Our Now and Forever (Ardent Springs #2)

by Terri Osburn

“What are you fretting about over there?” Caleb asked, tapping his fork on Snow’s plate to get her attention.

  “I’m fine,” she said a little too quickly. “No fretting at all.”

  “You really are a terrible liar,” he said.

  Giving her husband a narrow-eyed glare, she said, “Fine.” Snow reached under the end table on her side of the couch and pulled out a long box. “This is for you.” Before he could take the gift, she pulled it back. “But if you hate it, you have to tell me.”

  Caleb reached for the box. “I’m not going to hate it.”

  “I mean it.” She struggled for a few seconds before surrendering the present. “I won’t be mad if you don’t like it.”

  “Let me have my present, woman,” he said, ripping into the balloon-covered paper like a little boy on Christmas morning. Once he’d loaded her lap with shredded balloons, Caleb opened the end of the box and peered inside. “What is it?”

  “Take it out and you’ll see,” she said, anxiety making her words sharper than necessary.

  Turning his attention her way, he said, “Is that any way to talk to the birthday boy?”

  “You’re killing me.” Snow pulled her legs beneath her, sending the paper onto the floor. “Let’s forget it. I’ll get you something else.”

  “Now I’m really curious.” Caleb tilted the box until the triangular block of mahogany slid into his hand. Turning it over, he stared at the metal plate across the front that read his name. “It’s a nameplate.”

  “For your desk,” she said, as if this wasn’t obvious. He continued to stare as if waiting for the sliver of wood to do a trick. “You don’t like it.”

  Rubbing his finger over the engraving, he said, “I love it.”

  “Really?” she asked, doubting his sincerity. “Because you don’t have to lie.”

  Setting the gift on the coffee table, he sat back and looked at it. “It’s perfect.” Without warning, he leaned to his left and pulled her on top of him. “Thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”

  “Spencer made it,” she blurted, reluctant to take full credit. “It was my idea, but he did all the work.”

  “It’s the idea that counts,” Caleb said, placing hot kisses along her jawline. “Allow me to show my true gratitude.” He took her mouth in a searing kiss that communicated much more than a simple thank you.

  “There’s a second part to the present,” she murmured, struggling to remember her plan.

  The kisses stopped long enough for Caleb to say, “Oh, really? What could be better than a custom-made nameplate?”

  Tapping his chin with one finger, she said, “There’s a little red number in my dresser that I thought I might put on.”

  “You know, Mrs. McGraw, this is shaping up to be my best birthday ever.”

  She wiggled her hips against his. “Then hold on, Mr. McGraw, because we’re just getting started.”

  Chapter 28

  Though they’d chosen not to take Hattie up on her birthday party offer, Snow and Caleb did throw another event inside the spacious Victorian—their New Year’s Eve wedding.

  Technically, the ceremony was a vow renewal, but only three people in the room, other than the bride and groom, knew that fact. For all intents and purposes, this was the joining of two young people who were madly in love and ready to spend their lives together. A fact that kept a radiant smile on Snow’s face the entire day.

  The ceremony was small, with only a handful in attendance. Snow’s parents and a few aunts, uncles, and cousins made the trip up from Alabama. Hattie had insisted they all stay in the big house, and the visit started two days before Christmas, which made this the best holiday in Snow’s recent memory.

  Her new friends, who felt more like family every day, were also scattered about the room. Spencer and Lorelei served as maid of honor and best man, and they would clearly be the next to host a similar celebration. Cooper sat next to Carrie, who held two-week-old Molly in her arms. Simply looking into the little cherub’s face made Snow feel at peace.

  As for the mechanic, Snow almost didn’t recognize him. Free of grease, flannel, and backward ball cap, the good old boy cleaned up well.

  Rosie Pratchett dabbed her eyes, as did Pearl Jessup sitting beside her. Miss Hattie Silvester beamed at the couple she’d adopted as her unofficial grandchildren. If anyone wondered why the groom had no family in attendance, no one asked. The evening ceremony was filled with nothing but love and happy tears. Most of which were shed by the bride, with the groom spilling a few of his own.

