Hearts at Play (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 6) Contemporary Romance (23 page)

THE WEEK FLEW by in a flurry of congratulations and too many hours of work for Brianna. Hugh waded in and out of video press conferences and interviews. By the time they arrived at Hugh’s father’s ranch in Weston, Colorado, Saturday morning, they were exhausted and equally as excited. It had been a week since they’d gotten engaged, and last night, Hugh wanted nothing more than to climb into bed beside Brianna, wrap his arms around her, and fall asleep, but they’d decided that they wouldn’t live together until they were married, for Layla’s sake. Which is how their decision to get married tonight, after the engagement party, had come about.

“This is gorgeous, Hugh.” Brianna looked out over his father’s ranch. “I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to grow up here. It’s so…fresh and free.”

“We can live anywhere you want and raise our children in any state. If you want to stay in Richmond, that’s fine. If you’d rather move to someplace like Weston, I’m all for it. Home for me is wherever you and Layla are.”

She touched his belly, and he pulled her close.

“Other than college and your race, I’ve never been anywhere, but I like the idea of being around family.”

“Then we can stay in Richmond. We have a beautiful house there, and Layla’s friends are there.” He opened the front door.

“Hugh, I meant maybe around your family. Let’s see how we get along and think about it.”

Hugh stopped cold. “You would move?”

“Families offer love and support. It might be nice for Layla to have more people around to love her. Let’s think about it.”

“Hugh!” Savannah flew out the front door and wrapped her arms around him.

“Hey, Vanny. Where’s Jack?” Hugh kissed her cheek.

“He’s down at the barn with Dad.”

Savannah’s auburn hair flowed to the middle of her back. She flashed a bright smile at Brianna and folded her in her arms. “Bree! I am so glad to finally meet you.” She looked at Hugh out of the corner of her eye. “I told you you’d find her when you weren’t looking.”

“Hi.” Brianna put her hand on Layla’s back. “This is Layla. Layla, say hello to Savannah. Savannah is Hugh’s sister.”

“Hi, Savannah,” Layla reached up to touch Savannah’s hair. “Your hair is pretty.”

“Thank you. Your hair is pretty, too.” Savannah whispered to Bree, “She’s adorable.”

Layla jumped up and down. “Guess what?” Before Savannah could answer, she squealed, “We’re marrying Hugh today!”

Savannah laughed. “I know! I’m so excited!”

“Savannah, are you sure you’re okay with us getting married tonight?” Brianna put her hand on Layla’s shoulder.

“Oh my God, really? Bree, you’re gonna be my sister-in-law. Do you know how many years I spent with just brothers? Now I have five sisters in my life. I’m thrilled. We all are.

“Come on inside.” Savannah took Layla’s hand and walked through the open foyer to the living room, where all of Hugh’s siblings and their significant others were waiting.

Brianna hugged Treat and Max, and Max introduced her to the others. Hugh loved seeing his family embrace her and Layla. Brianna smiled at Hugh over her shoulder.

“You’ve gone all googly-eyed on me.” Treat appeared by his side.

“Yeah. I probably have,” Hugh admitted.

“Brianna’s great. She and Max really hit it off.”

“I know.” Hugh watched Lacy hug Brianna. Lacy’s golden tan set off her thick blond corkscrew curls. Layla reached up and sprang one of Lacy’s curls.

Treat put his arm around Hugh. “Are you ready to be a husband?”

“More than you can ever imagine.” The truth of his words nearly pulled tears from his eyes. He swallowed past the lump of love that had lodged in his throat.

“And you’re adopting Layla? I’m proud of you, Hugh. I wondered if you’d ever settle down,” Treat said in a serious tone.

“Says the man who was almost forty when he got married,” Hugh teased.

“I was waiting for the right woman.” Treat nodded toward Max. “By the way, what’s up with no ring, you cheapskate?”

Hugh turned his back to the others and pulled a velvet bag from his pocket and handed it to Treat. “Cheapskate, my ass.”

Treat withdrew two rings from the velvet bag and admired them. “Emerald cut, three stones, what is that? About a carat?” He smirked.

“Two, you ass. And I’ve got a matching wedding ring.”

“And the little one?” He put the tiny ring on the tip of his pinky.

“For Layla.”

“I figured since it has a diamond tiara on it. That’s sweet, Prince Hugh.” He elbowed Hugh and handed him back the rings.

