The love she and Justin shared truly was the most rare and precious thing in the world. So she would fight for it, against any and all odds.
Taylor could barely speak around her tears, but she knew she needed to get the word out. "Yes."
"Yes, my family stuck their noses in where they didn't belong? Or...yes, you'll let me be your donor?"
She let her decision settle down deep inside of her, into all the places that were still afraid, but that she wouldn't let triumph over hope. "I want your kidney, Justin."
"You've just made me the happiest man alive."
"Most guys say that after a wedding proposal," she said in a teasing voice, "not when they've just been told that one of their kidneys is going to be surgically removed from their body."
"I've already got the girl." He ran his thumb over her engagement ring. "Now I know I'm going to get to keep her. And," he added with a grin, "I forgive you now."
She was laughing when the door opened and her mother and father rushed into her room. "Oh, honey!" Her parents hugged her for several long moments. "We've been praying for good news every single second since Justin called."
"Then you're both going to be really happy to hear that Justin is a match. And," Taylor added, knowing she couldn't keep them in even the slightest suspense, "I've decided to go ahead with the transplant."
As her mother pulled her in for another hug, Justin said, "We have one more piece of good news."
"Tell us." Her parents looked as though they hardly dared believe there could be better news than hearing that their daughter would be getting a live kidney transplant.
Justin threaded his fingers through hers before they said, as one voice, "We're engaged."
Her mother's mouth fell open. "Oh my..." She finally looked down to see the rings on their fingers. "After all this time..."
"You've barely started dating," her father began, looking as suspicious of Justin as Taylor knew Justin would one day be with any man who wanted to marry one of their daughters.
"I love your daughter, Mr. Cardenes," Justin said. "I love her with all my heart, and I always have. I know our engagement might seem quick, but--"
"Eight years!" Her mother elbowed her husband. "That's how long they've been friends. And he's giving your daughter a kidney, for Pete's sake! What more could you possibly ask from a future son-in-law?"
But Anthony Cardenes's face remained stern, his gaze unwavering and intense as he stared at Justin.
"Dad." Taylor squeezed her father's hand. "You've taken such good care of me my entire life. Both you and Mom have. And now--"
"Now you want us to let you go," he finished for her.
"No." She shook her head. "I'm always going to be there for you when you need me, just like you've always been there for me. But I hope you can see that I want Justin to be my partner in everything I do from now on." She turned to Justin and smiled. "You're the best partner I've ever had, right from our first bio lab at Stanford."
Taylor's father looked between the two of them, then finally gave a little nod. "I'm afraid I haven't gotten the chance to know you as well as I would like, Justin, but I've always trusted my daughter." His lips curved up ever so slightly at the corners as he held out his hand. "You have my blessing."
Dr. Ishak walked in on the tail end of their handshake. "Oh good, everyone's here. Hello, Caroline, it's nice to see you again." Taylor's mother had come to several appointments in the early weeks after Taylor's diagnosis. "And you must be Taylor's father, Anthony." After they shook hands, the doctor smiled at Justin, then turned to give Taylor her full attention.
"Has Justin given you the news?"
"He has." Taylor still had butterflies in her stomach at what she was agreeing to, but that was no excuse not to be brave. "I've agreed to let him be my live donor."
"I'm very happy to hear you say that, Taylor. In fact, in the hopes that you would, I made a few calls to the transplant center to see about getting the ball rolling."
Taylor's breath caught in her throat at how quickly plans for the transplant were thrown into motion. "How soon do they think they can perform the surgery?"
"Two weeks."
"Thank God." Justin and Taylor's parents all spoke at the same time.
Taylor was still worried about everything that could go wrong. But as Justin pressed a kiss to her forehead, then tucked her in closer to him as her doctor detailed the huge number of tests and preparations that the two of them would be undergoing over the next two weeks to prepare for surgery, she truly did feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
One week later, Justin woke with Taylor in his arms. She was usually up before him, ready and raring to greet the new day and make breakfast for her guests. This morning, however, he had a chance to hold her and take in her beauty, to marvel that she was his, and to give endless thanks.
Not, of course, that he didn't do that all day long anyway. She constantly caught him gazing at her from across the kitchen or the parlor or the garden, utterly lovestruck, thinking that he was the luckiest guy in the world. He wasn't going to apologize for his behavior, though. On the contrary, he was planning on staring at her like a lovestruck fool for the next fifty years, minimum.
"Are you staring again?" Her teasing words told him she'd likely been awake for a while.
"Can't help myself."
She was grinning when she opened her eyes. "Can you believe we're getting married today?"
His grin mirrored hers. "Best day of my life."
"You keep saying that."
"That's because it's always true."
She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her curves to his. "You know what else is true?"
"What?"
"I ache for you."
"I ache for you too, sweetheart." He covered her mouth with his and ran his hands down her shoulders and back, until they rested at her hips.
