by Danica Avery
And what of her job? She supposed she could do it from here just as well as she could from the city. She travelled a lot for it. Obviously she did, since she was a travel blogger, documenting all sorts of different destinations. She could easily do that from Heart’s Peak. She even had a half-written article saved about the peaceful little town and its surrounding scenery.
She was quiet as she thought it all over. The more she thought, the more plausible it seemed. Of course, the biggest factor was Burley. She loved living in New York and she wouldn’t give that up for just anyone. But Burley wasn’t just anyone.
She looked at him now. His deep brown eyes. His mane of dark hair. His masculine face, forever etched into her memory. Simply looking at him sparked happy feelings within her. She wanted to touch him. To kiss him. To lie against him. She wanted to love him for the rest of her life.
She didn’t want to leave him.
She moved, without words, to hug him. She squeezed her arms tightly around him, her face nestled in the curve of his neck, and his strong arms wrapped around her.
“Will you stay?” He spoke up, since she hadn’t.
She could ask him to go to New York with her. That had been an idea she tossed around before. A seemingly perfect solution. But she realized now it wasn’t so perfect. She didn’t think he’d be happy there. He was a man of the mountains, of the simple life, of the country. He would be sacrificing more of himself if he moved, while she knew she could be happy in Heart’s Peak.
They could both be happy. That was the ultimate dream, wasn’t it? To have a happy life together with the person you loved with all your heart?
“Yes,” she finally said. The single word ignited a bright smile onto her lips. She pulled her head back to look at him. “Yes, I’ll stay.”
Burley’s eyes lit up and then he gave her the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.
“Really?” he replied, as if it was hard to believe. Dove laughed and nodded her head. Burley cupped his one hand to the side of her face and kissed her.
It was a fiery kiss, filled with passion and love. The kind of kiss that Dove could only describe as perfect.
“You just made me the happiest man alive, darlin’,” he said, when finally they broke.
Dove looked at him with that bright smile again lighting up her face.
“And I’m the happiest woman alive. I love you, Burley. I love you almost more than my heart can take. I can’t stand the thought of never being with you again,” she replied.
“Me neither,” he said. “I dunno what I’d even do with myself if I lost you. You showed up here and gave me life. You gave me hope. You made me see I could be happy again. I don’t even deserve you. But, Dove, I love you so much. You’re everything to me.”
Dove answered him with a kiss. Another deeply emotional kiss. The two of them fell back onto the furry blanket and lost themselves in another wave of lovemaking. It was the best time they had yet, because now they had the promise of their future together.
There were no more doubts. No more secrets. No more fears. They saw into each other’s hearts and knew that was where they belonged.
Epilogue
Burley
The sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. A few clouds hovered near the mountain peaks. Other than that, the sky was clear. The grass was bright green. It was littered with wild flowers growing here and there. The reflection of the bright sky on the lake made the water a gorgeous navy blue. It was a beautiful spring day. The perfect day for a wedding.
It had been six months since Dove had decided to stay in Heart’s Peak with him. What an amazing six months it had been. Burley didn’t think he could possibly love her more than he already did, but the more time he spent with her, the more his love for her grew and grew. She was everything he could ever want in a woman. Smart, funny, brave. She even had some sass in her, and she never had a problem putting him in his place.
The two of them now lived in Old Bennett’s house. Instead of reimbursing her for the repairs she had made, he helped her to continue fixing it up. It was much bigger than his own home. It was attached to the stable. It made the most sense to move into it. Especially if they wanted to start a family down the line, which they most certainly planned to do.
As for his own house, he rented it out to his best friend. It just so happened that Luka was looking for a new place at the exact time he decided to rent out his house. It seemed like the perfect solution for them both.
Luka stood beside him now, dressed in a navy blue suit that matched his own. BD was sitting at his feet with a small bow tie collar around his neck. The wedding was laid out right in front of the lake. There weren’t too many people there. Most of the people were Dove’s friends and family.
The people of Heart’s Peak didn’t shun him the way that they used to. Apparently him saving Dove had redeemed him in some way. Dove helped, too. If not for her, he probably would have stayed a recluse. Keeping to himself. She gave him a reason to get out more. He still had a long way to go to make up for the terrible deed he had done, but everything had gotten brighter since he met Dove. She taught him that things could change. At even the darkest of times, things could get better. She taught him how to forgive himself. That was the most important thing of all.
Music began to play as the bridesmaids started down the aisle. There were three of them. All dressed in soft peach colored dresses. They were Dove’s closest friends. Burley couldn’t help but notice the grin Luka gave one of the girls as she approached. It was Aria.
“Is there somethin’ you need to tell me?” he asked.
“What?” Luka replied. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Burley raised a brow at his friend then shook his head. The girls lined up across from them. When they were situated, each holding a lovely bouquet, “Here Comes the Bride” began to play.
