I smiled, losing myself to the warmth and love in his eyes. I nodded, not trusting my voice. Instead I kissed him, pulling him into me with love and desire. I let my kiss tell him that was what I wanted too. His kiss told me he understood.
Epilogue
I take a deep breath and let it out as slowly as I can. All that does is make me feel lightheaded as the butterflies in my stomach continue to dance around. I smooth my wedding dress one last time and try to be patient. I feel like I've waited forever for this day, even though it's only been barely a year.
“You ready?” Brooke asks, poking her head inside the door of the bridal villa. Her hair is done up in an elaborate bun. “It's show time!”
I nod and she grins, closing the door behind her. I try the breathing thing one more time, but I'm still nervous. My dad takes my hands in his before I can smooth the satin of my dress again.
“You look beautiful,” he says. Memories fill his eyes as he looks at me like he did when I was a little girl playing dress-up. “I'm so proud of you, Izzy.”
He hugs me, careful not to mess up my hair. It crunches slightly from all the hairspray, but the curls remain intact. Dad puts his hands on my shoulders and looks me up and down. His eyes are brimming with tears, but he's smiling.
“Thanks, Daddy,” I whisper. I'm glad he's here. My entire family arrived a week early to enjoy the island and meet my soon-to-be husband. I think they love him as much as I do. Mom and my little brother are out waiting with the rest of the bridal party. I can't believe how big Jake has gotten since I saw him last. He's practically all grown up.
“You ready?” he asks, tucking my arm into his. I'm not sure if he's the one shaking, or if I am. Probably both of us.
“Definitely.” I grin. I've been waiting for this day for a long time.
The sunshine is bright as we step out of the villa and onto the sandy path leading to the beach. I can hear the string quartet playing over the gentle murmur of the waves. The wedding planner holds up her hand as we get to the aisle. Dad squeezes my arm.
The music changes. My heart is pounding. It's time. The wedding planner grins and motions us forward. My father guides me into the aisle, and we begin to walk.
There are smiling faces on either side of me: friends, family, relatives, and all the island locals. Devon and Mimi grin as I walk by them. Mimi is about ready to pop from her pregnancy, but she is radiant. I remember how beautiful she was at their wedding, and I hope I look the same. Lucas flashes me a big thumbs up. He proposed to Brooke two weeks ago. Doc is sitting with Adele and Dominic. Adele is already openly crying.
But there is only one face I want to see. Noah's.
He is standing at the altar, waiting for me. He looks so incredibly handsome in his light gray suit against the white of the sand and blue of the water. His hair, for once, looks tamed and combed. I wonder how many times he's tried to run his hands through it today. Our eyes connect and I can see all the nervousness leave his shoulders. He smiles, and I'm captured in his gaze. His eyes are so blue, they call to me like sirens. I stop walking and start floating. This is it.
“Who gives this woman to be with this man?” the minister asks.
“Her mother and I,” my father replies. His voice shakes a little. I know he's practiced that line all day. My mom wipes her eyes and beams up at me from her seat.
I hug my father. His lips brush my cheek, his eyes glistening with happy tears. His little girl is all grown up. He shakes Noah's hand, and then, reluctantly lets me go.
Brooke takes my bouquet and gives me a wink. She's grinning like a fool. Noah's hands are strong and steady on mine. He smiles and we turn to face the minister. I'm glad I have Noah's hand. With him there, I don't shake so badly. He is my rock. Together, we can face anything.
Noah squeezes my hand. “Thank you for coming.”
I squeeze back. “I wouldn't have missed this for the world.”
We promise to love one another. We promise to support one another. I know that we will do these things. We already have. We have been doing it for over a year now. There are no secrets anymore. Only honesty and love. Our foundation is strong; we are ready to build our sandcastle.
The ceremony is a blur. All I know is that I am happy to promise my life to Noah. His blue eyes shine with joy as he promises the same to me.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the minister tells us. I can't believe we’re at this part already. I grin and Noah cups his hand on my cheek. The smile spreading across his face tells me everything I need to know: we are going to be happy.
The crowd cheers. I can hear my little brother whooping and Lucas’s distinctive, annoying wolf whistle he enjoy
s using. They are happy for us.
We part from our kiss, breathless and grinning. The crowd is still cheering. Noah takes my hand and raises it up in victory. We have made it. The crowd roars even louder. My brother starts imitating Lucas's whistle technique. Together we hurry down the aisle.
We escape to a quiet spot just off the path, and Noah pulls me in for another kiss. This one is ours. We take our time, enjoying our moment away from prying eyes and cheers. There will be many more kisses tonight, but this one is special.
“I love you,” Noah whispers, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I love you,” I tell him and he grins. “You ready for the fun part?”