by Lea Kinkade
“Sorry I couldn’t be there, handsome. I would have taken care of that little problem for you. And you know whose idea it was. It was your mother’s. Don’t be cranky. She means well.”
“Little?” Figures he’d pick up on that comment.
“Oh, Ryan. You are in a bad mood this morning, aren’t you? Stay out too late last night? Hung over? What’s the problem?”
“You weren’t in my arms last night or this morning when I woke up. That’s the problem, darlin’. I miss you. What are you doing right now?”
“I just woke up. I didn’t sleep very well without you either. I need to get up and take a shower then I have an appointment in town to get my hair and nails done.”
“Make sure you eat something for breakfast and lunch. You’re going to need your strength tonight.”
“Did you have a nice time last night at the club?” She decided a change of subject was in order to avoid getting as hot and bothered as he had obviously been earlier.
“It was all right. We played pool and drank beer. Heard a lot of dirty jokes. Talked about women.”
“I’m glad to hear you had such a good male-bonding experience.” She laughed at hearing the slight whine in his voice.
“Yeah. Well, I suppose I should let you go so you can get to your appointment. I have to go and pick up the tuxes in a little while.”
“Okay, handsome. Get some coffee and breakfast. Maybe it will improve your mood. You’d better be in a better mood when I start walking down that aisle.”
“Darlin’, my mood will vastly improve once I see your beautiful face.”
“Ah, aren’t you sweet? I love you, handsome. I’ll talk to you later.” She pushed the disconnect button, ending the call. Giggling to herself at his bad mood and the reasons for it, she got out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and headed into the adjoining bathroom.
After two cups of coffee and some eggs, bacon, and toast that Cassie had warming in the oven, Samantha, Jordan, Jessie, and Taylor headed into town for their hair appointments. When the girls got back around 1:00 p.m., a buffet-style meal of cold meats and cheeses was spread out on the island and everyone ate.
About three o’clock in the afternoon, Cassie shooed Samantha, Jordan, Taylor, and Jessie into the master suite along with their dresses, makeup, and other things they would need to get ready for the ceremony. Cassie was already dressed in a lovely green dress that fit in perfectly with the holiday colors Samantha and Ryan had chosen for the wedding. She was now running interference for when the men showed up at the big house to get ready.
The photographer was milling around taking candid shots as the girls got ready. Her husband and partner was handling the two bedrooms the men would use to get dressed in down the hall. The wedding pictures would be taken in three groups. Samantha and her entourage would go first and get those for which Ryan wasn’t needed before the ceremony. Once the women were done, the pictures of just the men would be taken. All pictures requiring the bride and groom together would be taken immediately following the ceremony.
Ryder was acting as best man and would escort Jordan down the aisle, as she was Samantha’s matron of honor. Xander would escort Jessie down the aisle and Levi would escort Taylor down the aisle. The rest of the Chisholm brothers were helping to seat the guests. Alex Chisholm was walking Samantha down the aisle and giving her away. All the men were wearing simple black tuxes, no tails, with red cummerbunds. Due to the closeness of the wedding with the holidays, Samantha had decided to use Christmas as the theme for the wedding.
Celia had brainstormed with Samantha, creating the corsages and boutonnières using red roses with baby’s breath and pine boughs. Very thin red and green ribbon completed the look. Samantha’s bouquet was made of two dozen long-stemmed, red roses, baby’s breath, and pine boughs for greenery. Jordan was carrying a smaller version of Samantha’s bouquet. Jessie and Taylor were each carrying a single red rose with pine boughs and baby’s breath. Red and white poinsettias, resting on long pine boughs spread flat along the tables, made up the centerpieces on the tables for the reception. Once they had created a sample of the corsages and boutonnières, Samantha had left the remaining flowers in Celia’s capable hands and concentrated on other aspects of the wedding.
Both Samantha and Ryan would have been happy to have a small, intimate ceremony with just relatives and very close friends in attendance. Cassie Chisholm, however, wanted to share her joy at gaining a new daughter with nearly everyone she knew. At least, that’s how it seemed to Samantha. Samantha didn’t complain about the size of the guest list. Not in front of Cassie, anyway. She loved her future mother-in-law too much to begrudge her anything. So, instead, she and Ryan had just smiled and hoped that a lot of the invitees would be too busy with the holidays to make the trip for the wedding. It had worked to some extent, but there was still a surprising number of people who had RSVP’d their planned attendance.
