Here it is! Your bonus chapter for ‘Jumping in Puddles.’ Hope you enjoy it!

Adam stood nervously under the arched canopy, his hands clasped before him. Dressed casually in a navy belted linen tunic over loose sand-coloured linen trousers, he dug his bare feet into the grass under him and glanced over at his brother Lane, standing beside him. Lane gave him a wink.

“You doin’ okay there, bro?” he asked, punching his brother lightly on the shoulder.

“I don’t actually know,” Adam had to admit. “I know this is exactly where I’m supposed to be right now, so why am I so nervous?” He rubbed his sweaty palms together to try to calm his nerves, glancing behind his brother to where Len was standing, looking just as nervous as him.

“Every groom is like this, Adam. Believe me, I’m in the ‘always a bridesmaid, never a bride’ category, so I’ve stood up here many times. You’ll do fine.” Lane squeezed Adam’s arm before letting his hand drop to his side.

Adam looked out over the assembled crowd. They’d had such a great time in Tofino with the kids that they’d decided this would be where their ‘destination’ wedding would be–where they’d first come as a family. They had tried to keep the guest list small, but that had been almost impossible. As he scanned the faces of their guests, he saw not only lots of family, but a cross-section of the who’s who of Hollywood royalty. Although there was private security keeping fans and paparazzi away from this secluded beach, he was sure there would be pictures of the wedding on the internet by the end of the day.

“Almost time.” Adam could feel Lane’s breath against the back of his neck as he leaned close with his warning. Adam turned toward the back of the seating area, awaiting his beautiful bride.

“Are you sure about a crown of flowers? Aren’t I a little old for that?” Laurel stood in front of the mirror, second-guessing her head dress. “We should have gone with a more traditional veil, don’t you think?”

Barb pushed Laurel’s hand away from the crown of red roses and gerbera daisies shot through with baby’s breath. “It looks spectacular with your dress. Besides, you have your trailing ribbons–that’s kind of a veil.” Barb lifted the dozen or so ribbons off of Laurel’s back and let them flutter over her bare shoulders.

Laurel smoothed her hands down over her hips and belly, trying to calm her nerves. The dress had been made for her by a designer she’d found in Toronto through Adam’s stylist. It was in a renaissance style with a full, layered skirt and a corset style bodice. Across the top of the bodice, an embroidered strip extended to off-the-shoulder, layered, flowing sleeves.

As she smoothed the fabric of the dress, she recalled her shopping trip to Nordstrom with Adam the first day they’d met. She’d modeled a stunning scarlet dress for him that day. So much had happened in their lives since that day almost three years before, including a gorgeous proposal on a sunset cruise in the Toronto Harbour. She smiled as she recalled his nervous face gazing up at her as he waited for her answer to the delight of the other cruisers.

“Yeah, okay. The flower crown is fine.” She turned abruptly from the mirror. “Is everyone going to be expecting white?” She gazed down again at her gorgeous scarlet gown.

“In the pagan tradition, you marry in red,” Angela said, taking up a position in front of the mirror that Laurel had just vacated. “Why couldn’t I wear red, too? I’m not sure this aqua is my colour.”

At fifteen, Angela was almost as tall as Laurel, but she was still able to stand behind her daughter, placing her hands on her shoulders. “This shade suits you so well, sweetie. Especially with these blonde highlights you have in your hair now. You look breathtaking!”

Laurel adjusted the ribbons over her daughter’s slim shoulders, then turned to see to her other two children.

Jill was dressed in a dusty rose, mid-calf dress with burgundy flowers embroidered on the overskirt. Her hair, which had grown back in curly after the accident, fell in lovely ringlets around her shoulders. Luke was dressed much like Adam in a belted linen tunic in a paler shade of blue and loose linen trousers. Across his chest was a leather satchel which Laurel knew carried both of their wedding bands.

“You guys just about set?” Barb asked, having peeked out of their tent toward the wedding site. “I think Adam is going to crawl out of his skin if he has to wait much longer.”

Laurel smiled at the thought of her fiancé and how nervous he’d been as the wedding was drawing closer. Even though they’d hired a wedding planner, he’d been going over their plans obsessively to make sure nothing would go wrong. Two weeks before the wedding, she finally banned him from calling Wendy, their wedding planner, and forced him to focus on learning his lines for his next role–a ten-week stint in a Toronto musical stage production. Not only were there lines to learn, but songs and choreography as well. She hadn’t been aware that he could sing so well until he went for the audition and spend the week leading up to it singing non-stop around the house.