“Bro.” Dane embraced Hugh. His thick dark hair was longer than it had been the last time they’d seen each other. As a shark tagger and marine researcher, he spent about as much time on or in the water as he did on land, and his copper skin was proof that nothing had changed. “You’re biting the couple bullet. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Yeah, well, the best men finish last,” Hugh teased. Dane was six years older than Hugh and two years younger than Treat. He’d gotten engaged to Lacy a few weeks after Treat and Max’s wedding.

“Sorry we missed your race. You guys will have to come out and see us sometime.” Dane ran his hand through his hair.

“No, he should visit us more often,” Rex’s deep voice interrupted. He wrapped Hugh in his arms. “Missed you, Hugh.”

Hugh could barely get his arms around his brawny brother. Though Rex was the same height as him, he carried an additional thirty pounds of muscle from working on the ranch. Combined with cowboy-long hair that brushed his collar and his ever-present Stetson, Rex was the epitome of a Colorado rancher.

“You too, man.” Hugh felt the draw of family like he never had before. He wanted to be embraced by their warmth. He wanted to sit down and enjoy time with them and bring Brianna and Layla into their inner circle.

Jade Johnson, Rex’s fiancée, joined them. She kissed Hugh’s cheek. “I love Brianna and Layla. You’re a lucky man.” Jade’s jet-black hair lay straight and thick down her back, almost to her waist. Rex slung his arm over her shoulder. Rex and Jade’s relationship had ended a forty-year feud between their two families.

Hugh watched Rex place a kiss on the back of Jade’s neck and thought,
Love really can conquer all
. “Thanks, Jade. I feel pretty lucky,” Hugh said. “Let’s go into the living room before Josh and Riley have Brianna and Layla wearing New York City wardrobes.”

Josh and Riley were both clothing designers, and they lived in Manhattan near Savannah and Jack. Josh was the most reserved of the Braden men and every bit as handsome with his closely shorn black hair and perfectly sculpted physique. Josh embraced Hugh and patted him on the back.

“When are you coming back to New York?” Josh asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ll be a married man when I do.” Patience was never one of Hugh’s virtues, and his love for Brianna instilled a need to be closer to her. He glanced at Brianna and Layla.
Tonight
. Hugh couldn’t wait to become Brianna’s husband and Layla’s father.

Riley brushed her brown hair from her shoulder. She looked pretty in her skinny jeans and sweater. Riley had grown up in Weston, and Hugh had been happy when she and Josh had gotten together. They complemented each other well. Hugh opened his arms, and Riley stepped in.

“You look gorgeous as always,” Hugh said.

Hugh looked around the room and realized that he and each of his siblings had ended up with partners who seemed perfect for them.

The glass doors opened and Jack Remington, Savannah’s fiancé, and Hugh’s father, Hal, came into the room. Two formidable men wearing Levi’s and boots. Both had shoulders as wide as freight trains, and though Hal’s hair had gone a little more gray, he was still shockingly handsome with his dark, soulful eyes and pleasant smile.

“There’s my boy,” Hal said. He opened his arms as he crossed the hardwood floor. Hugh fell against him and held on tight.

“I’ve missed you, Dad.”

Hal put his hands on Hugh’s shoulders and stared into his eyes. “Yup. I see it now. You see that, Jack?”

Hugh shot a glance at Jack. “What?”

“Love, son. You’ve got it bad.” Hal crouched down and touched Layla’s nose.

She put her hands behind her back and twisted from side to side. “Hi.”

“Hi there.” Hal’s voice was so deep it seemed out of place following Layla’s. He stood and opened his arms, waiting for Brianna to step in. When she didn’t, he shifted his eyes to Hugh.

“You might as well step in there and hug him, Brianna, or he’ll wait all night,” Hugh said.

“Sorry,” she said with a smile. “Hi, Mr. Braden. I’m Brianna.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’ll be a Braden soon, and Bradens hug.” Hal pulled her into a quick embrace, then put an arm around her shoulder.

“I’ve been waiting to meet you.” He reached for Layla’s hand. Together they went to the couch and sat down. “So, tell me all about Layla and yourself.”

Watching his father envelop Brianna and Layla with the love he’d always bathed Hugh and his siblings in filled his heart with certainty. The next few hours couldn’t pass quickly enough.

HUGH’S LEG BOUNCED nervously beneath the table. Brianna’s mother, Kat, and Mack’s family had already arrived, and he was ready to run down the aisle and marry Brianna. Out of respect for Savannah and Jack, he made no move to rush things along. Instead, he made small talk with Jack’s family, the Remingtons.

