by Beth Alvarez
“She is, but we don’t have time to gawk,” Penny said, helping pull Felicity’s veil forward before pressing a white lace parasol into Emmett’s hands. “You all look perfect. I’ll be up in the front if you need me, okay?”
Felicity beamed. “Thank you, Penny. I couldn’t have managed today without you.”
“I know. You’d still be at the bakery, mixing icing.” The younger woman winked, then jogged toward the rest of the crowd.
As she vanished, Owen appeared beside the truck, adjusting the boutonniere in his lapel. “Are we ready?”
“Good question.” Emmett popped open the parasol, letting it hover in front of Felicity’s face. “Are you ready?”
She picked up her skirt with her free hand. “Absolutely.”
“Good, because it’s time.” Owen offered his arm to Gertie.
She giggled like a schoolgirl, snatching her red bouquet from the cab of the truck before taking her place at his side. “Break a leg, girlie! See you at the altar!” The old woman’s hobbling gait disappeared as she started for the makeshift aisle with her groomsman, replaced with a well-practiced mincing step she likely hadn’t used in forty years.
Then Emmett offered his arm and Felicity took it, cradling her bouquet against her stomach and wishing the nervous butterflies would settle. They inched toward the barn, stopping beside the last chair. The music on the rented sound system changed. As the bridal chorus began, the guests stood.
Emmett dropped the parasol.
Beneath the draperies and twinkling lights stood Kade, wearing a wide smile and a beautifully fitted black suit, holding his Stetson to his heart. A white-collared priest stood beside him, cradling an open Bible in black-gloved hands.
Her father guided her between the rows of people, closing the distance between her and her other half, the dark and light of Kade’s suit and her dress more symbolic than most of the guests would ever know.
The music stilled. The people sat.
“Dearly beloved,” the priest began, raising his voice. “We are gathered here today to join Felicity Anne Hammond and Kade Gabriel Colton in matrimony. If any person can show just cause why they should not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”
A long, awkward silence filled the night.
The priest nodded. “Who supports this couple in their marriage?”
Before Emmett could say a word, Cole leaped from his seat and stood. A moment later, Justine followed, though she shielded her face with one hand, a glow of embarrassment in her cheeks.
One by one, the guests rose until Felicity couldn’t see if anyone was left sitting at all.
Her father chuckled and nodded, stepping forward. Kade returned his hat to his head and took Felicity’s hand, his fingers cool and strong.
Gertie bounced in delight before straightening the train of Felicity’s dress.
“Let us pray,” the priest said, and as Felicity bowed her head, the words blended together in her ears.
After everything they’d been through, it still didn’t feel real. Kade’s hands tightened on hers, firm and reassuring, and everything else evaporated.
“Repeat after me. I, Kade...”
A devilish dimple appeared in his cheek as his eyes locked with hers. “I, Kade, will take you, Felicity, to be my wife from this day forward, to cherish, respect, and honor. I promise my trust and my faithfulness, my respect and honor, and all my days, never to part. And love, through all our years, and all that may yet come.”
Her heart fluttered. Never to part. Life and death, the chasm between them, suddenly mattered so little.
“I, Felicity...” She blinked against tears as she echoed the vows back to him, and his smile only grew wider.
“Have you the rings?”
Owen and Gertie stepped forward, passing over the treasures they’d been charged with.
The priest waited for them to return to their places. “With these rings, do you, Felicity, take this man?”
“I do.”
“And do you, Kade, take this woman?”
“I reckon.”
Felicity gasped, raising a hand as if to swat him.
He laughed, catching her wrist instead. “I do.” He turned her hand, fitting the plain gold band to her finger.
Laughter rolled through the crowd. Even the priest chuckled before he continued. “Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss.”
Kade swept her into his arms, twirling her around and dipping her back to seize one long, knee-weakening kiss.
Applause erupted from the guests before them, carrying on for some time after Felicity made it back to her feet.
