Runaway Groom (14 page)

A sharp smack against her bottom had her trying to flip over, even though her eyes went hot and he could smell her heat from here. “What are you—?” His hand at the base of her spine stopped her.
 

“Plan A was pay you back for all the orgasms you missed out on and stick around till you let me give you the two rings I intended to put on your finger so long ago.”

One of his hands nudged her legs apart and he found her, like a heat sensing missile landing on target, and licked a line up the seam of her body. A low moan escaped as she wavered between moving away or grinding into his face. “Marriage? Really?”

“Marriage, really.”

He paused only long enough to say that before diving back between her legs. The taste of her was something he’d dreamed about many a night alone in his bed. Nothing slaked his thirst for her when she was gone. Now, sliding his tongue between her legs, he was a starving man and he was going to get his fill.

When he urged her up, she was more than willing to cooperate. “Grab the top of the cab.”

“What? Are you—” Lightning lit the sky, showing him clearly that she wanted him.

“Grab the roof of the cab with both hands. Kneel in the bed of the truck.”

“The storm is coming…” Getting her into position, he lay on his back in the truck; her poised above him and began to work again.

“Fuck,” she hissed, hips grinding.

He paused, frustrating the shit out of her from the look on her face. “Told you I have been wanting you to ride my face. I wasn’t kidding about that one.”

Panting, she had no words. Looking out over the pond, she was willing to do whatever he wanted. Small waves crashed on the beach and he slowly brought her up…and up.

The storm inside her built right as the one nature provided swept over them. It crashed inside her, washing away all logic and leaving only sensation. She flowed with the tumult of the storm and rode it to an edgy peak.

His tongue curled around her in ways that she hadn’t thought of. His fingers slipped up inside her, hitting the spot, the delicious spot, and fluttering there, spreading her wide while he suckled at the hard, hot point of pleasure that had her fingers sliding on the roof of the truck, seeking purchase. She rode his face, not caring if her breasts bounced in the flashes of lightning or if anyone was looking or if she smothered him. She was so damn close…

And then he was jerking her downwards, slamming into her in one move that seemed a little risky if he hadn’t aimed well to fill her with his cock, hard and so decadent that her head lolled back at the added pleasure.

“Braxton.”

His name was all she was able to say as he lifted her and plunged her down again, taking her weight so that her knees didn’t crash into the truck and lifting his hips to move deeper inside her.

One thumb nudged between her shaved lips to catch and rub her clit, and the combined pressure from his cock driving inside her and that finger sent her tumbling over the edge where he caught her, kissing her neck. Hands, huge hands that had survived for years in her fantasy, smoothed over her back, bringing her back down as her sweat cooled in the hot night air.

“That’s another one.”

Smacking his chest, she rose up to look into his laughing eyes. “Really? Are you going to mention that every time you get me off?”

“Until you believe I’m sticking around to keep getting you off till death do we part, hell yeah.”

“You’re rather sure of yourself all of the sudden.”

His smile touched something inside her, warming it. His hand came up to cup her face. “It’s because I have you again. Remember what I used to tell you, way back when we were kids, long before you grew tits, when we played in the tree house and imagined adventures?”

The memory came back, bidden by his words, and her heart flipped a little in her chest. “You said we could do anything as long as we were together.”

“Wanna have a real adventure with me, my Abby? No more pretend adventures for us. This time, the adventure is forever and it’s life. Dare you to be with me.”

“Brax, don’t dare me.”

His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “You never could turn down a dare. Double dog dare you.”

“You’re on.”

Pulling her into a kiss, he whispered before he took her lips, “This is a dare we both will win.”

For the first time in a very long time, Abigail wondered if happily ever after did sometimes happen.
 

For now, his lips beckoned and she welcomed the first pattering drops of rain, wrapped in his arms. Maybe, just maybe, her knight in shining armor really could be the first boy she ever loved…who had grown into one hell of a man.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Abby,

Meet me at the gazebo, 9 p.m.

Love, Brax

The short note on her dresser wasn’t one of his more romantic ones. She kept it anyway. Someday, if things worked out and they had kids or something, she might share the story of their insanely romantic father and show them the letters.

Of course, she could never show them
all
of the letters. Some of them would be for her eyes only.

Smiling to herself, something she hadn’t been able to stop doing lately, Abigail headed to the center of town and the gazebo.

Finding a parking spot turned out to be practically impossible. Something must be going on in town. Streetlight sale? She could have sworn it was in the fall but…

As she got closer to the gazebo, she saw that most of the town seemed to be sitting on lawn chairs, hanging out and otherwise looking like they were waiting for something. She must have forgotten an event. Strawberry festival parade?

Music played over the speakers in the gazebo. As she got closer, she recognized the song.

“Amazed”.

Closer still, and she noticed that the sidewalk had been sprinkled with flower petals.

People were looking at her, staring really. It felt like she was walking a gauntlet.

What in the hell was going on?

But searching the familiar faces of the crowd, she didn’t find the one she was looking for.

Until the crowd parted.

Kneeling, inside the gazebo which was full of flowers and twinkling with small white bulbs, she found Braxton.

“Thought you were never going to make it, Bigfoot. My knee is starting to kill me.”

Laughter rumbled through the crowd and she came to a stop on the steps.

Tears suddenly threatened.

