Proud Mary
Page 21
Her stepmother was an accomplished and organized person and had everything in order to put a wedding together in such a short time.
One of her new half-brothers was their computer genius and he and his wife were put in charge of designing, printing and mailing the invitations, once the details were set in stone.
Carolina felt happily overwhelmed and knew Stede’s parents would like her father and his wife, not to mention they’d be pleased with the wedding arrangements, and Carolina looked forward to seeing Stede’s his brother and his family and the other members of the rodeo team.
Fortunately, not far from the Grays’ home was a hotel resort and spa and rooms were reserved for some of the guests. Stede and Carolina and Mrs. Dugan would be staying at the Gray’s home, some would stay with the two married brothers at their homes nearby, and others would be housed at the resort, compliments of the Gray’s.
Ellen and Carolina visited a caterer from the hotel and also planned a trip to Scottsdale in their private helicopter, to choose dresses for the bridal party, which would be Lizzie, Jenny and her two new sisters-in-law, and a wedding gown for Carolina.
Stede and her father, Robert, would take care of ordering the tuxedoes for the men. Lizzie promised to take her mother shopping in Dallas for a new wardrobe including a mother-of-the-bride dress. Robert’s secretary offered to help Ellen with decorations and flowers for the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.
Carolina and Stede visited the Gray’s local church and hired the pastor to perform the ceremony. Stede took her to the magistrate in Sage Canon and they applied for their marriage license.
From the moment they arrived back in Arizona, life became a whirlwind of activity with Stede trying to handle running the animal hospital and planning a honeymoon during the next rodeo, with a promise of staying at a luxury hotel instead of at the campgrounds.
****
Everything beginning on Thanksgiving evening when some wedding guests would arrive in the city north of Sage Canyon, including a wedding rehearsal dinner at the resort on Friday evening, a wedding party brunch on Saturday, the wedding at the Gray’s at sunset on Saturday, and the morning after breakfast at the resort had been planned down to every detail, and Carolina and Stede were finally free to return to his home.
When they entered the house, after having stopped for dinner along the way, Carolina sighed and said, “I’m home! I’m home!”
Stede came up behind her, slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. “While you take a shower get ready for bed, and I’ll fix some hot chocolate and we can relax and enjoy the pumpkin pound cake Ellen gave us to take home.”
Carolina sighed and groaned at the same time. “That sounds like heaven.”
“I’ll put on some music and we can relax before we both fall asleep,” he laughed.
Stede fixed the hot chocolate, put some cake on their plates, snuck upstairs and showered and changed into a pair of jogging pants and a sweatshirt and still had to wait for Carolina.
“Guess I’ll have to get used to waiting for the lady,” he murmured. “Still a pesky little thing.” He laughed.
He turned on a romantic CD, put the dessert on china plates, set out forks and napkins and large mugs for the hot chocolate he kept warming on the stove, and sat down and waited for Carolina to join him.
When he heard the door to his bedroom open, he stood and smiled. “You take my breath away, and you are worth every second I’ve waited for you.”
Carolina smiled and walked toward Stede. She wore a long white nightgown with spaghetti straps and a low-scooped neckline. The bottom of the gown was full but the material was light and flowed like gossamer when she walked.
Stede welcomed her into his arms and kissed her, Carolina reached for his hand, turned toward the bedroom and whispered, “Follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
“We are going to make love. I want you to teach me to love you. We’re alone, King is staying with Jenny and Manny, and our wedding and honeymoon trip to Wyoming will be noisy and hectic.”
“Are you sure, Carolina.”
When they entered the bedroom, Stede noticed the covers were turned down, moonlight cast a glow on the bed, and Carolina turned toward him, lowered the straps of her nightgown, and let the material float to the floor…
A word about the author…
Bette McNicholas was an author of fiction and non-fiction. She created stories in historical fiction and romantic suspense. Her stories focused on women who faced and survived the difficulties in life they’d been dealt.
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