by Linda Bridey
“I missed you, too, Daddy,” she said hugging him tightly around the neck. “Are you home for good?”
“I’m home for good.” He turned his attention to Hunter, who looked at him a little hesitantly. “Hi, buddy. Boy did you get tall! Come here so I can hug you.”
Emily urged him forward until Bobby could hook an arm around him. Hunter smiled and let Bobby embrace him. Bobby kissed both of his children and Hunter quickly warmed to him. Then Bobby let them go and stood up again. Lacey had given Noah to Emily.
“Bobby, meet your son, Noah,” she said, holding the baby out to him.
Bobby took him, smiling at Noah, who had his father’s amber eyes and brown hair about the same shade as Lacey’s. Noah’s brow puckered as Bobby smiled at him, tears filling his eyes. “Hi, Noah. It’s so good to finally meet you. I’m your daddy. He’s so beautiful.” He had to stop for the emotion that clogged his throat.
The rest of the family greeted him at that point, welcoming their very brave brave home with raucous noise; Bobby was elated to be caught up in the organized chaos that he’d missed so much.
Eventually, Bobby went to change, but Emily didn’t go with him since she didn’t trust herself not to attack her handsome husband. They would make up for lost time later, but for now, she was content just to sit beside him when he rejoined them wearing jeans and a Western shirt. As the meal progressed, Bobby and Emily could hardly stop looking at each other, their hearts almost bursting with joy and love. There would be many wonderful holiday seasons ahead of them, but they would especially treasure this special Christmas when they were reunited, and they savored every moment of it.
Epilogue
“Keller reporting for best man duty,” Skip said, saluting Sawyer when he entered Matt’s office at the church.
Sawyer laughed. “I’m glad that you are. I didn’t want to have to hunt you down.”
“I’ll just get changed. It won’t take me long,” Skip said, undressing. “I’m glad Pastor Mac has a fire going in here. It’s cold out. You guys should’ve waited until spring to get married instead of February.”
“We’ve waited as long as we can,” Sawyer said, looking in the mirror.
Devon had convinced him to wear his uniform, saying that he should be proud of his service to his country and that she wanted to walk down the aisle to her heroic photographer soldier. After thinking about it, he’d realized she was right. He’d faced great danger, both in battle and in taking those pictures. He’d fought for his country with pride and he should wear his uniform as a reflection of his commitment to his homeland and in solidarity with his fellow soldiers.
As he put on his tuxedo, Skip said, “I wish Joey, Dino, and I had uniforms. Then we’d all match.”
Sawyer smiled at that image. “I would have loved serving with you guys. Those Germans wouldn’t have stood a chance against our scheming. Of course, we’d need Renee to distract them.”
Skip laughed. “She could probably take them on singlehandedly and win.”
“I’ve never seen a craftier woman than her. She’s dangerous, but in a good way,” Sawyer said. “She was such a good sport about distracting and helping blackmail those guys.”
Skip said, “I never thought I’d be a part of a blackmail scheme, but it was for a good cause. I’d do it again, too.”
“Me, too.”
The door opened and Joey came in holding up a bottle of whiskey. “Lookee what I have.”
“Are you crazy?” Sawyer asked. “You can’t have that in the church!”
“Shh!” Joey said. “I just wanted to have a little toast before the ceremony.”
“And have Mac smell it on us? No thanks.”
Joey grinned as Renee entered the room. “That’s what she’s here for.”
Sawyer groaned. “Now what?”
Her dark eyes sparkled as she opened her large purse and brought out four shot glasses. “Don’t worry. No one will be the wiser.”
Joey poured them each a shot and lifted his glass. “To Sawyer and Devon, a perfect match if I ever saw one.”
Skip said, “May they have a future filled with love.”
“And may they always have excitement and never be afraid to take risks,” Renee said.
Sawyer chuckled. “I doubt that will happen with all of you around. I’ll drink to all of that.”
