Waiting for the Wedding Read online

  They stopped walking and he stood before her, needing to ask her something that had gnawed at his heart for the past five years. “Sherry, now I need to understand something from you.”

  “What?” She looked at him curiously.

  “When you found out you couldn’t have children, why did you break off our engagement?” His throat closed with emotion. “Why wasn’t I enough for you?”

  She stared at him, her eyes widened. She shook her head slowly side to side, her gaze not leaving his. “Oh, Clint, it was never about you not being enough. It was about me not being enough.”

  This time it was Sherry who once again began to walk, as if she was now dealing with her own inner pain and needed the activity of pacing.

  “When I discovered I couldn’t have children, something inside of me died.” She drew a deep breath, then continued, “I somehow lost the ability to love at all. You deserved more than what I could give you, and I thought the kindest thing I could do was let you go.”

  He stopped her by stepping in front of her. “It wasn’t a kind thing. You broke my heart, stole my dream of living with you, loving you for the rest of my life.”

  She smiled, a sad expression that did nothing to light up her features. “And now we’re back at the same place, with the same obstacles standing between us.”

  She reached up and touched his cheek, the simple touch transmitting her heart to him. “Only now I understand why you never wanted to consider adoption.” She dropped her hand and shrugged. “Stalemate.”

  “No, not stalemate.” He took her by the shoulders. “Sherry, today while I stood beside you and pledged my love for Kathryn, something amazing happened. I loved her when I thought she was mine, and I believed my love for her had changed when I realized she wasn’t mine. But as I looked at her sweet little face, remembered all the moments we shared in the week we had her, I realized I still loved her with all my heart and it didn’t matter that she hadn’t come from me.”

  Sherry’s lovely eyes locked with his, and she stepped away from him. Her body seemed to vibrate with intensity. “Wh-what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I love you, and if you want to adopt a child, then I want to be its father…. I want to be the kind of father I never had.” He laughed. “Hell, I know all the ways not to be a father.”

  “But I watched you with Kathryn,” she reminded him. “And I know you also know all the ways to be a wonderful father.”

  Once again he took her by the shoulders and drew her closer to him. “Marry me, Sherry. Marry me and live your life with me. We’ll build a family together and make our dreams come true.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, but he could tell by the light shining in their green depths that they were tears of happiness. “You mean it?”

  He laughed and drew her into an embrace. “I’ve never meant anything more. Now, are you going to marry me and put us both out of our misery?”

  “Yes, oh, yes,” she said, and she raised up on tiptoe as their mouths met in a kiss that spoke of the promise of dreams fulfilled, the heat of passion unleashed and the wonder of love forevermore.

  Chapter Ten

  “D arling, you look beautiful.” Sherry’s mother, Nadine, clapped her hands together in delight as Sherry stood before her in her wedding gown.

  She kissed Sherry’s cheek, then grasped her hands. “I can’t tell you how happy I am for you, that finally you’ve found happiness with a man you love. I hope today is the first day of a wonderful new life for you.”

  Sherry squeezed her mother’s hands. “And I can’t thank you enough for working so hard to pull this wedding together so quickly.”

  It had been only three weeks since Sherry and Clint had stood by the edge of the lake and Sherry had told Clint she would marry him.

  Nadine laughed. “That man of yours is an impatient one. If he’d had his way, this wedding would have taken place two weeks ago.” She released Sherry’s hands and instead busied herself arranging the fine netting of Sherry’s veil over Sherry’s face.

  Sherry stood patiently, although her heart pounded with anticipation. In just a few minutes she would become Clint’s wife. Her pulse raced, and every nerve in her body felt electrified.

  She felt as if she’d fallen into the most wonderful dream she’d ever experienced and she never, ever wanted to awaken.

  The first day of a wonderful new life—a life to be spent loving Clint. The loneliness, the unhappiness of five years had melted away with the kiss she and Clint had shared on the day she’d agreed to marry him.

  The past three weeks had been busy as the couple had prepared for the wedding and made decisions about Sherry’s apartment furnishings. They’d moved the things she wanted to keep into Clint’s house, creating a household of furniture and kitchen items that blended their two lives. Sherry had moved out of her apartment and in with her mother for the past several days.

  And tonight—she shivered as she thought about the night to come. Her wedding night. The night she would share her first experience of making love with the man she loved.

  A knock sounded on the door, and Sherry’s sister stepped inside. “Oh, Sis, you look positively stunning,” she exclaimed. “They sent me to tell you that it’s time.”

  As Sherry, her sister and her mother left the church nursery, which had served as their dressing room, Sherry’s stomach fluttered nervously.

  Within hours she would be alone with Clint. What if she wasn’t good at making love? Maybe they would have been smart to have made love before the wedding, to be certain they were a good fit in that respect. She was completely inexperienced. What if Clint was disappointed in her? She clutched her bouquet of baby’s breath and yellow roses, hoping she didn’t throw up before she ever managed to say, “I do.”

  She took her place at the back of the church, vaguely aware that it was a full house. It appeared that all of Armordale had turned out to see their sheriff married.

