A River Bend Wedding Read online

  A RIVER BEND WEDDING (River Bend, #4.5) by Molly McLain

  Cover Design: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Cover Photo: Licensed from DepositPhotos

  Copyright © 2016 by Molly McLain Books, LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a media retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) with the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher of this book, excepting brief quotations used in reviews. Purchase only authorized editions.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, etc. are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarities to real people, locations, events, etc. is entirely coincidental.

  OTHER WORKS BY

  MOLLY MCLAIN

  CAN’T SHAKE YOU (River Bend, #1)

  CAN’T HOLD BACK (River Bend, #1.5)

  CAN’T GET ENOUGH (River Bend, #2)

  CAN’T WALK AWAY (River Bend, #3)

  CAN’T RESIST HIM (River Bend, #4)

  ALWAYS ENOUGH (A River Bend Epilogue)

  CAN’T FORGET HER (Hope Falls Kindle World)

  A RIVER BEND WEDDING

  The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of Carissa Joy Brandt & Joshua Daniel Hudson on Saturday, the thirteenth day of February, at St. Joseph’s Parish.

  But shh! Keep it on the down-low, because the bride doesn’t know!

  Chapter One

  “All I’m asking for is a little cooperation!” Carissa Brandt covered her face with her hands and groaned. “I mean, seriously, could anything else possibly go wrong?”

  Maddie Hudson snorted from across the corner table in Cedar Street Brew. “You just sounded like your mother used to. That’s terrifying.”

  Ugh. Planning her wedding was supposed to be fun and exciting. Sure, a few bumps along the way were to be expected, but this obstacle after obstacle nonsense was ridiculous.

  Carissa slid her white chocolate mocha away and shoved a frustrated hand through her hair. “I really want a July wedding, Mads. July is our month, you know. When all the big things for Josh and I happened. It only seems right that we say our vows then, too.”

  Maddie smiled. “I get it, sweetie, but we can’t change the church’s schedule. Those other couples want to get married just as badly as you do. Besides, June won’t be as hot. You’ll get to be the quintessential blushing bride, instead of a sweaty one.”

  Ha. “Nice try. I was prepared for hot, hence the strapless dress, remember?” Carissa twisted her lips into a pout and swept her gaze around the coffee shop. Ally’s pile of curly red hair bounced around behind the bakery case while Gladys busied herself with a display of kitschy Valentine’s Day themed coffee mugs. Adorable, really, and any other time Carissa probably would have bought a half dozen of them for her school coworkers in a heartbeat, had she not been so damn cranky.

  “At least your lilies will be in full bloom. And the hotel still had availability, right? I know having a place for everyone to crash is super important to you. Less drinking and driving and all that.” Beneath the table, Maddie gave her a reassuring toe-to-shin nudge.

  Carissa sighed. Of course, she had a million things to be grateful for, finally becoming Mrs. Joshua Hudson being the biggest and most important of them all. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for herself. “I wish my mom was here, Mads.”

  Her best friend’s face pinched with emotion. “Aww, sweetie, she is.”

  She hoped so, because the one thing her mother had always wanted was for her only daughter to be truly happy. She’d told Carissa as much, over and over again. Even the morning she’d died in that awful accident, Cindy Brandt had kissed her forehead and whispered those very words. Words Carissa could still hear crystal clear like losing her mom had only happened yesterday. Be happy, baby.

  “I’m so emotional these days.” Carissa crumpled her napkin in her hand, waiting for the tears that began to build in her eyes. “I just want everything to be perfect. Everything Josh and I have both dreamed of and then some.” A lump formed in her throat and she paused a moment to breathe. “Josh’s gone above and beyond with the new house. He’s worked his tail off so we can grow old together, not wanting for a single thing. Making our wedding unforgettable in return seems like the least I can do.”

  “And you’re doing exactly that. Maybe you won’t promise your life to him in July, but in the big scheme of things, that’s an irrelevant detail. Maybe you should take a break from the planning for a while. Refuel. Just for a couple weeks.”

  “As great as that sounds, there isn’t time. After I secure the church and the hotel, there’s a band to be hired and you and the girls need dresses and—”

  “Car, stop. In fact, so help me God if you say another word about your to-do list, I may be forced to do something crazy. Like call in the cavalry.” Maddie shook her head, setting her dark bob into motion. “The girls will be here in minutes and then what will you do? You can’t take on all of us at once.”

  Carissa snorted. These days, with her mood swings, she was pretty sure she could. Ninja-freaking-bride.

  “Besides, when we planned my wedding, you made me promise not to let you go all bridezilla when your turn came. We even split that last caramel truffle to seal the deal, remember?”

  And this was why she loved Maddie. A small smile turned up one corner of Carissa’s mouth. “I remember, you goofball.”

  “Yep, and we both know that sharing candy is even more binding than shaking hands. Therefore, it’s break time, lady. Get your date down and that’s it until…let’s say, Valentine’s Day.”

  “I can’t believe we’re already past the holidays, let alone looking at Valentine’s Day. Before I know it, it’ll be spring.” Carissa covered a yawn with the back of her hand, then rolled her stiff neck.