“Thanks for playing with Layla today,” Hugh said to Sage Remington, one of Jack’s younger brothers.

“She’s a great kid.” Sage’s eyes were as contemplative as Brianna’s and midnight blue like Jack’s. A tattoo snaked out from under his shirtsleeve. At twenty-eight, he was already a world-renowned artist with work in galleries throughout the world.

“Savannah tells me that you like the outdoors as much as Jack does. Do you spend much time in the mountains?” Hugh asked.

“Not as much as I’d like, but I’m hoping to make a few changes and carve out a little more downtime.”

“Downtime is overrated.” Dex, Jack’s youngest brother, sat on his other side next to his twin sister, Siena. All of the Remingtons had dark hair, but while Dex’s eyes were midnight blue, like Jack’s and Sage’s, Siena, a model, had electric-blue eyes like her mother.

“I don’t know. I like downtime these days.” Hugh squeezed Brianna’s hand.

“Dex doesn’t know what downtime is. His life is all about PC game addiction,” Sage teased.

“It’s his business,” Sienna explained to Hugh.

“He made millions in his downtime,” Kurt Remington added. “But, there’s no harm in loving what you do.”

“Says my brother the writer, who makes up stories for a living,” Dex said.

“Listen here, son,” Hal began. “As long as you love what you do, then it’s a fine living indeed.”

After dinner, Treat stood to make a toast. “Jack, welcome to the family. We’re proud to have you as a brother.” He raised his glass. “To Savannah and Jack and a lifetime of love and happiness.” Everyone raised their glasses, and Treat remained standing. He reached for Max’s hand, and Max rose to her feet. “We have our own announcement to share.” He put his arm around Max and kissed the side of her forehead. “We’re going to have a baby.”

There was a collective gasp.

“A baby?” Savannah squealed. She ran around the table and hugged Max, then Treat. “You’re gonna have a baby! I’m gonna be Aunt Savannah. Oh, Max!” She threw her arms around Max again. “What a night. A new baby and a new sister-in-law.” She winked at Brianna.

Everyone congratulated Treat and Max, and Hugh thought about how fast life was moving for all of them. He could barely believe that before nightfall he’d be married and he’d be Layla’s father. Layla had asked Brianna if she could call Hugh Dad, and when Brianna told her she could, Hugh had been unable to hold back his tears.

Max threw her napkin on the table. “Okay, enough baby talk. Come on, girls. We have to help Bree and Layla get ready for their big night.” Lacy, Savannah, Riley, and Jade took Brianna by the arms and headed toward the house. Jean, Kat, and Layla followed on their heels.

Savannah stopped halfway to the door and hollered, “Siena, come on! We’re waiting on you. Joanie! We need another mother’s opinion.”

Siena and Joanie hurried toward the house.

“You’ve done it now,” Josh said. “You’ll get her back and she’ll look like a whole different woman.”

“A hen party,” Kurt said with a laugh.

Josh leaned across the table. “Hugh, do you need help dressing?”

Hugh rose to his feet. “Shit. Not from you doofuses.”

AN HOUR LATER, as the sun set behind the mountains and the wedding march played softly in the background, Hugh stood beneath a white canopy lined with white light, wearing Dane’s dark suit—which fit him quite well—with a nervous ache in his gut.

Layla walked down the makeshift aisle beside Kat, looking beautiful in the princess gown Hugh’d had delivered for her from a local shop. She and Kat tossed rose petals from a basket. Hugh felt tears pressing at his eyes as he took in the love on his family’s faces. His world had changed on a dime. One awful blind date. One look from Brianna’s gorgeous, smart brown eyes and a first date he’d never forget.

The doors to the house opened, and Brianna walked across the lawn, her arm wrapped around Mack’s. Hugh cleared his throat to loosen the lump that had lodged there. Brianna moved gracefully toward him, wearing a simple white wedding gown that cascaded over her curves and looked as if it were custom-made for her. The sweetheart neckline and short train were exactly what he’d pictured her in. Her hair hung loose and pretty, framing her face. Thanks to the owner of the local flower shop, Brianna carried a small white bouquet of roses, and as she joined Hugh under the canopy, his eyes filled with tears. He wished his mother could be there, but he felt, as his father always had, that she was with them in spirit, and as he looked at Layla sitting between her grandmother and Kat, he knew she’d have been proud of the man he’d become.

Hugh mouthed,
I love you,
to Brianna and made no effort to wipe the tear that tumbled down his cheek.

