by Susan Meier
As she turned and faced the steps filled with now-silent wedding guests, her mom came up beside her. She put her arm under her elbow. “If you believe, I believe.”
Tears filled Piper’s eyes. “Oh, Mom.”
“I’m serious. Richard Hyatt was right. It is time for all of us to move on. You and Cade knew that. Even before you found those ledgers, I knew in my heart I’d been mad too long. I want to be happy.” She smiled at Piper. “Let’s do this.”
The silent crowd parted as Piper walked up the stairs to the church door. Don Wingard, long-time church usher, opened the door for her. She strode into the vestibule to see the double-door entry to the body of the church was open. The noise of people talking greeted her, but as they noticed her arrival, the chatting slowed, then halted.
Her mother turned her to the right. “Let’s just keep going into the bride’s room.”
She stopped, shook her head. “I want to be here when he gets here. I want him to see I did as I said I would.”
She walked over to Isabelle, the tall, willowy red-haired florist, and smiled as she looked at the perfect bouquets in the low white box. “They’re beautiful.”
Isabelle cleared her throat. “Fall weddings have the prettiest flowers.”
Her mom peered into the box at the three single rose boutonnieres. “These should go back to the sanctuary. When the Donovan brothers get here, they’re not going to have time to wait for us to walk them back.” She shooed Isabelle along. “Get them back there.”
Isabelle’s eyes widened. The florist might have happily made the floral arrangements and taken the fat paycheck, but asking her to walk the boutonnieres back to the empty sanctuary obviously felt odd to her. Still, she smiled, grabbed the flowers for the men’s tux jackets, and hurried back to the sanctuary.
Whispers floated from the hushed church to the vestibule.
“She looks pretty.”
“Different than her other weddings.”
“She’s going to be too embarrassed to stay in town.”
“With both of them gone, O’Riley’s will become a parking lot.”
She sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. “What time is it?”
“One minute till.”
Her chest tightened and tears wanted to form in her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them. She trusted Cade.
The minute dwindled to thirty seconds.
Thirty seconds became ten.
And ten became none.
The second hand on her mother’s watch reached the twelve and nothing happened.
Her limbs shivered. Oh, dear God. From the day she’d begun dealing with Cade, she’d realized that she knew nothing about men. What the hell had made her think she understood Cade? Worse, what had made her think she could believe her instincts enough to trust him?
The little bell on the altar dinged.
Her head snapped up.
Devon walked out of the sanctuary, followed by Finn, followed by…
Cade.
Her knees buckled, but her mom caught her. The organist began to play. Bouquet of white mums and orange zinnias in hand, Ashley took her first step up the aisle.
Ellie raced into the vestibule, grabbed her bouquet and started down the aisle behind her.
“Oh, my God.”
Her mom squeezed her arm. “This is it.”
With Ellie at the altar, the organist switched to “Here Comes the Bride.”
Her mom caught her gaze. “If you have doubts, please do not make me start down that aisle.”
She straightened her shoulders. “I’m fine. This is what I want.”
They stepped up to the church door. Stained glass windows picked up the fall sunlight and sent color streaming through the church, lighting the aisle.
All heads swiveled in her direction. She and her mom took a step. Then another. She felt the tension in her mom’s arm ebb, as the tension in her own body ramped up, tightening her legs.
Oh God. Was she going to run again?
She sucked in a breath. No.
She took another step, then another, then another.
Her gaze caught Cade’s. He smiled, and intense relief flooded her.
He loved her. And look how handsome he was. How tall he stood. How clear it was he wanted to be here. No hesitation at all.
Two more steps.
Which was odd. Not that she should be questioning her good luck, but there wasn’t a doubt in those dark, sexy eyes. So why was she shivering?
Three more steps.
Because he’d never said he loved her.
Because she’d taken the initiative the whole way through this wedding.
Because she was tired of being poor Piper.
Damn it! She wanted somebody who loved her. The real her. The crazy, goofy, I-love-sex her.
Two steps took her to the altar.
Their gazes held. She wanted somebody who was so proud to love her that he’d shout an I-love-Piper-O’Riley from a rooftop. Yet Cade had never even whispered it.
She could tell from the way his gaze shifted that he knew something was wrong.