Burley’s heart thumped loudly in his chest. He hadn’t seen Dove in her wedding dress. She wouldn’t allow it. He watched eagerly as she came into view. She was riding Mac. His beautiful white coat matched perfectly with her wedding dress. His mane and tail had been decorated with small white flowers.
Dove’s dress was smooth and velvety. It draped over the side of the horse, nearly touching the ground. It was loose at her hips and hugged her from the waist up. Her shoulders were bare, and her hair flowed over them in blonde, silky waves. She had a matching white flower in her hair. Her veil trailed over her back.
She looked stunning. It was the most beautiful Burley had ever seen her look. Honestly, she looked like a fantasy. A beautiful princess from a fairy tale riding a unicorn. Burley couldn’t help but wonder how? How did he get so lucky?
Mac trotted slowly up the aisle, and when the horse came to a stop, Burley left his place to help Dove off. There was a smile on his face. It couldn’t be washed away for anything. He felt so full of joy. He was marrying the love of his life. How could life get any better than this?
Dove smiled up at him, as the two of them took their place in front of the priest.
“Friends, we have gathered here today to share with Burley and Dove an important moment in their lives,” began the priest. “During their time together, they have seen their understanding and love for each other grow and blossom, like the wildflowers that surround us. Now, they have decided to live out the rest of their lives as one.”
The priest turned to Burley, and gave a nod of his head. A cue for Burley to speak his vows.
“Dove, you came into my life at my lowest point. I felt lost. Alone in the dark with no one to save me. But you saved me. You showed me the light. You showed me that I could be happy, despite my wrongdoings. You taught me to forgive myself. You made me laugh and smile in ways I had thought were forgotten. You complete me, Dove. I am honored to be your husband.”
He turned then to take the ring from Luka. Dove turned to pass her bouquet to Aria.
As he slid the ring onto her delicate finger, he said, “I, Burley Johnson, give you, Dov
e, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."
Dove smiled at him, looking down on the ring that now graced her finger. It was her turn to speak. Her eyes lifted and locked with his.
“Burley, from the moment I saw you, I think I was in love. They say things happen for a reason. I believe that to be true. If I hadn’t come here to fix up my grandpa’s old house, I never would have met you. You’ve taught me so many things. I was just riding a horse down the aisle, all because of you!” she laughed. “You make me feel safe and protected. When I’m sad, you’re always there to wipe away my tears. I feel so overjoyed to know I’m going to be spending the rest of my life with you.”
Dove slid the ring onto his finger, reciting the same words he had just said to her. They stared at each other with nothing but love in their eyes as the priest began speaking.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
Burley didn’t hesitate to close the gap between them. He pulled her tightly into his arms, his lips locking with hers. He felt her hands go to the sides of his neck, and he kissed her with every fiber of his being. He could hear people clapping and cheering, but his attention was solely on her. She was now his wife. Mrs. Dove Johnson. Burley felt like he was on cloud nine! This was the best day of his life.
He broke the kiss, and gripped her hand, as the two of them lifted their joined hands together and turned towards their friends and family. He felt Luka patting his shoulder. He glanced at his friend with a smile before he turned to his wife.
“I love you, Dove Johnson, with all my being,” he said.
“I love you, Burley, so much...”
They shared another kiss. When they broke away, Burley walked with her to Mac. He carefully lifted Dove onto the saddle, and then he was climbing up behind her. His arms wrapped around her as he used the reins to turn Mac towards the aisle. With a tap of his heel, the horse began back the way he had come. People continued to cheer as the two of them trotted by. BD went happily along at the heels of the horse.
Luka watched his friend as he rode off into the sunset with his new bride. He turned, his eyes going to Aria. She was wiping away a happy tear from her cheek.
“Are we gonna tell them?” he asked.
Aria looked at him, snapping out of her happy, wedding thoughts. “There’s nothing to tell. It was a one time thing.”
“You sure about that?” Luka teased.
Aria scoffed, “Totally. I go back to New York in the morning.”
“If you give me a chance, I bet I can talk you into sticking around.”
Aria rolled her eyes and began walking down the aisle, followed by the other two bridesmaids. Maybe Dove had found happiness in Heart’s Peak, but Aria could never imagine herself anywhere but New York City.
Thanks for reading!
Be sure to return to Heart’s Peak to find out what happens with Luka and Aria, in the next installment of the series!
If you enjoyed Redemption, please consider leaving a review. We would greatly appreciate it, and future readers checking out the book would be thankful too.
About the Author
Danica Avery is the joint effort of two novelists who came together to write this story. Longtime friends, and practically sisters, D. and A. have been writing together for seventeen years. They enjoy bringing romance stories to life in a wide range of settings with all sorts of different character types. Variety is the spice of life, after all.
When they’re not creating new stories, they have fun playing video games, and separately they enjoy crochet and dog training. They’re both animal lovers and neither could imagine a life without their furry companions. Don’t ask which is better between cats and dogs, though, or you’ll get two different answers.
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www.danicaavery.com
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