The priest motioned toward them with one gloved hand. “May I introduce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Kade and Felicity Colton.”
The applause renewed and Felicity nestled close to her husband’s side, beaming as Kade wrapped an arm around her. Her husband. She’d never heard anything so good.
“Normally, I think this is where we’re supposed to run away,” Kade announced, “but if we do that, I ain’t bringin’ her back. So y’all can go ahead and slip inside and get somethin’ to eat while we get pictures taken care of.”
“And then we’ll run away,” Felicity whispered, and the pure, sweet warmth in his laugh melted her heart.
* * *
The interior of the barn was even dreamier than the outside. White draperies and big paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, enough white lights draped between them to illuminate half the night.
People packed the building, lining long tables and filling the space with noisy cheer. Felicity never so much as sat down, flitting between the tables, receiving hugs and well-wishes, smiling until her face ached—then smiling more. There wasn’t room to dance, but no one seemed to care. The food was plenty and Felicity’s cake was delicious, as if it could be any other way. Kade even tolerated sharing a bite of it in the name of tradition, though she suspected he spat it out the moment no one was looking.
Then came the long list of farewells when they—exhausted—finally tried to escape. Sam and Regina both hugged her, with Regina boasting over Felicity’s dress to anyone close enough to hear. Every McCullough within a two hundred mile radius had come, plus almost everyone who had ever lived in Holly Hill. Gertie giggled and cooed over them, and Owen offered a quiet but heartfelt congratulations. It wasn’t until they reached the doorway that Felicity came face-to-face with a tall man with a stern face and silvered hair, a warm fire in his hazel eyes. She stopped, blinking in surprise.
Kade came to stand beside her, resting a hand on the small of her back. “Filly, this is my dad, Charles Colton.”
“Felicity.” The older man cracked a smile, and a shadow of a dimple marked his cheek. “It’s good to finally meet you. I have to admit, I never thought I’d see this day.”
She could only imagine, after everything she’d learned from Owen. “It was a surprise to all of us, sir. I never expected I’d meet anyone like your son, but I couldn’t be more grateful. He’s a wonderful man, and he’s made such a difference in our lives.”
Charles nodded as if it were a given. “I’m happy for you both. And I’m proud of you, son. You have a beautiful wife and a wonderful story ahead.”
Kade faltered for a moment before he managed to find a few dazed words. “Thank you.”
“The two of you had better hurry up,” Emmett said as he joined them. “If you don’t take your chance, you’ll get caught again and you’ll never escape.”
“Going,” Felicity laughed, catching Kade’s hand and tugging him out the door.
Small clusters of people stood outside the barn and she thought they might slip past unnoticed, but Kade raised a finger and then pulled her toward one of the groups. Cole and Justine halted their conversation with the priest and turned to greet them.
“Congratulations, sweetheart,” Justine said. “It was all beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Felicity grinned, her
eyes darting toward the priest. That wasn’t the company she expected the vampires to keep. “I thought Keepers weren’t supposed to mingle with people like us outside of work?”
“We’re not. But Cole wanted to come, and after his over-zealous behavior on his last job, I figured it was probably a good idea I keep an eye on him.” The Keeper winked.
Cole rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to her. She spent an hour trying to decide which shoes to wear. I don’t see how it matters, since all of them are black. But yeah. Congrats, you two. I’m a little sad my favorite hunting buddy is officially out of the game, but I’m happy for you guys.”
“Thank you,” Kade said, more easily than he’d managed for his father. Then he turned his attention to the priest. “And thank you, father, for comin’ all the way out here for this. I know havin’ a real priest was important to Filly.”
“I never said that,” she muttered, thought Kade shot her a knowing look. Of course he’d known she worried about a religious ceremony. He knew everything, now.
“It was an honor and a pleasure,” the priest replied, and for the first time, Felicity caught a flash of fang.
