Blissfully Taken (Blissful, #4) (9 page)

Jenny looked out onto the pond, taking
in the site of Dan standing next to his older brother. Dan stood
tall and confident, looking at her with a love that burned fiercely
in its intensity.

As her father guided her on the red
carpet, she glanced over at Ryan. His expression was one of
tenderness. It both blessed and broke her heart. Ryan’s presence
was a gift beyond price.

Then Jenny locked eyes
with Dan. His gaze was inviting, drawing her like a flame.
My husband…

Everyone turned in response to the
loud echoing roar of an engine. Jenny looked in the direction of
the disturbance and gasped when she saw a red Camaro careening down
the snowy path, fishtailing from side-to-side. “No!”

“
It’ll be all right,
Jenny. Don’t say anything, we’ve got this,” Dan stated
calmly.

Kelly jumped out of her car screaming,
“Stop the wedding! Stop it right now! This woman is nothing but a
whore. She’s tricked Dan into marrying him. Everything she’s said
is nothing but lies!”

Both Dan and Ryan moved in unison
together blocking Jenny from Kelly’s wrath as she approached. “Turn
around and go home. Now!” Dan ordered.

“
No, I can’t let you do
this, Dan. It’s a huge mistake.” Kelly turned to Mrs. Hayes.
“You’re not going to allow this whore to marry your son are
you?”

Mrs. Hayes did not hesitate, stating
coolly, “I believe my son told you to leave.”

Kelly stared at her in disbelief.
“Harriet, what are you saying? You know what she is. How can you
take her side?”

Jenny’s father growled, stepping
towards Kelly threateningly. “I believe you were told to
leave.”

Kelly backed up, but looked around
wildly until she spotted Ryan. “Come on! You can’t let her get away
with this. I thought you came to stop it, Ryan. Why would you
condone her betrayal? What are you, some kind of fucking
pussy?”

The lanky blonde hissed, “Watch what
you say, you venomous…”

Marcus interrupted the exchange,
stating loudly, “That’s enough.” He turned to Kelly sounding
suspiciously formal, “I believe there is a restraining order
against you.” He walked up to her, taking something out of his
pocket. Before Kelly knew what was happening, he’d handcuffed her
wrist. “You are in violation of the law. You can go quietly or
additional charges will be filed against you.” He walked her to his
car and called out to Dan, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

He drove the car to an alcove of pine
trees and got out, walking back to the group. “She’s handcuffed to
the seat. That should keep her quiet while we get on with the happy
event.”

Jenny’s parents looked at their
daughter questioningly; unaware of the trouble Kelly had caused
them.

Jenny was unsure where to begin and
was relieved when Mrs. Hayes answered for her. “Kelly is still
struggling with their decision, but I trust she will get over it.
We anticipated she might be a problem today, which is why I asked
my son Marcus to bring his cuffs.”

As much as Harriet didn’t want the
marriage to take place, she had taken precautions to protect the
ceremony. Jenny was shocked and mouthed the words, “Thank you,” to
her. The woman met her appreciation with a cold stare, but nodded
stiffly.

The small group took their places
again and the pastor began the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are
gathered here…” Jenny was barely aware of his words the moment Dan
took her hands in his.

Dan must have noticed her delirium,
because he gently squeezed her hand and she heard the words, “….say
I do.”

Jenny giggled nervously; embarrassed
she’d almost missed her cue. “I do. I most definitely
do.”

The pastor continued on, but her heart
was beating so loudly by then that it drowned out his words. She
saw Dan’s perfect lips form the words “I do” and her whole body
broke out in a warm flush.

“
The couple has chosen to
share their own vows during the exchange of rings.”

Jenny pulled off her glove and handed
it to Ryan. She smiled bashfully when Dan took her left hand in
his. He slipped his great grandmother’s wedding band on her finger
and then brought her hand to his lips. The love reflected in his
eyes melted her heart.

