Perfectly Wedded (Perfect Crush #1)

31. Sloan

THIRTY-ONE

Sloan

W hen we return to the limo, there’s a ticket tucked under the wiper, flapping in the wind. Apparently, I abandoned the limousine on a full yellow line with a “No Parking” sign next to it—a tiny detail my brain missed in the chaos of running away.

Vale plucks it from the windshield. “A wedding gift from the local police department.”

He holds it up for me, showing me the handwritten message at the bottom: No ticket today, only a warning. Now go kiss your wife.

I laugh, feeling the relief lift off my shoulders. After everything that’s happened, this is the least of my worries. A feat that shows growth on my part.

Old Sloan from one year ago would have despaired over this ticket, cried pathetic little tears, even. But New Sloan, who’s weathered a breakup, a brain injury, and an impromptu Vegas wedding, just smiles. Because honestly, what’s a ticket compared to all that? It’s nothing to cry over. Not when I’ve survived so much and come out stronger.

Vale grins, waving the ticket like a victory flag. “Well, at least the police are rooting for us. Maybe we should invite them to the wedding.”

“Or have them escort the reporter from our property,” I say. “That would be convenient.”

“That’s what the hockey team is for,” Vale tells me as he opens the door for my dad and me to crawl into the back of the limo.

Dad and I find our spots across from each other on the long bench seats, while Vale handles the driving and Brax sees to his brother’s car. There’s an awkwardness in our eye contact, probably because it’s been so long since we last talked. His skin is darker, more weathered than before. But his eyes are the same—tender, open, sad.

He’s the same man who’s been wandering like a nomad the last few years, always waiting for something—or someone—better to show up. Some people bury their grief, others run from it. My dad fled. At first, this infuriated me. How could he just leave us?

But over time, I’ve come to understand that grief isn’t linear or logical. It doesn’t make sense, at least not from the outside. Though I wish my father had made a different choice, at least he’s still here. Unlike Vale, who never got answers because his dad passed before he had the chance. That’s something I’ve never been able to stop thinking about—the questions left behind, the ache of words unsaid. And while I don’t always understand my dad, at least I still have the chance to try.

“How did this even happen?” I ask Vale as he pulls away from the curb. As uncomfortable as this conversation is, Vale is pushing me to face the one thing I would’ve gladly avoided forever—starting over with my father.

“When I said we were doing things the right way this time around, I meant it,” Vale says, looking at me in the rearview mirror. “It took me forever to track him down. When I did, I called and asked for your hand in marriage.”

“You asked for permission?”

Vale shakes his head. “Since we were already married, it wasn’t permission exactly. More like an honorable gesture, out of respect.”

The fact that Vale recognizes this, even if Dad hasn’t lived up to his responsibility, means something. As complicated as family is, he’s still my father.

Dad folds his hands together. “I’ll admit, the phone call caught me off guard. I haven’t been around the last few years, and you’re on your own now. When he asked my permission to marry you, it reminded me of when I asked for your mother’s hand. Granny was fiercely protective of her daughter, and I had to hide my hands to keep her from seeing them shake. Before she said yes, she asked me one question, ‘Are you going to be there for her through thick and thin? Because that’s what you’re asking to do. It’s not a marriage unless you stay.’”

His eyes grow soft and distant, reliving the memory. The emotion makes his voice catch. “I haven’t always done that for you.” He nods, like he knows how hard this is, how I’ve waited for him to pull the splinter out. “Vale called me on it. Said you deserved a dad who showed up in your life, that I didn’t deserve a daughter as good as you. He was right, even though it hurt to hear it. You and Jaz were always so steady. So willing to give everything. Even willing to love your lousy excuse for a father.” He looks down, unable to meet my eyes.

I reach across the aisle and take my father’s hands in mine, closing the space between us. Until now, I’ve never considered myself the steady one. Maybe this is what Vale has wanted me to understand from the beginning. That the way I’ve measured myself—and come up short—is only through a flawed perspective of my own making. Maybe if I’d been kinder to myself and seen my shortcomings with a little more compassion, I wouldn’t have considered myself unworthy of love. I wouldn’t have been so quick to run away from my fears and seen that when you let love in, it’s a sacrifice and a kindness. None of us deserves it.

“You were not a lousy father,” I tell him. “You were hurting. And I didn’t know what to do with that kind of pain. ”

“You probably think I didn’t care, but I did—too much,” he admits. “Part of me thought you could never forgive me for the mistakes I made. I told myself it would be easier to love you from a distance. Then I couldn’t risk feeling the pain of losing you, like I lost your mother.”

The pieces of the past shuffle into place like a deck of cards. Not perfectly, of course, but with more compassion than Old Sloan might have been able to show. It’s not that I can dismiss the hard questions. There’s still so much to uncover, complicated truths I may not want to face. But with time, maybe I can begin to understand that my father didn’t leave because he stopped loving us. He left because love was too risky for him.

