“The rings?” Blake whispered, looking amused.
Dex looked down, then took the gold bands from his outstretched hand.
“Do you, Dex Callahan, promise to take Alicia Wright as your lawful wife—to honor her, and love her, through good times and bad, until the end of your lives?”
His answer was simple, and from the heart. “I do.”
“And do you Alicia, promise to take Dex as your husband—to honor and love him, through good times and bad, until death parts you?”
Alicia met his gaze with a delighted smile. “I do.”
“Then by the power vested in me by…”
The words melted away; Dex couldn’t wait another moment. He pulled Alicia into his arms, and spun her around before dipping her in a deep kiss.
He heard cheers and applause, but it was nothing compared to the thunder of his heartbeat, and the joy singing in his veins.
Forever started right now.
*
Sophie & Austin
After the ceremony, the real party began: tables arranged out on the terrace overlooking the shore; white linens and silverware, champagne and delicious foods laid out on the buffet. Sophie couldn’t believe the spread. “I’m going to need seconds,” she said hungrily, as another waiter passed by with a platter of lobster rolls. “And thirds, and fourths.”
“How about you start with that plate first?” Austin laughed, pulling out her chair for her to sit. They were right by the head table, their names marked with sheet music, a nod to Dex’s musical passions. “If there’s one thing Dex gets covered, it’s the food,” Austin added, digging in. “You should have seen our rider on the last tour, he had fresh BBQ waiting for us in Memphis the minute we stepped off the bus.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it,” Sophie sighed. “Finishing up my master’s dissertation was a nightmare.”
“But you made it through.” Austin slung a proud arm around her shoulders. “You’ll be Doctor Young before long.”
“I have to get accepted on a counseling course first,” Sophie reminded him. “I’m still waiting to hear back about the programs in New York and San Francisco.”
“They’d be fools not to take you. And whichever one takes you, that’s where we’ll go.” Austin was so confident, Sophie couldn’t help but feel reassured. It was one of the things she loved so much about him, how sure he was about the future.
About their future, together.
“Wasn’t the ceremony gorgeous?” They were interrupted by a bustle of activity as the other guests at their table arrived. Carina and Garrett arrived with baby Sawyer, and everyone paused to coo over the sleeping baby.
“Beautiful. I can’t believe he’s still out,” Sophie breathed, lowering her voice.
“Me either.” Carina looked amazed. “Then again, he was up half the night, so we’re due a little shut-eye.”
She passed him to Garrett, who carefully cradled the infant in his arms. Carina collapsed, smiling, beside them. “Now, this mama needs some food!”
Soon, the terrace was full of laughter and good eats. Sophie sat back, happy beside Austin. She loved that she’d been absorbed into this extended family of friends and relatives since they’d become a couple; her own family was small and fractured, but here, everyone was connected. She caught up with everyone’s news, since it had been a while since she’d been out of her study bunker: Emerson and Juliet’s restaurant in the city had just got another rave review in Zagat, and Carina and Garrett were thinking about opening another business in Beachwood Bay.
“Jimmy’s is booming,” she explained. “There’s such a great tourist crowd, it would be fun to do something else too. Maybe an ice cream store, something for families like that.”
“You should talk to Noelle,” Juliet suggested. “I know she’d love to sell her pastries somewhere.”
Carina’s eyes lit up. “Oh my God, that’s a great idea!”
“Sign me up for a dozen a week,” Garrett agreed, through a mouthful of cupcake.
They chatted a while more, until Sophie noticed Austin had fallen silent. She gave him a questioning look.
He smiled. “Just thinking about my speech.”
“You drew the short straw, huh?” she teased.
“More like Blake and Ash refused,” Austin pointed out. He looked around; everyone was pretty much settled, Dex and Alicia exchanging whispers together at the main table.
He took a gulp of champagne to brace himself, and then stood; tapping his fork to his glass for silence.
“So, I’m not one of the best men, but somehow, I got stuck with the speech,” he began. There was laughter.
“That’s what you get for snoring on our tour bus all year,” Dex called.
Austin flipped his middle finger. “Are you going to heckle all night, or let me toast your epic love?” he joked.
Dex held up his hands in surrender, leaning back with his arm around Alicia. They looked so happy together, Austin couldn’t be more pleased for his best friend. It took a special woman to take on a life of press attention and adoring groupies, but Alicia took it all in stride. Dex was lucky to have found her—and Austin knew he was blessed to have found that woman in Sophie, too.
“Seeing you guys together,” Austin began, “and all the happiness here today, it makes me think about love. About how rare and precious it is. We take it for granted, sometimes, but it’s an everyday miracle that we find our partner in the world. A hundred million random coincidences and split-second choices, just to bring two people together, right when they need it the most.”