To Have and to Hold (20 page)

The sun shone brilliantly on Hunter and Trina’s mid-September wedding day. Hunter stood beside Nate under the arbor that he’d built and the girls and Trina had threaded with ribbons and greens and flowers. The audience stretched before him—his parents and siblings, Trina’s older sisters, Stefan and his girlfriend, Jake and Mira and Sam, Alia with Nate’s adopted family Suzy, Jim, and Braden, and a few of his platoon-mates who were back stateside.

The DJ started the wedding march and Phoebe and Clara came down the aisle toward him.

“I know they’re too old, but I always wanted flower girls,” Trina had said, and so they were dressed in identical white dresses with pale blue sashes, and they scattered rose petals as they walked, looking a little pale and tremulous and deliberately not making eye contact with all the people on either side of them.

They didn’t look anything like sisters, Clara with her frothy cloud of bright red hair and Phoebe’s all satin blond, Clara’s face freckled and angular, Phoebe’s fair and heart-shaped just like Trina’s—but as they came close to him they snuck looks at each other and exchanged smiles that tipped up at opposite corners, and it struck him that they were sisters, in their hearts, and probably always had been.

But then he couldn’t watch them anymore because Trina had stepped around the side of the house and was coming toward him, and his breath stuck hard in his chest.

Her dress wasn’t anything fancy. He didn’t know all the official names for fabrics and cuts, but this one was made out of a light-looking fabric, silk, maybe, pure white. It had skinny little straps and an uneven, draped front, and a high waist that made her breasts look even bigger and softer and rounder and—

Wasn’t he supposed to be thinking loftier thoughts than this?

He couldn’t spend too much time staring at her breasts—he could indulge in that later anyway—because as soon as she was close enough for him to see her face, he couldn’t look anywhere else. She was wearing just a little bit of makeup and smiling a sweet, small, secret smile, and she
glowed
. And her eyes were on his and her smile grew
for him
and he thought his heart was absolutely going to burst.

I’ve never felt like this before
, he wanted to say.
I’ve never felt anything remotely like this, ever before.

He tried to tell her with his eyes, and maybe he succeeded, just a little, because as she got closer he could see that her eyes were full of tears, the way they’d been on the airplane when he’d told her how he felt. He’d always thought it was just crazy talk when people said they had eyes only for one another, but he swore to God it was like there was no one else in the backyard. And, in fact, everyone around them had fallen silent, probably because they all wanted to stare at her, too, at her beautiful hair piled up on her head and the diamonds sparkling in her earlobes and in the hollow of her throat.

She’d refused to stay in his house the night before—said that even though they’d been together already it wasn’t lucky—and had gone to stay at Bonnie’s, and he couldn’t believe how fast he’d gotten used to having her in his bed. It felt so big and cold and goddamn empty, and he’d lain sleepless for hours wanting to bury himself in her. He guessed a body could get damn used to frequent sex pretty quickly, and he didn’t know if it was how they’d
always
be, but for the last few months it had been twice a day at least—quick in the morning, with the door locked against intruders, and slow and languorous at night.

“Hi,” she said, arriving at his side.

It made him laugh. Everything was so formal and serious, and she was just
her
.

“Hey, you.”

The justice of the peace began to speak, but he didn’t hear it. He only saw the sparkle of her blue eyes and the way that smile softly curved her mouth. He saw her chest rise and fall. He didn’t hear another word until it was time for the vows.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but her voice was steady. “I, Trina…take thee, Hunter…to be my husband…to have and to hold…from this day forward…for better, for worse…for richer, for poorer…in sickness and in health…to love and to cherish…till death do us part.”

He felt no qualms. No doubts. No sense of worry that he might not be enough for her or she for him.

Phoebe was crying. Clara unwrapped a handkerchief from somewhere inside her bouquet and handed it over.

And then it was his turn to say his.

“I, Hunter…take thee, Trina…to be my wife…to have and to hold…from this day forward…for better, for worse…for richer, for poorer…in sickness and in health…”

He hesitated.

It wasn’t enough. Not
quite
.

“In light and in darkness,” he said.

Someone in the audience gasped. Trina looked up at him, startled.

“In memory and in forgetting.”

“Hunter.”

