Page 86 of Whispers of Sweetwater

Brianna’s eyes shimmered as she slipped her hand into her father’s. ‘I know I wasn’t with you from the very start,’ she whispered, her voice thick. ‘But I’m so glad we found each other when I was twenty, because I can’t imagine doing this without you both.’

She thought of Max and Ruby, her adoptive parents who’d gently stepped back from her life after she’d found Logan and Nina almost ten years earlier. There’d been no big falling out, just a slow drift apart, distance growing as they dealt with their own unravelling marriage. She’d made peace with it long ago, and she hoped they knew how grateful she was for the life they’d given her when she’d needed it most.

Logan’s grip tightened, his smile fierce and warm all at once. ‘You’ve always been ours, Bri. Always. I just wish Max and Ruby could’ve been here too, but I know, with their divorce, and the distance they’d have to travel to get here … well, I understand. And I know you do too.’

She nodded, a soft ache threading through her smile. ‘I do. I really do.’ She swallowed back a fresh wave of emotion. ‘I think it’s time you walked me down the aisle, Dad.’

Logan let out a soft breath that was half a laugh, half a sigh. ‘Then let’s do it right.’ He offered his arm, and she hooked hers through it, their hands squeezing once, tightly, surely, as unspoken words floated between them.

Ahead of them, Tilly straightened her pastel-pink figure-hugging dress, wiped a tear, and then stepped through the open door first, her smile wide as she led the way as Brianna’s maid of honour.

Outside, the late-afternoon sun dipped low, turning the homestead’s gardens golden. Brianna and Logan stepped slowly down the path lined with mason jars of wildflowers and flickering candles. The small crowd of carefully chosen guests all turned in their chairs, every face open, glowing, full of love. At the edge of the rise, where the paddocks rolled into green hills, a simple white arbour stood draped in colourful flowers, with a view out and over Sweetwater Acres’ endless paddocks. And there, at the top of the ridge, Hayden waited with his hands folded in front of him, and his eyes locked on Brianna like she was the only thing that existed in this whole wide world surrounding them. Beside him, Gavin stood tall and proud as his best man, his grin wide, and eyes bright with quiet pride for his lifelong friend.

The soft guitar chords drifted into the first notes of ‘Bless the Broken Road’ by Rascal Flatts, the romantic words a perfect echo of every winding moment that had brought them there. The breeze carried the music, and the low hush of the countryside – birds in the trees, a distant creek, horses’ whinnies, lowing cattle – all made up the heartbeat of the place they’d chosen as their future. And as father and daughter walked the final stretch, Sherlock padded along beside them with his doggy bow tie dangling from his neck and his tail wagging like he knew exactly how perfect this moment was.

All the way, Brianna’s gaze stayed locked onto Hayden’s, every step drawing her closer to the only future she’d ever wanted. Her pulse fluttered like a promise beneath her skin as she took in the way her soon-to-be husband’s eyes shone, bright and steady, soft only for her. She could feel his every heartbeat’s whisper saying this is it, this is yours, this is forever. She barely felt the breeze on her shoulders or the murmured sighs of their close family and friends. All she felt was the warmth in his eyes and the quiet vow in his smile. And when she reached the man of her dreams, the world seemed to pause, as if Sweetwater Acres was holding its breath one last time before letting it out in a hush of wind through the gum leaves, as if carrying her and Hayden and their baby forwards, together, forever.

Hayden leant close enough that only she could hear. ‘You look absolutely stunning,’ he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. ‘More beautiful than I ever dreamed.’

She melted, but at the same time felt as if she were floating above the few listless clouds dotting the bright blue sky above.

The celebrant stepped forwards with a warm smile, her voice clear as it rose above the rustling trees. ‘Family, friends, loved ones, today we stand together to witness the joining of Brianna and Hayden, two souls who’ve found home in each other’s hearts.’

With her pulse thrumming like music of its own, Brianna hardly heard the words as Hayden’s hand slipped into hers, exquisitely warm, grounding her as the official ceremony began.

The celebrant guided them through gentle promises and blessings, then stepped back with a nod. ‘Brianna and Hayden have chosen to speak their own vows.’

Brianna turned to Hayden, her eyes shimmering. She took a breath, feeling her heart steady in the cradle of his gaze. ‘You first,’ she whispered, her voice trembling with love.

Taking his vows from his pocket, Hayden paused, then let the paper fall to his side. And as he readied himself to speak from his heart, his eyes never left hers. ‘Brianna, I thought I’d write this all down, but the truth is, every word I need is right here.’ He lifted her hand to his chest, pressing her palm to the steady beat of his heart. ‘I spent so long thinking I didn’t deserve a second chance at the kind of love you read about in stories. Then you came along, fierce, stubborn, kind. You made me feel as if I were home again, not just here on this land, but right here,’ he tapped her palm ‘where it matters most.’

