by Natalie Dean
Chastity nodded shakily, and both she and Mrs. Miller went about getting the dress out from where it had been hidden in the closet.
It had been a very intense two years since Chastity and Ben had decided to give their relationship a real try, and her life had changed entirely.
Starting with her mother. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the doctor was able to identify the type of dementia she had, and it was one that was relatively reversable. However, there was a lot of repair to be done, as he figured that she had been sick with it for over a year and that there had been a lot of internal damage to her brain from the stress.
So, she was on the appropriate meds now, and she had several rehabilitative nurses who came in twice a week to work with her, and a night nurse for as soon as the sun went down. Now that Chastity was on the Listicles’ health insurance plan, she was able to take on her mother as a dependent and get her some better—and less expensive—medical care.
While she wasn’t entirely back to normal, her mom’s episodes were few and far between, and she seemed to have come to terms with her husband’s death. Of course, there were bad days, but she knew she was only a call or a walk away from Chastity’s place.
Naturally, things were going to be strange for a while as Chastity, her mom, and Ben moved into the house Ben and his brothers were building for them. Although she had her own place and Ben had his bachelor’s attachment, neither of those places were really fit for the three of them to live together, and if Chastity was going to live on the ranch, she wanted to bring her mother with her.
She shuddered at the thought of them being an hour walk apart. Funny how she had lived an entire decade without much contact with her mother, and now they were practically inseparable.
“Arms up!”
She did so and soon the dress was being put over her head. For a moment, the world was just tulle, chiffon, and satin, but then the dress was on her body and being pulled into place by the two women.
It was a beautiful, white mermaid dress with an explosion of beautiful cloth just below her knees. It was made from a mix of both Mrs. Miller and her mother’s dresses, the former happy to give up some of her own wedding dress because she didn’t have any daughters of her own.
The dress made her feel like a princess from some fairytale kingdom—and she loved it.
Almost as much as she loved Ben.
Finally, the dress was fully on, and they were lacing her up. This was it. In just a short while, she would be Mrs. Benedict Miller. Crazy to believe that she had come here for her father’s funeral and was ending up married to one of the most sought-after and richest bachelors in the whole area.
Not that the money mattered to her. She was loath to the idea of ever being a gold digger and had managed to amass a modest amount of wealth herself. She was by no means rich, but she and her mother were more comfortable than they had ever been.
Speaking of her mother, the door opened and her mother quickly popped in, an expensive looking box in her hands. “I have the veil,” she announced, rushing over. “I have the—”
She stopped short upon seeing Chastity, and her eyes instantly started to water. “Oh, my little girl…” she whispered, nearly dropping the veil.
Who could keep a straight face in front of such emotion? Chastity felt herself blush, and her own eyes watered.
“Hi, Mom,” she said, her voice catching with emotion.
Her mom set the veil down and walked toward Chastity, enveloping her in a hug that was surprisingly tight.
“You look so beautiful,” she said.
“I feel beautiful, Mom.”
“I’m sorry your father isn’t here to see you. He was always so proud of you.”
Chastity’s eyebrows raised. “Mom, we both know Dad didn’t approve of any of my choices.”
“Oh, honey. He loved you so much.” Her mom looked into Chastity’s eyes. “As your daddy, his number one priority was for his little girl to be safe. He worried about you. He wanted you to have a happy life and couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt or being sad. When you were far away, he missed you being close.”
“I never thought of it like that. So he was proud of me?”
“Yes, he was. I’m sorry you didn’t know that,” her mom said.
They held each other until there was a knocking of three short raps on the door. That was her signal.
The wedding had started.
Chastity and her mother parted, but their arms stayed linked around each other. Since Charles Parker had passed, it would be her mother who was giving her away.
“Are you ready?” Mrs. Miller asked, patting her cheek ever so lightly.
Chastity nodded, afraid that if she spoke she would break down into happy and nervous tears all over again.
“All right. I’ll see you then. And if you make a break for it, remember the horses are to the south, not the west.”
She laughed slightly, remembering that since they were being married in the gussied up main barn that all of the horses had been moved into the other barn that Ben and his brothers had finished renovating before the last winter.
“Good to know.”
Mrs. Miller nodded then headed out the door, no doubt to walk down the aisle with her son to sit at the first seat on his side.
“Time for me to go too,” Keiko said. She adjusted Chastity’s veil to be perfect, gave her a warm hug, and went to take her place at the front of the church.
She had a rather small number of attendants. And by small, it was just Keiko, who was her maid-of-honor. One of Ben’s cousin’s children was the flower girl, and they had decided to forgo a ring bearer entirely.
Of course, his party was much fuller, with all of his brothers agreeing to see the eldest marry—even Bryant, who promised to be on his best behavior. That boy had really turned things around in the past year, but that was a story for another day.
“Ready?” her mother asked, looking up at her with loving eyes.
“Ready,” Chastity said, her emotions already threatening to overwhelm her.
