Nanny Makes Three(64)
Kori had lent her the white silk flower and crystal headpiece she’d worn at her wedding. Her something borrowed. She wore a pair of pearl-and-diamond earrings once owned by Liam’s grandmother. Her something old. For her something blue and new, Hadley purchased a pair of bright blue cowboy boots.
The shock on her mother’s face validated Hadley’s choice, but it was the possessive gleam in Liam’s eyes as she walked down the aisle at the start of the ceremony that assured her she’d been absolutely right to break the mold and let her true self shine.
“You look gorgeous,” he told her as she took the hand he held out to her.
She stepped beside him and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “I’m glad you think so. I thought of you when I bought everything.”
He led her toward the white arch where the minister waited. A harp played in the corner, the tune something familiar to weddings, but Hadley was conscious only of the tall man at her side and the sense of peace that filled her as the minister began to speak.
Swearing to love, honor and be true to Liam until the day she died was the easiest promise she’d ever had to make. And from the sparkle in his eyes as he slid the wedding ring onto her finger, he appeared just as willing to pledge himself completely to her.
At last the minister introduced them as husband and wife, and they led their guests into the banquet room that had been set up for the reception. Draped with white lights and tulle, the room had a romantic atmosphere that stopped Hadley’s breath.
Flowers of every color filled the centerpieces on the tables. Because of the limited time for the preparations, Hadley had told the florist to pull together whatever he had. She’d carried a bouquet of orange roses and pink lilies, and Liam wore a hot-pink rose on his lapel.
“I had no idea it was going to be this gorgeous,” she murmured.
“The only gorgeous thing in the room is you.”
Hadley lifted onto her toes and kissed him. “And that’s why I love you. You always know what makes me smile.”
And so ended their last intimate moment as newlyweds for the next three hours as social demands kept them occupied with their guests. At long last they collected Maggie from her circle of admirers and headed back to Wade Ranch. Together they put her to bed and stood beside the crib watching her sleep.
“I meant to give this to you earlier but didn’t get the chance.” Liam extended a small flat box to her.
“What is it?”
“Open it and see.”
Hadley raised the lid and peered down at the engraved heart-shaped pendant in white gold. She read the inscription, “Follow your heart. Mine always leads to the barn.” She laughed. “I used to have a T-shirt with that on it.”
“I remember.” Liam lifted the necklace from the bed of black velvet and slipped it over her head. “You were wearing it the first time I saw you.”
“That was more than ten years ago.” Hadley was stunned. “How could you possibly remember that?”
“You’d be surprised what I remember about you.”
She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him down for a kiss. “It’s a lovely gift, but it no longer pertains.”
“I thought you’d gotten past your guilt about your friend.”
“I have.” She smiled up at him. “But my heart no longer leads me to the barn. It leads me to you.”
He bent down and swept her off her feet. “And that, Mrs. Wade, is the way it should be.”
* *
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***
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