They quickly downed their drinks and Renee wrapped up their glasses in the towel they’d come out of. Joey tightly corked the bottle of whiskey as Renee pulled out some candy canes and handed them around. She took the whiskey, wrapped it in another towel, and put it in the bottom of her bag
“Crunch them so the peppermint releases quickly,” she said.
Then she took out a bottle of cologne. Using a couple of cloths, she dabbed just a little on each of their necks. She also put a little perfume on herself. “There. All taken care of. I’ll see you, fellas.”
Sawyer shook his head as she left. “She thinks of everything.”
“She gets it from Pa,” Skip said.
Someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Sawyer said.
D.J. opened it and walked into the office. The sight of his son in his uniform made a lump form in his throat. “You look fantastic.”
“Thanks, Pa. Where’s Dino?”
D.J. smiled. “Talking to a girl.”
“I should have known,” Sawyer said.
“Fellas, can I have a word with my son?” D.J. asked.
“Sure,” Joey said. “We’ll just go out front. It’s close to time.”
Once they’d gone, D.J. said, “I’m so proud of you. Your mother and I both are. I’m glad you listened to Devon and wore your uniform.”
“So am I.”
“I have a wedding present for you, but it’s not with me,” D.J. said.
“What is it?”
D.J. said, “Those pictures you took are too good to be destroyed. I made a second set of them and they’re in the bank. In a few years, you’ll be able to release them.”
Sawyer’s shock froze him in place and he could only stare at his father for several moments. Then he threw his arms around D.J. “Thank you, Pa! I can’t believe it! Thank you so much!”
D.J.’s eyes misted over. “You’re welcome. I love you and I’ll always look out for you no matter how old you get.”
“I couldn’t ask for a better father,” Sawyer said as D.J. let him go.
“I’m glad you think so. Well, Mac is ready for you,” D.J. said. “I told him I’d come get you.”
Sawyer took a deep breath. “Ok. I’m ready,” he said, pushing through his anxiety.
He followed D.J. out to the altar and took his place by Skip, Joey, and Dino.
*****
Joe looked at his youngest daughter, fighting tears over the thought that he was giving away another little girl. Devon hadn’t given him and Lacey the kind of trouble that Emily had. Her temperament was completely different and for that they had been glad after having been led a merry chase by their eldest girl.
Her long, black hair lay in free waves over her shoulders and down her back. The long-sleeved, winter wedding dress included a short, fur-lined jacket that gave her a soft yet sophisticated look. Sparkling silver combs on either side of her head and diamond earrings gave her the appearance of a snow angel.
Devon smiled at her handsome father. “What?”
He shook his head a little. “Just remembering when we brought you home. We fell in love with you as soon as we saw you, and we love you more now than ever.”
Lacey said, “That’s right.” She’d been sitting in a chair off a little ways, but she got up and came over to them now. “You took my hand that day at Thurston House and you never let go. We couldn’t ask for a better daughter and we’re so proud you chose us.”
Devon smiled. “And I couldn’t have asked for better parents.” She hugged Joe. “I’m so glad you’re here to walk me down the aisle and not in prison.”
Joe returned her embrace. “Me, too,
sweetheart. Of course, I’m sure all of you could have broken me out long enough to come to your wedding.”
Devon, Lacey, and her bridesmaids laughed.
Joe said, “I’ve never seen such a crazy Christmas before, but I have to say that it was a lot of fun.”
Emily said, “And my Bobby came home. Now we just need to get Kyle and Hailey home. I don’t understand what the holdup is.” She sighed. “Enough of that.”
Matt poked his head in the door of the basement. “We’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”
“All right,” Devon said. “We’ll be along.”
He smiled and left.
Joe motioned towards the door. “Shall we, ladies?”
*****
When Devon saw Sawyer in his uniform, she almost swooned over his gorgeous appearance. Joe felt her sway a little on his arm as they stood ready to come down the aisle and looked down at her, patting her hand.
“Are you ok?”
“Yes, Pa, Father, I mean, Daddy,” she said, her brain befuddled by her soon-to-be husband.