There was a lull as the crowd sighed and sniffled.

Then his voice wavered, rough but steady. ‘You’re my best friend, my greatest adventure, my safe place and my storm all at once. I promise you, with every fibre of my being, that I will stand by you when the days are sweet and also when they’re hard. I vow I will fight for you, for us, every day, for the rest of our lives.’ A smile curved through the tears in his eyes. ‘I promise to hold you when you’re strong, and even tighter when you’re not. To build our dreams with these hands, to raise our family, to grow old with you in the place we love most.’ He leant closer, his forehead brushing hers. ‘You are my now, my always, my forever. And I love you more than this land, more than these wide skies, more than any words I’ll ever say.’ He squeezed her hand, his breath catching. ‘You’re my home, Bri. And today I give you all of me, always, forever and beyond.’

There was a pause, before Brianna could find her voice amid her emotions. ‘Wow, my love, that was beautiful.’ Wiping tears from her eyes, she drew a shaky breath, her voice soft but clear. ‘Hayden, before you, I didn’t know what it felt like to be truly seen. To be loved in all my mess and hope and stubbornness. You are the calm to my storms, the steady arms that hold me together when I’m sure I’ll fall apart.’ She brushed her thumbs over his knuckles. ‘You gave me more than love, you gave me a place to land, a place to call home, forever. You gave me a life I never dared to dream of. And you have taught me what it means to be chosen, every single day, flaws and all.’ A tear slipped down her cheek, but she smiled through it. ‘I promise to stand beside you when the road is smooth and also when it’s rough. To fight for you, to laugh with you, to carry your dreams as fiercely as you carry mine.’ Her voice wavered but didn’t break. ‘I promise to raise our family with you, to build our home under these skies, to grow old with you in this wild, beautiful life we’re creating every single day.’

She took a breath, and Hayden whispered, ‘I love you.’

‘I love you, too,’ she whispered back as she leant forwards until their foreheads touched. ‘You are my once-in-a-lifetime, Hayden Pierce. My safest place, my best friend, my forever. And today I give you all of me, always.’

The celebrant stepped forwards again, her voice warm with the hush of the gathered crowd. ‘Brianna and Hayden, may I have the rings?’

Gavin stepped up, pressing the simple gold bands into Hayden’s palm. Then, with hands that trembled just a little, they each slid the ring onto the other’s finger, with Hayden’s thumb brushing over Brianna’s knuckle as if to promise forever all over again.

‘By the power given to me,’ the celebrant said, her echoing voice bright with emotion, ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife.’

The hush broke into laughter and soft gasps as Hayden pulled Brianna into him, his strong arms wrapping around her waist as he kissed her – slow, deep, certain, sealing every vow with the promise in his heartbeat dancing against hers. The guests rose to their feet in a wave, the clapping, cheering and whistles echoing through the towering trees and the wide Sweetwater sky.

And in that single perfect moment, the world felt whole.

The reception unfolded under strings of fairy lights and paperbark trees, the air filled with soft laughter and the mouth-watering scent of a pig on the spit turning over hot coals, the crackling crisping to perfection. Half an hour later, the guests perched on bales of hay covered with blankets, their plates piled high with roast pork, golden roast vegetables and fresh garden salads. A dessert table groaned under the weight of Nina’s famous pavlova, and a collection of Molly’s homemade tarts, decadent slices, and enough sugary treats to tempt any sweet tooth.

Then, bellies filled to brimming, Brianna and Hayden cut the simple buttercream cake under a flurry of cheers, slipping each other a bite, with Brianna laughing when Hayden smudged frosting on her nose. Later, their first dance played out on a cleared patch of grass, the pair of them choosing to be barefoot under the stars, with the band strumming ‘Forever After All’ by Luke Combs. Lost in one another, they moved like no one was watching, Hayden with his hand at her waist as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder, with the world falling away until it was just them and the soft night air.

Feeling like she couldn’t possibly float any higher, Brianna closed her eyes, imagining their baby growing within her. Hayden’s heartbeat was steady under her palm, and the warmth of his breath at her temple gave her immense comfort. And as they swayed to the love song they’d chosen together, she thought of every step that had led them there – the heartbreaks, the healing, the promises made under the wide Sweetwater sky. And she knew, deep in her bones, that there was no other place, no other man, no other life she could ever want.

This was home.