Page 83 of Her Chosen Protector

Now Lawson was laughing.

Asher shut the hymnal. What the hell is going on? When are things going to start? He’d been in Boise since last night. He knew where Eden had been staying—Kane had provided that—but A.J. had assured him that she was spending time with the bride and he couldn’t intrude. This was killing him.

His head spun at the sound of the back door opening. He didn’t care that there should have been activity up at the altar and not the vestibule. He needed to see Eden! Then, as if he had willed it, there she was.

In a vivid two-toned dress that swirled in purple and green. It cut off right at the knees and showed plenty of cleavage. Eden looked gorgeous. She blew him away as she strode up the nave of the church and stopped at the front row on the bride’s side. She crouched down to talk to the woman who had to be the mother of the bride. Immediately the woman stood up, and a man stood up beside her. Eden hugged the woman, then stepped out of the way so that they could rush down the aisle.

After they left out the back door, Eden took the two steps right up to the altar, then turned around to face the guests.

“By the look on your face, I’m assuming that’s your Eden,” Lawson said ruefully. “And if she isn’t, I call dibs.”

“She’s mine, hands off.”

“Can I have your attention,” Eden called out over the whispering. “I’ve got some news. The wedding has been called off.”

“What happened?” Someone shouted from the back.

“Yeah, what happened?” Someone else asked from the middle.

It was the first moment that Eden looked flustered, but then his lioness stood up straighter and thrust back her shoulders. “You can take back all of your gifts and save them for Kevin and Sheri Alderton’s eventual baby shower.”

Stunned silence met her words. Then the whispers started.

As straight and tall as a soldier, Eden started her walk back to the vestibule. Asher got up and slid out so that when she came to his pew he was there. Her eyes widened and her step faltered, but that was her only indication of her surprise. Asher held out his arm. She took it, and they finished the walk out of the church.

He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive.

I’m not going to cry.

She could actually feel the heat and strength of him under her fingers. She shot surreptitious glances up to his face. He looked down at her with a heated glance.

Oh, God, this is really happening.

She was going to have a heart attack, right here in the middle of the church. Every single one of her dreams had come true.

Mr. and Mrs. Alderton were practically running to catch up with her and Asher. “Eden, what did you mean about Sheri?”

“They’re Sheri’s parents. We’ve got to speed up,” Eden hissed at him. Asher easily kept up with her as she ran to the back of the parking lot where she’d parked her rental car.

Wait a minute, he was running pretty good. He can’t be that fucking injured.

She fumbled with her clutch to get the keys out and unlock the car.

“I’ll drive,” he said as they got close to the vehicle.

“Just thank your lucky stars that I’m letting you come along,” she growled. She jabbed her finger at the passenger door.

There must have been something in her expression that got through to him, because he went to the passenger side and got in.

She pulled out of the parking lot and drove around the block into the Fred Meyer shopping center parking lot. She slammed the car into park and shut off the engine, then turned to Asher and screamed.

“How dare you just show up alive! How dare you not call me!”

He held up his hands. “Eden, let me explain.”

She raised a fist to hit him, then held back. “Where can I hit you that won’t hurt you?” she demanded to know.

“You’re pretty tough. I think anywhere you hit me will hurt.”