26. Declan

26

DECLAN

I was running purely on adrenaline as I paced in front of Hank Comfort’s farmhouse. I hadn’t slept in over thirty-eight hours, which was only partially due to jetlag. After leaving Ashley’s house last night, I’d flown back to Atlanta to get some things I needed for the wedding and to pick up something special from my jeweler. I was back here by seven this morning. I’d spent the entire day arranging everything for the ceremony tonight.

Typically, this would be work that Hannah would take care of, but I hadn’t told her what I was doing. I wanted to keep this as private as possible until the papers were signed. I wasn’t particularly superstitious, but I didn’t want anything to go wrong. The fewer people involved, the less margin for error.

The sound of gravel crunching beneath tires drew my attention. I glanced up and saw Gran’s Bentley Continental GT pulling up to Hank and Skylar’s farmhouse. Fred was in the driver’s seat, and Dorothy was riding shotgun.

When it pulled to a stop, I walked over and opened the passenger side door. I helped Dorothy out of the car then Gran held her hand out and placed it in mine as she stepped out of the car from the back seat. Her heels sank into the tiny rocks as she stood. Her floor-length, plum-colored gown had sheer sleeves that showed a hint of her thin frame.

Gran glanced around the farm with an air of assessing superiority. She’d always carried herself with a royal demeanor. I couldn’t count the number of people in my life I’d witnessed ask her if she was a duchess or held a title. She would always dismissively reply, “ No, dear, I am just French .”

“Well, this is… quaint,” Gran observed.

“Yes, it is,” Dorothy agreed.

“So, this is all very…sudden.” Gran’s left brow arched. “I thought the two of you didn’t get along.”

This morning, when I informed Gran that Ashley and I were to be married today, she looked both pleased, surprised, and suspicious. She’d wanted to grill me on details, but she hadn’t had the opportunity because I’d had to leave to go get the marriage license. I hadn’t returned to the estate because I’d been busy with preparations, so this was the first time I’d seen her since I’d told her. She was clearly questioning the timing and authenticity of this relationship. But I had no plans to divulge that information to her.

The fewer people who knew the truth, the better. Ashley agreed with me, and the only people in her circle who were going to be privy to the conditions of our union were her sister, brother-in-law, and his brother, Jimmy, who was licensed to marry people and would be conducting the ceremony, and her friend Nadia.

I offered Gran my arm to escort her to the backyard, where the small ceremony space was set up. “Although we do not have a non-fraternization policy, we felt it was best to keep our relationship private.”

Her steely blue gaze bore into mine as if she had an X-ray machine to my soul. She did not. Although, if anyone knew me, it was my grandmother. The only other person who even came close was Hannah.

“I thought there was something strange going on yesterday between the two of you. When did this start? When did you meet her?”

“I met her the night she came to Atlanta for her interview,” I answered honestly.

Her eyes narrowed. “You said you didn’t see her that night.”

“We spent the night together, and we didn’t feel that it was anyone’s business.”

“And what is the rush now?”

“The will did move our timeline up.” It was always good to stay as close to the truth as possible. “Since I’m leaving for Vancouver in two days, and then Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Maui, before Chicago, Austin?—”

“I don’t need your itinerary.” Her tone was clipped as she lifted her hand dismissively. “So, is that why she handed in her resignation? Because of your relationship.”

“Not at all. I know she found the work you two did rewarding, and she valued the opportunity you gave her, but she wanted to pursue other things as well as have more time with her family, which, as you know, is very important to her.”

“Hmm.” I never knew how to interpret Gran’s noncommittal tone. She either agreed with what I was saying or she thought I was full of shit. It could go either way.

We rounded the corner of the house into the backyard, and I guided Gran to the two rows of white folding chairs. Since Ashley wanted to keep everything private, I hired an event coordinator from Savannah instead of someone local. They’d set up an arch with flowers and fairy lights and a farm table with string lights overhead and lanterns hanging from the oak trees for a catered dinner after the short, very short ceremony.

“This is beautiful,” Dorothy enthused as she and Fred took their seats beside Gran, and my heart sank.

I’d watched the video Gran showed me of Ashley’s audition tape at least a dozen times. She had dreamed of getting married since she was a little girl. She’d been a bride for Halloween eight times. I knew it wasn’t her dream wedding, but I wanted to make it as special as it could be for what it was.

Jimmy tapped me on the shoulder. “Are we ready?”

I nodded and took my place beside him under the arch. He gave a signal to Nadia, who was standing at the French doors that led to the house. I glanced out over the few people in attendance. Besides Gran, Frank, and Dorothy, there was Hank, who was seated beside his very pregnant wife, Skylar, Ashley’s sister, who I met right before Gran showed up. I could see that she wasn’t thrilled with the situation, but I hoped that after the ten weeks she’d feel differently. I knew there was nothing I could do or say to put her mind at ease now.

As I waited beneath the arch, my palms were damp, and my heart was racing. I knew that my physical reaction was ridiculous. This was not a real wedding. This was not a real marriage. My brain knew that. It seemed my nervous system wasn’t aware.

