“Son.”
A heavy hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts, and he lifted his gaze to meet his father’s serious dark eyes.
“I’m truly sorry about Riley’s gown.”
“I know, Dad. It’s fine, really. They’re kids, and you had your hands full. Riley will be the most gorgeous bride no matter what she wears.”
“Second most gorgeous.” His father winked. “You’re the last of my kin to marry, and it marks the end of a part of my life I never wished away.” He squeezed Josh’s shoulder as his eyes moved over his brothers, then their wives, and Savannah, who was holding Adam in her arms. “I never wished it away, but with all these darlin’ grandchildren, and now Riley formally coming into our family, and your son or daughter on the way, we all have a lot to look forward to.”
Josh’s throat thickened. Too choked up to speak, he nodded in agreement. His father and the rest of his family had been supportive and elated at their pregnancy news. This chaotic weekend had made him realize how much he wanted to live among family, regardless of the insanity that sometimes ensued. Nothing could replace family.
Treat, standing on Josh’s other side, cleared his throat as Adriana and Layla stepped outside the house and onto the terrace wearing their pretty peach dresses and flower tiaras. They each held the hand of their younger brother, both of whom looked adorable in their khaki pants and white dress shirts. Christian and Dylan each carried a red velvet pillow with a wedding ring tied to a pretty white bow sewn into the center.
The four children made their way toward the altar, smiling like it was the happiest day of their lives—it was Josh’s, that was for sure. Josh nervously patted the bulge in his pocket, where he’d hidden the key to the house on Rosedale Lane in Weston. He’d purchased it the week after they’d found out Riley was pregnant. It was supposed to be his wedding gift to Riley, so she’d have options and wouldn’t feel the pressure to make a hasty decision one way or the other. Her parents had graciously offered to meet the furniture delivery trucks yesterday, a chore he couldn’t have given to his brothers. Their wives were too curious, and the secret would have surely slipped out. They were strong, but Josh knew firsthand how strength melted beneath the warmth of true love. Now the key he’d been hiding would go undelivered. Riley had spent the day talking about how none of this would have happened if they’d married in New York—paparazzi or not. She didn’t need to spell out her decision, and as much as Josh had been looking forward to raising his children close to family, at least part-time, Riley’s happiness came first.
“Look, Uncle Josh! We didn’t drop the pillows!” Dylan said proudly as he came to his father’s side.
Treat put a hand on Dylan’s shoulder.
“You carried them like champs,” Josh said. He wondered if his little girl or boy would ever have a chance to walk down an aisle in support of their loved ones. Watching Layla smooth a wayward spike of hair on Christian’s head tugged at his heartstrings, and he knew his and Riley’s babies would always be surrounded by loving cousins, no matter how many miles separated them from day to day.
Riley stepped onto the deck beside her father in her newly decorated wedding gown. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders in gentle waves, and she proudly wore the headdress the girls had made. Josh lost his breath. And when Riley smiled, her eyes glistening with tears of joy, just as his were, he couldn’t resist stepping forward and meeting her halfway.
“In a hurry?” she asked with a soft laugh that made him grin like a fool.
Damn he loved her laugh. “You have no idea.” He was in a hurry, all right. The sooner she became his wife, the quicker his lips could meet hers.
RILEY WAS SHAKING like a leaf and trying her best to hide it, which was silly because she was surrounded by all the people she loved most. But when Josh crossed the deck, his eyes blazing a path to hers, her heart rate quickened and it refused to calm. He looked even more strikingly handsome than usual, and it had nothing to do with his dark suit and silver tie, or the pretty yellow rose boutonniere. No, it was the aura of love he radiated that made her heart beat like she’d taken a hit of speed.
“You look beautiful.” Josh reached for her hands.
“So do you,” she managed.
She didn’t know how long they stood there holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes, but it was long enough for the women to begin whispering and the children to begin giggling. Her father cleared his throat, snapping them out of their private bubble.
