He leaned down and kissed her and moaned deep in his throat when she returned the kiss with the same hunger he was giving her. Moments later when he pulled back he could only draw in a deep breath in total amazement. Would he always want her to this extreme? He smiled, knowing that yes, he would.
“I love you,” he whispered softy. “I regret all the years I didn’t make you my one and only girl.”
Lucia smiled up at him. “You weren’t ready for that type of serious move back then, and in a way I’m glad.” She chuckled. “Besides, you needed to impress my dad.”
“And you think I did?”
Her smile brightened. “Yes. Going to him and asking for his permission to marry me scored you a lot of brownie points for sure. You’re going to be a son-in-law for life.”
“Baby, I intend to be a husband for life as well. And you will be my wife for life.”
He ran his fingers through her hair as he leaned down and captured her mouth with his. She was definitely a wife for a Westmoreland. She was his, and their love was just the beginning.
Epilogue
A month and a half later
“Okay, Derringer, you may kiss your bride.”
A huge smile lit Derringer’s features when he pulled Lucia into his arms. She was the woman he wanted, the wife he desired, and as he captured her mouth with his he knew they would share a long and wonderful life together.
He finally released her and turned to their guests as the minister presented them to everyone as Mr. and Mrs. Derringer Westmoreland. He loved the sound of that and wondered why he’d let his fear keep him away from the altar for so long. But as Lucia had said, he hadn’t been ready until now.
A short while later, with his wife’s hand tucked in his, they made their way around his property, which the women of the family had transformed from Derringer’s Dungeon to Derringer and Lucia’s Castle. Gemma had returned the week before the wedding and had worked alongside the wedding planner to give Lucia the wedding she deserved.
He glanced down at her and tightened her hand in his. “Happy?”
She smiled up at him. “Immensely so.”
He thought she looked beautiful and doubted he would ever forget how he felt the moment he saw her walking down the aisle to him on her father’s arm. She was the most beautiful vision in white that he’d ever seen. They had decided to travel to Dubai for their honeymoon, and while they were across the waters they planned to visit Callum and Gemma in Australia before returning home.
“Time for you to throw your bouquet to the single ladies, Lucia,” the wedding planner came up to say.
Lucia turned to Derringer and placed a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back in a moment,” she whispered.
“And I’ll be right here waiting,” was his response. He watched her walk to an area where over thirty women—that included his sisters—stood waiting.
“I’ve never seen you so happy, Derringer,” Jason said, smiling as he walked up. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, and I’m going to give you the same advice I gave Zane, Riley, Canyon and Stern this morning at breakfast, although I could tell they didn’t want to hear it. Being single is nice, but being married is much sweeter. Trust me, two is better than one.”
Derringer figured if he could get any of his single cousins to take his advice it would be Jason. He had been standing with Jason at the charity ball the moment old man Bostwick’s granddaughter had made her entrance. It had been obvious that Jason had been spellbound, entranced by the woman’s beauty.
He looked over at Jason. “So, have you officially met Bostwick’s granddaughter yet?”
Jason smiled. “Yes, I introduced myself at the ball. Her name is Elizabeth but she prefers being called Bella.”
Derringer nodded. “Did you let her know you were interested in her land and in Hercules?”
“Yes, we spoke briefly before Kenneth Bostwick interrupted us. I hear she’s trying to make up her mind about what she wants to do. I don’t think she’s interested in hanging around these parts. This is no place for a Southern belle and besides, she knows nothing about ranching.”
“But you do. You can always show her the ropes.”
Jason looked shocked at the suggestion. “Why would I want to do something like that? She has two things I want—her land and that stallion. The sooner she decides to sell and return to Savannah, the sooner I can get both. I’d do just about anything to get the land and that horse.”
Derringer glanced up at Jason and saw his cousin was serious. “Just remember what I said, Jason. Worldly possessions aren’t everything. The love of a good woman is.”
He then watched as Lucia began walking back over toward him. She was a good woman. She was his life and now she was his wife.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8917-2
A WIFE FOR A WESTMORELAND
Copyright © 2011 by Brenda Streater Jackson
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*The Westmorelands
†Madaris Family Saga
**Steele Family titles
A Wife for a Westmoreland Page 15
