Jem chuckled. “Noted.”
The four horsemen of the snow apocalypse arrived and shut down their motors, plunging the world into the stillness of a snow induced coma once again. Clay bounded off his ride and vaulted over a snowdrift blocking the end of the drive. He winced as he landed, slipped, then shot forward toward her. His footsteps were muffled by the snow on the steps and before she could blink, he’d swept her into his arms and swung her around in the waning snow flurries.
“Holy shit, I am happy to see you.” His lips descended on hers and expressed his joy without further words. His kiss turned suggestive, drinking her in as if she was the only thing capable of quenching his thirst. Pressing his hand to her butt, he drew her tight against his body, and whispered against her lips. “Damn glad to see you, spitfire. How you holding up?”
“I’m good… Better than good, right now,” she whispered. Pulling back, she pressed her hands to his smooth cheeks, the cold seeping into her palms. He’d shaved this morning. The idea of him in the bathroom cleaning up for their wedding delighted her.
“Ahem,” Sam grunted next to them. “Could you guys save that for the honeymoon, please? We’re kind of on a schedule here.”
Clay put her down with a burst of raw male laughter. She stepped into Sam’s embrace. “Hey, the photographer’s in a ditch somewhere between Salem and here. You might be on tap for picture detail.”
“I got it covered. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you two hitched without a hitch.”
Clay gestured to the white-coated front yard. “That ship sailed yesterday, Sam. You’re looking at the biggest snafu that could be thrown at us. Not to mention a fire. And a sprained ankle.”
“Right. Forgot about that.” Sam looked around. “Hey, where’s Lucy?”
“Her husband picked her up last night before it got too bad. He promises to have her at the farm by three. He’ll be bringing the SnowCat.”
“That’ll be handy,” Jack said as he and Noah walked up with extra snowsuits over their shoulders.
After hugging Noah, while Jem greeted Jack with a kiss, Pip gestured toward the house. “It’s cold. How about if we move this inside.”
Clay took the coveralls from Noah and walked into the front hall, dropping his load on the floor. Sarah descended the steps and joined them in the hall. He greeted her with a peck on the cheek. “Morning,” he murmured. “Thanks for being here for Pip last night. I hope it wasn’t too hard for you.”
Sarah shot a look at Pip. They’d stayed up talking after Jem and Malin went to bed. “I’d do anything for Pip. I wouldn’t have missed celebrating with her.”
“She loves you for it. So do I.” He eyed the garment bags, backpacks, and overnight cases lining the hall beneath the staircase. His brows knit together in a frown. “All of this needs to go?”
“That’s all of it,” Malin confirmed.
Jamming his hands on his hips, he shot a sideways glance at Pippa. “Don’t think it’s all going to fit, spitfire. Any chance you can consolidate a little.”
“We’re kind of already at the bare necessities stage, unless you want me to marry you wearing nothing at all.”
His lightning-fast, wicked grin told her how much he appreciated the idea. Running his heated gaze from her head to toe, he stopped on the decorated air cast she’d fastened over her jeans. He squatted before her for a close up view. He skimmed his fingers over the lace they’d hot-glued to it last night, then continued up until his hand rested on her inner thigh. Hot, insistent desire shot through her veins.
“Now, that’s a damn fine looking boot. It’s going to look a lot better coming off, though.”
“Again, could you save that for the honeymoon?” Sam grumbled. Stepping past them, he unzipped first one, then another of the garment bags. He pulled a bridesmaid dress from the first one and started shoving it into the second bag.
“Hey, easy there, Sam.” Jem nudged him aside, and gently tucked the forest green satin fabric into the bag, careful to avoid wrinkling either dress.
“Fine, the dresses can go in the bench storage area on the snowmobiles, but the overnight cases are out. Backpacks are fine, you can wear those.”
Malin squatted in front of a large overnight case, opened it up, and started to transfer the most essential items, splitting them between the two packs already there. Pippa shook off the reverie she’d fallen into while Clay had explored her leg and stepped toward the hall closet. She pulled out the kids’ school satchels and quickly emptied them, then tossed them to Malin to fill with the remaining contents.
