Jim dropped us there and I noticed that not only could I be out of the elements, but no one inside would be able to see us even if they tried. Part of that was due to the setup of the winery, but it was really the tent.
Damn. He had thought of everything.
She and I stepped into the tent and straightened ourselves. It hadn’t been that long of a drive, but still, I sure as hell didn’t want to walk into my wedding with my dress tucked into my underwear or something crazy. Though given how skimpy the things were, I didn’t think there was a way for the fabric to tuck.
“How do I look?” I ran my hands over my hair quickly.
“Gorgeous. Now stop messing with your hair,” she told me.
She was doing the same thing, so she had very little room to talk. We weren’t going inside until Jim got back. We weren’t starting until he’d taken his seat.
Imagine my surprise when Killian came out of the front door. I hated that my body tensed just with seeing him or that a brief thought of what his next move was that might mess with me or the wedding.
“Get out,” Jessica said right away, pointing at the door he’d just come through as she stepped in front of me.
“Jesus. Give me a minute.” He sighed.
“No.” She shook her head. “Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble?”
“Yeah, probably,” he answered honestly. “But I need to talk to her.”
“It doesn’t matter what you need, jackass.”
I snickered. “Jessica. It’s fine. What do you need, Killian?”
He gave her a wide berth as he went around her to get closer to me.
“Listen, Luna,” he said once he was in front of me. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done or said to you. I was trying to protect my brother and kind of had side blinders on. Maybe I was a little too focused on the past and there’s a reason for that but I won’t try to justify it. Since you’re what Harrison wants, then I want you for him. I’m sorry that I almost fucked that all up.”
I let his apology ruminate for a moment before I finally spoke. There was no question I’d forgive him. He was Harrison’s brother and we would be in each other’s lives forever. If he kept it up, that would be a different story, but I believed him when he said he was sorry.
“Thank you for apologizing,” I told him. “But also, I should thank you too. Harrison should’ve told me about France and since you did, we were able to talk it out. I don’t want him to resent me for missing out on opportunities.”
“I’m glad it worked out.” He squeezed my upper arm then turned to go back inside.
“Killian,” I said to keep him here. “You should know that I love your brother. I love him more than anything and I never would’ve held him back.”
He nodded. “He told me.” Though I wasn’t convinced that he believed me. “You really do look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile. “Now go. You have a few seconds to mess with Harrison since you’ve seen me and he hasn’t.”
His loud laugh filled the tent. “I’m going to do that too.”
“Of course you are,” Jess said to his back. Once we were alone, she grabbed both of my wrists and said, “You ready?”
I nodded. “Just need Harrison’s dad.”
As if he heard me, Jim entered the tent. “Sorry it took me so long.”
“No problem,” Jess told him. “Are you ready?” she asked me.
“Almost.” I turned to my future father-in-law. “I was going to walk down the aisle alone, but how would you like to do it with me?”
“Me?” He put his hand to his chest and his eyes were wide as if he couldn’t believe I was asking him.
“Yeah. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought—”
“Of course I’ll do it,” he said, cutting me off. “I was just surprised. Let’s go.”
I wished I would’ve asked him at rehearsal but it hadn’t occurred to me until that very moment and I was very glad that it had. Harrison’s dad had been nothing but accepting of me and kind. Now he was about to become my family. I couldn’t think of anyone better to do this.
Jess went first. She swung the doors open and locked them in place with the kickstand. It only took two steps before I got my first glimpse of Harrison.
He was standing tall, his dark hair tamed into submission, and the dark gray suit he wore framed his broad shoulders perfectly. I tried and failed to bite back my smile. Harrison didn’t even try. He grinned widely as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip and slowly shook his head.
It wasn’t a no. I’d seen him do that before. He’d told me it happened whenever he thought I couldn’t look more beautiful and I proved him wrong. Just when I thought his smile couldn’t get any bigger, he glanced at his dad and it did.
I was ready to spend the rest of my life with this man.
21
Harrison
The minute Luna stepped into the winery, I was incredibly glad I was standing still. Otherwise, I would’ve tripped over my own feet. It took every ounce of control to wait for her to come to me rather than run down that short aisle to scoop her up into my arms.
Then I finally noticed that she was on my dad’s arm.
When had that happened? My eyes twitched, something I knew she’d notice. This was a change from the plans she’d had and I wanted to know what made her decide this between the time I’d left her this morning and now.
My dad was beaming though.
My girl looked amazing. Seeing her all done up and in that dress had been worth the wait. I wondered if she realized how closely matched her dress was to her engagement ring. Of course she’d make the comparison to her eyes but all three together was stunning.
