Alice did her job well, scattering pink rose petals from her basket. Brooke was there to keep her on task should she need it, but she didn’t. She got to the end and dumped the basket, which made everyone laugh.
“I did it, Daddy,” she practically yelled to Noah as Brooke took her hand and led her to sit by Aunt Maggie.
“You did, baby,” he said proudly as Bliss came up the aisle, looking pretty in a pale lavender dress that was surely made by some fancy designer. Not that it looked fancy, but knowing Bliss, it had a fancy price.
The organist launched into “The Wedding March” and Jenna appeared at the rear of the church on General John “Viper” Mendez’s arm. Noah’s breath stopped. Just stopped. His bride—his wife—looked incredible. She’d refused to let him see the dress she’d picked out, and he was glad.
Because in that moment, he’d never seen a more amazing bride in his life. Her beautiful hair was piled on top of her head with soft spiral curls that framed her face. He thought she wore more makeup than usual, but that’s probably because he wasn’t used to seeing her in lipstick. He figured Bliss had done her makeup. Whatever she’d done, it was perfection.
Jenna’s dress was satin, and it skimmed her form like one of those dresses in a Jane Austen movie. He knew what that meant because he’d watched a few with her during their TV nights. She’d wanted simple but elegant. She’d definitely gotten it. There was no lace, no fussy appliqués, just satin and Jenna’s feminine figure.
Perfection.
Noah managed to close his mouth by the time she got to him. The minister asked who gave this woman in marriage, and the general answered that he did. Old-fashioned, but whatever. Jenna had asked the general if he would do the honors because he reminded her of her dad more than anyone else she knew. He’d graciously accepted, which had kind of shocked Noah because he’d thought the HOT commander would be too busy.
“Never too busy for my HOT family,” Mendez had said.
Now, he placed Jenna’s hand in Noah’s and stepped back. Noah trembled as he held Jenna’s hand. His eyes prickled. This was supposed to be for show. For her. For memories. Yet he was the one getting emotional.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey,” he said past the tightness in his throat.
“Today’s the day it stops,” she whispered.
“What stops?” he asked, confused.
“The day you stop dragging my heart around,” she answered with a grin.
A Tom Petty reference. At their wedding. Total proof she was meant to be his. He wanted to laugh, but managed not to. And he didn’t get emotional either, because she’d successfully defused that bomb.
“I’m free-fallin’ into this marriage with you,” he told her, throwing Petty back.
Her smile made his heart skip.
The ceremony continued, the light shined through the high window behind the altar, and Noah was at peace in his soul. His life. His woman. His future. All of it perfect.
Thanks for reading HOT COURAGE! If you want to know what happens when Gem saves Everly Fairhope from certain death - and how they make it to their own Happily Ever After - then you’ll want to sign up for my newsletter so you’ll be the first to know when their book, HOT SHADOWS, is coming out!
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Books by Lynn Raye Harris
The Hostile Operations Team Ⓡ Books
Strike Team 2
Book 1: HOT ANGEL - Cade & Brooke
Book 2: HOT SECRETS - Sky & Bliss
Book 3: HOT JUSTICE - Wolf & Haylee
Book 4: HOT STORM - Mal & Scarlett
Book 5: HOT COURAGE - Noah & Jenna
Book 6: HOT SHADOWS - Coming Soon
The Hostile Operations Team Ⓡ Books
Strike Team 1
Book 0: RECKLESS HEAT
Book 1: HOT PURSUIT - Matt & Evie
Book 2: HOT MESS - Sam & Georgie
Book 3: DANGEROUSLY HOT - Kev & Lucky
Book 4: HOT PACKAGE - Billy & Olivia
Book 5: HOT SHOT - Jack & Gina
Book 6: HOT REBEL - Nick & Victoria
Book 7: HOT ICE - Garrett & Grace
Book 8: HOT & BOTHERED - Ryan & Emily
Book 9: HOT PROTECTOR - Chase & Sophie
Book 10: HOT ADDICTION - Dex & Annabelle
Book 11: HOT VALOR - Mendez & Kat
Book 12: A HOT CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - Mendez & Kat
The HOT SEAL Team Books
Book 1: HOT SEAL - Dane & Ivy
Book 2: HOT SEAL Lover - Remy & Christina
Book 3: HOT SEAL Rescue - Cody & Miranda
Book 4: HOT SEAL BRIDE - Cash & Ella
Book 5: HOT SEAL REDEMPTION - Alex & Bailey
Book 6: HOT SEAL TARGET - Blade & Quinn
Book 7: HOT SEAL HERO - Ryan & Chloe
Book 8: HOT SEAL DEVOTION - Zach & Kayla
HOT Heroes for Hire: Mercenaries
Black’s Bandits
Book 1: BLACK LIST - Jace & Maddy
Book 2: BLACK TIE - Brett & Tallie
Book 3: BLACK OUT - Colt & Angie
Book 4: BLACK KNIGHT - Jared & Libby
Book 5: BLACK HEART - Ian Black!
Book 6: BLACK MAIL - Tyler Scott
Book 7: BLACK VELVET - Dax’s story! Coming soon!
The HOT Novella in Liliana Hart’s MacKenzie Family Series
HOT WITNESS - Jake & Eva
7 Brides for 7 Brothers
MAX (Book 5) - Max & Ellie
7 Brides for 7 Soldiers
WYATT (Book 4) - Wyatt & Paige
7 Brides for 7 Blackthornes
ROSS (Book 3) - Ross & Holly
Filthy Rich Billionaires
Book 1: FILTHY RICH REVENGE
Book 2: FILTHY RICH PRINCE