Clay scooted up behind Pip and kissed her neck. She smiled when he sniffed, knowing the smell of her shower gel on her skin drove him a little crazy. She’d soaped up three times in the shower this morning, just to make sure the scent lasted the entire day and into the night.
“Spitfire, you are a lot calmer than I thought you’d be.”
“That’s because I’m marrying a man who can face down Mother Nature and find a way to beat her. We’re going to win, aren’t we?” She turned in his arms and gazed at him, searching his sea-glass green eyes for the truth.
“No question.”
She nodded. “Were the twins okay this morning? Mason is such a worrier.”
“They were fine. When we left, he was helping Scott shovel the walk outside the barn, and Mia was in the kitchen with our moms, doing girly stuff. They slept late this morning. I guess I wore them out sledding yesterday.”
“This has been one big adventure for them. They’ll never forget this Christmas.” She laid her head on his chest, the steady thump of his heart beating strongly under her ear. “I won’t either. But remind me to never marry you again in December. I’m not sure I can handle it.”
Laughter rumbled through him, a happy sound wrapping around her heart like a warm ray of sunshine. “At least I know you’ll marry me again. Come on, Pippa. What do you say? Let’s get you into a snowsuit and go get married.”
11
Pippa stood on the dark front porch of the farmhouse as the last guests disgorged from her dad’s Suburban. From their spot along the railing, the twins giggled as newcomers scurried across the cherry-red carpet leading into the barn. Dad swung the vehicle into an end spot and alighted. He stretched, then turned toward the porch. A broad smile illuminated his face.
She knew what he was thinking. Every task had been accomplished. Every guest delivered. Now it was time for him to do the most important job he had for the day.
He loped up the luminaria-lined walk just as Mom and Seeley stepped outside to join her and the kids. Pip grasped the edges of the red cape Seeley had insisted she wear, drawing them together. The heavy velvet served to ward off the chill of the December night. Clouds that had deposited twenty-two inches of snow on the area had finally dissipated and a brilliant half-moon cast glowing light over the landscape. Iridescent flakes glittered in the blanket of white. The perfect setting for a winter wedding.
“Mommy, it looks magical, doesn’t it?” Mia asked, her little voice hushed and reverent.
Pip slipped an arm around her daughter’s shoulder just as Mom’s settled around her own. She grasped her mother’s hand, giving it a squeeze. Her breath turned white in the chilly air when she sighed contentedly. “Mia, it is a wondrous sight.”
“Mommy, I can feel the love in the air.”
Dad’s laughter chuffed out, a deep, hearty sound. “Sure, now it’s quit snowing you can’t mistake it. It all turned out well, though.”
“Better than expected, thanks to your contact with the streets department. I can’t believe they already plowed the highway.” With one phone call, Dad had convinced the Granite Pointe Public Safety officer to pay attention to the road that paralleled the Sleepy T first.
“Knowing two town constables live a mile west of the farm helped. They always like to plow those guys out as fast as possible. They even managed to drag the photographer out of the ditch. He showed up about an hour ago, flustered and fit to be tied.”
The door to the gift shop opened, halting the flippant comeback Pip had on the tip of her tongue. Jack stepped out and lifted his arm, circling it overhead. Time to get the show on the road.
Butterflies took flight in her stomach. Giddy excitement flooded through her, a crescendo of emotion. Was Clay as eager as she was? How would he react when he saw them walking toward him? She smoothed a nervous hand over the velvet cape, searching deep within her soul for calm.
Dad cleared his throat. “Mason, will you help Grandma and Nana Seeley down to the farm. Mia, honey, you go with them. Your mom and I will be right there.”
Mason gallantly extended his crooked arm to Seeley, the antiquated, chivalrous gesture looking both out of place and hopelessly charming. Seeley laid her palm on top of his sleeve and together they shuffled down the cleared and salted path. Mia and Mom took turns wrapping their arms around Pip before carefully picking their way down the steps to follow.
