Chapter 19

"Stand still, or I'm going to puncture your heart," Beau says as he pins my boutonniere to my long-sleeve shirt that's practically see-through.

"Is she here? Has Maverick picked her up?"

Beau shakes his head with his lips pressed together in a flat line.

Vanessa chimes in. "Tessa will be here; I just know it."

I respond with a sarcastic laugh, looking at Vanessa busying herself with all the details. "And how do you know this? Have you talked to her since…"

"Beck, Tessa and I spoke in confidence, and I can't break my promise to her. Plus, Tessa and I have this twin sense."

"You're not twins."

Beau shakes his head from side to side, behind Vanessa, warning me not to argue with her.

"We are. Nessa and Tessa with Beau and Beckett. She loves you."

"I love you, Vanessa, but you don't have twin sense. Matthew and Mitchell have it. Beau and I have it, but you can't have it unless you're a twin. Hell, some twins don't have it."

The three of us engage in the topic for over a half hour with Vanessa asking Siri for proof. I know they're using the argument to distract me.

Matthew and Mitchell run into the room playing hide and seek. They're as bad at hunting Easter eggs as they are at hiding, unless hiding in plain sight is the new way to play. Mitchell hides behind my leg, and Matthew finds him in less than thirty seconds. This goes on and on until Mitchell jumps into my arms. "Don't let him catch me. Hold me up high."

"That's not fair or fun."

"He's going to give me a wedgie if he finds me," Mitchell says with big toddler eyes.

I put him down on the floor. "Then you need to find a good spot and don't come out until he gives up."

He surveys the room and snuggles himself into a cabinet. Matthew runs in and out of the room, just looking, not lifting pillows, moving curtains, or opening cabinets.

It's a half hour until the wedding, and there's no sign of Tessa or her family, but I promised I would be waiting on the beach under the trellis covered with a variety of colored daisies. I sniff the daisies—they smell like a fresh start.

I walk around inspecting the chairs, the trellis, the sand, the bows, and the waves softly rolling onto shore before I head back up.

The music from the string quartet filters through the air, and it's our cue to walk out.

Beau walks in front of me down the aisle as we take our places, followed by my grandparents and parents. There are thirty chairs with seven unfilled. Tessa's family.

She's not coming.

Maverick, the pilot is here with his wife Jessica, but when I look at him, he shakes his head minutely from side to side.

She's not coming.

Riddler, Rooster, and Gunner are here. Gunner sits with Serita. I look at Serita, and she shrugs. If anyone would know Tessa's decision, it would be Serita; they've been best friends since they were children.

She's not coming.

Vanessa walks down the aisle in a light-tan shimmering dress. My heart beats out of control because Vanessa is unable to look me in the eyes. Her resolve that Tessa will show has obviously diminished.

She's not coming.

Lucy, Maverick and Jessica's little girl, along with Beau's daughter Mika toddles down the white linen laying overtop the sandy beach, dropping the same variety of daisies as are weaved throughout the trellis.

Matthew struts between the row of white chairs adorned with bows the color of champagne, carrying the pillow with a fake ring on it. Matthew and Mitchell are like Beau and me, who are identical. Well, they're identical, but Matthew's hair is curly like Vanessa's, and Mitchell's hair is straight, like Beau's.

I glance at Beau. "Is Mitchell sick?"

"Oh God, where's Mitchell?" Beau asks aloud.

Dad hops up. "I'll go find him."

It dawns on me that he may still be hiding from Matthew. "Check the pantry cabinet." When Matthew hears that, he drops the pillow and takes off running into the house. Dad runs after him.

"They may be a little competitive," Beau says. "Mitchell is a rule follower, so I'm sure he's still there."

"So, he's you." I laugh. "And Matthew is Vanessa, the free spirit." Uttering the words free spirit remind me Tessa.

What will I do if she doesn't show?

"Yeah, I guess."

Matthew drags Mitchell down to the wedding, yelling, "I found him! I found him!"

"I have to give him my football that Thomas gave me." Mitchell drops his eyes to the ground, clearly sad.

Checking my watch, Tessa is now ten minutes late.

She's not coming.

The quartet continues to play sweet melodies, and my heart feels like it might snap like a string on a violin. As I stand here at the altar, my heart pounding erratically in my chest, I can't help but feel a mixture of hope and fear. It's been weeks since I last spoke to her, weeks since I felt her touch or saw her smile.

I wrote her a letter, pouring my heart out, asking her to choose me and telling her I would be waiting for her right here as promised. The uncertainty is killing me. I can't imagine my life without her, without her laughter and her warmth. So, I stand here, waiting, praying that she'll appear on the wooden slats leading to the beach and to me.

Now twenty minutes late.

She's not coming.

How long do I wait? How long do I have to look at the pity in everyone's eyes before calling off the wedding?

Matthew and Mitchell chat, breaking me from my thoughts.

"I'll ask Thomas if he has another one," Matthew says to Mitchell who's pouting.

Wait. He said Thomas gave him the football. Thomas is Tessa's brother, who I've never even met. He's been at an elite football camp all summer. Crouching in front of them, I ask, "Is Thomas here?"

"We're not supposed to tell you, Uncy Beck."

"Did someone tell you to lie to me?"

"Tessa said it's not a lie."

"Tessa's here?"

"There he is." Matthew points at Thomas who I have only seen pictures of.

The twins take off running. I rise to my feet to see Tessa's family coming over the bridge. My eyes fill with tears, and I look up at the sky and thank whoever is listening. Relief floods my chest as Beau squeezes my shoulder, and Vanessa grabs my hand. "Twin sense. Told ya."

Beau and I are blessed to have strong, sassy women.

Tessa's grandparents seat themselves, but her brother shakes my hand, and her mom hugs me before taking her seat.

I thought I would calm down once I knew she was here, but I feel like I'm going to bust from happiness.

The string quartet plays a song that takes a minute to register. It's not the traditional wedding song she had picked out; it's Keep on Loving You, by REO Speedwagon. Neither of us were born when this song came out, but I know if it from the classic rock station.

She appears on the bridge with her arm interlocked with her dad's. Her gait is slow. Is she trying to torture me? Probably. It seems to take her an hour to step onto the white runner covered in daisies. She stops at the end of the aisle, and I soak her in. The very definition of grace and elegance. Her hair is held back from her face in a headband. Her dress is fitted around the chest and waist, then it flares out gently.

Love pounds through every vein.

Walk to me. Please.

She's waiting for something. Her dad kisses her on the cheek, then takes several strides to me and shakes my hand. "Take care of her."

I can't speak as emotion overwhelms me. I can't swallow. I shake my head and hug him.

After he sits, she sings the song all the way up the aisle. When she stops in front of me, tears slip from the corners of my eyes.

She smiles, and I take her face into my hands, kissing her. Tasting the lemon-lime LaCroix on her lips.

When we finally break away, breathing in sync, our noses almost touching, the sound of applause fills the air. With a mix of relief and gentle teasing, I whisper, "You‘re late."

Grateful she's finally here, I gaze into her eyes, waiting to hear about needing time to decide if I was the right choice. Instead, her soft response is filled with confidence and glimmer of sass.

"I was taught to make a grand entrance."

Her smile stretches as I whisper in her ear, "I'll show you a grand entrance tonight."

Thanks for reading Ride with Beckett. I hope you enjoyed Beckett's love story. Please review to help readers find my books.