I Love How You Love Me(The Sullivans)(14)

Dylan could hear Grace’s breath hitch in her throat as emotion swamped her, and he reached out to put his hand over hers.

Ford brought both of Mia’s hands up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to them before he began to speak. “You are everything to me, Mia. My dreams. My heart. My soul. Every day when I wake up with you beside me, then fall asleep with you in my arms, I know I’m the luckiest man alive.” He pressed a kiss to each of her cheeks, wet with tears, before kissing her on the mouth. “I can’t wait to have forever with you.”

Mia had never looked happier than she did right then as she smiled at Ford, even while her tears continued to fall.

“I always knew I wanted what my parents had.” Mia turned to smile at their mom and dad, who were holding tightly to each other, their hearts in their eyes as they watched their youngest say her vows. “A love so deep and true that nothing could ever come between them. I was so sure I knew what that love would look like when it came. I had it all planned out—the perfect guy who would say all the right things and sweep me away like a princess in a perfect fairy tale. But then, there you were. Not out of a fairy tale, but better. Because you are real. Raw. Honest. And with a heart so big that I’m constantly astounded by everything you are and everything you do. Especially the way you love me without holding anything back. I can’t wait to be your wife, Ford.”

When they turned back to Ian, he was clearly working to pull himself together so that they could finish the ceremony. “Mia, do you freely and without reservation give yourself to Ford in marriage?”

“I do.” Mia slid Ford’s wedding band on his left hand. “With this ring, I am yours and you are mine. Wear this ring forever as a sign of our love.”

“Ford, do you freely and without reservation give yourself to Mia in marriage?”

“I do.” Ford reached into his pocket for a simple platinum wedding band and put it on Mia’s ring finger. “I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As this ring has no end, our love is also forever.”

“May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by enduring love. And now, by the power vested in me by the City of Seattle, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.”

And as the new husband and wife kissed to seal the deal, Mason let out a whoop that had all of them joining in.





CHAPTER SEVEN



A couple of hours later, they carried Mason and all his things up the stairs to her apartment. Earlier, she’d planned to say a simple thank you and good night to Dylan at the end of the evening. But after the evening they’d just shared, one full of love and family and promises of forever, nothing seemed clear cut to Grace anymore.

Nothing except the fact that she wasn’t ready for the night to be over.


“If you don’t mind waiting for me to tuck Mason in, I’d be happy to make us some coffee.”

“Sounds good.” He ran his hand lightly over her son’s head. “Good night, buddy.”

She took Mason into the bedroom the two of them shared, put him into a dry diaper, and zipped him into soft blue jammies. When she whispered, “Sweet dreams, baby,” he finally woke enough to turn his mouth to hers for a smooch. Her heart overflowed with love as she kissed him, then tucked him into his crib, his favorite stuffed giraffe in his hand, his blanket over the little butt he immediately stuck up into the air when he rolled onto his stomach.

Knowing she couldn’t go back out to Dylan feeling this soft, this vulnerable, she went into her en suite bathroom to brush her hair and splash some cold water on her face. Unfortunately, the woman who stared back at her didn’t look at all like a professional journalist. On the contrary, with eyes that bright and skin that flushed, she looked far more like a woman who was falling head over heels for the gorgeous man in her living room.

She gave herself a mental and physical shake. She couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do that. Not when there was a little boy sleeping just a few feet away who depended on her to protect him. She was done making mistakes with good-looking, wealthy men.

Grace had always trusted her instincts, at least until she’d fallen for Richard. After having gotten things so horribly wrong with him, she’d been keeping her guard up, to protect both herself and her son.

She’d never be able to forget what his parents had said to her when they’d paid her a surprise visit the day after she’d told Richard about her pregnancy: “Our son has a weakness for inappropriate girls like you, unfortunately. But his temporary mistake cannot become a permanent stain on our family.” She’d been stunned when the esteemed former senator and his wife had handed her two certified checks drawn on an account with no identifiers on it. One for an abortion…and the other as payment for her silence. She’d started planning her move that same day, to a city as far away from Washington, D.C., as she could get.

But as wealthy and powerful as the Bentleys were, Grace was pretty sure that the Sullivans were even more so. Would any of them ever deal with “accidents” in this way? By buying off and burying them?

She couldn’t imagine that they would, couldn’t wrap her head around any of the men or women she’d met tonight doing anything that terrible. Then again, how could she know for sure? After all, she’d only just met them all. And hadn’t Richard snowed her, too?