“I love you,” she whispered, tears streaming down both cheeks.
“And I love you,” he proclaimed, placing the other piece of paper in her hand. “This is the address and phone number of Millie Sanford.”
“My…mother?” she reiterated, staring at the small note. “But how did you find her? I don’t even remember telling you her name.”
“Let’s just say I know a woman with a hell of an investigative team and leave it at that,” he said, giving her a smile that melted her heart. “You may or may not want to use that information, but I wanted you to have it in case you decide to get in touch with her.”
Unable to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him close as she sobbed against his shoulder. “I love you so much, Luke Garnier,” she rasped when she finally managed to bring her emotions back under control. “Thank you.”
He placed his hand on her stomach and when he met her gaze, the love she detected in his eyes sent delightful shivers up her spine. “By the way, I think you might want to consider reducing your hours at the office now that you’re pregnant.”
“Why?”
“Because if you’re working all day, I can’t pamper you the way you deserve,” he informed, kissing her forehead.
Laying her head on his shoulder, she sighed. “I’ve never been pampered before in my entire life.”
“I know and as your husband, I intend to remedy that problem.” His tone left no doubt that that was exactly what he would do.
Placing her hand over his still resting on her stomach, she grinned. “I was thinking that I might even quit.”
“Or you could work from home. That is if you think you’ll get anything done with me and the baby underfoot all day?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to start working from home in order to be with you through your pregnancy and help out with the baby once he’s born,” he announced, smiling.
Happier than she’d ever been in her life, Haley laughed. “Ever since you asked me to have a baby, you’ve referred to it as ‘he’ or your ‘son.’ What if we have a little girl?”
“You’ve mentioned that before and I’ve given it some thought,” he said, his smile filled with love. “A little girl as sweet and wonderful as her mother would be just fine with me. We can have two or three boys a few years down the line.”
She gave him a mock frown. “Two or three?”
Resting his forehead against her, he winked. “Sweetheart, I love you so much I’ll be more than willing to give you all the babies you want. Girls, boys, twins, whatever your heart desires.”
“Really?” Nothing would thrill her more than having a whole houseful of Garnier children to mother.
“I love you, Haley Garnier. More than you’ll ever know.”
“And I love you, Luke. With all of my heart and soul.”
Epilogue
A fter receiving good-natured advice from Caleb, Nick and Hunter, Luke smiled at Jake. “Looks like the next brother to take the plunge will be you.”
Jake snorted. “If I were you, I wouldn’t hold my breath. You’d end up turning blue and passing out before I take a trip down the aisle.”
“Never say ‘never,’” Hunter said, laughing. “It’ll come back to bite you in the butt every time.”
“Gentlemen, it’s time to take your places,” the wedding coordinator reported, motioning for them to follow the minister.
Walking to the front of the ballroom, Luke couldn’t wait to see Haley. Arielle and his half brothers’ wives had rented a suite at the hotel and insisted on Haley spending the night before the wedding with them. And even though he and his brothers had a great time hanging out at his house, Luke had missed being with her, holding her all through the night and waking up with her in his arms that morning.
When the double doors opened at the back of the room and the bridesmaids came down the aisle to take their places on the opposite side of the minister, his breath stalled and Luke couldn’t believe how stunning Haley looked as she stepped onto the satin runner. She’d been beautiful the day they’d exchanged vows in the little chapel in the mountains, but today she was absolutely radiant.
Luke stepped forward to extend his arm and when she smiled up at him with more love than he deserved, he silently vowed to spend the rest of his life making sure she never doubted how much he loved her in return. “Are you ready to renew your vows to be my wife?”
“As ready as I am to hear your vows to be my husband,” she noted, her sweet voice sending a shaft of heat straight through him.
“I love you, today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives, sweetheart.”
“And I will always love you,” she promised, making him feel like the luckiest man alive.
“Isn’t this just wonderful, Luther?” Emerald asked, leaning over to her personal assistant when the bride and groom turned to face the minister. “Four of my grandchildren married in a little over three years.”
Luther gave her his usual stiff nod. “I’d say you’ve outdone yourself, Mrs. Larson.”
Yes, everything had come together just as she’d planned. With information supplied by her good friend and curator at the museum, Max Parmelli, her arrangement to hire Chet Parker for the entertainment at her reception she’d thrown for herself last month had worked out brilliantly. The young singer’s interest in the lovely Haley had been just the impetus Luke needed to help him realize his feelings for her and ultimately led to Emerald watching them renew their vows.
She smiled as she gazed at the wedding party standing at the front of the Opryland Hotel’s main ballroom. Luke made such a handsome groom and she’d never seen him look happier. Jake, the best man, was the mirror image of the groom and she still marveled at how much they resembled their father, Owen. She dabbed a tear that slipped from her eye with an Irish linen handkerchief. If only Owen could have realized what a precious gift his children were.
Her gaze drifted to her three other grandsons, Caleb, Nick and Hunter, and her heart swelled with emotion. It thrilled her to know that Luke and Jake had become close to their newfound brothers. And she was doubly happy that Luke had asked them to be groomsmen in his and Haley’s wedding.
She sighed contentedly. Now that everything had worked out for Luke, she could turn her attention to making sure the same happened for her remaining unmarried grandchildren.