Chapter 19

We helped Marley prepare for the movie night and the wedding during the day, then fell into bed exhausted. We didn't have much time to talk about us or the future. But I was confident that we were in a good place. We had plenty of time to discuss things after the holidays.

For the first time, I was looking forward to spending them with my family. But first, we needed to make sure the movie night ran smoothly, and everything was ready for Heath and Marley's wedding.

I spent the day of the movie showing vacuuming, dusting, and polishing every surface of the theater. Then I stocked the concession stand with candy and everything we needed to run it, including popcorn bags, butter, salt, and drinks.

Aiden worked in the projection room, testing the projector and the lighting.

When we were satisfied everything was ready, we rushed through showers and met in the lobby to greet our guests, which were essentially our families.

We'd decided to keep tonight casual for the kids and would plan a fancier affair for the official grand opening.

I was more worried about tonight running smoothly. I wanted the kids and our families to enjoy themselves. I'd never been so excited to attend an event at a hotel before. Even though I was just the consultant, I felt as if the theater was my project. This was the first time I was hands-on with a project, seeing it through from consultation to completion.

In the lobby, Aiden pulled me into his arms, making my heart rate pick up.

I braced my hands on his biceps. "People will be arriving any second. We should probably check the room one more time to make sure everything looks good."

Aiden silenced me with a kiss. "Everything looks great, and the room didn't fall down while we were in the shower."

"Are you sure?" I chewed my bottom lip.

Aiden held me tighter. "Relax. It's just our friends and families."

"What if they don't like it? What if the movie doesn't play? What if the popcorn machine won't pop the kernels?" My mind was racing with endless possibilities, each disaster worse than the one before.

"Fiona. Everything is fine. We tested the lights, the projector, and the popcorn machine. Even if a problem arises, we can handle it. Things happen. Life isn't always perfect. But it's the imperfect moments you'll remember." Aiden's voice was firm and reassuring.

I softened into his body. "I like that."

Then he kissed me, slow and sweet; heat simmered under my skin. I almost suggested we go back to his room when the first knock sounded. I pulled away to say, "They're here."

I loved it here. I loved being so close to my family and Aiden. For once, it felt like my life was mine. I made the choice of when and how to work. Staying in one place was nice.

I didn't even want to think about going back to my old schedule, flying every week to a new city. One I didn't get to tour.

Aiden opened the door to find Sarah, Knox, and Addy. Addy flew past me without a greeting, then skidded to a stop in front of Aiden. "Where's the theater?"

Aiden chuckled as he crouched down to her level. "It's downstairs. Would you like some popcorn?"

Addy nodded. "Yes."

"She's very excited for the movie," Sarah said as they came inside.

"We're hoping everyone is as excited as she is." The next few minutes I stayed by the door, greeting everyone who arrived.

I was pleased that Dad came. I wasn't sure he got out much anymore.

Charlotte manned the concession stand, but we'd need to hire some local kids to run it when we were officially open. When everyone was seated, Aiden said to me, "Let's head up to the projector room and get this started."

Anxious with nerves, I followed him to the stairs and settled in the room to watch him prep the movie.

I didn't relax until he dimmed the lights and pressed play. It was Miracle on 34th Street, the version we'd watched. When it was playing for a few minutes without an issue, Aiden stood and held his hand out to me.

"I want to show you something."

I put my hand in his and stood. "Are you sure it's okay to leave?"

"We can come back if there's an issue." He led me down the hall to one of the doors that led to a small balcony. There were two. When he reached for the knob, I said, "We didn't do anything with these rooms."

Aiden flashed me a smile. "Trust me."

"Okay," I said, drawing out the word as he opened it and led me inside. I sucked in a breath. It looked just as new as the theater itself. "What did you do?"

"It made sense to update the carpet and seats when we did the main gallery."

"I didn't know you were doing this."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." He gestured for me to sit in one of the seats. Then he sat next to me.

The Monroes and the Calloways were sitting together, munching on popcorn and candy. Everyone was focused on the movie playing on the screen. We were seated in the dark, and no one knew we were here.

