by J. M. Madden
"These are incredible," Emily breathed. Pictures had been taken at birth, one year and four years for most of the animals and there were running timelines for each animal. Gary had been doing this such a long time though that there was one book that was marked almost completely deceased. Gary rubbed his hand over that cover carefully and Jackson made sure to slip the book into the stuff they were moving upstairs.
"If I need to know something Gary will let me know," he'd told her softly when she'd caught him.
The entire day was devoted to Gary, and the old man loved the attention. Since most of his own family had passed on, Emily knew Gary would be a welcome part of their lives for as long as he wanted to be.
Kendra loved the old man as well, teasing him about being her new boyfriend. Emily forgot what she'd said but at one point Kendra had had the old man blushing, and everyone else laughing. It had been a wonderful day, and she was looking forward to having Gary to dinner quite a bit.
For a while Emily had worried about the drive from the city, but the more she was on the new property the more she loved it. Jackson showed her one room that faced the east and the city skyline. "We can either make this an office or our bedroom, whichever you prefer. Then you'll always be able to see your skyline."
She'd shaken her head, amazed all over again at the lengths he was willing to go for her. It reminded her very much of the love between her mother and father.
Daddy was looking out at what he had done and Emily leaned into him. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, baby. Let's get this wedding on the road."
She grinned and nodded, and they headed back into the house.
* * *
Chad ran a finger into the collar of his shirt and Jackson laughed. "It doesn't stretch, boy. Quit fussing."
Chad sighed and looked around the room. "I know it doesn't. How much longer do we have?"
"One minute less than I told you a minute ago," Brock laughed, smacking his younger brother on the back. "Why are you so nervous? You've been together a couple years now. This is just a formality."
Chad blinked. "I know, but what if she changes her mind? It's not crazy to have cold feet. I've heard of brides and grooms being left at the altar."
Brock shook his head and shared a look with Jackson. Jackson shrugged, not sure how to ease his fears. He was sure that whenever he and Emily set a date he would probably be in the same state.
"I have men at the ranch entrance directing traffic,” John told Chad. "I'll radio them to let them know not to let anyone leave."
Palmer kept a completely straight face, but Jackson could see the humor dancing in his dark eyes.
"Okay. That's a really good idea, Gunny."
Jackson blinked, staring at Chad. The response had been completely straight-faced, and Jackson barked out a laugh. Chad apparently didn't realize how crazy he sounded, because he continued to fuss with the fittings of the shirt. Now he was adjusting the cuff over his damaged left hand. "Should I wear a glove over this? I know it bothers people."
Jackson shook his head. "It's eighty degrees outside. I think if you wear a glove it will be a sweaty mess in no time."
"Okay," Chad murmured.
"Time to break out the whiskey?" Brock murmured.
A silver flask was thrust toward him. Zeke Foster shrugged and grinned when the rest of the men in the room looked at him. "I-I've b-been to weddings before. A swallow will take the edge off. I s-s-swear."
Shrugging, Brock took the flask and thrust it into Chad's hand. "Take a drink," he ordered.
Chad did without even flinching. Then another. Brock had to grab the thing from him before he drained it.
It worked as Zeke had promised, though. Within just a few minutes Chad was more relaxed than he had been all day. At least until the knock came at the door.
Cheyenne ducked her head into the room with a broad grin. "We're good to go, guys!"
She gave Sheridan a solid head to toe perusal before winking and ducking back out the door.
Jackson watched as Brock adjusted the fit of Chad's tux and turned him toward the door. Chad had gone a little pale. Pale enough that Sheridan gripped his arm in a massive fist. This would not do.
Jackson stepped in front of him, looking Chad in the eye. "Lora loves you. You know that. That little girl also loves you more than anything. Today is very precious to them both, because their family is growing exponentially. Everyone here loves them just as much as they love you. Let's go show them what a Texas wedding is all about."
Grinning, looking more like himself, Chad nodded, and left the room with a spring in his step. Zeke pounded Jackson on the back. "Good job."
Just inside the shrouded tunnel, the groomsmen paired up with the bridesmaids. Jackson couldn't help but lean down to kiss Emily on her glossy mouth. The woman looked stunning today, her hair wound up in curls and sprigs of baby's breath woven through it. He'd seen the dress before, but today she looked exceptional. He glanced at the cowboy boots all of the girls were wearing. Brown leather with little pale green accents in the leather to match the dresses. Personally, he thought Emily wore it the best. "You take my breath away," he told her honestly.
She ran her hand over his lapel, her expression softening as she looked up at him. "I love you, Jackson."
The music began to play.
* * *
Emily couldn't imagine a more beautiful bride. Lora was a beautiful woman, but today she was breathtakingly stunning. There were gasps through the crowd as she appeared from the tunnel, clutching Garrett's arm in a death grip. It wasn't normal for the bride to walk on the arm of her father-in-law, but Garrett had been more of a father to her than any other man, Emily knew.
