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He loves God, and although he struggles as we all do, he fights to stay focused on Him during trials.

“I love you,” I blurt.

Ryker stills a moment, his eyes widening, and there’s an instant where I worry I’ve crossed a line. But then, that grin is back. “I love you, too, Dahlia.”

“Whew, that would have been awkward,” I joke, then step in and wrap both arms around his neck as he pulls me into his arms.

“I think I’ve loved you since the moment I pulled you out of that river.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” Ryker leans down and presses his lips to mine again, then lifts me into his arms.

The darkest days of my life were met with the happiest forever.

Isn’t that how it goes?

Following Christ doesn’t mean nothing will ever go wrong, but it does mean we don’t have to walk through any trials alone.

When my life was on the line and I needed a miracle, God sent me Ryker. He saved my life in more ways than one, and I will forever be thankful to the Lord above for all that He has blessed me with.

Forever and always.

Epilogue: Ryker

“You ready for this?” I turn to look at my brother, who is watching me with a bemused expression.

“Hey, I’m not the one getting married,” Presley replies, uncrossing his arms. “Are you ready?”

“Since the moment I met her,” I tell him, then study myself in the mirror. I was never one for dressing up, so when Dahlia suggested an informal beach wedding, it only made me love her even more.

Dressed in jeans and a white button-down, I’m beyond comfortable. Though I would have worn anything she asked me to if it meant I got to call her my wife at the end of the day.

Zane, Garrison, Sawyer, and Weston are all out with the guests, seeing that everyone finds a seat before the ceremony begins.

Marriage.

If you’d told me a year ago that I was going to be getting married, and that my brother was going to stand beside me as my best man, I would have thought you were lying. But now, not only do I get to marry the love of my life, but my brother will be standing beside me as I do it.

Honestly, it all feels relatively normal.

“As far as getting married goes, you found a good one, I’ll give you that,” Presley says.

“Don’t you worry, little brother. You’ll find one, too.”

Presley laughs. “Yeah, that’s a hard pass on that one. I prefer my bachelor life. It’s quiet. Predictable.”

I grin. “You know, I thought that, too.”

Presley rolls his eyes. “You ready? Being late to your own wedding sets a bad precedent.”

Laughing, I shake my head, then shove my cell phone into my pocket before heading out of the tent we set up on the beach. Dahlia’s is a few yards away, though the door is zippered shut.

I can’t help but smile when I see it.

In a matter of minutes, she’ll be my wife.

We’ll have forever together.