The Silence (Columbia River #2)(84)

Ava took a moment to appreciate the sensation of her sister giving in. She caught Mason’s amused gaze. He knew it was a foreign feeling.

Progress.





32

“You look amazing.”

Cheryl handed her a bouquet of white flowers, and Ava smiled at the wedding planner. The two of them were in a large airy room near the back of the winery. Sunshine spilled in through tall windows. Ava couldn’t have asked for better weather. Even the blue skies were happy on her wedding day.

It was almost time.

Family and friends were seated in rows of white chairs on the winery’s large patio, overlooking acres of grapevines and stunning views of the coast range. The winery was more beautiful than she’d dreamed it would be when she first visited the charming French chateau and grounds in the fall. It was a storybook setting.

“Nervous?” Cheryl asked.

Ava considered. “Not at all. Am I supposed to be?”

“Most brides are. But you are not most brides.” Cheryl raised a brow as she pointedly looked at the dress.

“I absolutely am not.” It had been impossible to find the color of dress she wanted. Wedding gowns came in almost every color, but none of them had been right. She’d finally had a dress professionally dyed. It was perfect.

“Still don’t know what to call that shade,” Cheryl said. “Silvery teal blue? Pale stormy ocean? Icy aqua sea mist?”

Ava didn’t care. It was a dreamy shade and made her happy.

She ran a hand over the bodice of the strapless gown. It was a heavily beaded corset with a peplum that flared several inches over the tulle skirt. Cheryl bent and swished the long skirt at the hem, making it lift and float into place. Dozens of layers of tulle gently draped and flowed behind her. It was ethereal, and Ava reveled in the confidence that came from wearing an incredible dress.

“Ready?”

Ava nodded.

“I got a look at Mason. He should definitely wear a suit more often. Made me second-guess my singlehood.”

“Let’s go.”

Ava followed Cheryl down a hall and into the beautiful tasting room, which was set for the wedding dinner. Large windows lined an entire wall, and Ava saw her guests patiently waiting outside. Cheryl paused at the winery’s large iron-and-wood doors, which belonged on a regal home in France. She winked at Ava and pushed them open. Sunshine streamed in and Ava stepped out.

Her gaze went straight to Mason, standing with Ray, the pastor, and Jayne on a slightly raised platform at the edge of the patio, beautifully framed by the mountain range behind them.

Mason’s dark-brown eyes locked with hers. Ray elbowed Mason and leaned close to whisper something. Both men broke into grins, but Mason didn’t drop his eye contact.

It’d been less than two years, but she felt as if she’d known him forever. Somehow he’d always been a part of her, but that piece had been hidden until they met in person.

I sound sappy.

But it was true.

She moved down the aisle between the rows of chairs. It wasn’t a large group, and she knew every single person. A loud sigh caught her attention, and she spotted Henley, the young daughter of Mason’s ex-wife. The girl’s wide-eyed gaze said she was in love with the gown. Henley’s kidnapping had brought Mason and Ava together.

A horrible episode.

But happy results.

Mason’s son, Jake, stood by Henley. He was looking more and more like his father every day.

So many friends had come to share their day. Michael Brody and his wife, Jamie. Gianna Trask, the medical examiner, her husband, Chris, and her daughter, Violet. Chief Medical Examiner Seth Rutledge and his wife, Victoria Peres. The forensic odontologist Lacey Harper and her husband, Jack. Mercy and Truman.

Ava gave Zander a deep smile, delighted to see him happily standing next to Emily. He deserved love.

And then there was her new family. Her father, David’s, two children, their spouses, and their four children. At David’s funeral, Ava had made the decision to involve them in her life. Life was too short and too precious. Her father’s death had taught her that.

Jayne’s near-death experience had reinforced the belief. She looked to her twin, and Ava knew she’d made the right decision—to have Jayne stand up with her today.

She reached Mason, and he took her hand. “About time,” he said.

“I love you too.” She did. Wholeheartedly.

“You take my breath away,” he told her.

“I don’t think my feet are touching the ground,” she said. “I can’t believe we’re finally standing here.”

“I knew we’d make it. All of us.” Mason glanced at Ray and Jayne.

Both of them could be gone.

Ray coughed. “Didn’t know being shot was required to be an attendant today,” he whispered.

Jayne slapped a hand over her mouth, stifling her laugh.

At least we can laugh about it now.

Mason squeezed her hand. “Ready?”

“I’ve been ready for months.”

“Me too.”

Ava’s heart swelled, and she remembered her discussion with Cheryl a few weeks ago. Ava hadn’t believed a ceremony would change the love between her and Mason, but now she knew Cheryl had been absolutely right.

As the two of them stood before their friends and family, proclaiming their vows, she felt their love expand and deepen. It wasn’t logical, what she experienced around him; the happiness resonated in every cell, every nerve, every vessel in her body.