Reclaim Me

by Ann Marie Walker

  But when she emerged from the bedroom she found the house was still empty. Hudson was nowhere to be seen, and there certainly wasn’t an altar. Perhaps he was outside again? When she reached the kitchen she opened the French doors that led to the deck. It was empty and the lanterns on the posts remained unlit. She was about to go back inside when she heard the unmistakable neigh of a horse. She followed the deck as it wrapped around to the front of the house. There, at the foot of the stairs, sat a horse-drawn sleigh. The majestic Clydesdale greeted her with a whinny and a shake of his head, causing a giggle to escape her lips.

  “Right this way, Miss Sinclair,” the driver said, gesturing to the small set of stairs waiting alongside the gleaming white sleigh.

  “Let me just grab a coat.”

  “No need.” He reached for a white parka and held it open for her. She might have been getting married in jeans and a sweater, but her thoughtful fiancé had made sure to provide outerwear that was bridal white. “There’s a blanket on the seat,” the man added as he helped her into the coat.

  Allie took his hand as she climbed into the sled. Sure enough, a luxurious, white faux-fur throw sat folded on the crushed-velvet seat. Hudson’s attention to detail astonished her, right down to the bouquet of white roses hand-tied with a wide satin ribbon.

  With a snap of the reigns, they were on their way, the sleigh gliding through the woods behind the house. The sun had nearly set and the fresh snow glittered a silvery blue beneath the runners. After a few moments a small, rustic barn appeared in the distance. Through the frost-covered windowpanes, Allie could see the flicker of candles. She smiled to herself, knowing inside that barn stood the man she loved, waiting for her to walk down the aisle and into his arms. But when the door swung open, her breath caught and her steps faltered. Though she’d been thinking about this moment all day, nothing she’d imagined came close to the sight that greeted her as she walked into the barn.

  Candles covered nearly every flat surface, casting the barn with a soft, warm glow. Above them tiny lights twinkled like stars stretched across the night sky, and white blooms cascaded from the hay lofts, creating the feel of an indoor winter wonderland. A white runner dotted with rose petals formed an aisle that ran from the door to the far side of the barn, where more flowers formed an arch over the minister. But it was the sight of Hudson that had her frozen, barely able to breathe, let alone walk. His eyes met hers and the smile that stretched across his face told her he felt it, too, the longing that had pulsed between them since the day they’d first met. It was a tangible force, a magnetic pull bringing them together no matter the obstacles or odds. Only now it was even more than attraction and lust and desire and need. Now it was love.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Fucking breathe, Hudson had to remind himself. His heart pounded in his chest like a jackhammer. Ten years and inconsequential months, hours, days, minutes, and seconds blurred into I-don’t-give-a-shit.

  This was it. Showtime, Chase.

  He stood at a makeshift altar under a canopy of flowers and strands of lights, surrounded by dozens of candles that cast the vintage barn in a warm glow. Beside him, the minister stood ready to perform the ceremony, while outside snow flurries had begun to fall. Hudson looked at his watch, then stole a glance through the frosted window. The woman he loved was out there somewhere in a horse-drawn sleigh. Any minute now the doors would swing open and she would walk down the white runner that stretched the length of the floor.

  The thought of her standing in the doorway did nothing to ease the tightening in his chest. Hudson lifted his arm to run his hand through his hair, but caught himself. When Allie showed up, he didn’t want to look like he’d just rolled out of bed. Goddamn, he was nervous. If he’d been wearing a tie he would have straightened it, repeatedly. But in true form, Allie had surprised him yet again. So instead of a monkey suit, he stood waiting for his future wife in jeans and a cashmere sweater. His wife. The words hit him hard. He rocked back on his heels and blew out a deep breath. He was throwing off anything but cool, calm, and collected, and he needed to get a grip ASAP.

  The minister chuckled. “Relax, son. It’s just you and your bride up here.”

  No shit. It was just him and his bride in the whole place. Hudson rubbed his brow and a slight frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. Under different circumstances, Nick would have been standing at his side, busting his chops or cracking jokes about losing the rings. Truth was he felt like a bastard for not telling his brother what he was doing, but it was mission critical that their nuptials remained a secret. It was necessary; didn’t mean he liked it. In fact, he hated that a minister and a cellist would be the only two people to witness the moment when Alessandra Ingram Sinclair became his wife.

  Right at the moment the double doors parted, the cellist began to play, and Hudson’s nerves vanished.

  She was beautiful. No, that didn’t cut it. Exquisite. Fucking hell, perfect.

  He watched her make her way toward him to the cellist’s rendition of “Thinking Out Loud” and couldn’t help but recall the first time he saw her. She was walking on the beach—tan legs, sundress, light freckles across her nose, and blond hair highlighted by the sun. He never dreamed he’d be worthy of her, let alone that one day she’d be his. He was a punk back then and hadn’t improved much over time, but he’d spend the rest of his life trying to be the man she deserved.

  God, he loved her. What was taking her so long to get down such a short aisle? He had to ground himself to keep from meeting her halfway, but there was nothing he could do to stop the ridiculous grin that spread across his face. And damn if it didn’t grow wider with every step she took. “Hurry,” he finally mouthed.