Dad took her hand and turned her to face him. The smile on his lips was at odds with the tears shimmering in his eyes.
“Dad?”
“You know, Pip, from the day you were born, you staked a claim on me. The first time you curled your tiny fist around my finger, I was lost.” He held his index finger up and Pippa instinctively grabbed it. He clutched their joined hands to his chest where his heart beat strong and steady. “A man loves his wife and sons. But a daughter? A daughter will always own real estate on a father’s heart.”
“I feel that way, too, Dad.”
“I know. When you married Mark, I thought my heart would break, knowing there was a man more important than me in your life. It was a selfish thought, one I’m not proud of. But I loved Mark, still do. I know you do, too.”
She nodded, blinking tears of her own away. But today wasn’t about Mark. It was about spending the rest of her life with Clay. The man who’d unfrozen her soul, who’d battered against the defenses she’d carefully constructed to avoid intense physical pain that came from losing someone she loved. It had been an effective, lonely strategy.
But Clay had been relentless. Their relationship had started as a clandestine, physical affair. It hadn’t taken long for it to evolve to a place where he now waited eagerly at a makeshift altar in the gift shop of a Christmas tree farm. Every fiber in her being strained to walk down the aisle toward him and their future together.
Dad put a hand to her cheek. “I guess what I’m trying to say, Pipsqueak, is I know Clay is number one in your life, the way your mom is my number one. Your mom and I couldn’t wish for a better man for you. He’ll be a great dad to our grandkids. One look at Clay, and I can see the love he holds for you. I’ve watched you come alive again since you’ve met him.”
“Dad—”
“Don’t interrupt. I want to get this out without embarrassing myself by breaking down in tears. You’re a warm, loving woman. You deserve to be loved the way Mark loved you. The way Clay does. I’ll be exceptionally proud to call him my son.” He inhaled deeply and huffed the breath back out in a cloud. “Okay, now it’s your turn to talk.”
“I got nothing, Dad.” Her lips trembled as she stood in the circle of his arms. “I love you so much.”
“Back at ya, Pipsqueak. Now, are you ready to take a walk?”
He stepped away and tucked her chilled hand in the crook of his arm. He tipped his head to the side before leaning back in to press his lips to her cheek. The safe warm sensation that enveloped her every time she shared an emotional moment with her father swirled around her. She sent a silent prayer toward heaven that Mia might enjoy this kind of relationship with Clay as well. A woman’s father would always be vital to her.
They moved down the lane of glowing lights toward the shop. The soft flicker of candles inside the bags cast a golden gleam onto the hem of her ivory dress. The twins and their grandmothers awaited their arrival in front of the door. Mason and Mia raced up to her side, each child grasping her hands. When Pip had first talked to her parents about marrying Clay, she had asked them to precede her down the aisle together to “Pachelbel’s Canon in D.” She loved the imagery of a happy marriage her parents represented. Theirs was a love that had lasted, and she prayed to celebrate as many anniversaries with Clay.
Her mom had been the one to suggest that Seeley join them on the short march toward their seats at the front. There was no bride’s side, or groom’s. Everyone present at the wedding was there for both of them. Now, Dad stood in the middle and crooked out his arms. Seeley took his right, and Mom his left. All three grinned and blew kisses toward Pip and the kids. Jack opened the door. Soft strains of guitar music filtered out into the cold evening air. The trio entered the building and started the short walk to the opposite end of the room.
Pip bent at the waist and looked at her kids, her life. “You guys okay?” She smiled as they nodded fervently. “I love you both very much. Thank you for standing beside Clay and me today. It means the world to both of us.”
Mason scoffed. “Mom, you’re holding up the show. Let’s go marry Daddy.”
Delighted laughter rippled through her. “Aye, aye, Major Mason.”
Walking hand in hand, they stepped through the entry and waited while Jack shut the door behind them. Pippa’s eyes were riveted to the man in the charcoal gray tuxedo waiting at the front of the room. His lips parted as he stood with his feet braced apart, hands resting calmly at his side. The heat of his gaze crossed the distance between them. Love and desire glowed in the green depths and she felt the tug of it on her heart, which had swelled to three times the size, nearly bursting out of her chest.
