Mine - A Stepbrother Romance (21 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY

ARIZONA

Six months later

A string quartet played an instrumental version of ‘We Belong’ by Pat Benatar, and I took a moment to glance out over the white chairs that had been set up in the expansive gardens of the Rosewood Hotel. The place had finally finished being refurbished, including the outside grounds, and when Mason and I had decided where we wanted to get married, there really wasn’t any question about it. The Rosewood might have been in a lame little town and it might not have been a ritzy five-star place, but it was where we’d first met. That made it perfect.

Everyone I knew and cared about turned to smile back at me as I took a deep breath, and my father linked an arm with mine and looked down at me.

“Ready?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He grinned and began to walk me down the long crimson runner, and my pulse raced as I looked up to the ivy-covered arch at the end and saw Mason standing there in his tux, a huge grin on his face. Everyone else seemed to fade away for a moment as we stared at each other, and I honestly felt like I was about to burst from excitement.

“I’m proud of you,” my father murmured into my ear, jolting me back to reality.

“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered, my heart swelling even more. I was so lucky to have a father like him. I’d only been in his life for a relatively short period of time, but he’d already taught me a hell of a lot and given me so many wonderful opportunities to grow and make a life of my own.

Tina was my maid of honor, and she winked at me as I approached the end of the aisle and handed her my bouquet. She had an official date to the wedding – Mason’s friend and best man, Anders. At first I’d been surprised when they met and started dating, because from what I’d seen and heard, Anders was a bit of a sleazy man-whore. Then again, Mason had been the same as him before he met me, but he’d changed all that when our lives came together. He’d changed for the better, and if it could happen to us, then I was certain that it could happen for Tina and Anders as well. Fingers crossed.

Layla wasn’t here. She and Mason hadn’t spoken since the night my father had kicked her out, but he didn’t see it as too much of a loss considering the things she’d done. Also absent was Ewan. Tina had been worried that he might show up at the wedding and cause a scene seeing as it was in Leyton, but it had been so long since our last encounter that I didn’t think it would be an issue. I was right – he didn’t bother showing up, although he did send me a rather passive-aggressive message ‘congratulating’ me on my impending nuptials. Probably the closest thing Mason and I would ever get to an apology, but hey…some people just sucked, even if they’d once been a good friend.

I took my place next to Mason, and his eyes crinkled around the edges with joy as he took in my white dress and glowing features. It really was amazing how much he’d matured since we’d first met. His charity was doing well, and while it was never going to be a grand moneymaking venture, it made him happy. That was the most important thing.

The celebrant began to take us through the ceremony, and I felt giddy with excitement as I finally spoke the two words that I felt like I’d been waiting a million years to say to my man.

“I do.”

“Well…we all know what time it is now,” the celebrant said. “Time for you to kiss the bride, Mr. Crest.”

We grinned at all our friends and family before turning our eyes back to each other. Love was and always had been a crazily unpredictable yet beautiful thing. If you asked a million different people how they ended up with their significant others, you’d get a million wildly varying responses. Mason and I were two completely different people who’d been thrown together by what I could only refer to as fate, and we’d grown out of our silly, self-absorbed immature phases and shared in experiences that had taught us one undeniable fact. We were made for each other.

He leaned down and kissed me, one hand tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as everyone else cheered and whooped.

“You’re mine,” he murmured. “All mine.”

Damn right I was…

THE END

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