Cole

I forget to breathe.

Wynn will never cease to have that effect on me. She steps through the doorway with a single rose in hand and a smile that sustains me. She's been my strength, my refuge for so long now that I've come to view her as an extension of myself—definitely my better half.

Starting today, we can be together for good.

She moves down the aisle in an off-white dress that has me thinking sooo many things that are inappropriate in a church. But with Wynn, I can't help it. Drop dead gorgeous doesn't come close to doing her justice. And even though she's nothing short of stunning on the outside, the truth is, it's her beautiful soul that I love.

I'll never deserve her, but I'm sure as hell gonna try.

I reach for Wynn with a shaking hand, guiding her up the single step as my nerves ping within me. We cling to one another before Pastor Olson with goofy grins and anxious hearts, impatiently awaiting the vows that will bind us for the rest of our lives.

"You look—"

"So do you," she says, giggling as her dark eyes meet mine. Behind her, Mrs. Olson wraps up the song, wiping away a stray tear as she takes in the scene. The Olson's have outdone themselves on our behalf, and I know that I never could've asked for more than this.

"Shall we begin?" Pastor Olson asks. We nod in unison, and my pulse begins thrumming double-time in my chest.

"We're doing this," I say quietly, earning a wink from my beloved that calms me.

It's been our personal mantra for years, through all of the chaos and uncertainty—like a promise of conviction that propels us forward in the most unfavorable of circumstances. I'm fully confident that we're gonna be okay.

"Dearly beloved," he begins. "We are gathered here today to witness one of life's most sacred moments: the union of Wynona Lisette Caldwell and Harris Cole Galloway. Marriage is a fusion of not only body but soul, uniting two individuals into one heart for eternity." He glances my way, his features looking every bit as earnest as his words. "Will you, Cole, take Wynona to be your wedded wife?"

"I will," I say, the two little words causing a stream of tears to flow over Wynn's cheeks. I want to kiss them away, but I know that they're due to joy rather than pain this time. I settle for sweeping them aside with the pad of my thumb, bringing a breathtaking smile to her face.

"Will you, Wynona, take Cole to be your wedded husband?" Pastor Olson continues.

"I will," she whispers, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Cole, please repeat after me: I give to you in the presence of God and these witnesses, my promise to stay by your side, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad."

Wynn and I take turns repeating our pledges to one another, and it's as if time has come to a standstill. Pastor Olson goes on to pray and offer words of encouragement, and it's clear to me that he takes his pastoral duties seriously. He speaks to our lives and union specifically, though we only met one brief hour ago—like he knows us personally. He calls for accountability in our marriage, for open minds and open ears. He challenges us to seek after one another for all of our lives, putting each other's needs before our own.

It's great advice that I've not seen put into action before—not in my family and not in hers. We'll be the first and do our best, both for ourselves and for our child.

"Linda, the rings please?" Pastor Olson asks. Linda steps forward, placing the rings in each of our hands. "Cole, please seal your vows by placing this ring on Wynona's finger."

"With this ring, I give you my heart," I begin, doing my damndest to keep the emotion behind the words from shattering my composure. "I promise from this day forward that you'll never walk alone. My heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home." I slip the band onto her finger, affirming my commitment to her alone for the duration of my life.

"Wynona?" Pastor Olson urges.

"With this ring, I give you my heart," Wynn says with sparkling eyes. "I promise from this day forward that you'll never walk alone. My heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home." She slides the ring into place, and I feel whole.

Complete.

"Having pledged their fidelity to one another, to love, honor and cherish one another in the presence of this gathering and by the authority vested in me by the constitution and the laws of this state, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband and wife," Pastor Olson declares. "You may kiss the bride."

Without hesitation I wrap her in my embrace, kissing her to pieces for the very first time as her husband. Her response is immediate, her arms tightening around my neck as she takes things to a level that is, admittedly, a little spicy for church.

I'm loving every second of it.

"Ah, I remember those days, Rodger," Linda whispers from behind us, the two of them sharing a light laugh at our expense.

Wynn and I reluctantly disentangle ourselves, wearing twin expressions of sheepishness as we regard one another post-mauling. "Sorry," I begin, only to be waved off by an amused Pastor Olson.

"Not to worry, son," he says. "It does this old pastor good to see such heartfelt love."

"Thank you, sir," I manage as Wynn tucks herself into my side. I clasp my arms around her waist, but it's nowhere near close enough for me. We've done the unthinkable, becoming an official team for life against all odds. In this moment, I want nothing more than to get out of here and start living. "What do we owe you for your services?"

"Not a thing," Linda says as Pastor Olson nods in agreement. "It was our pleasure. Let the ceremony be our gift to you both." They smile kindly as Wynn and I take in their generosity.

"Thank you!" Wynn chirps, giving Pastor Olson a hearty hug before moving on to Linda.

