“Ah.” Hudson touched the silver cross at her neck. “Wanna know what your mother would say to that?”
“My mother?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t close to her. Your father didn’t want me around much, but once she told me that everyone has to be responsible for their own happiness.” He paused. “Not that someone else can’t make you happy, but you have to choose to be happy, to find joy in every day.” He laughed. “Listen to me, getting damn soft in my old age.”
“Oh, you’re not old.” She linked her arm with his. “Are we doing this or not?”
“You get the final say. You love this guy?”
“With everything I am.”
“Then get hitched, doll. I know this one will treat you right.”
“Yeah, he will.” She laughed. “And when are you going to get hitched, Uncle Hudson?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Brooklyn and you.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Between you and me, that’s a whole other story.”
“Maybe you’ll tell me sometime.”
“Maybe.” They stepped out onto the deck.
For a moment, she paused and let her eyes adjust to the sunlight. Hudson dropped his shades.
The beach was a swarm of bikers. They hadn’t forsaken their usual black gear and were shifting around, no doubt getting too hot and longing for beer.
Arm linked with Hudson’s, she crossed the road and stepped onto the sand. Belle and Leah went ahead.
At the shoreline, a driftwood arch had been erected and covered in pink and white flowers. Beneath it, facing the waves, stood Jayden. At his side, dressed in matching dark pants and a black shirt, was Zak.
Her heart swelled as she walked toward them. These two people were her world, the center of her universe, and they always would be.
She felt so different walking toward Jayden. If she thought she’d been happy on her wedding day to Gary, then she’d been kidding herself. This was true happiness. This was how a bride should feel. She was walking toward a man who would respect her and protect her and listen to what she had to say. Jayden had more than proved that over the last year so when he’d popped the question on her birthday three weeks ago, over apple pie at Mo’s, she’d had only one answer for him.
Yes.
They drew closer, and the hum of conversation died. Everyone turned to face her.
Brooklyn smiled and nodded, as though pleased with the final look she’d helped Tammy pick out.
Sarah pressed her hand to her mouth, and her eyes misted.
A rush of emotion caught in Tammy’s throat as she looked at the now-familiar faces. People she knew and trusted, who’d pulled her out of the depths of her own personal hell.
She was only ten steps from Jayden now.
A wave rose, curled, and crashed, fizzing up the beach. It stopped several feet from her makeshift altar.
Jayden turned to her.
His face was as serious as she’d ever seen it, but just for a moment. Then it was as if his nerves evaporated and were taken out to sea with the retreating wave. He smiled and lifted his shades to the top of his head.
“Hey,” she said, drawing up at his side.
“You look”—he blew out a breath—“beautiful.”