“You look perfect,” Callie told me, holding me tight. “The most perfect bride.”
“Thanks, Cal.”
Laura hugged me next. “You look entirely too calm. You’re supposed to be a little nervous!”
I shook my head, grinning at her. “Nope. No nerves here.”
“I can’t believe we’re finally going to be sisters!” Bryony squealed, squeezing me hard.
“I’m so happy for that, Bry.”
I looked at Sofie, and she merely shook her head, waving her hands by her eyes. “I’ll burst into tears if I touch you. Blame the hormones.”
I laughed and grabbed her anyhow. “I love you, chica.”
She hugged me back before pushing me away, dabbing at her eyes. “See?”
I laughed and turned to Maria. She was looking at me as if I was unfamiliar to her. “Lizzie, you’re all grown up,” she said, shaking her head.
For the first time that day, I felt like I might cry.
“Thank you for all of this, Maria,” I whispered.
She pulled me into her arms. “Thank you for forgiving me, little sister.”
Before I could really start to tear up, she released me, pointing me in the direction of my mother who was grinning at me so broadly, I thought her face must hurt. I thought of rushing to her side last March, of the fear that she might not be here for this day, and felt so entirely grateful, it took my breath away.
“My Lizzie,” she whispered, patting my face the way she always did. She didn’t say anything else, didn’t have to. She’d already taught me everything I needed to know about loving someone, about being a family. What other message was even half as important on my wedding day?
Then the vicar’s wife was knocking once more, and my mother squeezed my hands before she went out to take her seat. The girls lined up in front of me, and from the chapel, I could hear the music start.
“Ready, Lizita?” my dad asked, appearing at my side.
I turned to him, my grin impossibly large, and slipped my hand into his arm, adjusting my flowers.
When the doors to the chapel opened for the girls to walk through, I caught a glimpse of candlelight and a blur of faces. I took a deep breath, waiting. I’d been impatient for this for months now, and it was finally here. I could stand to wait a few seconds more.
Sofie stepped through the doorway in front of us, and I sucked in a deep breath. This was it. Our turn next. My dad squeezed the hand that rested on his arm and then took a step forward.
From the moment we entered the church, I only had eyes for Thomas. I was vaguely aware of Charlie behind him, his brother and my brothers behind Charlie, but they were mostly a blur to me. How could I look at anyone else, with Thomas there?
I had seen him smile a dozen different smiles in the years that I had known him. A teasing smile that meant laughter was imminent. A joyous smile when we got engaged. A bracing smile when my mom was sick. A sad smile every time we had to say goodbye. Since the first night I met him, I had been cataloging those smiles, wondering what each meant, wanting to learn all of his secrets. Two years later, I thought I knew them all.
But he had never smiled like this before.
Without me quite realizing what was happening, my dad was kissing my cheek, releasing my hand. A hand that Thomas then took, squeezing it gently. Sofie took my bouquet from me, freeing my other hand.
The vicar talked about love and loyalty, about family and commitment. All the while, my eyes never left Thomas’s, my smile never faltered. I wanted the ceremony to last forever, for the sacred words to swirl around us, imprinting into our hearts. At the same time, I wished the vicar would hurry up, that we would just be married without further delay.
When it was time for Thomas to say his vows, his voice was clear and confident. I knew he had no doubts, knew it as clearly as I knew my own heart was certain. I said my vows, hoping that certainty was as clear in my voice as it had been in his.
I glanced away only once, right before the vicar pronounced us husband and wife. Just a quick flick of my eyes toward my parents. My dad has his arm around my mom, and they were both beaming, my mom crying silently. If I had ever doubted that they were truly happy about the London location, I knew for sure then that the doubt had been unfounded.
I felt a huge rush of excitement in my chest as the vicar’s words drew to a close. Our moment was here, finally. When he pronounced us husband and wife, I was sure my heart would burst from joy, that I couldn’t possibly fit any more love or happiness into my chest. But then Thomas was leaning in to kiss me and I realized that my joy was limitless.
