Coming Home (44 page)

Surrounded by family and friends, they received congratulations, hugs and kisses. And Kate never let go of his hand.

At her request, Buddy and Taylor sang their blockbuster duet, “My One and Only Love,” while Reid and Kate had their first dance and Mr. and Mrs. They toasted their wedding as well as Jill and Ashton’s engagement and Maggie’s new job. Waiters circulated with an endless stream of hor’s d’oeuvres and champagne.
 

They posed for countless family pictures with the photographer Kate had hired to document the day.

After they cut their cake, Ashton clinked a spoon against a crystal champagne glass to quiet the gathering. “Tradition dictates that the best man say a few words about the bride and groom,” he said when he had their attention. “And I couldn’t miss the opportunity to roast my dad a bit.”

“Oh great,” Reid said to laughter.

Ashton smiled. “Just kidding about the roast, but I do want to say that no kid could’ve asked for more in a father than what I had with mine. He was mom and dad to me and managed to fill both roles effortlessly, even though I know how hard it must’ve been to raise me on his own. Since I’ve been grown up, he’s filled the roles of best friend, fishing buddy and occasional drinking buddy. My dad and I have a good time together, and we always have. Kate, I want to welcome you and your
extremely
large family to our family. I’ve never been a part of a Christmas quite like this one, and I hope it’s the first of many that the Harringtons and Matthews will spend together. Help me to congratulate Reid and Kate. May today be the first day of a long and happy life together.”

“I’ll definitely drink to that,” Kate said, touching her crystal glass of ice water against his glass of champagne.

“Hear, hear,” Reid said, kissing her.
 

At six o’clock Reid told her it was time to head into town. While Kate was looking forward to some alone time with her new husband, she wasn’t ready yet to say good-bye to her family, who’d be heading home in the morning. The time together had gone by far too quickly in Kate’s opinion.

“We’ll do it again next year,” Andi assured her with a hug. “Dad and I will host.”

“And back here again the year after?” Kate asked.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” her mom said. “You were a wonderful hostess and a beautiful bride. None of us will soon forget this Christmas.”

“Thank you, Mom.”
 

Kate was in tears by the time she said good-bye to her dad and Aidan, Jamie, Frannie, her grandparents, the Booths and all the kids. Last in line were her sisters, who waited patiently for Kate to get to them.
 

“Thanks for all you did to make this happen,” Kate said to Jill when she hugged her. “I’ll be right there for you when it’s your turn.”

“I know that. Go be happy. That’s how you can thank me.”

“And you,” Kate said to Maggie. “We’ll be seeing you soon, right?”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can give notice at my job and pack up my apartment.”

“We’ll look forward to that. Plan to stay here until the house is ready for occupants.”

“This was the best Christmas ever,” Maggie said. “For once, no one was missing. Thank you for that.”

“My pleasure, honey.” She hugged her younger sister for a long time. “Hurry back.”

“I will.”

“Ready, darlin’?” Reid asked.

“I need to get my bag.”

“Jill already put it in the car.”

“Of course she did,” Kate said with a smile for her endlessly efficient sister who draped a fur-lined cape around Kate’s shoulders. Kate turned to face the family that had gathered to see them off. “Thanks for being here, everyone. You’ll never know how very much it meant to me.”

“Wait,” Maggie said. “Let us go first.”

The entire family trooped onto the front porch ahead of Reid and Kate.

“Okay,” Maggie called to them. “We’re ready!”

As Reid and Kate walked onto the porch, they were showered with fragrant rose petals.

“Don’t tell me you guys tied cans to my car, too,” Reid said as he brushed a petal off Kate’s forehead.

“He wanted to,” Ashton said, pointing a thumb at Buddy, “but I intervened.”

“Thank you, son,” Reid said, hugging him. He reached for Kate’s hand. “Shall we?”

Kate nodded and took his hand to go down the stairs. He tucked her into the sleek silver Mercedes sedan he’d bought a couple of weeks ago. In the biting cold, Kate was immediately grateful for the heated seats.
 

“Goddamned Buddy,” Reid muttered.

“What?”

He glanced up at the rearview mirror. “Look.”

Kate spun around and laughed when she saw the words “Just Married” written on the back window in white foam.
 

“He better not have gotten any on the paint, or I’ll have to kill him.”

“I won’t let you kill him. But you have to laugh—one of the biggest names in country music writing on a car with shaving cream.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“Come on, it’s funny.”

“If you say so.”

Kate took a last look back at the family that was waving them off. “I can’t believe it’s over. I already miss them.”

“Don’t forget you’re married to a pilot now, darlin’. You can see them any time you want to.”

“Thanks for the reminder. That makes me feel better.” She looked over at him as he drove down the long lane from her house to the main road. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, you can.”

“How are we going to get into the hotel without attracting a mob?” They were still dressed in wedding attire that would surely create a stir in the hotel.

“Have you no faith whatsoever in your new husband?”

“I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’ll forgive you if you put your head back, close your eyes and relax.”

“I can do that.” Her eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. The next time she opened her eyes, Reid was lowering her onto a bed in a room that glowed with candlelight. “How did we get here?”

“It was magic.”

“Mmm. It’s been magic from the very start.” The combination of the silk dress and the soft brush of the fur lining in the cape made her skin tingle. She held out a hand to him.

“Be right there. Let me get rid of my coat.” He discarded the coat and kicked off his shoes before joining her on the bed.

“I can’t believe we’re really married.”

He reached for her hand and kissed the rings on her finger. “Believe it.”

“I keep waiting to wake up to find out it was all a dream. It wasn’t a dream, was it?”

