“Oh my, Addie, you raised a romantic man,” my mother said, practically melting into a chair.
Addie sniffled and used a tissue to dab at her own tears.
“Okay, as much as I don’t want to admit this, that was a very romantic gesture on the boy’s part,” my dad added. “If I’m having to let some other man take you from me, Landon is the one man I will gladly let love you.”
“Oh, Daddy.” I threw my arms around him. “I really do love him with all of my heart.”
My father patted my back lightly. “I know you do, sweet pea. You always have.”
When we broke apart, my father pointed to everyone in the room. “If one of you tells Emmit I said that about his son, I swear I’ll deny it!”
Landon
I STOOD AND stared out the massive floor-to-ceiling window that took up damn near an entire wall in Malcolm and Paislie’s formal living room. In the past twenty-four hours, the living room had been transformed into a makeshift chapel, with a beautiful altar that was covered in silver and white tulle with large bouquets of red roses on each side.
Noah stood next to me, rocking back and forth on his heels as he watched the large formal staircase that Emmerson would soon be walking down.
I wasn’t the least bit nervous. I mean, I’d been married to this woman for nearly five months, and we had been crazy happy through all of it. Honestly, life seemed to be perfect. Yeah, I wasn’t nervous at all. What I was, though, was scared to fucking death that this was a dream, and that at any moment I would wake up and be right back in the old days of hiding my feelings for Emmerson.
“How was she when you saw her?” I asked Noah in a whispered voice.
“Landon, she was fine! I mean, she seemed nervous, but aren’t all brides supposed to be?”
I nodded and looked down at the folded note Emmerson had given me as a gift. Noah and my father thought it was going to be a watch or something like that. When I pulled out the old note, they both looked confused as hell. I cried like a goddamn baby when I opened it and read it.
Slowly, I opened the note once again and read the writing of a young boy to the girl he was madly in love with.
Emme,
Someday I’m going to marry you. And when I do, you need to give me back this piece of paper so the preacher man knows your answer when he asks.
Mark yes if you want to marry me. Mark no if you don’t want to. But I hope you mark yes.
Love,
Landon
The paper was faded, the words hard to read, but there were two check marks next to yes. An older one, and one that had been written recently. I had forgotten all about the note, and the fact that she had kept it made me want to ball up while I cried like a baby.
Noah must have seen me reading the note because he moved closer and whispered, “For the love of God, man! Put that note in your pocket before you start to cry again and I have to revoke your man card!”
With a chuckle, I folded it back up and slipped it into my pocket. When the music started playing, I drew in a deep breath and turned around.
Hailey was the first to walk down the grand steps, and she took my breath away. She was stunning. I stole a quick glance over at Jack and smiled. The poor bastard had it written all over his face. He may not know it yet, but he was in love with my sister. She winked at him as she walked by and took her place across from me.
Then the music changed, and I saw Emmerson slowly make her way down the steps. When she fully appeared, I nearly felt my legs buckle out from under me.
“She’s so beautiful,” I said softly, trying to remember the right way to breathe.
“Yes, she is,” Noah said from next to me. “You’re a damn lucky man, Landon.”
All I could do was nod as I watched her make her way to me. It was such a short distance, yet it felt like an eternity before she and Malcolm stopped in front of the altar. I didn’t hear anything the preacher said, because all I could do was look into those blue eyes that seemed to sparkle like diamonds.
Malcolm said something and Emmerson turned to face him. He kissed her on the cheek and then placed her hand in mine.
“I wouldn’t trust her with any other man but you, Landon. I trust that you will make my daughter happy and love her as fiercely as her mother and I do.”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll love her until the day I die, sir. With everything I have.”
Malcolm nodded and then quickly turned and walked over to sit next to Paislie, who was wiping tears from her face.
