44

Maximilian

We gather for the wedding at sunset, on a platform on the beach. The sun sets behind them as Callie and Marco say their vows.
They stand alone with the minister, no one standing up for them, but there’s a feeling of warmth throughout the guests watching, swelling toward them like a wave.
I’m truly happy for my friend. He’s waited a long time to find a woman like Callie.
It’s hard to believe that once I was ready to make that same commitment to Caroline.
We would have had a much different wedding; opulent and expensive, as she liked the best of everything. There would be no getting married on the beach at sunset, in a simple, off-white dress that blew around her legs.
And bare feet. Neither Callie nor Marco wear shoes.
Caroline would have wanted the biggest church filled with flowers and people in awe of the ceremony. She would have wanted one of those huge dresses with lace and ruffles and a twenty-foot train.

I wonder if she’ll convince my father to marry her.
Beside me, Cadence touches my knee. “Are you okay?” She’s wearing the dress I bought her, the colour bringing out hints of moss-green in her eyes. The bare shoulders display her still reddened skin, but at least the burn looks less painful.
How could I have thought Caroline was the one when a woman like Cadence was out there waiting for me? “I’m great,” I tell her with a smile. “Thanks for doing this with me.”
“It’s my pleasure.”

I lean into her, close enough for the scent of her to send my cock twitching. Stay down, I instruct. “Parts of this weekend seem to be very pleasurable for you,” I whisper in a husky voice.
She fights a smile and keeps her eyes on Callie and Marco.
I rest my hand over hers. Something swells inside me when she links her fingers with mine.
How could I have ever thought Caroline was the one? For once, I owe my father a huge thank you.
Later, after the ceremony, I hold Cadence carefully as we dance—her hand in mine, my other resting at the small of her back. I’ve gotten used to being close to her. “Nice wedding,” I muse. “You ever think of doing something like this?”
Cadence tilts her head back and frowns at me. “Is this some kind of proposal? Because it’s not a great one.”
“No,” I tell her with as much emphasis as I can manage without offending. “No way.”
A shadow crosses over Cadence’s face. “Pity.”
“You mean—”
And then she laughs. “No, I don’t mean. Weddings don’t work out for me.”
The unanswered question from the other night drifts back from my memory. “That sounds like you’ve given it a try.”
“Once,” she admits. “A long, long time ago. I was a different person then.”
“You’ve been married? How? Why—?” Why didn’t you tell me?
The shock shows on my face. The news shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s a gut punch anyway. Not as bad as last night, but enough. Thinking of Cadence with other men is painful; the realization that she loved someone enough to marry him—
“Just because you know what I sound like when I come doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know about me.”
The harshness of her words doesn’t mess with how she fits in my arms. Add in the sudden tension in her shoulders, and I know it’s fear that is getting to her. She’s scared of this.
I know, because I’m terrified.
But facing your fears is something I learned from my mother.
“I can’t imagine knowing everything about you,” I say. “But I’d like to get started on finding out more.”
“Mmm,” she hums. “Good comeback.”
“They are my specialty.”
“I thought that was satisfying women.”
“I haven’t heard any complaints.” I lean close to whisper in her ear. “From you.”
Her hand slides to the back of my neck and I pull her closer. I could really get used to this. “Who was the lucky guy?”
“Neither of us were lucky.” Cadence laughs ruefully. “His name was Trevor Doyle, and we were married for the grand total of four months. That’s how long it took him to lay a hand on me, and for me to walk out.”
“Asshole.” I wince.