But it was a good sort of overwhelmed. One that filled her with happiness from her toes all the way up to her scalp. She was so stuffed full of joy that she wouldn’t be surprised if she glowed in the dark.
Life seemed to become a bit surreal as she left the building that was Ben’s bachelor attachment. It would soon be someone else’s, as Ben wouldn’t be needing it anymore. Likely, none of the brothers would move into it, considering they all had their own places. But she was sure the Millers would find some way to make it of use.
It was a short walk to the main barn. Ben’s brother Benji had spent the last few days building a beautiful, lacy canopy to walk under. Chastity didn’t even want to think of how much money the Miller family had spent on her nuptials, but Mrs. Miller had insisted on being in charge of the finances and wouldn’t let her look at any of the receipts. Normally, Chastity would never allow someone to override her on something so important, but considering she was the first Miller marriage of the current generation, she didn’t see what was wrong with letting the matriarch do what she willed.
“Here we are,” her mother said.
The barn loomed in her vision, and they were only a few feet from the open barn doors. Her senses awakened as she inhaled a lovely pine scent mixed with wood and fresh hay. She heard the processional music start, and the moment she had dreamed of but never thought would be real had arrived. Generations of Millers had married and started families here. And Chastity realized with a tug at her heart that this was something to cherish, not to run away from. Maybe this beautiful feeling of belonging is what her father and mother had wished for her all these years.
The light dimmed as she passed through the large door, with the candles flickering against the barn walls creating a soft glow. Everyone stood to see her. Her stomach lurched again, but all of that nervousness came to a grinding halt as her eyes landed on Ben.
Oh goodness.
He sto
od there, tall and illuminated by the sunlight streaming in through one of the windows, looking like a handsome statue in his clean, pressed suit.
Their wedding colors were black, white, and blue, and those fit him perfectly. His tux was black, but his vest was blue, which made his green eyes shine that much brighter. But it wasn’t his looks that captured her, rather the expression in his gaze as their eyes met.
How could he fit so many words into a single look? Love, attraction, relief, amazement. All of them swirled within his green orbs and left her utterly speechless.
“Oh dear,” she whispered as she felt the tears come on. Thank goodness Keiko had insisted that she only use waterproof mascara and eye makeup for her big day.
“You all right?” her mother whispered.
“I’m more than all right,” Chastity answered, her voice warbling from the tears. “I think I’m as happy as is possible for a single human to be right now.”
“Good. This feeling will last for the rest of your life if you do it right. Your father and I always wanted you to experience a relationship full of love like we shared. There’s nothing better.”
Chastity squeezed her mom’s arm tight, as the realization of how much her parents loved her and wanted the best for her caused a lump in her throat.
Her dress swished and rustled on the aisle runner that created a path for her on the hay. A path to her future. They reached the end of the aisle, and then the reverend was asking who was giving her away. Her mother answered, and the next thing that Chastity knew, she was walking up to face Ben.
The world fell away, and it was just the two of them, existing in their own bubble of love. The reverend kept talking, saying all the things that he was supposed to, but she didn’t pay much attention until it was time for their vows.
She went first, and every word was a struggle. She wanted to throw her arms around Ben and never stop kissing him, but she managed to contain herself for a bit longer.
“I, Chastity Parker, promise to love and cherish you, Benedict Miller, as much as you have loved and cherished me in these past years together. I promise to always include you in my dreams, no matter how grandiose and faraway they are.
“You are my first thought in my morning, and my last thought at night. I will hold you close to my heart, and make sure your home will always be there.”
By the end she was a sobbing mess, and Ben wasn’t doing much better. Granted, he had a much classier cry than her.
“I, Benedict Miller, promise you, Chastity Parker, that I will love you until the end of time. I promise to never clip your wings or stand in the way of any of your dreams. I will always support you, always believe in you, and although I may not understand your next great scheme, I’ll follow you through it to the other side of the world and back.
“I know it’s cliché to say that you are my light, but you are. You are the sun that greets me every morning, and my hope for a grand future. You give me reason to be, and I promise to never forget that. I love you, Chastity, and I can’t imagine ever living without you.”
He leaned forward to kiss her, but the reverend cleared his throat and stopped him at the last moment.
Right.
There were still more words to go before the kissing could take place. But it was hard to wait.
A few light chuckles filtered through the wedding, and Chastity felt her cheeks redden, but it gave them both a chance to collect themselves before the holy man continued.
“Do you, Benedict Miller, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse?”
“I do,” he whispered, his green eyes still staring into hers.
“And do you, Chastity Parker, take this man to be your husband? To have and to hold, for better or for worse, and in sickness and in health?”
“I do.”
They had decided to leave out the part about if anyone objected. Because if they did, but they hadn’t expressed it so far, they certainly weren’t welcome at the wedding.
“Then you may kiss the bride.”
And boy did he.
