by Bree Cariad
Looking back at the mirror, she couldn’t help but smile again. The dress was simple, elegant, and Kathy knew she would look good next to her husband in his tux. Husband. Even the word made her want to squeal. In less than an hour, she would be Kathryn Daisy Covington and she could hardly wait. Right after the reception, they were going on a two-week honeymoon, though Xander had kept the destination secret so far. Afterward, they would move to Nashville so they could get to know the area before she started school.
The door opened drawing her gaze and her parents stepped inside. Her mother looked wonderful in a simple dress in the soft peach she had chosen as one of her colors. Gerald looked handsome in his deep brown tux.
“Oh, honey, you look beautiful,” Carilyn said, walking over to embrace her. “How are you doing?”
“I’m ready.”
Her father grunted a chuckle. “So’s Alexander. I just checked on him and Alex says he keeps saying ‘what’s the holdup.’”
Beaming, she nodded and turned back toward her reflection. As a child, she used to dream of being a bride, but as she grew up, that dream had gotten muddied a bit. Now, looking at her reflection in the mirror, it felt fresh again and she couldn’t believe today she was getting married. It felt like she had waited forever.
“So I’m guessing you’re in favor of courting now,” her mother teased, fluffing out her train.
“Oh, yeah,” she agreed. “I think every girl should be so lucky.” When she signed that piece of paper almost exactly one year ago, twelve months seemed like forever and yet the year had sped by. Catching sight of the back of her dress, Kathy felt a special zing as she looked at the train. Carilyn had created their combined monogram in the tiniest pearls Kathy had ever seen. They shimmered in the low lighting of the brides’ room of the church they were getting married in— ACK.
The door opened and Cami stuck her head in. “It’s a go! Mrs. Bretherton, you’d better take a seat. I think Xan’s ready to come in and just pick Kathy up, carry her down the aisle, and get the I-do’s out of the way.” She waved at Kathy but something in her eyes didn’t look right. Her eighteenth birthday had been filled with sadness as the guy she had expected to court had left the town in the dead of night with his secrets exposed to the entire town. Since, she had bounced back but Kathy wasn’t sure it was all the way. However, as her mother started fussing with her dress, Kathy’s mind turned back to the wedding and she momentarily forgot her new sister-in-law’s troubles.
The room was filled. The Covingtons knew a lot of people and her extended family came as well. She was just glad for her father’s calming arm as they walked down the aisle. Seeing Xander at the end waiting for her had almost made her forget there were rules – like the bride was supposed to go down the aisle slowly, not run down it and into her groom’s arms.
Xander’s little brother Drake, whom she had gotten to know a little over the last few months stood as her husband-to-be’s best man and she smiled at him as she took her place at Xander’s side.
“Dearly beloved,” Father Jeffrey said, his deep voice settling all rustling in the room. “We are gathered today to celebrate the union of Alexander Brandon Covington, Jr. and Kathryn Daisy Bretherton…” He continued to talk as she gazed into the eyes of the man in front of her.
Thankfully they had practiced this several times, so it was easy to take cues like handing her bouquet to Camille so that they could exchange vows, of seeing the rings pass from Drake to their priest and knowing that the I-dos were on their way. Of Xander sliding a ring onto her finger with the words: “In the name of the father, and the son, and the holy ghost, amen.” And of her doing the same with his.
But when the words, “And now I pronounce you man and wife. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. You may kiss your bride,” were spoken, a little devilish glee took her and she leapt into Xander’s arms, surprising both him and their audience. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with just as much passion as he kissed her, her heart soared. As he pulled back and grinned at her, he shook his head.
“Dangerous woman.”
Their reception was lively. Music, dancing, food, and tons of people congratulating the two of them left and right. They were able to sneak two slow dances in, but that was all. When her mother whispered in her ear it was time to change, Kathy fled the room, glad to get the next part going.
She was nervous and gladly let her mother and new mother-in-law help her get changed into her going-away outfit, a soft green muslin dress that showed off the red in her hair.
“Ready?” Charlotte asked with a soft smile. Kathy couldn’t have asked for a better mother-in-law. Xander’s mother was kind, loving, and knew when to keep her two cents out of things that were not her concern. It was an art Kathy hoped to pick up.
“Yep.”