Joe held his laughter down to a chuckle. “Well, I’m glad you know who I am. Ready?”
Devon raised her chin and smiled at her groom. “Ready.”
As he walked her down the aisle, Joe couldn’t keep the tears from his eyes. This young lady on his arm had come to him and Lacey in a very unexpected way, but they loved her with all their hearts and now she was getting married and leaving home.
She and Sawyer had bought a three-bedroom house midway between the Dwyer estate and Dawson. That way they would both be close to their work.
Sawyer took in Devon’s angelic look and the beautiful way her inky black hair contrasted with her white dress. Those luminous blue eyes of hers enchanted him and he was caught in her gaze. Once she’d joined him at the altar, Joe held out a hand to Sawyer.
“Take care of her for me, son,” Joe said.
Sawyer nodded. “I will, sir.”
Joe nodded and quickly embraced Devon before giving her hand to Sawyer, who squeezed it gently as Joe left the altar area. His brown eyes were filled with a warm glow as he gazed at her. He worked hard to hold back tears of happiness and succeeded.
Devon thought back over the time since they’d gotten back together in October and although they’d hit a rough patch, they’d come through it. It wasn’t only Renee’s candid visit to her that had made her seek out Sawyer at camp that night. She remembered the conversation she’d had out on the veranda that night with her parents and had decided that she wasn’t going to give up if there was a chance for her and Sawyer to be together.
Their advice had been sound and now she stood exchanging vows with the man she loved. She’d invited Renee to her bachelorette party and the two women had had a very candid talk. They’d gotten friendly since the night of the play when they’d worked together to help free Joe. Renee had assured Devon that she had no designs on Sawyer and that she had another man on her mind.
Unbidden, the memory of posing Mort and Chuck rose and her smile widened as Sawyer slid her ring on her finger. Then she giggled and Sawyer frowned in confusion. He didn’t think he’d done anything amusing. Matt gave her Sawyer’s ring and she giggled again as she heard Sawyer telling Renee to get a good clinch on Mort.
Sawyer had no idea what was amusing her, but her smile was contagious and he returned it as she repeated the vows Matt said and put his ring on. When she giggled again, he chuckled even though he didn’t know why she was laughing. His perplexed look amused her even more and her giggle grew louder. Soon they were laughing together as they finished their vows and the congregation laughed with them, figuring that it was just nerves.
Even as they kissed, they laughed. Sawyer dipped her, which only added to the fun. As he brought her back up, both of them realized that the other tasted of peppermint. They smiled at each other and then looked at Renee, who just winked at them.
“Well, it’s certainly easy to get you guys to smile,” D.J. remarked as he took their pictures.
“What’s not to smile about?” Sawyer responded. “This is the happiest day of my life.”
“Mine, too,” Devon said, her eyes shining as D.J. snapped the last picture.
*****
Their reception was just as raucous as any other and they laughed and danced together. Sawyer had worked hard on strengthening his ankle, driven by his desire to be able dance gracefully with his bride. Although it wasn’t quite as flexible as it once had been, it was sturdy and he was able to move very well.
Devon loved being in his arms as they performed various dances and she had the time of her life. He twirled her around and laughed at her teasing remarks. Someone bumped into them, knocking Sawyer off kilter a little. Renee laughed at them as she danced with Tim.
“She made me do it,” he said, smiling.
Devon said, “She’s good at getting people to do things.”
“Is that right?” Tim asked Renee.
She gave him a wide-eyed look. “I have no idea what they’re talking about.”
They laughed at her and Tim moved away with her. As the band played a slower song, Sawyer held Devon closer.
Across the floor, Dean and Tessa sat together, watching the newlyweds.
“How many weddings have we been to here?” Dean asked.
“Too many to count. The first one was Seth and Maddie’s,” she remarked, speaking about her younger sister, who was married to Seth. “The community center wasn’t here for ours. Remember we had that little reception in the basement of the church?”
