To Honor and To Protect (23 page)

“I heard.” It wasn’t the response to his revelations he’d anticipated, but he wasn’t above using Andy as a way in. He wanted to get to know his son and he believed with a little time he could win Addi back, too.

“He’s a smart kid.” A tear slipped down her cheek and she swiped it away impatiently. “You’re the only man I ever wanted him to address that way.”

“Does that mean...”

“I never stopped loving what we had, Drew.” Her words were tender, but she stepped back again. “I don’t think my heart is capable of loving another man like I loved you.”

Past tense.
Damn it. Sensing the worst, he shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from grabbing her. Every muscle in his body was ready to hold and cling, but he worried that if he made a move before she was ready, he’d scare her away.

“You should know what you’re getting into,” she said, her eyes on their son.

“Tell me.” Good or bad, nothing she could say would sway him from wanting to be part of their lives, however she’d have him. They had a son who wanted and needed his dad and his mom.

“The routine can be monotonous,” she began. “School, homework, bedtime.”

So far, no problem.

“Moods—”

“Yours or his?”

“Both,” she admitted, her lips tilting. “There’s soccer and laundry and meals.”

“I like to eat,” he said, warming to the topic. “I can even cook.”

“This is serious.”

“I know.”

“A commitment.”

“I’m ready.” He caught the quick hitch of her breath, pressed his advantage. “Whether you can love me again or not, I love our son. Let me be there for him.”

“But I want you to be there for
you
.” She crossed her arms and glared. “What about your community work in Detroit?”

He shook his head. “Sweetheart, it was a place to hide. Those programs are in good hands, though I wouldn’t mind checking in on the kids periodically. I was marking time, that’s all, just to keep from interfering in the life you’d created without me.”

“There hasn’t been a day since we met that you weren’t in my life.” She tapped her fingers against her heart. “I’ve been raising Drew 2.0.”

“And doing a fine job.” He couldn’t stand it; he draped an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go the rest of the way together.”

“You mean it?”

He nodded. “We have another shot, Addi. Either push me away or tell me you’ll marry me so we can get to work on the other three kids we wanted to have.”

“You remember that?” she asked on a shaky laugh.

He moved so they were facing each other again. He wouldn’t leave room for any doubts. “I remember everything. We wanted four kids and the farmhouse for summer vacations, and by this time I was supposed to be looking for a unit that wouldn’t send me away quite so often.”

“We were good at the long-distance thing.”

“We’re better together.” He kissed her until they were both breathless. “You were going to teach law once the kids were all in school. On our twenty-fifth anniversary I was going to re-create our honeymoon.”

“You thought that far ahead?”

“From the moment you agreed to marry me.”

“Where were we going on our honeymoon?”

He had her now, he knew it. “Eight years ago, it was Belize.”

“Oh, that sounds nice.”

“Now I’m thinking Disneyland.”

“Disneyland?”

“It’s a family-friendly kind of honeymoon. We’ll get a suite,” he added with a suggestive wink. “Plus, it puts a positive spin on these major changes in Andy’s life and gives him a chance to say goodbye to his friends.”

“Don’t say that too loudly.”

“Why not? Does he hate theme parks?”

“He loves them,” she said, gazing up at him. Her mouth curved in her most beautiful smile, her beautiful eyes glowing with happiness. “You’ll be an amazing dad.”

“I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be half as good as you’ve been as a mom.”

“What if I’m a lousy wife?”

“Not a chance.”

“You sound pretty certain. I’ve been doing the solo act a long time. What if I’m too set in my ways?”

“Not a chance,” he repeated. “From where I’m standing you’ve been making our dreams come true.”

“But the most vital piece was missing,” she murmured, lacing her fingers with his. “You.”

“I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me,” he said. “I love you, Addison.”

“I love you, too. I always will.”

“So say you’ll marry me and let’s start making up for lost time.”

“I’ll marry you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her soft body to his. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Promise me you won’t answer any kind of phone or summons until we exchange vows and you kiss the bride.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “It’s a deal.”

“I might not let you out of my sight between now and then.”

“That works just fine for me.”

“I can’t wait to be your wife.”

“We’re getting married?” Andy raced over and threw himself into their hug. “You’ll be my dad?”

Drew nodded. “I always have been, son.”

“Yes!” Andy did a fist pump. “Wait.” He stopped his victory dance and stared up at his mom. “Always?”

“It’s true,” she replied. “Your dad was lost for a long time and no one knew he was even still alive. But he’s back now and we’re going to be a family.”

Drew had never felt more certain about anything when she smiled at him that way. All those wishes on all those stars were finally coming true. “We’ll tell you the whole story as soon as we’re out of here.”

After a brief exchange with Casey, they were cleared to leave, with a protective detail as a final precaution.

Nothing and no one could stop them now.

