Stitches and Scars (45 page)
Read Stitches and Scars Online
Authors: Elizabeth A. Vincent
Tags: #Love, #Doctor, #New Hope, #Fiction, #Romance, #Young Women, #Friends
She thought about all of these things, but mostly she just thought about the way Ethan loved her and she loved him. Her mind was still filled with images, flashes of them together and moments in time, when there was a knock at the door.
“Kate?” She heard Ethan’s comforting voice and her heart skipped.
Gathering her dress around her, she hurried over to the door and pressed her hands flat against the wood. “Hi,” she said into the crack.
“What did you say to make them cave?”
“Nothing really. I may have pouted just a little.” Kate laughed. “Did they threaten you? Because I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“You could call it a threat.”
“Did they make you promise like they made me?” she asked.
“Nope.”
She could hear the smile in his voice and knew he was thinking of ways to break the rules and see her. She knew it was silly because she was going to see him in fifteen minutes, but it didn’t stop her aching desire to throw open the door and see him.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked.
“Better now,” she admitted. “Not seeing you drives me crazy. Plus, I’m a little nervous about walking down the aisle.”
“You know we don’t have to do this. We could just leave right now and get married at City Hall, or even Vegas.”
“And have to face the wrath of four wedding planners? I don’t think so.” Kate paused. “I’ll be fine once I see you. I’m always better when I’m with you, Ethan.”
“I’m better with you too.
You
make me better.”
Blinking back tears, Kate forced herself to hold it together and not mess up her make-up. “I love you,” she said quietly, not sure if he could hear.
“I love you too. Now, are you going to marry me, or what? The sooner we say ‘I do,’ the sooner we leave for Tuscany and start our honeymoon.”
She smiled and pressed her forehead against the door. “Yes, I’m ready. Believe me, I’m ready.”
“Okay. I’ll see you down there. And remember, it’s just you and me.”
Taking a deep breath, she waited in silence and heard him push away from the door. Once alone, she walked back to the vanity and took a seat, staring back at her reflection. The sound of the door opening drew her eyes away, and she turned to see Elle and Sophie standing in the doorway, grinning.
“It’s time to get married,” they said in unison.
12:58 P.M.
Ethan made his way downstairs and found Trent and Logan waiting by the side door. They looked at their friend’s expression and smiled.
“I’d say someone is excited,” Logan said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”
“What can I say? I’m ready. She’s the one.”
They both nodded in understanding and grasped the door handle.
“All right then, let’s get you hitched.” Trent pulled the door open in one quick swoop, and the three of them took their places on the platform under a canopy of flowers. The flowers were everywhere, splashes of white and cream draped around the room.
Ethan took a deep breath and looked out over the sea of faces, some recognizable and some not. His eyes landed on the large double doors in the back of the room, and he couldn’t look away. He knew that just beyond them, Kate was waiting, waiting to be his wife. The music started to play, and happiness filled his chest. He knew that this was moment he’d waited forever for.
1:00 P.M.
“Left together, right together, left together, right together.” Kate’s dad spoke in a low voice as he practiced his steps.
“If it helps, I’m not sure I’ll get it right either.” She spoke up behind him.
As soon as he heard her voice, Doug spun around and smiled when he saw his daughter. “You look beautiful, Katherine. Prettiest bride I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She fiddled with her flowers.
“Hope I get these steps right.” He chuckled.
“I tell you what. I don’t care how I get there, as long as you’re with me.”
“Well, that I can promise.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her forehead.
The sound of Sophie’s voice gathered everyone’s attention as she placed everyone in line. Before Kate could register what was happening, the music started and her father linked his arm with hers.
1:02 P.M.
Ethan stood, watching the double doors closely. As they slowly opened, the soft murmur in the crowd died down and everyone turned to face the back of the room.
Sophie came through the doorway first, followed by Elle. The two of them looked beautiful, and they each smiled at Ethan when he met their eyes. He’d always imagined what it would be like to have sisters and now he knew. He loved them both like family, and the bond they each shared with Kate was an unbreakable one.
