Mr. Wrong (A Homespun Romance) (22 page)
Read Mr. Wrong (A Homespun Romance) Online
Authors: Geeta Kakade
A long time later he said, “I know what you want woman, but it’s not what you’re going to get and if you keep this up I’m going to throw you into my parent’s pool and then jump in myself.”
“Oh?” said Katie her eyes sparkling like newly cut emeralds, “And what, may I ask, Brady Gallagher am I going to get?”
Happy beyond her wildest dreams Katie looked up at him the curve of her lips advertising the exalted fountain of joy that gushed within.
“Marriage. That’s what you’re going to get minx, as soon as it can be arranged.”
“Oh.” There was a pause as Katie digested the fact she’d just been proposed to. Then she said, “Brady I still want to finish getting my degree and be a teacher.”
“You can be anything you want to love, as long as you’ll be my wife as well,” his mouth traced the outline of one ear. “In fact I have a making up present for you.”
“What is it?”
“A friend I know has bid on a piece of land for us in Corona. Five acres. I’ll show it to you tomorrow. It will be ideal for a home for children. I thought we’d call it, `The McArthur Project’. It’s going to take time but I’ve already got Mom and Dad and a few other people interested in donating towards the building. It will take time to be completed but when it’s ready we can find the right people to run it for us.”
Against his neck he felt Katie’s tears warm from her body, “Shh. Don’t cry, love. I thought it would be something you’d like.”
“I do,” she sobbed.
Never in her wildest dreams had she thought another human being would understand her so well, make her most secret dreams his own. Do everything to see they came true.
“Do you want to run it yourself?” he asked.
“No,” said Katie, “not yet at least. I like your idea of getting an experienced couple to do it better. That will leave me free to hit on all your rich friends for donations. If I can go to college full-time in the fall, I’ll have my degree in a year and then I want to start teaching. I need some experience before I’ll know if I want to run the place myself or just be a fundraiser for more of the same kind of places.”
“What are your plans for the summer, Katie?” The line he was tracing down her neck had her tingling with excitement.
Lifting her eyes she looked into the gray depths, her delight at finding them soft as the sheen of a dove’s wing, as she had once imagined, tremendous, “For the summer,” she said softly, "I think I’d just like to concentrate on being Mrs. Brady Gallagher. I hope I won’t let you down Brady.”
“Don’t ever say that, Katie,” for an instant he was almost angry, then he kissed her lingeringly, “As long as we love each other how can we ever let each other down?”
The simple beauty of his words made Katie want to cry again but there was something else she had to know, “How long will we have to wait to be married?”
Brady looked at her face seeing the love written there plainly for all the world to see and knew she would find the waiting as hard as he would.
Kissing the tip of her nose he said, “Not long. If I know my mother and sister they’ll probably turn up with the preacher later tonight.”
It wasn’t quite like that but three weeks later Brady and Katie were pronounced man and wife in a church massed with June roses, before a congregation of two hundred people.
“I love you Katie mine,” Brady’s eyes glistened with emotion as he cupped his wife’s face in both his hands, looked into her eyes and then bent to give his wife the first kiss of their wedded life.
“Me too,” was all Katie could choke out.
“You looked beautiful dear,” sniffed Nan Kettle when she congratulated them, “so beautiful. When you looked up at him before you said, `I do’, the whole crowd caught their breath. You take good care of my friend Brady,” she hugged him fiercely and Brady knew exactly what she meant as he said, “I will, Nan, you’ll see.”
“I can never thank you both enough,” Katie said tearily to Brady’s mother and sister as they helped her change into her going away outfit, a green silk suit with a matching hat. The reception, attended by five hundred people, was still in progress downstairs at the Hollywood Sheraton, but the bride and groom had earned their right to slip away.
The Gallaghers had taken her to their hearts and arranged the wedding as if she were their own. Bernie and Gary had insisting on buying her a trousseau that would rival a debutante’s, overruling Brady’s protest that it was his privilege. Karen had stuck to her side like a sister, easing awkward moments for her when Brady couldn’t be there, helping her with all the little decisions she’d had to make. Katie hadn’t lacked for love or kindness since the day she had agreed to marry Brady. She longed for more than twenty-four hours in a day, to be able to be with them, surprising them with genuine enjoyment of their company. Brady had often complained in the last few weeks that he wasn’t quite sure whom she loved most.
