“Is that all I can help you with today?” Leonard asked, carrying the handheld computer which had rung up the purchases he had made. The sales clerk had lost his snobbish attitude after the first ten minutes, although his new kiss-ass attitude was just as annoying.
“That will be it,” Shade replied, putting his arm around Lily’s shoulders when she would have kept looking at the furniture.
“But you haven’t picked out your bedroom furniture,” Lily reminded him.
“I don’t need bedroom furniture. I have bedroom furniture.”
“The set in the basement?” Lily questioned, looking up at him.
Shade nodded before turning to follow the clerk to the cashier. Lily hung back, though, her feet not moving.
“But that furniture won’t match the furniture in your house,” Lily protested. “Just look at the bedroom furniture. You might find something you like better.”
“I like what I have,” Shade said, again trying to follow the sales clerk.
Lily refused to move, looking down at the floor. “It won’t match.”
Shade gave a frustrated sigh, motioning for the clerk to wait for him at the register.
“Eyes to me, Lily.” She reluctantly raised her eyes to his. “Are you crying?” he asked, stunned.
“No, I don’t cry anymore. Haven’t you noticed?”
“I can’t say that I have,” Shade replied drily.
“Well, I don’t,” she snapped back.
“Okay. We’ll debate that later. Why won’t my bedroom furniture match the rest of the furniture I bought? That happens to be an expensive set, which I custom-ordered,” Shade explained. He loved that fucking set and had been forced to wait three months for it to be made and delivered.
“I don’t care how expensive it is; it’s still different from the rest of your furniture.”
“How?”
“It isn’t new.”
“It isn’t new?” Shade repeated.
“It’s not freaking new!” Lily whisper-screamed so no one would hear her.
Understanding came to Shade, and he bent down to whisper in her ear. “I bought that bedroom set after you were hurt last summer, Lily. It’s still new.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “It’s all new?”
“All of it, including the mattress and sheets. And, before you can ask, everything in my cabinet.”
She turned red yet didn’t try to avoid his amused gaze.
“Then I guess it matches after all.”
Chapter 64
A knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” Lucky said, setting his pen down on the desk.
Shade walked into the room, dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt along with shiny, new, expensive shoes.
Lucky sat, uncomprehending exactly what he was staring at. As understanding dawned, an unholy grin came across his face, and he sat up straighter in his chair.
“Before we start, I’m warning you that, if you make one wisecrack, you’ll be giving your own eulogy,” Shade threatened.
“Shade, you have to at least give me one.”
A warning gleam appeared in his deadly eyes. “Like I said, it’s your funeral.”
“It might just be worth it,” Lucky replied, hastily raising his hands in surrender when Shade took a step forward. “I promise I will behave to the best of my ability.”
“You do that,” Shade said, still not relaxing his threatening manner.
Lucky stood up, coming from around his desk. He reached out his hand for Shade to shake. “I told you I didn’t think you deserved Lily. Let’s see if you can change my mind, John.”
“Pastor”—Shade shook his hand back—“I want to marry Lily tomorrow.”
“Congratulations.” Lucky slapped him on his back. “When did you ask her to marry you? I saw her at the church store today, but she didn’t say anything.”
“I haven’t asked her yet,” Shade admitted grudgingly.
“You haven’t asked her yet?” he repeated in astonishment.
“No. I’ll tell her in the morning,” Shade said, taking a seat in front of Lucky’s desk as he stared down at Shade in shock.
“You can’t spring something like that on Lily.”
“She wants to get married during December when it’s snowing, and I’m not waiting another year,” Shade said stubbornly.
Lucky stared down at him, frowning, and Shade looked right back up at him.
“Lily has strong moral convictions.”
“I know; I’m her pastor.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I still don’t—”
“She has very strong moral convictions,” Shade stressed.
“You mean…”
“Yes.” Shade turned red in anger when Lucky’s lips began twitching. If he didn’t love Lily so much, he would have decked the man five seconds ago.
Lucky went behind his desk and sat down. “I see.” He cleared his throat several times before saying, “You would like me to perform the ceremony?”
“Yes.” Shade unclenched his hands. One day, he was going to make Lucky pay for this. “And I want you to tell Lily you’ve given your permission.”
Lucky’s face went serious. “Shade … I know you and the brothers don’t take my role as pastor here seriously, but I do. And Lily is special to me. When she sits through my sermons, I know at least one person is listening and receiving God’s word.
“I decided when I took this job that my decision about how I wanted to live my life would be postponed until my work is completed. When I’m no longer a pastor, it won’t be because I lack faith in God, but because I lack faith in myself to follow the path God wants of us. Until then, I have made a commitment to serve this church to the best of my abilities. It’s been difficult, time-consuming, aggravating, and rewarding, and that’s only been for a few years.