Xander waited for her at the door and together they ran through a bevy of birdseed to his car, waving as they sped off. His hand took hers as soon as they left town.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope.”
Giggling, she squeezed his hand and watched the world go by. The trees were thick around them and as the sun slowly slid down the sky, she wondered how far their honeymoon was. And then he slowed down and turned at a small sign that read Covington Haven.
“Covington Haven?”
“Yes. It’s our family’s vacation home. Mom and Dad said we could use it for our honeymoon. I think you’ll love it here.”
The sun was almost down when they arrived but from what she could see, it was a two-story, colonial style home with huge columns and marble everywhere.
“We can check it out tomorrow,” he assured her as he pulled their bags from the trunk. “For now, let’s go check out my, well, now our room.”
He turned enough lights on so they could see their way through the foyer and up a curved staircase to the second floor and then down a hallway to the end. The door was already open and she slowly walked inside, taking it all in. A four-poster bed sat against one wall, with curtains tied up at each corner and she could understand why those curtains might be needed. Two of the walls were complete glass, making it feel as though the outside was inside. “Wow.”
Xander placed their bags on a low table near another door and walked over to where she stood looking out the window at the forest. “Like it?”
“It’s beautiful.”
Stepping behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” he admitted. “For years I never thought I would actually meet the right girl. Thank you for moving to Hyacinth. We might never have met.”
“I don’t even want to think about that. Maybe I would have ended up in college where you had a case or something.”
There was a small peace to watching the outside, but tonight was their wedding night. Surely they should be doing something else.
“Are you nervous?” he murmured in her ear.
“A bit.”
“That’s natural. Does it make you feel better to know that I am as well?”
“But you’ve been with girls before.”
“Mmhmm, but never one that I plan on waking up with every morning. It’s different.” Turning around, she laid her head on his chest, breathing in the scent that was uniquely Xander. “Why don’t you use the bathroom first, Kathy?” When she nodded, he gently pulled away and walked over, putting her case in the bathroom for her before leaving her alone.
It was a bit nerve-wracking getting ready for her wedding night. For some reason, Kathy had thought once the wedding was over, she would be home free. She had been so intent on getting through the wedding, the wedding night jitters came as a bit of a surprise. Not wanting to take too long, she forced herself to do what she needed to: brushed her teeth and hair, removed her dress, and changed into a nightgown her mother had packed for her. White satin, it didn’t fall as far as Kathy expected, landing just below her cro
tch. The panties that came with it were so tiny, they were barely there. Reminding herself that lingerie was supposed to be like that and that it was okay to wear it because Xander was now her husband, she took a deep breath and opened the door.
He had turned off the lights and replaced them with two flickering candles seated by the window. At first, he stood looking out the windows. Having changed into a pair of silk sleep pants, his torso was bare and she couldn’t help but like what she saw. As he turned and smiled at her, her butterflies turned to something far more potent and as all fear flew away she ran straight into his arms.
Their entire honeymoon was amazing, magical, and fourteen days she would remember for the rest of her life, but her wedding night would stay with her for two reasons. The first was that it was the first time she and her husband made love and it was so much more than she expected. She had been prepared for the pain but it was nothing in comparison to how good he made her feel. The second was that of all silly things to do, she freaked out when she went to the bathroom afterwards and saw the blood. No matter what Xander said, she wouldn’t calm down.
“Kathy,” he had warned, but she was beyond reason. Until he pulled her after him to the bed, sat on the edge, and upended her over his lap. It was amazing how fast her head cleared at that point. Unfortunately, her clear head did not stop him from painting her behind a bright red. She had thought his spankings were rough over denim. That was nothing in comparison to bare skin. Her cries bounced off the walls and the windows until it sounded like more than one person was being spanked. When he was done, she lay panting over his lap, wondering how she had gotten herself into this position.
And yet, as soon as he was done and pulled her into bed with him, she curled up, happier than she could imagine. As she drifted into an incredibly peaceful sleep, she realized that while she was hard headed, his hard hand seemed to be a great equalizer. Smiling against his chest, she took a moment to thank God for bringing her to Hyacinth and to Xander. Maybe when they got to Tennessee, he could help her figure out just the right guy for his sister. Cami needed a good man, too, with the same strength of character as the man in her arms. Yawning softly, her last thought before falling asleep was that he would need to have a hard hand, too.
The End
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