  What if she was frigid? The terrible thought intruded into her mind. What if she really was no good at making love and Clint decided he’d made a horrible mistake? She would die. She would absolutely, positively curl up and die of heartache.

  The church organ swelled with the familiar notes to the “Wedding March” and tears of fear burned behind her eyes. As she started her walk up the aisle, her gaze sought Clint.

  He stood at the other end of the aisle, tall and handsome in a black tuxedo. As she drew closer, she saw his eyes, and they were filled with love. All the fear that had momentarily claimed her fled, unable to sustain itself beneath the utter glory in his eyes.

  When she reached him, he took her hand in his. She knew hers was icy cold, but it warmed beneath the heat of his. He smiled, and she knew at that very moment that everything was going to be just fine.

  The ceremony flew by in a haze. Vows were spoken, rings were exchanged and a kiss sealed the future. The crowd left the church and went to the community center for the reception.

  The interior of the community center had been decorated with crepe paper, and a long table held punch and a three-tier wedding cake. A band was tuning up on the small stage, and additional food was laid out on another large table.

  For the next thirty minutes Clint and Sherry stood side by side by the front door, accepting the best wishes and sly winks of friends and neighbors.

  “Have I told you lately that I love you?” Clint asked when they finally found themselves alone for a moment.

  She smiled up at him. “Probably, but tell me again. You know how I love to hear it.”

  He pulled her against him. “I love you,” he said, and pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that contained fiery passion and a hunger for the night to come.

  “Hey, now,” Andy said, interrupting the moment. “Let’s not be starting the honeymoon too soon. Come on, everybody is waiting for you two to have the first dance.”

  Clint smiled at Sherry. “Mrs. Graham, may I have this dance?”

  She thrilled at the sound
of her new name. “Why certainly, Mr. Graham,” she replied.

  And then she was in his arms, moving to the strains of a soft, romantic song as the crowd cheered. Within minutes other couples twirled onto the floor, and Sherry and Clint were no longer the center of attention.

  “You look so beautiful, you take my breath away,” he said, and his words combined with the flames in his eyes and stole her breath away.

  For the next hour or so they danced, they fed each other cake and did all the traditional things that were done at wedding receptions.

  Sherry was visiting with Mandy and Kathryn when Clint came up behind her. “Let’s blow this party,” he whispered in her ear. Sherry felt the heat of a blush warm her cheeks as Mandy laughed.

  “Go. The bride and groom never stay too long at their reception,” she agreed, earning herself a grateful smile from Clint.

  Clint took Sherry by the hand and led her toward the door. “Shouldn’t we tell somebody goodbye? Tell everyone thank you?” she asked.

  “No, we should sneak out quietly and let them all party without us.” He pulled her out the door and toward his car. They both stopped short and laughed as they saw the tin cans tied to the bumper, Just Married written in white across the sides and back window.

  Andy was in the process of tying a big white bow on the antenna. He grinned at them as they approached. “You two lovebirds sneaking out of here?”

  “You about done messing up my car?” Clint grinned at his deputy.

  Andy gave the bow a final pat and nodded. “Yeah, I reckon I’m done. Now I don’t want you worrying about anything while you’re honeymooning.” He drew a breath, expanding his chest broadly. “I can take care of the needs of this town for the next three days with no problem at all.”

  Clint slapped Andy on the back. “I wouldn’t be taking three days off if I didn’t have total confidence in you.” A smile lit Andy’s features at his boss’s words.

  Clint helped Sherry into the passenger side, then with a final goodbye to Andy, he slid behind the wheel. As he started the engine, all the nervous thoughts Sherry had entertained before suddenly reappeared.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as he pulled away from the church. He’d told her he was taking her someplace special for their wedding night, but he hadn’t said where. Each time she’d asked, his eyes had sparkled as he told her it was a secret.

  He smiled, but did not reply. Instead he reached over and took her hand in his. She looked at her hand, the fourth finger now adorned with a diamond wedding band. The diamonds sparkled and shone with each streetlight they passed.

  “Happy?” he asked.

  She nodded. “It all feels like a dream.” She hesitated a moment, then asked, “Are you terribly disappointed?” She had insisted they invite his adoptive parents to the wedding, but they had not acknowledged the invitation and hadn’t shown up at the ceremony.

  “Disappointed? Oh, you mean about Robert and Mary? No, I’m not disappointed they didn’t show and I’m not surprised.” He squeezed her hand, then released it. “Maybe they were the best parents they knew how to be. I can finally forgive them, but that doesn’t mean I want them in my life.”

  Sherry heard the peace in his voice, knew that in the past three weeks a healing had taken place inside Clint’s heart where his past was concerned. She looked up in surprise as they pulled into his driveway.

  He shut off the engine, released his seat belt and turned to her. “I hope you didn’t have visions of some fancy hotel room for our wedding night.” Once again he reached for her hand. “I wanted our first time to be here…in my bed, where I’ve dreamed of making love to you so many nights.”

  Tears momentarily blurred Sherry’s vision as her love for this man welled up inside her, filling her with a completeness she’d never known. “I love you,” she whispered.

  His eyes flamed. “Let’s go inside and let me show you just how much I love you.”

