She smiled, fighting her tears.
“Are you going to need that handkerchief now?” he asked.
Fern dabbed her eyes with her fingers. “I don’t want to smudge my makeup.”
Carter looked at her critically. “You haven’t, you look beautiful.” Then he turned around and with a roar of frustration, he growled, “Where is that car?” As if in answer, his phone rang. Snatching it from his pocket, he answered it, his face fierce as he listened. Then he hung up. “The car has broken down.”
A weight shifted across her chest, a panic attack threatening. But she pushed it away: Fern had not succumbed to a full-blown panic attack for weeks, and she was not about to have one on her wedding day. “We’ll take my car.”
“We can’t.” Carter shook his head.
“Why? Doesn’t your movie-star-sized-ego approve?” Fern teased.
“This is your wedding day, you are supposed to have the best.” Carter began to scroll through his phone. “I’ll call someone.”
“No, you won’t,” Fern told him adamantly. She put her hand over his phone to stop him using it. “Theo is the best. And that is what today is all about, me marrying him. It doesn’t matter how I get there, as long as I get there. On time.”
“Do you have the keys?” Carter asked, holding out his hand for them.
“They are hanging up.” She walked out into the hallway of the small house she had lived in since she moved here. It was going to be sad to give it up, but she was also looking forward to moving in with Theo, and Walt. Dylan had sent his builders over from Bear Bluff, and the house Theo had grown up in now had extra rooms that would give the newlyweds some privacy.
Snatching the car keys off the hook where she kept them, she went back to the sitting room, picked up her bridal bouquet, and said, “Shall we go?”
Carter offered her his arm, and they walked out of the house, down the short path to the road. “I’ll drive,” Carter insisted, and she didn’t argue, not when she was wearing heels: if they got caught up in her dress and ripped the skirt, she would be upset and nothing was going to ruin today. Not one thing.
With some help from Carter, she got into the small Ford, her skirts gathered up around her. “OK.”
“Sure you are all in?” Carter asked, double-checking that her dress wasn’t billowing out of the door. She had chosen a dress with a fitted bodice, encrusted with pearls, and a full skirt, with a train. If she had known she would be getting into a small car, she might have chosen something different. Something less puffy. Fern placed her hands on the fabric carefully as she fought to keep it contained.
“Just shut the door,” she told Carter, and he closed it carefully, having to give it one last shove to make sure it was shut before jogging around to the driver’s side and getting in. Carter put the key in the ignition and turned it; the car didn’t start. He tried again, and the engine rumbled and then died. “Is this a sign?” Fern asked sadly.
“Yes, a sign you need a new car,” Carter said.
“Come on, you have never let me down before,” Fern said, patting the dashboard and willing the engine to start.
Carter turned the key one more time, and was rewarded by the engine sparking into life. Wasting no time, Carter put his foot on the gas and drove through the town, which was incredibly quiet, with no traffic on the road, and only a few people walking along the streets.
“Where is everyone?” Fern asked.
Carter looked at her sideways. “Where do you think?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh.” Her nerves jangled and her stomach lurched. So many people.
And there were, they lined the path leading up to the church, and congratulated her as she got out of the car, a small cheer rippling through the crowd.
“We thought you had changed your mind,” Teagan said as she, Fiona, and Caroline fussed around Fern, making sure her dress was perfect.
“Car broke down,” Carter informed them.
“But your old banger got you here,” Teagan said.
“Never let me down.” Fern felt her stomach roil, the blood draining from her face.
“It’s OK, Fern,” Fiona said, taking her hand and chafing it. “It’s only a wedding.”
“Only a wedding, with lots of people,” Fern croaked, her throat constricted with panic. “What if my voice doesn’t come out and they can’t hear me say I do.”
“Fern, look at me.” Fiona stood in front of Fern, her face full of confidence and kindness. Dressed in a pale-yellow outfit, with a hat placed at a jaunty angle on her head, Fiona looked almost regal.