Josh blinked several times, as if he’d also been too caught up in her to think. “I’m sorry,” he said to her father, but he made no move to walk away. His eyes found hers again, and he opened his mouth as if to speak. She swore time stood still, but he closed his mouth again and blew her a kiss before returning to Treat’s side.
“I think your husband-to-be is quite ready, sunshine,” her father said sweetly, and offered her his arm.
“Yes, Daddy.” She looped her arm through his. “We’ve been ready forever.”
On shaky legs, she walked across the deck, taking in the beautiful lights illuminating the dusky night and the happy faces of the men and women who she knew would go to the ends of the earth for them. And for our baby. She stopped beside her mother, a silent message of love and Riley’s apology for withholding the news about her pregnancy passing between them. Earlier, after she and Josh had calmed her whirling emotions, they’d had a long talk with their friends and families, explaining why they’d kept the news of their pregnancy to themselves. Riley had come away feeling relieved and very, very loved.
When they reached Josh, her father kissed her cheek and whispered, “I wish you a lifetime of happiness, sunshine.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked them away. No tears during the ceremony, she reminded herself. She’d already shed enough tears this weekend.
Her father, who had never seemed particularly macho to Riley, nodded at Josh. There was something in the way he did it, with a serious, almost magnetic expression, that commanded respect. His message was clear. Treat my baby right, or you’ll have me to deal with. In that moment she realized that what her mother had said rang truer than ever. Her father might not be rugged, but he was strong in all the ways that mattered.
She glanced at her future husband, who was looking at her like she was his entire world, and she knew her father needn’t worry. Just as Josh had promised on the day they’d become engaged, they were partners in love and in life. Forever.
AFTER THE CEREMONY and all the congratulatory hugs and well wishes, Treat and Rex carried the cake out to the table on the deck. Josh could not believe his eyes. The four-layer cake was as beautiful as if it had been professionally baked. He squeezed Riley’s hand.
“You’re not going to leave me to become a baker, are you?”
She shook her head, her eyes dancing with delight. “No, but I think I’ve made a decision about where I want to live, and I hope it doesn’t cause you to want to leave me.”
“Baby, nothing could ever cause that. I know you want to stay in New York.”
“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day,” Savannah said.
Josh hadn’t realized anyone could hear them. He glanced at Savannah and then returned his attention to his beautiful new wife, who had a confused look in her eyes.
“No, Josh. I want to move home.”
“You do? Even after all you said about nothing like this happening in New York?”
“Yes!” she said loudly. “That’s one of the reasons why I want to move back to Weston. I miss it, Josh. I miss my parents and your family and the wild, silly things that happen when we’re all together.”
Josh didn’t think, didn’t hesitate, as he swept Riley off her feet and twirled her around. The train of her dress flew out behind her…directly into the cake.
“No!” Treat lunged to catch it at the same time Jade hollered, “The cake!” and dove for it. They each caught one side of the tray the cake had been carried out on,
just as the three top layers tumbled off, causing everyone to yell, “No!”—except Riley and Josh, whose mouths were too busy kissing and hearts were too swept up in love to care.
When their lips parted, Riley gazed at him with so much love in her eyes, even with the chaos exploding around them, he knew she was taking the toppled cake in stride. While the others were busy keeping the little boys from eating the cake that had spilled onto the terrace, worrying over the cake on Riley’s dress, and joking about what else could go wrong, Josh reached into his pocket and withdrew the key.
“What’s this?” Riley asked as he set it in her palm.
“It’s the key to our new home in Weston. Your parents were late yesterday because the furniture delivery trucks got held up.”
“You…Our new…?” Her damp eyes moved between Josh and her parents. “That’s where you were?”
Her mother nodded.
Her father winked and said, “For you, sunshine. Just make sure you put locks on the bedroom doors. You never know when a surprise visitor will show up.”
Riley gasped and shot a look at Savannah, whose cheeks were apple red.
“You weren’t asleep?” Riley whispered to her father.
He shrugged. “I thought pretending to be was the polite thing to do.”