Aiden grabbed two glasses of champagne, handing one to me. He must have prepared this ahead of time.

He raised his glass. "To our movie theater."

"To our movie theater." It felt good to say that. To pretend that this was mine. That the man sitting next to me would always be here. I let myself fall into the fantasy of staying and being with him. We'd renovate the rest of the inn, and then I could take my time to figure out what I wanted to do next and spend time with him and my family. This could be my home.

* * *

On Christmas Eve, there were dozens of workers on the grounds of the inn, preparing for the wedding. Aiden helped set up the chairs and tables in the ballroom, and I was overseeing everything else.

Aria was here with several other wedding planners on site to help. I wanted everything to be perfect for Marley and Heath's wedding.

After lunch, I went to my room to get ready. I hadn't been in the space for a few days, but someone had been watering the tree, and there was even an angel on the top of it.

Other than watching the movie last night, I hadn't spent much quality time with Aiden. I knew that would come after Christmas Day, since I was spending it with my family.

Aiden hadn't said what his plans were, but Heath and Marley would still be in town for the day, then were planning to travel to her home in California sometime in the next week for their honeymoon. I figured he'd want to spend time with them, and the rest of the Monroes. Daphne was splitting her time between the Monroes and the Calloways.

I wasn't sure if Aiden was comfortable with us discussing our relationship with our families, much less spending the holiday together.

He didn't have a large family, so he might not have been thinking about it at all. He was used to being deployed over the holidays.

I showered quickly, applied my makeup, let my hair dry straight, and then got dressed. It was the same gown I'd worn for our fancy dinner when we were snowed in. It was hard to believe that was only a few days ago. It felt like a lifetime.

When a knock sounded on the door, I opened it, expecting Aiden, but it was Aria.

"We're seating guests for the wedding. I wanted to let you know."

"Do you need help?"

Aria waved me off. "Your job is to relax and enjoy the wedding."

Aiden was standing up for Heath, and I was just a guest.

I felt a little out of place because I didn't know the Monroes that well yet. Thankfully, Daphne and Izzy were attending with Cole. "I'll be right down."

"I'll finish my rounds to make sure everyone makes it downstairs on time," Aria said as she continued down the hall.

The only people who needed to be there were Marley and Heath. I didn't think they cared if anyone else made it. Their love was all that mattered.

I grabbed my clutch and made my way down the stairs to the lobby where I found Izzy waiting, a winter coat covering her puffy gown.

Daphne smiled. "She's been waiting for you."

"You look like a princess," I said to Izzy as she attempted a curtsy.

Cole took her hand. "I think we need to have a seat. The wedding starts soon."

"When do we get cake?" Izzy asked him as he led her outside, and I didn't hear him answer.

Daphne watched them go, covering her chest with the palm of her hand. "He's so sweet with her." Then she turned her attention to me and lowered her voice, "He's going to adopt her."

"How is that possible? She has a biological father," I said.

"Cole wanted to meet with Trent before we got married. He asked Trent to terminate his parental rights, making way for him to adopt Izzy."

"That's amazing." Cole's love for Daphne and Izzy was undeniable.

"Izzy deserves someone who's present in her life, and that was never her father."

"As long as you're happy."

We hooked elbows and walked outside.

The day was sunny and cool, but there were heaters strategically placed throughout the rows of chairs.

"Have a seat. We're going to make this quick. It's cold even with the heaters," Aria said.

"You got it," I said to her as we sat in the row next to Cole and Izzy.

I hadn't seen Aiden since we'd woken up this morning. There hadn't been time for more than a rushed kiss. I'd hoped to see him again before the wedding, but Marley and Heath must have kept him busy with prewedding activities.

The rest of the guests were seated. Heath's brothers—Sebastian, Emmett, Talon, and Knox—stood on the porch.

A string quartet sat off to the side, and as soon as they lifted their instruments and strummed the first note, the guests turned to watch the flower girls, Addy and Ember, walk down the aisle. One by one, they threw red petals onto the white runner, grinning at people they knew in the crowd. When I looked at the men on the porch, their expressions were soft and full of love.