Epilogue

New Orleans, Louisiana
Saturday, August 2, 4:45 p.m.

Addison smoothed a hand over the soft, sleek skirt of her wedding gown, stunned by the absolute lack of butterflies in her stomach. Nerves were expected for any bride, and considering her rocky road to this day, she would’ve been entitled to plenty. But she knew Drew would be there this time and not just because he sent her a text message update every ten minutes.

She laughed when her phone chimed with another one, this time with a shot of Andy in his tuxedo, practicing serious ring bearer faces in the mirror. She was about to have the happy beginning she’d dreamed of and Andy was about to start a lifetime with his father.

She thought of the farmhouse they would turn into a home after their honeymoon. They would be a family at last. Complete and whole and stronger for the fire that had forged their relationship.

“You made the right choice. Then and now.” Bernadette smiled as Addison checked her reflection one last time.

“I did.” She’d gone back and forth about the dress. Drew hadn’t seen the original, and during the whirlwind planning for today, he’d carefully avoided any reference to their first wedding attempt. She and Bernadette had shopped boutiques and she’d tried on gowns in various styles, but nothing else felt as right as the gown she’d chosen the first time.

With her mother’s pearls glowing above the strapless sweetheart neckline and the lace that hugged her curves from bust to waist, she hoped to make Drew’s jaw drop. But she hadn’t done a complete carbon copy of the day he’d missed. That wouldn’t honor what they’d been through. Instead of an updo with a veil, she left her hair down in loose waves, pulled back from her face with luminous pearl-studded combs.

“Take your bouquet and let’s go or Drew will think you’ve left him this time.”

She laughed. “Never!” As she waited out of sight for Andy and then Bernadette to enter the small chapel, she sighed happily.

“Ready?” Professor Hastings offered his arm.

“More than.” She beamed. “Here’s to the first moment of the best days of our lives.”

“You look lovely,” he whispered, making her smile as the music changed for her procession.

She felt lovely. She’d felt confident and beautiful in the dressing room, but when Drew’s eyes locked with hers the awareness shifted to an all-new high. With him in his tuxedo, with their son by his side, her world felt complete at last. It was a priceless image she’d hold in her heart forever.

Her steps were sure, her smile unquenchable as she approached the altar. At last she and Drew could seize the dream that had been stolen from them eight years ago. The words and motions of the ceremony barely registered, her heart was so full of Drew and the sheer joy between them.

With the exchange of vows and rings, she heard the words that mattered most, the words she so recently thought would never be spoken for her—“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Drew’s lips were warm and gentle and a loud cheer nearly blew the roof off the chapel when they turned to face everyone who’d come to celebrate their wedding.

Her arm linked with Drew’s, she felt as if she were floating on a cloud down the aisle.

“Happy?” Drew asked as he helped her into the carriage that would take them to the reception.

“That’s not a big enough word for everything I feel, but it’s a good start.” She looked at him, seeing the happiness and love in his eyes. “You can’t be worried I’ll have regrets.”

“I’m not.” He gave her hand a squeeze, rubbing his thumb over the gleaming gold of her wedding band. “It’s hard to believe this day is real. It’s a miracle.”

“Yes, it is.”

“But we’re not the same people we were when we first attempted this,” he said.

She patted his thigh, so grateful she’d have the rest of her life to share affection and passion in equal measure. “Allow me to disagree. We’ve both had some hard mileage in the years we were apart, but it made us stronger individuals. Nothing we’ve been through changed my soul-deep love for you.”

“I love you, Mrs. Bryant.”

Sweeter words were never spoken. His sexy grin made her pulse jump. She tipped her face up for a lingering, searing kiss this time. “I love you, too, Mr. Bryant. It will only ever be you for me.”

* * *

“
H
E’D MAKE ONE
hell of a Specialist,” Emmett said quietly to Thomas as Drew and Addison mingled with their guests at the reception. “If not in the field, as an instructor.”

“I offered,” Thomas said as the happy couple moved out in front of the band for their first dance as husband and wife. “He turned me down.”

“Our loss.”

“Yes, but I sure don’t hold his priorities against him.” Thomas slid a look across the table where his wife was chatting with his sister and Emmett’s wife, Cecelia. How much longer before he and Jo could get started on their own family? “Drew and Addison have done more than enough for their country. They need some space to make up for lost time.”

As if on cue, Andy rushed onto the dance floor and Drew scooped him up. The three of them swayed to the music and hope radiated like sunshine from the young family.

Emmett escorted Cecelia out when the music changed and Thomas walked over, extending a hand to Jo. The happiness was contagious, he thought. With his wife in his arms, and the romance swirling around them, he pushed away thoughts of work, enjoying the hard-earned peace of the present moment.

Tomorrow was soon enough to think about the next assignment.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from NAVY SEAL NEWLYWED by Elle James Elle.

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