But she did.
All grit.
No hesitation.
My girl.
When I’d told Lauren I was sorry our budget was so low, she said I was crazy, and kissed my lips off. Between breaths, she told me she loved that I was back in school and the only wedding she wanted was the one where she married me.
June started singing “I’m Alive Because You Live” with Philly accompanying her on the guitar. Everyone stilled. Mom and Dad gazed up at me, beaming. Mom kept dabbing at her eyes every two seconds.
Gazing down the aisle was painfully nostalgic for me. It was hard not thinking back to the first time around, and the disappointment of a dream lost forever.
But peace about starting over filled me as our closest family and friends started their journey up the aisle. Kellie and Jared, with Kellie’s dimples so much like her sister’s, my brother Jace and his new wife, both still gleaming with that fresh-in-love glow. Then, my littlest brother Mason with Hailey on his arm. He winked and slapped my shoulder as he passed, all grown up and military, adding a Marine standard “Oorah!”
Quiet laughter floated through the chapel.
Riley and Tucker came next, followed by Lauren’s bestie, Mila on Cory’s arm.
Liam, now six and crazy cute in his suit, wheeled three-year-old Aiden up in a wagon and chucked the ring pillow to Jared—who was standing up as my best man. The whole crowd laughed again.
Philly picked out the notes for “From This Moment” by Shania Twain and June sang the lyrics. I grinned, remembering how I’d told Lauren it was an old song. She told me I was man enough to handle it. That was the end of that argument.
Lauren appeared at the end of the aisle and my lungs froze. She was standing next to her daddy, looking like something out of the fairytales. A flowing white dress she’d helped design framed her gorgeous figure, and instead of flowers, she carried our shy baby girl safely inside her arms.
As Lauren approached, her smile widened with every step, those dimples pricking deep.
“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Pastor Gregg asked.
“I do,” her dad said, tears welling in his eyes as he lifted her veil and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She handed Jayla to him, and as I took my place next to her, Mr. Derian shook my hand, giving me an I’ll-kill-you look. Lauren’s perfume smelled like some cross between strawberries and watermelon today.
How I’d won the girl—man, how we’d won each other—I’d never understand, but my head would always hit the pillow with a prayer of thanks and a petition for our future.
“I love you, marine,” Lauren whispered, her hand trembling on my arm.
Standing face-to-face with Lauren before God, Pastor Gregg, and our friends and family, I exhaled and my vision blurred. She was strong, and bold, and stunning beyond description.
“I love you, cowgirl.”
The light in her honey eyes was bright enough to make me want to do whatever it took to keep it there. Every day. For the rest of my life.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed FALLING IN TOGETHER!
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Grab your FREE bonus scene from Tucker’s story, Falling In Fast, here.
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Stay posted for the 4th installment in the Bridgeport Lake Summer Series- FALLING IN HARD, featuring Carter’s roommate, Cory!
Two Broken Hearts. One Daring Rescue. One Forbidden Romance.
18-year-old Lea Miller is jaded from all life’s heartbreak. Her dad passed away last year, her mom’s already marrying someone new, and her older brother just checked out. More than anything, she needs to decide if the faith she’s guarded all of her life is even valid anymore, and if it is, can it lead her to what comes next? Her biggest dream could be realized at Bridgeport Lake’s singing competition this summer, but lately all she wants is a little time with a guy who’s supposed to be all wrong for her.
As the son of an alcoholic cattle rancher, 21-year-old Cory Griffin learned early how to live under the radar . . . Mostly by keeping his head down, and burying himself in hard work. Last summer, his best friend’s little sister, Lea, put a crack in the armor he’s been wearing all his life, and she’s back at camp this summer. But as appealing as Lea seems, dating a camper would get him fired, and now more than ever, he has to find a way to make it on his own.
When Lea gets lost on a treacherous solo hike, Cory has no choice but to go after her . . . even if it means losing everything he’s worked so hard to protect.
FALLING IN HARD is now available for pre-order HERE.
Bridgeport Lake novels are stand-alone stories, set in the span of the same summer. To read Tucker’s story, check out FALLING IN FAST below:
Two Hearts. Three Weeks. One Unexpected Romance.
She’s sworn off guys for the summer and he’s done dating Bridgeport girls. Will three weeks together be enough time to change their minds?
When 18-year-old Emery Hudson decides to work the summer at her favorite Christian camp, she determines to forget her recent breakup, uphold a no dating policy, and center her life on God. But her new crew lead is a hottie with a contagious faith, and she can’t help but start to crush on him. When Tucker starts crushing back, she has to choose between her dream full-ride basketball scholarship, and extending her time at Bridgeport to see if this crush might be a little more like fate.
22-year-old Tucker Garcia has returned to Bridgeport Lake for his fourth summer on staff, but this
