“And Carl, I'm so glad you finally came home. She's been waiting. May you ever endeavor to deserve her.”
Lifting her glass, Greta toasted the new couple, and Blake saw Lucy wipe a tear off her cheek. He put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side.
“That was a good speech,” she whispered, and he chuckled against her neck.
“Knowing Greta, she probably didn't even write it down. She's always been the fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants girl.”
“I used to be really worried about you,” Lucy turned to him seriously. He sat back slightly but waited for her to continue.
“I used to worry about where you were and if anyone was being good to you. Finding out that this family is where you were hiding out makes me feel so much better. I'm glad you had them.”
Blake gave her a crooked smile and then planted a kiss on her lips. “I love you.”
“I love you back.”
The bride and groom were ushered out onto the dance floor, where they danced to Al Green's “Let's Stay Together.” Blake had never seen Carl look at a woman in complete adoration. His frown was non-existent and he was surprisingly light on his feet. Miranda's ivory gown shimmered in the soft light, her dark hair pulled off her neck and piled in curls on top of her head. She looked so young and so in love.
Lucy's hand slid over the top of his leg and she squeezed. He understood, without her having to say anything. This was one of those rare moments in life where everything was perfectly right with the world.
As the dancing progressed into the night, Carl never let Miranda go. With the exception of the dollar dance, where David demanded more dances with Carl than Carl wanted to give.
Blake was right about earlier, he did indeed make out with his wife on the dance floor.
“Is there ever a time when you're not stunning?” he asked in her ear as they swayed to the music.
“Yes, usually in the morning before I've had my coffee,” she reminded him playfully.
“You're right, that's when I would describe you as breathtaking.”
She blushed and slapped his shoulder lightly. “My, aren't you the charmer.”
“I'm hoping I get lucky and we can get out of here.” He bit his bottom lip and raised an eyebrow so she wouldn't miss his meaning.
Her smile said it all and he held her tighter, pushing his face into her soft hair and inhaling the glorious smell of honeysuckle.
Mike cut in, asking for a dance with Lucy. Blake moved aside and watched her glow from the edge of the dance floor. She was more than he had ever deserved and he was never letting her go again.
He was going home to Oklahoma with his bride after this. He still had a hard time believing this was his life. It was amazing how good it felt not to hold onto past regrets. To embrace the wild beauty of his youth and crash headlong into the future.
She caught him looking at her and she smiled. Oh, he loved her. Wild, crazy, unrestrained, dangerous love. She would forever be the song in his heart.
###
The Double Blind Study series continues with the story of Shane Brookings in Fault Lines.
Acknowledgments
This story holds a special place in my heart. It truly felt like bleeding all over the keyboard every time I sat down to work on it. I want to give a special thank you to those of you who came beside me during the writing of this and encouraged me to finish even when I felt like giving up.
Charles. What can I say that I haven't said a thousand times? You are the most reckless and most wonderful decision I have ever made. I want to take all my adventures with you.
Tara, my editor. You are extraordinary and you made this story more beautiful than I would have thought possible. Your talent is exceptional and I am blessed beyond words to have you in my life. Thank you for so calmly and easily talking me down during my freakouts. And also, thank you for not killing me when my mistakes were so horrendous and repetitive that you must have wondered if I was torturing you on purpose.
Scott Colby and the women of FFP (and Jon!) for holding me accountable and pushing me forward. Y'all rock. I wouldn't have made it without you.
Laura, Emily, Des, Mama Amy, Marissa, and Steven for reading the first draft and loving the characters as much as I did. I am so thankful for your interest, your insight and you feedback. Laura especially for keeping me away from the burn pile.
And finally, thank you, Dave Grohl. Just for being awesome.
About the Author
Heidi Hutchinson was born in South Dakota and raised the exact right distance away from the Black Hills. She had an overactive imagination very early on, and wasted no time in getting most of her friends in trouble due to her unrealistic and completely ridiculous ideas. Seeing as she was so lazy and also afraid people would think she was bonkers, she didn't write down any of the story lines that played out in her daydreams.
During her high school years, she took pen to paper and filled more notebooks than she is proud of with angsty, depressing, self-depreciating poetry. This led to her writing down more things: notes, ideas, character bios, plot twists that had no plot yet to twist. After years of cleaning up her own scraps of imagination with nothing solid to hold on to, she sat down and wrote the story that had been in her head the longest. Fueled by coffee and her unwavering and perfectly normal devotion to Dave Grohl, she discovered a writer living inside of her.
She still lives in the Midwest, though not as close to the Black Hills as she would prefer, with her alarmingly handsome husband and their fearless child. They eat more pizza than God intended and she listens to her music the same way she lives: loudly.
You can contact her on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/heidirhutchinson
In Your Honor Page 38