by Lila Felix
She half-ass slapped my shoulder, “I should’ve never let you watch that crap—and it’s Dawson’s Creek, Hillbilly. Now you’ve got all kinds of ideas. And I’m sure Henry and Mallory would be just peachy with me spending the night at your house.”
“They would if you were my wife.”
And suddenly the air swirled charged seriousness around us.
“And if you were my husband, there would be no more window talks. I’m going to miss that.” She pouted out her bottom lip at me—that pouty, bottom lip that was always a little warmer than the top one.
“I promise that even when we’re married, I will sit outside our bedroom window and court you. I’m not gonna stop chasing my girl just because I put a ring on your finger. I’ll sit outside our window, I’ll dance with you under the pear trees—I’ll even bring you in the barn for a roll in the hay. And if you want, I’ll bring you back to the shop and finish what we started on the workbench.”
Sometime after I began talking she’d adjusted herself in my grasp to give herself access to my neck. And the things she was doing with her mouth—we might not make it out of the driveway.
“I swear if you don’t stop sucking face in my driveway, I’m gonna get my shotgun!” It was Henry, and nothing threw a bucket of water on me like her uncle saying sucking face and shotgun in the same sentence.
Cami reached for the handle in the inside of the cab and lifted herself the rest of the way into the cab. I jumped down and shut the door for her and got in on my own side. We made the trip to the high school in no time and Willa was goosenecking around already looking for us. She locked Cami in a vice as soon as she could get close. Bridger and West were already seated in the third row of family, saving two seats for us.
“I’m so proud of you, Will. I can’t believe you’re Valedictorian! We’re going to be in school together next semester!”
“Yay!” they both screamed.
“Ok, you two, looks like they’re about to get started. And Will, I’ve got a surprise for you after. So don’t leave before seeing me, okay?”
“Yeah, ok.” She looked surprised. I hadn’t even told Cami what I’d done. The first thing I’d done with my newfound wealth was set up college accounts for Will and Cami. Because they were the most important people in my life.
“What did you do,” Cami questioned as we sat in our scorching metal seats, “Ouch, it’s hot.”
I pulled off my jacket and placed it on the metal chair so she didn’t burn her legs.
“Thanks, Stock. So what did you get her?”
“A brand new Dodge Dart, red.”
“Nice,” Bridger and West fist bumped me.
“Are you bananas?” She screamed a little too loud.
“Why?”
“She’s a teenage child! You don’t just buy teenaged girls a sports car. Take it from one that knows! I wrapped my Porsche Cayenne around a street pole when I was seventeen just so my daddy would buy me a brand new one!”
I put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. I loved how she cared for my sister. She treated her as well if not better than I did.
“Cami, Will is not your typical teenage girl. She’s smart, she’s practical, and she’s extremely responsible. She’s the damned Valedictorian. She deserves it.”
She sighed, “She does. You’re right. I just worry about her.”
“And that’s what I love about you.”
We chatted with Bridger and West through droning speeches and announcements until we heard her name being called. When it was Willa’s turn, Cami screamed as loud as she could and it made Will break out in a smile, wider than I’d ever seen. I hadn’t raised her my whole life, but she was my daughter no matter what anyone said. I sent up a prayer that she was as lucky as I was to find someone like Cami. I could tell something was up with Bridger and when Jesse walked across the stage, he got up and left, mumbling something about women. I needed to find out what was going on with him.
As soon as the graduates threw their caps in the air, Cami was wrapped around Will again.
She looked twice as proud as I was.
She’d torn this iron heart apart with her bare hands. It had cowered and hidden from the light, but she shocked it into beating again. Never in my life would I have thought that a wild child from California could come in and claim me. But that’s what she had done. She found me, taught me to love, and claimed me as her own, forever branding me.
She saw the scrap metal that I was.
She stoked the fire.
She hammered, filed, and polished me, even when it hurt.
She saw what I could be.
And I was stricken.
Epilogue
Cami
Six Months Later
I stood there, swaying back and forth, swishing like a bell-or like Julia Roberts pretending to be a bell. Only, my dress wasn’t poofy and Richard Gere wasn’t waiting at the end of the aisle.
Stockton was-and he was so much hotter than old Richard.
Besides, he was mine.
My dress was fitted and slender as it hugged each one of my curves in delicate ivory lace. The collar was up to my throat, caressing it gently, making it look unbelievably delicate. It was probably more modest than most, but only in the front. While it connected with two pearl buttons on the nape of my neck, it cut open to a backless style, exposing more skin than these rednecks were used to before swishing down into a mermaid style train.
This dress was all Hollywood. You could take the girl out of Beverly Hills but you couldn’t take Beverly Hills out of the girl and all that. My custom Vera Wang cost my parents a fortune, but they were the ones that offered to pay for it. I had plenty of money-we had plenty of money thanks to Stockton’s booming design sales. However, this was their gift to me, one in full support of a husband they were pleasantly surprised with. Occasionally, they still looked down their noses at him and his country ways. Still, he had earned their respect by being the incredible man that he was and by taking such good care of me.
