Texas…Now and Forever Page 16
Luke and Ricky had recovered a lot of ground since the night they took down Frank Del Brio. According to the coroner, it was anyone’s guess whether Del Brio died from the bullet through his heart or through his brain.
Neither Luke nor Ricky particularly cared. Del Brio was out of the picture. Haley and Lena were safe. The FBI had come through with their promise of immunity for Ricky and Johnny Mercado. The band of brothers stood together again.
All was right with the world, Luke decided. But he didn’t have any idea how right until a rustle of movement swept through the guests. Luke heard a few excited murmurs. A moment later the organist hit a loud chord and Mendelssohn’s glorious “Wedding March” pumped into the air.
“Here we go.” Ricky’s murmur reached him over the swelling notes. “You ready, pal?”
“Just keep that ring handy.”
A swish of skirts announced the arrival of Haley’s maid of honor. Ginger Walton Turner had wanted Daisy Parker to perform the same service at her wedding a few months ago. Haley hadn’t dared risk the exposure then. Today the two friends could both bask in their happiness.
Three bridesmaids followed Ginger along the petal-strewn carpet to the tee box. Ellen Harrison, Josie Carson and Marisa Murdoch took their places beside Ginger.
Suddenly the organist put all she had into the equivalent of a drumroll. The notes rose higher, louder, startling a cry from Lena. Five men bent toward the infant. With a sheepish grin, four stepped back.
Luke straightened a moment later. With his daughter nestled in the crook of his arm, he stood tall and waited for Haley. She came down the aisle slowly, matching her pace to her father’s. Only days out of the hospital, Johnny Mercado still moved cautiously, but both father and daughter were serenely oblivious of the gasps of astonishment that rose when they appeared.
“She’s wearing red!” Luke heard someone exclaim.
Not any red. Hot, chili-pepper red. Red gown. Red shoes. Red roses wreathed in her hair. She’d worn it for Luke, so he could see the haze of bright color silhouetted against the white chairs and miles of netting. So he could see his bride.
He hadn’t thought that he could love her any more than he already did, but his heart swelled at that glorious blaze. His heart swelling, he stepped down to take her hand from her father’s.
“Couldn’t you leave that child in her carrier for a half hour?” she asked, laughing.
“Nope.” Hitching Lena up higher, he escorted his women back to the platform. “Any more than I can leave her behind when we take off on our honeymoon.”
“Which begs the question,” Haley murmured as the music swelled to a final crescendo, “where are we going?”
“You pick it. The Caribbean. Hawaii. Europe.”
“I’d like to go back to London. We left in such a hurry, I never said goodbye to my friends.”
The music died. The minister stepped forward. Luke cut him off before he got out more than “Dearly Beloved.”
“Hang on a minute, will you, padre?”
Startled, the minister looked to the best man, who shook his head. The guests exchanged equally confused glances as Luke smiled down at the pale, blurred oval of Haley’s face.
“We can go anywhere you want, my darling, whenever you want, as long as we come home once in a while.”
More astonished gasps rose from the guests as the bride threw her arms around her not-quite-yet husband’s neck.
“I am home. For good this time. It’s you and Texas, Luke. Now and forever.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear, sweetheart.”
He bent toward her, provoking an amused observation from the minister. “The kiss usually comes after the vows, you know.”
“Not this time, padre.”
Glorying in the love that radiated from the woman in red, Luke wrapped his free arm around her waist. As he pulled Haley up against him, Lena laughed in delight and patted him on the cheek.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Merline Lovelace for her contribution to the LONE STAR COUNTRY CLUB series.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7211-2
TEXAS…NOW AND FOREVER
Copyright © 2002 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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