Page 57 of Unsteady in Love

Holden turned to the officiant with a devilish grin on his face. “I couldn’t help it. She’s absolutely beautiful. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, very lovely.” He gave us a small smile as he shifted in place.

“Good,” Holden nodded. “If you could speed up the ceremony, I’d be most grateful.”

“Holden,” I whispered. “It’s already short. Let the man do his job. After this…”

He cut me off. “After this, I’m taking you back to our bungalow. Does anyone have any objections to that?”

“Only if you let us see her before we leave tomorrow,” Alex shouted from her seat.

“Deal,” he turned back to the minister. “Now, let’s get this show on the road. Wait.” He held his hand up. Pulling me close, Holden brought his mouth to the shell of my ear. His hot breath raked over me, sending shivers down my spine. “I just want you to know, you look so beautiful; you’re glowing. Thank you for marrying me. Again.”

“Holden,” my voice cracked, “you’re going to make me cry.” I hugged him, my head tilted up so only he could hear me. “Not a day has gone by when I regretted marrying you.”

“Now you’re going to make me cry.” He laughed, wiping at his eyes. “Okay, now you can continue. I promise we won’t interrupt you again.”

“Please join hands.”

Holden’s hands engulfed my own, and he rubbed his thumbs over the tops in a soothing motion. I wasn’t sure who he was trying to soothe, though, him or me?

“Holden, will you continue to have Prue as your wife and continue to live in this marriage?”

“I do,” he vowed. And he had. From the moment, Holden had come back to Fairlane, he had been the best husband and lived in the now with me and Atticus. For all the worrying I’d done, it had been for nothing.

“Do you reaffirm your love for her, and will you love, honor, and cherish her in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, forsaking all others, and be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

I repeated after the officiant as I gazed into Holden’s eyes. They were filled with so much happiness and love, and I knew mine mirrored his. He had been my forever since I was fifteen-years-old and always would be. We’d already been through richer and poorer, better and worse, and sickness and health. I knew there would be more tough times ahead of us, but we’d already beaten the odds and would do it again and again.

“You may now kiss your wife,” the officiant announced.

Holden’s face morphed into pure happiness. Pulling me by the hands, I crashed against his muscular chest, looking up at him with my own beaming smile. Our lips pressed together in a kiss I felt down to my toes as they curled into the warm sand. Holden dipped me, deepening the kiss. Our friends cheered and clapped bringing us out of our passion.

Then I felt something I’d never felt before. One of the best feelings in the entire world.

Eyes wide, I smiled as I felt the baby kick for the first time.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you smile?”

My smile grew larger. I couldn’t wait for him to feel our baby.

Cupping my face in his hands, Holden placed kisses all over my face while I laughed. Turning he looked out at our friends. “We’ll see you all later. I’ve got to go ravish my wife, and I suggest you all do the same to your wives.”

All the guys hooted and hollered as they swung their wives over their shoulders and headed to their bungalows. It didn’t take long for us to follow.

33

HOLDEN

Three Years Later

“Daddy,”my daughter giggled from beside me, looking around the kitchen. Her sweet face was covered in flour, and her hair was sticking up every which way. “We made a mess.”

Cooking with Violet was always an experience, but we really had outdone ourselves in trying to make Prue a Mother’s Day breakfast to beat all breakfasts. We tried, and may have failed, in making all her favorite breakfast foods. There were pancakes, scrambled eggs, French toast, hash browns, and ham. Most were either burned or undercooked, but it was made from love so hopefully, she’d forgive our lack of cooking skills.

“We’ll clean it up before she sees. I promise she won’t know how disastrous the kitchen is.” I kissed Violet on the top of her strawberry scented head. At least I hoped Prue never knew. There was flour, oil, and eggs pretty much everywhere the eye could see. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found some on the ceiling. Luckily, Atticus had helped keep the floor relatively clean. He was better than any broom or mop.

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