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re-”
He chuckled, inclining his head and spreading his gloved hands in a gesture that was half placating, half surrender. “We all have our struggles.”
“Indeed,” Thaddeus added as he stepped from the shadows.
Kade straightened. “I thought you said you weren’t comin’?”
“I said I would not RSVP.” The old man pressed a small black box into Kade’s hand. “Congratulations.”
Kade turned the box over, his brow furrowing.
Felicity caught his arm and urged it down. “Thank you, Thaddeus. We’re both glad you were able to come.”
“As with Keeper Jones, we are all responsible for the wellbeing of our charges. In some cases, I believe that allows sharing special moments.” Thaddeus touched his fingers to the brim of his bowler hat, then turned to leave.
Unwilling to get caught by anyone else, Felicity pulled Kade in the opposite direction.
He shook his head, sliding the small box into the pocket of his jacket. Then, rather than leading Felicity to the truck as she expected, he led her around to the back side of the barn. There, Rico waited with a saddled and bridled horse.
“What’s this?” She reached to touch the horse’s neck and the tall bay swiveled his head around, whuffing in Kade’s direction.
“I know, I know, you’re feelin’ neglected.” Kade nudged the gelding’s muzzle aside. “Thanks, Rico. C’mon, Filly. I got a surprise for you.”
“Congratulations, you two.” Rico passed over the reins. “Give a shout if you need anything.” Then he slapped Kade’s shoulder, leaving them alone.
“Up you go.” Kade laced his hands together to make a foothold.
Felicity slipped her toes into his grasp and he boosted her into the saddle, her white skirts spilling to either side in a froth of lace.
He swung on behind her, rearranging the sea of fabric until they both sat comfortably.
“Oh!” Felicity gasped. “I forgot to throw my bouquet! I left it on the table!”
Kade chuckled, nudging his horse’s sides. “I think they’ll forgive you. Whoever wants it will go find it, anyway.”
“That would be Gertie,” she said.
Laughing, he turned Dex toward the range. “It would.”
Instead of riding off toward the cars or the ranch house like Felicity expected, they trotted out into the night, the sweet songs of night insects rising into the air around them as they left the festivities behind.
“Where are we going?” she asked in a hush. The horse slowed to a walk as the dark enveloped them. A sliver of crescent moon and the bands of stars that sprinkled the sky were all they had as guide.
“You’ll see,” Kade replied.
She leaned her head back against his chest, letting her eyes close as they bumped and swayed across the open range.
After what seemed an eternity, a small, boxy shadow crept into view. Felicity squinted at it in the dark and, as they came closer, the shadow resolved into a tiny log cabin.
She laughed. “What is this?”
Kade dismounted and led his horse to the front of the building, where he dropped the reins. Then he helped her down from Dex’s saddle. “Give me just a minute, would you?”
Stepping up onto the porch, she watched as he retrieved a picket line from a storage box underneath the curtained window and tied out the big bay. He hung the bridle over the porch railing, then went to the door.
It wasn’t locked, and he opened it only a sliver. Before Felicity could ask what he was doing, he swept her off her feet and kicked open the door, carrying her into the cabin. She giggled into the crook of his neck, hanging on tight. He deposited her in the middle of the floor and shut the door behind them, leaving the cabin pitch black.
“Kade!” she laughed, stretching out her arms and feeling blindly in the dark.
“Stay there.”
A bright flame sparked in the night and she shielded her eyes. It drifted from one candle to the next as he made a slow circle around her, lighting dozens of white candles in clear glass bowls, their bottoms filled with red marbles.
The warm glow revealed the deep red rose petals scattered across the floor. More petals decorated the black covers on the wide bed at the cabin’s far end, a bouquet of roses to match waiting on the nightstand alongside a pair of fine stem glasses and a dark bottle.
“Wine,” Kade said before she could do more than think about it.
Warmth swelled in her chest. “I didn’t expect this. I didn’t even know this place was out here.”