Everyone laughed, and her father gave Savannah a quick hug, assuring her that he hadn’t seen a thing. Riley caught sight of Charlotte chatting with Lacy and Dane. She’d been so gracious about the damage they’d caused, and she’d even tried to talk Josh out of having his cousin Beau come fix the damage—along with a host of other things the men had deemed in need of repair. But she knew her husband, and there was no way he’d let her win.
My husband. She sighed dreamily. “Come here, husband of mine.” Riley wrapped her arms around Josh’s neck. “You’re the most amazing man on the planet. Thank you. How did you know I’d want to live in Weston?”
“I didn’t. I just wanted you to have options so you wouldn’t spend the entire pregnancy worrying about it. The property’s on Rosedale Lane, midway between our parents’ homes, and it has a carriage house for our business, so the launch of your clothing line can be handled without missing a beat.”
“Rosedale?” Hugh arched a brow. “You’re the asshat?”
Josh grinned at his younger brother. “Sorry, bro.”
“No, you’re not,” Hugh said.
“If I’d told you, your wife would have found out, and it wouldn’t have been long after that before the grapevine found its way to Riley. Look at this radiant smile,” he said, stroking Riley’s cheek and earning an even bigger one. “You’re right, Hugh. I’m not sorry about a damn thing.”
Hal
HAL BRADEN HAD listened intently as his last son to marry said his vows, promising endless love to the woman he adored—and unearthing mountains of unexpected emotions in Hal. Now, as he watched his boys razzing each other, just as they’d done for too many years to count, a gentle breeze whispered over his skin. He lifted his eyes, catching sight of Hope looking up at him. His mind reeled back four decades to the day he’d taken Adriana as his wife. To the nervous, elated seconds before she’d said her vows. Her eyes had glistened with love. Her dark auburn hair had danced like a wild mane around her beautiful face as she’d stepped closer, so close the breeze carried her unique and alluring scent. A scent he smelled to this very day, in every whisper of the wind. His chest swelled now just as it had then, with love so impossibly all-consuming, he didn’t know how he’d survive it. He remembered the way she’d gone up on her tiptoes right there in front of their family and closest friends, and she’d whispered in his ear.
And now, among the company of their family and closest friends, it was Adriana’s sweet voice he heard whispering in his ear, the very same words she’d whispered so long ago. “Our family will never know any boundaries, Hal Braden. It’s too big, too magnificent. It’s boundless, just like our love.”
Want More Bradens?
If this is your first Braden book, you might want to read Josh and Riley’s love story, FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE (preview included below), or start with the very first Love in Bloom book, SISTERS IN LOVE (FREE in digital format at the time of this printing). All of my novels may be enjoyed as stand-alone romances. Jump in any time!
FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE
RILEY BANKS HURRIED down Thirty-Seventh Street in her red Catherine Malandrino dress and Giuseppe Zanotte leopard-print, calf-hair pumps. It was the week after Thanksgiving, and Manhattan was buzzing with the feverish zeal of the holidays. Riley slowed her pace to catch her breath. Tomorrow I’ll find the courage to take the subway. Maybe. She tugged her coat tighter across her chest to ward off the chilly air and silently hoped that nobody would figure out that she’d purchased her outfit on Outnet.com, an online designer outlet store. She felt like such a hypocrite, heading to her first day at her new job as one of world-renowned designer Josh Braden’s assistants wearing discounted clothing. The thought turned her stomach—but not as much as showing up in her hometown jeans and cowgirl boots would have. She was a long way from Weston, Colorado, and she’d spent the last few weeks gathering discount designer clothes and practicing omitting “y’all” from her vocabulary.
She stood before the thick glass door of Josh Braden Designs and took a deep breath. The sign above the door read, JBD. This is it. She closed her eyes for a split second to repeat the mantra she’d been playing in her mind like a broken record for weeks: I’m educated, knowledgeable, and eager. I can do this.
A warm hand on her lower back pulled her from her thoughts.