I was earning their respect too-one mature, responsible day at a time. Their love was still expressed with money and possessions, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t always be like that. I had a feeling eventually they would learn about love, just like I had to.
The exposed bulbs hanging on hundreds of strands, from tree to tree lit up the smoky night. They were large and romantic, and I felt like a hillbilly princess standing underneath them. Our lights had been interwoven with the lights his dad strung for his mom way back when and that thought alone made my heart swell and my future husband beam with pride. All the trees in the Wright’s backyard were strung from branch to branch and Stockton had to shut off every single thing in his house to get them all to work, but he said it was worth it. He said our wedding should have as much light in it as I do. He said our love was light and our marriage should reflect that.
I melted every single time he said something like that, right into a giant puddle of mush.
Our friends and family had gathered in front of me, the only thing separating me from my groom. They spanned out across his back yard in a hodgepodge of chairs and benches brought by everyone in the county it seemed. The sparkling outfits of the women and polished shoes of the men seemed to glisten under the twinkling lights above them-because even if this was a redneck wedding, it was still a special occasion. And everyone was in their Sunday best.
The aisle stretched out in front of me, flowered with orange, yellow and red mum petals. But it felt too long, kept my groom too far away from me. Because even while it was breathtaking and beautiful, I wanted to be with Stockton now. I wanted to have his arms around my waist, and his ring on my finger. I wanted his delicious lips on mine.
I was painfully anxious to become his wife. I could hardly stand the waiting and all this ceremony.
He looked so handsome standing on the other end of that long aisle. His gray suit jacket fit him perfectly; his long legs encased behind expertly pressed pants-his silvery tie
the perfect accessory. His head was freshly shaved, his face newly groomed. He was all of my hopes and dreams, all of my love and devotion. And he was waiting for me. Me, his bride.
I took my father’s offered elbow and clutched him tightly. I was excited to get down that aisle, but now I was nervous too. People stood on either side of us as we walked to the sound of a country string quartet-complete with upright bass and banjo-and watched me. I didn’t know what their expressions looked like-although I hope they all shared in just a piece of the happiness Stockton and I felt today. But I had my eyes trained on one man, only one man.
Even in the dark night, I could see his minty green gaze focused wholly on me. He fidgeted just a little, but for the most part stood as unmoving as ever-my stable, solid blacksmith.
My father guided me down the long aisle, past all of our guests, past the Mason jar lanterns hanging on the chairs that lined my walk and past my family that had flown all this way to support me-even Katie and her fiancé, who were still in the painful negotiation stage of wedding-planning. Well, painful for them because they had so many snobby friends to impress. And because they actually cared.
Stockton and I had planned this whole shindig in two hours the night he proposed to me. The night he took me back to the river-our river-and knelt down in front of the gurgling bank and promised me the world. He didn’t remove the citrine ring he’d first given me but added a band with matching tiny gems that encircled it. More light to signify his deep, everlasting love for me. Tonight he would add one more band to my finger-one that expressed him. A plain, silver one that he made himself; that he forged out of love and life and eternal dedication.
Finally my father stopped us in front of Stockton, the pastor and our attendants. Stockton had his two brother’s stand with him while I chose Willa as my maid of honor and Mallory. She hadn’t wanted to draw that much attention to herself at first, but after I started babbling about the wonderful things she had done in my life, and gone on and on about how much I loved her and couldn’t live without her she had eventually agreed just to shut me up.
That was how I usually got my way with Mallory these days.
The Richter children wiggled and fidgeted as they tried their hardest to hold their places in front of our attendants. I had my choice of ring bearers and flower girls to pick from that beautiful family and since I adored them all, I chose them all. I did the girls’ hair myself and Stockton tied the bow ties on each of the wild boys. They loved being part of our special day, even if now they looked like they were ready to drop down and roll around in the grass just to feel normal again.
We stood under an arbor handcrafted by Stockton. It arched above the pastor and when Stockton took my hands the pastor would move back and we would move under it together. It intertwined two pieces of metal-one gold-plated depicting me and one iron portraying him. Stockton’s iron was firm and thick while my gold was slender and delicate. They interwove in intricate patterns and displayed the genius talent that was making Stockton so wealthy these days. One day I was determined to build a garden around it, treat the ground with endless love and spend hours dedicating my care to it-just like I was planning to do with my marriage.
A garden? I really had gone through a hillbilly conversion.
Stockton’s smile reached ear to ear as he looked down at me, his eyes glistening with unshed tears that mirrored my own. The pastor asked my father if he was sure he wanted to give such a lovely daughter away, and while the congregation laughed at his joke, I just kept staring up into the intense green eyes of my future.
My dad finally turned me so I could give him a kiss and he could sit down next to my mother. I passed my bouquet of sunflowers and orange daisies to Willa and then turned to face my soon to be husband.
Stockton reached for my hands and I gave them over, happy to be touching him. He looked so handsome I could barely stop myself from leaping on him and demanding we start the honeymoon this very second.
He winked at me as if he knew what I was thinking and I blushed immediately. It was amazing he could still do that to me.
