“That is, if there is a beach around where we’re going,” he said.
My smile faded, and my mouth dropped open. He did not just do that! Bastard!
Chapter Forty
I sat and watched as the sun moved above the horizon. When I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked up to see my father standing there. I smiled as I motioned for him to sit down. We sat there for a good ten minutes, just watching the sun rising on one of the most important days of my life.
“Did you write your vows?” he asked.
“Nope. ”
He laughed. “Holy shit, you’re more like me than I thought. ”
I glanced over at him as he looked out at the ocean. “Dad, can I ask you something?”
He looked at me and smiled. “Always, son. ”
“Do you ever look back on your life and regret things you did?”
He let out a gruff laugh and shook his head. “Not so much anymore, but when I was younger, I did. Sometimes in life, when we’re looking for something, we don’t know the right way to go about looking for it. We want it so desperately that we search for it in all the wrong places, for all the wrong reasons, and with all the wrong people. ”
I sighed, looking back out at the ocean. “I’ve never in my life felt the way I do when I’m with her, Dad. All those other girls…they meant nothing. I never felt anything but emptiness afterward. When I look at Heather though, when I look into her eyes, I pray to God that I’m not dreaming. I’m so afraid this is a dream, and I’m going to wake up, still searching for that one person who moves my heart and soul. She’s the air that I need to breathe. ”
My dad put his hand on my back and winked at me. “It’s not a dream, son. It’s very real, and you’re both very much in love with one another. In a way, I think you rescued each other. ”
I nodded as I thought about what he’d just said. “Is it wrong I just want to say to her what’s in my heart? That I’m not planning it out beforehand?”
“Hell no, it’s not wrong. It’s your wedding. You do what you feel in your heart is the right thing to do. I think you could tell a joke, and Heather wouldn’t care. That girl is over-the-moon in love with you. ”
“I’m over-the-moon in love with her, too. ” I started laughing. “Especially with how she keeps trying to trick me into telling her where I’m taking her for the honeymoon!”
My dad laughed and slapped me on the back. “I’m proud of you, Josh. ”
I snapped my head over to my father. “Dad…”
He looked at me with tears in his eyes. “I am. I know I’ve never said this before, but when you were in high school and you told me you wanted to follow in my footsteps…my heart filled with joy. I actually had to walk outside because I didn’t want to cry in front of you. ”
“Dad…I never knew that it made you so happy. ”
“What makes me happy, Josh, is that you followed your dreams. You go for what you want, and you absolutely excel at it. Your mother and I are so proud of the man you’ve become. You help people, and you don’t even think twice about it. You give your love with your whole heart, like the way you love Matthew. When I see you with him, my heart swells up. And the way you love Heather…you take care of her and put her needs before yours. Even when you lost your memory, you still put her first. Yes, son, you’ve made your mother and me so very proud. I’m so damn blessed to call myself your father. ”
I felt a tear rolling down my face. “I love you, Dad. ”
“I love you, too, Josh. ”
When my dad slapped the shit out of his legs, I jumped. “Fuck, Dad! You just scared the shit out of me! We were having a moment. ”
He stood up and reached down for my hand. “Moment is over, son. Let’s go. You’re getting married in a few hours, and I have to go and give your mother a wake-up call. ” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
“Oh, for the love of God…I didn’t need to hear that, Dad. Shit, I think I’m going to hurl. ”
“Josh?” Gunner said.
I turned around, looked at my three best friends, and smiled. “Jesus H. Christ. If I were a woman, I’d be wet right now from the sight of the three of you!”
They all laughed.
Brad walked up and shook my hand. “You look pretty damn good yourself. ”