by Jolie, Meg
She glanced away from the ring and back up at Jesse. She knew she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised to hear he felt the same, but she was. All of the years they’d wasted were years they could never get back. She didn’t want to waste any more time.
She slowly nodded her head. “Okay.”
A grin spread across his face. “Okay? I mean, it’s not the ecstatic response I was looking for. But—”
“Yes,” she said with more conviction. “Yes. I want to marry you. I want to be your wife. I want you to be my husband. I want to have a family with you. I want my future to be with you.”
“Thank you,” he said as he reached for her hand. He easily slid the ring into place.
“How did you know?” she wondered. An emerald cut had always been her favorite. She knew she’d never told him that. Nor had she ever told him her ring size. “It fits perfectly,” she said in dismay.
He grinned at her. “Quinn. She told me an emerald cut was your favorite. I’m glad I clarified that with the jeweler because I damn near bought you a green ring on accident. Quinn also told me your size.”
Carly smiled softly.
“You can also thank her for coming over today so I could go pick it up.”
She pulled her gaze away from her hand. She’d been staring at the gorgeous piece of jewelry, her promise of the future. “I thought you had an appointment you couldn’t miss.
“With the jeweler,” he clarified. “So, the ring? Is it what you hoped for?”
She nodded slowly and a tear trickled down her cheek. Jesse leaned over, carefully wiping it away. Her heart nearly burst with the love she felt for him.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “It’s everything I hoped for. You…you have given me everything I ever wanted.”
Epilogue
Eleven months later…
“I’m pregnant.”
“That’s not funny,” Quinn said as she straightened Carly’s veil.
“I’m not laughing.”
“No, but you’re smiling. Wait. Are you serious?!” Quinn narrowed her eyes as she took a long, hard look at her sister’s seemingly flat stomach. If there was a baby in there, the satiny white, beaded fabric was concealing it well. When Carly nodded, unable to contain a huge grin, Quinn squealed and threw her arms around her sister. “Mom’s going to kill you!” she said with a little laugh.
Carly laughed and hugged her back. She had been waiting all morning for a few seconds alone with Quinn. Now, having sent her two bridesmaids—Jemma and Melissa—off to recheck all of the decorations, she had a few minutes alone with her matron of honor.
It was the weekend before Christmas and the church was exquisitely decorated with red and white peonies. White twinkle lights surrounded the windows. Crimson bows adorned the pews. The service was schedule for late afternoon so that the ceremony could end in candlelight.
“Jesse and I, we’ve done everything backwards. We decided, why not this, too?” she said with a happy smile. “We’ve been talking about starting a family since the night we got engaged. So a few months ago, we started trying. We knew we were getting married. So as long as we waited long enough to be sure my dress would still fit, and that I would be done with school,” she said with a laugh, “we thought, why not start trying?”
Quinn was beaming when she said, “I am so, so happy for you! You know, every time I’ve seen Jesse today, he’s had this huge, ridiculous grin on his face. I thought it was just because he was finally marrying you. I guess that’s only part of it.”
Carly nodded. “We just found out yesterday morning. I don’t think either one of us has stopped smiling. This week? It has been the absolute best week of my life.” She had just graduated. Finally…finally getting her degree. She was finally going to become Mrs. Jesse Nyland. And possibly most exciting of all, they were going to have a baby.
A sudden burst of emotion slammed into her.
“Oh, sweetie, don’t cry,” Quinn said softly.
Carly waved a hand in front of her eyes, trying to dry her own tears. “I know, I know! I’m just so happy I can’t help it. I keep doing this,” she said with an embarrassed little laugh. “One minute I’m fine, the next minute, I’m leaking all over.”
Quinn reached for a box of tissues. She handed one to Carly just as a knock on the door cut through the room.
Quinn hurried over to answer it. The crimson fabric of her dress swished as she went. When she reached the door, she pulled it open cautiously.
“Jesse,” she said sternly, “you aren’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”
He began to edge into the room, regardless.
Carly beamed at him and he grinned back.
“We’ve never really followed the rules,” he said unapologetically. “Why start now?”
Quinn didn’t even try to argue his point. She glanced over her shoulder at Carly. With a giddy smile she said, “I guess I’ll give you two a little bit of privacy. But don’t be too long. The ceremony is supposed to start in less than ten minutes.” With that small warning, she disappeared, pulling the door closed behind her.
Jesse quickly crossed the room to Carly, pulling her into his arms.
As handsome as he looked in his black tux with crimson bowtie, she couldn’t wait for later tonight, when she could get him out of them.
“How are you doing?” he asked as he rested his forehead against hers.
“I’ve never been better,” she honestly replied.
“Are you nervous?”
She shook her head and laughed. “Not even a little. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”
He relaxed his embrace a little, settling one hand on her stomach. “Me too.”
A rapid succession of knocking burst forth from the other side of the door. “Carly? Carly, are you in there?” Margo trilled from the hallway. “We might have a problem! The groom seems to be missing!”
Jesse scowled but his eyes were twinkling with amusement. “Is it just me, or does she sound excited by that?”
Carly sighed. “If you go missing, she would be the center of attention at the next ladies luncheon. Everyone would be offering her fake sympathy if her daughter was jilted at the aisle. So yes, you probably hear some excitement.”
“Well, I guess she’s about to be disappointed then,” he told Carly. More loudly he said, “I’m not missing, Margo. We’ll be out in a moment.”
“Jesse? You are not—”
Margo’s words were cut off by Pete. “For the love of all that is holy, woman! Would you just give them a moment of peace?”
They could hear minor scuffling out in the hallway. Carly was sure that her dad was leading his frustrated wife away. She would have to remember to thank him for that later.
“This is it,” Jesse said with a teasing smile. “This is your last chance to back out. Are you sure you’re ready to become my wife?”
Carly pulled him in close. “I swear to you, I have never been more ready for anything.”
She leaned into him. Her heels made her nearly the same height, and her arms looped around his neck. With a small sigh of contentment, she ran her hand through his hair, not caring one bit that she was rumpling it right before their big event. She slid one hand to the back of his neck and brought his mouth down on hers as she sealed that promise with a kiss.
