Beau and Ashton Epilogue
Who
was that guy? And how the hell had he managed to get here? Reaching up,
I tugged at my stiff white linen collar and took a deep breath. The
more I thought about what all could go wrong, the harder it became to
breathe.
“You’re
gonna have to get it together man. She isn’t going to bolt. The girl
loves you, crazy insane loves you. What about that don’t you get?”
Sawyer’s amused tone matched the smirk on his face.
Our
eyes met in the mirror as he stood behind me. I wanted to believe he
was right. But damn if that wasn’t hard. Since the moment Ashton had
stood up in the stands and screamed, “YES” to the top of her lungs at
the SEC championship game last year, I’d been waiting for the reality of
her decision to sink in.
She
was marrying me, Beau Vincent. I knew she could do so much better but
damned if I didn’t want her to realize it. Every passing day since the
moment I slid that diamond ring on her finger, I’d been waiting for this
fairytale to end. Life had always jerked the rug out from under me when
things had been good. Now that things were about as damn perfect as
they could get, would it happen again?
“I’m not good enough for her,” saying the words aloud made me feel sick.
Sawyer’s smirk melted into a scowl. “Says who? Cause I can damn well
assure you that ain’t the truth. No one will ever love her as much as
you do and Ashton Gray has loved you since we were kids. You know bro,
cold feet is supposed to be the groom worrying that he is making a bad
decision. Not the groom thinking she is making the wrong decision.”
Shaking
my head, I turned away from my reflection and focused my attention out
the window of the beach house my dad had rented for the occasion. Ashton
had said she wanted a wedding on the beach and my dad had made sure she
had a prime location. I’d been so damn proud the day I’d brought her
here to show her. She’d squealed and clapped her hands as she ran out
onto the white sandy shore.
If
I’d still held any bitterness toward my dad, it had all melted away the
moment Ashton twirled around in the sand with excitement proclaiming
that this was the perfect spot for our wedding. He’d made Ashton happy.
He was forgiven.
“Lana
said she looks gorgeous and she’s deliriously happy. Stop worrying.
This is the day you finally make Ashton Gray completely yours.”
The
simplistic beauty of the decorations were so Ashton. She’d said she
wanted to complement the natural beauty of the location not overtake it
with other things. Everything was perfect, just like her. And she’d
chose me.
“Why me? She could have had you. Why did she choose me?”
Sawyer
chuckled behind me and I glanced back over my shoulder to see him
grinning. “That’s a question that haunted me once. I couldn’t figure it
out either. I mean I am a pretty damn good catch,” he shrugged and
slapped me on the back. “You’re her other half. Not me. Never was me. I
have my other half now. I know what that feels like. She just found hers
before I found mine.”
“What was God thinking making someone like me, Ashton’s other half?”
“He
was thinking she deserved someone who would love her no matter what,”
Sawyer replied. The conviction in his voice eased my fear somewhat.
“I’ll love her until the day I die. She really is my world.”
Sawyer nodded, “Figured that out the day you chose her over me.”
My lips curved up into a grin, “Yeah, I guess you did.”
Ashton
“Okay girl, this is it,” Lana whispered reaching down to squeeze my hand tightly.
“I
can’t believe it’s almost time,” I replied staring straight ahead at
the door leading out onto the beach. The groomsmen had all followed Beau
outside while I’d stayed hidden upstairs. I didn’t have to look outside
to know that to the right of Beau stood Sawyer, his best man. Then
Harris Vincent stood beside his oldest son. After Harris, stood Ethan
and then Jake.
Lana
had brought me downstairs before the bridesmaids had made their way out
the door so they could all wish me luck. Lana was my maid-of-honor.
Beside her, Leann would be waiting up front. Then Jessica and my
roommate from college, Crystal.
“You
are absolutely stunning. No bride has ever been this gorgeous in the
history of the world,” Lana beamed at me before stepping up to the door
and blowing me a kiss as she walked outside.
“She’s
right you know. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a lovelier bride,” the
emotion in my dad’s voice caused my eyes to tear up.
“Daddy, please don’t make me cry.”
He held out his elbow for me to take, “Never. Think of them all in their underwear. I hear that helps.”
A
startled laugh quickly dried my tears and I turned to look up him.
“That is what you’re supposed to do when you’re nervous,” I told him.
He grinned, “ It worked didn’t it?”
I squeezed his arm, “Yes it did.”
“Let’s
do this baby girl. That boy looked so scared before he walked down the
isle I thought he might break free and run upstairs to make sure you
were still there. No need to leave him waiting. He may tear the place up
coming in here after you.”
Giggling
at my father’s very accurate description of my future husband, I nodded
and we stepped up to the door. Taking a deep breath I followed him out
into the perfect light of the setting sun.
The
moment my bare feet touched the cooling sand, I lifted my gaze to find
Beau. The awe and relief on his face as I made my way slowly toward him
sent my heart into a wild frenzy. Being near him still made me
light-headed. I doubted that would ever go away.
His perfect mouth moved and I read his lips as he said, “I love you.”
The world around me faded away. All that was left was me and Beau-- my past, my present, and my future.
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