“Mommy, look!” Mia pointed wildly at the ceiling over Clay’s head.
The family grouping of trees she and Malin had taken so much care to decorate now had a crown. Four new trees had been flipped upside-down and suspended from the rafters. The topsy-turvy trees had been primped and prettied with red ribbons, frosty white floral sprays and shiny silver bells. Hundreds of multi-colored fairy lights washed the entire tableau in seasonal cheer.
Beside her, the twins stared raptly at the overhead arrangement, oohing and aahing. Pippa dragged her eyes away from the trees and focused on Clay, who winked at her, a contented, satisfied grin on his face.
He’d done it again. Oh, marriage to this man was never going to be boring. With everything else he’d had to do to prepare the barn for this moment, he’d found time to surprise and delight her. Just as he had when he’d snuck into her back yard in the dead of night and replaced the small seedlings her kids had planted with significantly taller evergreens. She’d fallen in love with him that night.
A grin spread over her face until her cheeks ached with it. His smile grew in proportion until his shoulders shook with laughter. She surveyed the assembled guests, noting the pleased looks of wonder on their faces, and knew, deep in her heart, Clay would consider this a mission accomplished.
Mesmerized by the intensity of Clay’s gaze and the spectacle over his head, she barely noticed when Jack kissed her, then skirted around the rented chairs and walked along the wall until he reached the front and took his position between Clay and Sam, leaving space for Mason.
Jem and Sarah stood on the left, each holding two bouquets. One for Mia and a larger bouquet of white roses, evergreens, and red berries for her. The space glowed with the light from hundreds of tiny white lights and was pleasantly warm thanks to dozens of lit candles. Pippa unclasped the red velvet cape and shrugged it from her shoulders. Depositing it on a peg next to the door, she then helped Mason and Mia out of their coats. Turning back to face front, the smile on Clay’s face when he saw her in her wedding gown for the first time ramped up the wattage in the room.
The guitarist began playing Mendelssohn’s, “Wedding March,” her cue to move down the aisle to her future. Grasping her children’s hands, they started the short stroll to where Clay waited. Moisture shimmered in his eyes, drawing tears to her own. Blinking, they spilled over, slipping down her cheeks. The expression on
Clay’s face as they got closer was one she’d hold in her heart forever.
Still two steps to go, the kids paused, then threw their arms around her waist, squeezing her tight. She wrapped her arms around them in return. Clay grunted and stepped away from the altar, swiftly joining in the family hug. All around them, applause erupted as he first kissed the top of the twins’ heads then locked his lips to hers.
“I love you so much. I feel like I’ve waited forever for this moment. I thought it would never get here,” Clay whispered as he rained kisses over her face.
Pippa didn’t care if she kept her guests waiting while they had a family meeting in front of them. She gestured to the display above their heads. “How did you do this?”
Clay slid his arm around her shoulder and faced front, away from their audience. Mason and Mia took up a position in front of them. “It was Malin’s idea. Your brothers, Scott, and the Murphy’s helped. That’s why Lucy had to leave early last night. She pitch-hit for Malin since it would look suspicious if Mal left the party.”
She searched the seated guests for her friends and sent a broad, happy grin their direction. “I knew you two were up to something, but I never guessed this. Thank you.”
Seated together in the second row of banquet chairs, Malin and Lucy gave Pip a thumbs-up gesture before high-fiving each other. Jem stepped forward and handed Pip her ribbon-wrapped bouquet, then took Mia’s hand to guide her into the proper spot for a maid of honor. Mason scooted over and stood next to his uncles, leaving her standing alone with Clay at her side. The perfection of the moment settled on her heart, stirring like the strings of a soft, beautiful adagio.
He glanced down at her, sincerity and love shining in his eyes. “Every day I’ve known you has been filled with happiness. I know, I honestly know, my heart will beat in harmony with yours for the rest of our lives.”
A Winter Wedding: A Five Senses Short (Five Senses series) Page 7