KRISTI GOLD - The Only Man for Her

Matt navigated the pickup to the right where a sign pointed the way to the Wayhurst Wedding Chapel, two miles ahead. Rachel could see only more rugged, wooded terrain and a few remote cabins peeking out from the thick grove of trees. “How did you find this place?”

“I went to the library in Memphis before school let out,” he said. “The reference librarian helped me find it, then I gave them a call and made the arrangements.”

Rachel worried Matt had spent too much money when a simple courthouse wedding would have been fine. “How much did it cost?”

“Not a lot. I told the lady named Helen who runs the place that we’re kind of strapped for cash and that it’s only going to be us at the wedding. She booked us this evening for a fourth of the normal rental fee. They also had a wedding earlier in the day, so we’ll get to take advantage of the decorations.”

More than likely he’d earned the discount using his trademark charm. “That’s very nice of her, but I have my trust fund. I could’ve taken some of it and told my dad I needed it for school.”

“You know how I feel about touching that money, Rachel.”

Oh, yeah, she knew. And sometimes his pride grated on her nerves like sandpaper on cypress. “You might as well accept it. We’re going to have to use part of my trust to get through school.”

“You can use it for your tuition, but I’m going to pay for everything else.”

Obviously he didn’t mind starving, she started to say, but withheld the comment in order not to spoil their special day.

As they rounded a hairpin curve, their destination finally came into view. And what a view it was. The sun had begun to set behind the hazy mountains, the emerald valley beyond serving as a breathtaking backdrop to the white chapel with ornate stained-glass windows and a heavy wooden door.

Rachel was both awed and appreciative as she stared in disbelief at the scene. If only her friends and family were there to witness the ceremony, the day would be perfect. “Oh, Matt. It’s beautiful. It looks like a postcard.”

“It sure does,” he said as he pulled the truck into a parking space in the empty lot. “Only the best for my bride.”

My bride.

In a matter of moments, she would be a bride. A bride with a typical case of butterflies in her belly.

Matt shut off the truck and shifted to face her. “Looks like it’s time to make it official.”

Rachel swallowed around a little knot of nerves. “Looks like it.”

He gave her a soft kiss. “Then let’s do this.”

Without hesitating, Matt slid from the cab, rounded the truck and opened the passenger door to help her out. Once her high heels hit the pavement, Rachel adjusted the knee-length white linen dress and smoothed a shaky hand over her hair. “Do I look okay?”

“As pretty as a Mississippi moon, darlin.’ I’m the luckiest damn man in the world, and you’re the most beautiful bride to ever walk this earth.”

She straightened his tie and the sports coat’s lapels. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“But I am forgetting somethin’ important.” He leaned into the truck, opened the glove compartment and withdrew a small black box. “We can’t get married without this.”

She lifted the lid to find a silver wedding band circled with tiny diamond chips. “I can’t believe you did this!”

He cleared his throat. “It was my mom’s. My dad told me she wanted me to have it to give to my wife. I know it’s not the nice set you deserve, but I promise someday I’ll buy you a new one.”

“It’s beautiful, Matt, and it’s special. I couldn’t imagine ever wearing another ring once you put this one on my finger. But I feel so bad because I don’t have a ring for you.”

He slid the box into the pocket of his slacks. “It’s okay. We can get one later.”

Rachel couldn’t fight the sudden melancholy. Couldn’t quite hold back the tears. This was her wedding day. A happy day. The most important day of her life to this point. But a few things were still missing.

When she lowered her eyes, Matt framed her face in his palms, forcing her to look at him. “Even if I’m not wearing a ring, that doesn’t mean I’m any less married to you. Besides, I’m left-handed, and when I start vet school, I wouldn’t be able to wear it anyway.”

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s not only the ring. I was just thinking how nice it would have been to have my mom with me.” The mother who’d died shortly after giving birth to her daughter. “I know that sounds crazy, since I never had the chance to know her, but I still miss her. Don’t you wish your mom were here?”

He studied the pavement beneath his boots. “No use wishing for things that can’t be.”

She wasn’t exactly surprised by his attitude. He’d never been one to open up about his mother’s death, ironically the event that had brought them together. In fact, revealing the wedding ring had belonged to Meg Boyd had been the most he’d said about her in years. But his bravado didn’t fool Rachel. She was certain that not a day had gone by during the past five years that he hadn’t thought about his mom, or felt guilty over not being there the day she’d died. “You know, I’m not sure what’s worse. Losing someone you’ve known all your life or a loved one you never knew at all.”

He took her hands into his and gave her a heartfelt look that he reserved only for her. “I don’t know, Rachel. But I do know you’re never going to lose me.”

She prayed that always remained true. “And you’re never going to lose me, either.”

After he hugged her tightly, Matt stepped back and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Can we go in now, or do you want me to ask if we can be married right where we stand?”

“Since I want to walk down the aisle, we should probably go inside.”

He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Then let’s go get hitched so we can get to that honeymoon.”

She gave him her smile as easily as she’d given him her heart. “Let the hitching begin.”

Matt offered her his hand. “Shall we, darlin’?”

Rachel laced her fingers with his and held on tightly. “We shall.”

As Matt guided her up the walkway, Rachel prepared to pledge her future to the love of her life. For better or worse. In sickness and health. Through good times and bad.

At that moment she simply couldn’t imagine anything but a lifetime of good.

CHAPTER ONE

I’M NOT SURE what’s worse. Losing someone you’ve known all your life or a loved one you never knew at all.

After thirteen years of marriage, Matt Boyd finally knew the answer to the question Rachel had posed on their wedding day—both were equally bad.

Steeped in despair, he sat alone in the barren nursery with his back against the wall, a miniature baseball glove in one hand, a glass of smooth Kentucky bourbon in the other. He visually tracked the multicolored wild horses that ran along the pale blue wall, each one carefully painted by his wife. Then his gaze came to rest on the black letters stenciled above the empty space where the crib had been.

Caleb. His son.

He’d known him for only a few short hours. He’d known his son’s mother much of his life. Now both were gone. Four months ago his child had left this world at the cruel hand of nature. A month ago Rachel had left because he’d given her little choice. Or so she’d said the day she walked out on him.

Since that time, he’d awoken every morning in their bed and reached for her. The space beside him was always empty, exactly as he felt right now. He’d tried to convince himself her absence was only temporary. After all, most of her clothes still hung in the closet, and her shoes still lined the shelves. Everything in this house that they’d built together reminded him of her.