Elizabeth woke just as the sun was beginning to rise. She stretched and took a deep breath.
"I'm getting married today," she whispered into the empty room. In just a matter of hours, Jack would be her husband, and she would be his wife. A smile spread across her face, so wide that her cheeks started to hurt.
When she lost Patrick, she wasn't sure that she would ever feel a deep and fulfilling happiness again. She said a silent prayer of thanks for the happiness she had found with Jack.
"Mama." Micah's little voice cut through her reverie. "Mama up."
"I'm coming, little bug."
He was standing up, peering over the side of the portable crib. He grinned at the sight of his mother. "Mama!"
"Well, good morning, Micah." She lifted him onto her hip. "We have a big day today, huh?"
"See Dack?"
"Yes, we'll see Uncle Jack today, because mama and Uncle Jack are getting married. Do you know what that means? It means he'll live with us, and we'll get to see him all the time. Isn't that exciting?" She tickled his belly, eliciting a giggle.
"Eat, pease."
"Are you hungry? Let's go see what there is for breakfast."
The refrigerator and pantry were nearly empty; she and Jack had yet to stock up on groceries since they were preparing to leave for a week following the wedding.
"Well, Micah, how do you feel about eggs? It seems that's about all we have right now."
"Egg!" he squealed.
"Eggs it is." She chuckled and lowered him to the floor, handing him a wooden spoon to play with. "Sit tight, bud. Breakfast will be ready soon."
They had a "conversation" while she cooked, Micah babbling and Elizabeth responding with "really?" and "wow!"
Just as she was helping Micah into his seat, her phone buzzed. She handed him his bowl and a spoon before reaching for her phone.
A smile played on her lips as she answered it. "Morning, professor."
"Good morning, almost wife."
Butterflies rose in her stomach at his words and she grinned. "We made it, Jack. We're getting married today."
"Best day ever."
"I can't wait to be your wife."
"And I can't wait to be your husband."
"So, is there a reason you called or…?"
"I just wanted to hear your voice. I couldn't wait until this afternoon."
"It does feel really far away, but it'll be here before we know it."
"What are you doing right now?"
She took a seat and reached for her own bowl, noticing that Micah had already eaten nearly half of his eggs. "Having breakfast."
"What are you wearing?"
A flush filled her cheeks. "Jack Thornton! We aren't married yet."
He chuckled. "Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying." He sighed. "Anyway, I should probably let you finish your breakfast before Rosie and Sarah descend on you with hairspray and pins and whatever else it takes for you women to get ready."
She laughed softly. "Hairspray and pins? If only it were that easy."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah yeah."
"Hey, Beth?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
She smiled. "I love you, too."
"See you at our wedding."
"You'd better not change your mind," she teased.
"Never. I'll be waiting at the end of that aisle for you."
...
Rosemary had taken Opal and Lorelei to the bathroom, and Charlotte and Grace were making sure everything was ready for the ceremony and the reception, leaving Elizabeth alone with Micah and Sarah. Elizabeth sat in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup, when she noticed Sarah struggling with her dress.
"Are you okay, Sarah?" Elizabeth stood and approached her almost-sister-in-law.
"I'm fine." She groaned as she tried to get the zipper up on her dress. She blew out a breath and tried again, this attempt also ending in failure. "I was hoping it wouldn't be so tight yet."
"Here." Elizabeth tugged the fabric together, and they were finally able to get the zipper up.
"Thank you."
"So…?" Elizabeth shot a quick glance at her stomach.
Sarah gave her a tiny smile and brushed her hand across her stomach. "We didn't want to say anything until after the wedding. We were trying not to take any of the attention from you guys."
"Sarah." Elizabeth pulled her into a hug. "Congratulations. When are you due?"
"Early October."
"That's wonderful!"
"We're very excited about it." She smoothed down her dress. "Now, enough about me. We can celebrate this baby another time. For now, we need to finish getting you ready."