I had a feeling he would always have this effect on me.
The pastor started the service but it was nonsense in my ears. I couldn’t remember a single phrase he preached until the part where I promised my love and life to Stockton eternally. I remembered and revered those words as I vowed them to my husband. And soaked in his promises as he swore them back to me. My heart swelled with each declaration of our love to come. And even though they were all things that we’d been whispering to each other in stolen moments and intimate evenings, they meant even more tonight. Tonight we didn’t whisper or murmur them, tonight we avowed them, in front of family and friends and God himself.
Before I knew it the pastor was announcing us husband and wife and Stockton was devouring my mouth in front of those same people. I came up gasping for air, beat red and so turned on my legs quaked and I could hardly stand up straight.
Only a few more hours until I had him all to myself!
Gah! Why did that feel like forever?
We walked down the aisle to a declaration of “Now I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Stockton Wright!” Cheers and applause greeted us immediately and we practically glowed from the support and fellowship with us tonight.
We signed the marriage license immediately after and that was it. We were husband and wife,
man and woman. He was my forever and I was his. And nothing could have been more perfect.
The rest of the night was spent dancing under iron chandeliers that hung from more big trees and displayed more Mason jar lanterns. Stockton had fashioned everything himself, made every single detail of our night special.
And I knew that would be how the rest of my life would be.
He would always make me feel special.
He would always go above and beyond for me. Because he loved me.
We danced with each other and then everybody else, but finally we were back together and as alone as we could be on the dance floor. He swayed me slowly back and forth under the stars, under the trees his grandparents had planted and under the moon that felt like he held it in his hands for me.
“My wife,” he murmured against my temple. “My lovely wife.”
“My husband,” I giggled softly. “My wonderful husband.”
“Can I kick these people out yet?” he asked sincerely. “You’re gorgeous in this dress. You know you are. But I’m dying to explore everything underneath it.”
“Now, now hillbilly,” I tsked. “All in good time.” Even while I was as desperate to remove every piece of clothing he was wearing too.
“Just as long as you let me take my time, Duchess,” he murmured suggestively. “Every single minute of what’s left of this night. And all those good hours leading up to daylight too.”
“You can have as much time as you want, Stockton. I’m yours for the rest of my life.”
“I knew that the moment I saw you.”
I laughed, because he was joking, because even if he didn’t know that I was his the moment he’d laid eyes on me, I had been. The moment Stockton Wright walked into my life everything changed for me, for the better. And I knew that from this day forward every day would be a testament to that, every day would continue to make me a better person and deepen the love I felt for this man.
This wasn’t a life I’d ever envisioned for myself and it wasn’t in a place I’d ever imagined I’d set up a family. But this was where my happiness took root; this was where I bloomed into something good, something worthy, something honorable.
And this was where I would live out my happily ever after with a man so great I would stand in awe of him for the rest of my life.
Rachel’s Acknowledgments
To God, first and foremost. Thank you for this ability, for this opportunity and always this daily grace.
To my husband, Zach, you inspire me, you encourage me and you push me. You are the reason I can write a beautiful love story, you are the r
eason all of my characters are capable of great love. Thank you for your commitment to me and this career. I love you. And to my children, thank you for putting up with a chaotic household and a disheveled mother. You guys are the best thing that ever happened to me.
To my mom, thank you for the endless hours of babysitting, all that PR that happens at the grocery store, or bank or post office or wherever you are!! But most of all thank you for your never-failing support. That you are my biggest fan is the most important thing in the world to me. And I thank you for that.
To Candice, thank you for being the best Beta there ever was. Thank you for reading half books, half chapters and half sentences. You are so amazing!!
To my Hellcats-Shelly Crane, Amy Bartol, Samantha Young, Georgia Cates, Angeline Kace, Michelle Leighton, Quinn Loftis and Lila Felix. Words cannot explain how much love there is for you ladies!!! Thank you for your continual support and encouragement. Thank you for your listening ears and words of advice. You girls are the best thing that ever happened to the book world.
To The Reckless Rebels. You girls are seriously wonderful. I am so blessed by your commitment to my work and your infinite support. You have become something more than a team-you have become friends and I am honored to call you that.
To the bloggers. Girls. You are incredible. Your time, your encouragement, your creative posts have meant the world to us! Most specifically-Reagan, Caylie, Christina, Christy, Mary, Kat and Candace. Thank you for taking time out of your day to promote this book and us. And thank you for falling in love with Stockton and Cami just as much as we did.
To the readers, thank you for supporting me through everything. Thank you for taking the leap from my Paranormal worlds to this very real, very contemporary story. I get to write because of you and my gratitude could not go any place greater. Thank you.
And finally, to Lila. This was one of the best writing experiences of my life-and I truly mean that. I have you to thank for that. Thank you for being laid-back, thank you for making this easy and thank you for making this fun!! Most of all, thank you for making Stockton such an incredible character, for making every chapter inspiring. He was perfect for Cami-the only man that could be for her. I am so proud of what we created and I look forward to every future project with you.