Page 49 of Bound By A Promise
“Is everything—” I started to question, alarm spiking my already-tattered nerves.
Before I could get the rest of my sentence out, Camila stepped from the darkness in a long white dress, looking like an angel brought to earth. Her beauty took the wind from my lungs as her emerald gaze met mine. She smiled and walked forward. Fresh flowers were in her hand. Scanning from her long, luscious hair to the toes of her shoes, I thanked the Almighty that she chose me.
Of all the men in the world, Camila Ruiz chose a man who didn’t deserve her—one who would spend his life trying to. No longer did I wonder why Dario hadn’t chosen Camila. The reason was here and now. Coming from two completely different worlds, we never would have met. Dario’s choice of Catalina brought Camila to me. She wasn’t meant to be with Dario or even Reinaldo. Her fate was set the first time I laid eyes on her.
I lifted my hand, palm up. Camila reached for it, holding the flowers in the other hand. I closed my fingers around hers and turned toward the priest as the scent of cinnamon combined with the salty air.
The priest’s voice penetrated my thoughts, bringing me to the present. “Camila Ruiz and Dante Luciano, have you come here to enter into marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?”
Looking down at her, I stared into her beautiful green eyes. “Yes,” I replied.
“Yes,” she said with a slight nod of her head.
“Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other as long as you both shall live?”
I squeezed her hand as we both answered affirmatively.
“Since it is your intention to enter into the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands and declare your consent before God and His Church.”
Camila smiled as she looked down at our already-joined hands.
I followed the priest’s prompts. “I, Dante Luciano, take you, Camila Ruiz, to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and honor you all the days of my life.”
Next, Camila repeated her vows, the words that would make her mine forever.
“I, Camila Ruiz, take you, Dante Luciano, to be my husband. I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you, honor you, and obey you all the days of my life.”
I marveled at her strength and determination. No way had she imagined her wedding occurring in someone else’s home as the clock neared midnight, without the comfort and support of her family surrounding her. Yet here she was, unwavering in her proclamation.
The priest spread his arms to his sides. “May the Lord in his kindness strengthen the consent you have declared before these witnesses and graciously bring to fulfillment his blessings within you. What God has joined, let no one put asunder.” He grinned. “It is time for the giving and receiving of rings.”
“Oh,” Camila’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t have a ring.”
“I have one.”
We all turned to the unexpected voice. I stiffened, ready to reach for my gun.
“Em?” Camila said, her eyes filling with unshed tears as her hand began to tremble.
Emiliano came forward. “I hoped to get here in time to walk you down the aisle.” He smiled at his sister. “I brought this.” He extended his hand toward Camila. Lying on his palm was a gold band.
The tears my bride was holding back cascaded down her cheeks. “Em, that wasel abuelito’s.He gave it to you.”
“And I’m giving it to you.” He turned to me. “They’re going to do everything they can to annul this marriage. Every irregularity will be scrutinized. Take the ring and complete the ceremony.”
Twisting, I offered Em my right hand. “Thank you.”
His lips quirked. “My warning still stands.”
“I’ll spend my life convincing her I deserve her.”
“You don’t.”
I nodded. “I’m going to try.”
Again, her brother offered the gold band to Camila. This time, she picked it up and turned back to Father Gallo. “I have a ring.”
The priest looked at me.