Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Callan stood at my side; Beth and Lily in their summery bridesmaids’ dresses stood opposite us after having walked down the aisle first. Maia’s dad accompanied her, her arm through his as he brought her forward and held out her hand to me.
I murmured my thanks and then looked deep in those spectacular eyes of hers and told her she looked beautiful. Because she did. She always did.
As stunning as her last dress had been, this one felt more like My. It was softer with some lace on the bodice and arms and scattered over the skirt, but it had a fuller skirt and no train. Less drama.
She still looked like a princess, though.
My princess. My wife.
Maia beamed at me, eyes filled with nothing but trust and love and even after a year, it made my heart turn over in my chest. Without thinking, I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her a wee bit too passionately.
She laughed as she pulled away, and I heard our friends and family titter. “Too soon for that,” Maia teased, gently pressing me back.
I didn’t let her go fully, though. I held her hands in mine as we turned to the humanist celebrant, Anthea, we’d hired to marry us.
“Maia and Baird McMillan, your friends and family have gathered before you to witness the renewal of your vows in marriage—”
“I do,” I cut her off.
Laughter erupted around us and Maia squeezed my hands. I grinned unrepentantly as Anthea chuckled but gave me a mock look of warning.
“Someone’s eager,” she tsked.
I waggled my brows at My. “Always.”
She rolled her eyes, grinning, used to my nonsense.
“Let’s try again.”
This time I let the officiant get through her speech and then it was our turn to say our vows. We’d opted for traditional vows at our first wedding because of how public it was.
“Maia and Baird have chosen to write their own vows.” Anthea looked to Maia. “Maia.”
My wife tightened her grip on my hands, her wide, nervous gaze searching mine and finding the comfort and reassurance she needed. “Baird Gareth McMillan, you are my everything. You are the safest place I’ve ever known.” Her eyes brightened with tears so, of course, I choked up. “You love me for exactly who I am, and you make me feel like I am the best thing to ever happen to you, and that’s saying a lot since you just won the championship.” I grinned as John and a few others whooped from the peanut gallery. Maia’s smile was so big it was fucking blinding. “I vow to spend the rest of my life making you feel the way you make me feel. To support you, to laugh with you, to cry with you, and to never stop being your best friend. I love you more today than I loved you yesterday, and I know I’ll love you more tomorrow. I vow to never stop falling more and more in love with you, Bear.”
I squeezed her hands, blinking back the tears as I cleared my throat. “How am I supposed to follow that?”
Everyone’s laughter relaxed Maia’s tense hold as she leaned into me.
My gaze washed over her face. “Sometimes it feels surreal to look into your eyes and see how much you love me because I wanted that for so long. When you think the person you love will end up with someone else, you try to make peace with it, but it burns like nothing else could.”
“Bear,” she whispered like she hadn’t meant to say my name.
“But I’m glad in a way that, for a while, I thought you would never be mine because now that you are, I know what I’m facing if I lose you. So, it’s my mission in life, My, to make you so happy, you’ll never want to be anywhere but by my side. Every morning, I wake up and see your face, and I can’t believe that this kind of peace and joy exists. I vow that even on the mornings where life is hard, I will find a way to make you feel that same peace and joy. That I will be the person who reminds you all the bad is worth getting through when you have what we have found together. You’re the kind of beautiful deep down in your soul, Maia, that it can’t help but shine out. I feel lucky that it shines on me every day. I vow to protect that in you. To protect your heart and your goodness with my mind, body, and soul. I love you with everything I am. Forever and always.”
I heard sniffling coming from the guests and was pretty sure at least one of the snifflers was my mum. Maia and I smiled, lost in each other’s eyes. Just fucking lost in each other.