After the Rain (14 page)

I’
VE
THOUGHT
ABOUT
THIS
MOMENT
many times before, but as I stand here watching my dream girl walk down the red carpeted aisle toward me, it’s better than anything I’ve ever imagined.

Fourteen months of planning, and more money than I can count, and it’s everything Kate wanted.

I’m more than happy to give it to her.

My eyes well up a little more with each step she takes toward me. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen—inside and out—and I can’t wait for her to be mine forever. Not that she wasn’t already, but this makes it official.

We’ve lived our lives together. I’ve seen her best moments and her worst, and she’s seen mine. We’ve weathered the sun and the storm, the light and the dark, and we’re stronger because of it.

Her eyes glisten as she stops in front of me with Daniel at her side. I thought he was going to jump out of his seat when she asked him to walk her down the aisle, but he played it cool. The unshed tears in his eyes show just how much this moment means to him. He’ll never get to watch his own son get married, but if it weren’t for Asher Hunt, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” the preacher asks.

“Her mother and I,” Daniel answers. As he releases her arm, I grab her hands in mine. I probably have the biggest grin I’ve ever had on my face, even with the tears that fill my eyes.

The whole ceremony is a blur because I can’t concentrate on anything but her. I met her almost eighteen years ago. I fell in love with her at about the same time, and I know I’ll love her until the day I die. I’m memorizing the way her eyes sparkle when I recite my vows, the way she smiles when I slip that ring on her finger, and the way she runs her thumb across the top of my hand while our song plays.

But what I’ll remember most about this day is the way her eyes watched my lips when the preacher said, “You may now kiss your bride.” It’s been exactly three years since I put that ring on her finger, and every one of those days I thought about this kiss.

The wait ends now.

Cupping her face in my hands, I run my thumbs along her cheekbones as my lips descend on hers. A few people in the crowd whistle as I kiss Kate Alexander like she’s never been kissed.

As we make our way up the aisle, all I can think about is how long we have to stay at the reception so we don’t piss everyone off. My family and friends mean everything to me, but right now, all I want to do is make love to my wife.

… after I carry her over the threshold.

Life has taken me on a crazy ride down Lombard Street, but I can’t complain about where it stopped. Some people wouldn’t consider me lucky, but I am. I’ve loved. I’ve lost. And through it all, I found a better appreciation for what I have … mainly the man holding me tightly in his arms for our first dance as husband and wife.

I think I know how Cinderella felt when the prince danced with her that first night at the ball. Drew and fear were my wicked stepsisters, but I found my glass slipper. Beau had it in his hands the whole time.

“What are you thinking about right now?” he asks, holding one of my hands in his with the other pressed into my lower back.

“My prince.”

“Yeah,” he whispers, his warm breath hitting my cheek. “Tell me about this prince.”

I smile, even though I know he can’t see it. “Well, he’s handsome with his dark hair and green eyes. And he’s not a bad kisser either. You should have seen how he kissed me a couple hours ago.” I stop, closing my eyes as I remember that moment at the end of the ceremony. It’s one I’ll never forget.

“Go on,” he says, spinning me around.

“Well, he’s also very sweet and protective. He’s smart and knows when to pick his battles. He’s patient.”

“He almost sounds perfect.”

“He is,” I say, pressing my cheek against his. The song is about to end, but I’m not ready. This is another one of those moments I want to put into a snow globe and remember forever.

“You’re not thinking of leaving me for him, are you?” he teases, turning us around slowly.

I laugh, trying to come up with a witty comeback. “Nah, perfect is boring. Why would I want that?”

His chest vibrates against mine, and I know he’s laughing right along with me. “I’m going to show you just how imperfect I am as soon as we get out of here.”

“I can’t wait.” He still won’t tell me where we’re going for our honeymoon, but I know we’re spending tonight in the small cabin he took me to three summers ago.

He bought it a while back, and we’ve been enjoying many weekends by the lake, staring at the stars.

The next song starts to play as our wedding party joins us on the dance floor. Having Emery and Rachel here in Carrington made this day so much easier. To say we’re inseparable would be an understatement.

Each of us has had our ups and downs, but it binds us. I didn’t know if Emery would ever return to school, but she did, and she wasn’t alone. As I watch her dance with the man she loves, I remember everything they overcame to get to this point. And Rachel, she’s been on a crazy ride the last couple years, but things are looking up for her. Hopefully together, we’ll just keep getting stronger.

Right when the song ends, Beau pulls me from the dance floor. “What are you doing?” I ask.

He keeps walking, moving quickly through the crowd. “We’re going to cut the cake.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. That’s the last thing we have to do before we can leave, right?” He stops, smiling back at me.

“And thank our guests.”

