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I sht about the wonderful tiether on the riverbank where he’d asked uy I a my way," Josh said with a s hello after not seeing me for months

When he pulled away from my lips, I smiled "Wow"

"I et it in now Jenny will have her locked away tonight with heavy security watching," Ari said

Ellie started laughing

Jessie giggled "I actually heard her ask Aaron if they should hire someone to watch Heather’s door because she didn’t trust Josh!"

Josh sirl knows ain

The rehearsal on the beach had been flawless, and everything had gone s our way to the hotel restaurant for the rehearsal dinner

After kissing and hugging, laughing and talking, ere finally sitting down to eat Jeff, Gunner, Ellie, and Ari all gave speeches I had never cried and laughed so ht went on, and I told Josh it was probably one of the best nights of my life

Then, Jenny came to me and said Josh wanted me toout at the black ocean He earing a gray pullover hite linen pants, and I had been lusting after hiht

I walked up to him and wrapped my arhed "Yep! You?" He turned around and looked into ht my breath as I just lost myself in those eyes I barely whispered, "Yes"

He tookthe beach for what see fro scared to death…to ere scared…to the babies and how I’d decided to stay home with them…to Josh’s business and how it had just taken off…and then , I wish they were here, princess"

He held me, and I leaned my head back on his chest and stared out at the ocean

"I feel theht sound weird, but I do" I let out a sh and shook h you!"

Josh asked, "Why’s that?"

"Just froht at the exact moment I need to hear it So me to breathe, and then you say it within in a few seconds"

He heldto behave tonight?"

Josh threw his head back and laughed "I almost paid Aaron two hundred bucks to set up a blanket down here, so I could make love to you on the beach, but I wanted to save that for our honeyme to a beach soive you more! "Sounds like heaven!"

"That is, if there is a beach around where we’re going," he said

My smile faded, and my mouth dropped open He did not just do that! Bastard!

Chapter Forty

I sat and watched as the sun moved above the horizon When I felt a hand onthere I sood tenon one of the most important days of my life

"Did you write your vows?" he asked

"Nope"

He laughed "Holy shit, you’re lanced over at hi?"

He looked at me and smiled "Always, son"

"Do you ever look back on your life and regret things you did?"

He let out a gruff laugh and shook his head "Not so er, I did So, we don’t know the right way to go about looking for it We want it so desperately that we search for it in all the wrong places, for all the wrong reasons, and with all the wrong people"

I sighed, looking back out at the ocean "I’ve never in my life felt the way I do when I’ I never felt anything but eh, when I look into her eyes, I pray to God that I’ to wake up, still searching for that one person who moves my heart and soul She’s the air that I need to breathe"

My dad put his hand on my back and winked at me "It’s not a dream, son It’s very real, and you’re both very much in love with one another In a way, I think you rescued each other"

I nodded as I thought about what he’d just said "Is it wrong I just want to say to her what’s init out beforehand?"

"Hell no, it’s not wrong It’s your wedding You do what you feel in your heart is the right thing to do I think you could tell a joke, and Heather wouldn’t care That girl is over-the-moon in love with you"

"I’ "Especially with how she keeps trying to trickher for the honeyhed and slapped me on the back "I’m proud of you, Josh"

I snapped my head over to my father "Dad…"

He looked at me with tears in his eyes "I am I know I’ve never said this before, but when you were in high school and you told me you wanted to follow in my footsteps…my heart filled with joy I actually had to walk outside because I didn’t want to cry in front of you"

"Dad…I never knew that it made you so happy"

"What o for what you want, and you absolutely excel at it Your mother and I are so proud of the man you’ve become You help people, and you don’t even think twice about it You give your love with your whole heart, like the way you love Matthew When I see you with him, my heart swells up And the way you love Heather…you take care of her and put her needs before yours Even when you lost your memory, you still put her first Yes, son, you’ve made your mother and me so very proud I’m so damn blessed to calldown my face "I love you, Dad"

"I love you, too, Josh"

When s, I jumped "Fuck, Dad! You just scared the shit out ofa moment"

He stood up and reached down forive your led his eyebrows up and down

"Oh, for the love of God…I didn’t need to hear that, Dad Shit, I think I’ to hurl"

"Josh?" Gunner said