“I just wanted you to know,” he whispered. “In case I get old and senile. My body doesn’t forget. My heart doesn’t forget.”

They were off script and she was off balance, a little wild-eyed, and he reached out to steady her. “To love and to cherish,” he said, smiling. “Till death do us part.”

“By the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the JP said. “You may kiss the bride.”

He did, brushing her tears away and whispering to her that it was okay, everything was okay, they were going to be just fine.

Jake and Mira usually held their annual picnic in their big backyard, but this year, they held it at R&R in honor of the completion of the veterans’ retreat’s newest wing, a series of tree houses constructed by Hunter and Trina.

“Hey, man. You enjoying life out of the army?” Nate said, coming up beside them.

Hunter grinned at him. “I don’t miss it, I’ll tell you that.”

Nate got serious for a moment. “I do. Sometimes. Just—the camaraderie, you know? Although—” He laughed. “I know if I want someone to swear at me and kick my ass, there’s always Jake. Speaking of which, you want to head out with us on our next trip?”

“Sure.” Hunter’s casual shrug masked real pleasure.

“The tree houses are
amazing,
” Nate said, gesturing skyward.

“Thanks,” Hunter and Trina said together.

“Do you two do other work besides tree houses?” Alia asked, smiling at Trina. “I’d love to have you do built-ins and decorate our living room. It’s meh right now, and just looking at what you did up there gave me a million ideas.”

“I haven’t, but—sure. I’d love to.”

“All the little details. The wraparound deck, the built-in bunks—and the grain in some of that wood, too.”

“In that one?” Hunter pointed. “That’s quarter-sawn oak. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get quarter-sawn oak of that quality. There’s basically one guy in the United States who takes that kind of care with cutting for the beauty of the grain.”

“Well, it’s worth it.”

The tree houses at R&R were their second joint project. They were intended for veterans who wanted to visit the retreat with their wives and children instead of alone. They’d been built by a small crew under the direction of Hunter, and decorated by Trina, with help from her own crew of Phoebe and Clara.

A week before, they’d celebrated a similar success several hundred miles north—the opening of a bed-and-breakfast in a series of tree houses they’d been commissioned to build. They’d walked away from the event with several business cards in their pockets.

But there was something special about the project at R&R. Maybe the enthusiasm of the vets themselves, who were like little boys as they explored the tree houses’ features—circular staircases, wood-and-rope suspension bridges, wraparound decks, bunks and lofts, and a bajillion built-ins.

Trina had interviewed veterans’ families for hours, asking what they needed in order to feel comfortable. There were quiet, curtained-off areas that were simple, nearly bare, where the vets could retreat from their thoughts and the clutter of the world. Secret corners where kids could hide and seek. Nooks that soothed spouses who’d been frayed and frazzled by the borrowed stresses of their partners. And views of the outside to call them all out of hiding and back into the world and nature—a peek here at the beach and the lake; a tiny wedge of the archery range; a path, wandering away into the woods and beckoning visitors to follow.

But if Hunter hadn’t built her such inspiring places, such perfect cocoons high up in the world, she wouldn’t have had half the pleasure in putting her stamp on them.

“We love working together,” she said, smiling at Hunter.

He gave her back a smile that was 80 percent public and 20 percent private, and that was enough to make her face heat up.

“Ah,” Nate said. “The romance of a Jake-and-Mira picnic. Did I ever tell you two lovebirds that Alia and I met at one of these?”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh,” Alia said. She was a pretty, athletic woman with dark hair, freckles, and a totally infectious smile. They’d met once before—with Nate and Hunter—though Hunter still had no memory of that episode. Earlier today, Trina had hung out with Mira and Alia, and the three women had hit it off. “I thought he was interested in my sister, but it turned out—one very messy love triangle later—”

“That I had eyes only for her,” Nate said, grinning at her.

“Speaking of romance at Jake and Mira’s picnics…” Nate tilted his head and they all looked toward the clearing where there was a Wiffle ball game in progress. Well, more or less in progress. At the moment, Clara was chasing Braden, trying to tag him with a Wiffle ball even though they were
nowhere
near the base path, and Phoebe was wrestling the bat out of Sam’s hands. They were all laughing, red-faced and sweaty.

“Young love,” Nate intoned.

