The Restoration Program: A Twisted Romantic Suspense Novel (The Restoration Program Trilogy Book 1) by Mary Dublin & Anne Kendsley

Author:Mary Dublin & Anne Kendsley [Dublin, Mary & Kendsley, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

DAY EIGHTY-FIVE

It didn’t take much digging to uncover that there was no way, legally, to marry someone declared dead.

NüPrint legislation could take years to make the process easy, but Nicole and Ryan agreed they didn’t want a five-year engagement. They were ready now—why wait?

The day following their engagement, they visited a few courthouses within driving distance and tried to reason with different clerks about finding a loophole. So many government buildings were automated by kiosks and AI assists now, there weren’t many options to reason with. Talking to a real person meant booking an appointment months in advance—time they weren’t willing to put on the shelf.

They turned to a church next, where they finally found a kindly pastor who was willing to perform the ceremony and certify the documents. He told them to return in a few days’ time, assuring them they would have the chapel reserved for a private ceremony.

They considered inviting Darlene and a few of their friends from before the move, but Ryan pointed out they’d have to postpone again. He and Nicole agreed there would be plenty of time to arrange the perfect party and honeymoon after tying the knot. Nothing about their relationship was conventional anymore—why start now?

Nicole stood on the sink of the church bathroom, adjusting her appearance in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked to die for. Her raven hair was swept off her face in a half updo with the tiny baby’s breath tucked between pins. She had broken into her old stash of makeup to create a dewy look with her fingertips—ruby lips, flushed pink cheeks, and a soft white shimmer on her eyelids.

Ryan’s eyes blazed with pride as she placed her hand over the engagement necklace, its large gem resting over her collarbone.

“You look so beautiful,” he said.

She looked up at his reflection. “It’s bad luck for us to see each other before the ceremony, isn’t it?” she teased.

Joking about it felt wrong on her tongue. It was simply a reminder that she had no way to get to the altar without him. And she had no one to give her away, either. She missed her father all the more. He would have loved to see her through this day if his health had allowed it. She wondered what sage advice he’d impart at this moment, standing in the mirror with her. He had always known what to say somehow.

“We’re making our own luck now.” Ryan leaned down to kiss the top of her head delicately. For a moment, the clouds seemed to pull back and give way to warm sunlight.

Nicole looked him up and down. She plucked up a trimmed stem of baby’s breath and offered it to him. “Here. Will you pin this to your pocket? Like a boutonnière.”

She felt shy all over again as their hands brushed. Boyfriend, fiancé, and in mere minutes now—husband. She watched his dexterous hands as he fastened it to his tux jacket.

“This kind of flower symbolizes eternal love,” she told him.

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