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As I slip into my wedding dress, I can’t stop thinking about how real the kiss felt in my dream and how he’ll kiss me during the wedding. Will it be soft and comforting? Or will it be raw and possessive, like in my dirtiest fantasies?
Examining myself in the mirror, I imagine Cole sliding my sleeves down my shoulders on our wedding night, trailing the material with soft kisses down my skin. But I have to snap out of it. There won’t be a honeymoon tonight, regardless of the wedding lingerie I couldn’t stop buying. The white silk slip dress feels so luxurious against my skin underneath my wedding dress.
Despite Connie’s offering—she’s incredibly heavy-handed on the blush—I decide to do my makeup myself, keeping it subtle—just mascara, a sheer red lip gloss, and a light dusting of mineral powder foundation and blush.
Connie leaves my tight curls down before securing in place the flower crown I made using the wildflowers in Cole’s yard. The golden petals compliment my warm skin and enhance the highlights in my naturally sunkissed hair.
When she’s finished with my hair, I can’t help but fall in love with the dreamy, forest fairy version of myself.
When we meet Cole and Zander outside of the courthouse, Zander is practically vibrating with excitement, but it’s Cole’s reaction that sets off butterflies in my stomach. When our eyes meet, I swear an electric current flows through me, connecting me to him.
His gaze is ravenous, slowly raking down my body in a way that makes me shiver before we lock eyes again. I could stare into those deep blue oceans forever... or until Zander comes barreling into me for the world’s biggest hug that sends me teetering on my heels, and we all laugh.
“Zoeeeee! I get to be the best man!” I didn’t think it was possible, but my heart melts even more.
Cole’s wearing a modest navy suit with a forest green tie, no doubt Zander’s influence. His beard is freshly groomed and it looks like he got a haircut. I’ve never seen him look so polished, even though he’s still wearing a blue-green flannel button-down with his suit. He’s the perfect lumberjack groom.
The lumberjack and the forest fairy—
Stop it!
This isn’t about me and Cole. It’s about Zander and securing Cole’s inheritance at Forester Ranch.
“Zoe, you look absolutely beautiful,” Cole whispers in my ear as he takes my hand, sending that electric current straight up my arm and to my wildly beating heart.
Almost breathlessly, I say, “Thanks. You do too.”
He chuckles.
“I mean, you look handsome!” I whisper-shout, embarrassed.
He squeezes my hand and leans down to kiss my cheek.
The warmth from his kiss lingers even as we say our vows. I thought we’d just stick with the traditional ones instead of writing our own, but Cole surprises me. As he promises to always cherish us, protect us, and help ease our burdens, I feel a tingling pressure in my eyes and nose, but I’m trying not to cry. The fact that he included Zander —who took notice with a toothy grin—in his vows is overwhelming.
What will it do to Zander if he finds out none of this is real?
Not if. When.
But it feels real as Cole gazes into my eyes as he reverently slides the thin rose gold ring on my finger. It feels real when we’re pronounced husband and wife. It feels real as he leans down for our very first kiss. It starts off gentle, bordering on polite, like a peck, but then Cole cradles my head, his calloused thumbs stroking my cheeks as he kisses me deeply, brushing his tongue against mine before pulling back like he’s fighting to constrain himself.
Something snaps in me—my reservations. My hesitations surrounding all the what-ifs. Maybe I’ll care about them again tomorrow, but at this moment I don’t want to hold back.
I lean up on my tiptoes, catching his bottom lip between mine in a gentle suck before we finally pull apart. When we do, Cole’s eyes are shining the brightest blue.
We can just pretend, I tell myself, and I do because it feels real as Cole holds hands with Zander and me as we walk out of the courthouse like we’re a real family now. And I want that. More than anything.
“So beautiful,” Connie—who I’ve never seen get emotional unless it’s about her beloved diner— cries through tears as she snaps pictures from every angle. I’m grateful for it because I want to remember this. I want to have something to look back on when it’s all over. I want to remember what it was like to feel loved and cherished for just a moment in time.
“I’m so hungry,” Zander whines an hour later as we wander into Cole’s backyard.
I squeeze his hand guiltily. He’d been on his best behavior for the entire ceremony. It’s definitely time to relax and enjoy some chocolatey goodness.
“I made cake...” I trail off as I notice our surroundings.
The backyard looks downright magical today, with string lights woven between the trees. A subtle mist and light breeze blow a fresh nature smell of petrichor that no candle can quite seem to replicate. It’s like it’s our own woodland paradise, and I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect setting if I tried. One reminiscent of my forest fairy dream.
When I turn to face Cole, he’s already staring at me, a small smile playing on his lips.
