Sweet, Sweet Savannah

by HL Nighbor

  “Last but certainly not least,” the pastor says, “Sebastian James Turner, will you please express your promises on this day, with your friends and family present, to Savannah as you commit yourself to her as her husband.”

  “Savannah,” I begin as I grab her hand in mine and stare deeply into her eyes. “You saved me in more ways than you can imagine. I wandered aimlessly for years never living for myself or for the future. When we first met all those years ago, you saved me by showing me how great life can be when you seize the opportunity and fully live in the moment. You saved me during my time of deployment by giving me hope one day we may meet again and by giving me hope a future full of possibilities existed within my reach. Finally, you saved me again when we were reunited. You showed me what unconditional love means and gave me yourself and Mac to love above all others. On this day, I promise to grow alongside you. I promise to be your rock, your protector, your lover, and your best friend. I vow to love you wholeheartedly without question or hesitation. Whatever comes our way, I vow we can make it through – together.”

  “Savannah Rae Preston, what are your vows on this day in front of your family and friends as you commit yourself to these three men?” the pastor asks our beautiful bride.

  Savannah takes a deep breath and slowly exhales before speaking. “Bas, Austin, and Finn what can I say I haven’t already told you time and time again? When I dreamed of getting married and creating a family, reality came nowhere close to the visions in my dreams. It’s more. So much more. Some days I’m still amazed this is my reality. You guys complete me. Finn, I always know you will talk me off the ledge and be my voice of reason. Austin, I know I can count on you to bring me levity and perspective when I get lost in the seriousness of a situation. And Bas, you will always be my guardian, my champion, and my defender. With the three of you by my side, I know there will be no mountain too high, no river too wide, or valley too deep. I can conquer anything with your support. I promise to be the best wife, mother, lover, and friend I can be. I promise to be patient and forgiving. I vow to open my heart and soul fully to yours. I promise to love you unconditionally with my entire being for as long as we’re blessed to be on this journey of life together.”

  The rest of the ceremony goes by in a flash – our “I dos,” our exchanging of rings, and our first kisses as husbands and wife, a distant memory.

  After over an hour of pictures, we finally make it to the reception tent to celebrate with the rest of our guests. I assume we can party with our friends and enjoy the evening, but no, not the case. At dinner, I’m barely able to touch my food since everyone takes this as their opportunity to come chat. Then even more formalities interrupt our night.

  By the time first dances, toasts, and cake cutting come and go, I’m ready for this shit show to be over.

  I tried to convince Savannah to fly to Vegas to get married but she wouldn’t budge. She wanted all the bells and whistles and since I find it impossible to say no to her, she got everything she wanted – she always does. She will never know how miserable this makes me because I recognize this is her day. I can tolerate anything if I know she will be standing next to me at the end of it.

  “Hey, handsome.” Savannah wraps her arms around my shoulder from behind. “Can I get one last dance with my handsome groom?”

  I turn my head to kiss her perfect lips. “Always. Lead the way.”

  When I push my chair back and stand, she leads me to the dance floor. I pull her body close to mine and wrap my arms tightly around her as we dance to Crazy Love by Van Morrison.

  As we dance this final dance of the night, she tells me, “Thank you, Bas, for giving me today. I know you’re miserable no matter how hard you try to hide it. You hate every moment of this and I love you even more for it.”

  Busted. I shrug my shoulders and lean down to give my gorgeous bride another kiss. “Anything for you. It’s not my cup of tea, but it’s important to you.” I notice her tired red eyes as she yawns. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m feeling great. A little tired but it’s been a long day.”

  As she answers, something else dawns on me. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? You didn’t drink any champagne, barely ate dinner, and only took a couple bites of your cake. We can call it a night if you aren’t feeling well.”

  “I guess now I’m busted.” A mischievous smirk spreads across her face. “If I tell you, you must promise to keep it a secret.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to start our marriage with secrets, Savannah,” I scold her. “If Austin and Finn need to know, I will tell them.”

  At my reprimand, she rolls her eyes. “I planned on telling you all this evening. I mean you can’t tell Brittany, Jenna, or anyone else. Deal?”

  “Deal,” I respond with narrowed eyes.

  Tears well in her chocolate-brown eyes. “I’m pregnant.”

  “What?” I ask, certain I heard her incorrectly.

  “I’m pregnant,” she repeats her announcement. “We’re having another baby.”

  I lean down and seal her lips with mine in a heated kiss, allowing myself to get swept up in the moment. This will be another thing I will remember clearly from today – the moment I found out another blessing would be entering our lives and the pure, unadulterated joy I experienced. Another life created in love. Another miracle to save me.

  After I break the kiss, I lift her off her feet and spin her in a circle – both of us experiencing a moment of delight. When I place her back on her feet, I take her hands in mine and bring them to my chest, whispering through tears of my own, “Thank you for giving me a life most men can only dream of. Thank you for choosing me. I love you, my sweet, sweet Savannah.”

  Note from the Author

  I hope you enjoyed reading Sweet, Sweet Savannah and fell in love with Savannah and her boys as much I enjoyed writing it. This is the first book I have ever written, published or unpublished, and will always hold a special place in my heart.

  As a reader, I sometimes need a simple story without too much drama and a guaranteed happily ever after. I go searching for those books that are humorous but give you a little punch in the gut here or there and provide a little bit of heat. That was my goal when writing this book. I wanted something simple, light, and fun, and I hope I accomplished that for you.

  For those of you who are wanting more of Savannah and her men, be sure to check out my short story in the Nip of Frost Anthology, Sweet, Sweet Surprise. This story is told from Austin’s point of view and will leave you laughing at the chaos that happens on a snowy, Christmas day.

  About the Author

  Who is HL Nighbor? Let’s see.

  Most people would tell you that I’m a pain in the ass and that’s definitely true. But, hey, we can’t all be perfect angels, right?

  I live in a small town in Western Washington with my husband and two sons. The testosterone in my house is smothering, but I’ve learned to adapt. We live in the sticks. While we do live in a neighborhood, I see trees from every window in my house and it takes twenty minutes to get to major shopping. You’ll never find me complaining, though. I love the peacefulness and beauty of my surroundings.

  I am an Aquarius through and through. It’s said that we’re independent, free-spirited, and eccentric. I agree with every one of those descriptions and so would my best friend and husband.

  Eccentric by far is the best word to describe me. I have a serious addiction to hoodies, chucks, and graphic tees. Put those together with a pair of obnoxiously bright leggings and you have my definition of high fashion. However, I am also obsessed with fashionable hair and high-end makeup. I have vanity and professional makeup mirrors in my office. I can throw together a smoky eye and cover an imperfection like any professional. Now add in all my brightly colored tattoos and you have a look that is uniquely me.

  So, you may ask how an accountant who works as a substitute in our local elementary school ends up throwing herself into the wonderful world of writing?
It’s a really simple answer.

  It was a bucket list item. One of those dreams of mine that I actually accomplished. You see, I have had many dreams and aspirations over the years. My dreams change as frequently as most people change their underwear (you can thank the free-spirit in me).

  I consider myself a professional reader and read an obscene number of books each year. I got sick of trying to find the books I was looking for and decided that I am just going to write what I want to read. Problem solved. I wrote book one and loved it. Now you are all stuck with me.

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