I nodded. Checking my reflection, I decided I was ready. My tie was straight now, at least. I smoothed my hair, and my freshly trimmed goatee, and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. This wedding terrified me a lot more than the last one. I had to keep reminding myself we were really already married and this wedding was just a formality.
Still, the room felt far too small and crowded. “Gentlemen, I’m going to get some fresh air before ceremony.”
The round of guffaws and teasing about cold feet and second thoughts were no surprise, but I cut my way through the lot of them to the door, giving Wyatt a sour look when he grinned and refused to budge.
“Hey Doc, thanks for bringing Lydia home. It’s good to have you both back where you belong.”
“Careful, Sheriff, you might gain a reputation as a romantic.”
He rolled his eyes and scoffed at me. “You’re not back in fifteen minutes, we’re coming looking for you,” he said before he finally moved.
“I’d be an idiot to run out on the best thing that ever happened to me,” I said and slipped out the door.
“You want a shot of whiskey?” Daisy asked. “It’ll calm your nerves.”
I almost said yes. My nerves were a mess, but only because I could barely contain my excitement. Yes, in my heart we were already married, but having a ceremony would make it official in my mind. I’d opened the box on my secret dream and let it fly free. I’d never contain it again.
Beth, now about halfway gone in her pregnancy, fluffed the bustle on my dress. “This color of blue is wonderful on you.”
“It’ll match Emmett’s eyes,” Daisy added, waggling her eyebrows.
In front of the mirror, I turned one way then the other, admiring the dress and the color.
“Your trip changed you, Lydia,” Beth said, adding another pin to the style she’d crafted from my hair. It framed my face with soft curls. I almost looked pretty. “You’re not so timid. You stand taller and look people in the eye now.”
“Your beauty shines now,” Nellie said.
“That’s the glow of a bride anticipating her wedding night,” Daisy said, elbowing me in the side.
Emmett and I had abstained from any more intimate contact since we returned, pending my recovery, and our wedding. I had to admit, Daisy had a point. I definitely looked forward to sharing a bed with Emmett again.
But I had one thing on my mind that needed to be cleared before I did anything else—even get married.
“Beth, I need to say something to you,” I said. I hadn’t planned on saying it now, but in the two months since we’d been back both she and Emmett, and even Nellie, had fussed over my health, making sure I healed from all my injuries, and between being pregnant, helping Isaac run the ranch, and her other medical duties, I hadn’t had a chance to sit down and talk with her. Of course, those were all excuses for my not finding the courage to make amends with her.
“What?” she looked truly concerned.
“You’re like the sister I never had. And you too, Daisy, and Nellie. But last year I did something horrible to you, Beth, and I never properly apologized to you.”
Her face relaxed as if she’d been expecting something much worse. “I told you before, it’s in the past. It all worked out. You don’t need to apologize again.”
“I’m just so ashamed I hurt you and Isaac like I did.”
“You need your own forgiveness,” Nellie said. “You already have Beth’s.”
I thought about that for a moment. I’d spent so much time wallowing in my own guilt, I hadn’t taken the time to look around me and realize I was the only one still upset about what I’d done.
“I suppose I’ve always had trouble forgiving myself,” I said. “I never thought I deserved it.” Despite everything I’d been through, it was difficult to overthrow a lifetime of habit.
“For a teacher, you’re an awfully slow learner,” Daisy said, her cocked brow and thinned lips expressing her exasperation.
“She’s right. You need to learn how,” Beth said. “When you were gone, a piece of my family was missing. Every day I hoped you’d ride back into the yard and tell me you’d changed your mind and wanted to come home.”
“She was miserable to live with,” Daisy said. “Between missing you and being pregnant…” She rolled her eyes. “But we all missed you. I’m glad you’re back.”
“Thank you. I missed all of you, too.” I straightened the locket around my neck, a wedding gift from Beth and the girls. “You know, Emmett said something to me about family that stuck with me. He said that Randall and I accidentally shared blood, but that didn’t make us family.”
Nellie smiled and nodded, and Beth lunged at me, grabbing me into a hug. “He’s so right. Family is where you find it, and right here—this is our family.”
“You should probably promise her you’ll never leave again,” Daisy said. “She’ll be insufferable otherwise.”
“I don’t think I have any choice,” I said. “Emmett will be settling into a medical practice, and the city council finally approved my proposal for a library.”
“Don’t forget the accounting. Please?” Daisy said.
“I’ll see how much time I have. If nothing else, I can supervise whoever you hire. Either way, I’ll be too busy to consider leaving.”
“Did I hear something about leaving?” Emmett said, nudging the door open just enough to peek inside.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Daisy said.
“I couldn’t wait to see my beautiful bride,” he said, stepping into the room. “Would you ladies mind excusing us for a moment?”
“We don’t stand on tradition around here,” Beth said. “Just try not to mess up her hair.”
I laughed. Beth kissed my cheek, Daisy hugged me, and Nellie squeezed my hand, before they left.
“Is everything all right?” I asked Emmett once they’d gone.
“Everything’s perfect,” he said, digging his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck and pulling me close for a kiss.
His lips tasted warm and lusty, promising a lifetime of joy and fulfillment. I kissed him once more, then pulled back. “How did I ever get lucky enough to find you?”
“I suppose we have Randall to thank for that.”
“The only good thing he ever did.”
“As good things go, it’s one of the best.”
“That it is,” I said, brushing his cheek with a kiss.
“Reverend Miller’s waiting,” he said, offering me his arm. “Shall we go get married again, Mrs. Wilder?”
I wrapped my arm in his. “My pleasure, Mr. Wilder.”
