Sweet Peas in April (14 page)
His lips found her forehead and cheek. Comforting, gentle kisses, which eased the panic engulfing her.
Her hands finally free, she wrapped her arms around him, clinging to his body as if it were the only thing keeping her from drowning.
Running footsteps filled the room. “Armed police, don't move.”
Adam glanced up. “He's down. We're safe.” He turned back to Sam. “I was so worried about you.”
“You got my text,” she whispered.
“It took a little while to work it out, but yeah.” He kissed her again.
“A clever lawyer like you?” She closed her eyes, leaning against him. His familiar scent encompassed her, his arms protecting her, as more cops filled the room.
Adam's fingers tilted her face to his. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She wasn't going to tell him about being tied up and possibly drugged. His eyes were dark with anger still, and she didn't want him to start on Peter again.
“Good.” He kissed his way down her face, finally finding her lips. His kiss was gentle, light, and not long enough. “I love you,” he whispered. “I want, I want⦔
Her heart skipped a beat. “Want what?”
“Want you both to go to the hospital and get checked over,” David said.
Adam rolled his eyes. “Really?”
“And stitched up,” David insisted.
“I'm fine.”
“You look it.”
Sam closed her eyes, the dizziness returning as the adrenaline drained from her body. “Actually, I don't feel so good⦔
Adam put a hand on her forehead. “Sam?”
“Dizzy and hot.” She looked at him. “I love you.”
Adam swung her into his arm, eliciting another gasp of pain from him. “Then I'll go to the hospital with you.”
David touched his arm. “Let me or the medics take her.”
Adam shook his head. “Sam is my wife.”
She slid an arm around his neck. “That I am,” she whispered, nestling into him.
His steps a little unsteady at times, Adam carried her to the ambulance.
“I'll meet you at the hospital,” David said. “I'll bring your car.”
“Keys in my jacket pocket.”
David pulled them out. “See you soon.”
Adam nodded and climbed into the ambulance. “I have something of yours,” he said as he laid her on the gurney. He sat on the chair on the other side, letting the paramedic start work on Sam. He pulled out her chain from his shirt and held it up.
“I wore my ring on my finger on Friday,” she said. The paramedic wired her up and the machine started beeping. “Then when I realized the money trail led straight to me, I took it off, put it on the chain around my neck, and hid it. I blamed Mrs. Bryant because I knew I was going down for this and didn't want you to feel bad about having to grass me up for it. But later I realized it was Peter, and it was too late to do anything to stop him.”
“Freddie is the PI working the case,” Adam said. His gaze flickered between her and the paramedic. Even now he was protecting her, watching out for her.
“Oh⦔ She closed her eyes, another wave of dizziness swamping her.
“Sam?” Adam's voice came from a long way off as the vehicle started moving.
“I'm a fool. I should have trusted you.”
“Actually, it worked to our advantage. It put everyone off the scent long enough for me to get to the truth.”
“Until they arrested you and blamed me.”
Adam smiled. “That was a cover story. I finally got that star acting role I always wanted in drama class. The real culprit didn't hide his trail well enough. Peter had accomplices and one of them tripped up.”
“We always did make a good team, except when we stuff things up.”
He took her wedding ring off the chain. “Sam, would you wear this again? We can fix things, I know we can. I love you and I don't want to lose you again.”
Sam held out her hand, smiling as he slid the ring back on her finger where it belonged. “Love you too.”
13
Adam sucked in a deep breath, not sure why he was so nervous. He and Sam had talked about this on the drive back from Wolf Point, but now they were actually here, he wasn't sure he was ready. But they needed this, needed to do this before they dived back into the world that awaited them. The police and press interviews were ahead of them, and they would have to deal with the mess that Peter and his cohorts had created.
Sam slid a hand into his. “Ready?” Her quiet voice grounded him. He wasn't alone.
He nodded. “Yeahâ¦kind of.”
They walked across the car park and along the tree-lined path that wound through the cemetery.
“Have you been back since she died?” he asked.
Sam shook her head. “No. Iâ¦I know I should have, and it isn't that I didn't have time, but I was so angry.”
“I come every year,” he said quietly. “On her birthday.” He took a deep breath. “It wasn't your fault, I know that. I've always known that. But lashing out at you and God⦔ He paused as they reached the small grave. “Maybe if we'd both been Christians things would have been different.”
Sam looked at him. “We wouldn't have been alone in handling this.”
He held her gaze, her hand warm in his. “No. Despite my faith, I'm still mad at God for taking her.”