“
Jenny, my life didn’t
start until I met you. Everything before was just going through the
motions, but I didn’t know it. I was blind until you came into my
life and gave it color. I love everything about you, from this long
beautiful hair…” he said, playing with a dark curl, “to this
gorgeous Cherokee skin.” He caressed her cheek lightly. “But it is
your adventurous spirit I admire most. I feel like… No, I
am
the luckiest man on
the planet.” He took her other hand and squeezed both tightly. “You
are my treasure and I will endeavor to remind you of that every
day.” He gave her a little wink when he added, “It will be my
pleasure to do so.”

Marcus handed her Dan’s ring. Jenny’s
hands trembled slightly as she guided the gold band onto his
finger. She took a deep breath, wanting to drink in the moment a
little longer.

“
Dan, I have finally found
myself in you. Your love complements me.” She inadvertently glanced
at the edge of the pond, remembering their last visit to this
place. Dan responded with a low chuckle, letting her know he was
thinking of the same memory. “You seem to understand me on a level
no one else does. Your wisdom, patience, and love have transformed
me into someone new. I can’t imagine life without you now.” She
looked deeply into Dan’s brown eyes and smiled. “Dan William Hayes,
I pledge my loyalty and love to you and I cannot wait to share the
rest of my life’s journey with you by my side.” Jenny went to kiss
him, but remembered half-way and stopped herself.

Several people laughed when the pastor
cautioned her, “Now, now… no need to rush.” He then announced in a
dramatic voice loud enough to echo off the snowcapped peaks, “What
God has joined together, let no man put asunder!” When the muted
echoes died off, he added in a tender tone, “And so, by the power
vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.” He grinned at the
groom, “You may now kiss the eager bride.”

Dan put his hands around Jenny’s waist
and tilted his head slightly as he went in for the kiss. It started
off tender, but then he parted her lips with his tongue and took
his bride. Marcus cleared his throat, bringing them both back to
reality. Dan broke the embrace and they looked at each other and
laughed.

The pastor didn’t miss a beat. “I
present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Hayes.”

Dan took Jenny’s hand and they faced
the small group. Her heart felt close to bursting as she walked
back down the red carpet as the new Mrs. Hayes.

Dan’s parents made it a point to
congratulate them first. Mr. Hayes hugged his son, thumping him
hard on the back. “You’ve taken on quite a responsibility. Don’t
you dare fail your new wife.”

“
I only learned from the
best, Pops. No worries there.”

Mr. Hayes turned to Jenny. “You are
officially my daughter now. I’ve never had one before, but I’ll do
my best to do right by you.” He took Jenny in his arms and gave her
a real hug. She sighed inwardly, happy to receive his
love.

“
Thank you…Dad.” It felt a
little weird saying it, especially with her father standing close
by, but Jenny couldn’t have been happier.

“
Yes, welcome to our
family. I hope you enjoy our honeymoon gift.” Mrs. Hayes stated
with exaggerated formality. She did not make a move to hug
Jenny.

“
I’m sure I
will.”

Dan’s father took a key from his
pocket with a red bow attached and handed it to her. “From our
family to your new family.”

Jenny took the key as Dan put his arm
around her. “It’s the cabin.”

Mr. Hayes explained, “Harriet and I
both felt it was the perfect gift for you two. I am sure Gammy and
Poppy would approve.”

Jenny studied Dan’s mother carefully.
“Are you sure, Mrs. Hayes?”

“
It’s ‘mother’ to
you.”

Jenny gave a spontaneous hug to the
stiff woman. “Thanks, Mom!”

Dan joined in the hug, forcing Harriet
to respond to the group embrace. She sputtered, “That’s quite
enough you two.” She straightened her jacket before adding, “I made
a few changes to one of the rooms. I hope it will be
suitable.”

Jenny threatened to hug her again, so
she quickly stepped backwards to get away from Jenny’s reach and
bumped into Ryan. Poor Mrs. Hayes looked mortified and made an
abrupt beeline to the pastor.

Ryan looked at Jenny and Dan
awkwardly. “Sorry, but I didn’t bring a gift.”

