“Arabella,” my father whispered as he walked toward me. “My goodness, you are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen, besides your mother.”
Mom laughed and wiped at a tear. “Are you ready, honey?”
“Yes.” I sniffled, and my father handed me a handkerchief.
“Wrap it around your bouquet, darling—you’ll need to use it once or twice, I’m sure,” he said.
Nodding, I said in a barely there voice, “I will, Daddy.”
Abby reached for the handkerchief and expertly wrapped it around the bouquet she’d made for me. All five of my friends were standing up at the altar with me: Abby as my matron of honor, and Willa, Greer, Bree, and Candace as my bridesmaids. They were dressed in various shades of light blue dresses with bouquets made of white and blue flowers. They’d all found their dresses the day of our shopping trip. I hadn’t cared what the dresses looked like, I just knew I wanted them to be blue.
“Here you go, sweetie,” Abby said as she gave the flowers back.
Daddy held out his arm and nodded. “Let’s go get you married!”
I smiled up at my father. “Let’s.”
Hunter
The moment I saw Bella appear at the end of the aisle on her father’s arm, I started to cry. It was like looking at an angel walking toward me. She was dressed in a beautiful white gown and her face radiated love and happiness. Even from where I stood, I could see how bright her eyes were. But more than anything, I loved the peace I saw in those eyes. It left my heart feeling like it would beat right out of my damn chest.
Kyle put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze before he handed me a handkerchief.
“Thanks, Kyle,” I mumbled.
“I’ll always have your back, dude,” he whispered.
James stopped and turned to face Bella. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek as I stepped toward them. James placed Bella’s hand in mine and smiled. “You know I wouldn’t give her up to anyone other than you, Hunter. I know you’ll love her and protect her always, son.”
I tried to speak but was too overcome with emotion. I cleared my throat and nodded before I finally found my voice. “I will, sir. That’s my promise to you and Sharon, as well as to Bella.”
We walked up to Buck and he started to speak, but I couldn’t hear anything he said. All I could do was stare at Bella. Her blue eyes were locked on mine, and I was sure she didn’t hear a damn thing either.
When it came time to exchange vows, I wasn’t even sure how I got through it all. Bella cried, I cried, and I was pretty damn sure I heard Kyle crying too.
Jack sat next to me the entire time. I heard Kyle tell Jack at one point that he wasn’t the best man, Kyle was. To which Jack let out a small growl.
Buck smiled and looked out at the pews that held our closest family and friends—or at least the ones who could make it given the week-and-a-half notice. “Ladies and gentlemen, I can finally say this—I give you Mr. and Mrs. Hunter and Arabella Turner.” He looked at me. “You may kiss your bride.”
Cupping Bella’s face, I drew in closer. But before I kissed her, I whispered, “I need you to know that I’d do anything for you, Arabella. No matter what. Anything. I’d lie for you. I’d fight for you. But most of all, I’d die for you. I’d sacrifice everything for you and your happiness. You have my heart. Always and forever.”
“Hunter,” she whispered, a sob slipping free before I pressed my mouth to hers. I heard the cheers, but everything and everyone else slipped away, and it was only the two of us in that moment.
No, it was the three of us.
Jack nudged me, and I almost started to laugh. Okay, it was the four of us.
After we broke the kiss, I rested my forehead on Bella’s. It was something I noticed I did a lot after I kissed her. Maybe it was because I needed a moment to regain my composure, because the woman in my arms always left me wrecked in the most beautiful way.
“I think they’re waiting for us to walk back down the aisle,” Bella whispered, her hand softly caressing the side of my face.
I stepped back and winked at her, causing her already slightly pink cheeks to darken. “I love you, Bella.”
“I love you, too, Hunter.”
Mid-May
Bella came into view as I walked down the path toward the apiary. She was now in the second trimester of her pregnancy, and we had officially started to tell people we were pregnant and due November 9th. Most of our friends and family already knew, but to see how excited the news made people made me even happier.
I drew in a deep breath of fresh air. I didn’t want to pretend like Bella working with the bees didn’t scare the hell out of me. I’d already talked to Dr. Morgan about it privately, and she’d assured me that she wasn’t concerned, especially considering the experience Bella had.
I stopped and leaned against a willow tree as I watched her. The only gear she wore was a veil. She hardly ever wore protective overalls or gloves, unless she was called out to remove a hive and the bees were aggressive, which was rare. It was as if the bees could somehow sense Bella was there for them. Their own protector. I’d watched her scoop handfuls of bees out from under a floorboard of a house and shake them into a new hive without so much as getting stung once. She rarely used a smoker to relax the bees because they seemed to just be naturally calm around her.
Bella lifted a frame out of the nucleus box and inspected it before she put it in a brood box. She had been called to the Willow Tree Inn earlier, where they’d found a small beehive in a shed that they wanted to relocate.
James and Sharon were taking to retired life like pros. They were currently on a two-week cruise, and knowing they were so content made Bella over-the-moon happy.
Once she was through with the bees, I headed over to her. It had taken me years to get over my fear of bees when I was younger, with Bella’s help, of course. This time when I approached the hive she’d been working on, I wasn’t the least bit fazed by the bees coming and going. The old adage, if you ignore them, they’ll ignore you, was pretty damn true.
“Think they’ll like their new home?” I asked.
Bella turned and flashed me a smile. When she was dressed, you couldn’t tell she was pregnant. But when she was naked and under my careful inspection, I could tell. Her breasts were fuller, her stomach a bit more round with our child. She was breathtaking, and looking at her here, with her beloved bees flying around, she looked like a freaking goddess.
“I do. Especially with a flower farm just down the pasture.”
“When are you and Abby going to start transplanting some of the lavender from your folks’ place?” I asked, stepping to the side so Bella could walk away from the hive. We walked slowly over to the old truck Bella used when she transported bees. Very few of them were still flying around the bed of the truck. They had all followed the queen bee into their new hive.
“Probably not until we know the weather will be good and there’s no more risk of frost. I think the bees will be happy to have the lavender back.”
“I think so too,” I said, leaning down to kiss her. “How are you feeling today?”
She shrugged. “Aside from this morning, I feel good.”