It took an eternity before she got to me. One that I was impatiently waiting out. When she was halfway there, Killian patted my shoulder, which was his way of showing support. After our conversation last night, he’d know better than to be anything but one hundred percent supportive.
I’d seen him disappear a minute ago and had almost stopped him. Mom had held up her hand to indicate I should let it happen, so I had. She knew something that I didn’t. Then he’d come back just minutes later and smiled, telling me “he’d taken care of it.” Whatever that meant, but I’d sworn right then that if Luna came in looking anything less than utterly happy, he and I were going to have some more words.
He also told me he’d seen Luna and that my jaw was going to drop. That was something I couldn’t disagree with him on.
Finally, she was here with me. My dad gave me her hand, but I pulled her into me and kissed her cheek.
“Stunning,” I whispered into her ear. She smiled widely up at me and her cheeks tinged pink.
I said a lot of shit to her and she usually never blushed anymore, but seeing it here, it took everything for me to not get hard in front of everyone.
“Think you can hold on a minute?” Ryan, the friend of a friend who’d agreed to do the ceremony, asked, humor playing on his lips. He was a bit shorter than me but was wearing a remarkably similar colored suit.
A rumble of laughter erupted among the people behind us.
I smirked and said, “I’ll try.”
Ryan snorted then got the thing started. He didn’t do the regular ceremony most were used to, but it worked for us. He talked about love and all of that, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Luna the entire time. When I thought of the word love, her face came immediately to mind.
The time came for me to promise Luna the world and I did it happily. When I pushed the ring on her finger, I couldn’t help but bring her hand to lips. A round of awws came from behind us. Luna then promised me the world and I couldn’t wipe the cheesy grin off my face.
Finally… finally, Ryan said it was time for me to kiss her. I gave him a quick nod like I was thanking him for permission. Then I wrapped my hands around her cheeks to where my fingers almost touched in the back of her head and brought her to me.
Her lips tasted lik
e cotton candy, probably the lipstick she’d put on. I’d told her I’d keep the kiss perfectly appropriate for the location, but damn, it was hard. She grabbed my forearms as I kissed her and eventually, Ryan cleared his throat and our guests began to chuckle.
This was the best day of my life so far.
Our guests clapped as we turned to them.
The group of us moved into the side room for cocktails so the staff could change the room over and the DJ could set up his small set for us.
Before anyone got to us, I took Luna into my arms. “You are stunning.”
She smiled up at me and said, “You mentioned that earlier.”
“But you are. This dress is… perfect on you.”
“I was so excited when I found it.”
That was when I kissed her again. This time, it was less appropriate, but not everyone had made it over here yet and this was my wife. I could kiss her however I wanted. Tilting her head back to take the kiss deeper, she let me. Her hand snaked inside my suitcoat and it was like there wasn’t a dress shirt between us.
She was the one to end the kiss. Couldn’t blame her, given that everyone was making their way over.
“Congratulations,” Mom said as she came toward us with her arms out. She pulled us in for a hug at the same time. “I love you both and you look just beautiful, Luna.”
“Thank you,” she said shyly. My girl was beautiful and she knew it, but compliments from people other than me still embarrassed her a little.
Next was Dad. He hugged us both and congratulated us, but there was something on my mind.
“How’d you weasel your way into walking my girl down the aisle?” I asked him. Luna giggled as Jess handed us each a glass of champagne.
“I’m wounded, son.” Dad clutched his chest. “I weaseled nothing. She asked. Not a chance I’d turn her down.”
I chuckled. That had never been talked about. Luna was always going to walk herself since her parents weren’t here, but she’d asked my dad. His chest must’ve puffed up about thirty times its size when that had happened.
Luna and I sipped the champagne. It was going to be a long day. No need to rush. After that and a glass of water and about thirty more hugs, Jess and Luna went off to the restroom.
That was my opportunity to find out why Killian had left before the wedding had started.
“Congratulations, brother!” Killian gave me the same guy hug we’d been doing for at least a decade. This was a complete change in his attitude about this. I guess he finally decided to give in.
“Thanks,” I told him with the dip of my head. “Question, though. Why’d you go outside to see Luna before the wedding?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“I haven’t asked.”
He sighed. “I went out to apologize. To make things better like you wanted me to.”
“Better?” I pushed.
“Better. If she’s what you want, then I want her for you. So I apologized for the trouble I caused by telling her about France or anything else. My opinion doesn’t matter and I’m not going to put you in a position to choose or any crazy shit.”
“Good. So that’s the end of it?” I didn’t want to be dealing with his issues for the rest of my life.
He nodded. “Though she thanked me for telling her.”
“Wh—”
“She didn’t like the way I did it, but since you hadn’t told her, she thanked me for telling her. She should’ve known, she said.”
