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It was a simple affair. Me in a white chiffon dress from the boutique and he in jeans and a white button-down. It didn’t matter what we wore. All that mattered were the vows we spoke and had been living up to. He repeated the same ones he had written so long ago before we were torn apart.
Shelby Katherine Duchane, I haven’t been the same since the day our worlds collided. You brought out the man in me. You made me think more of someone else than I did about myself. Your happiness became my own. I live to see you smile. When you take my hand, I never want to let go. Today you take my name. There is no greater honor I could receive. Today our two worlds more than collide, they become one, as it was always meant to be.
Ryder walked us up some steps. Wood creaked beneath us. “I’m going to have to fix that,” he grumbled.
“What are you going on about?”
Instead of answering, he carefully removed the blindfold, making sure not to drop me. I immediately recognized where we were. The yellow house with the wraparound front porch and cute white shutters. I looked out toward the yard. The For Sale sign was still there with the big Sold sign across it.
“Why did you bring me here?”
He flashed me a crooked grin. “To walk my bride across the threshold.”
“Wait, what?”
“We aren’t going to be late signing that lease because you’re already home.”
“You bought the house?” Emotion filled my voice.
“I did, even though I never thought I would spend so much money on a fixer upper.”
I squealed and squeezed him tight. “I love you.” I tried to hop out of his arms, excited to go inside our home. We had been living at the cabin together, which had been glorious, but even with Bobby Jay moving out into an apartment in Edenvale it hadn’t quite felt like home, more like an extended honeymoon, which, like I said, I had no complaints about.
“Hold on, Chief.” He held me tightly and walked us across the threshold. We entered the open-floor-plan house. It was already furnished with my things that had been in storage for months. There sat my white living room furniture arranged in front of the stone fireplace. My rustic wood dining room table sat to the left of us with boxes piled on top of it.
“When and how did you do all this?”
“I put an offer on the house not long after it went on the market.”
“Why would you do that when we were barely together?”
“Because I could tell how much it meant to you, and whether we ended up together or not, I was going to offer it to you. But I knew I wasn’t ever going to let you go again.”
I ran my hand across his cheek. “You are the sweetest man.”
“I did have some help. Bobby Jay, Sawyer, and Brad helped me move your stuff in last night.”
Now it made sense that Emma asked me out to the movies last night even though the poor dear was suffering from morning sickness. I was so glad she got pregnant, or my life might have been on the line. Though she was ticked that Dr. Pepper made her want to throw up now.
I kissed my husband and jumped out of his arms. I couldn’t believe this place was ours. Before I could explore, a large, white box resting on the farmhouse style coffee table caught my eye. “What’s this?” I walked toward the box.
Ryder took my hand and led me the rest of the way. He sat down on the couch and pulled me onto his lap. “Open it, darlin’.”
I reached for it and placed it on my lap. It was heavier than I expected. I lifted the lid and pulled back the tissue paper. Tears immediately filled my eyes. I ran my hands across the silk organza lace bodice. “Ryder, how did you? Why did you? We’re already married.”
He gently set the box to the side. His eyes met mine while he caressed my cheek. “I swore I was going to be able to buy you that dress one day.”
I started to say I didn’t need it, but he placed a finger on my lips. “I know what you’re going to say and you’re right, things don’t matter, but you matter to me and I know that dress makes you happy. And my momma and daddy were hoping you would wear it when we come to visit. They’d like us to have a wedding there.”
“I would love that.” I took his face into my hands. “But we are going to have to hurry.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“To make sure the dress fits.”
