Right at the moment the double doors parted, the cellist began to play, and Hudson’s nerves vanished.

She was beautiful. No, that didn’t cut it. Exquisite. Fucking hell, perfect.

He watched her make her way toward him to the cellist’s rendition of “Thinking Out Loud” and couldn’t help but recall the first time he saw her. She was walking on the beach—tan legs, sundress, light freckles across her nose, and blond hair highlighted by the sun. He never dreamed he’d be worthy of her, let alone that one day she’d be his. He was a punk back then and hadn’t improved much over time, but he’d spend the rest of his life trying to be the man she deserved.

God, he loved her. What was taking her so long to get down such a short aisle? He had to ground himself to keep from meeting her halfway, but there was nothing he could do to stop the ridiculous grin that spread across his face. And damn if it didn’t grow wider with every step she took. “Hurry,” he finally mouthed.

The smile she gave him in return started out shy, just a twitch at one side, then spread until she was full on beaming at him. “I love you,” she mouthed back. She looked so beautiful, yet nervous, and that wasn’t how he wanted her to feel at that moment.

“Breathe, baby,” he whispered.

The music slowed to a stop and then . . .

“Today you celebrate one of life’s greatest moments,” the minister began, “and give recognition to the value and beauty of love as you are joined together in vows of marriage. Words can be beautiful, but actions are meaningful. It is one thing to talk, and one thing to promise; one thing to experience, and one thing to savor. This day is one thing; your lives another. The past is important, but it is in the future where your lives lay.”

Hudson’s hand tightened around Allie’s. Standing at the altar with her felt like they’d climbed Mount Everest and had finally reached the top.

“You are entering into the holy estate, which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred, than these you are about to say. Do you have the rings?”

Hudson pulled a leather box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal two platinum bands resting inside. Allie lifted his out of the satin, which was holding the ring securely in place, and Hudson did the same with hers before tucking the box back into his jeans. He turned back to Allie with the ring suspended between his fingers and held her gaze as if he were holding her in his arms.

“I, Hudson, take you Allie, to be my wife. It is by this ring and this ceremony that I make you that which you should have been so long ago. I promise to be your lover and your companion, your greatest fan and your most challenging adversary.” His lips twitched into an amused grin. “And to communicate truthfully and fearlessly.” His eyes roamed over Allie’s face as he slipped the band on her finger. “As I join my life with yours, take this ring as a sign of my love and commitment.”

Allie reached for Hudson’s left hand and looked into his eyes as she began to recite her vows. “I, Allie, take you, Hudson, to be my husband, secure in the knowledge that you are my one true love.”

A smile tugged at Hudson’s lips. Without even discussing it, they had both written their own vows, opting out of the traditional.

“I give you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in good times and in bad, to stand by your side in sickness and in health, and in joy as well as sorrow. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of need, and encourage your dreams and goals. I will laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, and above all else, cherish you for as long as we both shall live.” She slid the ring on his finger, and despite the multitude of problems they still faced, everything felt right in the world. “Take this ring as a sign of my never-ending love.”

Hudson held her hand as they stood staring at one another. The emotion that shone in his new bride’s eyes reflected the way he felt. She was his love, his life, his home. They stayed like that, lost in the moment, until the minister cleared his throat.

“Having heard the pledges of your affection, and the vows of your fidelity, I do therefore by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of Wisconsin, pronounce you husband and wife.” He glanced back and forth between the two of them and smiled. “You may now kiss your bride.”

Hudson wrapped his arms around Allie and drew her close. “Finally, you’re mine,” he whispered just before he slanted his mouth over hers in a slow, languid kiss. When he pulled away, he noticed a warm flush had spread across her cheeks. He trailed a finger along her jaw. “You look beautiful.”

“So what now?” she asked almost shyly.

Hudson smiled. “The rest of our lives, Mrs. Chase.”

Chapter Twenty

The ride back to the lake house was a blur of falling snow, gentle touches, and whispered words. Allie and Hudson couldn’t seem to take their eyes off each other, much less their hands, which was why she barely noticed the lanterns that lined the driveway until the sleigh pulled to a stop in front of the house.

She turned on the crushed-velvet bench. More candles encased in beveled glass dotted the stairs. “It looks beautiful,” she said.

Hudson climbed down from the sleigh, and when he held his hand out, the moonlight glinted off his platinum wedding band. The sight of her ring on his finger made Allie’s stomach flutter. It was official. He was hers. Forever. When she met his gaze she knew he’d read the thoughts as they’d flickered across her face. And the glow that lit his blue eyes as he waited for his new bride to climb down out of their wedding carriage told her he was feeling the exact same thing. She was his and nothing in the world mattered more to him. In that moment she didn’t think it was possible for him to look any sexier. But then he spoke and her insides melted.

“Come, Mrs. Chase,” he said, the corner of his mouth turning up into a mischievous grin. “Your wedding reception awaits.”

Allie lifted a brow in question as she placed her hand in his. “What have you been up to?” She’d no sooner set one foot on the side rail when he bent forward and swept her into his arms. “Hudson,” she squealed. “What are you doing?”

He chuckled. “Carrying my bride across the threshold.” He held her tight against his chest as he carried her effortlessly up the stairs. When they reached the top he pushed the front door open without ever tearing his gaze away from hers. “I love you,” he whispered just before their lips touched. The kiss started softly, almost reverently, but then Allie’s hands found their way into his hair, holding him to her as his tongue slid greedily over hers. His arms tightened around her as he deepened the kiss. She felt his every thought, every emotion, in the way his mouth moved with hers. Tasting her, consuming her, loving her.

When he finally pulled away, she could hardly catch her breath.

“That’s quite a smile,” he said. “And you haven’t even seen my best work yet.”

Allie knew she was grinning like a fool, but she didn’t care. She was married to the only man she’d ever truly loved. And she was about to spend the rest of the night showing him just how much. “So I was thinking . . .”

“I’m usually wary when you begin a sentence like that, Alessandra,” he teased.

She gave his shoulder a playful shove. “I was thinking that one good thing about a private ceremony is now there’s nothing to keep me from getting you naked. Pronto.”