“You look lovely, Fiona,” Fern said kindly.
“Thank you.” Fiona allowed herself an indulgent smile before she went back to her self-appointed task. “Now, let’s get you down that aisle.”
“Good idea, since Theo is waiting,” Teagan said, adjusting her dress. Teagan and Caroline had agreed to be bridesmaids, and had taken on the task with relish, helping Fern in every way possible. Fern had expected planning a wedding to be tense and stressful, but her two friends took it all in their stride, with occasional help from Fiona.
“Which is all you have to focus on, Fern. I will go in first and Theo will know you are here, he’ll be watching for you, and when you walk into the church, you look at him, and only him, until you feel the love in the room.” Fiona stroked Fern’s cheek. “And there is a lot of love in that room.”
“And it’s not for Carter either,” Caroline said quickly. “They are here for you, Fern.”
“Oh, I was hoping they would all be looking at Carter,” Fern said with a nervous laugh. Then she took a deep breath, holding on to it before she let it go. “I’m ready.”
Teagan and Caroline, as bridesmaids, positioned themselves behind Fern, fanning the train of her dress out to show it off. Fern had never felt so overdressed and out of her depth. Perhaps she might have felt better if her parents were here, or her mom at least. And a well of sadness threatened to consume her. She swallowed it back down. She didn’t need her parents; she had friends, and would soon be part of Theo’s family.
“You look beautiful,” Dani said as Fern walked toward her.
“Thank you.” Fern looked down at Juliet, who wore a pretty, pink floral dress and held a basket filled with rose petals, which she was busy throwing in front of the bride. “Hi there, Juliet. Do you want to go first?”
“Yes, please. Follow me. Follow the petals.” Juliet took off down the aisle, rose petals flying everywhere as she scattered them.
“Now it’s your turn,” Carter said. “But I suggest we take it a little slower.”
“Good thinking.” Fern steadied her nerves, and then walked toward Theo, concentrating on him and putting one foot in front of the other, just like Fiona had instructed her. Her confidence grew the closer she got to Theo, and soon she was smiling, and mouthing hello to people as she walked. Until she saw Walt, who was seated next to Cathy and her family, tears rolling down his cheeks. She had to fight back her own tears, as the enormity of what she was about to do hit her.
After a life alone, with no family, she was about to officially become a member of one of the most loving families she could ever hope to meet. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Cathy had visited with her own kids; and Theo and his sister, along with her children, had found a renewed sense of belonging.
Would it last? Who knew, but it was a start. Just like today was the start of the rest of her life.
“You look beautiful,” Theo said, taking her hand from Carter, and lifting her veil off her face.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she said, her voice husky with emotion.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait,” Theo said, to a ripple of laughter. Then he grew deadly serious as they exchanged vows and promised each other forever in front of the people of Bear Creek.
Epilogue
“How does it feel to be Mrs. Verner?” Theo whirled Fern around the dance floor, holding her close, lending his
strength to her tired body. The vision of his first glimpse of her in her white dress, her face only a shade darker as she battled her nerves, played on repeat in his mind, while Fern rested her head on his shoulder, lost in her own thoughts.
“It feels good.” Fern lifted her hand, her fingers splayed out as she admired her new gold band. “It feels very good.”
Theo kissed her, their lips pressed together, his hand inching lower over her bottom. A low guttural groan escaped him, and he pulled back, his hand returning to its place on the small of her back. “Do you think anyone will mind if we leave now?”
“I like that idea.” She snuggled into his neck. “I am so tired.”
Theo stopped dancing and took hold of her hand. “Then let’s get to our room before you are completely exhausted.”
“Yes, it’s going to take the last of my energy to take this dress off.” She smoothed her hand down her dress.
“I can help you with that,” Theo said quickly.
“You are so thoughtful,” Fern told him. “Always thinking of me.”
