Husband Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire Book 1) (21 page)

BOOK: Husband Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire Book 1)

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Epilogue

Elyse bounced nervously as she waited for the truck she could hear coming. Ian had been on a delivery, earning them money that would help them carry through the year, and damn, she missed him fiercely when he did trips like that. Even if they were sparse and short, any time spent away from him was hard after the long, lonely winter.

“There he is,” Josiah said from beside her. There was a smile in his voice, and she understood it. She couldn’t wait to see the surprise on Ian’s face either.

The old brown and white Ford crested the hill and bumped and bounced down the muddy road toward them.

She grinned big at Tobias and Jenner, and the latter, Ian’s dark-headed brother, looked down at her with an exasperated expression in his vivid blue eyes, as if her mood was catching and he couldn’t cling onto his grumpiness hard enough. “I already told you. He’s not going to like us in his territory.”

“We’ll see,” she sang, completely unconvinced.

Tobias, who looked eerily like Ian but with emerald green eyes, stood stoically on the other side of Jenner with a slight frown marring his thin features. Hibernation hadn’t been easy on any of the Silver brothers.

Ian slid out of the truck and walked around the front, eyes on his brothers, as if he was seeing ghosts. “Tobias? Jenner?” He jogged toward his brothers, but then stopped right in front of them, expression unsure. “What are you doing here?”

Jenner nodded toward the preacher that stood on Elyse’s other side. “We’re standing for you on your big day.”

“The woman who hired you to be her husband begged us,” Tobias clarified, his blue eyes tightening.

“Elyse,” she said happily, undaunted by Tobias’s grousing. “My name’s Elyse. You should probably learn it since you will be my new brother.”

“In-law,” Tobias muttered. He cleared his throat and stuck out his hand to Ian with a low growl. “It’s good to see you.”

“D’aaw, love!” Elyse said, scrunching up her face and hugging her wildflower bouquet tighter.

Ian blinked hard and glanced at her white dress, then the preacher, then back to Tobias’s extended hand. Instead of shaking, Ian leaned in and hugged him roughly, clapping him hard on the back, and then moved on to Jenner and greeted him the same way. “It’s damn good to see both of you, too.”

All three of them were growly, snarly, beastly men until Ian moved farther away, but that was okay. Nothing could dampen today.

Glancing down at his jeans and thin, black sweater, Ian asked, “Do you want me to clean up?”

“I think you look perfect,” Elyse said, jumping into his arms and hugging his neck.

His chuckle was so deep, genuine, and warm, it vibrated against her chest. Walking her backward until they stood in front of the others, he smiled politely at the preacher.

With a slight frown, Ian leaned back on his heels and glared at Lincoln McCall, who was standing quietly on Josiah’s other side. “What’s he doing here?”

“Well, I’m a big fan of Link’s since he helped me out of that little wolf situation this past winter,” Elyse explained with a significant look at Ian. “And besides, you have two groomsmen, and I need two bridesmaids to make it even.”

Lincoln and Josiah both groaned.

“Seriously, Elyse,” her brother gritted out, “stop calling us that.”

“Men of honor?” she said.

“Whatever,” Josiah said, clasping his hands in front of the suit he’d dug up from somewhere. “Let’s start this already. I’m hungry.”

“That’s the spirit, bridesman.”

A muscle twitched under Josiah’s eye, but he smiled instead of arguing.

“I’m hungry, too,” Ian’s brothers said in unison.

“Ha!” Elyse rocked forward on the toes of her hiking boots she wore under her dress and murmured to the preacher, “We’ll take the condensed version, if you don’t mind.”

With a nod, the preacher began the ceremony. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Ian Silver and Elyse Abram…”

His words faded to a murmur as she looked up into Ian’s eyes. She was stunned with how happy he looked. He glanced back at the wedding party, who stood behind them, then back at her.

Thank you
, he mouthed.

And she understood the deep gratitude that swam in his bright blue eyes. He’d missed his brothers. Even if their bears didn’t get along, this was a big day, and they were family. They should be here, standing beside him, just as her brother was here, showing his support.

She hadn’t planned on Ian when she put that advertisement in the newspaper, but standing here with him, holding his hands in hers, staring up into his adoring eyes, she knew their struggle had been worth it. They had fought for each other. They bore scars for each other, and loved each other beyond all faults.

She had given herself completely to a worthy man and been rewarded with a bond so deep it left her breathlessly happy.

And as she said “I do,” she was giving so much more than the simple vows the preacher had asked them to repeat.

She was promising to walk this difficult life hand in hand with her mate, no matter what danger came.

She was giving her solemn oath to spend every winter protecting him and every summer loving him unconditionally.

Her eyes were wide open going into this. Winters would always be long and hard, but summers…oh, those warm months held the potential for indescribable happiness.

“You may now kiss your bride,” the preacher said.

Up on her tiptoes, Elyse met Ian’s lips. This was the moment she would remember for always—holding Ian in the front yard of their homestead, newly married, vows still warm on their lips as the people who meant the most clapped softly behind them.

Ian rocked back and looked down at her. With the pad of his thumb, he wiped away a tear before it touched the scar on her cheek. “Elyse,” he whispered. “I’ve
got
you.”

She smiled slow and squeezed his hand, then said the words that were just as important as their other vows. “I’ve got you, too.”

Up Next in the Bears Fur Hire Series

Bear Fur Hire (Book 2)

Coming November 2015