Page 60 of Every Eligible Man

Silence.

Squeak's tiny voice says, "That was beautiful."

"Shut up, she's not done,"

"She said 'rest of our lives,' that's definitely the end."

"There might be more."

Father Bartholomew clears his throat violently. "And now... the grooms' vows?"

Ash speaks first.

"I'm not good with words." His voice is low, rough, filling the hall. "Never have been. But you make me want to try."

He steps closer, his hand tightening on mine.

"I vow to protect you. To satisfy you. To make sure you never wonder if you made the right choice." His eyes bore into mine. "And I vow that every time you need to feel claimed, owned, consumed, I'll be there to remind you who you belong to."

A duchess in the third row fans herself frantically.

Slade steps forward next, all elegance and sharp edges.

"I vow to notice every detail of you, every mood, every desire, every secret fantasy you haven't told us yet." His thumb traces circles on my palm. "I vow to use my tongue for talking, for teasing, and for making you forget how to form sentences. I vow to worship you properly, thoroughly, and creatively."

"And frequently," Wreck adds.

"And frequently," Slade agrees.

Finally, Wreck bounces forward, practically vibrating with energy.

"I vow to make you laugh, even when you want to murder me. I vow to keep things interesting, because boring is for people who haven't found their chaos match." He grins, bright and wild. "I vow to love you like a forest fire, completely, destructively, and with absolutely zero impulse control."

Gerald licks Wreck's ear in apparent approval.

"Also, I vow to share my ferrets with you. That's a big deal. I don't share Gerald with anyone."

"We're honored," I say dryly.

"You should be."

Father Bartholomew looks like he wants the floor to swallow him. "Do any of the... grooms... have rings?"

The rats step forward with their tiny pillows.

"That's our cue!"

"Look at us! We're doing the thing!"

"Ring delivery commencing!"

Three rings are presented, simple gold bands, nothing fancy, because we spent the jewelry budget on reinforcing the wedding bed. They’re placed into the appropriate hands.

Ash slides his ring onto my finger first, his massive hands impossibly gentle.

Slade goes next, making the gesture somehow elegant and suggestive simultaneously.

Wreck drops the ring twice before getting it on, but his grin when he succeeds could light up the kingdom.