“Thank you.” I should probably come up with something better to say, but I’m a little confused—okay, more than a little confused. My eyes drift over Tyson’s shoulder and I notice that everyone is gone. It’s just the two of us.
“Hey, pretty girl. Up here.” Tyson snaps his fingers in front of my face, and I look up. His eyes are filled with so much love that I feel myself start to relax.
“What is this?” I ask. “What are you doing here?”
“Well…” Tyson slides his hands down my arms and links his fingers with mine. “I was hoping we could get married.”
“I—I don’t understand,” I stammer.
“Harley”—Tyson drops to one knee and a hand flies to my mouth— “I know we’re already engaged, but I’m tired of waiting. You’re it for me, and I want to make it official. Will you marry me … today?”
I don’t even bother answering him. I throw myself into Tyson’s arms and he topples backward but somehow manages to keep us from both hitting the ground. “I love you,” I say, right before I fuse my mouth to his. Our tongues intertwine in an age-old dance, and we only pull away when loud catcalls catch our attention.
My cheeks burn with heat and I bury my face in Tyson’s chest. “Is that a yes?” he asks, pulling back. I peek up at him and give the answer he’s been waiting for.
“Yes.” Tyson’s blinding smile causes my heart to explode, and I can’t help but wonder how I got so damn lucky. “What are we waiting for?” I ask. In the blink of an eye, he stands up, tosses me over his shoulder and walks toward the house.
“She said yes!” he hollers. I push up from where I’m draped over Tyson’s shoulder to see several heads poking out from behind the house.
Everything that happens after that is a complete blur. Quinn, Laney and Mom whisk me away into the house, where I’m presented with my mother’s wedding dress.
“It’s your something old,” she says, gathering me in her arms. “I’m so happy for you.” She sniffs several times, and the sound of her crying brings me to tears.
“Thank you, Mama.”
“No crying!” Quinn chirps, clapping her hands. “You’ll ruin your makeup. And I’ve hired the best damn photographer that I could find, so we can’t have tearstains or raccoon eyes.”
Mom and I both laugh as we pull apart. “Yes, ma’am,” my mom says, saluting Quinn just as Max pushes his way into the room.
“Tyson wants to know if you’re ready. Oh, and I’m supposed to give you this.” Max holds out a plain white envelope and I take it from him. Slipping my finger under the lip, I lift the flap and pull out a bright pink coupon. My jaw drops when I realize it’s one of the blank coupons I gave Tyson a year and a half ago. I can’t believe he kept it.
“What’s it say?” Max says, pulling on my arms to get a better look.
I hold the piece of paper close to my chest. “Happily ever after.”
“Good God that man is amazing,” Quinn says, dabbing her eyes with a Kleenex. “You are such a lucky bit—girl,” she says, thankfully correcting herself when she looks over and sees Max still standing there.
“Can we do this now?” he whines. “This suit is hot.”
“Let’s do this.” I walk out of Quinn’s old bedroom and through the house, and then stop at the sliding glass doors that lead to the backyard. I register the beautiful decorations and handful of guests, but that isn’t what catches my attention.
All the breath is robbed from my lungs when I spot Tyson standing at the altar. To put it simply, the man looks sexy as hell. He’s shed the coat and removed the tie, and he’s standing there in black pants and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up around his elbows.
“Ready, sweetheart?” my dad says.
“More than ready.” Dad slides open the door. Mom and Quinn step out first, followed by Max and me. I watch Quinn take her place near the altar next to where I’ll be standing, and Mom sits in a chair up front.
“I’ll see you up there. Dad needs me,” Max says proudly. He gives me a quick hug and then takes his place next to Tyson, who holds out his fist for Max to bump it. Then Max laughs at something Tyson says, and the sight of the two of them together causes warmth to radiate throughout my body. Suddenly, I feel the need to get up there with them as fast as humanly possible.
“Let’s do this,” I say, slipping my hand in the crook of my dad’s arm. I lock eyes with Tyson from across the yard and allow my feet to follow my heart straight into my forever.
Tyson’s gaze doesn’t waver. The closer I get, the wider his smile grows. Before I know it, I’m standing in front of my best friend, the father of my children, the love of my life.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers.
His words wrap around my heart like a blanket. Tears form in my eyes, but I’m determined to keep them in. “Thank you. You don’t look too shabby yourself.”
The pastor clears his throat and we both look up at him. “Who gives this woman away?”