Her mom released her hand, kissed her cheek.
A reverent hush fell over the people in the pews. The Dinner Belles were actually holding hands.
The priest grinned. “Well, Piper. I see you finally made it the whole way down the aisle.”
A titter of laughter rippled through the congregation.
She sucked in a breath. “Yeah, I did, but I think Cade and I need to talk…”
A gasp rose.
Piper straightened her spine. She was not marrying a man who couldn’t tell her he loved her. She was not settling. He loved her. And by God he better be able to say it.
“Can we use the sanctuary or will we be breaking some kind of protocol?”
“Oh, Piper, you’ve broken so many wedding rules already, what’s one more?” He motioned to the sanctuary. “Have at it.”
Cade’s brothers gave him confused looks as he caught her hand and led her to the room at the side of the altar. She didn’t care. She raised her chin. She was not Poor Piper.
They made the short walk and entered the sanctuary, where Cade closed the door. His stiff muscles and narrowed eyes made her swallow hard.
“What in the hell are you doing?”
She pulled in a breath. She almost said, “Tell me you love me.” But she refused, absolutely refused to belittle herself again. Today she was Proud Piper. “Making sure this is what you want to do.”
He chuckled and breached the few steps that separated them. “Oh my God. I flew from Montana to get here. Broke every speed limit from the Pittsburgh airport to Harmony Hills. Had Finn work his magic with a tux shop so we wouldn’t embarrass you.” He pulled her into his arms. “So, yes. It’s what I want to do.”
Her eyes drifted closed at the sweet sensation of being held in his strong arms. She tried to tell herself that his actions spoke louder than words, but she needed the words.
“Why?”
He pulled back and studied her face. “Why?”
“Yes.”
“Because I realized you were right. As angry as I have been with my dad, I’m not him. I don’t have to hide or be afraid. I just have to be myself.”
She almost collapsed with relief. “I’m so glad you realized that.”
“I am too.”
He reached for her again, but she skittered backward. “One more time… Why are you here?”
His face scrunched. “Because we’re getting married.”
“Why are we getting married?”
His frown deepened. “Because I love you?”
He said it so smoothly, so easily that her heart stuttered. No talk of not wanting to waste money spent on food and booze. No mention of their baby growing inside her. He went straight for “I love you.”
She bounced onto her tiptoes and hugged him. His arms wrapped around her and she breathed what she hoped would be her final sigh of relief of the day. “I love you too.”
>
“I realized it the day you came to Montana but kept telling myself you deserved better.”
“There’s no one better—”
He put a finger over her lips to stop her. “Let me finish. I kept envisioning you standing in the vestibule, waiting for me and knew I had to come and stop you. I’d actually come home to stop you. But when I got here last night it was too late to even call. Driving to Pap’s house, I saw the store and spent the night in the house where we’d gotten to know each other, and I knew you might deserve better, but I couldn’t live without you.”
“Oh, Cade.”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life proving myself to you.”
She held the gaze of his soft brown eyes. “You don’t need to prove yourself. Just love me.”
His voice dropped to a whisper. “I already do.”
“So let’s go get married.”
They walked out into the church to the sound of whispers, but as the crowd noticed them, the whispers hushed.
Father Macnamara said, “So?”
Cade showed him their clasped hands. “We’re ready.”
Looking over the top of his black frame glasses, Father said, “You’re sure?”
Piper laughed. “Yes. Very sure.”
The mass began as it should have ten minutes before. The priest walked over after the homily to perform the ceremony. When it came time for the rings, Piper’s eyes widened. They didn’t have rings!
But best man Devon pulled a box from his pocket and handed it to the altar boy, who handed it to the priest. He popped it open to reveal two rings. One a fancy ring covered in diamonds. The other a simple gold band.
Cade leaned in. “Guess which one is yours?”
“If you just decided to marry me last night, how’d you get these?”
“Money talks, darlin’.”
She stared at him for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. “You’re going to enjoy being rich.”
“You better believe it.”
Father Macnamara cleared his throat.
Cade whispered, “Sorry.”
And the ceremony went on to its conclusion. Walking down the aisle as husband and wife, Piper kept glancing at her sparkling wedding band. She was finally married. And this time it was to the right man.
