Just Breathe

Chapter Forty Gavin

I’m pacing back and forth like a caged wild animal. She has five minutes before I don’t give a shit about Ash’s stupid theory about the groom not seeing his bride before the wedding, and going to get her. I knew she had doubts. It had been written all over her face these past few days. I had planned to ease her fears and doubts this morning, but when I woke up my fiancé had vanished, and in her place was a written letter by Ash stating she had taken her and that Hunter would be by to get me ready.  I just want to see my woman and ensure that she’s it for me.

“Stop pacing like a damn animal. She’s not going anywhere. She loves you.” Hunter grabs me by the shoulders firmly and gives me a bit of a shake. Fuck!

“What is taking so damn long?” I readjust my tie for the fifth time.

“You’ll have to give her another ten minutes since I just handed her your package.” He smirks. Okay, that’s good. When she sees our memories of nearly a year and reads the letter from last night she’s going to realize that she’s it for me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her see that. Beginning with her wedding present.

“Do you have her wedding gift?” I ask him, as I look towards the house waiting for her to appear. We set up the back of the house with white chairs and wrapped see-through gold ribbon to their backs, and underneath the willow tree, we have we set up an altar with an arch of white lilies, where we will be exchanging vows and Bailey will become officially bound to me for life. We also added a few lights on some of the branches, and we placed white rose petals from the back door of the house creating a path to the altar. It’s simple and perfect, just the way Bailey wanted.

We kept the guest list to our immediate family. Basically, Mr. Henderson, Momma B, Ash and Hunter, and a few of my long-time clients. I know you’re wondering where my parents are. As you know my father pretty much disowned me and my mother, well, she just wasn’t the same after Travis passed. I didn’t want to push her and cause issues for her with my father. My mother knows where to find me, and when she’s good and ready to stand up to my father, I know she’ll come to me. I did have one family member here. Hunter surprised the shit out of me when we made it to the altar and I see the first chair of the aisle with a picture of Travis smiling big and pointing a finger right at me. He was dressed in his army suit. Hunter had it in a frame with an engravement above it reading, I’m with you every day. In this life and the next. I can definitely man up and say it choked me up a bit.

“Right here, inside my jacket pocket.” He pats his chest and winks. Okay, everything is set and ready. Just waiting on my wife. Damn, the caveman in me definitely loves the sound of that. I take another couple of deep breathes before the back door opens and I see Logan running up the rose petalled path with Zeus hot on his tail.

“She’s ready!” Thank fuck! I let out an exaggerated breath and bend down to adjust Logan’s bowtie.

“You ready for this, bud?” I ask him.

“Yes!” He high fives me and then I straighten back up and look back towards the back of the house, and that’s when it happens. Everything around me disappears and becomes ever so quiet. All that’s left are the white rose petals making a path to me, and the willow tree and twinkling lights. She walks slowly up the path, and I swear it’s as if I’m seeing her for the very first time. Gorgeous. When she reaches me, Mr. Henderson turns to her and gives her a light kiss, before turning to me and asking me to take good care of her. I only manage to nod and shake his hand in return, before I’m facing the one person who has the ability to shatter me and put me back together.

“I love you.” I whisper. She smiles with tears in her eyes threatening to break free and whispers back.

“In this life and the next.” At those words I know all her doubts and fears are gone, and that we’re going to grow old and grey together, and we’re going to do it loving each other with no reservations.