When He Returns

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “You should have brought my car,” Dalton said as they approached her vehicle.

  She gave his arm a tight squeeze and laughed. “No disparaging my little car.”

  “I wonder what it will take to get you to accept a new one,” he said as he lifted his bags into her trunk.

  “More than just you rolling up with one and trying to get me to semi-retire this one,” Sierra said with a laugh as she patted the hatch once she’d closed it.

  “I guess I’ll just have to get more creative.”

  They climbed into the car, and Dalton shivered when Sierra started it, and freezing air flowed out of the vents. “This is like the reverse of when we picked JD and Danica up from their honeymoon.”

  “Just give my car a few minutes, and you’ll be warm.”

  Dalton had no choice but to take her word for it, but he trusted her. “Do you mind stopping for food on the way home? I’m starving.”

  “I don’t mind at all,” she said as she pulled out of her spot. “Tim’s okay?”

  “That’s fine.” Of course, anywhere would have been fine as long as they were eating together.

  As she drove, she asked him a bit more about his trip. He answered her questions, though more than anything, he wanted to ask what she was thinking. What she was feeling. But he was going to let her lead that conversation. He’d already laid out his feelings for her—and the world—to see. He wasn’t going to pressure her to reveal hers.

  It didn’t take them long to get their food and find at an empty table in the restaurant. She chose the seat kitty-corner to his, and after he’d said a prayer for the food, she took his hand.

  Her expression was serious as she gripped his fingers. “I want you to know that my reason for turning you down before had nothing to do with how I actually felt about you.”

  “It didn’t?”

  She shook her head. “I already knew then that you were important to me. So very important. But I was scared.”

  “Of me?” The very thought made him feel a little sick. That was the last thing he’d ever want.

  “I told you a bit about my dad and what happened with him,” she said, her gaze dropping. “But even before that incident, he and my mother never took very good care of me. If it weren’t for Ethan, I would have been in a lot of trouble.” She looked back up and gave him an emotional smile. “Danica and I had a couple of good talks, and she helped me see that not being loved by my own parents had left me wondering if I could trust anyone else to truly love me.”

  “I do love you,” Dalton said.

  “I know, but that was scary for me.” She hesitated then said, “Scarier still was admitting I loved you, too, because then I had to risk getting hurt. To risk being rejected once again.”

  Dalton covered their joined hands with his other one. “I would never want to hurt you.”

  “I know that. Just like I would never want to hurt you…even though I kind of did already, by turning you down.”

  “If you’re willing to trust in our love, and trust that God wants us together, then that hurt is inconsequential.”

  “I do want to trust in our love and I do believe God wants us together,” Sierra said, her smile gaining strength. “I want to have a future with you.”

  “I’m glad to hear that because that’s what I want too.” Dalton leaned closer to her and, mindful of where they were, brushed a light kiss across her lips. “I’m so excited to see where God leads us. Together.

  EPILOGUE

  After a cloudy morning, the sun had finally decided to show itself just after noon. Though rain had been threatening, it had held off, so none of their plans had to be changed. Sierra was grateful because even though their plans had been simple, she’d really wanted their wedding day to unfold a certain way.

  She peered out the window of the upper floor of the home she and Dalton had designed together, and which C&M Builders had built on land north of the city. It was a heavily treed acreage that held not just the house where they would make their home together, but also Dalton’s recording studio along with a couple of apartments he’d had built to house musicians who came to use the studio.

  In a clearing amongst the trees at the back of the house sat a collection of white chairs forming a half circle facing a delicate wooden arch woven with flowers. Already people were gathering, all familiar faces because the only people who had been invited to witness their vows, were those who were closest to them.

  She spotted Dalton standing near the arch talking with JD and Jesse. She pressed her hand to the glass, willing him to look up even though she knew people said it was bad luck for him to see her before the wedding. Of course, even if he had looked up, he still wouldn’t have been able to see her since the glass on the windows was reflective.

  “Are you almost ready?”

  Sierra turned away from the window to see Danica standing in the doorway of the master suite. “I am more than ready.”

  “I can’t believe you wouldn’t agree to get married on our anniversary,” she said as she approached Sierra. “Then we could have celebrated together every year.”

  Sierra laughed. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t really want that. Plus, I think you’ll enjoy celebrating with just JD, the same as I’ll enjoy celebrating with just Dalton.”

  “Okay, you’re probably right,” Danica said.

  “And this way, when we have kids, you can babysit while we go out, and then we can return the favor.”

