Coming Home (43 page)

“It’s all she’s talked about this morning. I’m so excited that she’ll be coming to Nashville and for such a good cause.”

“Are you guys talking about me?” Maggie asked when she returned with the tea and toast.

“We sure are,” Kate said. “We’re so excited that you’ll be living close by. The Harrington girls, back together again.”

“I’m not sure which part is more exciting—the job or being with you guys.”

Jill checked her watch. “You’d better eat up and get in the shower, Kate. You don’t want to be late for your own wedding.”

Kate managed half the toast and a bit of the tea. It came rushing back up while she was in the shower, the first time she’d actually vomited since she’d been pregnant. She turned off the water, wrapped her wet hair in a towel, pulled on a robe and sat on the closed toilet for a long time, taking deep breaths to get the nausea under control. Figures it would be worse today than any day so far.

“Kate?” Jill asked through the closed door. “Are you okay?”

“Come in.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Sick.”

“Oh no.”

“It’s better now.”

“Do you want to lie down for a bit?”

“Do we have time?”

“No, but we can make time.”

“Maybe for a few minutes.”

Kate stood, and the whole world tilted, her brain spinning with the most intense dizzy spell yet.

Only Jill’s arms around her kept her from falling. “Let’s get you back into bed.”

“Why does this have to happen today of all days?”

“Because that’s the way it goes.”

Jill guided her back to bed and pulled the covers up and over her. “Rest for a while. I’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry.”

The nausea was so severe that Kate didn’t dare speak. Over the next hour, she was aware of her sisters, mother and stepmother coming in to check on her as she floated between sleep and wakefulness. And then she was fully awake, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the nausea to attack again. When it didn’t, she sat up slowly and sat perfectly still at the edge of the bed. So far, so good.

Jill came in and was surprised to see her sitting up. “How’re you doing?” Her hair had been corralled into an elegant French twist, and her makeup was done.

“Better, I think. You look great.”

“Thanks. Perfect timing. Everyone else is ready. It’s your turn, if you’re feeling up to it.”

A burst of excitement and adrenaline propelled her off the bed and into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and hair and pinched some color into her pallid cheeks.
 

She joined the others in the great room, which had been transformed for a wedding with fifty chairs arranged in a half circle in front of the fireplace. “Sorry I slept through all the work, guys.”

“Are you feeling better, honey?” her mom asked, concern etched into her face.

“Much better and ready to get married. Where do they want me?”

“Upstairs,” Jill said, leading the way. “Let’s go make you into a bride.”

Two hours later, Kate stood before a full-length mirror in one of the upstairs bedrooms, assessing her appearance from all angles. Not bad to say she’d been crippled with nausea only a short time ago. Before she donned her dress, she’d eaten a plain turkey sandwich that had gone down well. She prayed it stayed down.

The dress was made of cream-colored silk that pooled at her feet. She hadn’t wanted a train or veil, settling instead for the Harrington family’s diamond tiara that her grandmother, mother and aunt had worn at their weddings.
 

Taking a gander at her elaborately braided and arranged hair, she wondered how she’d ever find all the strategically hidden bobby pins that had been used to hold it together. She’d probably still be finding them in a year—a thought that made her giggle with excitement and nerves. How much longer?

Jill and Maggie came in a few minutes later, wearing matching red silk dresses that they had chosen for themselves and carrying bouquets made of red roses and white lilies for all of them.
 

“That color reminds me of Frannie and Jamie’s wedding,” Kate said of their dresses. “You guys look amazing.”

“So do you,” Maggie said. “Gorgeous.”

“Thank you. I don’t look too pale, do I?”

Maggie took a close look at Kate’s face. “Nope. Just right.”

“Good. Reid will zero right in if I’m too pale. Is he here yet?”

“For a while now. He and Buddy are using your room to get dressed.”

“Is Ashton with them?”

“No, but he’s here.”

Kate wondered when he planned to make his move. The room was soon full of mothers, grandmothers and junior bridesmaids, all of whom would be escorted downstairs by a male member of the family. Kate had invited only her closest friends in the business, the members of her band and a couple of people from Long Road Records. Reid had also only invited a few friends, hoping to keep the wedding small and intimate.

As far as Kate knew, the media hadn’t caught wind of the fact that they were being married today, and she hoped it stayed that way. Jill planned to release a single photo from the wedding once they were well on their way out of town.

Twenty minutes later, Buddy appeared at the door looking handsome in a dark suit with a red tie. “Wow, kid,” he said when he saw her. “You clean up real good.”

“Same to you,” Kate said, amused by him as always. “Thanks for doing this.”

“I gotta be honest, sweetheart, I feel a little weird doing something your own daddy ought to be doing, especially when he’s here.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Buddy,” Jack said from the doorway, his eyes fixed on Kate. “Would you mind if I took over?”

“Not at all,” Buddy said gallantly. He kissed Kate carefully on the cheek and left her alone with her dad.

“Do
not
make me cry,” Kate said as she blinked back tears. “No matter what you do, don’t make me cry.”

Dashingly handsome in a dark gray suit and cranberry tie, Jack laughed. “I haven’t said a word.”

“I know you. You’re going to say something, and it
will
make me cry.”

“I’ll say only that you’re stunningly beautiful, I love you and I’m happy for you—and Reid. I’ve waited your whole life for this moment, and there’s no way in hell anyone else is walking you down those stairs but me.”

She fanned her face with her hand, fighting an epic battle against the gigantic lump in her throat.
 

