Page 132

A shudder raced up his spine. Dress shoes sounded as appealing as wearing a monkey suit. At least his Sunday boots were comfortable.

Glancing at the door to the music minister’s office, he stretched his neck to one side and then the other. Brett had about two minutes before Colt took matters into his own hands.

The door opened, and Brett stuck his head in. “The coast is clear. Operation Waverly is a go.”

Colt didn’t waste a second. He rushed into the back hallway of the church and counted the steps to the nursery. The whole day had been a series of slow minutes, as Abby called them. If only time would stretch out this far for the rest of his life. Those were the minutes and seconds he wanted to savor.

He rounded the corner, and the nursery came into view. Colt checked both ways before slipping into the room. He closed the door behind him and set his eyes on the prize.

Remi raised her arms, covering very little of the front of the white dress she wore. “Colt Walker! Get out!”

“No way. I worked too hard to get in here. I’m not leaving yet.”

“You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. And as much as I think that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, Everly said I would regret it if I gave in.”

Colt took two steps, clearing the distance between them. “Then, I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.”

Remi opened her mouth to speak, but Colt sealed his lips to hers. Breathing in the fire she ignited, he slid his hands over the smooth fabric of the dress at her waist and pulled her to him. With each move of her mouth against his, the space between them melted away, leaving only one person, one heart, and one mind.

She was a part of him–now and forever. He hadn’t been fully himself since the day he met her. She’d changed him, and only for the better.

Remi’s arms wrapped around his neck, and her fingers slid into his hair. Every kiss, every touch between them contained pieces of the desire he’d hidden for years. All of it belonged to Remi, and he’d spend the rest of his life showing her and their family the extent of his love.

When he pulled away, Remi’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

Victory. Pure, sweet victory.

“That was nice,” she whispered. “Definitely no regrets about the pre-wedding rendezvous.”

“Since Everly said I should be respectful and not ravage you in front of everyone, I wanted to get that off my chest before the super classy wedding we’re having.”

“Vow renewal. You’ve already sealed the deal.”

“You better believe I did, and it wasn’t even my idea. Either time.”

Remi’s mouth opened wide, and her eyebrows shot up. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope. It was your idea. Both times.”

“Colt! I–”

He cut her off with another kiss. They both knew he’d wanted to do the proposing, but he was having too much fun giving her a hard time about proposing to let it slide.

The door opened, and Remi pushed against his chest, taking two big steps back.

“Remi!” Everly’s voice might have been a little high, but the smile on her face said she was more amused than disappointed.

Remi pointed to him. “He started it.”

“I did, and I have no regrets,” Colt said.

Everly jerked her head toward the hallway. “Will you get to the altar? We’re about to start.”

Colt turned back to Remi and gave her a wink before following Everly. His second wedding to Remi was as casual as the first. Dozens of their friends filled the pews the way they did every Sunday, and Colt stopped to say hey to a few people on his way to take his position at the front of the sanctuary next to Brother Higgins.

A few minutes later, the music started, and the doors at the front of the church opened. Abby stepped into the large room with a smile that gathered all of the attention.

Who knew a little girl could completely steal his heart? Abby had, and Colt planned to continue to spoil her rotten every chance he got.