One More Chance (Rosemary Beach 8)

“I’ll have my phone in my pocket. Every time you want to see her, just FaceTime me. Now, go have fun,” I said, swatting her on the ass and nodding my head toward the door.

She grinned and rolled her eyes at me. “Fine. I’ll go,” she agreed, but then leaned in to kiss Lila Kate’s head one more time. “I’ll be back soon,” she said.

Lila Kate got so excited by Harlow that she buried her face in my chest. I kept my hand at the back of her neck, because she’d throw it back again to see if Harlow was still nearby any second now.

“She looks more like you now,” Harlow said, touching her little arm.

“She’s too pretty to look like me,” I replied.

Harlow cocked an eyebrow at me. “I know you don’t like hearing this, but you’re pretty, too, pretty boy.”

Chuckling, I opened the door and kissed her lips one more time just as Blaire’s Mercedes SUV pulled into our driveway. Harlow waved good-bye and blew us kisses, then finally left the house for the first time.

I watched until she was safely in Blaire’s car and was pulling away until I closed the door. “Want to bet your mommy calls us in the next ten minutes?” I asked Lila Kate as we walked to the kitchen to get her a bottle and finish my coffee. “She won’t be able to help herself. Being away from you isn’t something she’s fond of. But I need her to get that dress so I can marry her. Then we’ll be official. The Carter family. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

To the woman who gave me everything,

Today’s the day I get to give you my name. It doesn’t seem like enough, but then, you’ve had my heart and soul now for more than a year. This is all I have left to give you. What you’ve given me is so much more.

I decided, since Lila Kate and I had so many letters from you, that it was time you got a letter, too. You deserve a letter more than anyone else. You are, after all, the hero of our story. Without you and your determination, we wouldn’t all be standing in front of family and friends today with our little girl in our arms, pledging forever to each other. As if we needed a ceremony for that.

You became my forever even before I realized it.

Thank you for being brave. Braver than anyone I know. Thank you for showing me that when we want something badly enough, it’s worth taking all the risks and chances to get even a taste.

When I thought I had lost you, not once did I regret letting myself love you. I was shattered, but in my heart, I was so damn thankful for those memories. For letting myself have that time with you. I found out that life is about experiencing those moments when you’re so happy you feel like your chest will burst. We need those cherished memories to hold on to during those moments when the world comes crashing down.

I didn’t understand that until I was there. While you were asleep, all I could do was remember the good times. The sound of your laughter and how incredible you felt in my arms. How being with you made everything right. It’s what got me through. It’s what helped me hold our baby girl for the first time alone, not knowing if you’d ever see her face.

Thank you for loving me. I’m the luckiest man in the world. I know a lot of men claim that, but they have no idea. They don’t have you. And they haven’t held my baby girl. I have it all, and I couldn’t ask for more.

With love from your adoring, lucky-as-hell husband,

Grant

Harlow

I folded the letter and wiped away the tears that were now running down my face. Crazy man had to make me cry before I walked down the aisle. I used the tissue in my hand to blot away the wetness and took a deep breath. I would probably need to frame this, because I was going to read it so often the paper was going to wear through.

“Why are you crying?” Blaire asked as she stepped into the room.

I held up the letter. “This. It’s from Grant,” I explained. “I don’t think it was supposed to make me cry, but it did.”

“Ah, I understand. Rush had me in a fit of tears before I walked down the aisle.

Smiling, I remembered their wedding. It had been beautiful and much more elaborate than this one would be. I had wanted simple, and Grant had agreed.

“We have a five-minute drive. You ready to go?” she asked me.

“Yes. Is Lila Kate ready?”

She nodded. “Yep. She looks like an angel. Her mommy might not be wearing white, but she’s rocking her own fluffy white gown.”

Laughing, I slipped on my flats and tucked the letter into my jewelry box. “Let’s do this,” I said, heading out my bedroom door and toward Lila Kate’s room. She was lying in her crib, looking at her slipper-covered feet in fascination. When her gaze found mine, she kicked happily. “We have a handsome prince waiting for us. We need to go.” I scooped her up.

She did look adorable in her dress.

Blaire led us out to my Land Rover, and I buckled Lila Kate in before climbing into the passenger seat. My dress was easy. I hadn’t gone for the long, white, traditional wedding dress. Instead, my dress was the palest of blues. It reminded me of the color of the sky when looking through a cloud. It was a simple yet elegant satin gown that belted at the waistline and flowed outward, falling just above my knees.

Lila Kate gurgled and let us know she was back there with a little fussing. We turned toward the club, then drove back to the private beach for homeowners only. Woods had offered to let us use the stretch of beach in front of his house. We wouldn’t have any uninvited spectators, and it would be private.

Blaire pulled up to the rose-covered archway that served as the entrance to the wedding. “This is your stop,” she said, grinning. “Nervous?”

I shook my head. “No. Not at all. I’ve never been more ready to do anything in my life.”

After stepping out of the car, I quickly scooped Lila Kate out of her car seat before she got too frustrated and tucked her in my arms. She was still less than six pounds, but she was gaining weight steadily, and that was what mattered.

“Let’s go see Daddy,” I whispered. We stepped up to the archway. Blaire straightened her dress and quickly sent a text to let them know we were ready, since we couldn’t be seen on this side of the house.

The music started up, and Blaire wiggled her fingers in a wave before picking up a small bouquet of three roses—a pink one centered between two white ones. It was a symbol of our family. I would have carried it myself, but I had my hands full of something much more important.

Blaire walked away down the aisle, and I counted to twenty just like we had practiced, before Lila Kate and I made our way down the rose-petal-covered walkway. We made the turn around the house, and there they were, all standing up and turning toward us. The people we loved. I smiled as Lila Kate’s gaze took everything in.

It wasn’t until we were at the center looking straight up the aisle that I saw him. Our handsome prince. His eyes locked on mine.

He thought I was the hero of our story. How wrong he was. He had been the hero all along.