  “Tell me you’re at least sleeping.”

  “Oh, I’m sleeping. I swear it’s all I do. I zonked out with my head in a bridal magazine last night.” She reached for her mocha again, needing the caffeine. Under her breath, she muttered, “Josh threatened to hide my wedding binder.”

  Her friend grinned. “Good. I approve.”

  Bah. Whatever. “If it’ll make you happy, I’ll take a break. But just a little one. Like, the weekend. Maybe.”

  “I can live with that. For now.”

  “Anyone ever tell you you’re a pain in the butt?”

  “Dan tells me all the time, girlfriend. And just so we’re on the same page, I’m probably going to talk to Josh about our chat today. So he can keep an eye on you at home and make sure you’re not cheating. Not that I don’t trust you, because I do. Mostly.”

  Carissa tossed the balled up napkin across the table, nailing Maddie in the face. “Such a bossy thing you are.”

  “It’s part of my charm.”

  “Charm. Sure.”

  Maddie wrinkled up her nose, all adorable like. “So you’ve got your marching orders. Date, church, hotel, and then chill time. Maybe you’ll wake up from a long weekend of rest and everything will start to fall into place.”

  “What I’d like to wake up to is a miraculously planned wedding.” She brought her coffee to her mouth and sipped, not enjoying the way her stomach churned when the liquid found its home. Damn it, she’d forgotten breakfast again.

  “This is going to be good for you. I promise.” Maddie flicked a glance at her watch and then rushed to gather her purse. “I’ve gotta run. Meeting on the other side of town at ten.”

  “So late on a Friday afternoon?”

  “Yeah. With some hoity toity lawyer who likes to throw his weight arou
nd. Gets ornery when I don’t bend to his every whim.”

  Carissa snorted so hard that mocha burned in the back of her nose. “In that case, tell my future brother-in-law I said hello.”

  Maddie stood and waggled her eyebrows. “I’ll do that.”

  ***

  He needed a bigger bow. Maybe some twinkling lights, too.

  Josh stood back and rubbed the stubble on his chin. After all the hard work Carissa had done lately, planning their wedding and keeping him sane, she deserved something more elaborate. Something more…wow.

  “It’s a friggin’ ribbon, dude. It’s fine.” His good friend and company foreman, Tony, sauntered up beside him on the new sidewalk, hands propped on his hips. “I mean, sure, the house sorta dwarfs it, but that’s your own damn fault, building such a behemoth.”

  “Pretty sure I didn’t ask for your opinion, Dunn.” Josh cocked his head to the side and eyed the red door. That was his problem. The red bow blended in too much. Duh.

  Tony chuckled and bent down to grab a stray rock from the concrete. Whipping it into the woods, he cleared his throat. “So, today’s the big day, huh? You’re finally going to show her the end product?”

  “That’s the plan.” After he made a quick stop by Wal-Mart for a better bow and the liquor store for a bottle of wine. “You take care of that closet door?”

  His buddy nodded. “All done. This place couldn’t be any more ready for you and the little woman, though I think you’re crazy as hell for moving in in the middle of winter.”

  “No time like the present, man.” A goofy grin tugged at Josh’s mouth. He couldn’t wait to get onto the next stage of life with Carissa.

  “If you say so. Personally, I wouldn’t want the headache, but then I’ve got an eighteen month old running around, too. At least you and Car don’t have to worry about kids yet.”

  No kidding. Not that he didn’t want kids, but they should probably get married before they tackled that adventure.

  “Listen, Tony, thanks for all the overtime you’ve put in here lately. I couldn’t have done this without you and Brody.” Josh stuck out his hand and Tony took it without hesitation.

  “Don’t get all sentimental on me, bro. The bow almost put me over the edge already.”

  Josh laughed. Hell, he really was getting soft these days. At first he’d blamed it on all the wedding chitchat. Then the holidays had crept in and he’d found himself wanting to rush all the plans he and Carissa had been making. Making her his wife was the only thing he could think about these days. That and finally settling down in their forever home together.

  Jesus, he was more his mother’s son than he’d realized, wasn’t he? Scratching a hand around the back of his neck, he grinned.

  “I better get going. You head on home, too. Give Nicole a fat kiss for me. Tell her I’m sorry-not-sorry for monopolizing your time like I have.”

  Tony scoffed and turned toward his truck in the driveway. “I’ll kiss her all right, but I’ll be damned if your name will ever come into the conversation.”

  Josh laughed and watched his friend climb into the vehicle and pull away. Shifting his attention back to the house, he pulled in a deep breath. He knew what he had to do.

  Hopefully Carissa would be as excited about his surprise as he was.

  Chapter Two

  “I can barely lift my head. Can we go tomorrow? Please?” From beneath a blanket on the couch, Carissa groaned. At some point between afternoon coffee with Maddie and confirming the church reservation, she’d been hit by a semi truck. Her aching body was sure of it.

  Josh sat down on the coffee table before her and smoothed her hair back from her face. “Come on, babe. Just a quick trip, I promise.”

  “But I haven’t made dinner yet.” Hadn’t even thought about what to make, for that matter. Gah. The only good thing about today was the arrival of the weekend.