  Finding a wedding dress on such short notice hadn’t been easy, but Lorelei, along with Carrie on the phone since she’d been in no condition to take a trip to Nashville, stuck with Snow until she’d found the perfect choice. The champagne-colored silk chiffon complemented Snow’s skin tone, while the illusion neckline and simple silhouette fit her style as well as that of the wedding. Caleb wore a tailored black suit, and the sight of him at the front of the room threatened to steal his bride’s breath away.

  How had she gotten so lucky as to not only marry this man once, but twice?

  “Are you happy?” Caleb asked as the couple watched their friends devour the cake that Lorelei had made. She’d been reluctant to accept the task, but once agreed, she spent weeks perfecting her decorating skills. The finished product was white and elegant and the best thing Snow had ever tasted.

  “I have never been happier in my life,” she answered, meaning every word. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  Caleb hugged her tight against his side. “Never,” he said. “We’re together ’til death do us part, remember?”

  “Once upon a time, I almost forgot.” She kissed his cheek. “That won’t happen again.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the tinkling of silverware on glasses. “Kiss!” Lorelei yelled.

  The happy couple appeased the crowd with a passionate kiss that garnered another request.

  “Get a room,” Spencer said, earning him boos from the rest of the attendees.

  Laughing too hard to continue, Snow pulled back and used her thumb to rub lipstick from her husband’s mouth. “I like this get a room idea,” she said. “Do we have to wait until midnight to ring in the new year with everyone else?”

  “Lucky for us,” he said, “this is a wedding, not a New Year’s Eve party. That means we can leave whenever we want.”

  “Then I suggest you take me home, my husband. Right now.”

  “Anything for my wife,” Caleb said, pulling her toward the foyer.

  The bride and groom ignored the protesting crowd behind them as they strolled hand-in-hand toward the exit. They had a wedding night to begin, and they’d waited long enough already.

  Acknowledgments

  There were times I was certain this book would do me in. Goodness knows I whined about the fear and panic often enough. Which is why my steadfast writing buddies, Fran, Maureen, Marnee, Jessica, and Kim, have my undying gratitude. Your restraint from telling me to shut up and deal, as well as your cheerleading and unwavering support, is a gift I do not take lightly.

  Special thanks to the smalltownmarketing.com website for providing clear, detailed, and easy to understand tips and tricks regarding marketing and advertising with small-town newspapers. Though Ardent Springs is described as north of Nashville, the town is actually based on Franklin, Tennessee (south of the capital), and while writing this book, I was fortunate enough to spend a week in the area. My fictional little town was brought fully to life thanks to Margie Thessin from Franklin on Foot. She provided a fabulous and thorough walking tour, sharing her abundant knowledge of the people and history of the area.

  And to my hostess for the week, Kim Law, thank you for opening your home and going out of your way to make sure I had a great visit. When you’re ready for a week at the beach, the door is open.

 
As always, I wouldn’t be on this crazy ride without my amazing agent, Nalini Akolekar. Thank you for your support, guidance, and occasional moments of tough love. Gratitude and good wishes to my editor, JoVon Sotak. May the next phase in your journey be an epic adventure. And last but not least, Krista Stroever worked so hard to help make this book the best that it could be. Thank you for letting me keep my groaners, making me sound smarter than I am, and, most of all, for caring about this book as much as I do.

  About the Author

  Photo © 2012 Crystal Huffman

  Although born in the Ohio Valley, Terri Osburn found her true home between the covers of her favorite books. Classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Little Women filled her childhood, and the genre of romance beckoned during her teen years. In 2007, she put pen to paper to write her own. Just five years later, she was named a 2012 finalist for the Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Award, and her debut novel was released a year later. You can learn more about this international bestselling author by visiting her website at www.terriosburn.com.