With each moment that passed, second, third, and fourth thoughts crowded in my brain. Was this the right thing to do? I’d talked her into this, and guilt began to overwhelm me that. Ashley deserved a real wedding, a real marriage, and I couldn’t offer her that. Setting up this makeshift ceremony and getting her an expensive diamond ring was my way of trying to make it up to her, but I knew that it was a poor attempt.

What she really wanted…what she really deserved, I couldn’t give her.

Then the doors opened, and Ashley’s niece Luna walked out. She made her way down the steps of the deck, pretending to toss flower petals as she walked toward the arch. When she reached me, she waved. I gave her a thumbs up, and she took her place in the front row beside her mom and stepdad.

The doors closed once more, and I took a deep breath as I glanced down at the ground in an attempt, well, to ground myself. This was it. The moment had come. When I heard an audible gasp, I looked back and saw the doors were open again and Ashley was standing in the doorway. My breath caught in my throat. She looked like a living angel. Her hair fell in soft waves around her face. Her large blue eyes were outlined with dark lashes. The simple white dress she wore clung to her body and had a slit that ran up her thigh.

Sweat broke out at the base of my neck as she walked toward me. My chest got so tight I wasn’t sure I could breathe. It was so tight it felt like an elephant was sitting on it. Emotion swelled in me, and my eyes began to fill with tears. I lifted my hand and quickly wiped the moisture with my forefinger and thumb before anyone noticed.

Logically, I knew this wasn’t real. But for some reason, that was not how I was feeling. Emotionally, this felt very real.

When she stopped in front of me, I could barely breathe, much less speak or think.

“You look beautiful.” The words were strained with emotion.

“You don’t have to say that,” she whispered. “And you didn’t have to do all this. I only wanted to do it here and not at the courthouse so my sister could be here because…she’s my sister.”

“You may be seated,” Jimmy Comfort announced. “Declan and Ashley have asked that I keep this short and sweet, so that’s exactly what I plan to do. Declan, repeat after me: I, Declan Xavier Wolfe, take you, Ashley Nicole Thompson, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“I, Declan Xavier Wolfe, take you, Ashley Nicole Thompson, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

Jimmy continued, “To have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and health.”

“To have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and health.”

“To be faithful to you, to protect, honor, and respect you.”

“To be faithful to you, to protect, honor, and respect you,” I repeated.

“To support your dreams, goals, and visions, to be your partner and confidant.”

“To support your dreams, goals, and visions, to be your partner and confidant, the Clyde to your Bonnie,” I added the last part.

Ashley’s eyes widened, and a wide smile spread on her face. From the look of amusement on her face, Nadia also got the reference, and Fred and Dorothy exchanged knowing grins. I was happy to cut the tension. Even if this wasn’t Ashley’s dream wedding, it didn’t have to be the worst.

Jimmy repeated the vows to Ashley, and she parroted them back, even including my addition.

Once she’d promised to be the Bonnie to my Clyde, Jimmy asked, “Do you have the rings?”

Ashley quickly corrected him. “No, we don’t have rings.”

“Yes.” I took the ring I’d picked up from my jeweler, Noah, this morning out of my pocket. I’d messaged him before flying back to Atlanta last night, and he’d opened his shop this morning at five for me. As soon as he showed it to me, I knew it was the one for Ashley. The setting was simple yet so breathtakingly beautiful. It was a four-carat, round, six-prong diamond engagement ring and platinum halo wedding band.

She gasped as she looked down at the set. “You didn’t have to?—”

“Yes, I did.”

When her eyes lifted to mine, there was a moment, just a second, when nothing about this felt fake. I knew she felt it, too. That this was real. It felt like we were actually getting married, not for the company, not for her to get out of debt, not for any other reason than for her to be my wife and me to be her husband.

“As you place the ring on Ashley’s finger, repeat after me, with this ring I thee wed.”

Ashley’s hand was trembling as I held it in my own and slid the rings down her finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

We hadn’t discussed the kiss, but given our history, I was confident she wouldn’t mind sealing our vows with a kiss. Her breath caught as her eyes lifted to mine beneath thick, dark lashes. I lifted my hand and cupped her face as I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. I’d forgotten the softness of her mouth, or how perfectly it fit with mine. I’d forgotten the way the curves of her body melted against me, forming to mine as if she was tailor-made to my measurements and mine to hers.

I was barely aware of the others around us as Nadia wolf whistled in the background. Skylar and others began clapping and cheering as loud explosions erupted, causing Ashley to gasp and break our kiss. When she looked up into the sky, she saw the display of fireworks I’d arranged as flashes of brilliant color lit up the inky sky.

“Is that…for us? Did you do that?” she whispered in wonder as I watched the tiny bursts of light dance in her irises. I was literally seeing the world through her eyes.

“Yes.”

That wasn’t our first kiss. Our first kiss occurred in the presidential suite at the hotel. But it was a kiss I’d remember forever. It was our first kiss as man and wife.