The dress was perfection. With capped sleeves that matched the style of the bridesmaids’ dresses, it was a confection of handmade lace with glittering star points down into the long A-line skirt. There was a bit of a train to the dress, but no more than a couple of feet. Shannon, her Matron of Honor, straightened the train just as the wedding march sounded.
The bride also wore a veil. It hung down the length of her exposed back, fluttering gently in the breeze.
Lora's bright green eyes were luminous with joy as she looked down the aisle to her groom, and the audience felt the connection like the aftershocks from a quake. It was so silent in the field Emily was sure they could have heard a pin drop to the grass.
It also wasn't usual for the bride's young daughter to walk down the aisle with her, but it worked for their relationship. Chad had told Emily that he'd proposed to Mercy as well as Lora, and it was only appropriate that he 'marry' them both as well. For Chad, the ceremony was as much about making the three of them a family as it was marrying a husband and a wife. Mercy was wearing her purple cowboy boots, and if you watched carefully you could see Lora's blue boots peeking from beneath the hem of her gown as well.
Emily never would have believed the depth of the feelings she could sense from her brother, but as she looked at him now as he fought tears looking at the woman he loved walking toward him, she was reminded all over again. For a moment she looked at Jackson, standing tall and handsome in his tuxedo. He was looking at her exactly the same way Chad was looking at Lora, and it was a struggle to control her emotions.
Lora was also struggling as she looked at Chad. If she hadn't been holding onto Garrett's arm Emily wasn't sure she would have kept time with the march. She and Mercy both looked like they wanted to run to Chad, but they stuck to the rhythm of the processional. At the front of the seating area, Lora and Mercy both placed a single white rose on an empty chair to commemorate Lora's mother. When they finally reached Chad, Mercy snugged in beneath his right arm. Garrett kissed Lora on the cheek and moved to his seat, wrapping his arm around Francine. Shannon moved to her spot with the other attendants and the officiant, an older gentleman in a cowboy hat, started the proceedings.
For some reason, the words had a huge impact on Emily. She'd been to weddings many times before, but hearing the
words as she looked past the bride and groom to the other half of her own heart, she understood them so much better. Shannon reached over and slipped her a tissue. That was when Emily realized she was crying. And they hadn't even gotten to the vows yet.
"Chad, I know you have some words for Lora and Mercy," the officiant said. "Go ahead."
Chad swallowed heavily and seemed to be gathering his courage. He cupped Mercy's shoulder in his hand and looked down into her eyes. "Mercy, I know you haven't known me very long, but I hope that when I tell you I will love you and your mother forever that you will believe it." Mercy nodded her head without saying anything, tears flooding her eyes. "Your mother is an incredible woman and I believe she will raise you to be an amazing person. But I want to be there to protect you both. Anytime you have a dragon to slay, I will be right there, guiding, protecting, loving you any way you want me to be. When your mother questions your dating choices or the college you want to go to, know that while I stand with her, I will always have your best interests at heart, even if you can't see it at the time."
Mercy nodded again, sobbing. Chad knelt and kissed her cheek, then slipped a silver chain over the little girl's neck. "This is a symbol of my love. It says, 'Today I tell your mother I do, but I promise to love you forever too.’ And it has your name on it. And some bling, too," he pointed out, garnering some laughs and sniffles from the crowd.
Then Chad stood and looked at Lora. He held Mercy's hand in his right, and Lora's in his left. "I know we didn't meet under ideal circumstances, but I will be forever thankful that our stars aligned. You are perfection to me, Lora. I look at you and I wonder what I did to deserve you. Every day," Chad stopped and had to clear his throat. "Every day I chase your smile, because it makes me complete. Somehow, you've seen past all the hard edges to the man beneath, the man who loves you more than life itself. I would die for you, without hesitation or question. I will always choose the two of you over myself. I will fight your demons with a ferocious love and I will always, always have a Starlight mint ready."
Chad reached onto his pocket and pulled out one mint for Mercy and a second for Lora.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house, including Lora's, but she wiped her tears and smiled at the man before her. "Chad, it's amazing to me how what you’ve just said could be turned around. Everything you just told me, I could say about you, plus much more. You wooed me with your mints, but you kept me with your steadfast heart. Our love together, the three of us, will light our way forward, through every trial or challenge. I gave you my heart, and most importantly the heart of my daughter, because I trust you with everything in me. I know that you will support and treasure us to the absolute best of your ability, and when I lose my way, our light will lead me back. I love you with every fiber of my being and I can't wait for us to be a family."
Lora took the Kleenex Shannon slipped into her hand and mopped her face. Emily glanced at the audience. Most of the people there were doing the same thing, drying their tears. Even the officiant seemed choked up as he swallowed and straightened to finish the ceremony.
Lora lifted Chad's injured hand in hers and when she gently, lovingly straightened his scarred finger to place the wedding band, they all got choked up again.