He'd been extra careful with her since she'd been released from the hospital, and she'd been careful too. She'd let him take on more responsibilities at the B&B and had also made sure to go to bed early each night so that she didn't get worn down again. Justin had arranged for five months' leave from his lab--his vacation time had added up in a big way over the past five years--and he was perfectly happy to let Grant take on the job of putting together the new lab and team in Napa. One that would be focusing not only on breast cancer research, but also on kidney disease.
Taylor's doctor had suggested they wait a week for her body to heal, and then, if she felt up to it, they could resume being intimate with each other.
Justin didn't need sex to feel close to Taylor. Smiling with her over a private joke or holding her hand already felt deeply intimate. But he couldn't deny that he also wanted her with every fiber of his being.
She rocked her hips against his, a slow and seductive press of heat and softness that made him even more desperate to have her. He wanted nothing more than to give himself up to pleasure--and to give her the release she craved--but he didn't dare do anything that might hurt her.
"We don't have to rush it," he said.
"Oh yes, we do." Putting her hands flat on his chest, she pushed herself up into a straddling position.
Though the sight of her gorgeous naked body made it all but impossible to think straight, he made himself say, "Promise me you're ready. Promise me you feel up to this."
"I'm beyond ready." She looked sexy, and stubborn, and determined as she said, "I agreed to wait one week--and not one second more." When his hips moved against hers entirely of their own volition, her eyes fluttered closed, and she made a happy humming sound in the back of her throat. But when she opened them again, the look on her face was pure emotion. "Before we make vows in front of our family this afternoon, I want to make vows with you in private."
"I want that too." He lifted her hands to his lips, pressing kisses to each of her fingertips, and then her palms, and then her wrists.
When he was done, she lean
ed down so that her hair tickled his skin. "Have I ever told you how much I love kissing you?"
"If it's anywhere near as much as I love kissing you," he replied, their lips barely a breath away, "then I already know."
For so many years, he'd longed to know how soft her lips would be against his. To learn her taste. To hear her sighs of pleasure. In the past weeks, he'd kissed her hundreds of times. But he would never take for granted how incredible it felt when she was in his arms and he could show her just how much he loved her, the way he was now.
Shifting beneath her, he ran his mouth down from her lips to her jaw, then her neck and collarbone, and then to her breasts. She arched into him as he played over her soft skin with his lips, his tongue, and then the slightest scrape of his teeth over the aroused tips. With every kiss he gave her, he could feel her need growing.
With his hands on her hips, he moved her farther up his body, needing nothing more in that moment than to taste her desire--and to know that he was the only one who would ever make her feel this way from now on.
He heard her hands close over the posts on her bed a beat before he found her with his tongue. She was delicious, sweet, spicy--and all his. He loved the sounds of her pleasure, her gasps and moans, the way she begged for moremoremore.
One day soon, he planned to tease her by taking her to the brink, then bringing her back just before release, until her skin was slick with sweat and she was lost to everything but a fever pitch of ecstasy. But this morning, neither of them could wait another second for her breathless climax, her body shuddering as he held her right where he wanted her.
He'd planned to give her time to catch her breath, but his beautiful bride clearly had other plans as she moved back down his body. As soon as protection was dealt with, she lowered herself onto him, while she whispered, "I love you" over and over.
He would have echoed her words, but he was speechless.
Utterly bewitched.
He wanted to tell her about the million different ways she had made his life better, richer, fuller, happier, brighter. In the end, all he could manage was, "Forever."
She took his hands and pressed them to her chest, over her heart. "Forever." A simple vow, sealed in the most elemental way possible.
Justin would fight any battles for Taylor--all the while knowing that their love was strong enough to beat the odds. He couldn't wait to face each day with laughter, even if tears might sometimes be waiting close behind. And through it all, he knew pleasure would thread through every kiss, every caress, every breathless release.
"Next time we make love," he said in a low voice that shook with the force of his desire, "you'll be my wife."
She moved faster over him, taking him even deeper. "And you'll be my husband."
Never had two words--wife and husband--been sexier. He crushed her mouth against his as they found heaven in each other's arms while making their vows to each other in the most intimate, most beautiful way possible.
*
Taylor stood in front of the mirror in the upstairs bedroom an hour later, while her mother, Olivia, and Maddie fussed with her hair and makeup and dress.
"I'd ask you to stop smiling so that I can get your lip liner on right, but I know there's no chance of that happening." Maddie tossed the liner back into her makeup bag. "Fortunately, you're already glowing so much that you don't need makeup." Justin's youngest sister hugged her tightly. "I'm so thrilled you're about to become my sister."
"I am too." Olivia smiled into the mirror from behind Taylor, where she was making adjustments to the crown of flowers on her hair. "Although you've always felt like a sister."
Caroline reached for another tissue. "You're both so sweet. Your whole family is. My daughter is very lucky to have all of you."
Taylor knew this was a lot for her parents to take in so quickly--first to hear that she had been unconscious and was in the hospital, followed by her wedding one week later, and then the transplant surgery one week from now.
Olivia and Maddie each gave Taylor a kiss on the cheek. "We'll be downstairs, waiting for your grand entrance."
Alone with her mother, Taylor reached for her hands. "I'm so glad your wedding dress fits me."
