Page 28 of The Bodyguard Who Came in from the Cold (Secrets and Vows #4)

A month later, Gareth, Margery and her entire family were gathered at Hawksbury Castle. It was a brilliant, cool autumn day, perfect for endless feasting. Margery hadn’t imagined that she could ever again feel this excited about every day of her life. This afternoon, she would finally be married to the man she loved.

She looked around the table as all her friends and family gathered for the morning meal. Gareth sat across from her, talking with her two brothers. Although it had taken a few weeks, the three men had finally begun to have conversations that didn’t involve angry scowls and clipped words.

Margery sat between her two sisters by marriage, Reynold’s wife, Katherine, and James’s wife, Isabel. Both women were so different, yet so perfectly completed their expanding family. Margery had never had sisters before them, and it felt wonderful to be able to share her every thought and feeling. The three of them had spent endless hours talking about every facet of the wedding day. Isabel, who had not had a proper marriage, seemed to most enjoy learning how to plan one. She’d said she needed to be prepared, since their first child was a daughter.

Margery couldn’t stop smiling. She gazed on Gareth with wonder, still unable to believe she’d be spending every night in his arms.

He glanced at her with a warm smile, then his gaze sharpened and his face grew serious.

Before Margery could question him, Katherine looked back and forth between them. “What is wrong with your bridegroom?”

“Men,” Isabel said, rolling her eyes. “He is just anxious to get the day over with, and move on to the important matters in the bedchamber.”

The women laughed as Gareth rose to his feet and came around to her side of the table. He examined Margery almost quizzically, then a small smile turned up one corner of his mouth.

“What is it?” she asked, reaching up to take his hands.

“Nothing. I just think it is definitely time to be about this wedding.”

Margery stared up at him with bemusement. His eyes weren’t looking into her face, but lower. She blushed furiously before she realized that he was staring directly at her stomach and smiling with pride.

Awareness came over her in a rush of joy and tears. She gasped and spread her hands across her stomach. “A baby!” she blurted, forgetting where she was.

There was dead silence.

Gareth grinned. “ ’Tis a boy,” he said confidently.

As tears gathered in Margery’s eyes, both her brothers sprang to their feet, hands on their sword hilts, their faces wearing identical angry scowls as they glared at Gareth. Smiling, their wives tugged them back down again.

Gareth gave her a silly, satisfied grin. She brought his hand down to her stomach, and together they touched the miracle of their child. He was right—this one would be a boy. But there would be others…

Margery met Gareth’s smile with one of her own, feeling loved and cherished, and very, very blessed.

~The End~

Thank you for taking the time to read The Bodyguard Who Came in from the Cold , the fourth book in the Secrets and Vows series. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review here . Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.

Next, turn the page and enjoy the first chapter of my next book, Almost a Bride where a runaway bride has finds the groom she left behind washed ashore on her island…

Thanks again!

Gayle Callen