“Braxton, what are you doing?”

She wasn’t sure he heard her. Her voice had come out as little more than a whisper.

“Come here, Abs.”

Somehow, on legs suddenly gone shaky, she headed up the steps. Stopping in front of him, he produced a small white box.

Fighting tears, she tried to see what was in the box he held open and toward her. She had to blink a couple times to clear her eyes. She had a pretty good idea, even before she saw it. The ring glittered up at her. He must have taken it out of her jewelry box.

Years before, when he proposed the first time, he offered her his mother’s ring. Since Braxton’s mother passed away from breast cancer when they were little more than kids, she knew what the ring meant to him.

When he ditched her at the altar, she never saw him to give it back.

It sat, all these years, in her jewelry box, waiting.

Now he offered it again.

“The first time I asked, I was a boy. I didn’t know what I wanted but I knew I wanted you. I ran scared. I won’t run again. You may wish I would before this is all over and done with, but I won’t leave you again, Abs. So, with everyone we know and love around to witness, I would like to ask if you would do me the honor of being my wife.”

“First prom, now you invite the whole town. Brax, please tell me that you won’t have everyone in the delivery room if we decide to have kids.”

His grin was fast but he had tears in his eyes. “You share the big moments with the ones you care about, Abs. This town worked hard to bring us together. Figured we would share this with them.” Standing, he leaned in close to her. “But later, well, I figured if you said yes, we could celebrate alone.”

“You have a plan for that too?”

“Booked us our favorite hotel room.”

“Kind of sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

Now the tears were flooding her eyes and she was blinking harder so she could see him.

“I’m sure of us. So, will you marry me, Abby?”

“Someone has to.”

Someone in the crowd chortled, and Abigail tried to blink past the tears to see who. Someone else called out, “You should have given her seduction cake. She’s not saying yes fast enough.”

More laughter and Braxton took her hands. “So is that a yes? You’ll be Mrs. Dean?”

“That’s a yes.” He slid the ring on her finger. It still fit.

Picking her up, he spun her once, catching her mouth as she laughed. The kiss was hot enough to have her toes curling in her shoes.

“I’m kind of glad you said yes. I felt like I owed you a better proposal. Romantic and stuff.”

“Yeah, because after almost four thousand letters, I obviously need more romancing.”

He buried his face in her neck, lips running across the skin he found there. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life romancing you, future Mrs. Dean. It turns out I’m a very romantic guy.”

“I noticed.”

“I’m also a very lucky one.”

Catching his face for a kiss, she then looked up at him. “Lucky?”

“Yeah, I got the prettiest girl in town to agree to marry me not once but twice. I figure that means I’m doing something right.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Dean.”

“I’m hoping. Now, about that hotel room…”

Epilogue

Abby,

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.

No pressure or anything.

I can’t see you—luck and everything—but there’s no rule about me leaving a note in your dressing room. And I figured letters brought us back together so maybe letters will keep us from drifting apart as the years go by.

I will get to see you in a little while. I’ll probably get sick of staring at your mug in, I don’t know, a decade or so. But as of right now, I miss you. I’ve gotten rather used to spending time with you and knowing I couldn’t see you all last night or this morning has been driving me nuts.

I’m leaving a present with this. It’s another butterfly. I still can’t remember the whole butterfly story, but I figure you’re probably missing your grandma today. And I know she would want to be here.

This bracelet probably doesn’t go with your dress.

Bet you’ll wear it anyway.

I love you.

Love, B

“Aren’t you nervous? I’m nervous.”

Purple gown floating in the air from the air conditioner she sat on, Carnie fidgeted and slurped her frozen coffee drink.

“Why the hell are
you
nervous?”

Rolling her eyes, Carnie waved the drink. “There are news crews out there.”

“The photographer from the local newspaper hardly counts as news crews. Besides, Buck is at every function this town has. He works with me. What’s scary there?”

“You know as well as I do, he’s hoping to get a story today.”

Abigail smiled. She didn’t think he would be getting one.

Mrs. Watkin entered the room, smelling like flowers and with tears in her eyes. “Oh, you look so beautiful! Your grandma would have loved to see this.”

“I’m sure she can. She’s probably right up in the front row in spirit.”

Mrs. Watkin dabbed at a tear in her eye. “I hope this means you and Braxton will learn to put on clothes when you swim. Harold and I, we try to turn a blind eye but…well, you kids.”

Abigail and Carnie exchanged a shocked look. “You knew?”

Mrs. Watkin waved the tissue at her. “Honey, all the kids in this town have tangoed naked in that old pond at some point or another. And Harold got those binoculars years ago, to make sure no one drowned…”

Heat flooded Abigail’s cheeks.

“Nothing lovelier than a blushing bride.” Mrs. Watkin tittered, leaving.

“Ready?” asked Carnie.

Abigail nodded.

Moving to the entrance way, she watched Carnie disappear around the corner. No one gave her away this time. She was a woman grown. If she was getting married, it was because she decided it, not because someone else had to give her away.

For a moment, she held her breath. Memories of that first wedding day swamped her.

Memories of a lifetime ago. Of climbing trees, fishing, sitting in tree houses with her best friend and making up stories about someday.

Today is someday.

She followed Carnie and Gracie to the center of the aisle and met his eyes.