“And it was so funny, because I remember saying that my boys didn’t mind at all. You two would just play together and have a good old time. In fact, I remember you telling Tommy Mills that you couldn’t play once, and you didn’t have an ounce of disappointment in your voice. I remember saying, ‘At least sound like you’re sad that you can’t play with him.’” She chuckled, and Trent did, too.
“Tommy only had sisters.” They laughed some more. This time, Trent didn’t stop the tears that fell from his eyes. He shook his head. “Dang, we had some good times, didn’t we?”
She nodded and sniffed. “Sure did. And you know what I saw? I saw an exemplary big brother. Hoisting him onto the rocks when he couldn’t reach. Getting on all fours so Brett could grab on to the branch and climb the tree. I saw you spend hours one night teaching him how to catch a baseball in his new mitt.”
A box of tissues rested on the side table. Trent yanked one out and wiped his face with it. “Yeah, I remember all of that, too.”
“If the tables were turned, would you be hoping that Brett punished himself the rest of his life?”
Punished himself? Trent hadn’t exactly seen it that way. “I just don’t know how I can go on living a life that … that I took from him.” He shook his head, squirming beneath the pain his confession caused.
“So you’re not living Brett’s life, but you’re not living your own life either.”
He didn’t reply.
“Give counseling another try. Please.”
Trent silently considered that as a woman down the hall caught his eye. Dark hair, small build, and eyes that had somehow captured the sun that was hidden behind the storm.
“I found someone online. He’s close by, and I think he could really help you let go of all this …”
The answer came to Trent’s mind before making its way to his lips. “Yes,” he said, his voice raspy. “I’ll do it. Excuse me for a minute.”
He was on his feet then, striding toward the elevators as Jessie pushed the button. The double doors rolled apart, Jessie stepped inside, and the reflective doors started to close.
Trent darted forward. “Hold the elevator,” he hollered as he moved, just a few feet from the closing doors.
The gap grew smaller.
The doors met in the center.
And then bounced open once more.
Empty back corners and wood paneled walls greeted him as he stepped inside. He caught the lovely floral scent of her before glancing to his side where Jessie stood, contemplating the control panel before her.
Trent took a step forward, his eyes locked on her. Tiny droplets of rain—caught in her hair and her dark lashes—glistened beneath the lights. He reached an arm toward the panel. “Which floor?”
“You’re okay.” Jessie clenched her eyes shut and covered her face with a shaky hand.
Trent pressed a fervent kiss to her temple.
The feel of him—so warm.
The masculine scent of him—so inviting.
Jessie feared she’d never experience this again.
“Benny took a blade during a takedown,” Trent mumbled against her skin, “but he’s going to be fine. As for me, I think I’m going to be okay, too.” He pulled back to look at her, those ocean-blue eyes set on her face. “I’m going to do what I can to get right for you. If you’re still willing to give things a try.” The sincerity in his eyes was a promise all its own.
Jessie nodded, somehow understanding what he meant. Relief, gratitude, and something that felt a lot like love coursed through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded, tucking her face in the nook along his neck. “Yes,” she said. “I’d like that.”
He squeezed her like she might drop, kissing the top of her head once, twice. “I don’t want to lose you, Jessie. I’m sorry for pushing you away.”
With a tentative heart, she let his words sink in, offering a bit of healing and hope. She was anxious to hear what he had to say about the help he needed, though Jessie knew it had to do with the accident from his youth. It was almost comforting knowing that she wasn’t the only one with things to sort out and move past. But she was hopeful they could do that very thing together.
The elevator doors rolled open, and the sound of chattering echoed in the space.
Trent pulled away and cleared his throat.
“Oh,” an older woman said. “Is this your stop?”
Jessie leaned to look at the view beyond the retracted doors. They were on a different floor now. “Umm …”
“Yep,” Trent said. He slipped his fingers through hers and led her out of the elevator.