Jenny gushed, “Rye, coming today was
the greatest gift you could give!”

He nodded towards the lanky blonde
with short, bobbed hair standing a few feet away. “It’s Roxanne’s
fault. She said I would regret it later if I didn’t come.” Jenny
looked at the woman with renewed interest, realizing she was
Marcus’ date after all. The woman was attractive - tall, blonde;
the exact opposite of Jenny.

Ryan explained, “She’s my
temp.”

“
Oh… the attorney in
disguise,” Jenny acknowledged. “She
must
be good at the powers of
persuasion to get you to come today.”

Ryan gazed at Roxanne with admiration.
“Yeah, she’s a smart lady and she’s right. I still care about you
and Dan…despite everything.”

“
I’m glad to hear it,
Rye,” Jenny said, tentatively reaching out to give him a hug. He
tensed and she stepped back in response, suddenly aware of the
nerves he was trying to hide. She smiled, hoping to express her
heart without bringing him further pain. “Ryan, you being here is
the best gift ever.” She swallowed back the lump in her throat,
adding, “I will hold this memory dear to me always.”

Ryan’s lips twitched and he looked
desperately at Roxanne for support. She walked over to him and
broke the awkward silence that hung in the mountain air. “I am glad
I was able to attend your wedding, Mrs. Hayes. Getting to meet you
gives me a better idea who Ryan is.”

Jenny was concerned for Ryan’s
well-being, so she cut their conversation short. “I know you two
have a long drive back. I thank you for coming - for
everything.”

Dan shook Ryan’s hand and said
gruffly, “Thank you, Ryan.”

Ryan responded with a hard handshake.
His voice faltered when he replied, “Take care of her.” He
immediately took Roxanne’s hand and headed towards their car just
as the snow began to fall.

Jenny’s mom came up and wrapped her in
a hug, distracting Jenny from the poignant scene. “It was a lovely
wedding and the vows you shared were beautiful.” She grabbed onto
Dan and squeezed him, too. “I have a good feeling about you both.”
She nudged him playfully. “And that dress stunt you pulled on my
daughter made me a fan forever.”

Dan brushed back his hair, obviously
embarrassed by her praise. “I love your daughter, Mrs.
Cole.”

Her father put his sizeable hand on
Dan’s shoulder. “We believe that. My only advice is to be honest
and respectful of each other. You can work through most anything if
you remember that.”

“
Sound advice,
sir.”

The snow was coming down with greater
intensity. Dan pulled Jenny’s hood around her face and patted her
on the head. The flakes were small, but they were increasing in
number making visibility an issue.

“
Looks like it’s going to
be a bad storm,” Marcus announced. The newlyweds smiled at each
other.

Dan told him, “That it does. You
better get crazy woman out of here before she kills herself on the
road.”

Marcus chuckled, “Don’t worry, I will
be following her all the way down. There is no way she will escape
my watchful eye.”

“
Thanks,
Brother.”

Marcus turned to Jenny and picked her
up without warning. He hugged her in midair, squeezing the breath
out of her. “Welcome to the Hayes clan, Sis. I’ll have to get some
alone time with you so I can share Dan’s darkest and most
embarrassing moments.” She giggled when he put her down. The
similarities between the two were disconcerting and made her feel
slightly giddy.

The wedding party quickly broke up as
people rushed to beat the worst of the storm. Everyone, except for
the newlyweds who headed directly to the cabin. When they arrived,
Dan insisted on carrying Jenny over the threshold. He unlocked the
door and turned on the light before coming back for her.

Dan brushed the snow off her hood.
“You officially look like a snow princess.” He kissed her cold lips
and smiled. “My personal snow princess…” He picked her up and
kissed her again as he carried her through the doorway. The warmth
of the cabin embraced her as they entered. Dan broke the kiss and
put her down slowly before saying, “Oh shit.”

Jenny stared at the elegantly set
table complete with candles and wine. Jenny noticed that the oven
was on warm and deduced a lovely dinner was waiting for them. “Did
your mother do this?” she asked in surprised.