Half an hour later, Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection as Rosemary pinned the veil into her hair. "I never expected that I would get married more than once. This is weird."
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"No, of course not. I love Jack." She took a deep breath. "It's just a lot."
Lorelei tugged on her dress, breaking her from her thoughts. "You look pretty, Auntie Lizbeth."
"Thank you, honey." Elizabeth took her hand. "You and Opal look very pretty in your dresses."
"Mama." Micah toddled over, arms in the air.
She picked him up and straightened his little yellow bow tie. "Hi, little bug. Are you ready to go see Uncle Jack?"
...
Jack stood at the front of the room, staring back at the door that Elizabeth would be walking through at any moment. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies filling his stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so nervous.
But at the same time, everything felt right.
She was his best friend, the woman he never expected to love, but who had become the most important person in his life. Truthfully, it had felt like the two of them and Micah had been a family for a while.
But he couldn't wait for it to be official.
The door opened slightly, and Opal and Lorelei stepped through in their matching pale yellow dresses.
Micah stood between them, the box containing the rings clasped in his little hands. He looked confused as he stared out at all the people. When the girls started walking, he just stayed frozen in his place, unsure of what to do.
Jack moved into his line of sight and crouched down. "Come here, little man," he whispered, waving him over.
A grin spread across his face, and he hurried past Opal and Lorelei to reach his favorite Uncle Jack. Laughter bubbled up around the room at the sight.
Jack gave him a hug and kissed his cheek before nudging him toward Charlotte, who was sitting in the front row. "Go sit with nana for a few minutes."
Once assured that Micah was settled in, he stood up straight, his gaze returning to the door across the room.
Sarah stepped into the room first, followed closely by Rosemary. Then the music changed.
His breath caught in his throat and his eyes filled with tears when he saw Elizabeth.
She was radiant.
She was struggling to hold back her tears as she walked toward him, her parents on either side of her.
When she reached the end of the aisle, she kissed her father's cheek, hugged her mother, and handed her bouquet of yellow tulips to Rosemary. Her hands shook as she slipped them into Jack's.
"I love you," he mouthed to her silently.
"I love you," she mouthed back.
Their guests were seated, and the ceremony officially began.
Everything moved quickly. Jack knew he should have been focusing on what the pastor was saying, but all of his attention was on Elizabeth.
She was avoiding his gaze, knowing she couldn't keep her composure if she met his eyes. Instead, she shifted her eyes from their clasped hands to the pale yellow bow tie at his throat and back down to their hands.
He cleared his throat when it came time for their vows, and she finally lifted her eyes to his. He squeezed her hands gently as he spoke of his love for her and his promise to remain loyal to her.
She stumbled over her words, her voice thick with tears as she promised the same.
Just a few minutes later, they exchanged rings, and the pastor pronounced them husband and wife.
Not even a second after the pastor gave them permission to kiss, Jack's lips were on Elizabeth's. He pulled away after a brief moment, and she smiled, a silent laugh rolling through her.
Before they were pulled aside for pictures, he led her over to a corner where they could have a moment alone.
"So…" Jack ran his fingers down her arms. "We're married."
"I know we are. I was there."
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you." She leaned up to kiss him. "You look pretty handsome yourself."
He trailed his lips across her jaw. "Do we really have to have a reception?"
She laughed softly. "Patience, professor."
He pressed his lips to hers once more. "Is it just me, or is kissing so much better now that we're married?"
A flush rose in her cheeks. "It's not just you."
"Elizabeth? Jack?" Rosemary's voice floated down the hall. "The photographer is ready."
Elizabeth reached up and ran her finger down his cheek. "Just a few more hours, and then we'll finally be alone."
"Or we could just sneak out of here right now."
"Rosie would never let us live that down."
"Speaking of Rosie…" Jack caught sight of her over Elizabeth's shoulder.
"There you are!" She exclaimed as she approached them. "Put the kissing on hold for now. We need to get these pictures taken before the sun goes down."
...
