“Six o’clock won’t come fast enough for me.”

“Me, either.”

“It’s not too late,” he said. “We could just elope.”

“You should have suggested that back in September. If I’d known then what I know now . . .”

“Yes?”

“I’d have been Mrs. Nathaniel West months ago.”

“Don’t tell me that,” he said. “I’ll start thinking about all the fun we could have been having in the last month.”

“Okay then. I wouldn’t have changed my mind; I’d have done everything the exact same.”

He sighed. “Is it six yet?”

“Not even close. Do I get to see you before I walk down the aisle?”

“Not if Linda has anything to do with it. She won’t admit it, but she’s horribly superstitious.”

I glanced out the window and saw it was snowing harder. “Note to self, either stay away from Linda or keep her occupied.”

His chuckle was warm and low. “Good luck with that one.”

“The good news is that no matter what, I’m seeing you at six o’clock.”

“Then, starting tomorrow, it’s nothing but you and me for an entire two weeks.”

***

Getting ready, it felt like two thousand butterflies were throwing a party in my stomach. It was almost dreamlike to think I was marrying Nathaniel. All those years ago, I would never have believed there would be a day like this that would bind us together forever. And when I left him months ago, I never thought I’d see him again.

Fate had a different plan though, and our hearts couldn’t be content without each other. Finally, after all our struggles, here I stood, hours away from becoming his wife. I couldn’t remember a time I felt happier. I closed my eyes and tried to commit the feeling to memory.

“Ready for me to lace you up?” Felicia asked.

I knew I was probably grinning like an idiot when I turned toward her and nodded. She simply smiled back, perhaps remembering her own wedding day.

“I’m so happy for you.” She hugged me. “And I love this gown.”

It was nothing like the gown I’d imagined getting married in, but I knew the moment I’d put it on that it was mine. The sweetheart neckline accentuated my chest, making the most of my small size. A full skirt flowed elegantly from the tapered waist. But it was the top that had sold me. The top was made like a corset, with tiny pearls and crystals sewn in between the lace.

Nathaniel had me wear a corset a few times during our weekends. He loved the sight of me in one and I had to agree. They made me feel elegant and sexy and completely feminine all at the same time. To find a wedding gown that would both make me feel that way and leave Nathaniel speechless? I was sold.

I held still while Felicia did the laces and I shivered with the knowledge of who would be undoing them. I imagined his fingers, slowly working on the ties, his lips grazing the back of my neck, the whisper of cool air as my skin was exposed, and the rush of heat as he claimed me forever.

Chapter Three

Nathaniel

There’s something to be said about being the last of your friends to get married. Being the first is hard. I remembered how horrible Jackson and I were to Todd when he and Elaina got married. Of course, we were much younger then, and we assumed no man could get married without a proper bachelor party.

We had mellowed out by the time Jackson got married. Plus the fact that Abby and I were following along less than a year later toned down the hysteria a bit as well. As it turned out, the prewedding party boiled down to the three of us hanging out at a local bar.

Much better, I thought to myself hours before the wedding. I stood in a tiny back room of the church, too full of nervous energy to sit down, but not able to walk the halls because according to Linda, doom and gloom would be sure to follow if I laid eyes on Abby before she walked down the aisle.

Jackson was outside talking with someone about the reception on his phone. Todd had left earlier to run some unknown errand for Elaina, so for the first time in hours, I finally had a moment to myself.

Not far from where I stood in the tiny church, Abby was waiting, preparing to become my wife. I closed my eyes against the wave of emotion that thought brought with it. We had traveled so far, crossed so many miles to get to this point. Yet I knew within my heart that the twisted path we had taken to reach this day had been worth every minute, every heartbreak. Our journey had not been easy, but every difficult step had drawn us closer and we’d become better people for it. My heart was full knowing our journey was just getting ready to start in earnest.