Page 65 of Beneath the Sheets

I nod. “I’ve been ready for at least fiveyears.”

The hammering of my heart kicks up when we exit the vestibule at the side of the church and amble down the aisle Jorgie and Hawke walked down six years ago. This is the same church Chase, Helen, Jorgie and I were christened at. The same church Jorgie and Malcolm were laidtorest.

My heavily weighted strides down the white carpet come to a standstill when the suit-clad man standing next to Isaac turns around to face me. I shake my head, certain my brain isn’t registering the prompts my eyes are relaying. Even after a brisk shake of my head, the unbelievable image remains.Hawke has returned to Rochdale.I’m not going lie, my nose is tingling and fresh tears are prickingmyeyes.

After assisting my mom into the front pew to sit next to Mrs. Mable, I span the distance between the congregation of wedding attendees and the altar, only stopping when I'm standing directly in front ofHawke.

“You came,” I mutter, bouncing my eyesbetweenhis.

Ava sent Hawke an invitation with a small note attached stating we understood his reluctance to return to Rochdale and he was under no obligation to attend, but neither of us felt right not inviting him. When he failed to RSVP, I assumed he decided not toattend.

Hawke’s lips twist before he nods his head. “Couldn’t miss seeing my best mate gettingmarried.”

Although his voice cracks, exposing the surge of emotions pummeling into him, I can also see sparks of the old Hawke in his eyes. This is, no doubt, a tortuous step for him to take, but it is a step in the right direction. A giant, scary leap towards healing his heart and giving him the chance to move on from hisgrief.

My eyes drift from Hawke to the end of the aisle when “All of Me”by John Legend begins playing over the speakers. Hawke, Isaac, and Hunter take their spots next to me as the bridesmaids commence walking down the aisle. The pounding of my heart increases as Belinda, Izzy, and Helen make their way down the aisle to take their positions on my right. As they glide past the pews of attendees, my eyes spot a flurry of blonde. A smile curls on my lips when I see the smiling face of Gemma. Our reunion occurred not long after my return to Rochdale. When she walked into my office nearly six months ago, I automatically assumed Ava tracked her down. It was only when I saw the look of surprise on Ava’s face when she arrived at my office not long after Gemma did I realize she didn’t have the faintest clue who Gemma was. Ava’s claws were sheathed when I promptly introduced her to Gemma. They’ve been close friends sincethatday.

My hearty chuckle rumbles over the beat of my heart when I spot sight of Joel charging down the aisle. Nothing has changed the past seven months. He still doesn’t know how to walk. He dumps his frilly satin ring-bearer pillow halfway down the aisle, making me glad I succumbed to Ava’s pleas for Isaac to look after our platinum wedding rings and not put them on Joel’spillow.

When Joel reaches the end of the altar, he wraps his arms around my thigh and turns his eyes to the end of the aisle. My lungs take stock of my oxygen levels when the song switches to “How Would You Feel”by Ed Sheeran. This song reflects Ava and my relationship to a T. I just wish I got to tell her I loved her yearsearlier.

My breathing halts the instant Ava steps out of the alcove of the church. Just like the first time my eyes landed on her at Jorgie’s wedding, she takes my breath away and renders me speechless. She is beyond beautiful, a unique mix of innocence and seduction with big, rich eyes, gorgeous tanned skin, and a body created with the sole purpose of making me drop to my knees. But even with having off-the-Richter scale sexiness, Ava’s heart is one of her most admirable assets. And thankfully, it belongstome.

When Ava reaches the end of the altar, she kisses my dad on the cheek, and hands her bouquet of flowers to Belinda before pivoting around to face me. The smile of her face eases the nervous cramps hammering my stomach, and the happiness in her eyes smothers the agitation over the previous times I visited this church. Only Ava can calm any storm building on the horizon before the first cloud has evenformed.

I gently run the back of my fingers over her pale cheeks before lowering them to brush by her beautiful rounded belly. “Is she being a good girl for Mommy?” I query, only loud enough for Avatohear.

Ava’s face scrunches as the color in her cheeks drains even more. Unfortunately, Ava has been suffering with dreadful morning sickness from the day she discovered she was pregnant with our little girl, exactly four weeks after we first slepttogether.

Although we caved and found out the sex of our baby, we haven’t informed anyone that we are expecting a little girl. Joel is already struggling with the concept of sharing his parents’ devotion in two months’ time. We’re moving to Ravenshoe at the end of the month, so we don’t want to add even more uncertainty into the mix by declaring the baby brother he so desperately wants is actually a baby sister. I’m sure with some time and a good dose of candy, he will adjust to the idea of having a sister. If not, he has a 50/50 chance of getting a brother the next round. With how easy Ava gets pregnant, I have no doubt the odds of her being pregnant within a year of giving birth swings the pendulum in Joel’s favor of having a large family. He’s happily declared on numerous occasions to anyone willing to listen that he wants fivebrothers.

Ava screws up her nose. “Don’t even think about it,” she reprimands me, glaring into my eyes like she can hear my privatethoughts.

I smile, loving that she can read me so easily. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. She’s always been the only woman who can see through my bullshit. Well, except for my mother, but she doesn’tcount.

The flutter of Ava’s pulse spasms up my arm when I enclose my hand over hers and glance into her beautiful eyes. Every uncertainty, concern, or worry I’ve ever had vanishes the instant she peers up at me with her uniquely beautiful eyes. I have no doubt, Ava is my beginning and my end.She is my everything.And although we’ve lost years we can never get back, in a short period of time, we’ve created enough memories to last us twolifetimes.

People will often quote that there are no guarantees in life. But I'mcertainAva and I will never be parted again. Because although there are no guarantees, you can’tfightfate.

Theend…