Page 63 of Taming His Honeydoll

“It was in the mess of what was left of your dresser, Emma,” he explained, with a happy grin. “It was a miracle, but it had gotten wedged between a couple of boards that only had surface burns on them. No damage except a little bit of smoke, which was easy to clean up. I thought it appropriately symbolic of the soldier and his honeydoll finally finding their way back to each other.” Even Henry sounded a little choked up at that point.

In the middle of the topper was a soldier doll kneeling on one knee, and the honey doll Sawyer had given her years ago sitting on the other knee, her arms looped around her soldier’s neck.

Emma stared at the couple. She’d kept that doll, and had looked for it among the boxes that had been salvaged from the fire, but it hadn’t been there. It had been all she had left of Sawyer and she hadn’t been able to throw it away, no matter how angry she’d been.

“It’s perfect,” she finally replied, her voice wobbly. She stepped forward and hugged Henry and Everett. Everett blushed but hugged her back. “Thank you, both for saving her.”

Sawyer stepped forward and shook both their hands. “I’m glad you found it, it’s perfect.”

His voice was husky too and Emma turned to him. Around them, cameras were flashing everywhere. The photographer they had hired had been running all around the table, taking snapshots from every conceivable angle of the cake topper and their reactions to it.

Emma gazed up into Sawyers face, her heart full of love and joy. “I love you, soldier.”

His arms slid around her waist as her hands lay on his broad chest. “And I love you, honeydoll.”

And then they kissed while the photographer caught it all.

The picture of Emma and Sawyer with the cake topper in between them would become a family favorite. Their story would be retold over the years as their children and future generations talked about the romantic wedding of the soldier and his honeydoll.

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