After we have everyone’s attention, we cut into the simple three-tier white wedding cake. I’d asked the baker to only add a few fresh lilies going down one side because I wanted it to be like us … understated and beautiful. Not to my surprise, Beau is sweet, putting a small delicate bite against my lips. I open my mouth to the sweet buttercream and savor every morsel. When it’s my turn, I do the same to him, but he uses the tip of his tongue to taste the amazing sweetness that lingers on my finger as I pull my hand away.

We announce that we’re leaving and say goodbye to all of our guests. I’m sad to leave them, but I’m ready to start this next phase in life with the man standing beside me.

“Ready?” Beau asks, grabbing my hand tightly in his again.

“Yes.” I bite my lower lip.

Beau groans. “Let’s get out of here.”

We make our way through a wall of bubbles being blown by our guests and climb into Beau’s truck. We could have rented a limo or some other fancy car, but the truck is part of what makes us
us
. It holds so many memories.

“How are you doing, Mrs. Bennett?”

“I couldn’t be better.”

“We’ll see about that.”

We make our way to the cabin with our hands linked between us. It’s a calm summer night. No breeze. The only sound we hear is the soft country song playing on the radio. This is what life is about … being with the one you love in the place you love.

As we pull onto the long drive that leads to the small cabin, I notice a glow coming from inside and look over at Beau. The grin on his face tells me he’s up to something.

“Beau Bennett, what did you do?”

Bringing the top of my hand to his lips, he says, “You’ll see.”

After he shuts off the engine, he quickly jumps out to open my door for me. Surprising me, he pulls me up into his arms as soon as I step out. “What are you doing?”

“Carrying you over the threshold,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss my lips.

“You’ve been dying to do this, haven’t you?”

He laughs. “You have no idea.”

Using the hand wrapped under my thighs, he opens the door and carries me inside. What I see makes the tears build in my eyes again. There’s a path of rose petals and candles leading to our bedroom, and through the open door, I see the white comforter covered in the red petals.

“When did you have time to do all this?” I whisper, looking up at him. The huge grin on his face shows just how proud he is.

He leans down to kiss my lips. “I had some help.”

“It’s beautiful.”

We make our way to the bedroom, me still wrapped in his arms. The light scent of lavender fills my senses … I don’t know if I’ve ever been more relaxed in my entire life.

“I’m going to set you down now, baby.”

The backs of my legs brush against the mattress as he sets me down on my feet. He uses his hands on my hips to turn me so my back is to his chest.

“I love this dress, but it’s time for it to come off,” he whispers, his warm breath against my ear. A tingle runs down my spine as he slowly unzips me. I don’t know if he’s afraid of ruining my white, mermaid style dress or if he’s trying to torture me, but I’ve never been more eager to get my clothes off.

As soon as the dress slides down my body, I face him, making quick work of his silver tie. Beau Bennett isn’t the type to get all dressed up in a suit, and I should be savoring this, but I need to feel is skin against mine. When my fingers touch the top button of his dress shirt, I glance up at his face. He’s taking in my bare breasts and my blue lace panties I bought just for this.

“You look nervous, Mr. Bennett,” I say as my fingers continue to free his buttons one by one.

His voice shakes when he responds. “It’s my first time making love to my wife, and I want to make sure it’s perfect.”

“It’s already perfect,” I reply, softly kissing his lips.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I smile, sliding his white shirt off his shoulders.

He grabs my face in his hands and kisses me deeply while I loosen his belt and unbutton his pants. There’s a part of me that wants to hurry so he can bury himself inside me, where I’ve wanted him all day, and then there’s a part of me who wants to take this slow so I can memorize every touch. There’s just something about this night that makes it feel like our first time all over again.

“Wrap your arms around my neck.” I do as he asks, and he wastes no time lifting me with his hands on the back of my legs. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I press my lips to his, feeling the moisture pool between my legs.

He carefully lowers us both to the bed, kissing me again before moving his mouth down my body. I pull his hair between my fingers as his warm lips touch my stomach. I’m not far from begging when his fingers finally slip in the band of my panties and slide them down my legs.

His lips work their way back up my body, stopping to circle my breasts with his tongue. When I groan, he looks up at me with a huge grin on his face. “Are you ready for me, baby?”

“God, yes,” I pant, wrapping my legs around him again.

“I love you so much, Mrs. Bennett.” His lips connect with mine as he slowly enters me. It really does feel like the first time all over again. There’s so much emotion; I don’t know if I want to smile or cry happy tears.

“I love you, too, Mr Bennett.”

And this is my forever. It took a lot to get here, but I wouldn’t change this moment for anything … this is the happiest I’ve ever been, and it can only get better.

A HUGE
THANK
YOU
to everyone who read
When It Rains
and fell in love with my characters. Beau and Kate will always have a special place in my heart, but Asher changed how I live my life. Never take a single moment for granted and live each day like it’s your last.

I’d also like to thank my family and friends who support me through this crazy journey. I couldn’t do it without you!

Again, thank you for making my dreams come true.