“So whenever my sister and my best friend want to stop making out, maybe we can get started.”
Amelia pulls back, her face deep red as she covers her mouth. “Oops.”
I don’t let her get far. “No, no oops. Just wow.”
Her eyes sparkle as she rubs her thumb along my bottom lip. “Lipstick.”
I shrug. “Does it match my eyes?”
“Totally,” she giggles as she wipes it off. Once she’s done, I wrap my arm around her waist, and we head to where everyone is waiting. Amelia is carted off to the back so she can walk up the aisle. I head to where Ryan is standing under the stunning altar made up of poinsettias and tiny white lights. Ryan raises his eyebrows as I come to stand beside him.
“Leave any magic under that mistletoe?”
I shake my head. “Nope, we used it all.”
Ryan chuckles ruefully. “I thought it would be weird seeing you two together.”
I glance at the side of his face. “Is it?”
“No, not at all. It works. It’s right.”
I couldn’t agree more. I knew I already had Ryan’s approval, but hearing him say that makes it more real for me. It makes me realize that I can have this girl for the rest of my life, and everyone will support us. When Amelia starts down the aisle, my lip quirks to the side as I let out a happy sigh.
“She’s absolutely stunning.”
Ryan chuckles softly. “Man, you got it bad.”
“So damn bad.”
Amelia gives me a cheeky grin as she goes to her spot. I probably should have been paying attention, listening as Mrs. Justice went over what we were supposed to do and what would happen when. Instead, I’m completely enraptured by Amelia. Stunning isn’t even a good enough word to describe how gorgeous she is. She knocks me on my ass.
And she’s all mine.
The rehearsal goes fast, the upside to having an event planner who has been doing this almost her whole life. I’ve never been in Calderwood Hall, but I can see why Ryan and Sofia picked it for their wedding venue. It’s pretty damn cool, with its warm, vintage-style rooms. The hall where they’ll marry tomorrow is intimate, which is perfect since there are only going to be about a hundred people. The reception will be held outside with heaters on full blast but with the winter sky as a backdrop. They selected a clear tent. I didn’t even know that was a thing until I saw it set up for tomorrow. It’s going to be pretty amazing.
Plus, there is an open bar.
We all gather in the dining room for the rehearsal dinner. The conversation is great, Amelia’s family is a hoot, and I’m having a wonderful time. I forgot how much I love spending time with Amelia’s family. I love talking hockey with Shea and his boys. Posey plays in the women’s league, and she’s pretty damn good. Ryan and Sofia are the perfect couple, grinning and totally in love. The only problem, if it even is a problem, is I can’t keep my hands off my girl. I don’t think she minds, though. We’re so close, we might as well be sharing a chair.
When Amelia taps her fork to her wineglass, everyone looks at her as she stands, giving me a sweet smile. She clears her throat as she looks to the head of the table where Ryan and Sofia sit, hand in hand. “There is a memory that I hold very close to my heart. When I was twelve, which means Ryan would have been fifteen, our dad took us shopping for our mom. He always bought her lavish gifts and loved the look that would come over her face.” I look at Mrs. Justice, and her eyes are full of tears. “This particular time, he bought her these black diamond earrings, and when the price flashed up on the register screen, I almost choked on the gum I was chewing.” Laughter fills the room as Amelia grins. “Ryan was flabbergasted and said, ‘Dad, why in the world would you spend that much?’ Hell, I agreed with him. Seriously, I’m pretty sure those diamonds were more than my first car!”
More laughter follows, but I notice Mrs. Justice is dabbing her eyes free of tears. It guts me to see her so sad, especially on such a joyous occasion. Amelia swallows hard as she looks to where Ryan and Sofia sit. “Dad just looked at the two of us and said, ‘One day you’ll fall in love with a person who makes you want to spend every moment, every second, and every cent on them. I’m buying these because I know your mom will love them, and I love making her happy. You’ll see. You’ll want to make your soul mate happy.’”
Amelia inhales shakily, her voice rough as her gaze stays glued to her brother. “If Dad were here, he’d agree with me that you’re marrying your soul mate. That you’re lucky you get to spend every moment, second, and cent on her.”