A cheer rose up from our friends and family as we turned, arm in arm, to walk back up the aisle. Every face we passed was beaming at us, everyone in the church thrilled for us. I felt Thomas squeeze my hand a little tighter, and I squeezed back. I turned slightly to see the wedding party following us, our sisters and brothers and friends, a lifetime of support and love. Then I squeezed Thomas’s hand one more time and let my husband lead me out of the church and into our future.
***
Mr. Idoni’s restaurant was loud with laughter and music. A makeshift dance floor had been set up in the far corner, and several of our guests were dancing to the music from the D.J. Others were mingling, eating, and drinking. There was a loud buzz of conversation in the room, and I closed my eyes, letting the noises of happiness wash over me.
“Hello, wife,” Thomas said, sliding into the chair next to me. “Here’s your wine, wife.”
“Thank you, husband. You’re a very attentive husband, you know.”
He grinned at me. “Do you think that will ever get old?”
“I can’t imagine how. I can see it bugging other people, however.”
He laughed, taking my hand. “Good point.” We sat in silence for a moment, watching our guests. “It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? This is all because of us, Lizzie—all these people coming together, becoming a family. Just because we fell in love.”
“It is pretty remarkable.”
On the dance floor, Sofie was allowing JJ to lead her in an awkward waltz. As I watched, Jackson Coles approached her and cut in. I frowned, not liking the look of that one bit. She was staring up at him, wide-eyed, and I thought I caught a glimpse of that famous smooth-as-silk smile of his.
“Don’t worry about it,” Thomas urged, noticing what had caught my eye. “He’ll flirt with her a bit and make her feel good about herself. It’s nice.”
“If he messes with my cousin, you are so going to regret inviting him,” I said.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Looking at Jackson made me think of that terrible week after Franny’s interview had been published. Thomas and I had dealt with the issue by releasing a joint statement asserting, in the strongest language possible, that the entire thing was a lie and our wedding was going on as planned. I had hoped the story would fizzle out eventually without damaging Thomas’s reputation too much. Before that could happen, a number of people came forward, supporting Thomas’s statement. I had been surprised when Jackson was one of them, writing in his statement that he and I were friends, and it was clear to anyone who had seen us together that Thomas and I were deeply in love and committed. I had realized then that, whatever else his faults, Jackson Coles was a good and loyal friend.
And if that had been a surprise, Lola Fischer coming forward to agree with Jackson’s statement had been a downright shock.
A savvy reporter had then been able to prove that the pictures of Thomas and Franny were from months prior, invalidating many of her claims. Her story seemed to lose a lot of credibility after that, to my immense relief.
“You never told me how Franny was helping you,” I said suddenly. In the excitement of the double wedding news, I had completely forgotten that their interaction had to do with my surprise.
Thomas shook his head at the sound of her name, and I momentarily regretted saying anything. But I was too curious to drop it. “Did she help with the weddin
g?”
“I ran into her at the banquet hall at the Madison. Remember, that restaurant you had pinned to your wedding board? Anyhow, I went there to check it out and Franny was there with a client. She’s been working as an event planner since we broke up.” He shook his head. “I was cordial, stupid of me. When I told her what I was planning, she offered to show me a few venues that she had contacts with.” He shook his head once more. “The really stupid thing, of course, was me thinking that I needed to find some fancy venue. Obviously this was the place.”
“You really can’t beat Idoni’s for any reason,” I agreed.
I fell silent, thinking of Franny. We hadn’t talked about her once since the incident occurred. “Why do you think she did it?” I asked. “What was in it for her?”
Thomas looked at me, and I was surprised to see the overwhelming tenderness in his eyes. “You would never understand her motivations, Lizzie, because you could never understand how someone like that ticks. You’re too good, too loyal. Too sure of yourself and unconcerned about the petty opinion of others.”