They posed for pictures, then walked to the church hall, where the Dinner Belles had outdone themselves.
She threw the bouquet into Barbara Beth Rush’s hands and though at any other wedding Barbara Beth would have hooted for joy, that night she just stared at the flowers as if they were alien.
After the bridal dance, Cade scooped up Piper and carried her out of the church hall. He slid her onto the seat of his Silverado and kissed her soundly. When he sat behind the steering wheel, he handed her two airline tickets.
“Guess where we’re going?”
She glanced at the tickets. “Oh, my God! The Virgin Islands!”
“My family rented a house for us as their wedding gift.” He leaned in and kissed her. “We have a private beach.”
She laughed. “Let’s make sure we make good use of it.”
He started his truck. “I fully intend to.”
Epilogue
Piper had the baby on a very hot day in June. Sandy and Arthur Wojak sat in the waiting room with Ellie and Finn, LuAnn and Karen. She could have had any one or all of them in the labor room with her. When the real pain began, she decided she only wanted her husband in the room. Well, Cade, the doctor, and three nurses.
When Richard Sean Donovan was born, she was glad she’d opted for privacy. Tears filled her eyes. Ridiculous tears. The kind of tears that embarrassed a woman.
Cade said, “He’s perfect.”
“Really?”
The doctor chuckled. “Ten fingers. Ten toes.”
The nurses took the baby, cleaned him a bit, and wrapped him in a blanket for her. The waterworks started again. “Oh my God.” Her gaze snapped to Cade’s. “Look at him.”
“I already know he’s perfect. Which means I’m not exactly sure why you’re crying.”
She sniffed a bit, then sucked in a breath. “I sort of kept something from you.”
He frowned. “And that is…”
“I never thought I’d be a mom.”
He kissed her forehead. “Oh, Piper.”
“After all my shenanigans with weddings, I never thought I’d get married or have a child.” Her crying started again. “So thanks.”
“You’re welcome. But I’m the one who should be thanking you. I never in a million years thought I’d be a father. So thank you.”
Her tears ran over. “You’re welcome.”
The doctor pulled off his gloves and shook hands with Cade. “Congratulations. I have another baby coming in 2-B,” he said, inclining his head to indicate Cade should walk with him to the door. “I’ll check in on you later.”
Holding her baby, Piper said, “Thanks.”
She heard the doctor telling Cade she was crying because she was exhausted and knew it was true. She’d gotten married, spent time on a ranch because she and Cade decided to live at the ranch six months a year and in Harmony Hills the other six. She promoted her mom to assistant manager so she and Chuck Murray could run the grocery store. And immediately after Jeb Donovan signed the divorce settlement agreement, she helped Devon and an accountant work on the parameters for a charitable trust. She waddled around with a belly the size of a watermelon for the past six weeks, spent twelve hours in labor, and now she was just…tired.
Cade took Richie. “He needs to see the pediatrician.”
She nodded. “I’m so tired.”
He kissed her forehead. “Go to sleep.”
She said, “Okay,” and let herself drift off, confident that her husband would take care of their son.
And knew that, right at this moment, she was the happiest woman alive.
…
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About the Author
Susan Meier is the author of almost sixty books for Entangled, Harlequin, Silhouette, and Guideposts’ Grace Chapel Inn series. Her books have been finalists for Reviewers’ Choice Awards, National Readers’ Choice Awards, and Cataromance.com Reviewers’ Choice Awards. In 2013, her book The Tycoon’s Secret Daughter was a finalist for RWA’s coveted Rita award, and Nanny for the Millionaire’s Twins won the Book Buyers Best Award.
One of eleven children, Susan was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania and continues to live there with her husband, son, and two very personable cats. A one-time legal secretary and former regional director for a charitable organization, Susan found her bliss when she became a published novelist. She’s visited ski lodges and candy factories for research and works in her pajamas.
But the real joy of her job is creating stories about women for women. She’s tackled issues like infertility, losing a child, and becoming widowed. Her favorite stories are those that inspire laughter through tears.
Susan is an avid but terrible golfer and a woman who desperately wants to learn to cook without having to involve the fire department.
Visit her online at www.susanmeier.com.
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