“I didn’t even feel us moving,” Jessie admitted as she nudged up beside him.
Trent glanced over one shoulder and then the other. “Me neither. Here,” he said, motioning to a glass door in the hallway. “We’ll go see Benny in a minute. Let’s step out here first.”
The door led to a small, outdoor patio of sorts. Nothing but a pad of cement, a bit of outdoor furniture, and a potted plant. A speaker blasted instrumental music, the sound barely making it over the rain.
Jessie shivered, welcoming Trent as he stepped closer, backing her against the building in a hidden cove. It was warmer there, protected from the storm. Still, a breeze blew in, toying with the scent of him and mingled with the fresh, falling rain.
“I love you, Jessie,” he crooned, running his parted lips along the lobe of her ear.
The words were honey to her heart. A smile formed on her lips as she moved to whisper in his ear in return. “I love you, too, Trent.”
She welcomed the kiss he pressed to her mouth. She sighed while gripping the back of his hair and sinking into the bliss he offered. The perfect push and pull of his strong lips. The tempting groan sounding low in his throat.
He stopped to press kisses to her cheeks, whispering her name before their lips met again. And Jessie knew that hope was alive in her once more. This is what she had been hanging on for. What she’d been instinctively preparing for. Trent was back in her life. Something told her—assured her—that things between them would work out just as she hoped.
Chapter 28
Jessie stepped onto a set of stacked planks, grinning at the turnout for tonight’s event. Griff, who’d just announced her, handed over the mic and gave her his ceremonial squeeze before stepping aside.
“Thank you all for coming to our first-ever safe driving fundraiser, featuring the Brett Lockheart Foundation!” A rush of gratitude caused her heart to swell as the attendees cheered. “With school starting next week and Halloween just around the bend, we felt this was the perfect time to raise some extra awareness about safe driving. I don’t have the exact numbers just yet, but I can say that the funds we raised tonight are the highest we’ve ever collected in one night. So let’s give everyone a hand for their generosity.”
Charlotte was easy to spot in the audience. Not only would her colorful outfit stand out in a rainbow, the woman belted the loudest whistle in town. Their eyes met across the crowd, and Jessie had to fight back the tears as she publically thanked her and the many others who contributed. In addition to the local business, she thanked Sheila and Nate, Shawn and his kids, Benny and Darcy, who were expecting in less than ten weeks, and many others.
“Lastly,” she said, “I want to have Trent Lockheart come on up here with his parents.” She waved them forward, grinning at the uncomfortable expression Trent wore. He might not like having this sort of attention on him, but that wouldn’t buy him any favors. He’d just have to endure it like the rest of them. “To honor this family and everything they’re doing for this new life-saving cause, we’d like to present them with some handmade quilts.”
Sheila joined them, carting a large gift bag in each hand. She handed one to Patricia and Garrett and the other to Trent.
A hush fell over the crowd as they opened the gifts, each pulling a folded quilt from their bag.
“Garrett asked me once if we make memory quilts. He mentioned
that Patricia had kept Brett’s clothes in hopes to have one made someday. So, in true Country Quilt Inn fashion, we crafted two quilts with Brett’s old jeans, jackets, and T-shirts.”
Trent and his parents looked over their quilts through tears, causing sniffles to echo among the crowd.
Griff gave Jessie a tap on the back and pointed to the microphone. She handed it over, hoping the man wouldn’t put Trent on the spot; she’d already sworn not to. Besides, he’d already done his part at the beginning of the night by introducing the cause and the story behind it.
The man walked over to Trent and whispered something to him. Trent nodded, and then took the mic from him. “I know I’m fairly new to this town, but I want to thank you all for welcoming me and coming together for a cause that is so close to my heart.”
