by Caroline Lee
He was laughing out-right at her enthusiasm now, as well as the fact she hadn't let him get a word in edgewise or answer any of her questions.
“I didn't take the time to dye the eggs, sorry. Plastic eggs, filled with some fun stuff.”
When she squealed again in excitement, he pulled out a cheap plastic Easter egg basket from inside the cabinet where he'd stashed it.
“You can't hunt eggs without some place to put them.”
“Ahhhh!” She was bouncing with joy as she snatched it from his hands and twirled around. “ I feel like I should go get my bonnet with flowers! It'll be just like when I was a girl!”
“Do you have a bonnet with flowers? Do you want one?”
“No!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the lips. “But if I did, I would know who to ask. You see, I'm married to this brilliant fashion designer…”
Married. Right. But their marriage was a fake.
He smiled slowly. If everything went well, soon their marriage would be real.
“Come on,” he said softly, and tugged her towards the backdoor.
Spread throughout the yard, under the stone bench and in the tufts of new grass and along the back of the swing, were twenty-two brightly colored plastic eggs. She snatched up the first one—a pink-and-purple polka dotted egg—and he loved her look of surprise when she realized it rattled. Inside that one was one half of a set of pearl earrings.
She gasped in delight and threw her arms around him once more.
He enjoyed this kiss she gave him as much as the other, but gently pushed her away. “There's plenty more where that came from, darling.”
She was laughing with joy as she raced around the backyard, snatching up egg after egg and opening them. Inside, he'd hidden not just pieces of jewelry, but things like theater tickets and little notes about reservations at her favorite restaurants. One bright blue egg contained a sketch he’d done of the two of them wrapped in each other's arms, while another was a business card for a local realtor. He wasn't sure she picked up on that hint, before she was rushing for another egg.
Eventually, she threw herself down on the swing beside him, tossed her legs over his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed a big, joyful kiss on his cheek and rested her head against his shoulder. He could feel her heart pounding against his.
“This is incredible, Kenneth. Thank you so much,” she finally said when she regained her breath. “I haven't had this much fun at Easter in a long time.”
“Oh yeah? What do you normally do?”
She took a breath, still trying to calm down. “Well, after church, we go over to the ranch. My grandparents host big family gatherings for every holiday, and Easter is no exception. I guess I hadn't really asked you what you wanted to do about that this year…”
Since Mom's funeral lunch, Katie had spoken to her brother Andrew a few times. He'd been true to his word, and had kept her secret. She'd spoken to her parents and sister on the phone, and none of them had mentioned it. Kenneth knew it was eating her up inside to keep this from them.
If everything went according to plan, she wouldn't have to anymore.
He smiled slowly, thinking about his plan. His plan. He'd planned this attack the same way he planned his quarterly business and his seasonal line-ups. He was in control, but his heart— his feelings—were in command.
“You know,” he began casually, “there's still two more eggs, I think.”
Just like that, she squealed and thrust herself upright again, pawing through the Easter-egg basket and counting. She'd removed all the gifts, and her excitement was palatable.
“Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two.” She turned to him, eyes wide. “Aren't there two dozen in a pack?”
He grinned. “Yep. I saved the gold and the silver ones for something special.”
She bounced her feet. “Where are they? Give me a hint!”
Laughing, they played the game of “Hotter, Colder” and he gave her hints until she eventually honed in on an overgrown planter in the back corner. With a squeal, she threw herself forward and came up with one egg in each hand.
He followed her, and now stood with his hands in his pockets, more nervous than he'd expected to be.
“Open the silver one first,” he commanded.
She caught her breath, as if she knew this was something special, and popped open the silver egg. She pulled out a little slip of paper, and as she read it, her hands started shaking.
Finally, she looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Is this true?” she whispered.
He knew what the paper said. He'd written it himself, over and over again, until it looked just right.
I love you.
Now, though, he stepped forward and took her cheeks in his palms. “How could you doubt it?” he whispered fervently, staring into her eyes. “I love you more than I thought I could love anyone, Katie. You are what is holding me together. I need you, not because I can't survive without you, but because we're perfect together.” He dropped one hand to her chest, right above her heart. “You showed me how to use my heart again, and now you have a piece of it right here, with yours.”
Two fat tears leaked from the corner of her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. “Oh, Kenneth…” she breathed.
And as much as he wanted to kiss her then, his arms ached for her even more. He pulled her into a hug, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.
And, chest to chest, he felt their hearts touch.
She drew in a deep breath, and he remembered his plan wasn't complete yet. Holding her shoulders, he pushed her away. “Open the gold egg now,” he commanded.
She smiled slightly, as if she was thinking nothing could top the silver egg.
She was wrong. Inside the gold egg was another single slip of paper. Her eyes went wide when she read it, and she turned it to face him.
Will you marry me?
He reached for the envelope he’d shoved in his pocket before breakfast. When he saw she recognized their marriage contract, he held it up in front of him, a hand on either corner.
Then he ripped it in half.
“Kenneth?”
