker, Gaige, and Dallas, who’s become a good friend. Everyone gets a good laugh at how mismatched we look standing up there. While we’re all wearing the same thing—the tuxedo shirt and a pair of shorts—we make absolutely no sense. A mechanic, an eight-year-old girl, a musician, a model look-alike, and a former line-backer.
I see Jane, a friend of both Rae and Maura’s who I’ve just met, start pacing herself down the aisle. Next up is Haley, Rae’s sister. Her eyes dart our way and I know who she’s seeking out; I can’t help but smile. There’s a pause where no one walks, an empty spot in the bridal party for Perry while he’s still in treatment for two more weeks after his minor setback.
When Maura begins making her way to us, Tucker bends down to Joey. “Still can’t believe I’m letting you escort my girl for me, Bug.”
Joey responds by punching his leg and I smother a laugh.
Finally, the crowd rises from their chairs as the music begins to swell. I let Rae pick all the music, so I’m fairly surprised when it’s more of a normal song. I was expecting something epic and different. But this just goes to show that my girl can surprise me at any moment.
My first reaction is not what most people would expect. I laugh. Hard.
Because my girl, my Rae, my future wife, is wearing a goddamn Transit t-shirt on her wedding day. I fall for her just a little harder in this moment. She gives me a secret smile and loops her arm through her father’s. I have a feeling our lives are going to be filled with secret smiles and laughter like this. And I can’t fucking wait.
When they finally reach us, Ted bends down to whisper something in his daughter’s ear. She nods, catching my eye, a mischievous spark hidden in hers.
He kisses her cheek and shakes my hand. “She’s all yours, son.”
“Thank you, Ted. For everything.”
He claps me on the shoulder, bringing me in for a quick hug, and then takes his seat. Rae takes her place in front of me. The joy I feel right now can’t compare to anything else. I never have to pay another bill in my life? It’s about time. I just won a million dollars a year for the next fifty years? Neat. Give me all the money in the world, take away all of my worries, tell me I’m going to live for a thousand years. None of it compares to this moment. It’s the only one that’s mattered since my daughter came into this world.
Rae is becoming my wife. I feel full, complete, blissful.
Our officiant, Gary, instructs everyone to sit.
“I’m not gonna lie to you all, I’m terrible at this. Why these two asked me to officiate, I have no idea. I’m not eloquent, and flowery poems aren’t my thing.” The crowd laughs. “But I’m giving it a shot.”
He pauses, looking us both in the eyes before he continues.
“Love can be beautiful.” His eyes scan the group gathered, pausing briefly on the one who got away, Tucker’s mom. “Love can be painful. It can be full of tears or laughter. It’s anyone’s guess as to which one you’ll get. One thing love is—true, absolute love—is consistently unwavering. No matter the tears, no matter the painful days, it’s always there and it’s always going to win.”
I watch as Rae’s eyes fill with tears. I know well enough they’re not sad tears, but proud ones. She’s thinking about all the days we thought we’d lose each other, all the days we fought for what we have now. And she’s remembering us winning. Because Gary is right—unconditional love always wins.
“And with what I’ve witnessed from you two, that’s what you have. So, without further ramblings from yours truly, let’s get this show on the road.”
Our vows are simple, heartfelt, and ours alone. We each took the time to carefully write them out and it’s shown in our words.
“You ready to do this shit?” she asks.
Laughing, I say, “I am. I think we’ve just started our married life indebted to Joey, but yes. I’m beyond ready. I love you.”
She smirks. “I know.”
We exchange our rings to the sounds of laughter ringing through the crowd.
“Well, guess my work here is done. I’m proud to introduce to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Tamell! You may now kiss your bride.”
I step in close to her, wrapping my hands around her face just like I know she loves, and tilting my head. When our lips touch, it’s like fire meeting oxygen for the first time—explosive.
And it was so worth the wait.
“Gary, my man, thanks for officiating. We appreciate it.”
Gary shakes my hand and pats my back. “It’s no problem at all, kid. I’m honored you even asked me. I…” He looks off over my shoulder as something catches his eye. “I’ve gotta go to talk to someone. Thanks again, Hudson. Not that I think you’ll need it, but good luck with everything. You’ve got yourself a beautiful family.”
He shakes my hand once again and heads off in the direction of where he was looking. I watch as he walks toward Joanne, Tucker’s mom. Her face lights up as he nears her, and I wonder what’s going on there.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”
I scan the crowd for my wife, finding her off to the side laughing with Dallas and Maura.
