“We’ll talk later,” I murmur, and kiss Nat’s forehead as I walk back down the hall.

She’s going to know what it feels like to be loved like that if it’s the last thing I do.

***

I clasp Alecia’s hand tightly as Leo walks a nervous Meg down the aisle. I talked Alecia into sitting next to me during the ceremony as my date last night while I was buried inside her and she couldn’t even remember her name.

Playing dirty? Damn right.

It worked.

The sun is setting behind us, casting everything in gold, making Meg’s auburn hair shine. She’s on Leo’s arm, walking to “Baby, I Love Your Way” being played by Leo’s band, Nash.

The guitarist, Jake, is singing the lyrics in his rough voice, perfect for the song, and for Meg.

She’s smiling brilliantly, her eyes pinned to my youngest brother, whose eyes have gone glassy.

Of all of my brothers, I’ve come to learn that Will is the one that isn’t afraid to show his emotions. Whether he’s happy, sad, hungry, angry, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t hold back.

I couldn’t respect him more.

“Who gives this woman to this man?” The pastor asks when the music ends.

“I do,” Leo responds, kisses Meg, then joins his own wife next to me.

“Unca Will!” Olivia exclaims and points to Will excitedly.

“Yes, baby,” Nat whispers in her daughter’s ear as Will turns and winks at the toddler.

“Dearly beloved.”

The pastor speaks of love. Commitment. The sanctity of marriage.

The promise.

And I can hear him, but all I can focus on is this woman at my side, with her hand in mine, and all of the promises I want to make to her. Telling her this now would send her running into the hills, but Alecia is it for me. I love her. I can’t imagine my life without her.

If that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is.

“And now, the vows. Megan, I’ll ask you to recite your vows first, please.”

The pastor steps back and all our eyes are pinned to Meg as she takes a deep breath and stares up into Will’s eyes. She grins.

“I wrote it all down, but I just realized that I don’t need to read a piece of paper to tell you how I feel about you.” She swallows hard and her face sobers. “I take you, Will, to be my husband. I vow to always be honest, to be fair, to be spontaneous, and to always hold you in the highest regard. I promise to dream with you, to support you, and to always be your biggest fan. I will be your faithful partner, your unyielding encouragement, and your forever love.” She blinks and one tear falls down her cheek, but Will catches it with his thumb and rubs the apple of her cheek tenderly. “I promise you this today, and every day, for the rest of my life.”

“Will, your vows, please,” the pastor says kindly, as Will brushes a tear of his own away.

“Megan,” he begins and has to pause to swallow hard. “I hope you understand today how very much I love you. I wonder if you’ll ever truly understand how much of me belongs to you. You are the delight of my life. Loving you is an adventure that I wouldn’t miss for the world. I’m honored, my love, to take you as my wife today. I vow to spend the rest of my life giving back to you what you give to me every day. To be your constant companion, your most trusted confidant, and your truest friend. I vow to never keep score. I vow to accept you, to honor you, as you are, for the rest of my life. I will be faithful to you, forsaking all others. I will choose you, always.”

“Wow,” Jules whispers, and wipes the tears from her face.

Meg and Will exchange their rings, their faces bright with smiles and tears, and finally, the pastor says, “You may now kiss your bride.”

Will sweeps Meg right off her feet and into his arms, kissing her soundly, and making us all laugh.

“Atta boy, Montgomery!” his teammate yells, as we all stand and applaud.

“It’s my honor to present Mr. and Mrs. Will Montgomery!”

***

It’s time to take my woman upstairs.

The crowd is thinning considerably. At just after two in the morning, Will and Meg are still dancing in the middle of the floor. Most of Will’s teammates are still here, talking, mingling, and hitting on a few of the nurses that work with Meg at the hospital. All of the food and cupcakes were long ago inhaled. I lost count hours ago of how many bottles of wine we went through tonight.

I know it’s in the hundreds.

I’m so damn proud of Alecia for not only pulling off the event, but for making it spectacular.

My eyes find her, smiling and talking with Blake and Emily, at the empty cupcake table.

“Emily,” I say as I approach, “can you finish up here?”

“I can’t leave—”

“Yep,” Emily says, interrupting Alecia with a broad smile. “Blake will help me.”

“There are still guests here. I have to stay.”

“No, you don’t.” Blake pulls her in for a hug. “You kicked ass today, Leash. Go celebrate.”

“Are you sure?” Alecia asks Emily.

“Absolutely.”

Alecia turns to me, and for the first time today I can see the exhaustion settling in. If I have my way, she’ll sleep for three days straight.

“Let me say goodnight to Will and Meg.”

I nod and watch her walk to my brother and new sister-in-law. They both hug her tightly, and wave at me as she returns to me, tucks her hand in mine and says, “I’m ready.”