As she stood in the doorway waiting for the change in the music that would signal her turn to walk down the aisle, Alex, or “Dad,” as he preferred her to call him, took her left hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, smiling down at her. “Ready to officially become a member of this crazy family, Samantha?” he asked her.
“Yes, Dad. I’m more than ready. Thank you for welcoming me into your family like you have. I can’t tell you how much your love and acceptance mean to me.” She fought tears as she looked at this wonderful man who was the father of the man she loved.
“You and Ryan were meant to be, Samantha. We couldn’t be happier that he was smart enough to snap you up. We’re the lucky ones.” He gave her a smile and a hug.
“I just heard the music change. That means we’re up.”
* * * *
Ryan had watched first Jordan, and then Jessie and Taylor walk down the aisle, escorted by his brothers who were also his best friends. As he heard the music change, he looked up eagerly for his first glimpse of Samantha in her wedding dress. He caught sight of her under the arch of the patio doors to the big house. He’d never seen her look more beautiful. Her dress was ivory-colored satin and wrapped around her body like a smooth caress.
Ryan was lost in the moment as Samantha and his father finally reached him. He held out his hand and she took it in hers as she walked with him to stand in front of the pastor. He couldn’t stop staring into her eyes and smiling.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she whispered back.
He must have responded at the appropriate times with the appropriate words, but he didn’t remember a whole lot of it. He was shaken out of his stupor when the pastor said, “You may kiss your bride.”
Taking Samantha into his arms, he molded their bodies together as he bent his head and met her lips with a sweet kiss. He followed up with a much longer one that involved the mating of tongues and the exploration of each other’s mouths. He ended the kiss only when he heard the coughs and twitters from the watching audience. As he lifted his lips from hers, he kept one arm around her as they were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Chisholm.
After much backslapping and congratulations, more pictures, and the signing of the official marriage license, they shared dinner with their guests, who stopped multiple times to tap their forks against their glasses for the couple to kiss. By the end of the meal, Samantha’s lipstick was long gone and her mouth was slightly swollen from Ryan’s kisses.
After the requisite toasts, which made Samantha tear up, and the cutting of the cake, Ryan led Samantha to the dance floor and took her in his arms for their first dance as husband and wife. The first strains of the song Ryan had chosen specifically for this dance came over the speakers and Samantha grinned up at him. As Billy Currington began to sing, Ryan pulled her closer into his body, letting her feel the hardened shaft pressed tightly against her.
As the crowd looked on obliviously, he bent to her ear and whispered, “I got a feelin’, darlin’. Are you feelin’ it, too?”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lea Kinkade lives and writes in the Midwest, where she lives with her husband of twelve years, their three young children, and their two Yorkie-Poos, Cubbie and Pixie. Yep, that’s Cubbie for the Chicago Cubs. What can ya do? It’s too late to change it now. He actually answers to it. Pixie just because she’s so small. She weighs four and one-half pounds.
Lea became hooked on romance books in her early teens and fantasized about being an author when she was younger. Real life crept in and Lea went to college and graduate school, still fantasizing about the what-ifs of becoming an author.
Over the past several years, Lea discovered the joys of reading erotic romance when her husband gave her a Kindle for Christmas. Best present ever, by the way. After hundreds of downloads, and some encouragement from her wonderful husband, her dream of becoming an author took on new life. She put pen to paper and literally wrote her first novel on legal pads. After typing it into her computer and tweaking it a little, Lea decided to take a chance and sent it in to her favorite publisher (favorite because a lot of the books she had read were published there), Siren Publishing.
With the continued support of her husband and children, Lea has now written the second book in The Chisholms of Texas series, has finished the third, Dillon’s story, and is working on the fourth.
When not writing or doing research, Lea loves to volunteer at her children’s school and read other people’s writing. Scrapbooking is also a long-time hobby, and Lea has a whole room in her house dedicated to this obsession.
Also by Lea Kinkade
Siren Classic: The Chisholms of Texas 1:
Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