I held Emmerson’s hand and together we walked a few steps closer to the preacher. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Everything about her was breathtaking. The gown that hugged her amazing body like a glove, the way her face lit up when the light touched it a certain way. How her eyes seemed to be catching the flickering candles. And that smile…my God, that smile had always been my weakness. Yet, there was something so different about her. She seemed to have floated down those steps and the aisle, and now that she stood here before me, all I wanted to do was tell her how much I loved her. How much I needed her.
We faced one another, and I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “You look beautiful.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “And you look handsome.”
“I love you, Emme.”
Tears built in her eyes as the preacher started to speak. Emmerson held up her finger, motioning for him to wait. Then she leaned in and placed her mouth at my ear.
“Um, Landon?” Emmerson whispered softly. “There’s something I’ve got to tell you.”
My eyes widened, and I drew back to look at her and then at the preacher, who seemed just as lost as I was.
“Right now, Emme?” I asked.
She nodded. “Right now.”
I quickly glanced at the small group of family and close friends who all stared up at us with smiles on their faces.
I focused back on Emmerson. “Okay, what did you need to tell me?”
With a deep inhale, she moved back to my ear, and the warmth of her breath caused my body to shake. “I’m pregnant.”
Taking a step back, I opened my mouth, shut it, opened it, and then smiled like a crazy fool. “Are you serious? That fast?”
She nodded and giggled. “That fast!”
“Holy shit! Oh, sorry, Pastor Scott!” I said, quickly looking at the pastor.
He held up his hands. “No worries.”
Without even thinking, I cupped Emmerson’s face and kissed her. She laughed against my lips as Noah tapped me on the shoulder.
“Can you not go for more than five minutes without kissing her?”
I looked out at everyone and without even thinking, I shouted, “We’re going to have a baby!”
Surprised gasps mixed with cheers, but the only thing I seemed to hear was Malcolm’s booming voice. “For fuck’s sake, can they not just do one thing in the order they’re supposed to?!”
Five Years Later
WHEN I PARKED my truck and got out, two dogs came running at me full speed. Lady got there first, the proud look of a winner on her face, as Tramp, my handsome Vizsla, came in a close second. And behind him was my four-year-old daughter, Macie.
“Daddy!” she cried out as I bent down and quickly gave each dog some attention before Macie reached me and jumped into my arms.
“Hello, my beautiful girl. What did you do today?” I asked, kissing her on the cheek.
“Pwayed with Bwaden.”
“You played with Braden, huh? Are Uncle Noah and Aunt Amy here?”
Noah and Amy had followed in Emmerson’s and my footsteps, with a quick wedding and a baby soon after.
Macie nodded. “Hailwey is here too!”
“Is that right?” I said as I started to jog into the house, pretending I was a galloping horse. Macie laughed and told me to go faster.
Once I got to the front door, I smiled at my stunningly beautiful wife. “Emme, you look lovely.”
She laughed and stretched up to kiss me. “You just saw me
a few hours ago, Landon.”
“And a few hours is too long to be away from you.”
After we walked into the house, I set Macie down. She ran off toward the living room, where I could hear a plethora of voices all talking.
“Who all is here?” I asked, leaning down and kissed Emmerson for a bit longer this time. When I drew back, she seemed to be dazed for a moment before she shook her head and spoke.
“Um, Noah and Amy stopped by with Braden. And Hailey and Jack stopped by with Kaitlynn. Macie and Braden don’t understand why Kaitlynn can’t play with them yet.”
I laughed. “Once that baby starts crawling, they better look out. She’ll be wanting to hang out with them all the time.”
My sister and Jack had gotten married two years ago, and they’d had their first baby, a girl, three months ago.
“Why is everyone here?” I asked as I made my way through the house.
“They all stopped by at the same time,” Emmerson said. “It was pure coincidence. Hailey and Jack were at your folks’, and Amy and Noah picked up Braden from my folks’, so they all decided to come here after.”
Right before we got to the living room, Emmerson grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop. “I have a special night planned for us, so Amy and Noah are going to take Macie home to spend the night with them.”