  “Not a problem. We’ll grab something while we’re out.”

  He tugged on a lock of hair and she painstakingly opened her eyes. How had she gotten so lucky? Not only was this man the kindest, most sincere person she’d ever met, he was awfully nice to look at, too.

  “I like your beard like that. It’s sexy,” she said sleepily, reaching up and tracing the line where his dark whiskers met his bare cheek. One corner of his mouth lifted and she wished he wasn’t so far away so she could kiss him.

  “You look like you’d rather have me for dinner,” he said, his voice low and knowing.

  “I would.” If only she had the energy. “But I need a nap first.”

  Josh frowned and pressed his hand to her forehead. “You sure you’re feeling okay? You’ve been down and out like this all week.”

  “Just stress,” she sighed. “Maddie thinks I need a break from the wedding plans.”

  “I’ve been telling you that for a month.”

  She closed her eyes again and pulled the blanket a little higher on her chin. “What I need is for everything to be just right.”

  “You know I’ll be happy as long as you walk down the aisle. I could care less about the other details.”

  “You say that now, but you’ll care when the day comes.” When he didn’t say anything in return, she imagined him shaking his head and looking at her like she was crazy. So she cracked one eye open to catch him in the act…only to find those dark blue eyes of his staring down at her with so much love and tenderness, her heart swelled. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered.

  “Because I love you and sometimes it’s hard to believe a girl like you could want anything to do with a guy like me.” The tip of his finger, rough yet gentle, coasted down the slope of her nose and then across her lips. “Get some sleep and we’ll check out the house tomorrow. I’ll take care of dinner.”

  And he thought he was the lucky one? “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yeah, I do, babe. Now close your eyes and rest. I’m gonna run by the youth center project, then grab us some chow.”

  “Okay.” She blew him a kiss and snuggled deeper into the cozy confines of the couch. “Love you, handsome.”

  “Love you more.”

  She opened her mouth to argue with him, but the words died in a yawn.

  ***

  “Close your eyes.” Josh slowed his truck at the last bend in the driveway, not sure who was more excited—him or Carissa. Thankfully, she’d slept well last night and had woke up this morning with more sparkle in her eyes than he’d seen in weeks. She’d even made them breakfast and had handed over her wedding binder, promising he could keep it until at least Monday.

  “But I’ve seen the outside already,” she countered from the passenger seat, looking gorgeous as hell in her red and white winter gear, cute little beanie included.

  He shook his head. “Not driving closer until you play along.”

  “Ugh.” She flung herself back in the seat and closed her eyes. “Fine. Go.”

  “Good girl.”

  To that, she smirked. “Mmm, I like it when you talk dirty like that.”

  “Ha!” He grinned. “I like that you’re feeling better.”

  Blindly, she pointed a finger at him. “Who’s not playing along now?”

  He chuckled. “What are you aiming for, babe? Trying to get me worked up so we can christen the house?”

  “We’ve already done that.”

  Sure had. More than once, though they hadn’t broken in the kitchen countertops yet.

  Shutting off the engine, he hurried around to her door to help her out. “Keep ‘em closed until I say you can look, okay?”

  She pressed her shiny pink lips into small smile and let him take her hand. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing.” But when they got to the porch, he swung her up into his arms. “Well, nothing until now.”

  She shrieked and her fist connected playfully with his chest. “Joshua Daniel, I swear…”

  He laughed and carried her up the steps to the landing. “You can look now.”

&nb
sp; Her eyes popped open, immediately going wide when she saw the big silver bow and the card attached. “Oh, my God, what is this?”

  “Grab it and see.”

  “Put me down first.”

  “Not a chance.” Another laugh rolled in his chest. “I’ve got you. Just read it.”

  She eyed him suspiciously and plucked the card from the door. “Are you about to make me cry?”

  “I hope not.” But he already saw the tiny quiver in her bottom lip as she tore into the pink envelope and pulled out the card. Shiny tears filled her eyes as she read the note he’d scribed inside.

  To my wife-to-be,

  My heart is already yours. Has been from the moment we met. You’ve carried me through some of my darkest days, though you didn’t even know it. Now let me carry you through yours, both good and bad. I promise you not only my love, but my life, too.

  Your future husband

  “The next phase our lives begins now,” he said quietly. “Are you ready?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, her cheeks damp against his own. “Baby, I’ve been ready.”

  ***

  He’d surpassed her expectations by a million miles.

  All the little details…the hand-carved vines on the stony fireplace mantle, the exquisite crown molding, even the beautifully patterned inset in the middle of the hardwood floor in the dining room…it was all perfect.

  “I’m…I’m speechless,” she murmured as they finished the tour in the kitchen and he took her hand, pulling her close.

  “A good speechless?” he asked, brushing his lips across hers.

  “Definitely good.” She pushed her hands into his dark hair and kissed him back, savoring the sweetness on his tongue, hoping she never kicked this addiction to him. “Your talent never ceases to amaze me. This place is gorgeous.”

  “This place? You mean our home.” His big hands slid down her back and onto her ass, pulling her lap into his upper thighs. The bulge from his growing erection pressed into her stomach.