He stopped. They were at the edge of the dance floor. “Are you teasing me, Mrs. Verner?”
“I might just be,” Fern said. She knew how long he had waited for this night, because she had waited too. Several times they had so very nearly made love, but Theo got it in his head that waiting was the honorable thing to do, and she found it sweet. OK, she found it really hot that he wanted to be all traditional. She figured it stemmed from her past, and a need to show her he wasn’t after one thing. Even today, with his ring on her finger, his love and loyalty shone through; sex would be the icing on the wedding cake.
“Thank goodness for that,” Theo said with some relief.
“Hey, you two. Ready to leave?” Carter asked as they approached.
“How could you tell?” Theo asked. During the day, Carter and Theo had made an extra effort to talk, and Fern was happy to watch them make friends, even if most of the talk was about hops and honey. Now that Walt was stronger, Theo was ready to dive in with helping at the brewery, while also starting up Bear Creek News. Yes, the name had stuck, and word was spreading.
“The way your tongue is hanging out is a dead giveaway. Every Bear Creek wedding I’ve been to seems to end with the groom looking that way,” Caroline said.
“We should thank everyone for coming,” Theo said, his hand gripping Fern’s as if he never wanted to let go.
“I’ll do it,” Carter said. “They’ll all understand, especially all the married couples here. Shifters in particular know that urge.” Caroline thumped her husband’s arm.
“Inappropriate,” she warned.
“I blame the beer.” Carter held up a bottle of Bear Creek Honey Beer, his contribution to the wedding—all the beer their guests could drink.
“Maybe you have had enough.” Caroline took the bottle from his hand. “Now, go round everyone up, so this happy couple can say goodbye.”
“I love it when you are bossy, Swanky Tanky.”
“Is he drunk?” Fern giggled as Carter swayed across the dance floor.
“Oh, yes. So very drunk. But still standing.” Caroline shook her head, and turned to Fern and Theo. “He’s so happy for you both. Truly happy.”
“Thank you.” Fern kissed and hugged Caroline. “For everything, it must have been hard when I came back into Carter’s life.”
“But it worked out right.” Caroline hugged Theo. “And you have this man. Which makes us all happy. We know he’ll look after you. And you’ll look after him.”
“Every day, forever,” Theo agreed.
“I can’t wait for you to have kids,” Caroline said. “And I never thought I would say those words. But when you have them you’ll understand.”
“One day…” Fern began.
“Hey, we are needed.” Theo offered Fern his arm. “Shall we make a run for it?”
“In this dress and shoes, I am going to settle for a nice sedate walk,” Fern replied.
“Anything you want, Mrs. Verner. That is never going to get old.” He led her across the dance floor, to where their friends and family were waiting, men on one side, women on the other. With happy faces, they joined hands to make a tunnel, and Fern and Theo moved along, giving kisses, receiving hugs, and wishes of luck in return, before they swapped sides and did the same all over.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Teagan told Fern.
“Make sure he knows who is boss,” Fiona said with a wink.
“Welcome to the family.” Cathy gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better daughter-in-law,” Walt told her.
Fern thanked them all, and cried, and thanked people again for their generosity, until she was standing beside Theo once more. This was it, their wedding night was about to begin.
“Today could not have been more perfect.” Fern looked up at the ceiling of the elevator as they rode up to their room, fighting back tears of joy.
“No, it couldn’t.” Theo stood in front of her, his hands either side of her head as she leaned back against the wall. “And tonight will be perfect too.”
Color invaded her cheeks. She couldn’t meet his eye, until he tucked his finger under her chin and directed her gaze to meet his. “What if it’s not perfect?” Fern voiced her fears.
“It will be. No matter what, it will be.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips, awakening the tendrils of desire she had kept tightly under control.
The elevator doors opened. He took her hand and they walked side by side, her head resting on his shoulder, to their room. Theo unlocked the door, tucked the key in his pocket, and then bent down and lifted her up. “It’s not our threshold, but it will do.”