As soon as they were at the end of the aisle, the music changed and once again Ethan’s eyes were drawn to the back of the room. It was then that he saw her. His breath caught and he froze. She was stunning, more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. Her white strapless gown was simple and clung to her body perfectly before flowing gently to the ground. He took in the moment—the image before him—and committed it to memory, positive that he would never forget it.
She was a quarter of the way down the aisle before she lifted her eyes to his. When their eyes locked, she smiled, and at that moment Ethan knew that everything he’d ever done in his life had led him to Kate. She was his beginning and his ending. The one he’d be with forever. This knowledge didn’t make him nervous or afraid; it only made him feel at peace. Because when he was with Kate, he was home.
1:02 P.M.
The large double doors opened and the fragrance of a thousand flowers wafted towards Kate and her father. The entire room was filled with flowers in various shades of white, accented by champagne-colored ribbons. They lined the aisle and hung from the backs of every pew. They even hung over the altar, forming a canopy of white petals. It was one of the most beautiful things Kate had ever seen.
She could have stood there all day and taken in every last detail, but her father starting walking. Thankfully, her body acted on its own accord and followed his motions. She noticed all the people sitting on the sides as she started down the aisle, but she didn’t focus on them. There was only one person she wanted to see and that was Ethan. As soon as she saw him, her heart sped up. He was looking at her, his smoky blue eyes gleaming as he smiled. She grinned back at him, keeping her eyes locked with his, and forgot about everything else. All that mattered was the two of them; everything else faded into a blur of white.
When they reached the end of the aisle, Doug handed over his daughter, and Ethan took his place, taking her hand in his. She took a step toward him, and immediately felt the comfort of his touch. Ethan ran his thumbs over the tops of her hands and gave her a quick wink before the priest began their vows.
She listened to the words that were spoken and repeated every promise over in her head, trying to commit every single moment to memory forever. Ethan gazed back at her, looking deep into her eyes, and she knew he was doing the same thing.
When it was time for Kate to say her part, she paused, getting control of her emotions so her voice would be loud and sure. “I do,” she said clearly before the tears began to run down her cheeks.
Ethan lifted his hand and lightly brushed them away, his fingers lingering at her cheek. “I do,” he promised.
The priest closed with pronouncing them husband and wife, and Kate didn’t waste a second before throwing her arms around Ethan. He pulled her close, holding her by the waist, and pressed his lips against hers. She let herself get lost in the moment and reveled in his touch, his lips, and his warmth.
Eventually they separated, but Ethan didn’t let her go. Instead he dropped his lips to the side of her ear and whispered, “My wife.”
The word sent chills down Kate’s spine and filled her entire body with joy. She knew that she was finally his, and he was hers.
Burying her face into his chest, she felt his chin rest on the top of her head. They stood like that for a minute, lost on their own world. It wasn’t until the crowd’s cheering grew louder that they became aware that they weren’t, in fact, alone. Very gently, Ethan slid his arm from around her waist and clasped his hand in hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
Then, together they took their first steps down the aisle as husband and wife. Kate smiled as she looked up into the eyes of her best friend, her lover, her confidant, her companion, her forever, and her happily ever after.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HUGE thanks to:
My amazing family, for all their love, support and patience. To my super editor Meredith, for knowing my characters as well as I do, and for all of her hard work. To all of the friends that I’ve made throughout the writing process, whose support and laughs have kept me sane. To Elizabeth, for giving me this opportunity. And to the ones who have inspired me, and have taken part in making me a believer of true love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth makes her home in Delaware with her husband and spends the day with her two loves, her children and her writing. With a strong adoration for the East Coast as her foundation, she penned her first novel,
Stitches and Scars,
a delicious romantic comedy.
In her spare time, she enjoys taxiing her kids to every activity under the sun, baking enough to make Betty Crocker proud and finding inspiration for her writing in even the most mundane of circumstances.
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