Our Now and Forever(93)
Rubbing his finger over the engraving, he said, “I love it.”
“Really?” she asked, doubting his sincerity. “Because you don’t have to lie.”
Setting the gift on the coffee table, he sat back and looked at it. “It’s perfect.” Without warning, he leaned to his left and pulled her on top of him. “Thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”
“Spencer made it,” she blurted, reluctant to take full credit. “It was my idea, but he did all the work.”
“It’s the idea that counts,” Caleb said, placing hot kisses along her jawline. “Allow me to show my true gratitude.” He took her mouth in a searing kiss that communicated much more than a simple thank you.
“There’s a second part to the present,” she murmured, struggling to remember her plan.
The kisses stopped long enough for Caleb to say, “Oh, really? What could be better than a custom-made nameplate?”
Tapping his chin with one finger, she said, “There’s a little red number in my dresser that I thought I might put on.”
“You know, Mrs. McGraw, this is shaping up to be my best birthday ever.”
She wiggled her hips against his. “Then hold on, Mr. McGraw, because we’re just getting started.”
Chapter 28
Though they’d chosen not to take Hattie up on her birthday party offer, Snow and Caleb did throw another event inside the spacious Victorian—their New Year’s Eve wedding.
Technically, the ceremony was a vow renewal, but only three people in the room, other than the bride and groom, knew that fact. For all intents and purposes, this was the joining of two young people who were madly in love and ready to spend their lives together. A fact that kept a radiant smile on Snow’s face the entire day.
The ceremony was small, with only a handful in attendance. Snow’s parents and a few aunts, uncles, and cousins made the trip up from Alabama. Hattie had insisted they all stay in the big house, and the visit started two days before Christmas, which made this the best holiday in Snow’s recent memory.
Her new friends, who felt more like family every day, were also scattered about the room. Spencer and Lorelei served as maid of honor and best man, and they would clearly be the next to host a similar celebration. Cooper sat next to Carrie, who held two-week-old Molly in her arms. Simply looking into the little cherub’s face made Snow feel at peace.
As for the mechanic, Snow almost didn’t recognize him. Free of grease, flannel, and backward ball cap, the good old boy cleaned up well.
Rosie Pratchett dabbed her eyes, as did Pearl Jessup sitting beside her. Miss Hattie Silvester beamed at the couple she’d adopted as her unofficial grandchildren. If anyone wondered why the groom had no family in attendance, no one asked. The evening ceremony was filled with nothing but love and happy tears. Most of which were shed by the bride, with the groom spilling a few of his own.
Finding a wedding dress on such short notice hadn’t been easy, but Lorelei, along with Carrie on the phone since she’d been in no condition to take a trip to Nashville, stuck with Snow until she’d found the perfect choice. The champagne-colored silk chiffon complemented Snow’s skin tone, while the illusion neckline and simple silhouette fit her style as well as that of the wedding. Caleb wore a tailored black suit, and the sight of him at the front of the room threatened to steal his bride’s breath away.
How had she gotten so lucky as to not only marry this man once, but twice?
“Are you happy?” Caleb asked as the couple watched their friends devour the cake that Lorelei had made. She’d been reluctant to accept the task, but once agreed, she spent weeks perfecting her decorating skills. The finished product was white and elegant and the best thing Snow had ever tasted.
“I have never been happier in my life,” she answered, meaning every word. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
Caleb hugged her tight against his side. “Never,” he said. “We’re together ’til death do us part, remember?”
“Once upon a time, I almost forgot.” She kissed his cheek. “That won’t happen again.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the tinkling of silverware on glasses. “Kiss!” Lorelei yelled.
The happy couple appeased the crowd with a passionate kiss that garnered another request.
“Get a room,” Spencer said, earning him boos from the rest of the attendees.
Laughing too hard to continue, Snow pulled back and used her thumb to rub lipstick from her husband’s mouth. “I like this get a room idea,” she said. “Do we have to wait until midnight to ring in the new year with everyone else?”