She giggled as he maneuvered them through the doorway, kicking the door closed behind them, and heading straight for the bed. He laid her down, dress, shoes, and all. “Is there a knack to taking off wedding dresses?”
Fern rolled over and pointed to her back. “You start at the top, and work down.”
Theo knelt on the bed next to her, his fingers tickling her back as he began to unlace the bodice of her dress. As he exposed her flesh, he kissed her skin, inch by inch. Picking her up, he flipped her over. Fern kicked off her shoes, and with some helpful wriggling, Theo slipped her dress down over her thighs, then her feet, until she lay in her bra, panties and stockings.
“Something blue,” he murmured, his fingers tucking under the garter Teagan had given her. He pulled it down, and then carefully removed her stockings, his lips pressing against her inner thighs.
Fern ached for him, a desperate need to consummate their marriage consuming her. But for that, he needed to be naked too.
Theo slipped her stockings off her feet, the cool air tickling her skin. Smiling, Theo stood up and with trembling fingers he began to undo his jacket. As he worked, his eyes never left Fern, and the intensity she saw there, the longing, made her arousal bloom, her fears forgotten. Theo was right: perfect or not, this night was theirs, and theirs alone.
He draped his jacket over the chair in the corner of the room, adding his waistcoat, and shirt, before tugging his belt buckle and dropping his pants. Fern’s eyes widened. He was certainly bigger than she had expected. But then, she had nothing to compare it with. Men had always been a mystery to her. Her combined experience of her stepdad, and her humiliation over the Carter incident, had left her wary of having any kind of relationship with a man beyond platonic.
Theo changed that, the moment he entered her life.
“Are you OK?” he asked moving toward the bed, a predatory beast. Her predatory beast.
“Yes,” Fern answered firmly. She would meet him halfway, not shy away from him, not try to hide. Fern reached for him, her hand hooking around his neck; she drew him to her, her lips meeting his. She was fierce, hungry for him, her mouth moving against his, sucking on his tongue, biting his lower lip, driving his arousal to the point he tore off her remaining clothes, leaving her expos
ed to his hands.
Theo stroked her skin, her upper arms, where the skin was soft, and sensitive, across to cup the swell of her breasts, his thumb brushing against the hard bud of her nipple. His cock, molded from hard rock, pressed against her stomach, and she longed to feel him inside her, for him to claim her as his woman.
Theo inched down the bed, moving to slide between her thighs. Fern drew her knees up, opening herself to him. With one hand, he guided himself toward her, the head of his cock pressing against her entrance. Teasing her with his mouth on her lips, his hand on her breasts, and his cock against her sex, he drove her to new heights. Heights which she longed to leap from, to drown in a deep pool of pleasure, with Theo. Always with Theo by her side. Or inside her.
She groaned when he inched forward, the head of his cock breaching her inner walls, stretching her, filling her. New and exciting sensations ripped through her body, the deep ache of longing switching to a different ache as her inner walls yielded to the onslaught of his lovemaking.
Theo held back, his breathing labored as he fought his own needs. If she were more experienced, he would be buried deep inside her by now. But he fought and won, keeping his movements slow, deliberate, and incredibly sensuous. Skin sliding against skin, every nerve ending on fire as he drove deeper into her. Only at the last moment did his need win, and he pulled his hips back and thrust forward, impaling her completely on his hardness.
They lay together, neither moving as she adjusted to him. He gasped against her ear, and then said, “I love you, Fern. I have waited for this moment my whole life, and now it’s here, it is perfect. You are perfect.”
Fern turned her face to his and kissed him, her hands stroking his hair, and then his back, and lower, to press against his ass, encouraging him to make love to her. Her inner walls ached, and a deep-seated throb of need pulsed through her body, searching for a way out. Theo was that way out. His hands, his mouth, his thick cock, all driving her towards her climax.
Honey Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 3) Page 11