Every time she smiles, I smile. Feeling my stare, she glances over at me and excuses herself from her friends, making her way to me. When she walks, it’s like she’s floating on air. It’s delicate, precise, and almost angelic. The way she carries herself has always been one of my favorite things about her. Today, I swear she’s walking a little taller, and I can’t help but want to puff my chest out at the thought.
When she reaches my side, she wraps an arm around my waist and stands on her tip-toes to kiss my cheek. We don’t speak because we don’t have to. We both feel this odd swell of pride in knowing we’re officially off the market and tied to one another now.
“It’s time for the first dance. Who’s ready?” Everyone cheers. “Good. Hudson, Rae, get your butts to the dance floor—er, dance sand! That was weird.” He says the last line quietly, but the mic still picks up on it and we all laugh.
I look down at Rae and she shrugs. We didn’t want to do the traditional wedding routine. Pictures, ceremony, first dance, cake, bouquet, yada yada…all that crap. We wanted simple and laidback. But I suppose Tucker had different ideas.
“We don’t have to,” I tell her.
“I know, but I kind of want to.”
“But I suck at dancing.”
“You do?! Shit, glad I didn’t marry you for your dancing skills.”
I laugh and pull her out onto the designated “dance sand” area.
“Right. So, this is a little not-so-traditional, and that’s okay because neither are Rae and Hudson.” Tucker brought the band he uses on stage as backup for our special occasion. He gathers them together and talks lowly with them while Rae and I awkwardly wait for them to begin. They all nod and go back to their places.
The familiar intro riff to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell blares through the speakers, and the band struggles to play through their laughter, fizzling out before they even get through the first two lines of lyrics.
All I can do is shake my head and laugh until tears spill down my face at his antics. Because really? Who else would play that shit on my wedding day? No one but Tuck.
The band high-fives Tuck and leaves the stage. Tucker takes his seat on a stool with his acoustic guitar in hand.
“Alright, alright,” he says into the mic. “Now this one is for real. And this too is a little untraditional. I heard this beauty a while back and immediately thought of you two. It’s called Here’s to the Heartache. I mean, it sounds tragic, right? But it’s not. It’s full of hope. And that’s what you two give me. That’s what you give to a lot of people. You two, man, you’ve been through some shit. But you’ve persevered. Now look at you. Married! With an amazing daughter and a great future ahead of you. So, yeah, here’s to the heartache and everything you’ve endured. It’s led you here, and I can’t think of a better place to be.”
With that, Tucker begins crooning the song. I know right away it’s going to be something I love. I wrap Rae up in my arms and we begin our dance, swaying back and forth, letting the music guide not just our movements, but our hearts.
“He’s right. This does sound tragic,” Rae whispers.
“It does. But I hear that hope.”
“Me too.”
We sway, moving together to the words and the melody. We’re married. It’s done. All the troubled times and hardships thrown our way, we made it through, came out victorious on the other side. We won. And we’ll continue to do so.
“I love you, wife.”
“I love you, husband.”
“Is this where I’m supposed to recreate our New Year’s moment and whisper ‘here’s to tomorrow’ to you?”
Lifting her head, she looks up at me smiling. “Nah. This is where you come up with something new.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” I press my lips to hers, lingering there for just a moment. Pulling away, I bend until we’re cheek to cheek, until my lips graze her ear, and whisper, “Here’s to forever.”
Epilogue
Four Years Later
“HUDSONNNNNNN!”
A drawn out name-screech? Not a good sign.
I run up the stairs two at a time, mentally pumping myself up the entire time, preparing for whatever tongue-lashing—that I probably deserve—I’m about to get.
“Rae?” I call out when I reach the hallway at the top of the stairs.
“Bathroom. Now.”
I follow her seething words, gulping because fuck this does not sound good. I slowly creep into the bedroom, taking my time inching my way to the adjoining bathroom. I pause briefly outside the door. Whatever it is, just smile and say sorry. Give that smirk she always falls for. You can do this.
I push the door open and face my doom.
“Explain,” she demands immediately, darting her eyes to the sink that she’s standing in front of on the other side of the room.
I look toward it and see a white stick lying on the counter, not sure what it is from this distance.
