Chapter 25 (Cole)

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Cole

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Cole

         

I forget to breathe.

Wynn will never cease to have that effect on me. She steps through the doorway with a single rose in hand and a smile that sustains me. She's been my strength, my refuge for so long now that I've come to view her as an extension of myself—definitely my better half.

Starting today, we can be together for good.

She moves down the aisle in an off-white dress that has me thinking sooo many things that are inappropriate in a church. But with Wynn, I can't help it. Drop dead gorgeous doesn't come close to doing her justice. And even though she's nothing short of stunning on the outside, the truth is, it's her beautiful soul that I love.

I'll never deserve her, but I'm sure as hell gonna try.

I reach for Wynn with a shaking hand, guiding her up the single step as my nerves ping within me. We cling to one another before Pastor Olson with goofy grins and anxious hearts, impatiently awaiting the vows that will bind us for the rest of our lives.

"You look—"

"So do you," she says, giggling as her dark eyes meet mine. Behind her, Mrs. Olson wraps up the song, wiping away a stray tear as she takes in the scene. The Olson's have outdone themselves on our behalf, and I know that I never could've asked for more than this.

"Shall we begin?" Pastor Olson asks. We nod in unison, and my pulse begins thrumming double-time in my chest.

"We're doing this," I say quietly, earning a wink from my beloved that calms me.

It's been our personal mantra for years, through all of the chaos and uncertainty—like a promise of conviction that propels us forward in the most unfavorable of circumstances. I'm fully confident that we're gonna be okay.

"Dearly beloved," he begins. "We are gathered here today to witness one of life's most sacred moments: the union of Wynona Lisette Caldwell and Harris Cole Galloway. Marriage is a fusion of not only body but soul, uniting two individuals into one heart for eternity." He glances my way, his features looking every bit as earnest as his words. "Will you, Cole, take Wynona to be your wedded wife?"

"I will," I say, the two little words causing a stream of tears to flow over Wynn's cheeks. I want to kiss them away, but I know that they're due to joy rather than pain this time. I settle for sweeping them aside with the pad of my thumb, bringing a breathtaking smile to her face.

"Will you, Wynona, take Cole to be your wedded husband?" Pastor Olson continues.

"I will," she whispers, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Cole, please repeat after me: I give to you in the presence of God and these witnesses, my promise to stay by your side, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad."

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