  The smile she gave him in return started out shy, just a twitch at one side, then spread until she was full on beaming at him. “I love you,” she mouthed back. She looked so beautiful, yet nervous, and that wasn’t how he wanted her to feel at that moment.

  “Breathe, baby,” he whispered.

  The music slowed to a stop and then . . .

  “Today you celebrate one of life’s greatest moments,” the minister began, “and give recognition to the value and beauty of love as you are joined together in vows of marriage. Words can be beautiful, but actions are meaningful. It is one thing to talk, and one thing to promise; one thing to experience, and one thing to savor. This day is one thing; your lives another. The past is important, but it is in the future where your lives lay.”

  Hudson’s hand tightened around Allie’s. Standing at the altar with her felt like they’d climbed Mount Everest and had finally reached the top.

  “You are entering into the holy estate, which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred, than these you are about to say. Do you have the rings?”

  Hudson pulled a leather box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal two platinum bands resting inside. Allie lifted his out of the satin, which was holding the ring securely in place, and Hudson did the same with hers before tucking the box back into his jeans. He turned back to Allie with the ring suspended between his fingers and held her gaze as if he were holding her in his arms.

  “I, Hudson, take you Allie, to be my wife. It is by this ring and this ceremony that I make you that which you should have been so long ago. I promise to be your lover and your companion, your greatest fan and your most challenging adversary.” His lips twitched into an amused grin. “And to communicate truthfully and fearlessly.” His eyes roamed over Allie’s face as he slipped the band on her finger. “As I join my life with yours, take this ring as a sign of my love and commitment.”

  Allie reached for Hudson’s left hand and looked into his eyes as she began to recite her vows. “I, Allie, take you, Hudson, to be my husband, secure in the knowledge that you are my one true love.”

  A smile tugged at Hudson’s lips. Without even discussing it, they had both written their own vows, opt
ing out of the traditional.

  “I give you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in good times and in bad, to stand by your side in sickness and in health, and in joy as well as sorrow. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of need, and encourage your dreams and goals. I will laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, and above all else, cherish you for as long as we both shall live.” She slid the ring on his finger, and despite the multitude of problems they still faced, everything felt right in the world. “Take this ring as a sign of my never-ending love.”

  Hudson held her hand as they stood staring at one another. The emotion that shone in his new bride’s eyes reflected the way he felt. She was his love, his life, his home. They stayed like that, lost in the moment, until the minister cleared his throat.

  “Having heard the pledges of your affection, and the vows of your fidelity, I do therefore by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of Wisconsin, pronounce you husband and wife.” He glanced back and forth between the two of them and smiled. “You may now kiss your bride.”

  Hudson wrapped his arms around Allie and drew her close. “Finally, you’re mine,” he whispered just before he slanted his mouth over hers in a slow, languid kiss. When he pulled away, he noticed a warm flush had spread across her cheeks. He trailed a finger along her jaw. “You look beautiful.”

  “So what now?” she asked almost shyly.

  Hudson smiled. “The rest of our lives, Mrs. Chase.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The ride back to the lake house was a blur of falling snow, gentle touches, and whispered words. Allie and Hudson couldn’t seem to take their eyes off each other, much less their hands, which was why she barely noticed the lanterns that lined the driveway until the sleigh pulled to a stop in front of the house.

  She turned on the crushed-velvet bench. More candles encased in beveled glass dotted the stairs. “It looks beautiful,” she said.

  Hudson climbed down from the sleigh, and when he held his hand out, the moonlight glinted off his platinum wedding band. The sight of her ring on his finger made Allie’s stomach flutter. It was official. He was hers. Forever. When she met his gaze she knew he’d read the thoughts as they’d flickered across her face. And the glow that lit his blue eyes as he waited for his new bride to climb down out of their wedding carriage told her he was feeling the exact same thing. She was his and nothing in the world mattered more to him. In that moment she didn’t think it was possible for him to look any sexier. But then he spoke and her insides melted.

  “Come, Mrs. Chase,” he said, the corner of his mouth turning up into a mischievous grin. “Your wedding reception awaits.”

  Allie lifted a brow in question as she placed her hand in his. “What have you been up to?” She’d no sooner set one foot on the side rail when he bent forward and swept her into his arms. “Hudson,” she squealed. “What are you doing?”

  He chuckled. “Carrying my bride across the threshold.” He held her tight against his chest as he carried her effortlessly up the stairs. When they reached the top he pushed the front door open without ever tearing his gaze away from hers. “I love you,” he whispered just before their lips touched. The kiss started softly, almost reverently, but then Allie’s hands found their way into his hair, holding him to her as his tongue slid greedily over hers. His arms tightened around her as he deepened the kiss. She felt his every thought, every emotion, in the way his mouth moved with hers. Tasting her, consuming her, loving her.

  When he finally pulled away, she could hardly catch her breath.

  “That’s quite a smile,” he said. “And you haven’t even seen my best work yet.”

  Allie knew she was grinning like a fool, but she didn’t care. She was married to the only man she’d ever truly loved. And she was about to spend the rest of the night showing him just how much. “So I was thinking . . .”

