by Soraya Lane
“I’ll take of your daughter, Gus. You have my word.”
He received a slap on the back as he put his arm around her father, embraced him before taking his bride’s hand.
“I know you will, son. It’s the only reason I’m letting you have her.”
Maddison’s smile took over her entire face as they stood together holding hands, eyes fixed on one another’s and nothing else. They went through the motions, they said the things they’d practiced and suddenly there was silence.
“Jack, you’ve prepared your own vows?” the celebrant asked.
Maddison squeezed his hand tighter, and he laughed. She thought he was going to let her down.
Instead he dropped one of her hands and reached into his pocket, because he’d spent hours sitting under a tree trying to wrangle the words, and he didn’t want to miss so much as one of the damn things.
“Maddison, twenty-two years ago, I spent weeks trying to get rid of you.” He paused, wishing no one else was hearing these words but her, that he’d made only her chuckle instead of everyone gathered around them. But it wasn’t about him, today was about Maddison, and it was his one chance to tell the world how he actually felt about her. “And then I realized that maybe having a girl sidekick wasn’t so bad.”
She had a tear running down her cheek and he moved her veil enough to reach for her face and brush it away with one finger.
“You became my best friend that summer, and I’ll never forget the kind of friend you were to me. It wasn’t until you came home that I realized how much I’ve missed you all these years, and as my wife, I know that the most important thing is our friendship. The friendship that we started as kids with scraped knees is what brought us back together, and my only regret is that my mother couldn’t be here today to see the woman you’ve become.”
Maddison had too many tears running down her cheeks now for him to wipe away– big plops that were forcing her to bite her bottom lip to stop her from crying.
He had to clear his own throat as he stuffed his note back into his pocket and took both her hands in his.
“I promise to love you and cherish you, Maddison, for every day of my life. I promise to be the dad you keep telling me I can be, and I promise to protect you against anyone and anything.”
Maddison smiled and lifted her veil, stepping toward him and kissing him, lips moist with tears as she pressed her lips softly to his.
“I can’t believe I thought you hadn’t written your vows,” she whispered.
He laughed. “It won’t be the first time I surprise you, baby.”
She kissed him again, before he cleared his throat and pushed her gently away.
“If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think it’s time for me to kiss the bride,” Jack murmured. “But later? You’re gonna be begging me to stop kissing you, Mrs. Gregory.”
She laughed at him, holding his hands and taking a step back. “You’re on.”
THE END
Want to read another great book by Soraya Lane?
The Navy SEAL’s Promise
(Amazon #1 Bestseller)
Click here
With only 48 hours back on home soil for Christmas, United States Army Corporal Saskia Cullen is desperate to spend every minute with her young son. So when heavy snowfall closes JFK airport and she misses her connecting flight, she’s devastated. Until Navy SEAL Luke Gray offers to keep her company… and then does everything within his power to get her home.
Luke is back in the US on leave, waiting to hear the details of his next mission, and Saskia proves to be a pleasant distraction. And when he hears that she needs to get home to see her son, he’s prepared to do anything to help the sexy single mom. Trouble is, he hadn’t planned on falling for anyone, let alone a beautiful soldier about to return overseas.
The Soldier’s Sweetheart
Larkville hero comes home!
Click here
Returning Special Forces soldier Nate Calhoun is struggling to adjust to small-town life. It's a relief to get back to the bunkhouse with only his memories and a bottle of bourbon for company.
Only Sarah Anderson can see straight through Nate's surly exterior to his pain. As childhood sweethearts they were inseparable—until he left, shattering her heart.
But hanging out like they used to—racing horses and shooting the breeze on the ranch—they begin to see that there really might be that spark still between them….
Other books currently available from Harlequin Romance by Soraya Lane
The Navy SEAL’s Bride
Back in the Soldier’s Arms
Rodeo Daddy
The Army Ranger’s Return
Soldier on Her Doorstep
Coming soon…
Rescued by the Rancher (February 2013)
Montana Homecoming (April 2013)
Montana Legacy (August 2013)
Montana Christmas (December 2013)
About the Author
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is living her dream! Working as a freelance writer and now a professional author too, she writes every day and loves her job. Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be writing romance for many years to come. Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real life hero and son on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze. For more information about Soraya, her books and her writing life, visit www.sorayalane.com or follow her on twitter @Soraya_Lane.