Emerson's Fury : L.B. Pavlov (26 page)

Finn and Indy were standing up for Cross as groomsmen. I wondered how the wedding would affect Indy. He hadn’t even flown home from California until yesterday, and I wondered if the wedding was too much for him emotionally. Indy and I had always been close, but things had never been the same since the accident. He and Bella had so many plans, and everything changed that day for both of them. I prayed every single day for him. I prayed that he could find peace after all that had happened and that he could move on and allow himself to have the life that he deserved. But Indy was still emotionally removed, and time had yet to heal him.

Finn was as close as ever to Cross. They were already brothers in a million ways, and he was looking forward to the wedding. He continually asked me to point out every single woman on my guest list, and I would roll my eyes. Finn was the ultimate lady’s man. I called him a serial dater, but I knew in my heart that when Finn Hollingsworth met the right girl, he would settle down and be a wonderful boyfriend or husband. I just hoped that it would happen soon, before he broke every single heart in Indiana and there was no one left to settle down with in Indiana.

Paisley, Mila, and Hannah were three of my bridesmaids. We had remained very close, and I had stood up in all three of their weddings. My girlfriends Lisa, Julie, Jennifer, and Abi were also bridesmaids, and we had become very close friends over our years in law school. Along with my brothers, Cross had his two closest friends, John and C. J.; his college roommate, Greg; and his two partners at the architectural firm, Chase and Evan, stand up for him as groomsmen.

As my mom and all the girls helped me slip into my wedding dress, I turned to look in the mirror. It was perfect. Just the right amount of sparkle. I hadn’t had to take it in or change one stitch on the dress. My mother and I had very similar figures, and the dress fit like a glove. I twirled around and everybody cheered. My mom chuckled as I sat down and pulled out my boots. They were gorgeous. They had pink roses embroidered around the base and up the leg, and they were the perfect addition to the dress.

“I know you aren’t a fan of the boots, Mom, but come on, how cute are these?” I asked, lifting my leg in the air to display them.

Everyone laughed, and my mom smiled at me and said, “They are absolutely perfect, sweetie.”

I hopped up and stood in front of the full-length mirror. You couldn’t see the boots at all unless I lifted the long gown up to show them off. My hair was up in a high bun, and my veil framed the bun like a crown. I loved it.

All the girls were looking at the dress and giggling about the boots. They were excited because they all wore long summer dresses with boots as well. My mother opted out of the boots; however, my father was thrilled with the option of wearing cowboy boots. I couldn’t wait to have him escort me down the aisle. This was something I had looked forward to for a long time.

As we got ready to head to the wedding site, I admired all of my bridesmaids. They were stunning. They all wore long, flowing, beautiful dresses, and they had all curled their hair into long, loose waves. It was very whimsical, and I was so excited that this moment was finally here. We started our walk down to the ceremony, and my mom and I walked hand-in-hand. When we met my father, who was waiting behind closed doors, he hugged both my mother and me tightly.

“You look amazing. Both of you.” He winked at my mom.

My mother kissed me good-bye and said she would see me in a little bit. She was escorted to her seat, and the bridesmaids were all chatting with the groomsmen.

C. J. came sauntering over. “Well, well, well, look at you.”

“Hey there, handsome,” I said as he gave me a big hug. C. J. was standing up for Cross, and they had grown very close over the years. He was family, and I was so happy to have him share this special day with us.

“You look beautiful. And you know I love you,” he said, and his eyes almost overflowed with emotion.

“Always. And I love you too,” I said. We squeezed hands, and he walked over to take his place in line.

I looked over at Indy. He was so distant. Our eyes met, and I could see that he was truly doing everything he could to pretend to be comfortable when he obviously wanted to run screaming as far away from home as he could. I smiled as he walked toward me.

“You are truly the most beautiful bride in the world,” he said proudly, and he kissed me on the cheek.

“Thank you for being here. I know this isn’t fun for you,” I said, squeezing his hand.

“There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for you, Emerson. I am happy to be here for you and Cross,” he said, and I knew that he meant it, but that didn’t make being there any easier.

“Well, well, well. Look how nice someone cleans up,” Finn bellowed out with a laugh.

I gave him a tight hug, and he hugged me a little longer than usual. Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “I love you, Emerson. And I’m always proud of you.”

His words put a lump in my throat. “I love you too,” I said, smiling.

“So, did you get talked out of the boots or did you really do it?” Finn asked in a tone that said he doubted I would pull it off.

I lifted the dress and held my foot out for him to admire the boots. He burst out laughing and kicked his boot to my boot to show off the matching look.

“Did you really doubt me?” I said, laughing.

“I should know better by now,” he said, smiling back at me. “But not everyone is as free-spirited as you and me,” he said, gesturing toward Indiana’s shoes, which were polished and black.

“I think Indy looks perfect,” I said, smiling at both of my brothers.

I had known that Indy would wear his dress shoes. He was always serious now. He didn’t ever take off his formal, business-like armor for anyone. Truthfully, I was just happy that he had come. Indy had been finding excuses to avoid coming home for years, even though he kept a large home near my parents. He just didn’t use it often. I was actually staying in Indy’s home up the road until Cross and I moved into our new home after the wedding. He had designed it for us, and it was incredible. We had been staying at Cross’s apartment and at Indy’s home until our house was ready. The timing was perfect. We did the final walk-through a few days before the wedding. We couldn’t wait to have a home of our own, although staying at Indy’s estate was hardly roughing it. I never understood why he kept a home of that size in Indiana when he spent 99 percent of his time in California. I was sure there were some underlying reasons though.

“Emerson, are you ready?” my dad asked with a smile.

Everyone had said their good-byes and headed down the aisle. I wrapped my arm around my dad’s and he clasped my hand in his. I looked up at him, and his eyes were wet and I thought I saw his lip quivering. It made me squeeze his hand tighter.

“It’s OK, Dad. I’m only moving up the street,” I said, winking at him.

“I know, sweetie. You have just grown up too fast. I wish you could stay a little girl forever,” he said sweetly, and then he started to lead me inside the large doors.

“I’ll always be your little girl, Dad,” I said past the lump in my throat.

As the doors swung open and the music began to play, I looked down the aisle. All my jitters left. I wanted to hold my dress up so that I could sprint down the aisle and into Cross’s arms. Our eyes locked, and I walked steadily toward the man of my dreams, ready to start our life together.

Thank you for reading Emerson’s Fury. I hope you enjoyed it! Indy’s Awakening is the next book in the Hollingsworth Series, followed by the final book, Finn’s Forever.

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Xoxo laura