They had just spent the better part of the last three or four hours taking pictures in the gardens around the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, on the intense June morning. The high was in the eighties, and already, it was blistering hot. Halfway through the ordeal, Clay was glad when they ventured inside to take indoor pictures.

Clay had always thought Liz was more of a traditional girl, but the number of pictures she wanted seemed to outweigh her desire to wait until the wedding to see Brady. Instead, they had done a very private outdoor First Look with just the photographer present. Savannah and the girls had all been bursting at the seams to see how it had all turned out.

But, thankfully, now, they were all cooling off inside before the main event that afternoon. Brady had left when the wedding planner had scurried into the room and asked for him. Liz had looked worried, but he had assured her that he was a politician, so he could handle anything.

But Clay never did hear what had happened because when Brady returned, he nodded at the guys. “Let’s go.”

“Is it time already?” Liz asked, her voice rising an octave.

Brady smiled at her and looked like he wanted to vault across the room. “Soon.”

“See you there,” she whispered.

“Airplanes, baby.”

She giggled and bit her lip.

Whatever that meant. Clay just shook his head and followed Brady, Chris, and Lucas out of the room.

Brady directed them to another smaller room that faced the front of the estate. There, on a long wooden table, was a bottle of the most expensive scotch Clay had ever heard of.

An older waiter walked in behind them with a tray full of crystal whiskey glasses and poured the scotch for them.

Clay sniffed the scotch and nearly came in his pants from lust. This was like heaven in a glass. Pure sinful heaven.

“I just thought we could have one last drink before we went out there,” Brady said.

Clay held his glass up. “To Brady and Liz.”

The guys followed suit, and then, they all dropped back the expensive liquor like a shot. They poured another round and drank that one slower, savoring the taste and enjoying each other’s company.

If Clay didn’t know his brother better, he would have thought Brady was nervous. He kept walking back and forth in the room, muttering to himself, as if he were reciting a speech he had memorized, and Clay swore, he saw a slight tremor in Brady’s hand.

But no way. Brady Maxwell was never nervous. That was a fact.

The wedding planner appeared then and stuck her head into the room. “Showtime.”

Brady nodded and set his drink down, and then they filed back out of the room. They exited the estate, single file—Brady, Chris, Clay, and then Lucas—and then lined up behind Brady in front of the flower archway that had been erected at the front of the lawn.

Rows and rows of white wooden seats with blue satin cushions were filled with guests. Baby-blue and white flowers were knotted to each of the chairs at the end of every row. Enormous bouquets marked the end of the aisle that had formed for the girls. Not much else was needed since they had chosen the most gorgeous outdoor venue possible.

A string quartet was playing soft music for the guests. Just as the music shifted, Clay adjusted his Carolina blue tie one last time and then clasped his hands together in front of him.

Massey appeared first with her blonde hair braided into a bun at the back of her head. She wore a strapless knee-length baby-blue dress and was holding a bouquet of white flowers. Savannah followed next, beaming up at the crowd, taking measured steps forward. Then, it was Victoria’s turn. She didn’t walk so much as saunter. He wasn’t sure if she could even help it.

Then, once all three girls were in place, the minister asked the audience to rise, the quartet shifted to an instrumental version of Rachael Yamagata’s “Be Be Your Love,” and everyone seemed to still.

Liz appeared at the end of the aisle, like a dream wrapped in lace. It didn’t matter that they’d just spent the last four hours staring at her dress; the entire wedding party gasped at her entrance. The entire audience sucked in a collective breath.

She was stunning. Breathtaking. The most beautiful person there. Just as she should be.

Her dress was simple but elegant with thin multi-straps and an all-lace bodice that was entire see-through in the back. The bodice hugged her chest and then flowed out in a wave of lace to her feet before trailing behind her in a long train. A long veil was pinned into her hair. But the most beautiful part of all was her smile, filled with pure joy, as she walked down that aisle on the arm of her father.

Clay glanced to Brady and saw him swallow hard. He seemed to be fighting back tears, and his eyes were solely on his bride.

Liz finally reached them, her train swishing the rose petals down the aisle. Her eyes were bright but dry. She looked excited and ready…so ready. Like she was born for so much more than this moment yet exactly where she was supposed to be.

Clay’s eyes drifted from the bride as her father kissed Liz’s cheek and handed her over to Brady. Instead, he looked out at the crowd. He found Gigi seated alone, near the back. She wore a plum-purple sundress and smiled when his gaze landed on her. She had agreed to go to the wedding with him, even when he’d told her he had plans. He was glad they were just friends and had remained that way, despite both their idiotic attempts to move forward.

Then, his eyes swept from her to Andrea. She was in the second row, seated next to Bad Suit. Clay’s jaw clenched, but he reminded himself that she’d said they weren’t together. If she wasn’t claiming him, then that meant she was single and open and available.

Mine.

That was the only thought that clawed its way out of his mind.

His eyes locked with hers for a split second before she quickly averted her gaze back to the wedding.

Clay tuned back into the ceremony.

“Today, we have come together to witness the joining of two lives. The extraordinary has happened. They met each other, fell in love, and are finalizing it with their wedding today. Romance is fun, but true love is something above and beyond. It is their desire to love each other for the rest of their lives, and that is what we are celebrating here today. Repeat after me.”

“I, Liz, take you, Brady, to be my husband and my partner in life. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever,” she said in barely a whisper as she repeated the words. “I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. Through the best and the worst. Whatever may come, I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.”