“What does that—”
“A person like Franny only cares about herself. About getting what she wants. About attention, first and foremost. She thinks she’s entitled to it, entitled to whatever she wants. That’s why she went after Jackson. It’s why she wanted her name and picture in the paper. Even if it was for something unsavory and unbecoming, the brush with fame was enough for her.” He brushed a finger across my cheek. “She is the opposite of you.”
We were interrupted by Charlie’s arrival. “What are you lot doing?”
“Talking about Franny,” Thomas said.
Charlie’s expression was horrified. “Franny? Why on earth are talking about that slag on your wedding night?”
“Just reminding Lizzie how lucky I am to have her.”
Charlie looked from Thomas to me. “Well, I think that’s enough of the deep conversation. You’re sitting here alone at your own party.” He shook his head. “Sends a bad message. Makes you look pretty pathetic, actually.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said drily. “You are a fantastic best man.”
“Really?” Charlie asked, brightening. “Thanks, mate.”
I laughed and held my hand out to Charlie. “Help me up, best man.”
He pulled me into a standing position, Thomas following me. Out on the dance floor, the DJ had switched to something fast and poppy. My parents were dancing, as were Maria and José. On the other side of the room, Laura and Frank were sitting close together, both looking down at Maia, who appeared to be asleep. Only two months old and she was already an international traveler.
And Sofie was still dancing with Jackson.
“Are you guys coming to dance or not?” Callie shouted from the edge of the dance floor. Behind her, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Harper stepping out onto the floor, Bryony shooting them a mortified glance that they would dare do something so lame as dance in public.
“Yeah, why in the hell are we all standing around?” Meghan asked, coming up beside us with Carter, Sarra, and Mark in tow. “I thought this was supposed to be a party.”
“Do you feel like dancing, wife?” Thomas asked.
“I do, husband.”
“Okay, that’s going to get old,” Sarra mumbled.
“Come on,” Charlie said. “Let’s get out there.”
Thomas held my hand as we followed our friends to the dance floor. It was getting awfully crowded as more of our guests joined us. I wanted Thomas to take me in his arms, but the song was too upbeat for that. Instead, we stood in a loose semi-circle with our friends, jumping around and singing along.
“Just think, Lizzie,” Thomas shouted to be heard over the music. “Next week, we get to do this all over again at home!”
I smiled at his use of the word home to describe Detroit. I hoped we would keep that mentality—that we had two homes, two families. Our life in London was everything I ever wanted it to be—but I never wanted us to forget how welcome and loved we were in the place where I had grown up.
Charlie grabbed my hands, swinging me around until I laughed and squealed in protest, dizzy. When he released me, he moved on to Thomas, trying to spin him as well. Callie slung an arm around my shoulder, shaking her head. “They’re like little children, those boys,” she mused.
“Absolutely,” I agreed.
“I love this song!” Meghan called as the DJ moved into another fast-paced set.
I felt the energy of the crowd on the floor swell, the sound of laughter and singing spinning up over the music. I grinned at Thomas, dancing with abandon, his arms up over his head. Charlie was next to him, laughing and jumping. Callie and Sofie. Meghan, Carter, Sarra, and Mark. Imogen, her wide eyes glued to Jackson Coles. My sisters and my brothers and my aunts and uncles. Anne and Gilbert. My parents. Everyone I loved, right here in this room with me. Having fun. Celebrating love and the fact that we were all here together, alive and healthy.
Even though I didn’t plan it myself, I was pretty sure it was the best wedding I’d ever been to.
The End
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Don’t miss a brand new Lovestruck holiday novella, Lovestruck at Christmas, available November 2014!
Interested in reading more from Rachel Schurig?
Her best-selling romantic comedy series are available for ebook and in paperback.
