My temper fades. It’s been close to the surface lately, probably hormones. But it’s hard to stay mad when he’s so sweet. Once again, the rightness of my decision—to love him, to marry him—washes over me. I’ll never take for granted the twists of fate that brought us together.
I sigh and press the heel of my palm against my brow. That brings us back to the problem at hand. My groom is still hours away and our ceremony is tomorrow. “Now what?”
“Mr. Carmichael is trying to get us out of Harrisburg. But it’s midnight. People are sleeping. It might need to wait until the morning.”
I count the hours in my head. “It’s only a couple of hours to Chesterboro from there. You should still be fine.”
“I’m really sorry, baby. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I know you will. Please, just be safe, okay?” A knock at the door catches my attention. Penny stands at the entrance to the library, and I brace myself. “Pen?”
“Electricity is out at the country club.” One thing I love about Penny is that she doesn’t waste words. Right to the point. “No idea when it’ll come back.”
I press the button on my phone to put Cord on speaker. “Cord, did you hear that?”
“Yeah. Shit.”
Ash and Cami appear in the doorway, and Cami says, “Linc, Shea, Declan, and Ivy just pulled up.”
I glance at my friends’ faces. My mouth firms. “Let’s get you here, safe and sound. I don’t care where we get married, as long as you and our closest are here.” I mean it, too. “Penny, would your parents mind if we did the ceremony here?”
Penny shrugs. “No. My mom’s already fussing over everyone. She’d probably be thrilled.”
“Okay, then. Cord, let us know when you’re on the ground. We’ll see about getting you a ride.”
“Will do. And Hannah?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you. I can’t wait to marry you, baby.”
Despite all the chaos, my heart swells. “I love you, too.”
We disconnect. “Okay. I’m officially open to any suggestions to get Griff and Cord here. What do we have?”
The doorbell rings, distracting us. From the foyer, I hear the door open, and the sounds of more friends' voices fill the air. We spill out of the library, and there are rounds of hugs. Everyone looks tired but safe and happy.
As I squeeze the newcomers, I listen as they talk about getting stuck in an embankment and how a tow truck saved them. Declan holds up a candy cane. “Guy was outstanding. He even had Christmas candy. These are the cherry ones. Superior to mint in every way.”
That statement is met with debate. Linc prefers mint, while Ivy says that the smaller canes are better than the larger ones because they’re easier to crunch. They fall into a heated conversation about the potential harm that would come to Ivy’s teeth. I shake my head, laughing, and my resolve hardens.
These people traveled to be with Cord and me on our special day. We’ll be surrounded by friends and love. The details don’t matter after that.
My eyes sting, and I swipe at them, determined not to get sappy. Stupid hormones.
Suddenly, thinking about the guests who are traveling to get to us, I have an idea. “The Zealots are on their way here. I wonder if they’re anywhere near Harrisburg.” My friends’ band is currently touring, but they arranged their schedule to be available tomorrow.
“Wouldn’t they be flying?” Ivy asks.
“They’ve got their bus, I think.” I check my phone. “It’s late, but this is an emergency.”
“I tried to call Bash earlier,” Cami offers. “No response.”
“He never picks up his phone.” I wave her off. “Let me see if I can get Libby. She hardly sleeps anyway.”
As I pull up the Zealot’s singer, Libby, on my contacts, Ivy tucks a curl behind her ear, and I notice the enormous diamond on her ring finger. Distracted, I squeal and reach for her hand, squeezing it. “Is that what I think it is?” My gaze zips between her and Declan.
She nods, laughing. I throw my arms around her, and the tears I was determined to hide fall. “Congratulations, you two! I’m so excited for you!” I pull away from Ivy to jump into Declan’s arms. I might be wrong, but I think his eyes are misting, too.