The hanging lights reflected in Trent’s eyes as he spoke. Jessie couldn’t help but admire him, and thanked the heavens above for giving them another chance. The counseling sessions were helping Trent realize just how much good he’d been doing in the wake of his difficulties. He’d already taken several healing steps on his own—going into a field where he could protect others and speaking to youth about the accident. Which meant he could focus on what he needed to do most—forgive himself. His progress was well underway, enough that Jessie could sense a distinct difference in him.
“As some of you might have guessed,” Trent said, the mic up to his lips, “there’s a young woman here who’s captured my heart. The first week I was here I overheard a couple men at the bakery comparing her to Wonder Woman, saying that they could call on her for any need they had. I wasn’t sure how that could be true, seeing that on that same day she was proving to be my own personal kryptonite.”
Jessie laughed along with the rest of the crowd, a spark of anticipation stirring within her.
“Turns out,” he continued, “I needed her rescuing more than any of you.” He stepped over to Jessie, those blue eyes locked on hers, and lowered himself onto one knee. From there, he reached into his pocket, retrieved a small box, and flicked it open to reveal a diamond ring.
Jessie threw a hand over her heart as a gasp pulled at her throat. The heated thump turned fast and frantic against her palm.
“Jessie, I know that you’ll be forever greater than I am as long as we live, but if you let me, I’ll work to be worthy of you every day of my life.”
A hush fell over the crowd as a few cameras flashed, but Trent held her focus above all else. The face of her future. The love of her life.
“Jessie Jean Phillips, I love you more with each passing day and night and breath I take. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She nodded emphatically, watched as he slipped the sparkling ring onto her finger, and then threw her arms around him once he stood. The group cheered again as he spun her in place, lifting her feet off the ground. He kissed her in front of everyone, and as Charlotte whistled a cheer among the group, Jessie had the distinct feeling that both Brett and Grandma Jess were watching from the clouds. Perhaps Grandpa was, too. Beyond that, they were surrounded by the people who mattered most. Family and friends who’d encourage them in the next step of their lives. What a wonderful feeling it was.
Trent had seen the stairwell before him hundreds of times. But never had he looked at it in such a way. Soon those very stairs would hold his bride-to-be. He glanced down and straightened his lapel, a nervous bout of anticipation causing his heart to skip like stones along the water.
Benny nudged him in the arm. “Biggest moment of your life. You ready?”
“Yep.” Snow fell beyond the walls of the Country Quilt Inn, but all Trent felt was the warmth of his loved ones surrounding him. That … and anticipation.
He set his eyes back on the stairs as the wedding party started the walk. Charlotte and Sheila walked down first. Char was escorted by her husband, and Nate did the honors for his mother.
The matron of honor came next—none less than Trent’s own mom, who Jessie had grown quite close to over the last few months. Trent was happy to see his father escorting her, and smiled as he considered how long the two had been married and all that they’d been through and overcome.
Oohs and ahs sounded as Callie Cat scattered rose petals while on the arm of her little brother, Mackie, whose eyes were glued to the silk pillow he held—for good reason. Fastened to that very pillow were the rings. Just a glance at them made Trent’s heart skip again.
Shawn, the kids’ father, waited at the end of the aisle, encouraging them to move along when Callie got carried away with the petals. She took a bow once she was through and elbowed Mackie, causing him to perform a half-hearted bow as well.
The soft music stopped playing, and suddenly a new tune picked up: “The Wedding March.”
Jessie appeared at the top of the stairs, her white dress catching the glow of the chandelier and lighting her up like an angel. It struck him that her wedding dress looked an awful lot like the one she’d worn the night he bid on her. Shorter in front, making those long legs and ever-present cowgirl boots visible. This pair was light beige with white stitching that matched her dress. Most of her hair was pulled back, but a few well-placed wisps framed her beautiful face.
The word perfect floated to his lips in a whisper.
Was he the only one robbed of breath, or was it everyone in the place? Without realizing it, Trent had clenched his hands into fists. At once he uncurled his fingers, shaking them out, finally ready to receive the gifts life had in store for him. And what a gift Jessie was.