To all my beta readers: Thank you for your sharp eyes and spot-on suggestions and attention to detail. You helped polish the story and whip it into shape!
To the Relentless Writers: As always, thank you for being there to listen to my whining and still offering your help anyway! You guys are my homies.
To Wren: Thank you for naming this book, for making me laugh, for tolerating me, and for loving Emmett and Lydia so much.
To my family: As always, thank you for being there for me. I love you.
To my readers: Thank you for your support and for your enthusiasm for my books. I’d be nowhere without you!
To Deena and eBookBuilders: My formatting wizard!
Watch for DAMIAN, book three of the CAINE BROTHERS, coming in April 2016.
Xander
By Margaret Madigan
Falling for the daughter of his sworn enemy means making a choice between passion and peace.
When Xander Caine administers a little biker justice to a wife-beating scumbag from the rival Ravagers, he and his fellow Huntsmen walk a fine line between keeping the peace and breaking a long-standing truce.
Gracie Buckner is the daughter of the Ravagers’ president, but she left the biker life a long time ago for college and a career as a photographer. When her sister’s husband beats her yet again, Gracie hires the Huntsmen for due process—the biker way.
>
Showing up at the Huntsmen’s tavern to confirm the job’s been done turns into an episode of hot—anonymous—sex when Gracie runs into the irresistible Xander. Horrified, Gracie bolts, only to run into him again—leading to more anonymous sex—at a local bike rally. The bigger problem is the instant—and deeper—connection that haunts them both. Once they finally reveal their identities, their fates are sealed.
The Huntsmen-Ravagers feud is the stuff of legends, and finally reaches a tipping point when the rivals learn of Xander and Gracie’s relationship, leading to an epic battle in the middle of the rally. When the dust settles the landscape of both clubs looks vastly different, but Xander and Gracie are determined to stand together in peace and celebrate their star-crossed passion.
Hunter
By Margaret Madigan
He had a billion reasons to be happy…until he met her. Then only one reason mattered.
When Hunter Caine takes over the CEO position at his father’s multi-billion dollar real estate development company, he also inherits his father’s sexy blonde personal assistant, Allison McDowell.
Allison doesn’t appreciate being passed around like property, but when she meets Hunter, sparks fly. Sure, he’s gorgeous, but if Hunter’s anything like his misogynistic father, Allison’s ready to resign.
Hunter’s considering the purchase of a resort in Costa Rica. It’s currently a couples-only resort, so he asks Allison to go undercover with him, posing as newlyweds. Allison’s skeptical, but it’s a free trip to Costa Rica, and Hunter’s easy on the eyes, so why not?
Those sparks turn into raging hot flames as Hunter and Allison explore the resort—and each other—and discover that what happens in Costa Rica may or may not actually stay in Costa Rica.
Making it Right
By Margaret Madigan and Merissa McCain
Adrenaline junkie Nina Osborne never misses a hockey game or an MMA fight on TV. After the storage facility she owns is burglarized, one of her favorite MMA fighters, Drew “Juggernaut” Warner, shows up furious and blames her for his stuff getting stolen. When Drew returns to apologize and clean up his storage unit, Nina parlays it into a first date and burgeoning relationship, which comes with an introduction to the exhilarating world of live MMA.
Drew has no idea when he brings smart, sassy, and super-sexy Nina into his life that she’ll rock the foundations of his carefully planned-out career. But when she decides that law enforcement isn’t doing enough to solve the burglary and takes the investigation into her own hands, protecting her jeopardizes his career. The smart thing to do would be to leave her be. Problem is, while he wasn’t looking Nina took a firm grip on his heart.
Nina’s determined to make things right; however, her investigating leads to big trouble, forcing Drew to fight both inside the cage and out if he and Nina are to have any hope of a future together.
Faerie Fate
By Margaret Madigan
Holly Spencer is a 22-year-old IT major who’s ready to graduate and find her place in the world. What she really wants is a good job and a condo with a view.
But when she’s rescued twice in one day by a mysterious man who claims to be a fae warrior, she’s plunged into a world she grew up believing existed only in fairy tales, and is forced to run for her life from warring factions who all want her dead.
Shadow’s on a routine mission when he runs headlong into Holly—the soul mate he’d given up on ever finding. Even when she refuses to believe they’re meant for each other, he fights to protect her from the very thing that brought them together, even when it means making a dangerous deal with Fate to save her life.
Gambling on the Outlaw
By Margaret Madigan
He’s gambled everything…except his heart.
Beth Caldwell is no man’s property. A gambler’s widow with a willful, independent streak, she’s already courting trouble after rejecting an offer of marriage from a foul-tempered and land-hungry cattle baron. But when Beth discovers a handsome outlaw hiding in her barn, she lands in a whole new heap of trouble…
Isaac Collins survived the Civil War only to find himself scapegoated for stagecoach robbery and murder. With nothing left to lose, he gambled everything on revenge and barely escaped with his life. Now he’s relying on the kindness of a fierce, strong-willed woman…and God help him if there isn’t something both sweet and forbidden simmering between them.
But Beth’s rejected suitor is no gentleman. He’ll do whatever it takes to get her land. And in Nevada, sometimes everything can ride on one high-stakes game of chance.
I write historical romance for Entangled Publishing and paranormal romance for Evernight Publishing. I write contemporary romance and science fiction through M&M Publishing.
I’m an Oregon Ducks fan.
I’m a donut and pastry addict (pretty much any carbs, really).
I like cats.
I’m terrified of balloons.
When I’m not writing you’ll find me in a college classroom teaching English, or working as a literary agent for an amazing agency…and of course, wrangling my family.
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Depending on the Doctor (Nevada Bounty Book 2) Page 24