"I am sorry, Emmie and Silas. Sometimes it's better to just let her go with these ideas." Gabe shook his head.

Why had he apologized to Silas also? What on earth was in this box? Emmie pulled the red ribbon off the box and lifted the lid.

"Stop," Ava screamed. "Get him out of here." Ava pointed at Silas, who actually jumped, startled at her words.

"Sorry, but she's right, come on." Gabe pulled Silas out of the room. Trick followed. Emmie's mouth dropped open as she pulled the heavy white garment out of the box.

"Jemma and I picked it out last week and we had it fitted to her since you two are about the same size.

"You bought me a wedding dress?" Emmie asked, baffled.

"I was afraid if I didn't you wouldn't have gotten one for yourself. It's Irish lace, quite perfect, don't you think?" Ava asked, holding the dress up to her friend. "Ah, I could die for how beautiful you will be. So, winter wedding? Spring? Summer? What's the plan?"

"Well, we were actually thinking of a small ceremony. You know, just find a preacher and take the vows? I was never after a fancy wedding," she answered honestly.

"If you're marrying Silas, it will be a priest," Ava corrected and then continued. "That's fine but if you don't have me there with you I will never speak to you again."

"I won't do it without you," Emmie promised.

"Now let's go try this on," Ava said, pulling her friend to a bedroom on the main floor.

"If this is Marco's bedroom, it sure has a lot of flowers," Emmie said and Ava smiled.

"Marco gave us the house as a wedding gift," Ava said sheepishly.

"Oh my goodness. Wow, that's amazing. It's a beautiful home, Ava," Emmie said honestly.

She looked at the dress in Ava's hands. "Are you sure I need to try this on in the middle of the night?"

"Are you tired?"

"No," Emmie answered.

"Then we need to be sure this thing fits." Ava laughed nervously.

It did and it was perfect.

Chapter Fifty-four.

No one woke in the Del Grande house until nearly noon the next day. Emmie felt more at ease than she had in months as she drank her coffee, watching the winter sun rise higher in the sky. Silas and Trick had left to check on things at the office and she enjoyed the peace and quiet of Ava's new home. Well, she enjoyed it until Ava woke up. Her friend awoke in a dead panic, rus.h.i.+ng to get ready. She put on a dress that was entirely too fancy to wander around a house in all day, painted her face up like a doll, and rolled her hair into neat waves.

"Emmie you look like death. Drop that coffee cup and get in here," she shouted from the bedroom.

Emmie frowned, staring over her coffee cup at her friend. "Why thank you, Ava. You look lovely this morning."

"We don't have time for this, get in here," Ava said, staring at her friend.

"I think I liked it better when you woke up upchucking," Emmie mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that, Emmie," she mouthed.

"I meant for you to," Emmie said. "At least you didn't tell me I looked like death."

Ava all but pushed her into a chair and started painting her face.

Emmie pulled the brush from her friend's hand. "What on earth are you doing?"

Ava crossed her arms over her chest. "Silas said I couldn't say, but he said if you asked too many questions to give you this."

Emmie took the folded note from Ava's hands. Her hands shook as she read the short note.

Emmie, I know you said notes are for cowards so forgive me for this one. You are eager to get married and so I am. You said you didn't want to plan a wedding. I've taken care of it. See you at two.

Love, S.M.

She looked up at Ava with wide eyes then back at her reflection in the mirror. She did look like death. "You better get to work on me, Ava. We haven't much time."

She arrived at St. Joseph just before two. Her heart warmed as she saw Walter waiting outside for her. He was in black dress pants and a b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt. He'd trimmed his beard a good three or four inches.

"You cleaned up right nice," she said, wrapping him in a hug.

"So did you, Emmie. You look more like your mama every day," he added as an afterthought.

Ava squeezed her arm. "I'm going on in. I'll see you in a few, okay?" She kissed her cheek.

She and Walter stood in silence outside for a moment while the organ music picked up inside. Ava had told her that would be her cue to walk in. Emmie turned and looped her arm through Walter's.