Brianna’s lower lip trembled when she tried to speak.

He wiped her tear with the pad of his thumb and mouthed, “Sidecar.”

Brianna smiled.

They reached for each other’s hands as they turned to face Treat. Hugh couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather have officiate their wedding than the brother who had been there every step of his life, supporting, teaching, and caring for him.

Treat began the ceremony. “Brianna and Hugh have found life’s sweetest moments with each other. The union of marriage will become home to their honesty and affection, their courage, and their fidelity. It will also become home to the harshness of life, the sadness, and the hurt that life bestows on them. The ability to heal and rebuild is within each of you. As you create this sacred union and accept these solemn vows, remember that your partner, your lover, your spouse, will rely on, and trust in, your promise to heal, to love, and to cherish.”

“Brianna and Hugh have written their own vows. Brianna.”

“Hugh.” Brianna’s voice was soft, her eyes tender. “You came into my life when I least expected you, and you loved me and Layla unconditionally. I continue to fall more in love with you each day. I promise to be the best wife I can be, to support and love you, and never to go to bed angry.”

Treat stepped forward. “Hugh.”

“Brianna.” Hugh heard his voice crack, and he paused to clear his throat. “I never knew how love could touch every part of a person’s life until I met you and Layla. Since the first night we met, you’ve not only opened my heart, but you’ve filled it. Completely. You’ve shown me how to love, and you’ve loved me with tenderness, strength, and compassion. I promise to always put you and Layla first in my life, to honor your needs and desires, and to support your passions. I promise to be the best husband, man, and lover that I can be, and I will always walk by your side and whisper
sidecar
in your ear.”

Brianna smiled despite the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I love you, Brianna, and I am the luckiest man on earth that you have granted me the gift of being my wife.”

“Dad?” Treat nodded toward his father.

Hal had changed for the occasion. In his dark suit and cowboy boots, he put an arm on Hugh’s back and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, son.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “She looks just as beautiful in that dress as your mother did.” He handed Hugh the rings and went back to his seat.

Mom.
Tears welled in Hugh’s eyes. He dropped his eyes to the gown, and his parents’ wedding picture that sat on his father’s dresser came back to him. Hugh felt a tingling sensation wash through him. He looked at Treat, who touched his shoulder and nodded, as if he’d known about the dress all along—and he probably had.

Treat stepped forward. “May the seamless circle of these rings represent the eternal love between Brianna and Hugh and remind them of the union they have entered into today to be faithful, loving, and kind to each other from this day forward.”

Hugh held Brianna’s left hand in his, each trembling hand supporting the other. He held her engagement ring and her wedding ring in his right hand.

“Please repeat after me,” Treat began. “I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows and with all that I have, and all that I am, I will always honor you.”

Hugh repeated the words with a shaky voice and slid the rings on Brianna’s finger.

“Brianna, please repeat after me,” Treat began. He stated the same vows, and Brianna repeated them while gazing lovingly into Hugh’s eyes. When she slid the wedding ring on his finger, Hugh brought her trembling hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.

“Layla, would you please join us?” Treat held a hand out to Layla, and she came and stood beside him. “Hugh.”

Hugh knelt before Layla, his heart hammering against his chest. He held her precious little hand in his and looked her in her beautiful eyes. “Layla, I promise to be the best daddy I can be. I will give you space to grow and be happy, and I will always, always love you and your mother.” He slid the diamond tiara ring on her finger. Layla’s mouth formed an
O
, and she jumped into Hugh’s arms.

“Oh, Hugh! You really are our prince! And, Mommy, guess what?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Grandma was wrong. You didn’t have to kiss a lot of frogs before you found him!”

Everyone laughed. Treat spoke over their excitement. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Please, Hugh, kiss your bride.”

Hugh placed his hand on Brianna’s cheek and kissed his beautiful wife. Then he kissed Layla’s cheek.

Layla put her little hands on the sides of his head, and with a serious look in her eyes she asked, “Does this mean we’re the Three Musketeers now?”

“Yes, princess, it does,” Brianna answered.

Three Musketeers. Hugh didn’t think his heart could hold another bit of happiness, and it opened up and swallowed that one right up
.

Treat opened his arms. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Braden.”

With Layla in his arms, Hugh pulled Brianna close and whispered in her ear, “Remember when Kat asked what I was looking for in a woman?”

“Yeah. You said someone smart, honest, and family oriented.”

“It could only have been you, Brianna, and it will only ever be you.”

The End