Broken Read online

  And I was about to get even luckier. The past few months had been a whirlwind both professionally and privately, but today was about pausing and being present.

  I wasn’t foolish enough to think that life wouldn’t throw us a few curve balls—Montana Chambers being one of them, my dad being another—but I believed mine and Colt’s love and faith in each other would help us overcome even the toughest of obstacles.

  Soon after we set the wedding date, I contacted my dad. Our conversation lasted all of two minutes. He made it clear he didn’t want me in his life.

  His rejection stung, but not as much as it once did. I wasn’t worthless, and I wasn’t selfish. I was a good daughter and if he couldn’t see that, then his loss. I had a new family. One that loved me faults and all.

  Two of Colt’s cousins slid open the trolley doors to the barn just as the Wedding March began. I hooked my arm through Jonah’s. It was time. I put one foot in front of the other, and we began our slow walk up the aisle.

  I wanted to run to Colt, but that probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do in a dress with a ten-foot train. From the corner of my eye, I saw the grinning faces of our guests, but I kept my focus on Colt’s back.

  He shifted nervously from foot to foot, and I smiled when I spotted his worn boots. At my request, there was a cowboy hat on his head. Maybe I’d make him wear it later when I tied him to the headboard.

  When we got to the altar, Colt turned to face me, and the deep love in his eyes melted my insides.

  “You look incredible,” he said, emotion cracking his voice.

  “As do you,” I replied, my words sounding shaky.

  The preacher began his opening remarks, and a short while later, when the time for our vows arrived, Colt took my hands in his.

  “When you walked into my life, I’d given up on love. The last thing I wanted was to give my heart to anyone.

  “You always said that the second I took your hand in mine, you knew. My heart knew too, but my mind wouldn’t admit it.

  “I love you, Natalie Susan Davis. I’ll love you till the end of time and beyond. I promise I’ll never leave your side, and I swear I’ll make you the happiest woman on earth.”

  I rolled my lips between my teeth and held my breath. How was I supposed to talk without crying? I briefly closed my eyes and prayed my words wouldn’t come out as gibberish. After gathering my thoughts for a few seconds, I felt strong enough to begin.

  “Colt Ford Flynn, I’m honored to stand in front of your family and our friends. You’ve shown me what it means to love and to be loved.

  “When our kids ask how we fell in love, we can tell them all it took was one handshake.

  “You’re my everything. Break Me was the first song I ever sang for you. Thanks to you, I’m no longer broken because you fixed me. And, yes, that’s going in a song. For the rest of my life, I’ll spend every waking moment making our marriage the best it can be.”

  After we slipped our rings onto each other’s fingers, the preacher said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Our lips met for a long, lingering kiss filled with a lifetime of promises. Everyone cheered and clapped while we stood hand in hand, lost in each other’s eyes.

  There was something I had to share with him. Yesterday, after Tricia voiced her suspicions about me having a bird in the nest, I began to think back. I hadn’t had a period in a few months, but since I’d never had a regular cycle, being pregnant hadn’t crossed my mind. Then there was the nonstop nausea. That alone should have clued me in.

  The test results had been a surprise. One that filled me with immense joy and hope.

  “Before we walk down the aisle as husband and wife, I have a secret to share.” I took his hand and placed it on my stomach. “The reason I’ve been sick isn’t because of nerves and anxiety. It’s because we’re going to have a baby.”

  “A baby?” He picked me up and cradled me close, his blue eyes illuminating him from the inside. “We’re going to have a baby,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  “Are you happy?”

  His dazzling smile gave me the answer before he said a word. “Overjoyed. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

  “I knew it,” Tricia hollered. “I knew you’d been visited by the stork. Heavens to Betsy, I’m going to be a grandma.”

  I touched my lips to Colt’s cheek. “Forever,” I murmured.

  “And always,” he whispered.

  The End

  About the Author

  Cora York adores steamy stories about sassy women and the sexy men who push them to their limit. But, these days, thanks her job as a full-time domestic goddess and kid-chauffeur, she no longer has the luxury of sitting down to read full-length romance novels. To get her fix, she created Quick Reads for Fast Lives—all the romance in a fraction of the time.

  Sign up for her newsletter to keep up to date with her latest releases.