Thrill of Love
Page 25
Danny darted out the door and Cherise called after him, “Slow down!” Her sister was stunning in her royal-blue above-the-knee dress.
Shannon put a hand on her hip and whistled. “Damn, girls, you two are gorgeous.” She set the headpiece, a wreath of pretty flowers and greenery, on Aiyla’s hair and said, “My brother is one lucky man.”
Aiyla teared up, as she’d been doing all day. “I’m the lucky one. I not only have an amazing sister and the most incredible, loving, sexy, soon-to-be husband, but I have his—your—wonderful family, too.”
The three of them hugged, sniffing back tears. Cherise broke away, glassy eyed and fanning her face. “Stop. No tears! We’ve cried enough these last few months for a lifetime.” Cherise had come to stay with them for a week one month after Aiyla had left the hospital, and she’d come out again over New Year’s and a few weeks later to see Aiyla try on her wedding dress for the first time. Their visits had been wonderful, even if tearful.
They all fanned their faces, breathing deeply.
“Everyone is ready,” Shannon said excitedly. Her peach dress gave her a vibrant appearance. “You should see our men. They all look nervous, and Nate has Skype all set up so Ms. F can watch the whole ceremony.”
She’d finally told Aiyla why Steve called her butterfly. Because he said I flit about from one happy thought to the next. It was the perfect endearment for her.
“Okay, time for the rundown,” Cherise said. “Something borrowed?”
“Check.” Shannon pointed to Aiyla’s bracelet. “The bracelet my dad gave my mom on their wedding day.”
Aiyla’s heart fluttered wildly, remembering when Maisy had offered it to her. May you and Ty have a marriage as long and happy as we’ve had. We love you, honey.
“Something blue?” Cherise waggled her brows.
Aiyla lifted her dress, revealing a pair of sky-blue lace panties.
“So hot,” Shannon said. “Something old?”
Cherise and Aiyla exchanged a thoughtful glance. Aiyla touched her necklace. It was a locket her mother had given Cherise when her sister was a little girl. Inside was a picture of the two of them with their mother.
“And something new,” Aiyla said, and lifted her dress, revealing her prosthesis. “I think I’m ready!”
They all squealed, and after another group hug, Aiyla closed her eyes, sending a silent message of love up to her mother. She’d felt her mother’s spirit around them since the moment she’d gone in for her surgery. She didn’t feel her presence as strongly these days, but she sensed that was because her mother knew she was going to be okay. Aiyla knew she was going to be okay, too. The amputation had taken her leg, but it had also given her a sense of invincibility. Was there anything she and Ty couldn’t get through? Was there anything she couldn’t handle?
As she headed outside and stood at the top of the walkway Beau and Ty had built for their nightly walks down to the water, she knew they were going to be okay, too. Better than okay. Ty was right. She was fierce in her own right, but together they were unstoppable.
TY HAD CLIMBED the highest mountains, he’d traveled all over the world, and he’d never been happier, felt more complete, or more in love than he did as he watched his beautiful bride walk down the aisle on her sister’s arm. She was beyond stunning in her bridal gown, but she could have worn rags and she’d still outshine every other woman on earth. She was walking slowly and steadily, stable, and pride showed through her glassy eyes. She had done just what she’d said she would and had used their wedding as motivation to push through her healing process. She was confident, funny, sexy as sin, and even after all they’d gone through, she was still as adventurous as ever—and looking at him like she wanted to run into his arms—the way he wanted to run into hers.
She hugged Cherise and they both wiped their teary eyes, and then she turned toward Ty, and his insides turned to mush. He was sure everyone could tell, as tears rose in his eyes for all they’d gone through and all they had to look forward to.
As they said their vows, his hands itched to hold her, and his lips burned to touch hers. When they were finally pronounced husband and wife, he captured her luscious mouth in a soul-reaching kiss as everyone cheered and clapped. He pushed his hands into her hair, taking the kiss deeper and loving her until the claps quieted, and then he kissed her longer—until Sam put a hand on his shoulder and tore them apart.
“Dude, you’ve got little eyes on you.” Sam motioned toward the three boys, who were scrunching their adorable faces.
Ty’s gaze swept over their friends and family, and up to the house, where the walls were filled with photographs from Saint-Luc, Colorado, and their journey from the race to becoming Mr. and Mrs. Ty Braden. He gazed deeply into the eyes of his beautiful, loving, strong wife, and said, “The kids better get used to it, because I plan on kissing you a lot. Here’s to the rest of our lives, baby cakes.”
He lowered his lips to hers, not caring how many eyes were on them and knowing nothing could ever tear them apart.
Ready for more Bradens?
Fall in love with Beau Braden and Charlotte Sterling in ANYTHING FOR LOVE, the first book in the Bradens at Pleasant Hill.
Buy ANYTHING FOR LOVE
Have you read STORY OF LOVE?
If you haven’t read the Braden novella, STORY OF LOVE, now is the perfect time! Readers were first introduced to Charlotte Sterling in this hilarious and sexy wedding novella. It’s also a great introduction to The Bradens at Weston!
Buy STORY OF LOVE
New to the Love in Bloom series and the Bradens?
I hope you have enjoyed getting to know the Bradens at Peaceful Harbor as much as I’ve loved writing about them. If this is your first Braden book, you have many more love stories featuring loyal, sassy, and sexy heroes and heroines waiting for you. Each of Ty’s siblings has their own book. Search for The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor on your favorite retailer and start with HEALED BY LOVE, Nate and Jewel’s love story.
The Bradens are just one of the series in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Each Love in Bloom book is written to be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel or as part of the larger series. There are no cliffhangers and no unresolved issues. Characters from each series make appearances in future books, so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. You might enjoy my other series within the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. You can start at the very beginning of the Love in Bloom series absolutely FREE with SISTERS IN LOVE or begin with another fun and deeply emotions series like the Remingtons, which begins with GAME OF LOVE, also free.