Chad pushed the wedding band onto Lora's finger, but his hands were shaking so badly he almost dropped it. There were a few nervous laughs from the guests, then he was looking up at Lora with joy in his eyes. Even before the officiant pronounced them 'Husband and Wife and Daughter', Chad was reaching out to cup Lora's face for a kiss.
Epilogue
Emily had so many emotions rolling through her she didn't know what to think. The wedding had been beautiful. Ethereal. Emotional. Everything that a wedding should be. When Chad and Lora had walked down the aisle as husband and wife, everyone assembled there had given them a standing ovation and showered them with bird seed. Mercy had danced along behind, more carefree than Emily had ever seen her.
As she stepped off the patio, Jackson was there to escort her and she looked up at him, at a loss as to what to say. He seemed to understand, because he merely leaned down to press a kiss to her temple.
The guests eventually headed to the training barn for the reception, leaving the wedding party to have pictures taken. Chad and Lora were entranced with each other and their love shone brightly in every picture. The photographer eventually released the wedding party to focus on Chad, Lora and Mercy.
Jackson led her to a shady oak tree, away from the training barn and the building noise she could hear. It was going to be an epic party in there tonight, even bigger than the shower.
They settled onto a bench that had been placed beneath the tree. Jackson leaned back against it and cradled Emily against his broad chest.
"I'm exhausted," she admitted finally. "This has been such an emotional roller coaster for me."
"Hmm. Me as well. It was so easy to envision us standing up there, speaking our vows into the world."
"Yes," she said softly, tears filling her eyes again and rolling down her cheeks to dampen his shirt. "I'm sorry I put us on hold for so long. I thought there was only one way the relationship could play out. I never expected you to cross the state for me and completely upend your life. I should have trusted in you, in us, so much more than I did."
"It's not too late. I think everything happens for a reason and at the perfect time. Eleven years ago, something else would have gotten in our way. It's the way life is. I wouldn't have wanted to rush you into marriage and you wouldn't have been ready back then." He leaned so that he could look down into her face. "I think you're ready now though. Emily Lowell, are you ready to try the knot?"
She giggled at the play on words and made a face like she was thinking hard.
"Well, I suppose."
She squealed as he tickled her ribs and tried to jerk away, but he held onto her and turned her in his strong arms. "I love you, Emily. You have literally made me happier in the past month than I have ever been. I look forward to living a life full of you."
"I love you, Jackson. Thank you for waiting for me," she told him simply. "I was pretty impressed with what Daddy did. Think he can plan for us in a year or so?"
Jackson chuckled, his chest moving beneath her. "I don't know. Let's go ask him."
Lost and Found
If you would like to read about the ‘combat modified’ veterans of the Lost and Found Investigative Service, check out these books:
* * *
The Embattled Road ( FREE prequel)
Duncan, John and Chad
* * *
Embattled Hearts-Book 1 (FREE)
John and Shannon
* * *
Embattled Minds-Book 2
Zeke and Ember
* * *
Embattled Home-Book 3
Chad and Lora
* * *
Embattled SEAL- Book 4
Harper and Cat
* * *
Embattled Ever After- Book 5
Duncan and Alex
* * *
Her Forever Hero- Grif
Grif and Kendall
* * *
SEAL’s Lost Dream-Flynn
Flynn and Willow
* * *
SEAL’s Christmas Dream
Flynn and Willow
* * *
Unbreakable SEAL- Max
Max and Lacey
* * *
Embattled Christmas
* * *
Reclaiming The Seal
Gabe and Julie
* * *
Loving Lilly
Diego and Lilly
* * *
Her Secret Wish
Rachel and Dean
* * *
Wish Upon a SEAL (Kindle World)
Drake and Izzy
* * *
Mistletoe Mischief
Cass and Roger
* * *
Lost and Found Pieces
* * *
Watch for Parker Quinn’s book
Flat Line, out in February! It’s part of the SLEEPER SEALs Series! You can preorder it here!
* * *
Other books by J.M. Madden
A Touch of Fae
Second Time Around
A Needful Heart
Wet Dream
Love on the Line
The Billionaire’s Secret Obsession
The Awakening Society- FREE
Tempt Me
* * *
If you’d like to connect with me on social media and keep updated on my releases, try these links:
Newsletter
Website
Facebook
Twitter
* * *
And of course you can always email me at [email protected]
About the Author
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author J.M. Madden writes compelling romances between 'combat modified' military men and the women who love them. J.M. Madden loves any and all good love stories, most particularly her own. She has two beautiful children and a husband who always keeps her on her toes.
J.M. was a Deputy Sheriff in Ohio for nine years, until hubby moved the clan to Kentucky. When not chasing the family around, she's at the computer, reading and writing, perfecting her craft. She occasionally takes breaks to feed her animal horde and is trying to control her office-supply addiction, but both tasks are uphill battles. Happily, she is writing full-time and always has several projects in the works. She also dearly loves to hear from readers! So, drop her a line. She'll respond.
