Listen to Your Heart(64)

“I don’t under—”

Before I can even finish the sentence, Dad steps aside, and that’s when I see him. My handsome, wonderful fiancé, standing on the stage under an arch of ivy. His eyes find mine, and my heart melts.

“Holy crap.”

Lynsey’s suddenly by my side, tugging me by the hand and leading me to the stage. Caleb, dressed in a black tuxedo, immediately wraps me in his arms.

“Will you marry me?”

I swallow nervously. “I already said I would.”

“Today. Will you marry me today?”

Stunned speechless, I finally allow myself to focus on my surroundings.

“You did all of this?”

Caleb squeezes my hand. “No. We did. Remember?”

We did?

I glance around the room. Caleb’s parents and his Aunt Carol are sitting in the front row, beaming proudly. Behind them are Juliana and Deacon, both holding cameras. Juliana’s dad is sitting beside her, smiling wistfully at the two of us. Macy and Robyn are sitting at the bar, where there’s a big buffet of finger foods and my favorite raspberry cake from Pierre’s. Behind the partition, Jesse and his band are there, holding instruments. Then, I catch a glimpse of Antonio standing next to the jukebox, holding a wedding veil, and I know, deep in my heart, the bridal gown of my dreams is waiting for me somewhere in this club.

Suddenly, Eli steps up and takes his place next to the groom, and my eyes fill with tears when I realize Caleb asked my nephew to be his best man.

Simple. Small. Intimate.

The wedding of our dreams.

I remember.

I remember our two best friends forcing us to pick out finger foods and cake samples, and all along, Caleb and I were planning our own wedding. And I remember the past few weeks . . . all the hushed conversations and phone calls and my best friend’s complete lack of enthusiasm for my wedding.

It all makes sense now.

I’d kill them both . . . if I wasn’t so lightheaded.

“I think I need to sit down,” I mutter.

Dad sprints off the stage and grabs a chair. Caleb helps me sit down before dropping to his knees in front of me.

“This was a stupid idea. I’m so sorry, Skye. I just thought it’d be romantic. We don’t have to get married today. We can just have a big-ass party and dance all night.”

“Caleb, I’m just a little dizzy. It’s—”

“Forget dancing. We’ll just eat. You love Pierre’s raspberry cake. I’ll tell Antonio to ship that dress back to London, and we can live in sin for the rest of our lives.”

Dad clears his throat, his subtle signal that he didn’t approve of the living in sin part of the plan.

“Caleb Lynch.”

He sighs heavily. “Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“But if you send my dress back, I will make you sleep on the couch for the rest of your life.”

Everyone laughs—everyone, that is, except my future husband. The poor guy looks like he’s ready to puke. Time to put him out of his misery.

“I love you. Of course I’ll marry you. Today. I need one favor, though.”

“Name it.”

“Would you get Lynsey and Antonio? I’m going to need help getting into that dress.”

Caleb’s face beams as he leans in, kissing me softly, and the entire room erupts in cheers.



The ceremony is short and simple, but that doesn’t make it any less filled with love.

As the minister speaks of true love and commitment, and how Caleb and I will inevitably face trials in our marriage, I know with all my heart that we’ve already weathered a lot of our storms. So many obstacles have stood in our way, and we’ve overcome each and every one, giving us the chance to stand here, where it all started, and pledge our lives to each other in front of our family and friends.

When the minister tells Caleb that he can kiss his bride, we wipe away each other’s tears and kiss tenderly as the room explodes with applause.

We do all the traditional things, like cutting the cake and the first dance, and I’m proud of myself for keeping my emotions in check. But when my best friend grabs the microphone to make her toast, it’s all I can do to keep from sobbing.

“Needless to say, this has been a whirlwind courtship. Over the past few months, I’ve been reminded that life is spectacular and spontaneous. I’ve learned you can’t really plan for anything because you can’t predict what will happen tomorrow. I’ve also learned that when you find the one person your heart just can’t live without, you have to do whatever it takes to make it work—even if it includes lots of daisies and a mixtape of sappy love songs. You have to listen to your heart and ignore everything else.”

I smile up at my husband who’s watching me with warm, loving eyes.

Lynsey raises her glass. “To Skye and Caleb.”

Our friends and family echo her toast, and the band starts to play. My ears perk up. Even without the vocal, I’d know that song anywhere.

“Okay, I know you planned this one.”

“I might have planned this one. Would you please come dance with your husband, Mrs. Lynch?”

With a smile that melts my heart, Caleb leads me onto the dance floor. As we dance to the not-so-slow song, I can’t help but think that Lynsey’s right. Life is crazy, chaotic, and wonderful, but as I look around this room, I sigh in contentment, knowing the most important people are right here, smiling at us and sharing in our joy. To feel so much love is overwhelming, and I don’t realize I’m crying until Caleb gently brushes a tear away from my cheek.