“Umm…”
“Don’t ‘umm’ me. Explain this shit.” She huffs and picks up the object, thrusting it out toward me.
Slinking farther into the room, I start getting an inkling of an idea of what’s got her so upset because what she’s holding takes me back about twelve years, when I was sixteen and scared out of my mind. I have none of those feelings now.
I finally get within touching distance and grab hold of the stick she’s shoving in my face. Looking down at it, I see two pink lines. And my life changes right in front of my eyes.
I glance back up at her, seeing a huge grin gracing her face. We’ve been trying for over a year to make a baby and it’s been an uphill battle. But now, we’ve climbed it.
“We finally did it,” she whispers.
I throw the stick aside and rush her, folding her into my arms. “We did it. We fucking did it.”
“Literally,” she teases.
“Holy fuck. I’m gonna be a dad again.”
“And I’m gonna be a mom. Again.”
I can feel the tears start racing their way down my face. My heart’s making its own game, trying to beat harder and faster than it ever has before.
I kiss her head, her cheek, her lips. “We’re gonna be awesome parents again.”
She chuckles through her own tears. “Well, I am. Not so sure about you.”
“Hey, Joe’s a great kid.”
“Only because I was able to intercept her at a young age.”
Laughing, I rest my head against hers. I can’t stop smiling, or crying, for that matter. I’m ecstatic. Everything I’ve ever hoped for has come true. My life, no matter how stormy and turbulent things got, is exactly what I always pictured it would be. I have a career I enjoy, a kid—now two—to dote on, and a wife who makes coming home every night my favorite thing to do. Nothing could make it any better than it is in this moment.
“I love you,” I whisper before kissing her briefly.
I pull away and stare into the eyes of the girl who changed my life more than once, an equal amount of love filtering back through her gaze.
“I know.”
THE END
Acknowledgments
My husband, The Marine, I love you. I am amazed by you every single day. The sacrifices you make for your country astound me. And this distance? This means nothing. It’s going to be a blip on our radar in a few years. We’re going to wade through the separations with ease. I know we will. Thank you. For being my partner, my constant encouragement, and for everything you do for us and our future. I love you. Always and forever. (P.S. You’re the sexiest Marine I’ve ever met. Notice I said met. :-p)
sMother, you’re my best friend. But don’t tell people. I love you.
B, I miss you. For reals.
Murphy, as always, you’re awesome. I could never thank you enough for everything but...thank you!
Jamie Walker, I love you. Okay? Okay.
All the Dawn’s in my life. Dawn B., Dawn R., Dawn C., and Dawn D. You’re all amazing friends and your support means so much.
; Beth Thomason, I’m seriously out of words this time. I can’t. Topping myself seems impossible. You’re amazing. The best beta reader in this entire world. I love the way you push me, encourage me, and just tell me when I’m straight shit. You keep me going sometimes. Thank you.
#Murderface, Laurie, Amélie, and NikkiWhoWishesGaigeWasHers, you guys are awesome! Thank you for all your help, listening to my stupid ideas, and for not being afraid to tell me when I’m wrong.
I refuse to give Colleen Hoover any sort of acknowledgement.
My BS family, do I really have to say anything to you assholes? No? Good.
To my family, by blood or marriage, your support means everything.
I know I’m forgetting people and that’s because I suck. But…thank you all! For real!
Reader, thank you for all your support. It means more than you could ever know. I’ve loved writing Rae and Hudson like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve watched them grow so much behind the scenes and hope you’ve enjoyed their journey. You’ll see them again. I still have two books planned out!
With love and unwavering gratitude,
Teagan
Here’s To Now
Book Three of the Here’s To Series
For my other husband.
I dedicated a book to you. Happy now?
-RJ
Prologue
Want to know what sucks? Vacuum cleaners.
Want to know what sucks even more? Waking up married and regretting it.
I know, because I did. Just now. I feel like a complete jackass because I shouldn’t regret it since it was my idea.
Hang on—before you start judging me, let me clear the air and say I don’t regret actually getting married. I regret how we were married.
In secret.
We fucking eloped. In Vegas. Is that even a thing anymore? Did it not die out when Britney Spears got married for a whopping fifty-five hours?
Either way, it happened. The entire night seemed headed toward this. It was like each shot we took was another step down the proverbial aisle…until it wasn’t so proverbial anymore. It was real life, and we were fucking getting hitched.
Here's To Box Set (Complete Series) Page 62