  “I’m usually wary when you begin a sentence like that, Alessandra,” he teased.

  She gave his shoulder a playful shove. “I was thinking that one good thing about a private ceremony is now there’s nothing to keep me from getting you naked. Pronto.”

  A laugh vibrated deep within his chest. “As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm,” he said before his gaze darkened and his voice grew gruff, “and as much as I can’t wait to claim you as my wife, there are a few traditions that need to be upheld.”

  He set her on her feet, and for the first time Allie took in the sight of the living room. A small round table had been set up in front of the fireplace, where flames danced over two birch logs. White linen was draped over the tabletop and a bowl of white roses sat between two elegant china place settings. As she drew closer she could see that dinner had already been served, and an open bottle of champagne waited in a silver ice bucket. Whatever team of “elves” Hudson had assembled to pull off this very private reception hadn’t been gone long.

  “It’s perfect,” she murmured.

  Hudson pulled out Allie’s chair and waited while she sat. But instead of rounding the table to take his own seat, he reached for her butter knife and began clinking it softly against her glass.

  “What are . . .” She giggled as the answer to her unfinished question popped into her head. Hudson matched her grin with one of his own as he leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about the traditions, were you?”

  “Only the beginning, baby.” He gave no further details, but rather went about the business of pouring them each a glass of champagne and offering a toast that made her heart swell and her toes curl. They dined by candlelight, making small talk about the ceremony and laughing over what the minister’s reaction must have been to seeing her walking down the aisle dressed in jeans. Or how the sleigh driver must have considered them worse than a pair of horny teens. But mostly they just gazed at each other with an unspoken appreciation of the moment.

  Allie had just finished her last bite when Hudson reached across the table and took her hand. “I love the way my ring looks on you,” he said, his thumb brushing back and forth across the platinum band.

  “Staking your claim?”

  He chuckled. “Something like that. Since I’m assuming a tattoo that says ‘Mine’ is more than likely out of the question.”

  Allie frowned.

  “Hey.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I was just teasing.”

  She cracked a small smile. “I know.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  Her gaze fell to their entwined fingers. “I always thought once I put a wedding band on I would never take it off.” She gave an apologetic shrug.

  Hudson lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the band. “The day will come when this ring is never off your finger.” His gaze darkened momentarily before a lighthearted mirth lit his eyes. “But for now, time to cut the cake.”

  “Cake?”

  He pushed back from the table and stood. “Oh, yes. I might not be a professional event planner, but even a mere mortal such as myself knows a bride and groom need to cut a cake.”

  Allie turned and watched her husband stroll into the kitchen, completely smitten by him. The fact that he’d made the effort to incorporate so many traditions into their makeshift reception was all kinds of cute. Still, she couldn’t help but think of the traditions they were missing out on, ones they couldn’t have had either way. Even if they’d invited half of Chicago to their wedding, Allie’s father still wouldn’t have been there to walk her down the aisle. Hudson still wouldn’t have been able to dance with his mom.

  She straightened in her chair and shook the unsettling thoughts from her head. While it was true that she and Hudson had lost a great deal, they had each other, which was far more than either of them had thought possible a short time ago. And they had Nick and Harper. A slight frown tugged at the corner of Allie’s mouth at the thought of not sharing the occasion with the two people who meant the most to them.

  Hudson was sud
denly behind her, his lips at her ear. “We’ll do this again with the people we care about,” he said in yet another example of the uncanny knack he had for reading her mind.

  The cake he set on the table in front of her looked almost too beautiful to eat. With three layers and a cascade of flowers shaped out of what smelled like her favorite buttercream icing, the miniature creation was exactly what she would have chosen, just appropriately sized for a reception for two.

  “I believe the honors go to the bride,” he said, passing her a cake knife with a white satin bow tied around a crystal handle. Allie took it from him, noticing the interlocking A & H engraved on the wide blade along with the date.

  “I believe we’re supposed to do it together.”

  Hudson placed his hand over hers as they cut a single wedge of cake. He broke off a small piece with his fingers and lifted it to her lips. “Open for me, baby.” The tenor of his voice matched the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

  Allie pulled back and fixed him with a hard stare. “Don’t even think about it, Chase.” Smashing cake in each other’s faces was one tradition Allie was more than happy to skip.

  “Or what, Chase?” His serious expression dissolved into an amused chuckle. “Relax. While I did enjoy the end results, a repeat of our cookie decorating is not what I have in mind for tonight.”

  “And what do you have in mind for tonight?”

  “Cake, Alessandra,” he said, ignoring her question.

  Allie resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead simply held his gaze as he eased the bite into her mouth. “Delicious.”

  “Let me have a taste.” Hudson buried his fingers in Allie’s hair and pulled her to him. His lips moved softly over hers as his tongue dipped inside her mouth in a leisurely kiss. When it ended she was more than ready to leave the reception and head straight to the honeymoon suite, but Hudson seemed to be in no rush. He reached for a remote that had been resting on the table and pressed a button. “Time for the first dance.” Over the speakers Ed Sheeran began to sing the same song the cellist had played as Allie had walked down the aisle.