A Perfect Forever (Leap of Love Series, Book 1) (12 page)

Anxiety crept in, and she could not wait to walk down the aisle. Seeing Ben waiting for her would be the most amazing thing on earth.

Mary came zooming in the office.

"Are you ready?"

Amelia took a deep breath. "As ready as I will ever be."

She squeezed Mary's hand.

Mary hugged her friend. "No need to be nervous. You are only nervous when it is not right. You, my friend, are marrying the right man."

Mary fussed over the dress and veil, and then checked the time. "It's show time."

The cue was up for the bride. Amelia heard the music change.

"The next time we speak, you will be Mrs. Benjamin Abbott. Many blessings, my dear friend. Many blessings."

Mary excused herself and left the office, leaving Amelia there alone with her thoughts. The time was now or never.

She opened the door and entered the hallway leading to the garden. When she got to the double doors, she peeked outside to see her friends and family seated, awaiting her arrival. The day was sunny, the mood was right, and at the end of the aisle was her groom, Ben Abbott, standing there waiting for her.

She opened the doors and stood there at the end of the aisle. Everyone stood and gasped at her beauty. She had decided to walk alone without an escort. Since her father was not there, it just did not seem right to try and have anyone stand in his place.

The aisle runner was red carpet, trimmed in gold. Red bows adorned the chairs, and Mary had given Amelia her long-stemmed lilies tied with a red bow with gold tulle.

She felt like a princess as she stepped slowly down the aisle. Everyone was all smiles as she approached. Her heart swelled with love as she saw her groom standing there waiting on her arrival. That crooked smile, those blue eyes. Ben Abbott was there waiting on her hand in marriage.

The officiant greeted the guests and signaled the start of the ceremony. Ben and Amelia stood before everyone, agreeing to make each other happy for a lifetime. They each lit an individual candle and then lit the larger candle together, symbolizing their union.

They were presented as Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Abbott, and the guests threw flowers at them as they walked back down the aisle.

The evening was filled with good food, dancing, and love of family and friends. Amelia did not object when her uncle Harold and Mr. McGill took Ben off for cigars and coffee and plenty of man talk. Ben had been true to his word, and signed an agreement that he would enter into the marriage with only his worth and that if they were divorced, he would leave with none of Amelia's fortune.

They were going to live in the same home that Amelia currently lived in and decide later if they wanted to make their home elsewhere.

Amelia was in love for the first time in her life, and things were finally right.

Four Months Later…..

Mr. McGill left San Francisco after setting up Amelia's stake in the very gold mine that her father had chosen. William Smith had been a very smart man. He chose a mine that struck gold and proved to be even more lucrative than William had suspected it to be. For a woman to own such a prospect without the help of her husband was unheard of. But the money was not what interested Amelia. Owning the mine was the chance for Amelia to offer jobs for others to feed their families. She paid her prospectors well, and everyone was happy.

Mining was not easy work, and Amelia appreciated the fact that these men were away from their families for months on end, trying to provide. She offered them comfortable housing and made sure they had accounts set up for their families in the event of unforeseen work disasters.

Her uncle Harold liked Ben, and had offered him a job within the Smith Corporation whenever he was ready. Ben thanked him, but said that he preferred to work for the Pinkertons for now. It was an honest wage, and afforded him the opportunity to see the country. Ben knew in his heart that he would take his wife's uncle up on the offer when they started a family. There was no way that he would be away from his wife and children if he did not have to be.

Ms. Amelia's Finishing School for Girls was maintaining enrollment, and students were starting to come from other cities for enrollment. It was Amelia's dream come true. She loved what she did for a living, and loved most of all that she was able to make a difference in the lives of young girls. They would soon have to add on to the school and plans for expansion were in the works. She was also looking for a new teacher because her friend Mary Williamson,
née
Studebaker, was now married and expecting.

Moving away from Boston seemed like a lifetime ago. Going away to boarding school in Switzerland seemed like a lifetime ago. Amelia did not even recognize the girl she had been. The girl that went to Switzerland had been angry and resentful. She had the opportunity to see the world and missed out on completely enjoying a year of her stay because she harbored resentment and did not feel that her parents loved her enough to keep her in Boston.

The woman she was now knew that her parents did love her, and that they had always wanted what was best for her. Switzerland had been their gift to her. They had given her the opportunity to travel and live life outside of Boston. It had been the very thing she pined away for while sitting at the pier and watching the ships sail away. They had listened, and they had delivered.

She wished they were here so that they could see that life had worked out for her. She was finally happy. And her happiness had nothing to do with being discovered in the company around her. Amelia now knew that happiness came from within and every day that she woke up, she had a choice. She could be happy or not.

And she chose to be happy. There in San Francisco, California in the home she built with her husband Benjamin Abbott, Amelia found peace and happiness. Something that she never knew truly existed.

Benjamin Abbott had come from out of nowhere, swept her off her feet, and made her forget about all else. He made her feel safe, secure, and was a great provider and an even greater lover. She no longer had to settle for hoping to fall in love.

She woke every morning to kisses and her husband whispering sweet words in her ear. He never stopped telling her that he loved her and even when he was away, he sent her love letters and details of his travels. When he arrived home, she was always overwhelmed with affection to see her cowboy.

This time, Benjamin had been away for two months and Amelia had a surprise for him.

She took the carriage to the train station, awaiting his arrival. Standing there on the platform, the train pulled into the station and Amelia tried to look into the car windows to see if she could find Benjamin. After the first set of travelers exited the train, she spotted her beau.

They were like magnets, drawn to one another. She ran to him, falling effortlessly into his embrace. He smelled rugged, woodsy, and the bristles of his beard were rough against her face.

"Woman, I have missed you."

The kiss threatened to take her breath away.

"Welcome home, Mr. Abbott."

They walked hand in hand to the carriage that awaited. Ben helped her into the coach, and after throwing his bag inside, he joined her. The carriage was off.

"You look like you have something on your mind. Tell me what it is, my love."

Amelia handed him a small card.

"A surprise for you."

Ben's deep blue eyes stared at her curiously.

When he opened the envelope, she watched him scan the words.

"Is this for sure?"

Amelia nodded.

Tears came to her eyes, and Ben leaned over and kissed her.

"Mrs. Abbott, you have just made me the happiest man on earth."

He stared at the card again.

"We are going to have a baby. Will you look at that!"

Ben slapped his knee and kissed her again. As the carriage pulled up, he threw open the door and jumped out. Pulling out his wife, he twirled her around, both of them smiling and laughing.

In that moment, Amelia knew what love truly was about.

And she was grateful for the chance to live A Perfect Forever.

The End

I hope you enjoyed this story and would love to know what you thought about it. If you have a moment to spare, I would appreciate it if you could leave a review of this book at Amazon. Your opinion goes a long way in helping others decide if a book is for them.

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Thank you so much.

Paige

Links to the other books by Paige Powers:

http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Growing-Love-Paige-Powers-ebook/dp/B00MUEKFPY

http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Reflection-Love-Young-Adult-ebook/dp/B00NH192GC