Dad scrapes his hand over his beard. “When Vale invited me to your wedding, he begged me to come. Said this was my shot at starting over with you and Jaz.” He looks at Vale in the rearview mirror. “Remember what I said?”

“You told me no,” Vale says with a laugh. “And that’s when I called your dad a coward.”

Dad grins, not offended by Vale’s remark. “I didn’t want to face your sister. She caught me in a mistake I still haven’t forgiven myself for. But Vale told me if I ever wanted to make things right, I should come today.” He pauses for a beat. “That is, if you’ll have me there for the wedding.”

I squeeze his hand and hope my eyes don’t start leaking all over my wedding dress. The words come out, barely more than a whisper. “It would mean the world to have you stay.”

Vale doesn’t say anything when he stops the car so I can lean across the aisle to hug my father. He just looks on in the rearview mirror with a silent smile, knowing this is the best gift he could’ve given me on our wedding day.

I tell my dad to wait outside the house until I find Jaz. The guests are already starting to file in to our backyard where we have wooden folding seats on the lawn, facing a beautifully decorated pergola covered with flowers. It’s all I ever wanted, really—to marry in Granny’s backyard, near the rose gardens. Though The Star Report’s payment for exclusive coverage could have easily covered any dream wedding venue, I opted for tradition, for a connection to Granny and home and all the things I love.

When I locate Jaz, she’s inside taking a phone call, her brow knitted. “It’s Scarlett,” she whispers to me. “Her car died. Brendan is running over to pick her up. I offered to help.”

She turns her attention back to the call. “We’ll hold the ceremony until you get here. It’s no problem, seriously! See you soon.”

My sister, wanting to save the day. She’s always been like this—her need to help everyone trumps any of her needs. Right now, she just wants to make sure my wedding is the most amazing one ever and that all the people I love are there.

“Sorry if I just delayed your big day,” she says with an apologetic smile.

“I’m not worried about the delay,” I say, quietly. “I think we need to talk about what happened earlier. What you heard in the interview.”

She looks at me, before her eyes slide to her checklist. “You know I believe you. I’ve already scheduled a meeting with some lawyers next week. They had no right to blindside you during that interview. We might be able to settle this in court.”

I step closer. “I can’t place the full blame on them,” I say, then wait a beat. “They were only questioning me about what was true.”

My sister’s head snaps up. “What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t prepared for their questions. I didn’t know that Vale had turned down the NHL or the insurance problem.” I hesitate. “But their accusations about our elopement... were not entirely untrue .”

She looks behind me, her face panicked. “Where’s Vale?” She frowns. “You’re not pulling out, are you? ”

“No!” I assure her. “He’s waiting outside. I wanted to talk to you alone. To make something right before I get married today.”

I don’t want this to come out rushed or fumble this moment between us. This isn’t just about confessing a secret—it’s about making our relationship right—something Dad hasn’t done until today. I’m choosing to do the best thing for us, even if it hurts. My sister deserves to know what happened, and if I keep it from her, the guilt will eat me alive. For once, I’m being brave enough to face my fears instead of turning and running.

“When Vale and I eloped in Vegas, it wasn’t because we had admitted our love for each other. That came later.” I fiddle with my fingers.

She narrows her eyes. “What they said... was accurate, then?”

I nod. “When Vale found out that I couldn’t afford my medicine, he wanted me to have insurance to cover it. He offered to marry me so he could put me on his insurance plan. It was complicated and wrong and I’m so sorry.” I dig my palms into my eyes and shake my head. “I made a rash decision, and I should’ve told you, but when I saw how excited you were, I felt like I couldn’t go back.”

“So you’re not in love?” she asks, clearly confused.

I uncover my eyes, finally meeting her gaze. “No, I am in love with Vale. That’s the part I couldn’t admit back then. When we married the first time, we had feelings for each other—we just didn’t want to tell the other person for fear of ruining our friendship. That was the surprise for us—finding out we were both in love. We’ve had our share of obstacles, but never about how we feel. I’m really sorry, Jaz.”

“So you were in love the whole time?” Her face brightens. “I knew it was true.”

I shake my head, not understanding. “Didn’t I just say that?”

Jaz goes on, “When The Star Report claimed you only married for Vale’s insurance, I knew it couldn’t be right. I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at him. ”

I blink. “Did you hear me? I apologized for lying to you,” I remind her in case she missed it the first time.

“I know.”

“And you’re okay with it?”

“Sloan, you married your best friend, the guy you fell in love with. If you had to tell yourself you were doing it for the insurance in order to go through with it, how can I blame you? I would’ve done the same.”

My mouth falls open, but I can’t get any words out. This isn’t what I expected from the woman who’s held a very long grudge against our dad. “But what about the fact that Dad lied to us? You said yourself you hate it when people don’t tell you the truth.”

“I did,” she admits. “But there’s a difference between your situation and Dad’s—and the motivation behind it. Dad lied to cover up something heinous. I couldn’t accept that he betrayed our stepmom. But in your case, you did it out of survival.”