They reached for each other like opposite ends of a magnet, their lips colliding in the perfect kiss. Chastity couldn’t tell anyone how long they stayed in each other’s embrace, but when they finally broke apart, the entire barn cheered.
They had done it! They had really done it!
After a whole lot of struggle, and several very large mishaps, they were finally married.
It was time to begin their happily ever after.
Starting with their wedding night.
BEN CARRIED Chastity across the threshold into the honeymoon suite at the Caribbean resort. He placed her on the bed on the cushy comforter that felt like a pillow for her whole body.
“You look beautiful like that,” Ben said.
“I look beautiful with unbrushed hair, still wearing yesterday’s makeup and suffering from jet lag?”
“All I see is my new wife on our bed.” Ben leaned over to kiss her forehead.
Chastity let out a contented sigh.
He winked. “Are you tired? Maybe we should just rest. We’ve certainly had a long weekend.”
“No!” Chastity declared, sitting up. “I’ve managed to keep my hands to only the appropriate places for two years. I’ve been planning this ever since you proposed, and I won’t let some pesky jet lag ruin it.”
“Really, ever since I proposed? I feel a bit objectified now.”
She gave him a look. “Are you trying to pretend that you didn’t feel the same?”
“I guess you may have a point. Except for me it’s been since high school.”
Chastity’s eyes opened wide and her eyebrows raised. With a shot of adrenaline, she rolled off the bed and stood up, her hands going to her hips, elbows jutting out. “Exactly! I need to go freshen up. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and unpack or something.”
“Yes, princess.” He winked again. “Your wish is my command.”
“Shush you,” Chastity said before grabbing her suitcase and wiggling her behind at him as she marched to the bathroom.
She rushed through washing her face and then filled the deep tub that looked so tempting. After pouring in a complimentary packet of rose oil, she stepped into the tub and shaved.
She had to admit that her stomach was doing flip-flops with nerves. After all these years, they didn’t have to stop at just kissing. She couldn’t believe this was all real, and yet here she was, on her honeymoon with a man who adored her.
The warm, scented water was pure heaven, relieving the strain from the wedding and the long flight. Her head lolled back, and finally, she let herself relax, trying to calm her nerves.
When the anticipation became too great, she let the water drain out of the tub as she dried off and rubbed a romantic, scented lotion on her body. Then she put on a beautiful piece of elegant lingerie that Keiko had given her as a wedding shower gift.
Chastity opened the bathroom door to see Ben pacing the floor. He turned to look at her, and his eyes grew wide. A huge smile appeared on his face.
“Hey there, my beautiful wife,” Ben said, coming toward her and kissing her forehead.
With his strong hands, he gently caressed her neck and shoulders, kissing lightly on her soft skin.
“Mmm. You smell and taste delicious,” he said.
“That feels wonderful,” Chastity said, her nerves starting to melt. “Please don’t stop.”
He kissed her eyelids, cheeks, tip of her nose, then down her neck. His hands continued caressing as he took a step back to admire her body.
“You are even more perfect than I could have imagined,” he said.
Chastity smiled, feeling adored and loved, as she stepped to Ben, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the lips.
Ben gave a low growl and wrapped his arms around her. They kissed passionately until he scooped her up in his arms. He set her on the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to her li
ps. Chastity pushed into it, heat building in her core.
She pulled him deeper into the embrace, hoping he could feel her desire, her love through every touch. He responded, and soon he was pressing into her with a sort of urgency that they had never allowed before.
His hands caressed over her, reverent, loving, touching her in all the ways a husband was supposed to touch. Her heart and her body sang out in happiness, finally having what they had both craved for so long.
She looked up into his eyes, taking in every feature of his face. She wanted to burn this moment into her memory for all of time.
They went slowly, carefully, both of them new to what they were doing. But they joined as only two souls in love could join, and Chastity swore she had never experienced such soaring bliss.
“I love you,” tumbled from both of their lips, as they grew lost in each other.
She loved Ben with all her heart. She would never leave him again. It was almost impossible to believe that he was really there, but he was. He wasn’t going anywhere, and for once, neither was she.
It was a happily ever after indeed.
DID you like reading about Chastity and Ben? Are you ready to read another, possibly even better story about Ben’s brother Bart? Well, Brothers of Miller Ranch Book Two is ready for you to read! And the reviews are nothing short of amazing! Take a look for yourself and decide if you want to read it.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Hello Reader!
I’m so happy you’ve made it to this point in my very FIRST Contemporary Western Romance! I hope you loved getting to know the modern day Miller family. There will be four more books coming! Each book will be about Ben’s other brothers falling in love.
Also, if you’re interested, I’ve got a short series available about the Miller’s of the 1800s! It’s called Brides of Miller Ranch. In that series, you’ll read about Juniper (the Juniper that Juniper’s Grove is named after), and two other amazing couples of the 1800s Miller Ranch. That’s why you’ll find stories from Ben and his brothers’ ancestors of years ago intertwined throughout this modern take off of Miller Ranch.