Micah leaned against Elizabeth's shoulder as she swayed in the middle of the dance floor. Jack was nearby, twirling Opal and sending her into a fit of giggles.
He caught Elizabeth's eye and winked at her. She felt butterflies fill her stomach as she watched her husband.
When the song ended, he encouraged Opal to go find her parents, then took a few steps to close the gap between him and Elizabeth. "I think it's our turn again."
"We're going to have a third wheel." She nodded toward Micah, who didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave her arms.
"I'll take him." Charlotte approached them. "I think he needs more Nana Charlotte time."
"Thank you." Elizabeth handed him over.
"Now, where were we?" Jack offered his hand. Elizabeth smiled and slipped her fingers into his, resting her other hand on his shoulder.
Jack held their clasped hands against his chest as they turned slowly.
"Do you remember the first time we danced together at a wedding?"
She laughed softly. "You mean when I was halfway through my pregnancy with Micah and my belly took up all the space between us?"
"Mhmm." He pulled her closer, until there was scarcely an inch separating their bodies. "That was nice, but this is even better."
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love you, Jack Thornton."
He kissed her temple. "I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."
...
"Are you ready?" He sidled up to her, slipping his arm around her waist.
She nodded, setting her empty champagne glass on the table. "I just need to say good night to Micah."
He kept his hand on her back as they crossed the room to find him. He was dozing in the arms of Elizabeth's mother.
"Mom?"
She looked up. "Are you heading out?"
"Yes. I just wanted to say bye to Micah." She held out her hands for her son. He immediately settled into her arms, his eyelids drooping. "Hey, little bug. Uncle Jack and I are leaving now. You be good for nana and papa Coulter, okay?" She kissed his forehead. "I'm going to miss you, Micah Patrick. I love you so much."
"May I?" Jack held out his arms, pulling Micah into a hug. "I love you, little man. Mama and I will see you soon."
"He's staying with Marie and Leland?" Grace questioned as Jack passed Micah back to her.
Elizabeth nodded in confirmation. "Yes. They'll take him up to Tulsa for the week." She took a deep breath. "Well, we should go say goodbye to the rest of the family and head out." She leaned down to hug her mom, then her dad. "Thank you both for being here."
They said quick goodbyes to the Coulters, Charlotte, and their siblings before making their way out of the room.
Jack offered Elizabeth his arm. "Well, I think it's time for me to take my wife home."
"Well, then what are you waiting for, husband?"
They were both quiet until Jack pulled the car into their driveway.
He reached across the center console and took her hand. "We're about to walk into our house for the first time as a married couple. I can hardly believe it."
"Let's go."
Once they reached the door, he insisted on carrying her over the threshold. She burst out in laughter when he accidentally bumped her head against the door frame.
"Sorry about that." He lowered her to the floor in the entryway. "Are you okay?"
She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him. "I'm fine. Maybe just no more carrying me through doorways." She chuckled and kissed him again. "Did you eat much at the reception?"
"Not a whole lot," he admitted.
"I didn't, either. How about I get us some snacks while you get the bags and things from the car?"
"Sounds good, Mrs. Thornton." He gave her a wink and stepped back outside.
It took him a couple of trips to bring everything in, and by the time the last of the bags were placed in the entryway, Elizabeth had laid out an impressive spread of snacks on the coffee table, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Beth? Where'd you go?"
"I'm in the bedroom," she called out. "I'll be out in a second."
He took off his jacket, untied his bow tie, removed his vest, and took a seat on the sofa. When Elizabeth emerged a few moments later, she was no longer in her dress. Instead, she was dressed in a pale blue satiny robe that was tied at the waist, and she had taken the pins out of her hair, letting it cascade down her back.
"Sorry. I didn't want to risk spilling anything on the dress."
"Don't be sorry." He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Wow." He let out a breath. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Heat flooded her cheeks. "Um, should we eat?"
Jack leaned in and kissed her softly. "Hey, it's okay, Beth. It's just us. No expectations."
