She was definitely rather melty as she reached up to cup his face. “I want to marry you today, Carter Wilson,” she whispered. “I want to be me with you, and I want you to be you with me for the rest of our lives. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to marry you today.”
“Okay.” His voice was low and textured. “Good.”
They kissed for another minute, but Ruth was careful about her hands since she’d told him the truth about not wanting to have sex until they were married this evening. After a little while, Carter rolled off her with a groan. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“If we’re not having sex, then we’re going to have to have breakfast in bed. One aspect of my carnal nature has got to be indulged this morning. And if it’s not my dick, it’s going to have to be my stomach.”
“You want me to go down and fix us something?”
He frowned at her. She couldn’t see it, but she could hear it in his voice. “Of course not. I’m going to fix it. It’s your wedding day, after all.”
“It’s your wedding day too!” she called after him, but he was already pulling a T-shirt over his head and leaving the room.
THEY HAD A LOVELY BREAKFAST in bed early and then another one at ten with Mrs. Wilson, Lincoln, and Summer, who’d come over to exchange presents and then help with the preparations for the wedding.
Despite Mrs. Wilson’s exuberant attempts to add more guests, they’d kept the wedding small. Only twenty people were invited—mostly family and their very close friends—and they were having the wedding at the house with a dinner afterward.
Even though it was Christmas and very short notice, everyone they’d invited had enthusiastically accepted the invitation. Even Brent and the boys. Kayla was one of Ruth’s two bridesmaids.
Summer, who was the other of her bridesmaids, had brought in a stylist to do their hair, makeup, and nails in the afternoon and a massage therapist to give them massages. Kayla was thrilled with the special treatment. And honestly so was Ruth. She definitely wasn’t used to this kind of thing.
They laughed and chatted and relaxed and got beautified for a couple of hours. Afterward, when Kayla went downstairs to check in with her dad to make sure he wouldn’t get caught up with television and forget about the wedding, Summer turned to Ruth and said, “She’s lovely. I really like her.”
“Yeah,” Ruth replied, preening as if she’d been given the compliment herself. “She’s really great.”
“I’m so glad you and Carter are doing this,” Summer said. She looked gorgeous in perfect makeup and an elegant updo. She was wearing a pretty bathrobe since she hadn’t yet put on her dress. “Lincoln and I are so happy about the whole thing. Carter hasn’t been like this since... I don’t know when. You wouldn’t realize it because you didn’t know him before, but he’s like a new man.”
“I kind of feel like a new person too.” Ruth felt a little self-conscious, so she studied her beautifully manicured nails. “And what makes it even better is that I don’t just get Carter. It feels like I get a family too.”
Summer reached over to give her a half hug—one cognizant of not smearing any makeup. “I’ve never had a sister. And I was an orphan. I don’t know if you knew that or not. I never really had a family except for the Wilsons. So anytime I get to grow my new family is really special to me.”
Ruth glanced down at Summer’s belly. “I guess you’re growing it in more than one way.”
“Shh.” Summer’s cheeks were pink, and she put her hand on her stomach. “We’re not telling anyone else until after the wedding. We are not going to let our news compete with your big day.”
“That’s really sweet, but it’s okay if—”
“No, no, no. We’re not going to do it. Lincoln never should have spilled the beans so soon.”
Lincoln had announced a few nights ago that he and Summer were expecting their first child. She was three months along in the pregnancy. Ruth was really happy for them, and she didn’t think it was a problem if more people found out on the day of her wedding. But it was incredibly considerate of Summer to make a point of not drawing attention away from her today.
“He’s just excited,” Ruth said with a smile. “I don’t know Lincoln all that well yet, but it seems like if he feels something, he doesn’t hold it in very well.”
Summer laughed. “That’s pretty much true.”
“Then he’s like me. I can totally empathize.”
“But he’ll keep the secret today. I promise he will. Today is just about you and Carter.”
Unable to resist the impulse, Ruth said rather primly, “And Jesus.”
“What?”
“Today is about Jesus. It’s his birthday after all.”
Summer broke into more laughter. “Exactly right. Today is about you and Carter... and Christmas.”
THE WEDDING CEREMONY was at five o’clock in the candlelit marble foyer of the house. Kayla, Summer, and Ruth processed down the formal staircase accompanied by the music of a string quartet. Kayla and Summer wore deep green, and Ruth wore white with a bouquet of red roses. She walked from the stairs to where Carter was waiting in his tux beside the pastor and Lincoln and Lance, who were his groomsmen.
The ceremony only lasted about twenty minutes. It was beautiful and simple and traditional, and Ruth loved it.
Afterward, Savannah took some photos (she did that for a living), and then they all gathered around the large table in the dining room to eat dinner.
Ruth couldn’t have asked for anything better. More fitting. Or anything that felt closer to family for her. They ate and drank and talked and laughed and toasted and even did a little dancing for several hours until the guests finally left.
Carter had offered to take Ruth to a fancy hotel for their wedding night. After all, they were leaving for a honeymoon trip to Hawaii the following day, so it would have been perfectly natural.
But Ruth had told him she’d rather just stay there. In the house. Where it felt like home. They had plenty of privacy, after all. They had the whole wing to themselves. And the day had been plenty special.
She didn’t need a strange room in a fancy hotel to make tonight feel special too.
She took a bath and changed into a slinky, ruby-red nightgown. (She should have worn white for her wedding night, but she looked better in red and it was Christmas.) When she came out, Carter had sprinkled rose petals on the bed and poured them both glasses of champagne.
“You did not,” she said, feeling rather sappy at Carter’s preparations.
He chuckled and stepped over toward her to offer her the glass. “Well. I felt like I had to do something to mark the occasion.”
She took a sip of the champagne. “I love you, Carter Wilson. You know that, right?”
“I’m starting to suspect it’s not just a figment of my imagination.” His lips were turned up in a small smile. His eyes were very tender.
“It’s not. I love you. And it feels like a Christmas miracle that I get to be your bride.”
He stepped over to kiss her. “It’s a miracle to me too.”