Inwardly, he voiced a prayer of thanks, and vowed—before doing so publically—that he would cherish her until the day he died.
Greeting Jessie from the other side of the foyer was Griff, the closest thing she’d had to a father. The man gave her a teary-eyed grin as she took hold of his offered arm.
It seemed Jessie was determined to look at every guest in the place before setting her eyes up front. Trent cleared his throat, straightened his lapel once more, and braced himself.
She dropped her gaze to the floor.
Just three stairs left.
Then two.
One.
At last she shifted her gaze, looking straight at Trent with a grin that could probably kill a man and bring him back to life again. He was pretty sure that’s what happened to him then, having forgotten how to breathe since she appeared. Another utterance of fervent thanks and devotion ran through his mind.
Griff gave Jessie a squeeze before placing her hand in Trent’s. He was so happy to have her near that he leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips.
“Hey now,” Pastor John said, “it’s not time to kiss the bride just yet. First we’ve got to make her yours.”
“I like the sound of that,” Trent mumbled, earning a laugh from the crowd.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” the pastor said, patting at his suit coat. “Ah, here we go.” He pulled out a toothpick and popped it in his mouth. “Would you like one too?”
At first Trent thought he was offering only him one, but he realized that he was asking Benny and the other men standing beside him.
“Already got one,” Benny said.
“Me too,” Nate added.
It took a moment to realize, but as Trent tilted his head to look at the men, he saw that each held a toothpick at the corner of his mouth, even little Mackie. He looked out at the crowd to see the very same thing. Shawn, Griff, and the guys from the station. His heart swelled as he turned back to Jessie. “Feels like he’s here,” he said under his breath.
Jessie nodded through tears of her own. “He is.”
Chapter 29
Jessie couldn’t imagine a better way to start a new year. The second of January would go down as her favorite day from this point on. And when she and Trent had children—God willing—she’d add new favorite dates to the list. How wonderful!
Gentle snow fell as she and Trent made their way to the decorated cruiser, along with the wedding guests who tossed colored
candy snowflakes into the mix.
Once Jessie was seated in the car, Trent pressed a kiss to her lips, then closed the passenger-side door, muting the sound of their cheers, except for Char’s record-loud whistle.
When Trent was settled behind the wheel—ridiculously handsome in a formal tux—he flashed that heart-melting grin. “Mrs. Lockheart,” he crooned. “My wife.”
Wings of anticipation fluttered over her skin. “My husband,” she said, loving the sound of it. She pinned her lower lip between her teeth to bite back a nervous laugh that threatened.
Trent started up the car, kicked on the heat, and veered toward the road. Jessie glanced up at the drifting snow in time for a tunnel of icicle lights to kick on before them, illuminating the falling flakes in a magical display.
Jessie gasped. “Who did this?”
Trent’s shoulders rose proudly. “It was Nate’s idea. Shawn and I helped him construct the piping, and the kids helped fasten on the lights. They were pretty excited for you to see it.”
“Wow! I’ll have to tell them how much I love it.”
“Sheila says she likes it so much that she plans to ask about leaving it up for the season.”
“That’s a great idea,” Jessie said. “It’d attract a lot of attention of passersby.”
“Yeah.” Trent stretched out his arm and rested his hand palm-up on her lap.
Jessie slipped her fingers through his, soaking up the energy that poured over her once more. She brought his hand up to her lips and pressed kisses to his palm before cradling it. Soon they’d be at Trent’s place—well, hers now too, she realized. There was nowhere else she’d rather spend their honeymoon.
“What was your favorite part of the wedding?” Trent asked, loosening his tie.
“You in a tux, definitely,” she said. “And our first dance as man and wife. Oh, and when you fed me cake without smearing frosting on my face. What about you?”
The Sheriff's Bride: Country Brides & Cowboy Boots (Cobble Creek Romance Book 1) Page 18