“I’m not sure that’s any better,” I say.

“You didn’t betray me by standing up for yourself or choosing your health. I’m proud you were brave enough to put yourself first. If you’d asked me before all this whether you should go through with it, I would’ve said yes, no question . Not just because of the insurance, but because you need Vale. You were meant to be together.”

I arch an eyebrow. “You would?” Ever since we got married, I’ve been trying to convince myself of Jaz’s arguments against this marriage, when all along, she was for us.

She takes my hands in hers. “He’s a good man who loves you. I knew that from the beginning.”

I shake my head, the emotion welling up in my eyes. All this time I was terrified about her reaction, sure that she’d lump me together with my father as someone she couldn’t forgive. But the truth of the matter is never that simple. Real family will always love you, even when your decisions make no sense to them.

For now, I’m learning how to do that for my father, whose decision to leave was unfathomable to me at the time. I might not have understood why he had to go, or the complications of grief that drove him away, but now I realize he still loved us, in his own way.

I glance out the window and see my father still waiting, leaning against the limo. I rest a hand on my stomach, which is churning from my nerves. I want things to go right for him but I’m not even sure that’s possible. “Jaz, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She glances down at my hand, then back at me. “Wait a minute, are you... pregnant ?”

I blink for a second, then burst out laughing, because that’s not even a possibility. “Oh, definitely not. And this time, I’m not hiding anything from you.”

“For a second I thought...” She stops, her face betraying everything. Her hand mirrors mine, resting where the dress stretches tightly over her belly.

“Wait, are you...?” I can’t even say the words.

She blinks and then slowly nods, a smile spreading across her face. “I found out on our Cancun trip. I was going to tell you, but I hadn’t gone to the doctor yet and I wanted to make sure.”

“You’re having a baby?!” I nearly scream, pulling her into my arms.

“Keep it down. It’s still a secret.”

“Who knows about this?” I whisper.

“Other than Brax? Nobody. I hated not telling you sooner. This whole time I felt like I was keeping a secret from you.”

I shake my head. “But you weren’t. It’s just like you said before—you didn’t betray me by keeping this secret or choosing your health. You just couldn’t tell me until it was the right time.”

“Are you sure you’re not mad?” she asks, her eyes filling with happy tears. “I was so worried I’d steal your thunder today. Like, the ultimate sister fail—totally outshining you on your big day.”

“Stop.” I put my hand up. “You didn’t steal anything. Besides, if anyone’s going to outshine me, I’d want it to be you.”

She wipes the corners of her eyes, and her makeup smears, so I hand her a tissue. This is what sisters do. We fix each other’s mistakes. We keep trying even when we fail. We’ll never do it perfectly, but if we show up when the other person needs us, that fixes ninety-nine percent of the mistakes we make.

She crumples the tissue I gave her and tucks it into her bra.

I snort-laugh.

She shrugs. “In case I get teary during the ceremony. My hormones are raging with this baby!” she says with a laugh. “Now what’s the other surprise you wanted to tell me?”

I glance out the window where Dad paces the sidewalk. This can’t wait, or Dad will lose his nerve. I’m like him that way—or at least, I was. But people change, if you let them.

“How much time do we have?” I ask. “There’s someone you need to talk to.”

She looks at me, wide-eyed. “But the wedding...?”

“It can wait a few more minutes,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the door. “There’s someone else who definitely needs to hear this news.”

By the time I’m ready to walk down the aisle, I’ve already cried twice, belly laughed a half-dozen times, and hugged my family and the entire hockey team. But it was all worth it, especially after witnessing what just happened between Dad and Jaz. One conversation hasn’t fixed everything—far from it—but it cracked open a door. A door that could possibly lead to something better.

Dad apologized for what happened, for his shortcomings as a father, and the way he left things. He’s been rehearsing this speech since we arrived in the limo, but my guess is that he’s been thinking about it for far longer. When he finished, he hugged her, and she let him. Maybe it’s the new reality of her becoming a parent herself, and realizing just how much that changes things. Sharing that news with him became an unexpected way to try again. As long as we can believe we’re not defined by our mistakes, there’s hope for all of us. Maybe, just maybe, we can still be a family.

Which is why, just before the ceremony begins, I ask my father to walk me down the aisle. Not out of obligation, but because this is how you start over again.

I smooth my skirt, and hook my arm through my father’s as Jaz scrubs the streaks off my face with her tissue.

“Are you sure this is necessary?” I ask. “ The Star Report might like the scary-bride look.” Brax and Leo already kicked out the journalist after Jaz told him what happened. We can’t stop him from leaking the news now, but I also know it will blow over in time. Especially after people see the video of us kissing at the airport.

“My job is to make you look good. That’s what sisters do.” She wipes my cheek one final time. “Vegas has nothing on today’s party. I want this to be the best wedding you’ve ever had.”

I look at her and smile. “It already is.”