One in a Million (Book 3 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

43 | Why Not?

Oh if all I got is your hand in my hand
Baby I could die a happy man

-Thomas Rhett, "Die a Happy Man"

One Month Later

Panama City Beach, Florida

Rachel

"I'm nervous," I said as I paced up and down the sidewalk in front of the medical center where Miles would be coming out any minute.

"Don't be nervous, Rach," Luke said, putting his hands on my shoulders to stop my traversing. "Don't let Miles see you freaking out. He needs to know you're in a good place with everything."

I blew a breath out in a whoosh and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you're right," I mumbled, running my hands through my hair and pushing it back over my shoulders.

"I know I am," he said, flashing me a grin.

I stuck my tongue out at him as I shoved him playfully and right then I heard the voice I'd been missing for the past thirty days.

"I go away for a month and the two of you are on the verge of killing each other."

Miles.

"Hi baby!" I exclaimed, running to him and wrapping my arms around his neck. "How are you?"

"I'm great, Rach. For the first time in a long time. I'm not 100% healed, but I know how to cope and I've accepted the fact that PTSD is an illness I'll have to deal with for a long time. And that's okay." He looked at Luke over my shoulder. "Hey bro."

"Hey, Miles. Welcome back," Luke said, shaking his hand and pulling him in for a hug.

"Thanks. How is everyone? How's Lily?"

"Everyone is good. They can't wait for you to get home so they can fuss over you," Luke responded as we got into my car to leave the parking lot.

"Fuss over me? That crew? Never," Miles joked, reaching over to hold my hand.

I squeezed it gently, and when I looked at him, I felt for the first time in a long time that I had my Miles back.

Brooke

After Miles got back to his parents' house and we all ate dinner and caught him up on the latest gossip, I found him standing outside on the deck, looking out at the dusky sky.

"You alright, bud?" I asked, coming up beside him and sitting on the deck railing.

He looked at me and smiled. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"Just about how these past few months have really derailed my plans with Rachel."

I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

Leaning against the railing and crossing his arms, he answered, "We were supposed to be married by now, but everything feels off-kilter. Like, there's no way she's ready now... what if she doesn't even want to get married anymore, Brooke?" His tone was frantic, and I knew he was merely in a panic; there was no way he thought Rachel didn't want to marry him.

I cocked my head to the side and grinned. "You do know she'd been planning the wedding ever since you gave her the ring, and she really only stopped when you fell off the radar. You just need to talk to her, Miles. Pick a new date and get 'er done." I clapped him on the shoulder. "She wants to marry you more than anything else in the world, Miles. Trust me on that."

"Thanks, Brooke," he said, pushing off the railing. "I'm going to go talk to her now."

"Good thinking, Romeo," I teased.

He grinned and with a wink, disappeared inside.

I shook my head in amusement; if you had told me when we were 18 that Rachel would be marrying Miles, I'd have told you that you needed your head examined.

Luke passed through the kitchen and smiled at me through the window.

It occurred to me then that if Rachel and Miles hadn't become close, I may've never given Luke a chance.

And where the hell would I be then?

Miles

"Rach, take a walk with me," I said, holding my hand out to her.

"Okay, hang on," she said, handing Lily to my mom. "Where are we walking?"

"Just down the street. I wanna talk to you about something."

She raised an eyebrow. "Alright, Mr. Mysterious." She squeezed my hand and we stepped out the door into the late spring evening.

We walked for a moment, hands swinging between us, until she broke the silence.

"What do you want to talk to me about, Miles?"

I cleared my throat and stopped, pulling her to stand in front of me. "The wedding."

"What about it?" she asked slowly.

"I–I just have to make sure you still want to do it," I mumbled.

Her brows came together and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, come again?"

"I just want to be sure that's still what you want."

Lifting her hands to my face, she brushed her thumbs over my cheekbones. "Miles Grant Salazar, have you actually lost your mind?"

I laughed and felt a weight lift from my shoulders. "No, but this is something you never signed up for. Joining the Army wasn't something we decided together, and me getting held as a POW and ending up with PTSD certainly wasn't part of the plan."

Standing on her tiptoes to kiss me, Rachel whispered against my lips, "I signed up for a lifetime with you, Miles. And I know as well as anyone that life doesn't give a shit about your plans. I want to marry you. If I could do it right now, I would."

A grin slowly spread across my face. "Why can't we?"

"Why can't we what?" she asked.

"Do it right now."

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah, why not? I can't think of anything else I'd rather do."

She threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. "I'd love to, but there is a 3-day waiting period in Florida... but how about we have a ceremony on the beach this weekend?"

I pulled back and put my hands on her cheeks. "Really? You're okay with this? You don't want a big wedding with the huge guest list and over-the-top party?"

Shaking her head, she tangled her fingers in the hair at the back of my neck. "All I want to do is be with you for the rest of my life."

I picked her up, swinging her around and holding her as close as I could. "That sounds perfect," I whispered, pressing my lips to her forehead, knowing in that moment that I was easily the luckiest man alive.