by Jaclyn Hardy
Dr. Lachele beamed. “Wonderful. So, it comes down to this. Do you want to stay here? Or would you like to go back home?”
There it was. The chance to go back. To see her school and friends again. But there was no Lance there. No Cottonwood Ranch. She finally shook her head. “No. I want to stay here. This is where I belong.”
“I believe you’re right. Now, I’d better get going. I need to check on the others.” She paused. “And don’t worry. I’ve taken care of everything on the other side. Good luck, Brianna.”
“Thank you. So much.” Brianna held her breath as Dr. Lachele left. Her last chance to go back had just left, and Brianna felt nothing but relief.
Rachel came back. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s perfect.”
***
The wedding was a small one set in the back of the hotel. Brianna and Lance talked about doing it at his house, but it wasn’t quite ready yet. Besides, nothing beat the gardens back here.
Lance and Brianna stood together on the dais while the crowd dispersed to prepare for the wedding feast. Lance slipped an arm around Brianna’s waist. “Did you see how many of your students showed up?”
“Yeah, I’m surprised. My side of the aisle almost had as many guests as yours did.” Brianna hadn’t expected any of them to show up. “I think people want to eat now. We should probably head in.”
Lance tipped her chin to meet his eyes. “Not before I get one more kiss.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him as she kissed him.
“There you are.” Lance’s mom stood in the aisle, her hands on her hips. “You two lovebirds have plenty of time for that. Right now we need to move on to the lunch.”
Brianna nudged Lance. “Yeah. We’re taking too much time.”
Lance rubbed his stomach as she followed her in. “So mean. I marry you, and what do you do?”
“Oh, come on.” Brianna laughed as he passed her, exaggerating his run. She walked up to the front of the room and sat at the main table. The room was filled with people there for their wedding, and she couldn’t believe how many of them were her friends.
The town was small and certainly no New York, but it was filled with people who genuinely cared about her. But it was the man sitting next to her that she knew she could never leave. She’d finally found her home.
FIVE YEARS LATER
Brianna stretched out her legs on the couch and smiled. The new leather was much more comfortable than the old broken one Lance had started out with. Speaking of Lance, he’d be headed in soon and she needed to make sure that dinner was on the table. She smiled, thinking about all the fun she’d had learning to cook from Lance. The early months of marriage had been filled with learning, laugh, and loving. Not that the loving and laughing had stopped. They still did plenty of that.
She rolled over onto her feet, her large belly making it harder to move any faster. She trudged over to the kitchen and checked the crock pot to make sure it was done, then grabbed three plates out of the cupboard.
Laughter broke the silence as Lance came up the steps, chasing Hailey. Brianna smiled. Hailey was only three, but she followed her daddy everywhere. And since Brianna couldn’t really get up the steps to the tractor while pregnant with baby number two, Hailey had taken up her spot.
Brianna spotted a school bus in the distance and sighed. She missed teaching. Not all the time, but she’d given it up when Hailey was born, and there were times like this when she was reminded of how much she loved teaching.
The door burst open to more hysterical giggles. Hailey ran inside and wrapped her arms around Brianna’s knees.
“Save me!” Hailey shrieked as Lance got closer.
Lance stood up straight and kissed Brianna. “Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m going to pop at any time.”
“It’ll come.” Lance lifted the lid off the crock pot. “Oh man, that smells amazing.”
Brianna swatted his hand away. “Go shower first and I’ll have it set on the table when you get back.”
“As you wish.” He kissed her cheek and went toward their room.
Hailey climbed up on a stool. “I want to help.”
“Good. Can you please go clean up your toys? They seem to have invaded the living room again.” Brianna unplugged the pot and carefully went to set it on the table.
A contraction hit, squeezing her belly tight, and Brianna gasped in pain. A few more hit before Lance came out of the bedroom whistling to himself.
Brianna looked up at him and smiled. “I think it’s time.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn is an Idaho farm girl who grew up loving to read. She developed a love for writing at a young age and published her first book in 2013. She met her husband, Steve, at BYU, and they have six happy, crazy children who encourage her to keep writing. After owning a bookstore and running away to have adventures in Australia, they settled back down in their home in Utah. Jaclyn now spends her days herding her kids to various activities and trying to remember what she was supposed to do next. Her books include the Silver Script Series and the upcoming Roping His Heart and Never Say Necklace. When she's not writing romance, she's chasing kids, playing games, and dreaming of running away to Ireland.
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MORE BOOKS BY JACLYN HARDY
Silver Script Novels
Ring of Truth
A Christmas Worth Billions
Fashioned for Love
Change in Harmony
Another Chance for Love
Love in Return
Waves of Hope
Love on the Run
Never Say Necklace
Emeralds Are Forever
The Crown is Not Enough
Christmas Royale
Cottonwood Ranch
Roping His Heart
Taming His Heart
Rescuing His Heart
Finding His Heart
The Hopeful Heart (Book Club 3)