“It was a dream come true, baby.” His phone chimed with a text, but he didn’t move. Rather, he ran his fingers over her arm, raising a trail of goose bumps.

“Aren’t you going to check that?”

“Wasn’t planning to.”

“What if it’s Ashton and he needs you?”

“He doesn’t need me tonight.”

“Just check it, will you?”

“I will if it’ll make you feel better.” He rolled onto his back and pulled the phone from his pocket.
 

“Who’s it from?”

“Mari.”

“Oh.” Kate regretted pushing him to look at it. “What does it say?”

Sighing, he said, “Dear Reid, I know today is your birthday, so I hope you’re doing something fun. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for everything that happened after we broke up. I’m ashamed of my behavior as well as the trouble I caused for you and Kate, and I’m hoping you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I hope you’re happy. Sincerely, Mari.”

“Wow. How do you feel about that?”

“It’s nice of her to apologize, but I don’t want to think about her tonight. I don’t want to think about anything or anyone but you.”

“You should drop the complaint against her.”

“After all the trouble she caused for you with that video?”

“Let it go. She can’t hurt us anymore, and we have nothing to gain by hurting her.”

“She ripped up my son’s baby picture.”

“Don’t you have others?”

“Yes, but that was one of my favorites.”

“Let it go.”

“Do I have to?”

Kate bit her lip to keep from laughing and nodded.

Begrudgingly, he keyed in a text and showed it to her when he was done. To Ashton, he’d written:
See to dropping the charges against Mari, will you? She apologized, so Kate says I have to let it go. Thanks
. “Happy now?”

“I’m very happy now, but I could be even happier.”

“Is that right?” He tossed the phone onto the floor and turned over to face her. “What can I do for my lovely wife?”

She tugged at his tie, pulling it loose and going to work on his shirt buttons. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

“Have I?” He smoothed a hand over her silk-covered hip, drawing her in closer to him.

“Uh-huh.”

“It wasn’t for lack of wanting you.”

“No?”

His lips hovered a fraction of an inch above hers. “I’ve been dying for you, missing you, wanting you. Like I did for all the years you were gone.”

“I’m here now, and I’m all yours.”

 
He made fast work of helping her out of her wedding dress, his eyes popping—as she’d hoped they would—when he encountered the garter belt and thong combination she’d worn under it. “Are you trying to kill me on our wedding night?”

Kate laughed and pushed his shirt off his shoulders.

With a hand under her, he released her sheer, strapless bra, pushing it out of the way so he could feast on her breasts.
 

She gasped and arched her back to get closer to him. “Reid…”

“What, honey?”

“Don’t go slow. Not this time. I need you.”

He freed himself from his pants, pushed the thong aside and entered her in one swift stroke.

“
Yes
,” Kate said on a moan.

He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed down at her. “Is that what you wanted?”

“
Yes
. You’re what I wanted. I wanted you so badly for so long.”

Gathering her close to him, he kissed her without breaking the intense eye contact. “I wanted you just as badly.”

Kate wrapped her legs around his hips, making him groan and throb inside her.
 

He moved slowly and deliberately, letting the anticipation build until Kate almost couldn’t bear it. And then he began to move faster, gripping her shoulders as he pushed her harder and higher, higher than she’d ever gone before.

“Kate, God, I love you. I love you.”

The words, uttered gruffly against her neck, shattered what remained of her control. She cried out as the shock waves consumed her entire body. She came down from the incredible ride to find one hand fisted in his hair and the other clutching his backside.
 

Reid rode the storm of her climax and then let himself go, too. Afterward, he rested on top of her, breathing hard. “I’d hoped to show a bit more finesse the first time I made love to my wife, but you’ve got me feeling like a randy teenager with my pants around my knees.”

Kate laughed at the disgusted face he made. “I adored the way you made love to your wife for the first time.”

“I’ll do even better the next time,” he said with a kiss. “And the time after that.”

“I can’t wait to see how you top this.”

“I can’t wait for everything.”

“Me, too.” She brushed the hair back from his face and brought him down to her for more of the kisses she loved so much. “Thank you for giving me the life I’ve always wanted but didn’t know how to find without you.”

“Believe me, darlin’,” he said with a sexy grin as he pressed his hips tighter against her, “it was absolutely my pleasure.”

Kate held him as tightly as she could, delighted to have found her way back to him and content to know they had the rest of their lives to spend together.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to all the readers who asked me to finish Reid and Kate’s story. Back in 2005 when I wrote
Marking Time
, it never occurred to me that readers would want them to end up together. Boy, was I wrong about that! I’ve never gotten more mail about any story than I did about theirs. I hope you’re pleased with their second act.
 

Returning to the
Treading Water/Marking Time
world was like spending time with precious old friends. Most of you know that Jack Harrington was my very first fictional character, so it was a great thrill for me to bring him back in
Coming Home
. I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness and redemption in this book, as well as the growth the characters experienced in the decade between
Marking Time
and
Coming Home
.
 

A special thank-you to my editor Linda Ingmanson, who is so very good to me by making time for me whenever I need her. Linda, you’ve become a wonderful friend since we’ve begun working together, and I couldn’t do what I do without your support. Linda introduced me to proofreader extraordinaire Toni Lee, who is the last set of eyes on every book. Toni, I’ve become addicted to your eagle eye, and wouldn’t dream of releasing a book without your review. Thank you to my writing pal Cheryl Brooks for the information she shared with me about aging horses. A great big thank-you to my beta readers Ronlyn Howe, Kara Conrad and Anne Woodall, always the first to read my books and provide invaluable feedback and suggestions.