She was radiant. Her hair was arranged in light curls that just brushed her shoulders, and her veil was tossed back over her head. The white dress fit her perfectly, tucking in and flaring out again, lifted at the floor enough to show her white heels.
“Oh my God,” I finally whispered as I offered her my arm. “Beth. You look beautiful. Everyone in that room is going to cry, for one reason or another.”
She gave me a nervous giggle and wrapped her hand around my arm, clinging to me. Her smile wavered as she brushed a hand down her front. “I don’t know if I can do this, Daddy.”
“Bets,” I whispered, gently nudging her veil into place along the back of her head. “You can do anything you put your mind to. But if you don’t want to do whatever you have planned, you can leave. You can walk out of here and you never have to explain yourself,” I told her firmly.
Beth cleared her throat and blinked rapidly, squeezing my arm for dear life. “No. No, I want to stick it to him. And that’ll never happen unless I go up there and tell everyone what he’s doing. Time to let the cat out of the bag. Or the bastard.”
My throat tightened. “Attagirl,” I told her with a proud smile. “I’ll be right there beside you.”
Beth was trembling with nerves, but the steely nerves in her voice never failed to awe me. Finally—and just in time—she’d found the Beth I knew was there all along.
She’s not the only one, I thought, a grin stretching across my face as we made our way inside.
Dill squealed under his breath and hurried over to us, inspecting Beth to make sure she was picture-perfect. “Stunning,” he breathed out. “Oh, you look so wonderful.” Then he took hold of Beth’s veil and looked at her. I could tell he was ignoring me for a second, giving Beth his full attention. “Are you ready?”
Beth glanced between Dill and me, and I winked at her. Then she brightened and stood a little straighter, patting my arm. “I’m ready,” she said, smiling as Dill arranged the veil across her face and touched her shoulder.
“Perfect.” He slipped through the door and then returned to us, his head cocked like he was listening.
The music started.
I felt Beth freeze up for a moment but I touched her hand again, letting her know she was safe.
She was always safe with me.
Beth nodded once at Dill, who held the door open for her, and we walked in.
The gasps that met us made me smile. That’s my Beth, I thought, my chest swelling with pride at the flurry of camera shutters from the official photographers—nobody else was allowed to take photos.
No doubt I’d be in the back of the frame, but unlike I might have felt a week ago… I felt good about standing next to her.
I might not be the effortlessly cool and self-confident dad I’d always wanted to be, but I was me, and that was enough for Beth.
And for Rusty, who was waiting at the very first row for me, craning his neck to get a better view. I smiled at him, and at Chrissy, who was dabbing her eyes.
And I even smiled at Jason, whose expression of triumph wavered as we made eye contact for just a brief moment.
The game’s up, I thought.
I wasn’t delivering her to the devil. I was holding her up on her way to find freedom.
At the very end of the aisle I paused and looked at Beth, searching her expression. But through the veil, I could just see her steady smile.
Yeah. She was going to be okay.
I smiled and waited for her to move into place opposite Jason, and then sank into my chair.
Instantly Rusty took my hand, his shoulder pressing into mine like he was encouraging me to lean in—so I did. It surprised me how good it felt, resting my weight on him.
I’m safe with him, I thought. I looked over at him and he smiled at me like my rock of steady reassurance. My chest eased despite the tidal wave of crap that was heading our way.
The tedium of the ceremony was broken by the fact I was waiting with bated breath. I’d guessed when exactly Beth was going to seize her chance. As the moment approached, the whole world seemed to narrow in on the two of them—my daughter and that shithead—until I could hardly breathe.
All that kept me anchored to the ground was Rusty’s hand in mine, his grip unrelenting and utterly comforting.
Oh, God. Here it was.
“If anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The reverend sounded like he was ticking off one more obligation. Surely he didn’t expect anyone to actually speak.
But Beth said, “I do.”
Her voice shattered the stillness in the ballroom, and behind me I heard gasps and whispers.
I could see Jason panicking. He tried to play it off, one last power move. He reached for Beth’s hands as he loudly whispered, “Not now, honey. You’re a little early.” I could see the barely-restrained fury. The look of a man who was so close to achieving his ambitions and discarding everyone who had paved his way.
Who needed to control Beth into this one last act. I nearly rose to my feet to deck Jason, but Rusty covered my hand with his other hand and squeezed even tighter.
He was right. I shouldn’t cause a commotion now, just because I could see what Jason was doing—trying to change her mind or distract her, break her out of the zone before she could speak.
I looked over at Rusty, who still crushed my hand in his. He mouthed, It’s okay. She’s got this.
Beth wasn’t going to be stopped. She ignored the moment where people tried to laugh, or tried to convince themselves it was just a little mistake shattering the blissful day.
She pulled back her veil and yanked her hands away from Jason’s hold. “No, I’m not. I’m exactly on time.”
Tears of pride pricked the corners of my eyes. I glanced sidelong at Chrissy, who was leaning in like she wanted to race up there and hug Beth herself.
Then Beth turned to face the crowd, and the gasps were impossible to ignore anymore.
I could see Hugh and Rose Walker furiously whispering to each other. And, as I rose to my feet, Griff stepped between Beth and Jason. Good man, I thought. He read my mind. At the same time, Naomi closed in on her other side, like a shield for the bridesmaids’ savage glares.
“What the hell is going on?” That was Hugh Walker, loud and angry. And of course he was.
“I am speaking.” Beth smiled at him, polite yet forceful.
My hand was still clasped in Rusty’s, so I heard him stifle a giggle. “I love her already,” he whispered.
Of course he did. Everyone should. I beamed at him for a moment before focusing on Beth again.
“I thought I was in love,” Beth said, looking over the audience of onlookers. With a hundred people thinking she’d lost her mind, she had more guts than I’d ever shown. “I wanted to be. And I could have fallen in love, over time, I think.” Her look at Jason was—for the first time—cold. “Until I found out why you’re marrying me.”
I gasped. Holy shit, she was going the whole mile.
“The reason he’s marrying me is none of those pretty things Reverend Morgan just talked about,” Beth told us all. “In fact, Jason was planning to be with me until his greed do us part—in about a year’s time. Isn’t that right?”