“Me too,” she whispered. “And I know that's wrong, but I can't help it.”
Adam bent down, laying the bunch of sweet peas and the teddy bear on the grave. As he straightened, soft footfalls came across the path behind them.
“Sorry I'm late.” Pastor Jack pushed his hair from his eyes as a gentle wind blew around them.
“We've not long been here,” Sam replied. “Thank you for doing this.”
Pastor Jack smiled. “It's an important step you're taking here. You're handing Imogen into God's hands and saying goodbye properly. And two o'clock tomorrow afternoon is fine, by the way. Carson has cleared his diary so he's available to sit in as well.”
Adam nodded. “Thanks.” He wasn't looking forward to the combined grief and marriage counseling, but that, like this, was something he and Sam both needed if they were going to have any kind of a future together.
“Shall we?” Pastor Jack opened his Bible and began reading.
****
Sam sat in church, a bouquet of sweet peas in her hand, aware of Adam behind her. Tears filled her eyes as Dad and LaVera exchanged vows. She wiped a hand over her eyes, not wanting to get tear stains on her new dress. Made of pale lemon satin, it hugged every curve and had cost Adam a small fortune. He'd insisted on paying and shopping until they found a dress she liked and would wear again.
It had been a strange week, full of hospital tests, and then countless interviews with the fraud squad, police, lawyers and a dozen other people. She had resigned her position as CEO of Wyatt Finance, but she didn't care. It had brought her nothing but heartache since she'd been working there, and whoever took over and shook things up was welcome to it.
She wanted to work for the charity again, but that depended on how long it took to clear her name.
Adam's hand rested on her shoulder from where he sat in the pew behind her and she smiled. She'd moved into his place, hers still being a crime scene, but was sleeping in the spare room, by mutual consent. They'd decided to take things slowlyâ¦at least for now.
Yes, they were married, but too much had happened over the last two weeks, never mind the last ten years, for her to take it all in.
She had to admit, she'd loved the dating the past few days. The walks in the park, dinners, lunches, watching TV in the evenings, sitting on the sofa with her feet lying across his lap and nicking his raisins when he wasn't looking. They had fallen in love with each other afresh. The blistering kisses and burning touches reignited the love they once shared. The fire they both longed for would come.
The best part was the time spent in prayer together each night. Sharing the Bible, sharing something they hadn't had before cemented their relationship in a way neither had imagined.
As her father and step-mother went to sign the register at the front of the church, Adam slid into the seat beside her. “I have something to ask you, Sam.”
“What's that?”
He took her hand and she held his gaze. The scar on his cheek was still held together with butterfly closures, and faint bruising marked his face. Despite this, he'd never been more handsome than he was now. “How would you feel about renewing our wedding vows?”
She caught her breath. “Really?”
“Yes.” He raised her fingers to his lips, kissing them. “Having you around this week, almost losing you forever, made me realize what an idiot I was to have let you go. If you can forgive me for walking out, for blaming you when it was no one's fault Immy died, then⦔
“There's been no one else since you” she said, just wanting to make doubly sure he knew every part of her was still his.
“Nor with me,” he held up his left hand. “That part of my heart has been, and always shall be, yours. It has Sam engraved on it, just as much as the inside of this ring does.”
Sam leaned forward and kissed him. “I love you. I'll renew my vows with you anywhere you want.”
Adam kissed her back. “Then let's do it.” He nodded to someone behind him.
Sam glanced up to see Pastor Jack stand and go over to Pastor Kenny, who had just married her father. “Adam?”
“I kind of prearranged it,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “Pastor Jack said he'd do it and Pastor Kenny had no objection. So long as it's what we both want.”
“It is.” She kissed him. “Does this mean I get to see the inside of your room tonight?”
Adam nodded. “Yesâ¦but I'll have to change the sheets on the bed.”
“That's fine. You can warm my cold feet.”
He winked. “No, I'm planning on warming mine on you.”
The music finished and Dad and LaVera finished signing the register and posing for photos.
Pastor Kenny led them back to their seats and then looked out over the congregation. “Before Vincent and LaVera leave and you all go outside for photographs, we have another reason to celebrate. Sam, Vincent's daughter, and her husband Adam are going to renew their vows. So if they would like to come forward, please?”
Sam gripped the bouquet of sweet peas in one hand and Adam's hand in the other. He stood and walked with her to the front of the church. His smile filled her with hope for the future, and she knew that with God's help, this time, they'd make the marriage work. They had their love and God. What more did they need?
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