SWNOVELS Ryan Reign: Chapter 50
SIX MONTHS LATER
Smoothing my beautiful silk dress over my thighs, I smile at Aoife as she hands me my bouquet. It is a stunning mix of red, white and olive green roses, with blue tulips.
“You look fabulous, Jessie.” She gives me a soft kiss on my cheek. “I have never seen a smile so wide,” she adds with a chuckle.
“Thank you, Aoife,” I say. I feel so nervous my legs and hands are shaking, but my smile is real. I am excited and happy beyond belief. Today is my wedding day and I cannot wait to start this new chapter of my life.
“I’ll see you out there.” Aoife flashes her eyebrows at me before she leaves me standing in the room alone. I look out of the huge double doors of the beautiful log cabin that Shane has had built in the last six months, at that spot on the lake where he took me a little over a year ago. It seems like a lifetime ago now.
I look out at the beautiful gardens as I prepare to make my way towards the small arch of roses and ivy near the lake where the ceremony is about to take place. I have no-one to walk me down the aisle today, but that doesn’t matter to me. I feel my family by my side, and of course I am now starting a new one too.
I step out onto the decking and onto the small stone path. My head is down; I’m almost frightened to look up in case this is all a dream, but then I take a deep breath and do it. It is Conor’s eyes I see first. He stands there in his tux looking finer than I have ever seen him look before, and that really is a feat. He smiles when he sees me and it’s a smile that almost takes my breath away. He nudges Mikey who stands beside him, deep in conversation with his twin brother. Mikey and Liam look up too and I bite my lip as they stare at me. Tears prick at my eyes as Liam puts a hand over his heart and Mikey blows me a kiss. They look just as handsome as their older brother.
But where is Shane? My heart skips a beat as I scan the small alcove and he is not there. I know this day is not going to be easy for him. But then he steps out from behind the trees and my heart almost stops beating in my chest as he looks up at me and our eyes lock. I am close enough now that I see the deep green of his irises and it takes my breath away when I see the tears in them.
Is this too hard for him? As Conor puts a hand on his older brother’s shoulder, it breaks the spell between us and Shane takes his place next to Conor.
When I reach them, I suck in a deep breath. I can’t believe we’re really doing this.
“You look…” Conor shakes his head, unable to finish his sentence.
“Beautiful.” Shane finishes for him.
“Yeah. You look hot, Red,” Mikey grins while Liam winks at me.
“Thank you,” I whisper and then the five of us stand there staring at each other.
“Are we ready?” Aunt Em clears her throat, making us all turn toward her. She is officiating this wedding today. Not that she is licensed to, but this wedding isn’t exactly traditional.
“Yes,” Conor says with a firm nod of his head.
“Yes,” I breathe.
“Then let’s begin,” Aunt Em says. “I know we’re doing this your own unique way, so do you boys have the rings?”
“Yup,” Mikey says as he pulls one from his pocket.
I bite on my lip as Mikey takes hold of my hand and slides the beautiful thin platinum band onto my finger. It is set with a small, but exquisite ruby. “Red, because you’ll always be our Red, and because it’s the color of love,” he says.
I swallow the lump in my throat as Liam steps up next. “Blue for those incredible baby blues of yours,” he says as he slides the second band onto my finger which has a small sapphire stone. It slides against the first one perfectly, the two stones sitting slightly adjacent and the platinum shaped to fit together like a jigsaw.
Conor steps up next. He takes my hand in his and brushes his fingertips over my knuckles before he slips the third band onto my hand which is set with an emerald. “And green for all the Irish in you,” he smiles at me and I giggle.
He bends and kisses my hand before he steps back into line.
“We’re not at the kissing part yet,” Aunt Em chides him good naturedly.
Finally Shane steps forward. He takes my hand and slides the fourth ring onto my finger. His hand is covering it and I don’t see it until he has it secured in place, fitting perfectly against the first three. The final piece in the puzzle. It is a beautiful pink diamond. The three other stones are set slightly off center, allowing them to fit together seamlessly. But this one is larger, and in the center of the ring. Like the star on top of the Christmas tree. “And a diamond for forever,” he says, his voice thick with emotion and I want to pull him into my arms and kiss him right now. I want to kiss all of them. To spend the rest of my life with any one of these men would make me happier than I had ever dreamed, but to share it with all four of them is beyond my wildest imaginings.
Of course this isn’t a legal ceremony and our wedding won’t be recognized by the state of New York, but we don’t care. As Em told us, we are expressing our commitment to each other to the universe, and to Mother Nature herself.
“Do you have your rings, Jessie?” Em asks as I stand there staring at the stunning jewelry these men have just placed on my finger. They are cut so that they seem like four pieces of the same ring, and that’s so fitting, because these men are four pieces of the same heart. And they have captured mine completely.
“Yes,” I stammer as I take the small velvet pouch from inside my dress. I open it and shake out the four platinum bands onto my hand. They are simple thick bands of precious metal, but each bear the same inscription.
We were written in the stars.