"Thanks for always being here for me," she said with a smile, stepping toward the door. "I wondered why you were coming back to Bowling Green when you could have stayed a few more weeks before coming home for Christmas. You came home for this wedding, didn't you?"

Walter nodded. "I wouldn't let you marry somebody without us being there. I'm the one that's been barking to him about putting that ring on your finger. I had to be sure he followed through."

Emmie laughed.

He bit his lip. "You know it ain't too late if you decided not to do this, right? I got my truck parked out there on the street, we could just walk the other way." His voice was teasing, but something in his eyes let her know if she wanted to leave he'd take her.

She snorted a laugh and pulled Walter to the door. "There is nowhere else I'd rather be today."

He gave his grunt of approval and smiled as she turned to face forward. He pushed open the door. Emmie scanned the pews. It was full of her family. Mae and Max sat near the front with Silas's family. Marco, Gabe, his mother, and all of Ava's family sat just behind them. She was surprised to see he had even invited the butcher brothers, who nodded as she pa.s.sed by. The two that surprised her most were Bo and his sister. They sat in the very back of the church. She felt her throat tighten at the sight of them. Thank you, she mouthed. He only nodded; Millie smiled. As she neared the end of the aisle, she focused on Silas. He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. He wore a black suit tailored to fit his body, but it was his smile that made him look so appealing. He hugged Walter with a slap on the back as the old man pa.s.sed her off. His hands were warm as they encircled hers. They made promises in front of G.o.d and all those they loved. When it came time for him to slip the ring on her finger, he pulled the teal pouch out of his pocket. It was the same tiny bag Gabe had handed to him yesterday. He gently pulled open the strings and out fell a small platinum ring. He grabbed the black onyx and pearl ring on her left hand and moved it to her right hand.

"I said this ring was about my promises to you and those you've made to yourself. I meant that. I also will honor the things you asked of me in the hospital," he whispered quietly and nodded out to the audience behind them. She couldn't help but notice his head inclined to Walter and maybe Bo? He was promising to take care of her family.

"But this ring," he said, holding it up so she could see it, "this ring is about our future and the promises we are making to one another today." The ring was a bright yellow diamond surrounded by tiny white cl.u.s.ters. It was much smaller than her black onyx ring but she thought it fit her perfectly.

He clearly thought so too because, after they exchanged the traditional vows, he ran his thumb over the ring and whispered in her ear, "Come rain or s.h.i.+ne, the yellow diamond is to remind us to try and have more s.h.i.+ne than rain in our life together."

She smiled at his words. When it was time for her vows she pulled his ring off her little finger and slipped it onto his hand. His ring was a no-nonsense band, which was perfect. She'd asked Ava take her to the jeweler on the way to the altar. She'd paid a considerable price to have the words Mo Chuisle engraved on the inside of the band. It was last minute, but it was a perfect detail. She turned the ring to the side to show him the words. He grinned and kissed her before he was formally told to do so. But since when did Silas follow other people's rules? It was a perfect wedding, followed by a great meal with family and friends at Ava's parent's house.

Emmie had one last surprise in store for the day. Silas had driven her just down the street to a small stone cottage with an arched entry and a pointed chimney billowing with puffs of white smoke.

"I'm just renting this place for now, but we can buy it if you want. I didn't want to decide that without you," he said, turning off the car.

"It's lovely," she said, looking at the house.

"Plus, I know you've a fondness for Dr. Stone's place lately, so I've talked to Pop. I'd like to start a firm in Louisville. It will require long hours in the beginning, but I'm thinking I'd like to give it a try," he said.

"Long hours in the office?" she asked with a smile.

He nodded. "Would you want to move to Louisville for a while?"

Emmie smiled. "Sounds like an adventure to me. Do you think Dr. Stone would let me continue to help out at his house?"

"I'm sure, especially with the funding Walter has secured for him." Silas laughed.

"Walter?" she asked, confused.

