Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
I didn’t know how long that would last, how long he would dote on her before she’d become his annoying little sister who never left him alone. But Madelyn and I soaked up every moment of it while we could.
The only thing Sebastian loved more than his little sister was playing football.
That had been a new development that Madelyn had both loved and hated. I couldn’t blame her. With any sport came the possibility of injury, and I knew as a parent myself now how impossibly hard it was to watch knowing there was nothing you could do to keep them safe.
But Sebastian thrived on his team. He was a natural born leader, and with the arm he was developing, I could see him walking in Holden’s footsteps one day.
As for Raven?
She looked like her mother — and had me wrapped around her little pinky.
It was true what they said about parenthood. The days were long, but the first year had felt like a blink of an eye. I watched that little girl grow from a soft, sleepy bundle of heat that slept and ate more than anything else, to a curious toddler who was starting to pull herself up and take her first assisted steps. Her wide brown eyes were just like Madelyn’s, her smile more like mine, and every day, we watched her explore the world and experience firsts that felt like a bigger win to me than any game I’d ever played.
When they were almost to the end of the aisle, Sebastian carefully set Raven’s feet on the grass, holding her hands above her head and helping her walk to me. I swung her up in my arms when she made it, savoring the gleeful giggle that pealed out of her. I kissed her cheek and pulled Sebastian into my side, kissing his hair and telling him how proud I was of him.
Then, he and Raven took their seats next to Madelyn’s father, and all eyes swiveled to the end of the aisle.
We’d all been so busy watching the kids, we hadn’t noticed sneaky Madelyn making her way out of the lodge.
She stood there like an angel, her copper hair swept back into an elegant bun and her hands wrapped tightly around a bouquet of lilies and roses.
I didn’t know what I thought I’d see when I finally laid eyes on her, but nothing in my imagination compared to the long, lacy details of the dress hugging her figure and draping down into the grass behind her. The flowery cream fabric hung from delicate straps over each shoulder, the V neckline hugging her curves and highlighting the slim tapering of her waist. The skirt of the dress flared off at her hips, just slightly, and then fell in beautiful, flowing waves down to the ground.
She looked like something from a fairytale, like a goddess and a princess and a fairy all at once. I half expected the moss and trees and spring flowers to move with her, the birds to float down and land in her hair as she stood there smiling at me.
And God, was it the most breathtaking smile I’d ever seen.
I willed myself to hold it together — and not just because I knew the guys had a bet on how long I could make it before I burst into tears.
But because I wanted to be strong for Madelyn, for our family. I wanted to hold my chin high at the end of that aisle and hold her gaze steadily with my own as she walked toward me, toward our future.
All of that went to hell when she took the first step, though.
Because her soft, berry-painted lips curved up, her eyes glossed, and I realized in one all-encompassing moment that she was mine.
So, of course — I fucking lost it.
Madelyn
He was stunning.
I couldn’t help the intake of air that I held captive in my throat as we took each other in, the noise of our guests and the violin fading to the background.
My husband-to-be was a vision at the altar, the forest green of his suit with the rich brown accents of his tie and Chelsea boots making him seem as if he’d been born right here in the forest. Even from this distance, I could see the glint of his gold cufflinks, the elegant watch hugging his wrist, the sprig of white flowers pinned to his lapel.
And when I took the first step toward him, he choked on the sob I knew he was trying so hard to hold back, his eyes flooding so fast, he couldn’t hide the tears that slid down his cheeks.
I couldn’t help but smile even more at him, and he shook his head like he couldn’t believe how fast he’d turned to goop. But he didn’t hide his tears. He didn’t hang his head or swipe them away. Instead, he held his chin high, kept his eyes on mine, and savored every step I took with his bottom lip wobbling.