The bridal party was next: Ireland, Sarah, Hanna, and Holly. They lined up on Marley's side of the porch. When the wedding march sounded, everyone stood.

Marley's hand tucked into Aiden's elbow as she walked down the aisle in an absolutely stunning dress. It had to be a designer creation.

Marley might have wanted something small with family and friends, but she stood out. She looked beautiful with her hair half up, the rest hanging in loose curls down her back and covered by a lace veil.

Marley smiled at Heath with her bouquet of red roses in her hands.

When she reached the stairs, Heath met her and Aiden at the bottom. Aiden held onto Marley's hand, saying something that was too quiet for the audience to hear.

"I will always take care of her." Heath's voice was loud and sure.

Aiden inclined his head, then placed Marley's hand in Heath's. He waited until they were on the porch before joining Heath's brothers on the side.

The preacher stood in front of the grand doors to the hotel. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Marley Matthews and Heath Monroe."

My heart was filled with happiness and joy. Aiden caught my gaze and winked.

We were far away from engagements or even commitments, but I was happy even though I wasn't sure how he felt or what he wanted. He hadn't said he loved me even if it felt like he did.

I listened to the rest of the ceremony, clapping at the end when the preacher declared them husband and wife. After Heath and Marley walked up the aisle, Aria whisked them away to take pictures. The guests went inside for cocktails.

In the ballroom, I stood with Daphne and Cole. When the flower girls arrived, Izzy took off with them.

I sipped my champagne and nibbled on a few of the hors d'oeuvres.

Finally, the bridal party appeared, then the bride and groom. Aiden sat at the main table with the rest of the wedding party, and I was seated with Daphne, Cole, Izzy, Charlotte, and a few other cousins on the Monroe side.

They talked about Sarah and Knox's Valentine's Day wedding earlier this year, and Cole and Daphne's upcoming nuptials. I stayed mostly silent because I had nothing to contribute. I didn't feel comfortable talking about my relationship with Aiden because only a few people knew about us, and I didn't know Sarah and Knox well.

After dinner was served and cleaned up, the dancing started. I waited with the other guests while the bride and groom had their first dance, then the attendants joined them for the next one.

Aiden was an extra attendant. He didn't have anyone to pair with since he'd walked down the aisle with Marley. He rounded the dance floor and stopped in front of me. "Would you like to dance?"

I placed my hand in his. "I'd love to."

He pulled me into his arms, and we swayed in time to the music.

"This is a little different from when we were here by ourselves."

He lowered his head slightly so that his lips brushed against my temple. "That's one of my favorite memories."

"Mine too."

"We haven't had much time to be alone lately." Aiden's voice filled with regret.

"We sleep in the same bed," I said brightly even though it had bothered me too.

Aiden's gaze passed over the room before settling on me. "What are your plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm going to spend it with my family."

"Maybe we can have a lazy morning in bed?" Aiden asked hopefully.

"That would be nice." Some of the tension in my chest eased at his words. He was feeling the same disconnect I was and was interested in making it better. That's all you could ask for in a relationship: good communication, and give-and-take.

After the dance, we refreshed our drinks and mingled with the guests. At some point, there was a commotion at the doorway to the ballroom.

The doors had been propped open because the guests had expressed interest in the wedding, and we had very few for the evening before Christmas. Reservations picked up again on the twenty-sixth.

I saw a couple, not one of the guests I'd seen in the inn the last few days. They were older with faces that were worn as if they spent a lot of time drinking or smoking or probably both.

The woman pointed in Marley's direction. "That's our daughter."

"Shit." Aiden's hand, which had been on my lower back, dropped away.

"Are those your parents?" I asked him, but he was already walking toward them.

I rushed to join him, not sure what I could do but knowing I needed to be near Aiden to support him.

"This is our daughter's wedding," the woman said to Emmett who blocked her entry into the room with his feet planted wide and his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't believe you were invited."