I shake the pastor's hand gratefully. Their benevolence was so much more than we deserve—an incredible way for the two of us to have our beginning.

...

We return to the hotel with a solid two hours to kill before we're expected to be at the banquet for the remainder of the evening. I'm not really sure how we managed to squeeze a proposal, wedding shopping, and a ceremony into a single afternoon.

Just highly motivated, I suppose.

"It still doesn't feel real, Galloway," Wynn says, grinning from ear to ear as she gazes at the rings on her finger. We step into the elevator, making our way toward our room.

"You're a Galloway now, too," I say, punching the button for the eighth floor as the doors close. The momentary confusion on her face has me snickering as I approach her.

"Oh my gosh, you're right! That is weird, but I—hey, what are you doing?" she squeaks as I sweep her into my arms.

"I'm carrying my bride across the threshold," I say, striding off of the elevator and down the hallway. "That's the tradition, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," she agrees with a laugh. "But technically you'd only have to carry me into our room."

"I like going above and beyond," I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead as we reach our door. "You have the key?"

"Yep." She pulls the keycard from her purse, inserting it into the lock before grabbing the handle to unlatch the door and giving it a shove. I dart through the doorway, knowing that the thick wooden door will swing closed on its own.

I'm not fast enough.

The sound of hefty lumber meeting my wife's skull fills the air around us, and I cringe automatically. Only she doesn't complain. Instead, she dissolves into a fit of giggles as I move to deposit her on the bed where I collapse in laughter right alongside her.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart!" I finally manage as we work to catch our breath. It wasn't really funny, and it had to have hurt, yet we continue struggling in hysterics. "Are you—are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she coos, wiping a tear from her eye as she rolls toward me, placing her palm on my cheek. "Honestly, babe. It's like a little reality check at the end of a magical day. Consider it a physical representation of the shit storm we'll face when our families hear the good news."

I sigh, turning onto my side, the length of my body aligning with hers. On some level, her words are sobering, but the truth is, we're free. Walking away from the familial obligation and strife has left us in charge—our decisions are all ours.

And today, we exercised that power by getting married.

They're gonna think we're insane.

"Hey," Wynn says. Her hand wanders down to my chest, fisting my shirt and pulling me closer. "We don't care what they think, remember? We are doing this. It has nothing to do with them unless we want it to."

"Yeah," I say, tracing the curve of her hip with my fingertips. "I guess you're right."

"You guess?" she demands, amusement coloring her tone. "I'm your wife. I'm always gonna be right."

"Is that so?" I challenge, grinning when she hitches her leg around my waist, turning me onto my back as she straddles me.

"Oh, yes," she purrs before bringing her lips to mine. "And besides, this is basically our honeymoon. I don't wanna spend any time talking."

Neither do I.

...

"Who cares if we're late? We have a great reason," Wynn says as we hustle to the ballroom the two championship teams reserved for the banquet.

"Don't we though," I reply, pulling her close as we enter the fray. Let's just say we lost track of time. And besides, who's really gonna miss QB one?

"It's about time, asshole!" Ari shouts, sidling up to Wynn and me and offering up a high-five. The light from the chandelier overhead bounces off the silver band on my finger, and I'm thinking we're about to be called out on our marriage for the first time. But Ari simply moves from me to Wynn, giving her a hug before dragging us into the chaos of the evening.

The rings on our fingers feel like beacons to me—symbols of the significance of our commitment to one another that go unnoticed as we party it up. We eat and dance, and I go through the painful experience of being introduced to various members of the opposing team by Coach, all in the name of good sportsmanship.

"Helluva night, huh?" Wyatt drawls, greeting me with a handshake. Beside him, Colby chats away with Wynn. "What'd y'all do today?"

"Not much," I say with a shrug. "We went to the stadium for a little while and then some shopping at Walmart." Wyatt grunts in acknowledgment, seemingly unimpressed with our exploits. If only he knew...

"I think B and I may split in a few minutes," he continues, glancing around our raucous surroundings. "Are we gonna see you at the club later?"

"We'll be there."

He claps me on the shoulder before collecting his girl and disappearing into the mass of players, parents, and cheerleaders. I return to Wynn, who's clad in her wedding dress from earlier and so beautiful she makes me ache. I take her in my arms, burying my face in her long, dark hair.

"Baby, you're mine," I breathe into her ear. She shivers in my hold, linking her fingers through the belt loops on my khakis as she draws me nearer.

"Always," she whispers. "And you're mine."

We sway halfheartedly in time to the music, content just to be close to one another. And while I know our lives won't always be this peaceful, I'm certain that we can do anything as long as we're doing it together.

Wynn tips her head, resting it on my shoulder and drawing me out of my reflection. My newfound awareness is nothing short of unwelcome as my eyes meet his from across the room.

My father is here.