by Lena Hart
She opened the shoe box and realized that she had grabbed her wedding shoes. More specifically, her maid-of-honor shoes that had become her wedding shoes. She smiled down at them, not sure how they had ended up in the wrong shoe box but glad they hadn’t gotten lost in the shuffle.
Her move into Damian’s home had been quick and haphazard. Many of her boxes were still packed, and every day she promised herself she would get organized. But between her move from Atlanta and Pops move to the memory care facility, not to mention getting ready for the upcoming farmer’s market and starting her book, there left little time for her to get settled in.
The important thing was that she was here and she was here to stay.
“Savvy?”
“Yes, I’m coming.”
She placed the lid back on the shoe box and got to her feet. She went to the other side of the closet where her wedding dress hung and slipped the box on the shelf above it. Her gaze slid down her dress, a strange warmth moving over her. She needed to get it back into its garment bag but had been reluctant to do so. Seeing it every day helped remind her that she wasn’t dreaming. She had actually found—and married—the man of her dreams.
Something glinted at her from the side of the dress, and she studied it closely. She pulled the dress closer to her and instantly recognized the gold pendant.
Lori’s brooch.
Once she got over her shock, she unfastened the bejeweled pin and continued to stare down at it. She had completely forgotten about it. With the wedding debacle, it was clear Lori had forgotten about it too. She needed to return it with a heartfelt thanks and apology for holding onto it for so long.
Suddenly, Quinn’s question came rushing to her.
Did you have all four?
Old ring, new dress, blue shoes, and…borrowed brooch.
She’d had all four all along and hadn’t even realized it.
Savvy smiled and blinked away the moisture that began to gather in her eyes. It appeared she and Damian would have a long and blissful marriage, after all. Not that she had questioned it for a moment. Every day, she fell more in love with him and every day, he gave her another reason to.
“Savvy.”
She turned to find Damian standing at the door of the closet, fastening the cuffs of his dress shirt. He looked up at her and regarded carefully.
“Is everything okay?”
She nodded and gave him a broad smile. “Everything’s perfect.”
He returned her smile. “That’s what I like to hear. I’ll be downstairs packing the car. You have fifteen minutes.”
“I only need two.”
“Yeah? Now you have five.”
Damn it.
She caught his quick grin as he turned away, and she knew he would threaten to leave her if she didn’t hurry. Served her right for being boastful. Savvy tucked the brooch into a drawer and grabbed the nearest sandals. They weren’t the best match for her dress, but they would have to do for now.
Savvy made it downstairs with enough time to spare. She helped Damian packed some of the fresh vegetables they had picked from their garden for Pops.
She looked down at the basket and realized it was missing something. “I’ll be right back.”
“Savvy…”
She ignored him and rushed to the garden. She picked a few of the flowers that had begun to bloom and arranged them into a lovely bouquet. Damian stepped outside, and his expression softened when he saw the flowers in her hands.
“Pops will love them.”
She looked down at the wild flowers and smiled. “Yes, I think he will.”
Without another word, she went to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. He folded his arms around her and held her close. With so much change happening in their lives, she hadn’t stopped to think how he was adjusting to it all.
On the surface, it would appear he was taking it all in stride, but she knew him better now. He missed having his father close, and he often thought about the moment when Pops’ memory will completely fade.
She knew this because she thought about it too.
It was why they made the trip out to visit him every Sunday and brought him a piece of their garden to remind him of home.
“Do you think next week we can bring Pops’ some of his okra?”
She lifted her head from his chest. “It hasn’t started sprouting yet.”
He smiled down at her. “Yes, it has. Look.”
Savvy turned to where they had planted Pops favorite vegetable and saw the tiny pods sprouting from the plant. It had been the last thing he had planted before his move to the facility, and she was excited to see this sign of life.
Her hand unconsciously rested on her belly. Though lots of change was happening for all of them, there were also lots of new, exciting beginnings. One of them being the possibility of a new family.
“What if I told you we were about to sprout our own seedling?”
Damian froze then moved to stand in front of her. Tension radiated from him as his gaze moved over her.
“Savvy, are you…?”
“I might be,” she confessed shyly. “I’m three weeks late, and I’ve never been that late.”
He continued staring at her blankly, and uncertainty began to fill her.
“Aren’t you going to say something?”
He nodded slowly then suddenly swept her into his arms. She gasped then giggled just as he placed his lips over hers. The kiss was deep and thorough. She looped her arms around his neck and let herself get lost in his embrace. When he pulled away, he was grinning from ear to ear.
“I love you, Savvy. I may not know much about gardening, but I promise I’ll make a damn good father.”
“I love you, too Damian. And I think you’ll make a great father. You know why?”
He smiled crookedly. “Because I’m cute and lovable?”
She cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Because you’re an incredible husband and a remarkable man.”
“I won’t argue with that.” With a wicked twinkle in his eye, he swept her into his arms again and captured her lips for another deep, breathtaking kiss.
Dear Reader
I just love Damian and Savvy together and I hope you enjoyed them too. Their story was my very loose spin on the popular film Something New (2006), after many requests from readers to write an African American hero. Though this was my first romance featuring a black couple, I’m a big believer that love is blind and we can all relate to finding and losing love—no matter the color.
There’s more romance to come in the Brides of Cedar Bend series. I know you’re eager to dive into Eric and Quinn’s drama, but first see how Jackson Matoa is recovering with the help of his unexpected caregiver Truth Richards in SOMETHING BORROWED.
xoxo,
Lena ♥
Coming next…
Recently widowed Truth Richards is filled with regret over the desire she’s harbored for her brother-in-law—a desire Jackson Matoa has tried to suppress in himself for far too long. When the grief of losing his baby brother takes Jackson down a dark place, Truth steps in to help him find peace again. Can the two of these broken hearts borrow each other's strength to find happiness again…or will the guilt of their attraction consume them both?
Reserve your copy of SOMETHING BORROWED.
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Books by Lena Hart
CONTEMPORARY
Brides of Cedar Bend series
Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
To Be Loved series
First Love
Because You Love Me
Because You Are Mine
Because This Is Forever
Standalones
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My Silent New York Night
Her Seductive Dare
It’s a Dare, Baby
SUSPENSE
The Queen Quartette series
His Flower Queen
His Bedpost Queen
Queen of His Heart
His Diamond Queen
City of Sin spin-off series
B is for Bedpost
The Devil’s Bedpost
HISTORICALS
Hearts at War collection
A Sweet Surrender
Amazing Grace
In the Morning Sun
About the Author
Lena Hart is a Florida native currently living in the Harlem edge of New York City. Though she enjoys reading a variety of romance genres, she mainly writes sensual to steamy contemporary, suspense, and historical romances. When Lena is not busy writing, she’s reading, researching, or conferring with her muse. To learn more about her upcoming works, join her Reader Group.
Connect with her on…
www.LenaHartWrites.com
[email protected]