TAYLOR MARVELED AT the fact that both families had shown up in force at St. Michael’s Catholic Church for her evening wedding to Brian. They’d decided to get married on Valentine’s Day because, Brian joked, “That way I’ll never forget our anniversary.”
Taylor had been shocked to learn that Leah and Aiden were coming to the wedding as a couple, but it made getting the two families together a lot easier, because so many of them were paired off. She knew the next six weeks would be a tense time for Leah. According to Matt’s contract with King, he would either take possession of the ranch on March 31—having remained at Kingdom Come for 365 consecutive days without leaving—or not.
Vick was Taylor’s maid of honor and Aiden was Brian’s best man. Brooke made an adorable flower girl, scattering rose petals with abandon, and tiny Sawyer, with a lot of laughs and a lot of help from Connor, acted as ring bearer.
The goodwill from both families at her small wedding, and the much larger reception at the church hall afterward, made it clear that the animosity that had defined the relationship between King’s Brats and “those awful Flynn boys” was a thing of the past.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the animosity between their fathers. For some reason no one could fathom, Angus had not gone through with his threat to ruin King financially. Nevertheless, there was obviously no love lost between the two powerful men. They kept their distance both at the wedding and at the reception.
“Are you ready to go, honey?” Brian asked, already wearing his coat and holding hers over his arm. “Just about everybody is waiting outside in the cold to send us off.”
Taylor swallowed the last of the hot apple cider she was drinking in lieu of champagne and set down the crystal flute. “I have one more thing to do.”
She’d danced with her father. Now she crossed the room to Angus, who was putting on his coat to leave.
He turned to her and said, “You need to get moving, young lady, before folks outside freeze their—” He smiled sheepishly.
“I’m going,” she said. “First, I wanted to thank you for what you did for my father.”
He flushed and muttered, “Don’t mention it.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Doesn’t matter now,” he said, avoiding the question.
“Tag,” Brian called. “Time to go!”
She rose on tiptoe and kissed her father-in-law’s cheek.
He looked surprised. And pleased.
Then she hurried away to join Brian. She held out her arms so he could slip her coat on, then took his hand and let him lead her outside to be showered with rice and loving laughter.
Taylor couldn’t remember a time when she’d been happier. Brian had adored her with his eyes since the ceremony began. She intended to let him adore her with his body for the rest of the night.
When they arrived at the door to her home—now their home—on the mountain, he said, “You’ve been awfully quiet since we left the church. Everything all right?”
“Everything is perfect.” She laughed as he scooped her up in his arms. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you across the threshold, of course.”
“Will your leg—”
“If I can run up three flights of stairs with a ton of fire hose and knock down a heavy metal door with a sledgehammer and drag a hundred-and-seventy-five-pound unconscious person out of a building, I think I can carry my brand-new wife inside.”
“Yes, dear.”
They both laughed as she leaned down and opened the door, letting Brian kick it closed after they were inside. He gave her a quick kiss before setting her on her feet.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Flynn.”
“I can’t believe it! I’ve joined the other side. A year ago I was busy making Flynn lives miserable. Now I’m committed to making one of them happy.”
He pulled her back into his arms. “Well, you’re doing a great job. Tonight I feel like the happiest man on the planet.”
“That’s a pretty big claim, Mr. Flynn. And you don’t know the half of what I have in mind to keep a smile on my brand-new husband’s face.”
He grinned. “I’d love to find out.”
“Oh!” Taylor’s hands clutched her belly.
“What happened?”
“They kicked me!”
“Both of them? At the same time?” He unbuttoned her coat and slid it off, letting it drop to the floor. His coat met the same fate a moment later. “This I have to feel for myself.”
He picked her up again and headed for the bedroom.
“Wait! I thought you wanted to feel the twins moving around.”
“I can feel those tiny feet and elbows better when you’re naked,” he said with a leering grin.
Taylor laughed.
They undressed each other, their clothing thrown helter-skelter around the bedroom. His suit jacket. Her long, white, empire-waisted wedding dress. His shirt and tie. Her shoes and slip. His shoes and socks and trousers.
Taylor looked down at the extra-large support bra she was wearing—to hold already generous breasts that had grown with her pregnancy—along with a pair of white maternity underwear. She met Brian’s gaze and said, “I wish I could be more attractive for you on our wedding night.”
“You’ve never looked more beautiful,” he said fiercely.
She didn’t question him, because the look in his eyes told her he loved her and wanted her.
“I wish I weren’t so tired.” Taylor hadn’t realized she’d said what she was thinking. She saw the dismay in Brian’s eyes and quickly said, “I’m never too tired.”
He pulled her close and rocked her in his arms. “We’ve got the rest of our lives to have sex.”
“This is our wedding night,” she protested. “I can’t rob you—or myself—of that.”
“We’re going to have the most romantic night a couple ever had.” Brian walked the two of them to the bed and pulled down the covers. “In you go.”
Once Taylor was settled in bed, Brian joined her. He pulled her snugly into his arms, spooning her so his arms surrounded her just below her breasts, and pulled the covers up over both of them.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Brian whispered in her ear. “I love you, Tag.”
Taylor could feel Brian’s arousal, hard and hot against her backside. It was their wedding night. How could she not make love with her new husband, whose obvious desire was pressed provocatively against her?
I’m so tired. Exhausted. I just can’t…
She closed her eyes, just to rest them a moment.
Taylor wasn’t sure what woke her. Maybe the ticking of the heater. Maybe the rustle of a pine against the windowpane. Maybe one of the babies had kicked her. It was pitch-black in the bedroom. Brian must have turned out the light after she’d fallen asleep. To her astonishment, she didn’t feel scared. She realized Brian’s arms surrounded her, making her feel safe—and loved.
She was feeling proud of herself, and happy, when it suddenly dawned on her that she’d fallen asleep on her wedding night! Without making love to her husband!
Taylor groaned.
“Sweetheart? Anything wrong? You okay?”
Now she’d woken Brian from a sound sleep. She fought back tears of frustration. “I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”
Brian’s arms tightened around her. In a husky, sleepy voice he asked, “Did you have a nice nap?”
“Nap? It’s the middle of the night, Brian.”
“Yes, it is. The middle of our wedding night.”
Taylor drew in a sharp breath. Oh, what a good man she’d married. What a kind, considerate, wonderful man. She turned toward her husband and pressed one hand against his loving heart, and the other against his very aroused body. She leaned her lips close to his ear and whispered, “So it is.”