“Have any trouble finding us?” Josh Braden stood beside her with a friendly smile and perfectly shorn, thick dark hair. His black Armani suit fit his lean, muscular frame perfectly. A few years earlier, he’d been named one of America’s Most Eligible Bachelors. Back then she hadn’t given the magazine cover a second thought. He was in New York, and she was back in Colorado, so far removed from him that she’d still thought of him as Josh Braden, the boy she’d had a crush on for too many years to count. Now, standing on the streets of New York City beside the man whose name rivaled Vera Wang, she felt the air sucked from her lungs.
His deep voice sent a shiver right through her. Not only had she had the good fortune to be reconnected with Josh when he was back home visiting his family, but during his visit, the two of them had also spent a few days getting reacquainted. Riley hadn’t been sure if it was her crush going haywire or if there was something more real blossoming between them, but those few days had each felt a little more intimate than the last. And while their lips never touched and their bodies remained apart, she’d felt like they were always one breath away from falling into each other’s arms.
“Uh…ye…no.” Oh God, please kill me now.
Josh smiled, lighting up his brown eyes. “Nervous?”
At five foot eight, she was a full seven inches shorter than him. She wondered what it might be like to stand on her tiptoes and kiss those luscious lips of his. Stop it! The way he held her gaze brought goose bumps to her arms. Stopitstopitstopit. She envisioned him at seventeen; he’d reached his full height by then, thin but well muscled, with testosterone practically oozing from his pores. She’d wanted him then, but those schoolgirl feelings didn’t come close to the desire that begged to be set free now. She cast her eyes away and took a deep breath, trying to ignore her thundering heart. The last thing she needed was to become one of those girls who swooned every time her boss appeared. She was here to build a career, not a reputation.
“A little,” she answered honestly.
He pulled the heavy door open and waited for her to walk through before placing his hand on the small of her back once again. Josh spoke softly, his mouth close to her ear as he guided her through the expansive lobby.
“Think of this as Macy’s back home. There’s the customer service area.” He nodded toward the elegant mahogany and granite reception desk.
Her heels clacked across the marble til
e as they passed the desk.
“Good morning, Chantal.” Josh smiled at the blond woman behind the desk, who looked like she’d come straight from an eight-hour session at a local salon. Her hair glistened, and her green eyes were perfectly shadowed to match her emerald-green blouse.
Riley reached up and touched her shoulder-length brown hair, feeling the little confidence she’d mustered being whittled away. If the receptionist is that perfect, what are the other employees like?
“Good morning, Mr. Braden,” Chantal said with a practiced smile. “Good morning, Riley.”
You know my name? Riley pushed past her rattled nerves, forcing her mouth to obey her thoughts, and felt the grace of a smile. “Good morning…Chantal.” She pulled her shoulders back, reclaiming a bit of her lost confidence. She knows my name!
“Chantal is an assistant in the design studio. She fills in for our receptionist when she steps away from her desk. I’m sure you’ll see her in the design studio later,” Josh explained.
Riley felt like she was in a dream as she walked beside Josh through the elegant offices. She’d spent years dreaming of what it might feel like to work in New York City, and more specifically, in a design studio. After graduating with a degree in fashion design with a 3.8 GPA and winning two design awards, she’d longed to move to New York City and land a job in the hub of the fashion industry. After several months of applying for positions and receiving enough rejection letters to wallpaper her bedroom, Riley had given up and settled into her life in Weston, working at Macy’s and designing clothes no one would ever see. Riley had come to accept that working in the fashion industry had more to do with connections than skills. She’d given up that dream until Jade had begun dating Rex, one of Josh’s older brothers, and she’d worn one of Riley’s dresses on their first date. One recommendation from Rex, and Josh had eagerly reviewed her portfolio. A few days later, Riley was having lunch at his father’s ranch, and the next thing she knew, she had a job offer and was packing to move to New York City. Now, as she walked beside Josh, Riley wondered if he was thinking about the time they’d spent together as much as she was.
Story of Love (Josh & Riley's Wedding Novella): Love in Bloom: The Bradens Page 10