"Without even one alteration," Caroline marveled. "Your father and I couldn't be prouder of you, honey. I hope you know that."
"I do, Mom. I always have."
"Everything really is going to be okay, isn't it?"
Both of them knew that Taylor wouldn't truly be out of the woods until after the surgery. But no amount of concern for the future could dampen her joy at marrying Justin. "I'm happy. Happier than I ever thought I could be. Especially now that you and Dad finally see what a wonderful man Justin is--and always has been."
"A mother knows when a man is in love with her daughter," Caroline said. "Justin looks at you like you're the most beautiful woman in the world. But it's more than that. He has respect for your mind, your opinions, your beliefs. And he knows exactly when to hang back and let you get on with things by yourself--and when to step in beside you. Justin didn't need to give you his kidney for us to love him. All he needed to do was love you."
Taylor threw her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly.
A knock came at the door. "Honey?" Her dad poked his head in. "Are you ready?"
Taylor took one last look in the mirror. A radiant bride smiled back at her. She was about to marry her best friend.
She'd never been more ready for anything in her life.
*
"My God," Justin exclaimed when Taylor appeared on the back porch of her B&B on her father's arm. "You're beautiful."
After so many years of holding back his feelings for Taylor, Justin wouldn't ever do it again. Not even if it meant blurting out in front of everyone that she had already blown his mind before the ceremony had even begun.
Taylor gave her father a kiss on his cheek--and then she lifted the silk skirts of her wedding dress and ran toward Justin.
He caught her and spun her in a circle, both of them laughing by the time he finally put her back on her feet in front of the fountain, where Justin's father was waiting to perform the ceremony. Michael Morrison had recently registered to become an officiant in California so that he could marry them.
"I've always known how lucky I was," Michael said, "first to have your mother's love and then to be the father of six incredible children." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a piece of paper. "Before Lisa passed away, she wrote a note for you both--and she asked me to read it on the day you married." He smiled at Justin and Taylor's matching stunned expressions. "Yes, she always knew that you two would find your way to each other."
"We all knew!" Maddie called out, making everyone laugh.
His father cleared his throat, clearly already overcome with emotion.
My darling Justin and Taylor, I can't tell you how happy I am that you have found love with each other. Justin, I remember the day you came home from college and told me you'd met Taylor. You wore your heart on your sleeve, and I knew right then and there that it would only ever beat for her. She was already your best friend, but I knew one day it was sure to become more, even if circumstances made that seem impossible at the time.
Taylor, the first time I met you, I was overwhelmed by how lucky we all were that Justin had found you. The time you and I have spent together has meant more to me than you will ever know. You truly are one of the most beautiful, gentle souls that I have ever had the privilege of calling my friend. I know that you will both cherish every moment you have together, just the way I have cherished every moment I've had with Michael.
Justin pulled Taylor close as they listened to his mother's words. His father had to stop to wipe his eyes before reading the last lines.
Whenever I think of the two of you together, it makes me smile. Thank you for giving me so much happiness. I love you both.
For several long moments, there was silence, broken only by sniffles and noses being blown.
&nb
sp; Finally, Justin spoke. "It's like Mom is here with all of us."
"It really is," Taylor said. "I love that she was certain about us, even then."
"That was so beautiful." Caroline wiped tears from her cheeks with her husband's handkerchief. "I'm already a complete mess, and you haven't even said your vows yet."
When everyone laughed, it was the perfect segue for Justin's father to turn their focus back to the ceremony. "Taylor, would you like to begin with the vows you have written for Justin?"
The bride turned to face her groom, both of her hands in his, a smile on her lips and the light of love in her eyes. "You were my best friend from the very start. I never had as much fun with anyone else, never laughed as hard, or felt so happy with anyone but you. And yet, for so many years, I still believed I needed to keep the truth of my feelings hidden from you. Today, in front of our families, I'm so happy to finally say the words aloud and to know that I will never need to hide the truth again. Justin, your mother was right, I've loved you from the moment we met...and I will love you forever."
Though they were only halfway through their vows, Justin had to kiss her. Hearing her say I love you in front of everyone who mattered to them rocked him to the very core.
"Justin," his father said after giving them some time to smooch, "it's your turn now."
After giving his father a smile--Justin felt closer to his dad than he had in years--he turned to focus every ounce of his attention on Taylor. "After growing up with a mother and father who loved each other deeply, nothing but the truest love would ever have been enough for me. From the moment I met you, I knew I would never love anyone the way I love you. I can't wait to be your partner in absolutely everything. No matter how easy or difficult, I'm always going to fight your battles, just as I know you will always fight mine. You're the only woman I've ever wanted. I would have waited a lifetime for you if I'd had to...and I will cherish your friendship, and your love, forever."
This time, Taylor was the one throwing her arms around Justin's neck and kissing him while everyone cheered and threw flower petals over them.
And when Justin looked up at the sky a short while later, he swore the clouds above formed a picture of his mother, smiling down on them for a second before the breeze blew them away to clear blue.