“I don't want to be married to you because of a contract, Katie. I don't want our marriage to be some kind of bargain, where we each fulfill our agreement, and then go our separate ways. I don't want to worry over prenuptials or money or Paragraph Eight anymore. I want to marry you for real.”
Her smile slowly bloomed, like a daffodil which had only been waiting for the perfect ray of sunshine. “When?” she whispered.
His smile answered hers. “I spoke to Pastor Dahl yesterday. If you're willing, he'll marry us after church this morning.”
She screamed and launched herself into his arms. They both went down in the soft damp grass, contracts and eggs and gifts forgotten.
And when she kissed him, he wrapped his arms around her back and tasted joy.
Finally, she pulled back long enough to pin him with a stare. “You want to marry me this morning?”
He reached up and tucked a few strands of her brown hair behind her ear. “I want to marry you right now. We are married, but I want everyone to know it. I want your family to know how much I love you, and I want you to be proud to introduce me as yours.”
Smiling softly, she leaned down and brushed another kiss against his lips. “I love you, Kenneth. And I love that you thought of all this. But…”
“But what?”
“But if I'm supposed to get married in two hours, what am I going to wear?”
This time, it was his grin that grew mischievous. “I think I can help you out there.”
It was hard to believe she was getting married this morning!
Well, remarried.
Right before they stepped into the church that morning, Katie had slipped the ring off her finger and handed it to Kenneth. He hadn't even paused before he tucked it into his suit coat pocket.
“I'll save this for later,” he’d whispered with a wi
nk.
Now, she sat beside him in the hard pew, holding his hand. And unlike the last time she sat beside him in a church, for his mother's funeral, this just felt...right. She was practically bouncing with excitement, and it had nothing to do with the curious looks her family was sending her way. No, it was all because of this man sitting next to her. And the secret smiles he kept sending her way.
Her heart was light, because his was.
Because it was Easter, the little church her family had attended for generations was overflowing. The regular congregation was there, as well as all the out-of-town guests. And although some of the Quinns attended other churches, they all came back to the one they'd grown up in for holidays like Easter.
Grams and Grandpa sat in the second row with Uncle Harvey and Aunt Charity and their kids. Rhodes sat between Grandpa and Uncle Harvey, looking like he was meant to be the next head of the family. Katie knew he managed the entire Quinn Valley Ranch these days, and didn’t envy him the stress.
Most of the rest of the family was squeezed into the third and fourth rows, with the McIvers on the far right. Katie had made sure to grab the spot nearest the aisle for her and Kenneth. Alyssa and Jerm sat beside her, although the little boy had a lot of trouble staying still through the sermon.
Her family had been...surprisingly okay when it came to meeting Kenneth. She’d glared at Andrew, wondering if he’d given anything away, but when Kenneth introduced himself, her oldest brother pretended they’d never met before. She made a mental note to give Andrew a big hug for keeping her secret.
Dad had nodded solemnly as he’d shaken Kenneth’s hand before the sermon started, then said in that stern way of his, “What exactly do you do for a living, son?” Heather had been on Cloud Nine, since Jonathan was visiting—they sat one row back, with her kids—and Dusty had just rolled his eyes and muttered something like, “Another one bites the dust.”
But Mom had sighed with envy and nudged Alyssa when she’d gotten a look at Katie’s gown.
And it was most definitely a gown.
Unbeknownst to her, Kenneth had been working on it since his mom's funeral. Or, rather, since his breakdown in her kitchen.
It was a simple silhouette, with a high neck and three-quarter length sleeves. It reached the floor, and unlike the majestic creations he was known for, there was no beading or pearls or gemstones on this gown.
Instead, the highlight was the color.
It was the most beautiful ombre, and she’d taken one look and fallen in love.
The black hem of the gown draped the floor and trailed slightly behind her. It was as dark a black as she'd ever seen in a gown, but right below her knees it transitioned, ever so slowly, to a dark purple. Above her knees, the purple faded into a deep, deep, blue, then to a more royal shade. It was difficult to tell where the blue became green, which became yellow so seamlessly above her waist that the eye didn't even notice it until it took on a faint orange tinge. There was no true red, but the most beautiful shade of pale pink burst upwards towards her neck, and faded to pristine white down her arms.
When he'd presented it to her that morning, he’d tentatively said softly, “This is you. This is how I think of you.”
She thought he'd meant the rainbow, but then realized his fingers had been resting on the pure white. That's when his hand shifted, and began caressing the black at the hem line.
“This is where I was, even if I didn't realize it.” He trailed his fingertips up the rainbow towards the neckline. “This is what you've done for me, Katie,” he’d said, staring into her eyes. “You've reminded me about color and lightness, and I love you for it.”
It was truly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and Katie couldn't believe it was hers. Couldn't believe she was wearing such an incredible gown to be married in.
And no one knew!
Pastor Dahl’s sermon was lovely; all about rebirth and new life and love. But Katie could hardly sit still. She rivaled Jerm in the squirming department.
