by Sam Crescent
“Because they help a marriage,” she said.
“Yeah, that’s right. Raven Howard, heart of my life, will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?” He presented her the ring and waited with bated breath.
“You were wrong about something, Drew Reynolds,” Raven said.
“What was that?”
“You are very romantic.”
“Is that a yes?” he asked. He’d never been so nervous than in the five seconds it took her to respond.
“Yes, you doofus. I accepted your proposal weeks ago.”
He got to his feet, pulling her in his arms, and slamming his lips down on hers. Cheers erupted around them, but he didn’t care. She had said yes, and as far as he was concerned, that was the best damn thing that had ever happened to him.
She pulled away, smiling up at him. “I didn’t know you could be romantic.”
“Well, do me a favor,” he said.
“What?”
“Whenever I do something to piss you off, remember how good I was today, and don’t hold my assholey words against me.”
She chuckled. “I won’t. I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.”
Leaving her at the bakery was the hardest thing he’d done. All he wanted to do was lift her up in his arms, and carry her back to their place, make love to her until the sun went down.
He would have to wait until tonight, and he already had plans to finish off their romantic evening.
****
Six months later
“Are you okay, honey?” Clark asked.
“I’m a little nervous. Do I look okay?” She ran her hands down her dress and turned in a circle for her father to see. The dress had been made by her mother, and it was the most perfect wedding dress she’d ever seen. Six months it had taken for her mother to complete the dress. The dress was the only reason they had waited so long to get married.
Raven couldn’t complain. It had been six months of pure bliss, non-wedded bliss.
“You’re a picture, honey. Drew is going to be knocked dead when he sees you.”
“The church is packed out,” Cathy said, coming into the room. “The locals are here to see Drew Reynolds fall. I’ve never known it to be so crazy before.”
“Just the way to make me more nervous. What if I fall down?” Raven asked.
“I won’t let you.” Her father came up, placing the veil on her head. “You are going to go out there, and marry the man you love.”
“Do you like him, Dad?” she asked.
“Do you love him, Raven?”
“More than anything.”
“It’s a father’s place to hate the son-in-law. It’s our place to put them through hell just to make sure they know what they’re doing. Drew had a bad reputation. I held him to that reputation, and he has done nothing but prove to me that not only is he a good man, he’s a man madly in love with my daughter, and will do anything to protect her.” Clark cupped her cheek. “I like him, sweetheart, and I’ll still give him hell. It’s my total right.”
She groaned. “I hope you don’t. I really don’t want to have to deal with that.”
“Not today. Today is your day.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, turning to Cathy. Her best friend was swollen with Brice’s child. It had been a shock to her to see Brice and Cathy actually getting together. She didn’t know what happened, but the two were happy, and so in love for anyone to see.
“How is our little girl?” she asked, bending down to kiss Cathy’s stomach. She and Drew were going to be godparents to the little girl she had growing.
“She’s happy. She’s settling so I can do this whole wedding properly.”
“I can’t believe you and Brice went to Vegas to get married.”
“I know. We just wanted to tie the knot. We should have done it months ago.” Cathy hugged her close, and there was a knock at the door, giving them the signal they were ready.
Everyone gave her a final hug and made their way out of the room, leaving her alone with her father.
“Last chance, you want me to shove you out of the window so you can escape?” he asked.
She giggled. “Not a chance.”
Moving toward her father, she held his arm, and together they made their way out, ready to face her man. The moment she saw him standing by the altar, all fear left her. This was what Drew did to her.
He smiled at her, and she watched as he let out a breath.
Her father moved the veil and offered her hand out to Drew.
“You take good care of her now.”
“I will, sir, I will.” Drew smiled at her. “I thought you’d run.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Silence fell on the church, and the priest started to speak. Staring into Drew’s beautiful blue eyes, she knew without a doubt that she wasn’t making a mistake. This man was the love of her life. Like his proposal speech, she had only been half living without him. She couldn’t imagine a life without him in, nor did she want to.
They said their vows, promising to love, honor, and cherish each other. When it was time to announce them as husband and wife, no one stepped forward to ruin their special day. William’s threat had kept Francine in line. The spiteful woman preferred her money and reputation over nothing.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Drew pulled her to him, sinking his fingers in her hair and taking her lips. The whole church erupted in cheers, and she smiled against his lips.
“I’ve got you now for the rest of my life,” he said.
