Page 31
“They communicate beautifully,” Bliss argued.
“They communicate at a volume that concerns wildlife,” Rider said.
The conversation moved because Briggs needed it to. I let it, though my attention remained on him while he followed everyone toward the entrance.
The league knew Briggs as one of the most technically gifted young goalies in professional hockey. He could read a puck through traffic, turn his body into a wall, and recover from a bad goal before the other team finished celebrating. Away from the rink, he forgave people before they apologized and loved them harder whenever they gave him a reason to leave.
None of us could decide when he’d had enough. Until then, we stayed close.
Bliss reached me last. Her smile trembled as her gaze moved over my face. She had inspected me this way during every visit since I left Kimball Falls, searching for damage while pretending she was only happy to see me.
I opened my arms. “Don’t make this weird.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“You’re already crying.”
“I’m allowed to cry. I’m the bride.”
“You’ve been abusing that privilege.”
She wrapped herself around me, pressing her face against my chest while I closed my arms around her.
“You came,” she whispered.
“I said I would.”
“I know.”
Her relief pissed me off and hurt at the same time.
I lowered my mouth near her ear. “I’m not ruining your wedding.”
“I never thought you would.”
“You worried I wouldn’t show up.”
“A normal amount.”
“Liar.”
She pulled back and wiped beneath her eyes. “Charm arrived this morning.”
The name entered the space between us without warning, though every part of me had been waiting for it since we passed through the estate gates.
I looked toward the castle.
“She’s been with the alterations team all day,” Bliss continued. “My final fitting is tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.”
“She made my dress.”
“I remember.”
I didn’t know what she eventually created because Charm and I had already stopped belonging to each other by the time Bliss chose the final design.
Bliss touched my arm. “She knows you’re here.”
