Page 27 of Holly's Valentine Vow

“I like what’s underneath the dress as well,” he murmurs. Then I feel his lips against the base of my spine, which sends my thoughts down a very pleasurable road that ends with us both sated and exhausted.

“I’m glad,” I admit. “But I’ve got something else in mind. I do want to take a quick shower first if that’s okay?”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart,” he replies.

“Do you need any help with anything before I head in there?” I question.

He chuckles while shaking his head. “I’ll be fine, Holly. Go do what you need to do.”

I’m in the shower, my hair not only piled on top of my head but also underneath a shower cap when a wave of nausea hits that almost has me hitting my knees. “What on earth?” I muse as bile climbs up my throat.

No, no, no, no, no!my brain screams as I stumble out of the shower and land in front of the toilet, where I proceed to lose everything I’ve ever eaten, including that horrid jello mold when I was seven. Every time I think I’m done, another wave hits me as sweat and tears pour down my face. I’m so lost in my misery that it takes a second for me to realize there’s now a cool cloth settled against the back of my neck and strong arms supporting me around my waist.

“Rebel, you don’t need to see or hear this,” I croak out between waves of blech.

“In sickness and in health, sweetheart,” he replies. “What do you need?”

“Just what you’re doing right now, even if I think you’re a little bit nuts for willingly being in here,” I mumble, which makes him laugh.

Once I’m positive I’m finished, I sit back on my heels as his hand moves to flush the toilet. He then hands me the wet cloth and I use it to wipe my face and mouth, which has a horrible aftertaste inside, like I cleaned out a dumpster with my tongue.

“What happened?” he asks as he helps me get up. I move to the double sinks and immediately put toothpaste on my toothbrush before I begin brushing every centimeter inside my mouth, including my tongue and the insides of both cheeks.

After I spit and rinse, then wash my face, I turn to face him, still naked and slightly wet from my shower. “I don’t know, Rebel. I can’t think of anything I ate or drank that would’ve caused this at all.”

He grabs a towel and moves closer then wraps me up in it which is a good thing because now I’m shivering. “Let’s get you dried off and into bed.”

Disappointment courses through me and I want to stomp my foot. “Rebel,” I whine. “That’s not how tonight’s supposed to go!”

He chuckles while leading me back into the bedroom. “Babe,” he says, causing me to roll my eyes. This is said in a tone I haven’t deciphered just yet. “Do you honestly think every newly married couple consummates their marriage on the same day?Think about the weddings you’ve attended over the years. Most of those couples were trashed out of their minds thanks to all the toasts and open bars. I’d hazard a guess that a lot of the guys couldn’t even get their dicks hard with the amount of alcohol they consumed, and personally, if you and I had drank a lot, we wouldn’t be either. Not because I’m not always hard whenever you’re around, but because the first time we’re together as man and wife will happen when we’re both fully present and in our right minds.”

Gah, he’ssucha good man! “I agree,” I slowly admit.

“Although there’s a time and place for a drunk romp,” he teases. “Now, come on, sweetheart, I don’t want you catching a chill and getting sick. Well, sicker than whatever’s going on right now, that is.”

I forgo the pretty new nightgown in favor of one of his Henleys he pulled from the dresser which I slip over my head then climb into bed. Once underneath the covers, I remember I have my shower cap on, so I quickly pull it off and fluff out my hair. As he climbs into bed, I remember his gift and reach into my nightstand to pull it out.

“I got this for you,” I tell him as he settles against the headboard and pulls me into his arms.

I see his look of surprise as he takes the nicely wrapped box, but my heart breaks when I see how carefully he unwraps it. He did the same at Christmas, which tells me a lot about how he grew up without saying a single word. I suspect he didn’t often receive gifts, and that blows my mind because he’s one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. He thinks nothing of buying stuff that he sees that he thinks I’ll like, or Mina and Ruby will enjoy. Hell, he found a cute sign for Grammy’s chicken coop when heand the guys were out on a run and brought it home for her. Pappy hung it up as soon as she finished gushing over it.

He finally opens the box and pulls out the tissue wrapped bell and I hold my breath, hoping against hope that he’ll like it. Carefully unwrapping it, I hear his gasp as he pulls out the new gremlin bell. “Holly,” he whispers.

“I knew you were going to need a new one based on what the brothers said,” I reply. “So, I went to the Harley-Davidson store and a nice salesclerk helped me find the perfect one for you.”

“It’s perfect,” he says. I know the minute he sees what the engraving says because he starts to say something, then can’t. It takes him several seconds before he turns to look at me. “Y’all are always right here,” he announces, tapping the center of his chest. “Every little thing I do, I consider how it’ll impact y’all. Whether it’s a club decision or one for us as a couple, I do it all for y’all.”

Tears are now streaming down my face at his words. I mean, I knew deep inside that he was that kind of man, much like my Pappy, but hearing him vocalize it solidifies once again what a good man I’ve got. “I love you, Jonah Sherman,” I manage to say through my clogged throat.

“I love you more, Holly Sherman,” he replies, pulling me into his arms. “What do you say to a little rest since you were so sick a little bit ago?”

“As long as we’re together, I’m down with that,” I reply.

Chapter Fifteen

Rebel

“Thanks for driving us, Paul,”I say as we head to the hospital. “She’s been sick since the night of our wedding and hasn’t been able to keep anything down.”

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