  Danica nodded as she reached out to touch the light spray of baby’s breath the hairdresser had woven into Sierra’s hair. “Speaking of kids, I wanted to share something with you that I haven’t told anyone else yet. Well, except for JD.”

  Sierra gasped as she stared at her friend. “No. Are you pregnant?”

  The smile that blossomed across her best friend’s face said everything. “We’re going to wait until I’m past the three-month mark to tell anyone else, but JD and I both agreed that we wanted you and Dalton to know now.”

  “Oh, I’m so happy for you,” Sierra exclaimed as she hugged her friend.

  Danica and JD had just celebrated their first anniversary the previous month, and now they’d have a baby before their second anniversary. What a difference a year could make.

  And that applied to Sierra and Dalton as well. When she’d caught the bouquet at Danica’s wedding, Sierra never would have imagined she’d actually be getting married anytime soon. Yet here she was, ready to exchange wedding vows with Dalton.

  From the day Dalton had arrived back from Toronto, and they’d pledged their love to one another, Sierra had been confident that this was where they would end up. She never would have confessed her love for him if she hadn’t been able to envision getting to this point with him.

  “You look so beautiful,” Danica said as she stepped back, her gaze traveling from the top of Sierra’s head to the hem of her dress. “I wasn’t sure about that dress when Brooke suggested it, but it turns out she was right.”

  The dress definitely didn’t fit the traditional style, but it suited Sierra just fine. It was made of satin with an empire waist and a sweetheart neckline. The bodice had a lace overlay, and that same lace went over her shoulders, creating a small cap sleeve.

  Around her neck was the white gold necklace that Dalton had given her when he’d proposed. It matched the bracelet, earrings, and ring he’d also given her that night. She’d told him it was too much, but as usual, he’d pointed out that he could have gotten her a car instead. That had become a running joke with them any time he’d bought her something even the slightest bit pricey. However, Sierra had a feeling that the joke was about to end. She didn’t doubt that a new car was in her not-so-distant future.

  Taking the single rose that Dalton had requested she carry from Danica, Sierra wandered back to the window to see who was there. The chairs were nearly all filled, and there were almost more children than adults present. And now the family was going to grow by one more—or two if Danica had twins li
ke Sammi had.

  Filled with a sudden eagerness, Sierra turned from the window. “Let’s go. I want to get married.”

  “Nervous?”

  Dalton grinned and shook his head at Jesse’s query. “Not a chance. Excited would be the word I’d use.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” Jesse said. “Because this is not something I ever plan to do.”

  “Never say never, my man. That was my tune a year ago.”

  “Hey,” JD said as he approached them. “Danica said Sierra wants to get this show on the road. Are you ready?”

  “More than,” Dalton said with a nod.

  “I’ll let them know.”

  Dalton walked over to where he’d set his guitar earlier. Picking it up, he looped the strap over his head and adjusted it. As he walked back to the arch, he let his gaze sweep over the people gathered there. It was pretty much only family with the few exceptions being his counselor, a couple of people from his management team, and Jesse. He’d invited the other guys from the band, but their schedules had conflicted with their date.

  Keenan Miller walked to where Dalton and his groomsman stood. After Ethan’s accident, he and Tami had moved back to Winnipeg to help out with C&M Builders since Keenan had a business degree and also had spent time as part of the company in the past. Since returning, he’d become another spiritual mentor for Dalton, and he had agreed to become licensed in order to marry them.

  Dalton glanced over at JD and Jesse as they waited for things to start. He’d chosen to have the two men stand up with him as they were still his closest friends. Makayla and Danica were standing up with Sierra. They’d debated flower girls and ring bearers, but there were so many children in the family, they wouldn’t have been able to choose just two or three.

  Instead, he’d arranged something to give each of the children a role, and once Sammi saw them taking their places at the front, she, Maya, and Grace worked to get the children into position. Arranged from oldest to youngest, Dalton had to smile as the one nearest him—Tristan and Shayla’s young daughter—tried to eat the flower she held.

  It was amazing to see the next generation lined up like that. Some had come into the family through marriage, but most had been born into it. He knew from conversations he’d heard that there were a few children not there. Ones who had been born too soon. They may not have been present in body, but their memory lived on in the hearts of the parents whose love had conceived them.

  Dalton imaged another child or two—his and Sierra’s—being added to the mix along with the child now growing within Danica, a secret shared with him by JD just moments before they’d come outside for the wedding. Another life to welcome. Another life to love.