I clenched my jaw shut. That wasn’t totally wrong. If I’d told her myself, things would’ve gone very differently. He and I clinked our glasses then chatted with the people around us until my girl tucked herself back under my arm.
Once the main room was done, we moved over there for dinner. We’d chosen a couple of options for dinners from the caterer that the winery had been used for a few years, and everyone had made their selections when they’d RSVPed. The food was delicious. The wine was delicious and this was the best wedding I’d ever been to. Not just because I got to hold the most beautiful woman in the world. She was in my arms and I got to keep her forever.
It was more just how laid-back the entire thing was. Everyone was finally happy and included Luna in everything they said to me. Even if they didn’t know her well.
After dinner, the music we could dance to start up. The winery was used to weddings. We’d have them all the time, probably every weekend, in the summer. The last owner had said it was a pretty popular destination for an outdoor wedding and I looked forward to it. We already had a bunch of bookings coming up. But this being inside could’ve been a disaster.
Yet it wasn’t.
I brought Luna into my arms for a slow dance. Her in my arms was my favorite place for her to be.
“Are you happy?” she asked me as she looked up through her lashes.
“That doesn’t even begin to cover what I’m feeling,” I told her, then I dropped a kiss to her lips. “Actually, come with me. I’ll show you how happy I am.”
I took her hand in mine and pulled her behind me until we got to my office at the winery. The manager had his own, which was bigger since he was here full-time. But this would do for what I had in mind.
We didn’t stop until we were in front of my desk. I pushed everything back then lifted her onto it and cupped her face as her hands rested on my hips. I’d locked the door so we wouldn’t be interrupted, but still, this was going to be quick.
“We have people out there,” she murmured against my lips.
“Zero fucks.”
It took no time for us to get as naked as we were going to get. This was a quickie. Only the important parts were coming out to play.
I pushed into her once I knew she was ready. Luna sighed and her head dropped back right before she groaned. Our hands were everywhere, though she got frustrated that my shirt was still on. Still, it was enough to hold us over until we could take our time later.
“Everyone is going to know what we were up to,” she said as we righted ourselves.
“Still zero fucks.” I chuckled, to which Luna rolled her eyes.
“I have to stop in the restroom,” she said when we got to the door.
“Me too. I’ll wait for you outside the door.”
“What makes you think I’m going to take longer?”
I laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
Luna gave me a light push toward the men’s room.
I cleaned myself up as best I could in that small restroom, and yes, I locked the door behind me, even though there was more than one stall in there. Then I was out leaning against the wall next to the women’s room, waiting for my girl to come out.
Once she did, she asked, “Do I look like I just had sex in your office?”
“No,” I told her, but that wasn’t exactly true. I could tell by looking at her what she’d just been up to, but that was because I knew the look. No one else would likely notice. Maybe Jess. I didn’t know about her.
We first stopped for another drink then went back out to the dance floor. It was a slow melody, which was my favorite because it meant I got to hold her close.
“Are you sad about France?” she asked quietly.
“Absolutely not,” I told her honestly. “There’s nothing to be sad about. We’re going there in June.”
Her feet stopped moving. “What?”
I nodded as a huge grin spread across my face.
“Yeah. When I was planning the honeymoon, I found a sweet deal for a week in France. I assumed you’d be down for it.”
“Of course I am,” she told me with a big grin on her face. “But where are we going for the honeymoon first? I have to pack tonight.”
“You’re packed,” I told her as her brows furrowed above her eyes. “Jess helped me get a bag together for you.”
“Did she remember pants?”
I laughed loudly. “Would she forget pants?”
“Yes,” she said quickly. “She came to Arizona once and forgot to bring pa
nts of her own. She’s lucky we’re about the same size, so she borrowed shorts and skirts from me.”
“That’s hilarious.” I pulled her closer against me and got her to move again. “We’re going to Jamaica. You said somewhere warm; that should do it.”
Luna bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m so excited. When do we leave?”
“In the morning. Plenty of time for us tonight.”
Luna giggled because she knew exactly what I was talking about. Her. Me. Naked.
“I love you, Harrison,” she said, almost too quietly for me to hear. “I can’t believe I almost lost you.”
“But you didn’t. I’m here and loving you with my whole heart,” I told her. “You’re not getting rid of me ever.”
“Good. I don’t want to.”
We stayed there like for two more songs but eventually had to socialize again. I didn’t think I let her out of my sight for a minute that night.
And I know I didn’t that night at home.
I meant what I’d said to her when we’d been dancing. I was hers forever.
Thank you for reading All of Me! Please consider leaving a review.
Also by Heather Young-Nichols
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Courting Chaos
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Gambling on Love
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All of Me: A Holiday Bites Novel Page 14
