She ran then, launching herself at Maddie just as she dropped the bouquet and held out her arms. Maddie caught her, twirling her around and laughing. She had never doubted that she would catch her. Maddie’s sweet vanilla scent flooded her nose, and then they were kissing. They kissed as if it were the only thing keeping them alive, as if the very act were keeping them breathing, their hearts beating. In many ways, it was. She felt herself come back to life, her spirits lifting with her racing heart rate.

They finally pulled away, if only to breathe, Maddie setting her gently back on the ground. Then both of them were laughing at the other’s expression.

“God, I missed you,” Maddie said, running her fingers along her jawline.

“Me, too. I love you, Maddie. I never wanted—”

Maddie kissed her again, gripping the sides of her face with strong fingers. She drew back, her eyes wild and dark.

“I love you, too, Ryann. And I know you didn’t want to hurt me. I didn’t want to hurt you, either. I promise I’ll never do that to you again.”

“I promise, too. If you’ll have me—”

Maddie laughed before kissing her forehead, cheeks, nose, and then lips again. “You have me, Ryann—anyway, anytime, anywhere.”

They stood there, foreheads together, breathing each other in, eyes closed, the world swirling around them without notice.

“Fucking finally,” Stuart said, startling them both. He and Jai stood a few feet away, their faces tear-streaked and joyous.

“No shit,” Jai said, choking back a sob. “It’s about damn time.”

“We did this on purpose, you know,” Stuart added, motioning between them.

Jai bobbed his head up and down, grinning. “Yep. We set you up.”

“And it worked.”

“Though it took you long enough,” Jai said. “We wanted a double wedding.”

Maddie and Ryann laughed before wiping their wet cheeks, neither of them in the least bit angered by this claim.

“Then I guess I owe you one, Jai,” Maddie said.

“Me, too, Stuart,” Ryann said. “I owe you my whole life.”

Jai and Stuart left them alone for a few minutes after that, but Ryann hardly noticed their departure. She was too lost in Maddie’s lips.

Epilogue

Ryann twitched in her seat again, her stomach bubbling with nerves.

“My God, would you calm down? We’ll get there when we get there,” Stuart said.

She stared at the side of his face, evenly, long enough for him to glance over at her in the passenger’s seat. “What? Why are you staring at me?”

“‘We’ll get there when we get there’?” she repeated. “We’re already ten minutes late!”

“Oh, pish,” he said, flapping a hand briefly at her like at a fly. “It doesn’t matter.”