"Are you hungry?" he asked. "Because I'm starving. I haven't eaten in ... I don't know how long. I should’ve known I was making a mistake when I couldn't eat. I love eating."
I laughed, every pleasant emotion filling my body as I did so. Easton did love eating. And he wasn't getting married.
"But my parents and Priscilla and her family and all of my friends back in Chicago. It felt like everyone, except for you," he paused as he looked over at me with a soft smile on his face, "thought this wedding was best for me. It made sense. And they talked their circles around me long enough that it did make sense. Then I felt stuck. But I love you, Jos."
I felt tears, this time the good kind, prick my eyes.
Easton pulled into the drive-thru of a fast food place and ordered more food than two people could ever humanly ingest, then was back on the road again. I held the numerous brown bags, just enjoying having Easton by my side, something I’d been sure would never happen again. A few minutes later Easton pulled onto a bluff that overlooked Saratoga and its neighboring towns.
"I didn't even know this place existed," I breathed as I took in the stunning view I usually had to climb to get to see.
"I found it online," Easton said, and I laughed. Was he serious?
Easton turned to me, no humor in his gaze, as he pushed the bags of fast food between us into the back seat of the car. My heart finally got the right message that what was happening to us was very, very real, and it began to thrum hard against my rib cage.
"Because I knew if I was going to do this, I needed to do it right. But I also knew I had to do it today. I couldn't wait another second before starting my life the way I really want to ... with you," Easton said, his intense gaze making my stomach flip. But my mind was still having a hard time wrapping itself around Easton's words.
"I wanted to hire a band to play our song," he said.
"We don't have a song," I interrupted, feeling a little perplexed.
"Well, we should," he said with a grin. Then he continued, "Or a skywriter to tell you I love you."
I giggled, finally catching up to the turn of events. These were the crazy ideas the girls and I had spit balled in order to tell Easton I loved him what felt like ages before. But they sounded even more ridiculous now that Easton was saying them.
"But I realized in the end, all we needed was a beautiful view, some food," he pointed to the back of the car, "and the words I love you, Josie. I am so sorry that I let my fear get in the way. I should have chosen you from the beginning. But I am promising you now," Easton took my hands in his, "I will forever choose you, Jos. I will fight for you. I will love you when it's hard and when I really don't feel like it. I will choose you when you don't want me or when I make you annoyed for leaving my socks on the floor again."
I laughed, and it was only then that I felt the wetness on my cheeks, realizing I'd started to cry. I'd lost myself in Easton's words because he was finally saying all of the right words in the right way.
"I will fight for you, Josie. Today, tomorrow, and every day after. Loving you is worth everything. Even one day losing you."
I knew those words had taken everything in Easton to have the courage to say, and I loved him all the more for it.
"Do you forgive me?" he asked, and I sat back in my seat, pretending to ponder. But we both knew the truth. I would choose Easton every time as well. Even if he was an idiot who had almost married another woman.
Mischievous confidence filled Easton's eyes as a sly smile spread on his face. He had me. He knew it. I knew it. So there was only one thing left to do.
I flew myself across the car and into his arms. I landed there with a harrumph from him, and I smiled even bigger before looking up. Our faces were not even an inch apart.
"Of course I do," I said from in his arms, the place where I belonged.
Easton lowered his head and finally fulfilled the dream that he and I both had. The one where he kissed me, really kissed me.
Epilogue
I pulled away from yet another Easton kiss. The kisses that made my toes curl and my lips tingle. The ones that filled me with warmth and made my head feel so light, I worried I might just fly away.
But this one was a special kiss. It was a kiss that would ensure I would never have to go on a terrible first date again.
Our families and friends cheered, even Mr. Price and Easton's mom, although it had taken a little bit of time to win them over to our side.
We stood in the middle of a grassy field with big beautiful trees that provided us shade, and I wore a crown of wildflowers that matched those growing in the field.
Wearing a simple, long, white dress, I had rendered Easton speechless when I'd first walked toward him. He’d made me cry in all the right ways with his personalized vows, and I did the same for him.
He wore a casual, white button-up, and his hair looked like it hadn't seen gel in weeks, just the way I liked it.
My gaze met Easton's, and he wrapped his arms even tighter around my waist as he pulled me up for another kiss, this time slow and simmering as if he had a lot more of them coming. I couldn't wait.
"Hey! One kiss per I do," Hunter said as he and the rest of The Ten of Us surrounded us at the arch that Rider had built for us to say our I dos under.
"I'm not sure you understand the way marriage works," Easton teased, and Whit shook her head.
"Easton has barely figured it out himself," Whit bantered, and all our friends laughed.
I literally would not have survived everything if it weren't for them.
"Excuse me, excuse me, mother of the bride coming through." My mama elbowed her way through my friends and placed herself right in between Easton and myself. Other than me and Easton, no one in the world was happier that her poor single daughter had finally found a match. And to have that match be the kind-hearted, handsome Easton Price? Well, mama was elated.
Mama placed one arm around my shoulders and her other arm around Easton's waist as she tugged us away from our friends and toward the tables that were set up for our simple reception. I loved that everything about our day was simple and sweet. Kind of like love was. Okay, maybe not so simple in my case, but it sure was sweet.
"So, now comes the real question," Mama said as she walked with us. "When are you going to make me a grandma?"
My face flushed red as Easton looked over Mama's head to catch my eye. "Mama," I admonished as I pulled out of her grasp and found my way back to Easton's hold.
Mama walked away laughing, totally in her element as she greeted all of the guests.
"So what do you think? Are you ready to make your mama's wishes come true?" Easton asked, his voice and words warming me right up.
"Easton Price," I said, using the same voice I'd used to admonish Mama. But then I stopped.
"Yes, I am," I said, my face flushed, and Easton once again claimed my lips.
I was pretty sure we were going to thrive at this marriage thing.
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A sneak peek of the first chapter of His to Save