"Oh, Bo and Walter, have a plan to filter some money up to Dr. Stone to help other children like Max. At first, I actually didn't believe you weren't involved in the idea, but the surprised look on your face tells me you weren't."

"Wow," she said, unable to say more right away. "Maybe we could organize something like the Bell House for those families?"

Silas nodded and popped open his door. "We'll talk to Pop about it before we go to the doctor with a plan."

Emmie could feel the smile spreading across her face as Silas ran around the car and opened her door.

"What?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I just figured out that I really am going to have it all," she said.

He laughed. It came out as a deep throaty sound. "You're about to have it all."

She looked at him confused. He reached down and picked her up, kicking the car door closed with his foot. "Silas, no, you're still hurt."

"Shh . . . I'm strong enough to carry you across the threshold," he snapped at her playfully.

He carried her through the small living room, down the hall, and into the bedroom. "Brr . . . it sure was cold out there. I'm in need of a little warming up. And I seem to remember promising to show you what melted felt like."

Emmie blushed from her toes to her hair. Something in his eyes told her he was serious. She propped up on her elbows and watched him as he tossed his jacket on the floor and unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt. She sighed as she saw his chest was still wrapped in gauze.

She reached her finger out and touched it. "Are you sure you're up for this? What if it hurts you? We have the rest of our life and I don't want you hurt."

He laughed as he unb.u.t.toned his pants. They fell loose and hung low on his hips. His grin made her heart stop beating. "You may as well just stop talking because your pleas are falling on deaf ears. You are mine and we've been waiting for this a long time. I'll be d.a.m.ned if I'm going to let some little scratch keep me from you."

"It's more than a scratch," she mumbled but lost her voice as he undid the last b.u.t.ton of her wedding dress. The top pooled at her waist and he jerked it the rest of the way off, leaving her in only the thin slip. He laughed to himself as he traced the seams over her chest.

"This is the one I met you in, isn't it?"

She could only nod because her voice was gone at the sight of him caressing her. His hair covered an eye and the corded muscles of his arms rippled with each movement.

"I like that you wore this but I have to say I'm even more curious about what's under it," he said, working his fingers up her thighs. She laughed knowing what he was looking for.

He pushed her slip up to her waist and gave her a devilish grin, spreading his hands wide over her hips. "My little Gold Medal gal."

"I knew you'd be lookin' for my flour sacks tonight after Ava gave me your note," she said and giggled.

He dropped a kiss on her stomach just below her belly b.u.t.ton. Everywhere he touched her and kissed her, her body warmed, until she melted in his arms.

The next morning Emmie awoke to find the sunlight streaming in through the window. Silas's arms and legs were wrapped around her. She pushed herself back against his chest and listened to him breathe heavily in his sleep. After a moment she turned to face him, kissing his nose and then his cheek. He smiled before his eyes ever opened.

"Are you already cold again?" he asked, gripping her tighter to his body.

Emmie laughed. "How can I be cold when I'm living with my own personal sun, willing to warm me whenever I need it?"

He snorted in surprise at her words. But soon his soft laugh turned to a kiss on her neck. He whispered in her ear, "Do you think of me as your sun . . . all of the time or do you only consider me the sun in your bedroom?"

"An always sun. You make me happy. Bedroom or not."

"I like the idea of being your sun, because that's what you've always been to me," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled and laughed, turning his words on him. "In the bedroom sun or in general sun?"

His laugh became throaty again and he pulled her on top of him. "Both."

Emmie threw her head back and laughed. "I love you, Silas McDowell." She pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Come rain or s.h.i.+ne . . . I will always love you."

Silas put his lips against her ear and whispered softly, "I love you, Mo Chuisle."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Allison Jewell lives in southern Kentucky with her husband, two sons, and dog. When she isn't hard at work on her next novel, she can be found doing one of her favorite things: watching her oldest son chase the puck at the local hockey rink, hanging out at home listening to records with her husband, or making up silly songs with her youngest son.

Facebook: Allison Jewell.