Page 115 of To Have and To Hold
And fine. She was enough of a badass to resort to blaming the tears on pregnancy hormones—which she would definitely do when someone made fun of her later—but hormones had nothing to do with it. Mostly.
In all fairness, she had expected Reese to make her cry today. He was the romantic one. He was the one who wore his heart on his sleeve, and anyone who knew Reese well would see it. He would no doubt be embarrassed if she were to tell him any of that—although he likely was well aware of those traits—but it didn’t make it any less true.
What Reese probably didn’t know was that he brought out much of the same in Brantley. Before Reese came along, Brantley’s alpha-hole tendencies were his most endearing quality. And JJ meant that with all the love and affection her heart held for him. But he could be an asshole of the highest order. Their friendship had taken a brief hiatus because of his military career, but she’d still seen him whenever he came to town. JJ remembered one of the last times because she had thought to herself that he seemed to be hardening even more with every passing day. At one point, she figured her best friend would eventually come home, but his heart would’ve been made of stone when he did.
Only with Reese was he different. It was etched in every line of his face. His love for Reese was like a beacon blazing from within, altering his chemical makeup. The man had found his soulmate. He’d found his other half, and they looked so happy as they stood before Pastor Bob, declaring their love.
JJ choked back a sob so she could hear what Brantley was saying.
“Are you worried I don’t have anything to say?” he asked Reese.
A few people in the audience chuckled.
“I didn’t write my vows,” Brantley explained, glancing at the rows of people who’d come here to witness this beautiful occasion. “He’s been worried about it.”
From JJ’s vantage point, Reese was on the verge of hysteria. He was smiling, though. Which was a good thing.
Brantley looked back at Reese. “But I didn’t need to write them down because I feel it”—he tapped his chest, directly over his heart—“right here. Every day. You give me life, Reese. Perhaps more so than water or air. Some people say they didn’t know what they were missin’ until they met the person who completed them. I did. There was an emptiness inside me. A cold, dark void that, deep down, I knew shouldn’t be there. It was supposed to be filled with … something.”
“If you’d written your vows, you would’ve had a word to insert there,” Z said, whispering loudly.
Everyone laughed, including Reese.
“He’s right,” Brantley said with a laugh. “Shut up, Z.”
JJ giggled, taking the opportunity to dab at her eyes with a tissue.
Brantley continued. “I had a good life, don’t get me wrong. I did, but that emptiness was still there. Since nothing I did seemed to change it, I ignored it. Pretended it was natural.
“Then I met you and realized that all the worry was for nothing because the moment I looked into your eyes, I was no longer empty. The space was filled with more than I thought I could possibly contain. Love, laughter, lust.”
Brantley paused, and JJ couldn’t help but smile because, yes, Reese was blushing. And it was adorable.
“It was overwhelming and exciting,” Brantley continued. “Sometimes frustrating, even. But I’m no longer empty. And I know that space was there because I hadn’t met you yet. You were meant to fill that void, and since the day I met you, my life has been complete. A little chaotic, sure, but definitely complete.”
JJ swallowed the lump of emotion that filled her throat, watching as Reese smiled. She wished she could see Brantley’s face, but she would settle for seeing the love glittering in Reese’s eyes.
“Reese Tavoularis, you are the very best reason to breathe, and I vow before God and all of Coyote Ridge that I will spend the rest of my days tryin’ my damnedest to make you happy if you’ll have me.”
JJ could hardly tell since tears were now streaming down her face, but she was pretty sure Reese was crying, too. How could he not, though, right? Brantley Walker wasn’t known for his bursts of sentimentality, yet he’d somehow stolen the show today.
“Z, it’s your turn. Pay attention,” Pastor Bob said, which earned another round of laughter.
“Gotcha, padre.” Z winked and handed the rings over.
JJ’s tears flowed freely while Brantley and Reese took turns putting the rings on each other. When they were finished, all eyes shifted to Pastor Bob.
“I now pronounce you legally married partners. Cherish one another in heart, body, and soul, as well as in love and in life. You may now kiss your husband.”
A round of applause and cheers echoed up into the trees as Brantley cupped the back of Reese’s head and kissed him. Tesha let out an excited bark, clearly caught up in the joy spreading through the space.
Meanwhile, JJ put a protective hand over her belly and prayed that the contraction she just felt was merely the peanuts celebrating. Otherwise, this night was about to take a very different turn.
Chapter Thirty
For the rest of the evening, Brantleyfloated on a wave of euphoric excitement.
He’d known from the moment Reese proposed that this would be the very best day of his life. He’d never imagined himself getting married, but then again, he hadn’t imagined a lot of things that he’d experienced. When he was a kid, he’d wanted to be a fireman, and when he got older, he intended to be career military. And since that was cut short abruptly, he had somehow ended up here.