"I know. I don't know why I'm feeling like this. I've been married before, so obviously I know…" she trailed off.
"I'm nervous, too."
She met his eyes. "You are?"
He nodded. "I am." He cupped her face in his hand, brushing his thumb across her still-flushed cheek. "Let's just eat and then go from there, okay?"
She nodded, feeling so loved and cared for.
Her nerves melted away as they chatted and nibbled on the food she had set out.
"You okay?" he questioned when she reached back to rub her neck.
"I'm fine. Just a little bit sore. I slept on this sofa last night."
"Why would you do that when there's a nice, comfortable bed in the master?"
"Our bed. In our room. It felt weird to be in there without you. It actually felt weird just being in this house without you."
"Well, the good news is, you don't have to be in this house without me anymore. Or our room. Or our bed."
She took a deep breath, trying to push down the nerves that threatened to return. "Speaking of, I think I'm ready to go to bed."
...
Jack brushed his fingers through Elizabeth's hair, rousing her from sleep. "Elizabeth, love, we need to get up so we can get to the airport on time."
She snuggled closer to him. "Five more minutes?"
He kissed the top of her head. "I've already let us stay in bed longer than I planned."
"Can't we just have our honeymoon here?"
"In our house?"
She nodded into his chest. "We have a bed here. We can order food. That's all we need."
"While that is an excellent point," he chuckled, "everything's already paid for. We don't want that money to go to waste, do we?"
She sighed. "I guess not."
A few hours later, they were in the air on their way to Arizona. Jack had booked a small vacation home for them a short drive away from the Grand Canyon. They were planning to hike a few of the trails and just enjoy the scenery.
They were both very much looking forward to having the whole week to themselves. Aside from the weekend they spent together to celebrate their engagement, they had never really had more than a couple of hours alone.
...
"I'm exhausted," Elizabeth groaned, pulling off her shoes and sinking down onto the bed.
It was the last full day of their honeymoon before they would be returning home, and they had spent the majority of the day hiking the Canyon, only returning to their little vacation home when the sun began to dip below the horizon.
"How about I run you a bath?"
"You've run a bath for me every single day we've been here."
He leaned against the wall as he removed his shoes. "Well, it's the least I can do for making you hike so much."
"You didn't make me do anything, but yes, a bath sounds heavenly." She walked over and grabbed his shirt, standing on her toes to kiss him. "Maybe you could join me tonight."
"I thought you were exhausted."
"Call it a second wind." She smiled mischievously and slipped her fingers under his shirt, feeling the muscles of his stomach tighten at her touch. "Unless you'd rather not join me."
He grinned. "I'll go get it started."
When he returned from the bathroom a few minutes later, she was lying back on the bed, smiling at her phone.
"What's that look for?"
"Marie sent me some pictures of Micah earlier." She turned her phone around so he could see.
"I miss that little man." He smiled as he scrolled through the pictures, one of Micah snuggling with his teddy bear while he napped, one of him with applesauce smeared across his cheeks, and one of him riding on Leland's shoulders.
"I miss him, too. He seems to be having fun, though, so that makes it a little easier." She set the phone on the nightstand and sat up. "We should probably get in the tub before the water gets cold."
Jack got in first, leaving space for Elizabeth in front of him.
She stepped into the water. "Good call choosing a place with a big bathtub."
"I may have gotten some advice from Rosie about things you would like. Is that weird?"
She laughed softly, leaning back against his chest. "Maybe a little, but you can go ahead and thank her for me."
"You know, we could redo the master bathroom in our house, put in a tub like this."
"Ooh, don't tempt me."
He wrapped his arms around her, sighing contentedly. "Can you believe we've been married for a whole week now?"
"One of the best weeks of my life." She turned her head to brush her lips across his jaw. "I don't want to go back to the real world tomorrow."
"At least we'll be going back together."
"That's true."
He put a finger under her chin, turning her face to his. "I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."
She leaned in and kissed him deeply. "I love you, Jack Thornton."
