I blink, looking at Mom and Dad in shock. How did I not know this? It doesn’t change anything, not really, but there’s also a sense of satisfaction that maybe Dad wasn’t always perfect.
Dad fidgets with his fork, examining his plate and his thoughts. When he looks up at me, he asks, “Are you sure?”
I don’t know if he’s asking about the portfolio management or Luna. It doesn’t matter because the answer’s the same either way. “Absolutely.”
Dad turns his eyes to Luna, who surprisingly meets his and holds his gaze. “Are you sure about this idiot?” There’s no hate in the name-calling. It’s more of a tease.
Luna frowns, but there’s a glint of humor in her eyes. “There’s a fine line between love and hate, but yeah, I’m sure.”
She grins at me, proud of herself for the dig. In reply, I lean in, closing the gap between us and placing a sweet kiss to her lips. We did it. Together, we’ve gotten through a gauntlet of battles today, and I couldn’t have done it without her at my side. Too quickly, she pulls back and I can see her blushing furiously at the public display.
“Y’all are too cute,” Elena declares.
I nod and tell Luna, “Yes, you are.”
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
LUNA
“Are you sure?” Samantha asks me, triggering a sense of déjà vu.
But this time, there are butterflies of a totally different sort. “You asked me that last time I got married too.”
Samantha tilts her head. “Yeah, and you told me no. Now?”
I take a moment, searching my head, heart, and soul. It’s been a few weeks since the big dinner at Elena’s. During that time, so much has changed, but it all feels . . . right, which is unusual for me. I typically hate change, but moving in with Carter, living as husband and wife, and exploring our love for one another in many ways and many positions have been revolutionary. For us both.
I meet Samantha’s eyes in the mirror and smile. “I’ve never been surer of anything.”
“Ooh, I like that confidence!” she replies with a shoulder shimmy. “Let’s do this thing, then.”
‘This thing’ is a vow renewal. Melinda mentioned wishing she’d been present for our first wedding, and Carter and I had talked about it. After we realized that we would like to include our families in our wedding, we’ve worked to pull together a small, intimate celebration.
Samantha and I walk downstairs into the front room of Elena’s home. It’d seemed the perfect place to have the ceremony because it’s what brought us together in the first place.
“I’ll be right back. Let me check to see how close to showtime we are,” Samantha tells me as she hustles out of the room, leaving me alone.
I look at the painting over the mantel, one of Thomas Cartwright done by the subject himself. His self-portrait seems to look back at me. “Thank you for all this,” I tell him. “As much as Elena brought Carter and me together, it was you, too. Your art, your collection . . . if it weren’t for you, there would’ve been no need for us to pretend to be married in the first place.” I step closer, laying gentle fingers on the corner of the frame, careful not to touch the canvas. “Thank you.”
“Hey, honey, I think we’re ready if you are!” my mom says brightly as she comes in the room. She looks up at the painting, smiling happily. She doesn’t understand my love of art, but she’s always supported it, and finding me staring at a painting on one of the most important days of my life doesn’t surprise her in the slightest.
“I’m ready, and thanks, Mom. For everything.” I wrap my arms around her, and she hugs me back gently so as not to mess up my dress or hers. She’s been amazing with all of this, welcoming Carter with open arms as my husband, already having heard all about him from the years of Zack working with him.
“You know she’ll do anything for you, Moony,” Zack says from behind me.
Mom and I pull apart, turning to face Zack. He’s grinning widely, leaning on the doorframe. “Would you look at you two? Absolutely stunning.”
Mom’s wearing a soft blue cocktail dress that makes her look glowy. It matches the blue shirt that Zack has on. He looks sharp, but casual. My white dress is the same one I wore previously. It felt important to wear it again because though our relationship is different now, the vows that Carter and I spoke before are still just as true. Today, we’re expanding them, not rewriting them.
“Not so bad yourself, Zack Attack,” I reply. “And Mom would do anything for either of us.”
“That’s what moms are for.” She shrugs like she’s no big deal, but Zack and I both know she’s amazing. “We do need to get a move-on. They’re ready for you.”
Samantha pops her head around the corner. “Yes, they are. Elena sent me to find you.” She pauses, her eyes scanning the room. “One question, though . . . all of Carter’s family is here, right? There’s basically a whole Baywatch cast of blonde, beautiful people out there.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. Chance is out of town for work, and who knows with Cole. He kinda comes and goes whenever he wants to. But the rest of them should be—his brother Cameron with his daughter Grace, his sister Kayla, and his youngest brother, Kyle—who actually doesn’t have blonde hair but his dog, Peanut Butter, does. Plus, Charles and Miranda.”
It’s a whole gaggle, but I’m learning to love them all. We’re going to make a new family, and I can’t wait to introduce Mom to all of them. Together, we walk toward the back door. I’m ready for this—to continue my story with Carter.
Grace is standing just outside, holding a white basket tightly in her hands. “Drop the petals. Don’t throw the petals,” she murmurs to herself urgently. “Drop the petals. Don’t throw the petals.”
I’m guessing Cameron gave her the mantra to repeat because without it, she’d likely be making it rain white rose petals in a joyous display of youthful exuberance that is Grace. She already managed to talk Carter into letting Peanut Butter be the ring bearer, claiming he’s the closest thing to a bear we have. And no amount of explaining that ring bearers aren’t actual bears like Smokey could convince her otherwise.
“You’re gonna do great,” I tell her. When I was her age, walking alone or with a dog down an aisle of people watching me would’ve been horrifying.
“Of course, I am,” she says confidently. Grace is obviously nothing like me. It took me much longer to find anything close to that comfort with myself.
“Go for it, then,” Samantha tells the girl, tapping her on the shoulder as the music starts.
Standing off to the side, I see Bernard hand Peanut Butter’s leash to Grace and give her a thumbs-up. She sets her shoulders and walks slowly out of view . . . step, together, pause and drop petals, step, together, pause and drop petals.
Zack offers his elbow to Samantha, and they walk out together. Almost too quickly, it’s just me and Mom, and I feel like apologizing to her that we didn’t get the whole wedding-planning mother-daughter experience, but at the same time, I’m not sure I would’ve managed all that very well. It’s a lot of pressure and a lot of focused attention. Once upon a time, I would’ve fought my own anxieties to do the expected things for everyone else’s comfort, but now? I’m proud of who I am and more confident speaking up about what I want and don’t want. And this ‘wedding’ is perfect. For me.