Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(69)

I thought about the photos I’d seen from my parents’ wedding day. How happy they’d been. How different my father looked when he was standing beside the woman he loved.

Hawk escorted Wolf’s sister, Sabine, down the aisle first, and then Ashlan, Vivian, and Charlotte walked down the aisle with their husbands, taking their spots up front. Everly, being the maid of honor, walked in with Sebastian, him standing beside his brother and Everly standing beside the spot that Dylan would soon be residing in.

The wedding song began to play, and everyone rose to their feet. Hugh caught me off guard when his hand came back behind him, as he stood in front of me. His fingers reached for mine, and his thumb stroked the outside of my hand.

Dylan was a vision in a white, fitted satin gown, dipping low in the front, with a train that ran behind her. Her arm was wrapped around her father’s, and a few of the guys in the back of the audience whistled. Hugh leaned down to let me know they were all from the Honey Mountain Fire Department where Jack Thomas was the captain.

A lump formed in my throat when I noticed Dylan and her father’s eyes were welled with emotion, and I could visibly see that she was trying to keep it together. Completely overcome. She paused when she stood in front of us for just long enough to reach out and squeeze Hugh’s free hand and smile as a tear broke free, running down her gorgeous face. Hugh reached up and swiped it away, kissing her cheek, and she whispered something in his ear before she and her father began walking toward Wolf once again.

Toward her future.

Her long train ran a few feet behind her as she moved with grace and ease down the aisle. Her hair was pulled back in a French twist at the nape of her neck. She was the most elegant bride I’d ever seen. Wolf was clearly losing his patience as he started taking steps toward her, which made everyone chuckle.

“Don’t you dare rush this. I’ll be right there, big, bad Wolf,” Dylan called out, and everyone erupted in laughter.

“You’re walking too slow, Minx. I’m done waiting.”

More laughter.

Dylan and her father stopped in front of Wolf, who’d stepped a good five or six feet forward from where he originally stood. He reached down to swipe away the tears she was trying to control. Jack shook his new son-in-law’s hand and kissed his daughter’s cheek and then took his seat up front.

“Can I have you both finish walking back to the gazebo, since Wolfgang has you in the aisle?” the minister said, and the chuckles surrounded us once again.

“What did she say to you?” I whispered close to Hugh’s ear once we were seated.

He looked down at me, his eyes blazing with something I couldn’t read. He leaned close and whispered, “She said she wanted me to find the happiness that she’d found. We’d always joked in college that we’d be single forever, so I guess she’s just feeling all the things today.”

I nodded and turned my attention back to the front. The ceremony was gorgeous. They each read their own vows, which were both hilarious and sweet. You couldn’t miss how much these two loved one another. I knew that Dylan Thomas was strong from all the times I’d met her and the stories I’d heard over the years, but Dylan Wayburn was a woman who felt everything, and she wasn’t hiding it today.

We watched as they were announced husband and wife, and we jumped to our feet as they headed back down the aisle, along with the wedding party. We followed them out and made our way to the reception, which was gorgeous. The tented area had crystal chandeliers hanging throughout the space, and the tables were covered in white linen with black velvet napkins.

Elegant and modern and beautiful.

There was a live band performing throughout dinner, and the DJ had arrived after we’d finished eating to get the party started.

I met more people than I could possibly remember, but I was having a fabulous time. We were seated at a table with all Hugh’s siblings and his parents. Georgia and I had gotten to spend some time talking to Charlotte, Ashlan, Vivian, and Everly, which had been really nice. And every single time I looked up, Hugh’s eyes were on me. Somehow, we’d find one another no matter where we were in the crowded room, and it comforted me.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Cage said, as he dropped into the chair beside me after dancing with an older aunt who had been relentless about him taking her out on the dance floor.

“Me, too. This is such a lovely wedding.” I reached for my glass of wine while Georgia left to go use the restroom and call and check on Dikota.

“I don’t just mean the wedding, Lila. I mean, back in Cottonwood Cove. Working with Hugh. He’s been pretty stressed out, and I can see you’ve helped take a lot of that weight off his shoulders.”

I smiled. “Well, I’ve really enjoyed being home. And I love working at the restaurant. I’m going to be spending more time at Burgers and Brews and Garrity’s when we get back, now that we have things running smoothly at Reynolds’. He just needed more staff. He was taking on too much.”

“Yeah. That’s Hugh. He’s found himself in this business, and he’s never stopped for a minute since he changed course right after college. Did you know that he was actually going to school to be a sports agent originally?” he said, his cheeks a little rosy, most likely from the cocktails he’d indulged in tonight. Everyone was having a really good time.

“No. I didn’t know that.”