Chapter 20
Two weeks later, under a pale blue sky and in a field far from the noise of the city, Linsey and Collin stood hand-in-hand before a small group of friends and a quietly smiling officiant.
No press. No drama. No audience waiting to pick it apart.
Just them.
And this time, it felt perfect.
Linsey wore a simple ivory dress, soft and flowing, her hair curled loosely around her shoulders. Collin looked at her like she was the only thing that ever mattered—because, to him, she was.
Their second wedding wasn’t planned months in advance. There were no velvet invitations, no engraved place cards. Just wildflowers, handwritten vows, and eyes full of truth.
As the officiant read the lines, Collin spoke without a tremor in his voice.
“I don’t have a perfect past. I’ve made choices I regret. But every path I walked led me to you, and I’d choose it all again if it brought me back to this moment. You didn’t just save me, Linsey. You showed me how to live.”
Her voice cracked as she answered.
“I didn’t expect to fall in love with a stranger in a wheelchair on the worst day of my life. But I did. And every day since, you’ve reminded me what it means to fight for something real. I don’t need a fairytale—I just need you.”
Tears were wiped away. Rings were exchanged again.
And when they kissed, it wasn’t the desperate kiss of survival or apology.
It was peace.
The applause from their small circle of guests was warm and heartfelt. Harriet, the bookstore owner, was there in the front row, dabbing her eyes. Collin’s assistant had brought her baby. Even a few of Linsey’s old colleagues from the shelter came, whispering how proud they were.
There was laughter, music, dancing on the grass.
No tabloids, no helicopters, no one shouting questions.
Just clinking glasses, stories told around candlelight, and two people who had already endured every storm—and were still standing.
Later that evening, Linsey and Collin sat at the edge of the field, shoes off, watching the sun melt into the horizon.
She leaned against him, ring glinting faintly in the amber glow.
“Do you think we’ll ever have a quiet life?” she asked with a half-smile.
He chuckled. “With you? Not a chance.”
She nudged him playfully. “You love it.”
“I love you,” he said. “That’s enough for me.”
They stayed there long after the sun went down, wrapped in the quiet.
No more secrets.
No more pretending.
Just Collin Riley—the man who once thought he had to leave to be worthy.
And Linsey Brooks—the woman who proved she didn’t need rescuing. Just someone willing to stand beside her.
Together, they had rewritten every headline.
Now, it was time to write their forever.