She had danced with Ben and her father-in-law at the reception and both of them had welcomed her into the family with heartrending warmth.
“We love you, Katie,” Bernie said simply now and she knew it was true.
“Be happy, Katie,” Karen whispered against her cheek, “that’s all we ask.”
Katie wiggled her finger till the light reflected off the emeralds in her engagement ring, casting a glow on the platinum band on her finger. Around her neck she wore the thin chain with tiny emeralds set in a heart shape, one of her husband’s many gifts to her in the last weeks. His wedding gift to her, the necklet of diamonds with matching drop earrings she had left behind with her in laws. It was far too valuable to have to worry about on her honeymoon.
“Tired?” asked Brady, pressing his lips to the curve of her neck and inhaling Kate’s special fragrance. It was the one thing he hadn’t wanted her to change. Her perfume.
They were on their own at last in the deluxe suite he had reserved in Newport Beach for their wedding night and the two following days. On Tuesday they were leaving on a month’s cruise in Europe.
“A bit,” said Katie softly.
Picking up his hand she looked at the ring she had slipped on his finger in church that morning. It matched hers and was the only thing she had been allowed to pay for with her own money.
“I can sleep in the other room you know,” devilish lights danced in her husband’s gray eyes.
“Not on your life Mr. Gallagher,” Katie wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her yearning softness, “Remember those vows we made in church this morning? Well unless we start right now with that interesting part we might never get around to the rest of them.”
“Which interesting part?” Brady punctuated each word with a kiss, loving the color that came up under his Katie’s skin.
“The one that says,” replied his wife of a few hours unbuttoning his shirt in a purposeful manner, “With my body I thee worship.”
“Let it never be said Brady Gallagher didn’t honor his vows,” said Brady hastening to obey.
EPILOGUE
Kate came up on deck after putting two year old Liam into the special crib Brady had installed in the boat. She looked at her husband as he waited for her, a drink in his hand.
“Is he actually asleep?” he asked softly though Liam couldn’t hear them.
“Yes”, Kate glanced at the baby monitor on the table between their chairs to make sure.
“Where does he get all that energy from?” Brady said in wonder.
“I don’t know,” Kate laughed. “But thanks for taking him swimming before his bedtime. That’s what got him really tuckered out.”
“Anything for you Katie mine,” said Brady.
Kate felt the rush of color to her face. They’d been married five years and it still just took a few words, a certain look from Brady to make her blush.
They were spending the weekend anchored in the little cove off the island that belonged to the Gallaghers. Kate liked the privacy the boat afforded them, preferring it to the house on the island.
“What’s that?” she asked as her gaze fell on the small table with a lace cloth and a couple of covered dishes on it.
“Voila!” said Brady, opening the dishes with a flourish. One of the dishes had a card, the other held their dinner; grilled chicken and a salad. The outdoor grill onshore by the cove was handy and Brady loved using it.
“Oh Brady,” Kate’s eyes filled as she picked up the card.
“Never let it be said we Gallaghers aren’t romantic.”
Kate opened the card. Inside it Brady had written, “Your love makes life worthwhile.”
“And your love means the world to me,” Kate said softly, one hand going to her belly, the other reaching out to clasp her husband’s. Their baby daughter kicked vigorously as if to agree with what her parents said. Kate put Brady’s hand on the spot where she could feel the baby kicking the most.
Life couldn’t be better.
The End
THE HOMESPUN SERIES
BOOK 1 – FAITH HOPE AND LOVE
BOOK 2 – PROJECT VALENTINE
BOOK 3 – THE LONG ROAD HOME
BOOK 4 – THE OLD FASHIONED WAY
BOOK 5 – MR. WRONG
BOOK 6 – DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL
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About the Author
Geeta Kakade was born in India where she attended British schools and colleges. An Army brat she has nomadic dust on her feet and loves to travel. The loneliness of the many moves as a child was dispelled by one constant; books. She has worn many hats, teacher, wife, mother, aunt, friend, reader, writer, volunteer. One of her favorites now is grandmother.
She came to America when she married her husband, raised her family and learned to bake bread. She's lived in Michigan and California and has written seriously for the last 34 years. Her first writing break came when she was discovered in RWA's national writing competition by a very intelligent editor. Geeta’s Homespun series was previously published in print by Silhouette Her first six books have been translated into Italian, French, Japanese, German, Spanish and Hungarian and she has been on the Waldenbooks and BDalton bestseller lists.
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