Hunter frowned. “I am
so
not ready for this.”

“Better get yourself ready. As the father of
two girls
, you’re going to have to polish up your weapons of war and practice looking threatening.”

“Oh, believe me, both those girls can more than take care of themselves,” Trina said dryly. Even though Clara and Phoebe had since both gotten their periods, she still hadn’t
quite
gotten over that deception—or how much it had tugged on her heart. “It’s Sam and Braden I feel sorry for.”

And they all watched as the girls booked it for the woods, boys in pursuit.

“Did I hear a rumor…?” Trina asked tentatively, and both Nate’s and Alia’s grins got bigger.

“Yup,” Nate said, resting a proprietary hand on Alia’s belly. “November.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Alia said.

“We were actually hoping you could build us a tree house. So we can put him out there and get a little bit of sleep.” Nate laughed. A little nervously.

“You’ll be fine,” Trina said. “By the time he’s— He?”

They nodded confirmation.

“By the time he’s twelve, he’ll be sleeping in and you’ll start to feel better.”

Nate groaned. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“If we come visit you in Seattle, the girls can babysit and the four of us can go out.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Alia said, smiling at Trina.

“Or, we can host some get-togethers at our place and Jake and Mira and Sam can head our way, too. We have plenty of guest space.”

“And Griff. Don’t forget Griff,” Nate said.

Alia and Nate exchanged looks, and Trina got the feeling there was a whole story there, but she didn’t pry. “Of course,” she said. “The more the merrier. But gender-separated rooms for the teenagers.”

“Amen to that,” Nate said. “All right, Li, dessert’s served and it looks incredible. Let’s load up. Catch you guys before you take off, okay? We’ll make plans.”

When they were alone, Trina tipped her head back and looked up at their handiwork. “They’re beautiful,” she said, resting her head against Hunter’s shoulder.

“Thanks to
you
,” he said. “Before you got your hands on them, they were merely well crafted.” He dropped a kiss on her hair, and then dipped his head to kiss her just a little longer than was family-friendly.

She didn’t mind, despite a few catcalls and whistles and
get a room
exhortations. She was feeling insanely happy. Not just about the man who hadn’t left her side for a moment today, but also about the work they’d done together.

Still, it was the story of how the business had come to be in the first place that Trina loved most. In classic style, they’d had the same great idea at the same time. In secret, Trina had contacted Jake and talked him into the idea of building the two new units high in the branches of R&R’s beautiful old trees. But she’d made him agree to use Hunter’s contracting services and her own design expertise.

At the same time, in secret, Hunter had reached out to a friend of Nate’s who wanted to start a B&B that took advantage of some wild and beautiful land he’d purchased in Washington. And Hunter had held out on signing the contract he’d negotiated until the new B&B owner had decided to employ Trina to do the interior work on the new, canopy-hugging rooms.

The best part was that they’d both decided to break their surprises to each other over a candlelit dinner (and chocolate cake dessert) in their own newly finished getaway. Hunter had barely gotten a few words out before Trina was laughing.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded. “I think it’s a fabulous idea!”

She’d explained.

“Great minds think alike,” Hunter had said, and then they’d celebrated the abundance of work by opening a bottle of champagne and licking it off each other’s bodies.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked now, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Why?”

He leaned close. “You just blushed all the way down to your cleavage. And mighty fine cleavage it is, too, I might add.”

She told him.

“Mmm,” he said.

“It could be a tradition. For celebrating things.”

“What sorts of things?”

“All sorts of things.”

“The opening of a new wing at a veterans’ retreat, for example?”

“That seems like a good thing to celebrate.”

His eyes, dark and intent, held hers. “But let’s work some things out ahead of time, okay?”

She nodded.

“You tell Jake and Mira we need a separate room for the girls.”

“You buy the champagne.”

“You wear that sexy blue silk nightgown thing.”

“You tell the bedtime story.”

She let out a long, slow exhalation, trying not to make it audible to everyone else at the picnic.

“And then we can do what we do best,” he said.

“What’s that?” she teased.

He dropped a soft kiss on her parted lips, stared into her eyes just long enough to make her toes curl, then leaned down, his breath brushing over her ear to start a chain reaction of sensations swirling through her body.

“Make new memories.”