"You weren't," Aiden added stood next to Emmett, his voice hard and unforgiving.

I stayed back, wanting to be nearby in case Aiden needed me but not wanting to interfere with whatever was going to happen. My skin crawled as Aiden's mother, Shay, pointed one long nail at his chest. "How dare you refuse to allow me into my daughter's wedding."

"You weren't invited. You need to leave." Aiden stepped forward in an effort to back them into the hallway because guests were starting to notice that something was going on.

"You think you're something because my mother left you this place?" His mother gestured wildly around us. "But you're just trailer trash. No military training or dating a higher-class woman will change that for you."

Aiden glanced at me, then stepped in front of me, blocking her from my view. I wondered if he thought he was protecting me.

The woman gestured in my direction, then added, "You're no better than us."

I wanted to argue that he'd been better than her since birth, but it wasn't my place to interfere. I waited for Aiden to argue with her, but instead his shoulders lowered.

My stomach knotted. Did he believe her?

His father—I think his name was Hank—tugged on her arm and then said to Aiden, "She said you'd invited us. I didn't realize we weren't welcome."

Aiden's face softened slightly. "Marley wanted to enjoy her wedding with her family and friends. You've never been that for us. We made our family, and it's not blood."

Hank had the decency to flinch, but Shay's face twisted with rage. "Did you think you can pay us off, and we'd stay away?"

Aiden's jaw tightened. "I didn't pay you a dime. That wasn't my decision."

Marley and Heath appeared next to me. "What's going on? We heard yelling."

Aiden held up his hand as if to ward them off. "Nothing for you to worry about. I'll take care of them."

Marley's eyes widened when she took in the sight of her parents dressed in torn jeans and stained shirts that had seen better days. "You promised never to show up here again."

Shay's face crumbled. "The money's gone. We need more."

"You showed up on my wedding day demanding money?" Marley asked incredulously. Then she shook her head. "I shouldn't be surprised by anything you do anymore."

"Let's take this downstairs," Emmett said with an air of authority, and Talon joined him as they each took one of the interlopers' arms and guided them down the stairs.

Aiden followed them into the hallway and then turned to face Marley and Heath. "You stay here. I'll deal with them."

"You're not going to pay them off," Marley hissed.

Aiden sighed. "I don't have that kind of money anyway."

"Aiden—" Marley said as he turned and jogged down the stairs.

"I don't want him to deal with this on his own," Marley said to me and Heath.

I smiled to cover my concern. "I'll go. Go back inside and enjoy your party."

"Thank you, Fiona," Marley said.

I rushed down the stairs and joined the group in the lobby. Thankfully, there were no guests milling about. The front desk had been empty for the wedding, and maybe that's how Aiden's parents had snuck in. I wasn't sure anyone suspected that his parents would show up.

"How did you know Marley was getting married?" Aiden asked in a cold voice I didn't recognize.

"Yesterday, someone posted pictures on the social media pages for the inn," Shay said.

A chill ran through me. I was the one who'd posted the preparation pictures online. "The inn looked so beautiful, and Marley had said that posting daily photos would be good for business. I hadn't even thought about them seeing it and showing up."

"You didn't think," Aiden said to me, and I swallowed over the lump in my throat. Then to his parents, he said, "You need to leave."

Hank grabbed Shay's arm and tried to tug her toward the front door. But Shay ripped her arm from his grip. "We'll be back. You can't get rid of us that easily."

"You'd be surprised what I'd do to protect my friends and family. Gram didn't want you here, and neither do Marley and I." Aiden's tone was cool.

"Shay. This isn't the time or the place." This time, Shay allowed Hank to guide her out the door.

Emmett and Talon followed them out, probably to ensure they drove off the property.

Aiden ran a hand through his hair as he turned his back to me and walked toward the kitchen. My heart thumped hard as I followed him, wondering if he wanted me to.

He braced his hands on the counter and lowered his head. I wanted to touch him, but I felt the anger radiating off him, and I wasn't sure he'd welcome it.