“I’m not running away, and I’m not scared.”
“Mrs. Raven Reynolds.”
“That’s my name.”
“It certainly is.”
They didn’t stop holding hands as they made their way out for photographs. They took some with her parents, and with Doreen, his mother who had been able to come out with one of the nurses from the homes. She got to see her son get married. Their picture was taken with Brice and Cathy, then several of them both together, kissing.
The reception was being held at O’Donald’s ranch.
Raven had been shocked when she heard Seymor wanted Drew to take over. Her man had been nervous about taking over something so large and vast, but she had faith in him. It was scary, and like she said, dating him had been scary. She had done it though, and now she was married to him.
Listening to the speeches, she heard many people express their doubts over their love, and also their happiness to see them together. They had defied the odds, and it was all down to Drew declaring that she belonged to him. She was never going to forget that, not ever.
“So, Mrs. Reynolds, what are your plans for the next fifty years?” Drew asked during the first dance.
She smiled. “I’m thinking six kids, a couple more dogs, and a few more cats.”
They already had a dog, Floppy, a rescue mongrel. They both adored him, and he was so damn cute.
“Six?”
“Yeah, I want a big family.” She repeated his words back to him.
Drew pulled her close and hugged her tightly.
“I do have one question,” she said.
“What is it?”
“If we have a daughter, are you going to be a hard ass to her man?”
“It’s every father’s right.”
Epilogue
Eighteen years later
“Mom, Dad is being a horrible person again. He’s being so cruel,” Bethany said, moaning.
Raven smiled as she finished making up the cookie batter with her youngest daughter, Lora. They had five kids, with their sixth child on the way. Yes, she was forty-three years old, and their sixth child had been a little accident, but she was going to love him all the same.
There was suddenly the slam of the door, and once again she heard Bethany screaming. “What did you say to him?”
Their voices were getting closer, and she saw her smug husband entering the kitchen. “I just told
him what every father’s right is.”
“You’re so weird. I can’t get a boyfriend because of you. You’re ruining everything.”
“Bethany, if he’s not man enough to stand up to your father, and take the crap he has to dish out, then he’s not good enough to be with you,” Raven said. She had seen the logic in her own father’s words.
“Yeah, right, I bet Granddad didn’t give you a hard time,” Bethany said.
“Actually, he did,” Raven said, coming to her husband’s defense. “Your father took all kinds of crap. He even had a shotgun threatened as well, and you know your grandfather loves his shotgun.”
“I’m doing it for you, honey.”
“He was a complete lame-o anyway. I think you’re ugly, but you could do better than Malcolm,” Sean, their sixteen-year-old, said.
“Don’t say things like that about your sister,” Drew said.
“It’s the truth.”
Eighteen years, five kids, ten dogs, fifteen cats, a baby on the way, a ranch to handle, and several godchildren—it had been so great, so exhausting, and so totally worth it.
When the cookies were in the oven, and the kids were clearing up, and Bethany had conceded to her father, Drew finally pulled her against him. “How’s my little incubator doing?”
“Seriously, you think that’s romantic?” she asked.
“It’s not?”
“No! It’s far from romantic. It’s very not romantic. I can’t even believe you’d think that.”
“Proposal!”
She paused, turning in his arms, and glaring at him. “Drew Reynolds, don’t think that you can remind me of the time you were romantic to get out of it.”
“Honeymoon speech.”
“Still not going to work.”
“First anniversary.”
Raven sighed, put her hand on her hips, and glared. “I’m not an incubator.”
“Would it make you feel any better if I said you were all mine, no one else’s?” he asked.
He stroked her hips, moving his hands around her back. She knew what he was doing, but like every other time he’d pissed her off, she’d been too weak to deny him.
“I’m still not happy.”
“You’re my very sexy incubator. Without you, we wouldn’t have our large family.” He nuzzled her neck, and she knew with a few more kisses, she’d have melted away her anger. Not that she was angry. She rarely got angry, and he just liked to say and do things that got her temper burning.
“I can’t wait until I get you to bed.”
“Even with this?”
“Baby, your tits are huge, you’re fucking soft, and like always, you’re horny as hell. I’m in for one hell of a ride tonight.”
And he was.
Her bad boy was a sucker for her pregnant body.
But then, Drew was a sucker in love for her, just as she was for him.
The End
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Other Books by Sam Crescent:
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