“Are you ready?” he asked, extending his arm.

“I need a minute.”

“Take all the time you need.”

“Now I need a tissue.”

He withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

Kate dabbed carefully at her eyes, surrounded by the familiar scent of his cologne on the linen cloth. “Nothing you could’ve said or done would’ve made me happier today than having you give me away,” she said as she tucked the handkerchief back in his pocket and curled her hand into the crook of his elbow.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come around.”

“All that matters is that you got here in time.”

“Shall we?”

“Yes, please. Let’s go.”

Minutes before he was due in the great room, Reid wrestled with an uncooperative cufflink.
 

Buddy came to the rescue. “Allow me.”

“What’re you doing down here? You’re supposed to be with Kate.”

“Her daddy relieved me.”

“Did he? Oh, that’s great news.”

Buddy finished with the cufflink and took it upon himself to straighten Reid’s tie. “He took his own sweet time getting onboard, didn’t he?”

“Doesn’t matter now. He’s here, he’s giving her away and that’s all I care about.”

“Ya look real good, not that you don’t always. Goddamned ageless freak.”

“I love you, too,” Reid said with a laugh.

“I do love you, brother. You know that, right?”

“That’s one thing I’ve never doubted in my entire life.”

“Mama loved the corsage you sent her.”

“She’s the closest thing to a mother I have left.”

“It was a nice thing to do. Made her cry.”

“Aww, isn’t she sweet?”

Ashton came into the room, carrying a white box. “For the groom.”

“Need me to put that on for you?” Buddy asked. To Ashton, he said, “I had to dress his ass.”

“One cufflink,” Reid said.

“I’ll take care of it,” Ashton said. “In fact, Buddy, I know you’re the one he actually asked, but if it’s all the same to you—”

“Say no more. It’s a good thing my ego is nice and healthy, because it sure is taking a beating around here.”

“Second time he got fired today,” Reid told Ashton.

“You could do with a little humility,” Ashton said to his godfather, who guffawed and flipped him the bird on the way out of the room. “I hope that was okay,” Ashton said as he pinned a white rose to Reid’s lapel.
 

“It was more than okay. As much as I love Buddy, there’s no one I’d rather have stand beside me today than you.”

“I had a feeling that might be the case.” He brushed some lint off the arm of Reid’s dark suit. “I was hoping you might return the favor next summer.”

“Really?”

Ashton smiled and nodded. “I asked her last night, and she said yes.”

“Aw, son, I’m so happy for you.” He drew Ashton into a hug, mindful of not crushing the flower.

“Thanks, Dad. Check us out—marrying sisters.”

“That’ll give the tabloids something to talk about.”

“Let ’em talk. Happy birthday, by the way. I meant to say that earlier.”

“Thanks. Just what I needed—to get even older, today of all days.”

Ashton laughed.

“But it made sense to do it when her family was going to be here anyway.” Reid paused and glanced at his son, so young and handsome with his whole life before him. “Listen, son, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Sure. Whatever you need.”

“It’s kind of a big deal.”

“Okay…”

“So, you know, Kate doesn’t like to talk about the fact that she’ll probably have a lot of years without me.”

“I don’t want to talk about that either. Especially not today.”

“I know, but here’s the thing… She’s pregnant with a baby we both want very much.”

“Oh. I wondered if you guys would have kids.”

“I know it’s a lot to lay on you when you’ve been my only child for so long—”

“In case you failed to notice, I’m a big boy now, Dad. I think I can handle it.”
 

Reid smiled, amused and moved by Ashton’s support. “If the day comes when I can’t be there for them—”

“I will be. As of today, they’re both family to me. You don’t have to ask.”

Reid hugged him again. “Your mom would be so proud of you. I sure am.”

“I never get tired of hearing that.”
 

“We should probably get out there so Kate doesn’t think I stood her up.”

“We can’t have that.”

Reid gestured for his son to lead the way and followed him out of the bedroom. In the great room, every seat was taken and a hush fell over the guests when he and Ashton walked to the front of the gathering and shook hands with Reid’s longtime friend, Superior Court Judge William Branch, who was officiating.

Buddy’s girls were first down the stairs. They were beautiful in fancy red dresses and were accompanied by Kate’s brothers Rob, John and Nick. Eric and Max had begged to be left out of the wedding party, and Kate had reluctantly agreed.

Next came Maggie and then Jill, who shared a private smile with Ashton as she took her place across the aisle from where they waited for Kate.

She appeared at the top of the stairs on the arm of her father, looking radiant and happy and absolutely gorgeous.

Ashton nudged him. “Breathe.”

Until that moment, Reid hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. It wasn’t the first time she’d taken his breath away and he’d wager it wouldn’t be the last. And then she was there before him, looking up at him with those dazzling blue eyes. He shook hands with her father, who took a seat in the front row between his wife and Kate’s mother, both of whom extended a hand to him.

“Happy birthday,” Kate said with a smile.

He leaned in to kiss her. “Best birthday of my life.”

“Not yet,” Judge Branch said to laughter from the guests.

Since nothing else about their relationship had been traditional, they’d decided to go with traditional vows that they recited with prompting from Judge Branch. Rings were exchanged, and then the judge was pronouncing them husband and wife, and Reid was kissing her, his wife. Kate… At long last, his wife.

Only when he felt her fingertips on his face did he realize he was crying—and so was she. He gathered her into his arms and held on tight while she did the same. When he released her, her smile reassured him and the squeeze of her hand in his grounded him.