Worth the Fall (The McKinney Brothers, #1)(99)

Matt put on his very best I’m-paying-attention face and brought Abby’s hand up to his lips, hiding his smile behind a kiss. So damn happy he was about to come out of his skin.

Finally, after a long-winded recitation of what marriage meant, Matt dutifully repeated the priest’s words.

Next was Abby’s turn.

“Please repeat after me. I, Abigail Nicole.”

Abby blinked up at Matt. “I…Abigail Nicole.”

“Promise to…”

“Promise—” Abby froze. She pulled her hands from Matt’s and raised one to signal the priest to stop. Matt’s heart stuttered. Time stood still as he searched for a sign, a clue to her thoughts. Praying they weren’t second thoughts.

Her chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths as she shook out her hands like she was gearing up for a major piano piece. She wiped her palms on the skirt of her dress.

He waited, holding his breath, like everyone else in the church.

Father Mike took a concerned step closer. “Okay?”

“Yes.” Her voice was clear and sure, but when she placed her hands back in his, they shook like tiny birds.

Matt examined her eyes for that glassy look right before someone faints. But they were as clear and bright as ever, and she stared straight into his, so deeply she could have been touching his soul.

“Ready?” Father Mike asked, the picture of patience, as if he had brides stop to regroup every day.

Abby nodded, then proceeded without waiting for her prompt.

“I promise”—she squeezed Matt’s hands and he squeezed back his reassurance—“to love you.”

He held her hands a little tighter, his thumbs tracing circles over her skin as she took a deep breath in and let it out.

“And I”—her eyes filled with sudden tears and her voice shook—“promise…to…” She sucked in a gulp of air.

Matt took her face in his hands and put his forehead to hers. “Abby.” It was just a word, a whisper. A comfort, but also a plea.

She covered his hands with her own and her voice whispered back to him. “You did the right thing.”

Slowly, still cupping her face, he raised his head to meet her eyes.

“You did.” Her breath hitched. “You made the right choice, and I know you won’t leave me.” Tears fell, stopping at his hands, but her smile told him they were happy ones. “I promise to know that.”

“Abby—”

“And I’ll never leave you.”

His brave girl. Every time he thought it was impossible to love her more—

“Abigail?” the priest broke in for her attention.

She was smiling and crying, and if there was ever a moment a man’s heart could burst from happiness, this was it.

Father Mike cleared his throat. “Um…Abigail Nicole, do you take—”

“She does,” Matt said. “She definitely does.” Then his mouth covered hers and he didn’t care about the rest. Not the vows or the priest or the guests. It wasn’t a you-may-kiss-the-bride kind of kiss. It was more like two souls finding their way back to each other after being lost in the dark for way too long.

He was brought back to awareness by Tony tapping him on the shoulder. Abby appeared as unfazed by their location as he was, and he almost kissed her again, but the sound of clapping brought him further back to reality.

Abby’s amazed expression turned to pure joy and a wide smile spread across her face. Matt took his wife’s hand and faced the crowd of family and friends as the priest spoke.

“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew McKinney.”

—

The room glittered with lights and people, and literally buzzed with music from the band on one end and a crowd of clinking glasses at the bar on the other. The space between was half covered in white-clothed tables, twinkling with tiny candles, and couples swirling on a wooden dance floor.

Abby stood next to Matt in a circle of large men, all in dress whites. Except Matt. As he’d explained during their traditional dance, he’d given up that honor for her. He introduced her to the teammates she hadn’t met yet and laughed at their good-natured efforts to warn her off their unworthy friend. Matt’s arm around her waist tightened and drew her closer with each new man that approached. Cute, but totally unnecessary.

His jacket was off and she ran shaking palms up his white silk dress shirt, loving the feel of hard muscles and the man beneath. And knowing he was hers. She craned her head back to look up at him and smiled, expecting it would get her a kiss. And it did. It also chased the other men away.

He pulled her around in front of him so their bodies were pressed together. “You did that on purpose,” he said, smiling against her lips.

“Yes, I did.” She slid her arms up and around his neck, gazing at her extremely gorgeous husband. “Why can men not take watching another man kiss his wife?”

“Jealous, maybe? I don’t know.” He kissed her again, sliding his hand up to cup the side of her neck. “And I don’t care.”

“Matt?” She’d considered not telling him about Sergeant Tyler. For about five seconds. Matt was her best friend; she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, keep things from him. Besides, she had a message to pass on.

“Hmm?” He replied, his lips vibrating against her throat.