Conviction (Consolation Duet #2)(75)

Mark clears his throat, “Liam, let’s hear your vows. Better do better than that, my son.”

Liam gives him a look and then looks back at me.

“Natalie, I wasn’t looking for love when we found it. I was looking to help. But it was you who helped me. Your smile, your eyes, and your heart showed me what I was lacking. Each day I would find a reason to see you because you made my day worth waking up for. I learned how to change diapers,” he pauses and we smile. “Get a kid dressed, but more than anything, how to be a man. Not a man who cares only for himself and his job, but a man who stands by a woman and steps up. You showed me what love is. We’ll have hard times and we’ll struggle, but I’ll never leave your side. I’ll stand and fight for you no matter what life throws at us. I’ll love Aarabelle and our son the same. I’ll protect you and them at any cost. There will never be a day you feel unloved by me. And if you ever should, you have permission to slap me.” Liam smiles and I laugh.

My heart is full as he says his vows. And with Liam, I know his vows ring true.

Liam pulls at my hands, and I see the struggle to rein in his emotions is strong. “I give you my word, my name, and everything I have as your husband.”

Liam turns his attention to Mark who looks like he’s about to cry. He shakes his head, and I hear sniffles from behind me.

“Rings!” It finally clicks for Mark. “Okay. Quinn, please hand them over.”

Quinn steps forward and claps Liam on the back.

“Thank you, my child.”

I roll my eyes and giggle. He’s so stupid. “You know you got your training online, right?”


“Yes, now hush and allow the grace of my ordination to come upon this union.” He goes back to looking at his booklet.

“I swear . . .” Jackson mutters and I giggle.

Liam and I recite our promises and place the rings we picked out on each other’s hands. His is a solid, tungsten ring with Celtic knots all along the middle. It’s modern but the knots bring in his heritage. They also symbolize the forging of our lives and family. Mine is an eternity diamond band. He fought tooth and nail about it and how he was determined to spend his money how he wanted.

I wait for someone to tell him to kiss the bride, but he takes a third ring in his hand that’s on a fine, gold chain. “Aarabelle,” he squats down as she sits in the sand. I clutch my throat and try to stop from sobbing. “I know I’m not your father, but I’ll be a daddy to you. Here’s a ring of my promise to you. I’ll protect you and kiss your knee, plus I promise to never be one of those jerk stepparents, because I’ll never see you as anything but my daughter.” He clasps the necklace around her neck. There’s no holding back. Tears fall relentlessly, and Reanell, Catherine, Ashton, and my mother are all weeping too. “Oh, and I’ll give you cake for breakfast and ice cream for lunch.”

Liam stands and looks at me. He tugs me flush against him. “Loving you is the greatest honor of my life. You gave me not only you, but two children to love.”

My hand rests against his beating heart. “You’ll never know how much I love you.” I sniffle and he once again wipes my eyes.

“Can I kiss my wife now?” he looks at Mark.

“Make it a good one,” Mark smirks. “By the power bestowed on me from the website of ordained dot com, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Liam wraps his arms tighter around my waist and dips me back. “You heard the reverend.”

His lips press against mine as he cradles me back. Our lips mold to one another as I kiss my husband. The man who I know I’ll spend the rest of my life with because we are a perfect match. He pulls me back up and then lifts Aarabelle. He kisses her cheek and she wraps her arms around him.

“I love you,” Liam tells us both.

“I yuv you,” Aara replies.

I glance at my family and friends around me and joy explodes from within. I’ve never been this happy or more sure of where I am. Sometimes you have to wade through the bad to find the good. Life isn’t easy, but with Liam by my side, I know I don’t have to carry it all on my own. Our love will heal us and lift us up.





“It’s time.” Natalie shakes me and I go to swat at her. Which then is followed by a slap on my back.

“Lee,” I groan. I’m exhausted. We had a bunch of dives and training things this week. I’ve gotten a total of maybe ten hours of sleep all week. “Not now.”

“No, wake up! It’s time. Like the baby is coming.”

What?

That wakes me up. I sit forward and look over as she looks unimpressed. “Okay, I’m awake now.”

“I already called Aaron. He’s on his way to get Aarabelle. I’m going to get my bag,” she explains slowly as if I’m the two-year-old. Although, at this moment I feel a little out of my element.

She’s going to have our son.

The last few months, Natalie’s had a few minor complications. Her fake contractions were pretty much nonstop. I became a little crazy over this and asked the doctor several times to make it stop. The biggest scare came a few weeks ago when she couldn’t feel him move. We had to go to the hospital for another ultrasound, which was great, but Lee was a mess. She cried for hours and begged him to move. I never felt more helpless.