“IthinkI’m gettin’ married and I haven’t even talked more than five minutes with my soon-to-be wife, let alonekissher, and I’ve never been through the Call before, so right now I’m guessin’ that what I felt the moment I saw her, and the momentI touched heristhe mountain’s doin’. Besides, her Dad is on his death bed. I think she’s got enough to deal with right now, don’t you think?”
Wy opens his mouth but slams his mouth shut as the front door behind us squeaks open.
Without knowing it, I think I just answered him as to why I’m not as settled as I want to be right now. Hell, I even remembered to take my meds on time this morning, I really shouldn’t be this on edge. Then again, it’s not every day you get asked to marry your family rival’s daughter. Is it?
“Everyone’s ready,” Pete announces, coming out the front door. “Just waitin’ on the man and woman of the hour then we can get started.”
Wy moves, stopping in front of me and reaches up to adjust my suddenly too-tight tie. “I’ll be right there next to you, Jude. You want to make a run for it? Tell me now and I’ll drive the getaway car. You want to see this through? I’llstillbe there for whatever comes next. OK?”
I look my best friend in the eye and it hits me. I have my family. I have Wyatt. I haveEmand more importantly, she will have me. Whatever happens from this moment forward, whatever Em thinks of me and my letter, whether she wears my great greatgreatgrandmother’s hairpin or not, I’m not alone.
Just likeshewon’t be alone from this moment forward. That’smyjob as her One.
She’ll always have me. I’ll just need to keep showing up and proving that to her until she believes it. However long it takes.
Walking into the Wilson living area, I see that Sully’s bed has been moved over to the side to give us more space.
After greeting my family, and getting a combination of grins, growls, and one lethal glare from the Wilson brothers that almost has me shaking in my boots, I make my way over to Sully and hold out my hand to him.
He takes it without hesitation and when he lifts his eyes to meet mine, I see all the emotions he’s been trying hard to hide cross over his features.
Defeat, loss, sadness, but also relief, gratitude, and maybe even trust. He must believe I’m a good man—despite my last name—if he asked me to marry his daughter. It’s an honor I will never take lightly, that’s for sure. “I promise I will look after her, Mr. Wilson.”
His grip on my hand tightens slightly. Even in his poor health, I can still feel a small bit of fight left in him by the slight flex of strength. The move makes my lips tug up on one side.
“I don’t ask much of anyone, but I have two things to ask of you,” he rasps.
I brace my other arm on the bed and lean in a little closer to give us some modicum of privacy. “What is it, Mr. Wilson?”
“Promise me you won’t back down or back off. Even if she runs away. Even if shepushesyou away.” He takes a break to catch his breath. “That girl of mine has a heart of gold and a soft spot that she’ll hide from you to protect herself. But once you get to know her, you’ll see she’s spirited, strong as hell, and stubborn as all get out. So she won’t ever tell you what she needs, you’ll have to work it out yourself.”
I arch a brow. “Wonder where she gotthatfrom?”
For a moment his eyes crinkle at the sides. “She’ll try and go it alone, she always has. Just don’t let her. Don’t stop fightin’. For her or for both of you. Yeah?” Damn this man, it’s like heknowsme or something. I nod, determination filling my veins. I’ve never liked anything that I didn’t have to work for.Why would a marriage to my One be any different?
I lock eyes with his. “It will be my honor, sir.” Then I realize that’s only one. “What’s the other thing?”
“Can you help a dyin’ man get out of his bed so he can give his only daughter away to her One,” he says roughly, his eyes glazed with unshed tears. “Give me this and I’ll never ask anythin’ else of you or your family again, Cooper.”
“Goin’ to need Wyatt to help me with this, OK?” He nods but does it with a look of respect I nevereverthought I’d get from Old Man Wilson.
Thatis when my nerves settle and I find that calm, strong place within me.
This is for Sully. It’s for me and Em too, but ultimately, this is for him.
But for him, this is for Em. Andthatis something we agree on. Because of that, I’ll do whatever the man asks for.
Ten minutes later, with Wyatt’s help, we have Sully sitting up and dressed in a shirt and jacket over his pajama pants and with an oxygen tube in his nose.
After Will gives him the sign, Dare appears in the doorway with an even more breathtakingly beautiful Em on his arm, her hair falling down in curls that are held back on one side by the original Marion Wilson’s silver daisy hairpin.
With a nod from Pete, Birdie presses play on Wilson’s old-as-days record player and Dan + Shay’sSpeechlessstarts to play. That’s when Wy and I help Sully to his feet, holding him steady between us as he stands as tall as he can for his only daughter. He’s giving his all for her and he has all of my respect for doing it.
Em’s teary eyes shift from Sully to me, and when they do, it’s like everything and everyone around us fades away.
It feels like she truly sees me and that our connection is this tangible, visible thing. For a moment, I let myself believe thatshe feels it too. That she also senses the path chosen for us by the mountain.
This moment—thisday—is for her and for Sully.