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Merrick when he put everything inside him into loving you? And he would love her more than anything, maybe more than me in that way daddies love their daughters. She’d be his universe.
    We’d have more than one, but so far, she was the only child I could conjure in my mind. I knew she’d be ours. Our first. Someday.
    The gazebo came into view, causing me to pause and catch my breath. It was covered in climbing ivy. As in the trees on the path, clear votive holders dangled with flickering candles at different heights. Our unity candle was one we’d inherited from a couple who celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in our gazebo. We reminded them of themselves at our age, and they gifted us with the unity candle from their first wedding. It sat on a small wooden table Merrick had built himself out of scrap wood from the hotel renovation.
    Aunt Jan stood behind the table in a white robe. “Mom?” I whispered.
    “Your aunt has been studying under our minister day and night to be ordained to marry you today. It took a lot of talking to convince him to take her under his wing, but you know your aunt.”
    More tears flowed past my lower lids. My chest was so full, it hurt. All the people I loved the most had come together to give me the most perfect wedding imaginable. It was unimaginable—beyond perfect.
    Merrick stood at the bottom of the three stairs that led up inside the gazebo with MJ beside him. Beck was on the end, sitting in a chair playing his cello. The three of them together in their tuxes made a breathtaking trio. On the opposite side, Maddie and Shannon stood in their striking shades of green holding their bouquets. In white wooden chairs on the bride’s side, Joan sat with Mr. Simcoe, Maddie’s dad.
    The most shocking surprise was the woman sitting on the groom’s side beside Riley—Merrick’s sister, Heidi. At the end of the aisle, her two kids, Holly and Sam, stood as flower girl and ring bearer, watching for my arrival. Holly’s dress was a close duplicate to mine.
    “I had Holly’s dress made when I had the lace added over the bodice of yours,” Mom said, watching me take everything in.
    “I didn’t know Merrick made up with Heidi,” I whispered.
    “I’m not sure he has, but she’s his sister. I told him he didn’t have a choice.”
    I suppressed a grin. Mom being overbearing with Merrick. I could only imagine how that conversation had gone. Heidi’s husband wasn’t in attendance. I wondered if that had been Merrick’s negotiation.
    We reached Holly and Sam. Holly gave me a huge smile, admiring our matching dresses. “You look beautiful,” I told her. I gestured to the basket of rose petals she held. “Are you going to spread those down the aisle?”
    “That’s what the blond lady told me to do. She said if I didn’t, I don’t get cake.”
    I couldn’t stop the snort of laughter from coming out. Joan. Only Joan would threaten little kids with wedding cake.
    “Sam’s got the ring,” Holly said, patting the cushion her brother held. Sam gave me a small, shy smile and looked more afraid than any kid should ever look.
    “You’ll do great, Sam. You can’t mess this up, so don’t worry.” His chin dropped in a quick, sharp nod, wide-eyed.
    “Here we go,” Mom said, and shot Beck a smile, her eyebrows lifted to her hairline.
    Beck stood behind his cello. Our guests stood with him as he began the “Wedding March.” As if they’d practiced a hundred times, and they probably had, Holly and Sam started down the aisle with measured steps. Holly spread her rose petals and Sam hung on to his ring cushion for dear life. They were adorable. My heart squeezed seeing Merrick watching the two of them with pride etched on his face. He prized his niece and nephew and spent too little time with them.
    When they hit the end of the aisle and parted, Sam walked over to stand next to Beck, and Holly stood on the outside of Shannon. Mom squeezed my arm.
    This was