“Couples who come to me before their wedding want their commitment to be lifelong, as their faith in God will be. Before I give my permission to couples, I counsel them for at least six months. With Lily, I have no reservations that, when she gives her vows, she will be able to keep them. You…”
“Pastor Dean,” Shade mocked, “if you were to ask me if I share Lily’s convictions about God, I’d say no. If you ask me if I intend to start attending church with Lily regularly, I’d say hell no. If you were to ask me if I plan to lead a Christian life, I’d say no and laugh in your face. If you ask me if I love Lily, I’d say with all of my heart. If you ask me if I will support Lily when she does things important to her, like go to church, work in the church store, or give to the needy, I’d say yes.
“I plan on being a good husband, provider, and being faithful to her until the day I die. I know you and everyone else say I don’t deserve her, and you’re all right, but no one does. She’s special. I recognize that and will treat her like she is until—”
Lucky held up his hand, stopping him. “Shade, if you would have let me finish, I would have told you that I don’t know of another man who can give Lily the life she deserves. I’ve known you several years, and while you’re a cold-hearted bastard and crazy-assed, you are, without a doubt, loyal. If you give Lily a fourth of what you have given to The Last Riders and our country, then Lily is in good hands.
“I’ve come to think of Beth and Lily both as sisters, and if I could have chosen men for them both, it would be you and Razer. I’ve never believed you had to sit in church every Sunday to deserve God’s blessings. You and Razer are proof of that because both of you have been truly blessed with the gift of those two women’s love.”
Shade asked, “You’ll give your permission?”
“Yes.”
Shade stood as Lucky took out his cell phone. “What are you doing?”
“Taking a picture of you. If you ever fuck up, I’m going to show you this picture and remind you of the promises you made me.”
“You won’t need a picture,” Shade told him. “I’ve never forgotten or broken a promise, and I won’t start with Lily.”
r />
* * *
Shade felt Lily’s excitement as she bounced off the mattress, jumping out of the bed and to the windows, pulling back the curtains.
“It snowed, Shade.”
“I know. It started getting heavy last night,” he grumbled from the covers.
The day before, he had gathered the brothers and even Lucky had worked to pull together Lily’s dream wedding in the backyard of the church. Thankfully, the church had chairs for them to set up and cover with tarps to be pulled off just before the ceremony.
Beth and the women had shown up to set up the tables and decorations in the warmth of the church after dinner when Lily had gone to bed. They would arrive an hour before the ceremony to place more decorations outside.
When Knox had arrived with the sheriff’s car filled with fresh flowers, Shade had stared at the vehicle in amazement. “How did you manage this?”
Knox had grinned. “Told old man Carter I had to confiscate them.”
Shade had burst out laughing. “For what?”
“Illegal flowers. Came into the country without being taxed. It’s a thing now.”
“It is?”
“Shit no, but it was the best I could come up with. He didn’t argue when I handed him the cash.”
Shade hadn’t thought it was anything other than Knox’s fierce appearance which had kept the florist from arguing.
“Who were they meant for?” Shade had asked.
“Betsey Watson’s wedding. She’s getting married at the country club the day after tomorrow.”
“She’s going to be pissed.”
“Don’t really care, do you?”
“Fuck no.” Shade had slapped Knox on the back. “Let’s get them unloaded before Betsey comes looking for them.”
Back in the present, Lily jumped on the bed again. “I love snow.”
“I know. You told me.” Shade grinned, pulling her back down.
Lily circled his neck with her arms. “Does your family open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?”
“What?” Shade asked, not understanding what she was getting at.
“Each family does it differently. Some families open their presents on Christmas Eve, others Christmas Day. We always opened them on Christmas Eve because I couldn’t wait.”
“We opened ours on Christmas Day,” Shade told her.
“Oh.” Her face fell in disappointment.
“But I can open it on Christmas Eve.” He smiled.
“No, I’ll wait until tomorrow. I don’t want to break tradition. It might be bad luck.”
“I don’t believe in bad luck.”
“I’m still not giving you your present until tomorrow,” she taunted.
Shade got out of bed, going to the bathroom to shower and dress after telling Lily she took too much time, so he was going first. Lily lay on the bed and was still waiting for him when he came out.
He had taken the time to not only shower and shave, but to dress in a new pair of jeans and a dark blue muscle shirt.
He walked to the window to look out, seeing it had snowed another couple of inches since he had come in the night before.
“It’s supposed to quit snowing this afternoon.” He turned toward the bed. “Come here, Lily.”
Lily climbed out of bed to stand by him in front of the window.
Shade went to the bedside table and opened it, removing an envelope before coming back to her and placing it in her hand.
“This present isn’t technically for you. Open it,” he urged Lily when she stared down at it in her hand.
Lily tore the envelope open, reading the words on the paper. Then she looked back at him with pure joy on her face.
