Sasha led me to the bedroom. “He will be here. You be the bride. Let us do the bridesmaid things. That means we take care of all the problems. Even the groom’s.” She winked.
Mary Ellen nodded. “Exactly. You will feel like a winter queen with this dress on. And I’m dying over this white fur cape.”
“If I had to get married in the snow, might as well go all in, right?”
“Right.”
They helped me step into the long white gown. Cole was going to love it. I knew he’d appreciate how my breasts looked in the deep V. The waist line wasn’t fitted and flowed like an A-line so the rest of the guests wouldn’t suspect the twins. I knew they could do math. Once the babies were born, they’d count backward. I’d let my father deal with that. I didn’t care anymore. All I cared about was making sure Cole was safe. That tonight he’d finally be my husband.
“My necklace.” I pointed to the dresser.
“This is beautiful.” Sasha gawked at the diamond.
“It was a Christmas present from Cole.”
She fastened it around my neck. “It’s perfect with the dress.”
I exhaled. “So I just need a groom to do this.”
“You’ll have one. Come on. The photographer is in the garden.”
25
Cole
The taxi slowed. There were cars everywhere. The driver could barely make it down one side of the street.
“Holy shit,” I whispered. People were walking up the steps to Kaitlyn’s parents’ house carrying gifts. The snow had started to fall. The street was white.
I recognized the paper luminaries, lighting the way up the sidewalk and around to the backyard. How the hell was I going to get past that crowd?
I had twenty minutes until the ceremony.
“Just drop me off here,” I urged the driver. “I’ll run.”
“But not the address.” He pointed at his GPS.
“I don’t care.” I pulled on the handle. I had to make a run for it.
He yelled something, but I didn’t have time to argue. I tore down the sidewalk. I ran past a couple shuffling along in the snow. “Excuse me. Coming through.”
I hurdled over a set of hedges, missing garden stones. Fuck. I could have twisted my ankle.
I ran around the opposite side of the house and hopped over the low gate. I paused for a second. To my right were rows of chairs. I saw an archway wrapped in lights and glittering in the snow. I was getting fucking married. I could study this later.
I kept running. I threw open the door to the guest house.
My heart stopped. There was a tightness in my chest. I didn’t know if I could breathe. It hurt just forcing air into my lungs. I wanted to drop to my knees.
“Kaitlyn.” Her name sounded like a guttural groan from my throat.
“Oh my God. You’re here.” She rushed toward me, throwing herself in my arms.
It didn’t matter that I needed a shower and looked like I had been in the field for a week.
She’d never looked more beautiful. Never more perfect than she did right now. I tangled my hands in her hair, dragging her lips to mine. I was rough and possessive, but I missed her. I needed to drown in her. I needed her innocence and purity to wash over me. The good in her to bring me back from where I had been. I drank from her lips, thirsty for her sweet mouth.