“The boys use it sometimes when they’re huntin’. Adds to the rustic feel, or somethin’ like that. Comes in handy, though. With so many guests holed up at the Hilltop House, I didn’t think it’d be too nice to take you back there on our weddin’ night.” He crossed to the bedside, picking up the wine bottle and the corkscrew left behind it. He popped the cork, filling both glasses a third of the way. Then he picked them up, presenting her glass as both gift and invitation.
She crept close enough to take it, lifting her glass halfway before he stopped her, looping his arm with hers with a wink. They drank together. The moment they lowered their glasses, Kade sputtered and gagged.
“Blech.” He scraped his tongue against his teeth, neatly avoiding his fangs. “Think I’ll stick to the ice cream. That stuff is still disgusting.”
“Guess I’ll have to drink it all, then,” Felicity teased. “You’ll have to find something else.”
“Oh, I got somethin’ in mind.” He abandoned his drink, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her close. His fingertips slid up the row of false buttons on the back of her dress, searching for the top of the zipper.
She answered by removing his hat, hanging it atop the wine bottle and running her fingers through his black hair as she sought his lips. The sharp and sweet taste of wine greeted her as his lips parted and the tip of his tongue brushed against hers.
“I’ve been lookin’ forward to this,” Kade murmured, easing the zipper down her back, his cool fingertips exploring the exposed skin.
Already, heat pooled in her middle. She smirked up at him. “That was the point of asking you to wait.”
“You kiddin’? I would’ve looked forward to it anyway. I never get tired... it never gets old.” He feathered a kiss against her lips, easing her dress off her shoulders.
She caught him by the tie, working her fingers into the knot and pulling it loose. “Are you gonna say that fifty years from now?”
“I’m gonna say that a hundred years from now, and two hundred, and three hundred, and you’re gonna be sick of hearin’ it. But until then...” Trailing off, he let his fingertips slide down her arms as he peeled the dress away, wiggling her dress and crinoline down over her hips. His breath caught as he exposed her undergarments, lacy and white with blue ribbon
s threaded along the edges.
His hands left her skin tingling in their wake, her body aching for the contact she’d so badly missed. She helped him out of the fine black suit jacket, then unbuttoned the red vest and black shirt beneath it. Her fingertips brushed his chest. Then her hands pressed against his smooth, sculpted body and her fingers spread wide.
Not waiting for her to step free of her dress, he scooped her up and toppled her onto the bed. Unclipping her garters, he peeled off her stockings and then kissed his way back up her legs, savoring each inch of her milk-white flesh. He kissed up her stomach and over the swell of each breast, followed her collarbone to her throat, and finally claimed her mouth.
She sighed sweetly into the kiss, her tongue coaxing him to explore as she unfastened his belt and pants, pushing them down to set him free.
He shifted to the edge of the bed to shed his clothing, hooking his fingers in her panties and taking them with him. Felicity lifted her hips to help, sinking back to the bed as he slid back up to join her. But he stopped halfway, pushing her thighs apart and dipping his head to steal a taste of her, making her squeal.
Pleasure hummed in her veins, quickening her pulse, the sensations of his tongue against the most intimate of places coaxing her to move. Her fingers threaded through his hair, a low moan escaping her throat.
Catching her wrist, he moved her arm, sliding up the length of her body until he could nuzzle the cup of her brassiere aside and catch the delicate peak of her breast with his teeth and tongue. He stoked the fire, suckling gently as he settled himself between her legs. When his kisses trailed to her throat once more, one single, solid thrust brought them together.
She gasped and arched, holding him tight as his tongue caressed the tender skin of her neck. One after the other, he pinned her hands over her head, holding them fast against the pillow. Slowly, slowly, he increased the pace, and when his fangs finally pierced her soft flesh, she was more than ready to surrender everything.
He groaned softly as he drank, and with the sound like sweet music to her ears, she let his hard length within her and that sensual bite carry her away into bliss.
