In almost no time Allie’s clothes were in a pile on the floor and she was soaking in the oversize copper tub. The warm water felt like heaven on her sore muscles, and before long the aches she’d incurred from a night spent sleeping on a couch began to fade. She rested her head against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. Thoughts of the evening to come filled her mind, and she smiled. Before the night was through, Hudson would be her husband. They would exchange rings and vows as they pledged their lives to each other.
Her eyes popped open. While she was confident Hudson would have provided his and hers wedding bands, the subject of vows hadn’t been discussed. Would they be repeating traditional vows after the minister or would they be reciting their own? Deciding to be better safe than sorry, she sat up in a rush, sending water sloshing over the side of the tub, and reached for a towel.
Telling Hudson how she felt about him was going to be the easy part; keeping it to a reasonable length would be the challenge. As she wrapped herself in a white, fluffy robe, she began to laugh. This was her stress—writing vows that didn’t drag on until dawn. The contrast to her previous foray into wedding planning was so extreme it was comical. And for the hundredth time that day she knew she’d made exactly the right decision.
Despite her initial reaction to the contrary, she loved the idea of eloping. From the moment they’d met, there had been forces at play keeping them apart. After all they’d been through, all they’d overcome and still had yet to face, it made perfect sense to start their lives together on their own terms.
And the location Hudson had chosen was perfect. He was right—this was where she knew with all certainty that she loved him. They would no doubt marry again for the sake of family and friends, but she loved the idea that their first vows would be spoken at a place that meant so much to both of them.
With those thoughts in mind, she grabbed a paper and pen from the kitchen and began to put her feelings down on paper. In the end she decided on two versions: one that was a set of vows she could recite in a timely manner; the other an outpouring of her thoughts and emotions in the form of a letter she would give to her new husband as a wedding gift later that night. Her husband. Would she ever get used to calling him that? A warmth spread through her at the realization that she would have a lifetime to find out.
When she was finally finished writing, it was nearly two o’clock. Hudson had said the ceremony was at four, which left her plenty of time to get ready. He’d offered to have the Grand Geneva Hotel send over a few members of the spa team to pamper and prepare her, but Allie had declined his sweet offer. Preserving the intimacy and privacy of the day was important to her, which meant keeping outside involvement to the bare minimum.
So instead of lying back while a bevy of white coats fluttered around her, Allie got ready for her wedding alone, with a thousand butterflies fluttering in her stomach and Frank Sinatra crooning from her iPod. She kept her makeup light and natural, the way she knew Hudson liked it, and arranged her hair in a pile of loose curls held in place with tiny, pearl-tipped pins. A few tendrils hung down to frame her face, and a pair of simple diamond studs adorned her ears. She sat back and admired her reflection. Even she had to admit she was glowing, although it had nothing to do with the bronzer she’d brushed over her cheeks and everything to do with the man she was about to meet at the altar.
Speaking of her mysterious man . . .
What the hell has he been up to all day?
There was only one way to find out, and with hair and makeup done, it was finally time to get dressed.
The walk-in closet was full of clothes, with everything from ski pants to lingerie lining both sides. At the very back hung a row of long, white garment bags. Allie unzipped them one at a time. There was no denying that the wedding dresses the store had delivered were absolutely stunning. Elegant gowns in fabrics ranging from silk to tulle, some with elaborate beading and others more simple in their stylish sophistication. Any one of them would have been a wonderful choice. But instead Allie selected a white angora sweater that hung with the more casual outfits and paired it with her favorite dark jeans. And instead of crystal Jimmy Choos she donned a pair of fur-lined boots that laced to her knee. The outfit was a far cry from the gown she was to have worn when she married Julian, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Because today, Alessandra Sinclair wasn’t becoming the Marquise Laurent in an elaborate ceremony that was nothing more than a glorified merger. Today, Allie Sinclair was becoming Mrs. Hudson Chase in a simple exchange of vows with the man who was not only her first love, but her last.