I wiggled my brows at her. “Is that right? We get the whole night alone?”
Emmerson smiled. “Yes, we do.”
“And what are we going to do with this free night?” I asked.
“Well, I thought we would maybe go out to eat, then come back home and celebrate.”
“Hell yeah, I’m down with celebrating some alone time.”
Her teeth dug into her lower lip, and her cheeks turned pink. “That’s not what we’re celebrating.”
“Then what are we celebrating?”
She handed me a piece of folded-up paper.
“What’s this?”
Rubbing her hands together nervously, she said, “Open it.”
With a slight chuckle, I unfolded the paper and read the note.
Dear Landon,
Are you ready to fill the house with another little Landon or Emmerson? Check yes or no.
I quickly looked up at her—and noticed the pen she held out for me. My heart started to pound in my chest, and I felt the prick of tears at the back of my eyes. I took the pen and checked yes, then folded up the paper and handed it back before I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.
When we both had a moment to catch our breath, I leaned my forehead against hers and let out a contented sigh. “You’re pregnant?”
Tears slipped free from her eyes, and I drew my head back and kissed it away. “Six weeks,” she said.
My heart threatened to beat nearly out of my chest.
“I have a better idea for our celebration night. As soon as everyone leaves, I’ll take you to our bedroom and make love to you. Then we can make sandwiches and sit in the nursery and talk about how you want to decorate it for the new baby.”
A sob and a laugh slipped free from my beautiful wife’s mouth as she nodded, and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I am such a fool for you, Landon Wallace.”
“And I’m one for you, Emmerson Wallace. Don’t ever leave me.”
Her eyes met mine as she smiled and said, “Never.”
The last Southern Bride series book, The Right Moves, will be out on September 28, 2021, so be sure to mark your calendars!
If you liked this series, you’ll love my Meet Me in Montana series, as well as my Cowboys and Angles series. Both series are complete and now available. For more information, go to my website.
www.kellyelliottauthor.com
Other Books by Kelly Elliott
Coming Soon
The Butterfly Effect (Boggy Creek Valley #1) - April 6, 2021
Playing with Words (Boggy Creek Valley #2) - August 3, 2021
The Right Moves (Southern Bride #8 - Last in Series) - September 28, 2021
She’s the One (Boggy Creek Valley #3) - November 30, 2021
Stand Alone
The Journey Home
Who We Were*
The Playbook*
Made for You*
*Available on audiobook
Meet Me in Montana Series
Never Enough*
Always Enough*
Good Enough
Strong Enough (February 9, 2021)
Southern Bride Series
Love at First Sight
Delicate Promises
Divided Interests
Lucky in Love
Feels Like Home
Take Me Away
Fool for You
The Right Moves (September 28, 2021)
Cowboys and Angels Series
Lost Love
Love Profound
Tempting Love
Love Again
Blind Love
This Love
Reckless Love
*Series available on audiobook
Boston Love Series
Searching for Harmony
Fighting for Love
*Series available on audiobook
Austin Singles Series
Seduce Me
Entice Me
Adore Me
*Series available on audiobook
Wanted Series
Wanted*
Saved*
Faithful*
Believe
Cherished*
A Forever Love*
The Wanted Short Stories
All They Wanted
*Available on audiobook
Love Wanted in Texas Series
Spin-off series to the WANTED Series
Without You
Saving You
Holding You
Finding You
Chasing You
Loving You
Entire series available on audiobook
*Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.
Broken Series
Broken*
Broken Dreams*
Broken Promises*
Broken Love
*Available on audiobook
The Journey of Love Series
Unconditional Love
Undeniable Love
Unforgettable Love
*Entire series available on audiobook
With Me Series
Stay With Me
Only With Me
*Series on audiobook
Speed Series
Ignite
Adrenaline
COLLABORATIONS
Predestined Hearts (co-written with Kristin Mayer)
Play Me (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*
Dangerous Temptations (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*
*Available on audiobook
Fool for You Page 23