  Once everyone was in place, JD texted Makayla to let her know. Soon, she walked through the opening that had been created by pulling open the large glass doors at the back of the house. Danica followed shortly after, the smile on her face revealing how happy she was to celebrate with them that day. Dalton watched them for a minute, but then Sierra moved into position with Ethan by her side, and Dalton’s attention was captured and held by his bride.

  As Makayla and Danica took up their positions near the arch, the strains of the string quartet faded away. Dalton could see Sierra’s gaze taking in the sight before her, and she smiled as he began to pluck the strings of his guitar.

  This is our day.

  The day our forever begins.

  Slowly, Sierra and Ethan walked across the wide deck to the stairs that led to the grass. On the first step, Benjie—Kenton and Avery’s eldest son and the oldest of the grandchildren—waited with a flower in his hand. He held it out to Sierra as she stepped down beside him. Transferring the single rose she carried to the hand that was hooked through Ethan’s arm, she took the flower from Benjie.

  As Dalton continued to sing, Sierra made her way with Ethan between the two lines of children, each one handing her a flower as she approached them. Slowly, the bouquet she held, grew.

  When she and Ethan reached the front row, Dalton’s parents were waiting for them. Taking the bouquet of flowers from Sierra, his dad held them while his mom tied the stems with a ribbon that matched the light lavender dresses that Makayla and Danica wore. When they were done, they each gave her a hug before his mom returned the bouquet to her.

  Then she was standing just feet from Dalton, her expression full of emotion as her gaze met his. But even though her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, she beamed at him.

  My love is yours.

  Your love is mine.

  Our love is His.

  Forever begins today.

  Grinning broadly, Keenan looked at Ethan and Sierra as he said, “Having been assured that the love you share and your choice of one another as lifelong partners is God’s will and that you have the blessing of your families, I now ask: Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

  “I…” Ethan stopped and cleared his throat. “I do.”

  Given how touch and go things had been with Ethan the previous year, seeing him walk Sierra down the aisle brought a lot of emotion with it for Dalton. Ethan had been a strong supporter of his and Sierra’s relationship even as he’d mentored Dalton over the past several months.

  Though he still struggled physically with the effects of the accident, Ethan had been determined to walk Sierra down the aisle, and now he’d done it.

  Dalton lifted the guitar strap over his head and handed the instrument to Jesse. With eyes for only Sierra, he walked to where she waited. After giving Ethan a quick hug, Dalton grasped Sierra’s hand in his and led her to stand in front of Keenan. Sierra gave Danica her bouquet then turned to face Dalton, taking his hands tightly in hers.

  He could barely contain the emotion that rose up within him as he gazed down at her. When he’d been living his drugged out life, he had never dreamed of a day when he’d stand before his family, preparing to exchange vows with anyone, let alone Sierra. Once she’d made the decision to love him, she’d shown him her love on a daily basis, and he’d done his best to do the same for her.

  Saying the vows they’d written for each other was emotional, but Keenan managed to keep things light-hearted as he guided them through the service. Lots of people might have said that the wedding didn’t live up to the expectation of the rock star he’d once been, but it was perfect for them. Being presented as man and wife to the family and close friends who were gathered there was something Dalton would never forget.

  As they all cheered, Dalton cupped Sierra’s face in his hands and pressed soft kisses to her lips. She wrapped her arms around him and returned his kisses, giving him a promise of the physical intimacy they would finally achieve later that night.

  “I love you,” he whispered. “Thank you for trusting me enough to love me in return.”

  “Forever,” she replied softly. “I’ll love you forever.”

  He kissed her again then said, “By the way, your wedding present is in the garage.”

  Sierra laughed, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him. “Somehow I knew that was going to happen.”

  “Figured I was finally going to get an opportunity to give it to you when you wouldn’t turn it down. Plus, as your husband, I need to know you’re safe, and that car of yours isn’t offering me that peace of mind.”

  “Husband,” Sierra said and grinned. “Just this time, I’ll take it. Because you’re my husband.”

  As they walked up the aisle to the cheers and claps of the family, Dalton spied his parents, his dad with his arms around his mom as she dabbed at her eyes. They’d seen their family through so much over the years and had done their best to blend two families into one.

  Dalton was grateful that they’d never given up on him. Had prayed him through to this point in his life. He had no doubt their prayers had brought him through those years he’d been gone. Returning had been difficult, but all of it had been worth it to have his life now. To have the love of God, the love of his family, and the love of the woman
who held his heart.

  It was only just the beginning.

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  FAMILY TREE