Love was enough.

Family was enough.

Friends were enough.

And he never wanted to forget that again.

Shortly afterward, all their guests—the few that there were—were ushered down to the beach.

Clay stood alone with Brady, his best man, on the pool deck, waiting to head down to the beach.

“You ready?” Brady asked.

“Yeah,” Clay said. He swallowed hard, tucked his hands into his pockets, and rocked back and forth. “You ever get cold feet with Liz?”

“I was nervous as hell,” Brady admitted.

“No, you weren’t!” Clay said. “I was there.”

Brady smiled. “I’m very good at controlling my emotions. Part of the job description. But I can assure you, I’ve not been that frazzled in a while. I was ready to marry her. More than ready, mind you. It’s a big step though, and you can’t help the nerves. Even if they’re excited nerves.”

Clay nodded. That was exactly how he was feeling right now. Excited but nervous, but excited…but nervous. His stomach was rolling. He’d truly never anticipated this moment. Now that he was here, he realized how dumb he’d been to think that.

He took a deep breath and released it slowly. He was ready.

The frantic wedding planner Andrea had managed to corral into helping them with the necessities for the day ducked back up the stairs and beckoned them forward. “We’re ready for you two.”

Clay gulped and then followed her. The beach was stunning. It was a beautiful day with just a few ominous clouds off in the distance over the water. Nothing to worry about. A spectacular archway made of oak driftwood had been set up with blush-colored flowers spiraling through it. Chairs, the color of sand with blush-pink cushions, were before it, already filled with guests—his parents, Savannah, Chris; the rest of the Atwoods, sans Lucas; Gigi, Jamie, Ethan, and Cash.

Clay and Brady stood at the front by the archway where Amelia—a woman Andrea had located on the Internet, who was ordained and lived on Hilton Head Island—stood to marry them.

Amelia shook hands with each of them. “Good to meet you both. I have everything here that your bride sent over,” she placed her hand on a soft leather folder. “Just follow along.”

“All right. Thanks so much for doing this on short notice,” Clay told her. He straightened out the soft-pink bow tie he wore with his navy-blue suit.

“It’s really my pleasure.”

And then the chatter stopped because Liz, the matron of honor, had just walked down the stairs to an instrumental song played by a violinist. She had a dusty-blue dress, holding pink and white flowers. Clay realized, as she drew closer, she was barefoot. He almost laughed. Of course. He wished he were barefoot instead of in boat shoes.

Liz stopped to the side of Amelia and winked at him.

Then, the music shifted…along with his world.

Andrea appeared like a vision. She had never been more stunning.

He choked on words to describe her magnificence. A blush dress so light pink that it was almost white covered her frame, as if it had been handmade for her frame. It was high fashion meets beach wedding—the duality of which was exactly Andrea. The gown was strapless and flowy with sequins woven intricately into the bust to make her glow lightly in the afternoon sun as the train dragged lightly behind her in the sand. Her hair was down in supermodel soft waves that framed her face and fell down her back. But the best of all was her smile. The all-encompassing magnetic smile.

He’d put that smile on her face.

It was worth a lifetime to see that smile.

Andrea finally reached him. She handed off her enormous bouquet of pink and white peonies with soft green leaves as a finishing touch. Then, she took his hands into hers.

“Oh my God,” Andrea breathed.

“You may take your seats,” Amelia said. “I am honored to be here today, on such short notice, to bring together these two people who obviously love each other very much. When Andrea reached out to me just two weeks ago to ask me to marry the pair who you see before you today, I was excited to find their love had manifested so fully. Despite their struggles, they stand before you today, prepared to make life’s most sacred vow.”

Amelia nodded at Andrea. “Repeat after me.”

“I, Andrea Billings, take you, Clay Maxwell”—tears started streaming down Andrea’s face, and she hiccuped—“to be my husband. My partner in life. And the love of my life.”

She swiped at her eyes and beamed up at him. He’d never been happier to see her cry.

He repeated the statement.

All he wanted to do was kiss her. Kiss the breath out of her. But he’d have his moment. Damn, it had never been harder to wait to kiss her.

Amelia coached them through the to have and to holds, and then they were moving on to the rings. Brady had them in his pocket, and as he pulled them out, a deep rumble cut through the ceremony. All eyes flickered to the skyline where clouds were rolling in much faster than they had before.

Andrea’s lip quivered.

“Through sickness and in health, baby,” he whispered to her.

The smile reappeared.

“All right, with that in the background, let’s try to keep you dry,” Amelia said with a chuckle. “These rings signify an unbreakable bond and union, a circle of love forged together eternally today. Let’s start with the groom.”

“This ring is my sacred gift,” Clay said, repeating after Amelia. He held Andrea’s hand in his, and the ring was resting between them. “With my promise that I will always love you, cherish you, and honor you for all the days of my life. And, with this ring, we are wed.”

He slipped the ring onto her finger, and her face split into a smile.

Andrea took Clay’s ring from Brady, and just as she recited the same words…raindrops fell.

Just a trickle at first and then a downpour. A typical afternoon storm was cutting through their ceremony.

Andrea looked ready to cry as all her hard work was being torn apart by the storm. Then, she looked back up at Clay, who had a huge smile on his face.

“I love you,” Andrea cried over the rain.

“I love you, too.”

“And, with this ring, we are wed,” she said, pushing the ring onto his finger.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. Please, kiss your bride,” Amelia said with a laugh.