But when she emerged from the bedroom she found the house was still empty. Hudson was nowhere to be seen, and there certainly wasn’t an altar. Perhaps he was outside again? When she reached the kitchen she opened the French doors that led to the deck. It was empty and the lanterns on the posts remained unlit. She was about to go back inside when she heard the unmistakable neigh of a horse. She followed the deck as it wrapped around to the front of the house. There, at the foot of the stairs, sat a horse-drawn sleigh. The majestic Clydesdale greeted her with a whinny and a shake of his head, causing a giggle to escape her lips.
“Right this way, Miss Sinclair,” the driver said, gesturing to the small set of stairs waiting alongside the gleaming white sleigh.
“Let me just grab a coat.”
“No need.” He reached for a white parka and held it open for her. She might have been getting married in jeans and a sweater, but her thoughtful fiancé had made sure to provide outerwear that was bridal white. “There’s a blanket on the seat,” the man added as he helped her into the coat.
Allie took his hand as she climbed into the sled. Sure enough, a luxurious, white faux-fur throw sat folded on the crushed-velvet seat. Hudson’s attention to detail astonished her, right down to the bouquet of white roses hand-tied with a wide satin ribbon.
With a snap of the reigns, they were on their way, the sleigh gliding through the woods behind the house. The sun had nearly set and the fresh snow glittered a silvery blue beneath the runners. After a few moments a small, rustic barn appeared in the distance. Through the frost-covered windowpanes, Allie could see the flicker of candles. She smiled to herself, knowing inside that barn stood the man she loved, waiting for her to walk down the aisle and into his arms. But when the door swung open, her breath caught and her steps faltered. Though she’d been thinking about this moment all day, nothing she’d imagined came close to the sight that greeted her as she walked into the barn.
Candles covered nearly every flat surface, casting the barn with a soft, warm glow. Above them tiny lights twinkled like stars stretched across the night sky, and white blooms cascaded from the hay lofts, creating the feel of an indoor winter wonderland. A white runner dotted with rose petals formed an aisle that ran from the door to the far side of the barn, where more flowers formed an arch over the minister. But it was the sight of Hudson that had her frozen, barely able to breathe, let alone walk. His eyes met hers and the smile that stretched across his face told her he felt it, too, the longing that had pulsed between them since the day they’d first met. It was a tangible force, a magnetic pull bringing them together no matter the obstacles or odds. Only now it was even more than attraction and lust and desire and need. Now it was love.
Chapter Nineteen
Fucking breathe, Hudson had to remind himself. His heart pounded in his chest like a jackhammer. Ten years and inconsequential months, hours, days, minutes, and seconds blurred into I-don’t-give-a-shit.
This was it. Showtime, Chase.
He stood at a makeshift altar under a canopy of flowers and strands of lights, surrounded by dozens of candles that cast the vintage barn in a warm glow. Beside him, the minister stood ready to perform the ceremony, while outside snow flurries had begun to fall. Hudson looked at his watch, then stole a glance through the frosted window. The woman he loved was out there somewhere in a horse-drawn sleigh. Any minute now the doors would swing open and she would walk down the white runner that stretched the length of the floor.
The thought of her standing in the doorway did nothing to ease the tightening in his chest. Hudson lifted his arm to run his hand through his hair, but caught himself. When Allie showed up, he didn’t want to look like he’d just rolled out of bed. Goddamn, he was nervous. If he’d been wearing a tie he would have straightened it, repeatedly. But in true form, Allie had surprised him yet again. So instead of a monkey suit, he stood waiting for his future wife in jeans and a cashmere sweater. His wife. The words hit him hard. He rocked back on his heels and blew out a deep breath. He was throwing off anything but cool, calm, and collected, and he needed to get a grip ASAP.
The minister chuckled. “Relax, son. It’s just you and your bride up here.”
No shit. It was just him and his bride in the whole place. Hudson rubbed his brow and a slight frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. Under different circumstances, Nick would have been standing at his side, busting his chops or cracking jokes about losing the rings. Truth was he felt like a bastard for not telling his brother what he was doing, but it was mission critical that their nuptials remained a secret. It was necessary; didn’t mean he liked it. In fact, he hated that a minister and a cellist would be the only two people to witness the moment when Alessandra Ingram Sinclair became his wife.