  Twenty minutes later Sherry stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection and fighting the fear that somehow Clint would find her an inadequate lover.

  She wore a white silk gown that did little to cover her nakedness beneath. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes appeared huge. It was time.

  She drew a deep breath to try to still the nerves that shivered inside her, then opened the door and walked down the hallway toward Clint’s bedroom.

  He was there, already in bed—a bed covered with rose petals. A bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket next to two crystal glasses on the nightstand. The room smelled of the fragrant flowers and of Clint, a heady combination that threatened to buckle her knees.

  “You look stunning,” he said softly.

  She didn’t move from the doorway, hesitant as to what was expected of her. He patted the side of the bed next to him. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s drink a toast to our future.”

  She knew his gesture was intended to help her relax, and she smiled gratefully and moved to the side of the bed. As she slid beneath the covers, he poured them each a glass of the champagne.

  “Champagne and rose petals…what more could a girl want?” she said, smiling nervously.

  “Darlin’, this is just the beginning,” he replied and laughed as a blush stole across her features. He handed her a glass of the pink bubbly, then gently clinked his glass against hers. “To us. May we love each other and remain soul mates forever.”

  “Forever,” she echoed softly. She took a sip of the fizzing drink, and he took a drink of his. Then, eyes gleaming, he took the glass from her and placed them both back on the nightstand.

  Sherry’s breath caught in her chest as he reached for her and pulled her into his arms. He was naked beneath the sheets, and she felt the warmth, the bold masculinity of him as she never had before.

  Her heart, her body, her very soul melted as his lips claimed hers in a fiery kiss of hunger. The voracity of his kiss overwhelmed her. When he finally gave her a moment to breathe, tears shimmered in her eyes.

  “Sherry, sweetheart…what’s wrong?” he asked, his handsome features twisted into a frown of worry.

  “I’m scared,” she confessed, then emitted a nervous laugh. “What if I do something wrong? What if you don’t like making love to me?”

  “Darlin’, that’s not about to happen,” he soothed, at the same time raining sweet butterfly kisses along her jawline. “We’re going to make love beautifully, and there is no way I’m not going to love each and every moment of it.”

  He looked deep into her eyes. “Trust me, Sherry. I promise I won’t hurt you, and I promise I won’t ever stop loving you. Nothing you could ever do would make me stop loving you.”

  She saw the truth shining from his silvery-blue eyes, and the fear that had plagued her off and on for the past three weeks slid away.

  Shyly she ran her hands across his broad, naked chest, then leaned forward and let her lips follow the trail her fingers blazed. She felt his swift intake of breath, and in the next instant desire exploded fully between them.

  As his mouth sought hers again, he pushed the blankets off them and slowly slid her gown up her body. Slowly, sensually, he caressed each and every inch of skin he uncovered.

  He seduced her…slowly, languidly, teaching her about her body while softly instructing her about his own. It was a give and take between them, a loving, learning process, as each memorized what the other liked, what caress caused sighs of pleasure, moans of delight.

  When he finally entered her, she was eager and ready and there was no pain, only pleasure—a pleasure deeper, higher, sweeter than any she’d ever before experienced.

  Afterward she lay in his arms, waiting for their bodies to cool, waiting for their breathing to return to normal.

  “I can’t believe we waited five years to be together,” she finally said.

  He stroked a hand down her bare back, sending shivers up and down her spine. “I’m glad we waited,” he replied.

  She rose up and looked at him
in surprise. “You are?”

  He smiled. “I’m not glad we waited five long years, but I am glad we waited until our wedding night. I’m glad I got to be your first, and I’m determined to be your only, your last lover.”

  “I’m glad, too.” She snuggled back against him, knowing she would never tire of being held in his arms, of being kissed by his lips. “Are we supposed to go to sleep now?”

  “Only if you’re tired,” he replied. His hand slid up her side, resting teasingly just beneath her breast. “Are you tired?”

  Her breath caught and she gasped as his hand no longer teased, but rather covered her breast warmly. “I’m not a bit tired,” she said breathlessly.

  “Good. After waiting five long years for you, I’m not near ready to bring this night to an end.” He kissed her, and to her amazement, although she’d believed herself completely sated, she felt the stir of excitement once again.

  “Hmm, remind me to buy Kathryn the best, biggest, most wonderful birthday present in the world,” he murmured.

  “Okay,” she said. “Why would you think about that right now?”

  He smiled at her and stroked a thumb down the curve of her jaw. “Because without the help of that precious little girl, two fools might have gone another five years before realizing they belonged together.”

  Epilogue

  “S herry?” Clint called as he walked through the front door of their home. He tossed the large greeting card he carried onto the coffee table.

  “In the kitchen,” she replied.

  Clint walked into the kitchen to see his bride of one year leaning over to check something in the oven. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Stop,” she protested with a laugh, then whirled around to face him. He didn’t release his hold on her. “You’re home early,” she observed.

  “It’s a special day,” he answered. “I figure the sheriff is allowed to take off early on his one-year anniversary.” He frowned as he saw the smothered steak baking in the oven. “I thought I was taking you out to dinner.”