Chapter 8

Lucas stared at Riley, hardly able to believe what he had just heard. "I don't love you?" he echoed in stunned disbelief.

"Shhh!" Riley pressed her finger to his lips, as aware as Lucas that others might very well be listening outside the door. "You don't have to speak so loudly!" she chided.

"Apparently, I do," Lucas stated, more determined than ever to make her understand. "Because I do love you, Riley, with all my heart!"

Riley's face lit up with a glow that came from deep within. She looked deep into his eyes. "You mean that," she noted softly, happily.

Lucas gathered her in his arms for a long, soulful kiss. "I do."

A contented silence fell. Lucas knew what they would have done next, had they been alone. But they were in a church, with a chapel still full of everyone who had shown up on the bride's side.

The groom's guests had, at his behest, already departed.

"I understand if you want to turn Maya down on her offer to take her place, and go back to square one, do the whole courtship and proposal thing from the very beginning, and plan your very own wedding," Lucas said.

Riley held up a staying hand. "Actually, now that you mention it, the answer to that is no. I've always been practical and to tell you the truth, planning a wedding like this one is nothing but one giant headache, from my point of view. Selecting the flowers and the caterers and the invitations and the band, it just takes forever, and I don't want to waste that time. Not when I could already be still married—"

"Really married this time," Lucas clarified.

Riley smiled. "—to you."

Lucas gathered her slender body closer yet. "So?"

Riley took a deep, enervating breath. "I'm willing if you are."

No question there. "I am."

It took another hour and fifteen minutes to get her a wedding gown, and Lucas' very surprised but willing parents and siblings to the chapel, as well. There was also the little matter of talking to the minister and agreeing to do their prenuptial counseling sessions after the fact.

But once that was all accomplished, with Lucas' older brother standing in as best man, the wedding march sounded, and Riley glided down the aisle on her father's arm, the way she had always secretly wanted.

Lucas was standing at the altar, all the love she had ever wanted in his eyes. She approached him, all the love she had ever wanted in her heart.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Lucas Friar and Riley Matthews," the minister began. "Although the two of them are already married in the eyes of the law, they've also asked to be married in the church."

And thus, the ceremony that would tie them to each other for the rest of their lives began.

"Have I told you what a beautiful bride you make?" Lucas murmured in Riley's ear, as they took the floor for the bride and groom's first dance together as husband and wife.

Riley flirted back, "In my ready-made dress."

Lucas kissed the top of her head. "In any dress."

Riley exhaled in contentment and snuggled closer in Lucas' warm embrace as they swayed to the beat of "I'm Gonna Love You Like I'm Gonna Lose You."

Lucas' grip tightened possessively and Riley cast a look at her best friend, who was gamely cheering them on. "I just wish things had turned out better for Maya," Riley murmured.

"They will," Lucas assured Riley. "Maya will find someone who won't keep his hands off her, just like I can't seem to keep my hands off you. This is the only respectable way I can do that right now," he said.

Riley looked over his shoulder.

"I think they want us to kiss again," she said.

"Let's not disappoint." He kissed her as he spun her in a circle.

Riley put her arms around his neck and held on tight.

This time around, they'd be holding on forever.

The End

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Another short story completed. Thank you so much for reading and liking this story. Of course, a special thank you to those who didn't just read the story but also took time in commenting and reviewing which inspires me to write more stories.

Below is a preview of my next story:

As the bride began her walk down the long aisle of the old cathedral, Riley watched from the door. The huge church was almost filled to capacity.

Riley's gaze moved to the groom. His eyes were for the bride only. She smiled again. This was going to be perfect. Her gaze drifted around the standing congregation. One man, near the front on the groom's side, stood taller than the people surrounding him. He turned his head and his gaze locked with hers. For a moment Riley's heart stopped. It couldn't be! She felt the church spin around her. It was a coincidence, someone who looked like him. He couldn't be here. He's somewhere expanding their family business and making millions in the process.