“Look at the date.”
The paper signing over the land which Beth and Razer’s property was built on had been signed the day after she had visited Diamond at her home.
“I don’t know what to say, Shade. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Taking the papers away and setting them on the chair by the window, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box, placing it in her hand. “This present is for you.”
Nervously, he watched her face for her reaction, trying to brace himself for her rejection as she slid the ribbon off and then opened the box. Inside, a diamond ring lay on a bed of black velvet.
“Will you marry me?” Shade went down on his knees in front of her.
She began crying. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Shade stood up, kissing her so passionately it had her arms circling his neck. He pulled her away just as quickly as he had begun to kiss her.
“Good. Now, you need to get showered and dressed. We’re getting married in two hours.” He walked to the door and started to open it.
“Wait. What are you talking about? We can’t get married in two hours. Weddings have to be planned and—”
“I’ve already planned everything and what I couldn’t, Beth and Winter took care of. You want a snowy, winter wedding. Look out the window. You know Kentucky weather; it could be another year before it snows again. I’m not waiting a year to get married. Besides, how do you schedule snow?”
“I don’t know,” Lily said in bemusement.
“I don’t, either. So everything is a go for today, even the snow. I talked to Pastor Dean and got his blessing.”
“You did?” Pleasure filled her eyes.
“I did. So are we going to do this?”
“Yes. Do you need me to do anything?”
“No, everything is ready. The brothers and I spent half the night getting it set up. But I do have a quick question.”
“What is it?” Lily asked.
“Do I have to invite Sex Piston and her crew?” Only for her would he put up with that group of man-eaters.
“What do you think?” Lily giggled.
Shade went out the door, closing it behind him. “Fuck.”
He groaned, taking out his phone. Before he punched the number in, he looked upward.
“God, if you are up there and listening, remember it’s not only Lily’s wedding day, but mine, too.”
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the dial button.
Chapter 65
Shade stood beside Lucky on one side and Razer next to him with a video camera as he waited for Lily to come out of the church. The Last Riders had made an arch for them to stand under with flowers woven through and fairy lights. Candles were placed intermittently around the podium.
The church door opened and Lily came out, her arm in Beth’s as she walked down the aisle where a white runner had been laid. Shade’s breath caught at his first sight of her as the music played softly in the background.
She walked slowly toward him, wearing a lace wedding gown which hugged her body and a veil which lay on her black hair, trailing behind her and brushing the snow.
“She’s beautiful,” Lucky said reverently.
“Yes, and she’s all mine,” Shade reminded him, stepping forward to take Lily’s hand as she came to stand beside him.
Beth remained standing next to Lily.
Lucky waited until everyone retook their seats before beginning the ceremony.
“The marriage ceremony is the most sacred ritual a pastor performs. I am blessed to be able to stand here today to join Lily Cornett and John Hunter into the Holy union of wedlock.
“Ruth 1:16-17. Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me.
“This beautiful expression of love and loyalty is why Lily and John are standing here today to give their vows before family and friends—so all will know their commitment to each other.
“Who gives this woman in marriage?” Lucky asked.
“I do,” Beth answered with tears in her eyes.
“Shade and Lily, ma
rriage is a sacred relationship and should not be entered into lightly. The road which has brought you here today hasn’t been an easy one. It’s been filled with many challenges and obstacles which both of you have overcome. Instead of using these challenges as excuses not to love, you have chosen to use them as a reason to love each other.
“Lily and Shade, the vows you are about to make in your own words will be a promise to keep the commitment and love you both share for each other now and forever.
“Lily, you may give your vows first.”
Lily smiled at him with such love that Shade felt tears brim in his eyes.
“Shade, I give you my heart, willingly and without reservations. I give you my promise to always love you, be the mother to your children, and to be the strong wife you deserve. I pledge my devotion and faith to you. I swear to keep all these in my heart for you through sickness and health, through our successes and our sorrows, for the rest of our lives together.”
“John,” Lucky prompted.
Shade had to clear his throat before he began.
“Lily, I promise to be your lover and friend, not only a husband. I will be your partner in this life we will share. I will be your warrior when you cannot find the strength to fight for yourself. I will be the father to your children. I give you my hand and heart to hold as we walk through life’s struggles. I will remain yours long after my body turns to dust and our names are just a memory. Together. Forever.”
A cross between a laugh and sob escaped Lily at the end of his vows. Shade used his thumbs to wipe away the happy tears coursing down her face, grinning at her and trying to hold back his own, happy to finally be tying his woman to him forever.
“What will be the symbol of the vows you have pledged to each other?” Lucky asked.
“These rings,” Shade and Lily both answered at the same time.
“These rings will serve as a reminder to the both of you and to others of your vows.
“John, place your ring on Lily’s left hand and repeat after me.
“Lily, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love.”