Broken Dreams

I looked down and kicked the sand as I let out a laugh. “Holy shit, I’m about to get married.”

Layton grabbed me and pulled me in for a quick hug before he pushed me away and walked over to his place. I followed him and said a quick prayer that I didn’t mess this up for Courtney. I wanted to make this day special for her, and I was pretty sure what I had planned would be a swoon-worthy moment for sure.

I moved up next to Layton and smiled at the preacher.

“Are you ready, son?” he asked in a fatherly tone.

I nodded and said, “Yes, sir. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”

When the music began playing, I glanced up and saw Whitley walking down the aisle. She looked breathtaking, and I heard Layton suck in a breath of air.

He whispered, “My girl.”

She was dressed in a charcoal-colored dress that Courtney had said was a perfect fit. She had also said something about it being perfect for a beach wedding with its cocktail length and satin sheath. Whit made her way up to us on her bare feet. She smiled and gave me a wink as I smiled back at her.

Then, something in the air changed, and I looked back down the aisle of red and white rose petals. My heart stopped beating. Courtney was standing there, wearing a beautiful strapless white dress that hugged her body perfectly. My eyes moved up and down her body as she began walking toward us. The bottom of the dress was lower in the back and higher in the front, so she had no problem walking through the sand in her bare feet. She was carrying a huge bouquet of white and red roses. Her hair was pulled up with a few strands hanging down, blowing gently in the wind. She looked so beautiful.

When she walked up to me, I had to remind myself to breathe before I passed out. She held out her hand, and I took it and kissed the back.

“You take my breath away, Courtney. You look so beautiful.”

Her blue eyes sparkled, catching every single bounce of light coming off the crystal-blue water. She bit down on her lower lip and then whispered, “I feel like a princess.”

I placed my hand on the side of her face. “You’re my princess.”

The preacher cleared his throat and began with the ceremony.

I wasn’t even sure that I knew half of what he was saying because I was so lost in those beautiful blue eyes. They were filled with so much love. The fact that I was marrying Courtney while she was pregnant with our baby was doing all kinds of weird shit to my stomach. I knew I was nervous, but at the same time, I’d never in my life felt so…complete.

We exchanged vows, and right before the preacher was about to officially announce us as man and wife, he did what I had asked him to do.

“Courtney, Reed would like to say a few words to you.”

Her face lit up, and the tears she’d been able to hold back finally broke free.

I held on to her hands tighter and took a deep breath. Then, I began speaking from my heart, “Courtney, you’ve made me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife, and you’re also giving me the greatest gift I could think of.” I looked down at her stomach and then back into her tear-filled baby blues. “I’ve been wandering around lost and broken for so long, thinking that none of my dreams would ever come true…but then you walked into my life and made it a living hell for so many months.”

Court, Layton, and Whitley all let out a laugh.

“There was something about you though, and I knew it the moment I first saw you. I felt it in my heart and soul, but I fought it for so long until I finally figured out that nothing could keep love from happening. It always finds a way.” When my voice started cracking, I had to stop talking, so I could get my emotions under control.

Courtney’s thumbs were rubbing back and forth so fast on the backs of my hands that it was causing a sensation to run up my arm.

“I’m not perfect, and I’ve done things in my past that have haunted me for years, but when I’m with you…” I smiled as I reached up and wiped away her tears. “When I’m with you, Courtney, I’m a better man. You’ve filled my heart with so much happiness and love, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that. I absolutely cannot wait to see what our lives together bring. I love you. I love you so very much.”

Courtney began crying harder, and I was pretty sure I heard Layton sniffling behind me. I turned around to see him wiping away a tear, and I just looked at him.

“What? Dude, that got me…that got me good,” Layton said.

Whitley, Courtney, and the preacher all let out a chuckle. When I looked back at Courtney, she had the most amazing smile on her face. I couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“Courtney, Reed, I now pronounce you man and wife. Reed, you may kiss your bride.”

I placed my hands on the sides of her face, and I brought her lips up to mine. I kissed her softly and tenderly. I wanted to turn the kiss into something more, but I needed to keep this gentle and loving. When her hands moved up and around my neck, she pulled me in to deepen the kiss, and I did just that.

I wasn’t sure how long we were lost in our kiss.

Layton tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Uh…I think the good preacher needs to get to another wedding, y’all.”

I pulled back just a little bit and whispered against Courtney’s soft lips, “I love you, Mrs. Moore.”

She smiled and said, “I love you, Mr. Moore. Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”

I winked at her. “I’ve only just begun.”

I sat at the bar, drinking water and staring down at my wedding ring. Reed had picked out a beautiful platinum wedding band with diamonds surrounding it. It was beautiful and looked breathtaking against the pink diamond on my engagement ring. My whole body came to attention when I felt Reed’s hot breath on my neck.

“Are you happy?” he whispered against my skin.

“Yes,” I barely whispered as my stomach dipped.

He turned me around, and when I looked up into his eyes, my body reacted immediately.

How long is this incredible need to have him buried inside me and make me his going to last?

“What’s the plan now, y’all?” Whitley asked as she leaned back onto Layton’s chest.

Layton had not stopped yawning since we sat down.

“Are you tired, cowboy?” I asked with a wink.

Whitley’s face turned ten shades of red.

“Your best friend here had me up almost all night,” Layton said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

“Court, do you realize we are going to have our babies so close together?” Whitley said with a huge grin on her face.