“Ugh, I’ll figure it out.”
“What?” Kin frowned at me.
“Nothing,” I said with a grin. “Just sorting a few things out.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “You’re so weird today. Now sit still so this chick can fix you up again and we can leave. I can hear your mom trying to calm your dad down because it’s taking so damn long.”
Laughing, I let the makeup artist retouch my lipstick. Once my face was perfect, I was dragged out of the salon and straight into the back of a waiting limo with the rest of the girls in my bridal party. They were all in their dresses, even Kin, but I was in a pair of purple sweat pants and a button-down shirt so my dress wouldn’t get wrinkled before the wedding.
At the church, with only ten minutes to go before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, I stepped into my dress and Mom clipped the veil into place. Santana, who had been snapping pictures in the background all morning, stopped right behind me as I looked myself
over in the mirror.
“I’ve taken hundreds of bridal photos, Lucy. And I can honestly tell you that you are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. You have this glow about you that seems to radiate outward to everyone around you. Your beauty is making everyone who sees you stop and catch their breath.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, and Dad, always seeming to know the exact right time to interrupt, opened the door to the huge room I’d been using to change. As he stepped into the room, his gaze went around the room, taking in everyone all at once.
Then his eyes fell on me, and he went completely still. I stood there, unable to move as I watched him swallow hard repeatedly and blink back the tears that filled his changeable brown eyes. “Lu…” He tried to clear his throat, but his voice was just as choked up. “You… You are so beautiful.”
Pleasure filled me. I wanted to hug him, but even as I took a step to do so, Jenna and Kin stepped in my way. “Nope,” Kin told me with a scowl on her beautiful face. “As your maid of honor, I can’t allow you to muss yourself up even to hug your dad.”
“But—”
“She’s right, Lucy,” Jenna seconded. “It took two hours to get you just right. Save the hugs for the reception.”
“But—”
Dad chuckled and stepped around the two girls. “You can’t hug me, but I can at least kiss you.” He touched his lips to my cheek before shooting a glare at them. “Got a problem with that?”
Kin sighed. “No, Mr. Thornton.”
“It’s time!” Aunt Emmie called. “Everyone is in place, so let’s go out there and get this girl married.”
“Let’s not,” Dad muttered under his breath, but I still heard him.
While everyone around us was bustling to get out the door, I just stood there looking up at him. Vaguely, I remembered how emotional he’d been the day Aunt Emmie married Nik. She had been his first baby. The little girl he had dedicated his life to watching over and protecting. Making sure she was happy and loved. I was only eight at the time, but I could still remember how emotional he’d been throughout that entire day.
I’d been so caught up in making sure everyone else was ready and then getting myself just right that I hadn’t gotten to spend much time with him all day. I wished I had taken the time to have a moment with him like I had with Mom earlier that morning. To reassure him that I was still his little girl. That I loved him and nothing was going to change even though I was getting married.
“Jess,” Aunt Emmie called from the door. “It’s time.”
He clenched his jaw and nodded, but before he could follow after her, I grasped his hand, forcing him to stop. “Daddy, wait.” His head jerked around, his eyes narrowing. “C-can we have a minute?”
“Of course, Lu. Whatever you want.” He waved Aunt Emmie away, and she closed the door so we could have some privacy. “Is something wrong, baby? Are you having second thoughts? If so, you don’t have to do this. We can leave right now. No questions asked. I can—”
I shook my head hurriedly. “No! No, that’s not it. I’m ready to marry Harris. I just…” I took both his hands and gave them a firm squeeze. “I just wanted a moment with you and me.”
“Oh.” He swallowed hard again. “But if you change your mind at any time, just let me know. I’ll get you out of here.”
I smiled gently up at him. “No, Daddy. Really. I’ve been dreaming of this day for a very long time.”
“Right. Okay.” He lowered his lashes, hiding his tears from me. “This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be.”
A tear spilled over his lashes, and I wiped it away. “Daddy, I want to tell you something.”
His lashes lifted, but he remained quiet, giving me the time I needed to speak.
“I thought, when Layla became Lana’s and my guardian, that it was the best day of my life. But I was wrong. The best day of my life was when I met you and the Demons.” His chin trembled, and I had trouble keeping my tears at bay. “I never knew what it was like to have a dad until you came into my life. You accepted me as yours like it was as normal as breathing. There was never any question in my heart of whether you were my dad. Not once. You raised me, loved me unconditionally, and I don’t think I have ever thanked you for that.”