Right at the moment the double doors parted, the cellist began to play, and Hudson’s nerves vanished.
She was beautiful. No, that didn’t cut it. Exquisite. Fucking hell, perfect.
He watched her make her way toward him to the cellist’s rendition of “Thinking Out Loud” and couldn’t help but recall the first time he saw her. She was walking on the beach—tan legs, sundress, light freckles across her nose, and blond hair highlighted by the sun. He never dreamed he’d be worthy of her, let alone that one day she’d be his. He was a punk back then and hadn’t improved much over time, but he’d spend the rest of his life trying to be the man she deserved.
God, he loved her. What was taking her so long to get down such a short aisle? He had to ground himself to keep from meeting her halfway, but there was nothing he could do to stop the ridiculous grin that spread across his face. And damn if it didn’t grow wider with every step she took. “Hurry,” he finally mouthed.
The smile she gave him in return started out shy, just a twitch at one side, then spread until she was full on beaming at him. “I love you,” she mouthed back. She looked so beautiful, yet nervous, and that wasn’t how he wanted her to feel at that moment.
“Breathe, baby,” he whispered.
The music slowed to a stop and then . . .
“Today you celebrate one of life’s greatest moments,” the minister began, “and give recognition to the value and beauty of love as you are joined together in vows of marriage. Words can be beautiful, but actions are meaningful. It is one thing to talk, and one thing to promise; one thing to experience, and one thing to savor. This day is one thing; your lives another. The past is important, but it is in the future where your lives lay.”
Hudson’s hand tightened around Allie’s. Standing at the altar with her felt like they’d climbed Mount Everest and had finally reached the top.
“You are entering into the holy estate, which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred, than these you are about to say. Do you have the rings?”
Hudson pulled a leather box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal two platinum bands resting inside. Allie lifted his out of the satin, which was holding the ring securely in place, and Hudson did the same with hers before tucking the box back into his jeans. He turned back to Allie with the ring suspended between his fingers and held her gaze as if he were holding her in his arms.
“I, Hudson, take you Allie, to be my wife. It is by this ring and this ceremony that I make you that which you should have been so long ago. I promise to be your lover and your companion, your greatest fan and your most challenging adversary.” His lips twitched into an amused grin. “And to communicate truthfully and fearlessly.” His eyes roamed over Allie’s face as he slipped the band on her finger. “As I join my life with yours, take this ring as a sign of my love and commitment.”
Allie reached for Hudson’s left hand and looked into his eyes as she began to recite her vows. “I, Allie, take you, Hudson, to be my husband, secure in the knowledge that you are my one true love.”
A smile tugged at Hudson’s lips. Without even discussing it, they had both written their own vows, opting out of the traditional.
“I give you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in good times and in bad, to stand by your side in sickness and in health, and in joy as well as sorrow. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of need, and encourage your dreams and goals. I will laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, and above all else, cherish you for as long as we both shall live.” She slid the ring on his finger, and despite the multitude of problems they still faced, everything felt right in the world. “Take this ring as a sign of my never-ending love.”
Hudson held her hand as they stood staring at one another. The emotion that shone in his new bride’s eyes reflected the way he felt. She was his love, his life, his home. They stayed like that, lost in the moment, until the minister cleared his throat.
“Having heard the pledges of your affection, and the vows of your fidelity, I do therefore by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of Wisconsin, pronounce you husband and wife.” He glanced back and forth between the two of them and smiled. “You may now kiss your bride.”
Hudson wrapped his arms around Allie and drew her close. “Finally, you’re mine,” he whispered just before he slanted his mouth over hers in a slow, languid kiss. When he pulled away, he noticed a warm flush had spread across her cheeks. He trailed a finger along her jaw. “You look beautiful.”
“So what now?” she asked almost shyly.
Hudson smiled. “The rest of our lives, Mrs. Chase.”