Uniting the Souls (Souls of Chicago #6)(54)

I was almost positive that a part of Hudson still expected one of us to change our minds and bolt. Or rather, it was me he was worried about ditching them, but that wasn’t going to happen. I liked being with the two of them. They made me laugh and enjoy life again and I had even begun to think about the future, one that hopefully would include both of them in some form or another.

The sight of Hudson’s SUV turning into my driveway pulled me from my thoughts. I made sure I had everything I needed, including our gift for the happy couple, then I stepped out into the sunshine and locked my door behind me.

I opened the car door to the sound of catcalls and I blushed, even though I was glad that they approved. I climbed into the back seat and leaned forward to get a kiss from each of them, breathing deeply the spicy, clean scent of their aftershaves. They looked spectacular in their own suits and I felt my chest puff up at the thought of walking into the wedding with two incredibly handsome men.

The wedding was being held at Morgan and Akio’s home and I smiled when we pulled in and I saw the large white tent and the chairs lined up along the edge of a lake. Carter was on a break from touring, but had offered to stay away during his cousin’s wedding so as not to attract any attention that would take away from the couple’s special day. Morgan and Akio had insisted on him being there though so they had hired Micah’s security team to surround the property. I’d met his team before and they were intimidating. All ex-military and each specialized in various degrees of combat, no one was going to make it into the wedding that didn’t have an invitation.

We were some of the last guests to arrive and I saw the tense set to Hudson’s jaw as he held the door open for me. I slid out of the back seat and he moved to step away, but I caught his wrist and pulled him towards me. His eyes widened when I leaned up and pressed my lips to his, but then he sighed and kissed me back. He looked a bit dazed when I pulled away.

“What was that for?” he asked with a small grin.

“Because I’m happy to be here with you. With both of you,” I told them as Isaac rounded the car and came to stand next to us. Hudson’s smile widened and I could see him visibly relax. Isaac smiled at both of us, the sun making his blue eyes look even brighter. It had been ages since I’d felt that happy and I was finally convinced that I was long overdue.

I took them each by the hand as we made our way through the crowd, stopping to say hello to our friends. They all looked at our joined hands and smiled even wider, some of them slapping us on the backs as if they were congratulating us.

We took our seats and a few minutes later, the music started and we stood and watched behind us for the grooms to arrive. Morgan and Akio took turns walking down the aisle between their parents then they turned and faced each other under the awning. The sun had begun to set, but shone beautifully on the lake behind them, making it a perfect backdrop for the couple as they took each other’s hands.

We took our seats and listened as the minister spoke about what marriage meant. It meant love and commitment and wanting more for your partner than you could ever want for yourself, she explained. My mind wandered to my wedding to Sean.

We had been so young and so in love. We’d dreamed of a house and children and a long life together. We had no idea that none of those things would come true. Still, even if I’d known then what was about to happen, I would’ve chosen to marry him. I had loved Sean with my whole heart and when I lost him, it felt like I had died too, but I hadn’t. The two men at my side had brought me back to life and I loved them for it. My breath caught in my throat as the thought popped into my head. Was I really in love with them?

I glanced at Hudson out of the corner of my eye. He was strong, intelligent, and the definition of kindness and compassion. He understood me in ways that I was just learning to understand myself. I glanced at Isaac then. Sweet, fun-loving Isaac, who accepted me for all my flaws and who could make me feel like I was on top of the world with just one look.

The answer was yes. I didn’t just care about the two of them as I had thought. I loved them. I was madly, passionately in love with them and I was excited by the discovery. Hudson had been right, of course. My heart had room enough to love both of them and still hold onto the love I had for Sean. I felt a grin spread across my face and Hudson leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“What has you smiling so much,” he asked. I looked up at him and saw that he was smiling too. He was happy, simply because I was and if that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.

“I just love…weddings so much,” I told him, changing the direction of my words before I could blurt it out. We were there to celebrate our friends’ wedding; my declaration of love would just have to wait. Hudson narrowed his eyes at me and I was sure that he had read my thoughts, but if he had, he didn’t let on.

“You’re not the only one,” he whispered, moving his gaze to the other side of me.

I turned to look at Isaac and saw he had his full attention on Morgan and Akio as they exchanged their vows. He wore a dreamy look as we listened to them promise to take care of each other and love each other for the rest of their lives. Morgan added on to his vows, promising to always hold the door open. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but apparently it meant something to Akio because he choked back a watery laugh.

Isaac sighed next to me when they answered, “I do” and I wondered if marriage was something Isaac wanted in his life. Was it something Hudson looked forward to as well? We hadn’t talked about anything like that yet, it was too early in our relationship, but still, it was something I was curious about. Where exactly did they see our relationship going?