Page 153 of Meant for Mayhem

Her arms tightened. “And you were mine, from the very beginning.”

A knock sounded against the open bedroom door, and we both turned to see who it was. Mason stood in the hallway wearing a dark suit, his expression soft as he looked at his mom.

“Hey.” He cleared his throat. “They’re ready for you outside.”

Lori brushed a hand along her cheek. “Perfect timing. Shannon was about to ruin my makeup.”

“You started it.”

Mason walked in and held out his arm. “Ready, Mom?”

She took it, and he helped her walk down the hall. Lori could walk short distances with assistance, but every step took concentration. Mason tucked her hand into the bend of his elbow, keeping his other hand near her waist. Before they left, Lori looked over her shoulder at me.

“I love you, sweet girl.”

“I love you too.”

Mason guided her into the hall.

Beckett stood outside the bedroom, wearing a matching suit to his brother's. He stepped aside to let them pass, then leaned against the doorframe. “I can still walk you down the aisle, you know. I know I’m not your dad, and I’m definitely not Lori, but you’re my family. You don’t have to do this part alone.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned it, but my throat tightened all over again. Beckett had been part of my life for as long as I could remember. First as a family friend, then as the man who came home and helped bring all of us back together. If I said yes, he would have walked beside me without hesitation.

But this part belonged to me.

“Thank you, but I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

I looked past him toward the hallway, where the noise from downstairs had quieted, everyone taking their seats.

“Today is my last day as a Wilder.” I smoothed my hands down the front of my dress. “I can be alone one last time, knowing I never will be again.”

He pulled me into his chest, more of a headlock than a hug, and kissed the top of my head. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

The room was quiet once he left, and for one last moment, I was alone.

I’d spent most of my life believing alone was safer. If I didn’t need anyone, they couldn’t disappoint me.

Except downstairs was a little girl who called me Mama and a man who showed me every single day how much he loved me, both with his actions and words. And in the backyard, our family and friends had come together to watch us choose each other again.

I took one slow breath, then walked downstairs.

The back doors stood open, warm summer air drifting into the house. Soft music played beyond them, accompanied by the distant rush of the river at the edge of our property.

When I stepped outside, everyone rose.

White chairs filled the lawn beneath the aspens. My friends sat mixed in with Mikko’s teammates, no separation between the lives we’d brought together. Lori sat in the front row with Mason and Beckett beside her. Across the aisle, Helena held Leena in her lap while Jari sat next to them.

Leena wore a black-and-white dress with a crown of tiny flowers in her pale hair, waving excitedly the moment she saw me.

“Mama!”

Everyone laughed, and I waved back, glad my knees didn’t buckle under this many emotions.

Mikko grinned from beneath a wooden arbor at the end of the aisle, flowers and greenery wound around the beams. It was beautiful, but I barely noticed it, not when all I saw was him. His dark suit stretched across his shoulders, blond hair swept back from his face. The summer sun caught in those ice-blue eyes, and the emotion there was all I needed to know this was the right decision.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, holding out a hand.