Dean said, “It was a great reception, too. It would’ve been no matter what, just because I had married you.” He put an arm around her. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I know.”
Tessa scooted her chair closer to him. “And you are still so very handsome. The first time I saw you, I thought I’d faint from your handsomeness.”
Dean laughed. “There’s my melodramatic writer.”
“Shush. Be nice. I can’t help it,” she said with a chuckle. “But I was very impressed with you. You were so manly and muscular and tanned. Nothing like the fops with their weak hands and boorish personalities.”
Dean said, “I didn’t know the word ‘fop’ before I met you. Marcus had to tell me what it meant so I didn’t look stupid in front of you.”
“There are all sorts of different intelligences. Yours just happens to lie in other areas, like knowing how to irrigate and which steers are the best quality. I had no idea about any of that until I met you,” she said.
“I remember the ride home on the day Marcus and I picked you up from Long’s store. We stopped at the beginning of our land and you asked me how my steers made me feel. I had no idea what you meant until you explained it to me. It was something I’d never thought about before,” Dean said.
Tessa laughed. “You looked so confused that it was comical, but I wouldn’t ever have laughed at you.”
“Thanks for that. I liked it when you told me how nice they looked, though,” Dean said. “That seems like both a lifetime ago and like yesterday, too. And now look at us, watching another grandchild get married. And there’re more to go. And nieces and nephews and good Lord. Looks like we’ll be coming to probably two family weddings a year, not to mention all of our friends’ kids’ weddings.”
“I don’t mind,” Tessa said.
“Me, neither,” Dean said.
Watching Sawyer and all of the other people out on the floor gave them such pleasure and they settled back to enjoy the show.
*****
March came along and Sawyer’s shop was very busy, which pleased him immensely. Devon still worked with her family, of course. Their house was a great source of pride for them and they loved it. Where they were situated, they weren’t that far from Sawyer’s Uncle Jack and Aunt Sparrow, which was nice.
They liked to sit out on their porch in the evening, sipping wine and talking about their days. Other times they went to the movies or played cards with one of t
heir families. They were never bored or lacking for excitement. Just as they’d suspected, Joey’s reckless streak didn’t go away just because he was married. He, Snow Song, Skip, and Renee convinced them to go cow tipping, race their cars, and whatever else they thought up.
One night after their friends had left, they began getting around for bed, and Devon said, “You know, I love all of the fun we have with those guys, but one of these days we’re gonna have to settle down and act like married people.”
Sawyer smiled as he watched her undress. Her beauty was mesmerizing and he wasn’t able to look away as each item of clothing came off. She was curvy and he knew how soft her skin felt under his hands. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders as she moved and he was entranced by the contrast of her pale skin.
Going to her, he caught her around the waist, pulling her against him. The contact with her instantly excited him. “And just what do married people act like?”
“Well, you know, they make a home.”
“We can check that off the list,” he said, running a hand up her bare back. “What else?”
She shivered as his fingers traced her spine. “Well, they should have jobs.”
“Check. Next.”
“Play cards and knit.”
“I’m not knitting anything,” he said. “But we do play cards.”
She smiled. “I’m not going to knit, either. Sew a little, but not knit.”
“Ok. Next on the list.”
“Well, there’s one thing we should do and it’s really important,” she said, tracing a circle around the bullet scar near his shoulder before kissing it. She knew it was healed, but it just seemed that it needed kissed.
Sawyer’s brain fogged with desire. “What would that be?”
“Make babies,” she said.
He groaned when she kissed his chest again. “I think we definitely need to work on that one, and right away.”
Thrusting his hands into her thick hair, he caught her sweet lips in a kiss that burned all the way to her toes. His kisses had always set her on fire, but ever since they’d been married and had been free to make love, his embraces were even more powerful, more thrilling. She was more attracted to him every day, craving him as she’d never craved anything. Every night in his arms was a night in heaven. She thanked God for sparing Sawyer so that he’d been able to come home to her.