Below is a link where you can download FIVE first-in-series novels absolutely FREE.
www.MelissaFoster.com/LIBFree
Visit Melissa’s Reader Goodies page for…
- Complete Love in Bloom series list
- FREE downloadable reading order, series checklists, and more
www.MelissaFoster.com/RG
More Books By Melissa
LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES order
Love in Bloom books may be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters from each series carry forward to the next.
SNOW SISTERS
Sisters in Love
Sisters in Bloom
Sisters in White
THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)
Lovers at Heart
Destined for Love
Friendship on Fire
Sea of Love
Bursting with Love
Hearts at Play
THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO)
Taken by Love
Fated for Love
Romancing My Love
Flirting with Love
Dreaming of Love
Crashing into Love
THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)
Healed by Love
Surrender My Love
River of Love
Crushing on Love
Whisper of Love
Thrill of Love
THE BRADENS (Pleasant Hill, MD)
Anything for Love
BRADEN WORLD NOVELLAS
Daring Her Love
Promise My Love
Our New Love
Story of Love
THE REMINGTONS
Game of Love
Stroke of Love
Flames of Love
Slope of Love
Read, Write, Love
Touched by Love
SEASIDE SUMMERS
Seaside Dreams
Seaside Hearts
Seaside Sunsets
Seaside Secrets
Seaside Nights
Seaside Embrace
Seaside Lovers
Seaside Whispers
BAYSIDE SUMMERS
Bayside Desires
Bayside Passions
THE RYDERS
Seized by Love
Claimed by Love
Chased by Love
Rescued by Love
Swept Into Love
SEXY STAND-ALONE ROMANCE NOVELS
Tru Blue (Set in Peaceful Harbor)
Truly, Madly, Whiskey
THE MONTGOMERYS
Embracing Her Heart
Our Wicked Hearts
Wild, Crazy, Heart
Sweet, Sexy, Heart
BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK
WILD BOYS
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper
BAD BOYS
Mick
Dylan
Carson
Brett
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS
Includes characters from the Love in Bloom series
Catching Cassidy
Discovering Delilah
Tempting Tristan
Standalone Books by Melissa
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Love, Lies & Mystery (3-book bundle)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
Acknowledgments
I know Aiyla’s story is not a typical one for the romance genre, and despite many people trying to talk me out of writing her amputation into the book, I felt her story needed to be told in the way it had come to me. I hope you have enjoyed reading about the strength of Ty and Aiyla’s love, the commitment of family, and the determination of one woman to make the right choice for herself and for her relationship. In researching Aiyla’s story, I learned a great deal about cancer, treatment options, and the strength it takes for those who are faced with the disease—from the moment they are diagnosed, and ever after. I chose not to show Aiyla’s months of healing because this is not a women’s fiction novel, and Aiyla’s story was about more than the healing process. It was about love and romance and making it to her happily ever after. Here’s a secret fun fact about Aiyla and Cherise—part of the reason I chose their names was for the meanings:
Aiyla: (EYE-LUH) (www.babynamewizard.com)
A beautiful girl who is strong, a fighter, and is so easy to fall in love with. Her smile will light up the world and her eyes looking into yours is like heaven. She can be stubborn at times but very sweet and huggable. She loves kisses and will do anything for her friends and family. She sticks up for what she believes and won’t ever back down. She is the most lovable girl and she will change the world. “Aiyla”—Like a soft tiger.
Cherise: (www.sheknows.com)
People with this name tend to be orderly and dedicated to building their lives on a solid foundation of order and service. They value truth, justice, and discipline, and may be quick-tempered with those who do not. Their practical nature makes them good at managing and saving money, and at building things in the material world. Because of their focus on order and practicality, they may seem overly cautious and conservative at times.
I’d like to thank Susan Stottlemyer, RN, BSN, OCN, from the John R. Marsh Cancer Center in Hagerstown, Maryland, for her patience and willingness to answer my endless questions. Any and all errors are my own and are not a reflection of Susan’s input. I’d also like to thank the many other medical professionals who took the time to speak with me but chose not to be mentioned. And heaps of gratitude go to Kristen Weber and Lisa Bardonski for standing by me while I wrote this story in the face of many suggesting that I save Aiyla’s leg “because it’s a romance.” Having written more than sixty books, I enjoyed pushing the limits of the typical genre-appropriate stories and taking my readers on a more intense and emotional journey.
Cancer is never to be taken lightly, and I hope I did Aiyla’s story justice. There are many wonderful cancer resources available, and a good starting place for those who want to read about chondrosarcoma is www.cancer.org.
I hope you enjoyed Ty and Aiyla’s story and are looking forward to reading about Beau Braden and Charlotte Sterling in Anything for Love, the next Braden novel and the first of the Bradens at Pleasant Hill. I can’t wait to bring them to you!
If you haven’t yet joined my fan club on Facebook, please do. We have a great time chatting about our hunky heroes and sassy heroines. You never know when you’ll inspire a story or character and end up in one of my books, as several fan club members have already discovered.
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As always, loads of gratitude to my amazing team of editors and proofreaders: Kristen Weber, Penina Lopez, Elaini Caruso, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, Lynn Mullan, and Justinn Harrison. And, of course, I am forever grateful to my husband, Les, who not only supported my desire to get this story right with research and endless hours of medical explanations put in layman’s terms so I could understand every detail, but also encouraged me to be brave enough to tell this difficult and important story.
~Meet Melissa~
www.MelissaFoster.com
Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. Melissa has painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.
Visit Melissa on her website or chat with her on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event. Melissa’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback, digital, and audio formats.