Authors: Ruth J. Hartman
Waylaid (22 page)
Addy
So today’s the
day.
My fingers clutched the red carnation bouquet with white baby’s breath. At least having a Christmas-time wedding was easy for choosing colors. Butterflies were having a fit in my stomach, but not from nerves. No, they danced in excitement. After the ceremony, Graham was all mine. No more saying good-bye at the end of a date. No more having to go our separate ways or sleep in separate beds.
Tonight would be
magic.
The music began and my brothers, dressed in gray suits, each pulled open a heavy wooden door. Adam winked at me and Anthony smiled.
“Ready, kid?”
I placed my hand on my dad’s forearm and nodded. “Very ready.”
Dad kissed my cheek. “You picked a good one, Addy. Be happy, sweetheart.”
“I will, Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I turned my head toward the open doorway. Kendra started walking down the aisle as my maid of honor. She was beautiful in the knee-length green dress she’d bought for today. I was so glad she’d been able to make it for the wedding. Especially since I had really wanted her to stand up with me as she was part of the reason that Graham and I had met. If Marcus and Graham hadn’t been friends and Kendra and I as well, who knew if Graham and I would have ever had a chance to get together?
Dad and I started down the short aisle when the music switched to the traditional wedding march. The college chapel was lovely, decorated with candles on the windowsills and sprigs of holly on the end of the pews. Not many people were in attendance, but like I’d told Graham, I didn’t want anything fancy. Just wanted it to be him and me, along with our families and the two people who had helped us find each other.
Dad and I walked slowly down the aisle as we’d practiced the evening before at rehearsal. My satin slippers made tiny shushing sounds along the plush carpet. My knee-length cream dress with the overlaying lace trim was gorgeous. My mom was such a talented seamstress. She’d been able to make my dress in no time at all.
I raised my gaze to the front, where Graham and Marcus were lining up beside the pastor. Graham. So handsome in his black suit. We’d talked about buying him a new one, but decided to save our money. Rent and paying for his classes wouldn’t be cheap. And the ceremony was only a tiny part of our married lives. It was just the beginning.
Graham smiled, both dimples showing in his cheeks. I grinned back, unable to hold it in. How had I gotten so blessed to find this man? This perfect, loving, thoughtful man who wanted nothing more than to love me and take care of me.
Not much longer now. Our ceremony wasn’t going to be lengthy. We didn’t want it to be. Didn’t need it. We just wanted to be joined as husband and wife so we could start our life together as one.
My sister Anna, who sat next to my teary mother, winked at me as I passed by. They sat with my sister’s husband and my brothers’ fiancées. Kind of funny that I was getting married before the two of them since they were so much older.
Graham’s family sat on the other side of the aisle. His mom and dad, who I’d come to love as my own family both smiled. Graham’s sister and his uncle and two aunts sat behind them.
When Dad and I reached Graham, the pastor nodded at us, ”Who gives this woman to be joined in matrimony?”
Dad answered. “Her mother and I do. With much joy.” He kissed my cheek.
“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered. After the bad feelings that had been between us briefly when he didn’t want me to get married, him saying that was a balm to my heart. He loved Graham like a son now.
In just a few minutes, Graham really
would
be his son.
Dad placed my hand into Graham’s and patted Graham on the shoulder. I handed my bouquet to Kendra, who winked and stepped away.
The pastor addressed the small gathering. “Welcome, family and friends. Today we join together Graham and Addy in marriage, to start their journey together as husband and wife. Addy and Graham wanted to say a few words to each other before I pronounce them married.” He extended his hand to us as our signal to begin.
Graham took both of my hands in his. “Addy, the day I first laid eyes on you was the first of what I know will be the best days of my life. You make me feel so loved, so wanted. You’re beautiful outside, but more importantly inside. I love your weird sense of humor and the fact that you hate shoes.”
I glanced down at my slippers and everyone laughed.
“Addy, you are my other half, my reason for living. My heart’s desire and the joy of my life. I can’t wait to be your husband and take care of you, love you and make you mine forever.” He grinned. “Even though you want to be a vet but are deathly afraid of cows.”
I giggled and shook my head. Leave it to Graham… the man could always lighten my mood. He winked, so I knew he was finished.
“Graham,” I squeezed his hands. “When I met you, I wasn’t looking for love. My plan, yes the dreaded
plan
, didn’t include it. Such good intentions I had for college, then marriage to someone I met far down the road. But you
waylaid
me right in the middle of all that. And I have to say, you are the best detour I ever could have imagined. Thank you for the way you comfort me, make me laugh and love me like no other man ever could. You are my heart. You are my life. I love you.”
Graham smiled and he and I looked at the pastor.
