“Tristan, I love you. You’ve shown me a world more incredible than anything I’d ever dreamed of. And I’d give it all up as long as I had you by my side. If tomorrow all we had were the clothes on our backs and each other, I’d still be the happiest woman on Earth because I’d be with you. I wouldn’t trade a moment we’ve shared for anything in the world. I promise no matter what you’ll always be my knight in shining armor. And someday, when we’re old and gray, I’ll look back on our life together and know the night I met you was the luckiest night of my life.”
With a small smile, Tristan showed me my words touched him like his had mine. We stood there silently, looking at one another like there was no one else in the world at that moment but the two us.
The minister looked at Daryl and Jordan and asked, “The rings?”
We turned and took the rings from them and the minister said, “Repeat after me. I pledge to you my love and my life.”
Tristan and I said those words together and gave each other the rings that symbolized our union. All that remained were the minister’s final words.
“May you keep the vows you made here today. May you comfort each other, share each other’s joys, and support each other in times of trouble. By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I pronounce you Husband and Wife. Tristan, you may kiss your bride.”
Cradling my face in his hands, Tristan pressed his lips to mine in a gentle kiss and whispered in my ear, “I love you, Mrs. Stone.”
“It’s about time. I thought you two would never get here,” Daryl joked.
I leaned around my new husband and shot his best man a dirty look. “I’ll take that as your congratulations.”
Jordan piped up with a comment that put him in his place, and I saw Gage smile at her, probably wishing he had said it. As everyone around us hugged and kissed me and shook Tristan’s hand, I thought for a moment how much I wished my father had been there to share this with us.
Performing her maid of honor duties perfectly, Jordan corralled the guests to the table in the garden where the reception was to be held. When they had all moved away, Tristan still stood there, looking down at me in that special way that told me he had something on his mind.
“What’s wrong? I see that tiny pout you make when something’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about my father and how much I wished he could have been here.”
Tristan pulled me close in his arms, and I knew he felt the same. After all that had happened, our love had finally helped us put our families’ pasts behind us.
“Somewhere, our mothers are smiling,” he said with a wink. “You know how mothers are.”
I reached up and gently ran my fingertip over the edge of his eye patch. “I guess I got my pirate after all.”
“I guess you did, at least until the doctors say my eye’s better. What do you say about letting this pirate escort you to the reception and maybe later I’ll make you walk the plank.”
“Was that a joke, Mr. Stone?” I asked with a smile, knowing he was working hard to make me forget my sadness over my father missing the biggest day of my life.
He shrugged and said, “It happens sometimes. I don’t know what kind of pirate that makes me, though.”
Holding his face in my hands, I kissed him long and deep. “It makes you my pirate, and that’s the best kind there is.”
“I have a surprise for you,” he said quietly. “Close your eyes.”
I shut them tight and let him lead me ten steps before we stopped. I heard our guests whispering and Tristan said, “You can open them now.”
Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw everyone sitting around a long table lit with a line of lanterns and candles down the center. Jordan stood smiling and poked Tristan in the arm. “I wasn’t ready yet.” Turning to speak to me, she said, “Wait till you see this.”
She flipped a switch in her hand and above us what looked like hundreds of little white lights lit up. Strung along grapevines that created a canopy above the table, they twinkled like the night sky. I gazed up at the incredible work Tristan had done to make our reception so beautiful and turned to see him smiling at me. “It’s so gorgeous! Thank you.”
“I can’t take the credit. Jordan is the architect of all this.”
I looked over at her and saw her nod. “Your husband here called me as soon as he got home from the hospital and asked for my help. I told him I knew exactly what you’d like. Remember that day we spent looking through all those wedding magazines? You saw that picture of the nighttime garden wedding and loved it. So I told him just leave it to me.”
Looking around at all the beautiful decorations and lights, my eyes began to fill with tears at how wonderful the people in my life were. “It’s perfect. Thank you. And thank you everyone for being here to celebrate this with us.”
“No crying allowed,” Jordan joked. “Tonight is a celebration. So let’s get to eating and drinking. The best caterer in the city has made us a meal to put all other meals to shame.”
Tristan and I sat down at the head of the table as uniformed waiters filled the table with baskets of sliced baguettes and tomato basic garlic crostini. As everyone talked and laughed, a gorgeous summer greens salad was served, and then we all enjoyed our meals of peppered beef and lemon herb chicken home style, sharing our meal together, like it should be.
I watched as the people closest to us enjoyed a night that had been a long time coming. Under the table, Tristan squeezed my hand, and I turned to see him looking at me. I squeezed his in return and whispered, “You did good here, Mr. Stone.”
“You haven’t had any cake yet.”
“I’m not sure I can fit cake in after all of this,” I joked. Of course I would eat a piece of our wedding cake.
His expression grew serious, and he lowered his voice to the merest of whispers. “Are you happy?”
“Crazy, blissfully, in love happy. What about you?”
“Happier than I ever thought I could be. I love you, Nina.”
Before I could tell him I couldn’t wait until everyone had left so I could show him exactly how much I loved him, a waiter wheeled a cart toward us with a towering pink icing wedding cake made from individual cupcakes decorated to look like pink roses. They were exactly like the picture I’d shown the caterer, even more perfect, if that was possible.
“I made them promise me they’d match your bouquet, Nina,” Jordan said with a smile as the cart stopped next to me.