At long last, the service was over, and Pastor Dahl dismissed everyone with a blessing. But then held up his hands once more.
“For those of you who have someplace to get to, or family in town, or Easter egg hunts, feel free to leave. But everyone else is invited to stay for a few extra minutes.” The older man, who’d baptized not only Katie, but most of her cousins, turned to the group. With a wink, he said, “I'd especially like to invite Gertrude and Harley's family to stick around a little bit longer.”
The cousins who'd already stood up to leave, looked around in confusion before sinking back into the pews. Grandma Gertie turned to glare at everyone with the same confusion. Katie hid her smile, knowing her grandmother loved to meddle, and that it would really get her goat to know Katie was managing to get married all on her very own.
Twice! She stifled a giggle.
Around her, the whispers started.
“What's going on?” That was definitely Riley to one of her sisters, but with their backs to her, Katie couldn’t tell which one.
“Do you know about this?” Hard to tell who that was, but the hissed, “Definitely not!” sounded like Jessie.
“Grams is going to be irritated if this means dinner is delayed.” Robyn was right, but Katie didn’t care. She knew once Grams realized what was going on, she’d be tickled pink!
Pastor Dahl was smiling. “Mr. Weston, if you'd join me up front?”
Kenneth squeezed her hand, then slid out of the pew. While everyone's attention was on him, Katie leaned down to Jerm.
“Want to do me a favor, buddy? I need somebody to walk with me.”
The little boy nodded, so she smiled reassuringly at Alyssa, took his hand, and slipped out towards the back of the church.
The little boy squeezed her hand, and when she looked down into his ice-blue eyes, he smiled. “Don't be nervous, Aunt Katie.”
He thought she was nervous? Well, she was breathing rapidly and shaking a little. But she smiled and shook her head, leaning down towards him.
“I'm not nervous, buddy. I'm so excited, I can barely stand it. You ready?”
When he nodded, she looked up and caught the pastor's welcoming gesture. She took a deep breath, and started down the aisle with her nephew escorting her. At the front of the church, she heard her family whispering as they figured out what was going on. So she sent Jerm back to his seat with a little wave, and turned to Kenneth with a huge smile.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”
It could not have been more different than their wedding ceremony beside his mother's hospice bed. Beautiful Easter morning sunshine was streaming through the stained-glass windows, and there was a feeling of hope instead of dread. As Katie felt her joy bubble up, she knew she would remember every moment of this day.
Standing there, in front of her family, in the most beautiful gown ever created, marrying the man she loved.
Again.
Kenneth slipped her wedding band on her fourth finger, then handed her one to put on his. It was new; he hadn't bothered with a wedding ring when their wedding had been only for his mother's sake. But now…
Now it was forever.
“You may kiss your bride.”
At the pastor's command, Kenneth dropped her hand, stepped forward, and placed his palms on her cheeks, like he’d done that morning.
Staring into his beautiful eyes, Katie was filled with a certainty. “I love you so much, Kenneth,” she whispered.
“You are my life, my heart,” he whispered in return.
Somewhere in the audience, someone cleared their throat.
Smiling, Kenneth leaned down…
And kissed his bride.
Again.
EPILOGUE
Early July
Kenneth loved the feeling of her in his arms, and never missed the chance to experience it. This time, she squealed and threw her arms around his neck, just like always, right before he pushed his way into their new house.
&nbs
p; “Welcome to our new home, wife,” he said, standing in their front foyer.
She rolled her eyes. “It's not exactly new! We've been working on it for ages.”
Well, maybe not ages. Right after their second wedding, Kenneth proposed a new plan. It had taken a little while before the real estate agent had found something they both liked, but within moments of seeing this sweet two-story, five-bedroom house, with the wraparound porch, on the outskirts of town, they both knew this was the one. Moving her furniture had been easy, although her soap-making supplies alone had taken two trips, and now occupied two of the bedrooms. And just last week, the company he'd hired to clear out his penthouse had finished setting up all his furniture. They’d taken the weekend to consolidate and combine, and now the place really felt like their home.
“Maybe.” He smiled down at her, content to hold her in his arms, knowing he might not be able to for that much longer. “But today is special.”
Katie blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes, wiggling to be let down. He did so, reluctantly, making sure he got to hold her as long as possible.
He didn't think he'd ever get tired of the way her smile, the twinkle in her eyes, her scent, made his heart feel so light.
She headed for the kitchen. “We’ve still got a lot to do! The kitchen drawers need to be organized before—”
He caught her by her hand, and slowed her down. “I can unpack boxes and put the spatulas and spoons in the right drawers. You sit down at the table and rest.”
Another eye roll. “I don't need to rest! I feel fine!”
He snorted in disbelief and pushed her towards the kitchen table. “You're talking to the man who held your hair out of your face this morning while you hugged the toilet.”
“Only a few more weeks of this! That's what all the books say.”
Instead of heading towards the pile of boxes, however, he poured his wife a big cup of ice water and brought it to her.
“I know sometimes it really stinks for you, but I want you to know how much I'm looking forward to experiencing everything.”