He glanced up at our families and then back at us. “It is my great pleasure to unite this man and this woman in marriage. If the best man would please give Graham the rings?”
Marcus reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved two golden bands, identical except in size. He handed them to Graham and took another step back to stand with Kendra.
Graham put my ring on my finger, the smooth gold was lovely next to my diamond. I took Graham’s hand and placed the ring on his finger. A wild sense of giddiness swept through me at the sight. Now everyone would know he was married. Taken. Mine.
The pastor gave a nod. “Do you Graham Alan Stewart take Addy to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Graham blinked and nodded. “I do.”
“And do you Adelaide Hildegard Lafollette take Graham to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Tears that I didn’t even know were there spilled down my cheeks. “I do.”
“It is with great pleasure that I now pronounce you husband and wife. Graham you may kiss your bride.”
Graham pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. “I love you Addy.”
“I love you back.”
His lips gently brushed mine, sweet, yet promising me more, much more after the ceremony was over.
Hugs and congratulation followed the service as we enjoyed cake and punch. Again, we hadn’t wanted to spend too much on anything and didn’t want our parents to, either.
Graham finished his punch and set down the glass. “Well, Mrs. Stewart, how do you feel?”
“Happy. Tired.”
He lowered his voice. “Hmmm. Not
too
tired, I hope.”
“Never.”
Our families said their goodbyes and waved us away as we left in Graham’s truck. The first thing I did after Graham drove us away from the chapel to our new apartment was to kick off my shoes.
Graham laughed.
“What?”
“Just couldn’t wait, could you?”
“Didn’t you say, in front of God and everyone back there that it was one of the things you loved about me?”
“Oh, there are so many things I love about you. Just you wait and see.”
The short drive from the chapel had us at our apartment in no time. Graham insisted on carrying me over the threshold.
“Graham, you really don’t have to.”
“I want to.” He tilted his head toward some neighbors who were watching us through their window. “We have an audience. I want them to know that we’ve just gotten hitched.”
My face heated. “So they’ll know that in a few
hours
what we’ll be doing.”
He stepped inside and kicked the door shut with his boot. “Hours? I don’t think so, woman.”
I giggled. “It’s gonna be so much fun teasing you as much as you tease me.”
“Good luck. I’m a champion at that. And
other
things.” He set me on my bare feet and took my hand, leading me up the stairs. When we were in the room, he closed the blinds and came back to stand in front of me.
I poked his chest. “You said you were a champion? Prove it.”
“All right. You asked for it.” He turned me away from him and slowly unbuttoned my dress. It fell to my feet and I stepped out of it. His gaze roamed over me clad only in my bra and underwear. “Addy, you are beautiful.”
“So are you.” I stood up on tiptoes to kiss him. “But I want to see more.” I snapped my fingers to get him to hurry.
“My, my. Impatient are we?”
“I keep hearing about this champion. I’m not sure he exists, Graham. I think you made him up.”
Graham removed his coat and shirt, then his shoes socks and pants. He stood in only his underwear. Yes, my husband was a beautiful man.
He stepped toward me. “Addy, you’re overdressed.”
I peered down. “Am I? Maybe you can help me with that.”
I shivered when he reached around me and unfastened my bra. The straps slid down my arms and I tossed it across the room.
Graham watched it go and then shook his head. “That poor bear.”
“What?”
He pointed. “Fuzzy.”
When I saw my stuffed bear wearing my bra like a hat, I snorted a laugh. “Guess he better get used to it.”
“Uh huh.” His gaze lowered. “Didn’t you tell me in your dorm room that Fuzzy liked to try on your underwear?”
I nodded “Yeah. My bear is kinda weird.”
Graham knelt down in front of me, running his hands down my hips as he slid my underwear down my legs and to the floor. My skin nearly sizzled everywhere that Graham’s skin brushed mine. I balanced my hands on his bare shoulders as I stepped out of them. He tossed them across the room and they landed on Fuzzy’s paw.
Graham stood up and embraced me. “Poor, silly bear.”
I pulled away. “Excuse me. You’re overdressed too.”
He rolled his eyes. “A champion’s duties are never done.” He slipped the boxer briefs down his legs and kicked them away.
For the first time, there was nothing between us. Heart-to-heart. Skin-to-skin. Graham picked me up and laid me on the bed and then crawled in beside me. As his lips caressed mine, I sighed.
Ah yes, magic indeed.
The End.
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About the Author
Bestselling author Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning sweet romantic tales that make you smile, giggle, or laugh out loud. She, her husband, and their three cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats, Maxwell, Roxy, and Remmie, sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's. You know how selfish those little furry creatures can be.
Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, Jeep driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women and the men who adore them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey, who's counting?