Lovestruck Series
Lovestruck in London
When Lizzie Medina settles in London for a year of post-graduate studies, she’s sure she’ll be able to start a whole new life. But falling unexpectedly in love with up-and-coming actor Thomas Harper causes Lizzie to re-think… everything. When Thomas’s career suddenly explodes to superstar levels, Lizzie finds herself forced to navigate the fame game of red carpets, catty co-stars, gossip magazines, and paparazzi in Lovestruck in London. When she wished for a new life, she had no idea it would be anything like this!
Lovestruck in Los Angeles
Lizzie Medina is living a fairy tale life. Ever since she left home for an adventure in London—and fell in love with movie star Thomas Harper in the process—her world has become brighter. More exciting. The kind of life she’s always dreamt of. When Thomas is required to temporarily move to Los Angeles for his new movie, Lizzie joins him without hesitation. But it doesn’t take her long to realize than in Hollywood, not everything is quite what it seems. Will she and Thomas succumb to the pressures inherent in their new life? Or will they find a way to create a perfect Hollywood ending of their own?
Lovestruck Forever
Lizzie Medina’s dreams are about to come true. She’s finally about to marry her true love, the internationally famous movie star Thomas Harper. Her career appears posed for a break out of its own. And, maybe best of all, her family actually seems to have accepted her relationship with Thomas. Just when it seems that it might be possible to actually get everything she ever wanted, Lizzie’s perfectly constructed world starts getting complicated. Now she must decide, once and for all, what really matters to her—and what she’s willing to fight for.
Three Girls Series
Come along for the crazy ride as Ginny McKensie and her best friends deal with an unexpected pregnancy in Three Girls and a Baby.
Follow Jen Campbell as she struggles to plan the perfect wedding—and find her very own happily ever after in Three Girls and a Wedding.
Join Annie Duncan as she continues her search for the perfect leading role—and the perfect man to go along with it in the third and final book of the series, Three Girls and a Leading Man.
Reunite with Ginny, Jen, and Annie and catch up with Kiki Barker-Thompson as she attempts to create the perfect fairy tale life in The Truth About Ever After (a Three Girls book).
Ginny, Jen, and Annie are back for the next chapter in Three Girls and a New Beginning.
Love Story Series
In Search of a Love Story is the first in the three-book series, in whic
h you meet Emily Donovan, a self-described romance novice, as she searches for her very own love story.
An Unexpected Love Story, is the second in the Love Story series, where we follow along with Brooke Murray as she attempts to save her parents' inn, find true love, and run a business-all while wearing the perfect pair of heels!
In the final book in the Love Story Series, An (Almost) Perfect Love Story, we learn more about Ashley Phillips. She has always believed in love, but does she have what it takes to fight for love when her perfect love story turns out to be not so perfect after all?
Love New Adult Contemporary Romance?
Don’t miss the Escapeseries, available now!
Escape In You Jet Taylor is the quintessential bad boy. The type of guy most girls do their best to avoid. But Zoe Janes is no saint herself and the more time they spend together, the harder it is for Zoe to stick to her “fun only” mantra. Jet is getting under her skin, making her believe things could actually be different, that freedom might be possible. And that makes him the most dangerous boy of all.
Escape With You Ellie is not a serious relationship kind of girl and Fred has made a career out of worrying. When the two start hooking up they’re both ready for nothing more than some no-pressure, worry-free fun. So long as they stick to the plan, both can get out unscathed. So long as they stick to the plan, both can get what they want. But life has a way of messing with the best of plans…
Check out the first two rocker romance books in the brand new Ransom series, available now!
Ransom
It’s been a year since Daisy has seen Daltrey. A year since he and his brothers left town to pursue their dreams of rock and roll superstardom. A year since he left Daisy behind—left her to watch as everything she knew crumbled around her. She’s been running from Daltrey ever since, desperate to keep her secret. But she can’t run anymore. And now that Daltrey has found her—the girl he’s loved his entire life, the girl he’d give up everything for—he’s determined never to let her go again.
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