Now their big day had finally come. Before she went to organize the rest of the wedding party for their walk down the aisle, Barb handed Laurel her bouquet of red, pink, and white flowers.

Angela came up beside her and playfully bumped her shoulder. “Bet you never thought this would happen when you first met Adam, did you?”

Laurel snorted. “I’m just glad he got over the gross mess I was the first time he saw me.” She stopped to ponder their almost three years together. “He was always so certain we should be together, even early on when I wasn’t.”

Angela held her mother’s gaze for a moment. “So was I. When he was around, you always glowed.”

Laurel wrinkled up her nose. “Yeah, right. Except when you warned me off of him because of his age and his wanting kids and the fans and paparazzi. You didn’t seem too invested in our relationship at that point.” She bumped Angela’s shoulder back to show she was joking.

Angela pulled herself up to her full five feet four inches and huffed, “I just thought there were things you should be aware of before you got too involved.”

Laurel looped her arm across Angela’s shoulders and pulled her close, placing a carefully kiss to her temple. “Thanks for looking out for me, sweetie.”

“Angela, take your place,” came the call from Wendy, who had just entered their tent to get them organized.

Luke led their party, his hand resting protectively on his leather satchel. Jill stood quietly behind him, holding her basket of flower petals. Then Angela behind them both, looking far too grown up to Laurel’s eyes. Barb followed Angela in her golden yellow gown with a crown of yellow and orange flowers, setting off her blonde hair to perfection. She turned to Laurel as she fell in behind her.

“You ready for this? I’ve taken a peek at the guests and it looks like the freaking Oscars out there! Didn’t anyone get the memo that it was a casual beach wedding?”

Laurel smiled at her. It had taken her a while to get used to the fact that many of Adam’s friends and acquaintances were celebrities, but Barb hadn’t been as exposed to them as she had been.

“They’re just people, Barb. By the end of the night, you won’t even notice that they’re celebrities–I promise,” she assured her friend.

“Not likely.” Barb turned toward the door flap as the music swelled and Luke started his solemn walk.

The band started playing the processional song they’d chosen and Adam felt his heart rate sky rocket! This was it!

He grinned widely as he watched Luke start down the aisle. At thirteen, Luke’d had a growth spurt over the last year and was now only about three inches shorter than Adam himself. Adam knew this because every time Luke walked into a room where he was, he demanded that Adam stand up so that he could see if he was taller than him yet! It was getting a little tiresome, but Adam couldn’t complain. He remembered doing the same thing to his dad at that age.

Luke’s demeanor was watchful yet dignified as he cut his eyes from side-to-side, checking for any danger to the precious cargo he was carrying. He’d really bought into the idea of being ‘Ring Security’ for the wedding and had been disappointed that the wedding theme didn’t allow him to dress as one of the ‘Men in Black.’ But Adam had assured him that this was the Renaissance equivalent.

Jill’s demeanor couldn’t have been more different from her brother’s. She was grinning ear to ear as she rained flower petals down on the assembled guests, giggling as some people threw them back at her. Adam couldn’t help but remember the harrowing days following Jill’s accident, when they weren’t sure whether she’d come back to them or not. He wasn’t a religious man, but he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he had prayed for his youngest stepdaughter’s full recovery more than once.

Angela entered the aisle, her back straight and her face demur. He had watched the bridal party as they’d paced up the aisle at the rehearsal dinner the night before, but nothing could prepare him for how confident and beautiful she looked. She was on the edge of womanhood and he’d already had the privilege of doing a ‘dad interview’ with a boy who’d come to take her to the movies. He had to admit that he kinda liked that part of being a stepdad. He wasn’t too hard on the kid, though–he remembered how much he’d hated the ‘Meeting the Parents’ part of teenage dating.

As Barb entered the aisle, he saw her cut her eye to where Vic was sitting with their kids. He’d gotten to know this couple much better since he’d been living in Toronto and he could see how strong their relationship was. He only hoped that he and Laurel could duplicate their commitment to each other.

Barb nodded to him with a smile and a wink before moving to her place beside Angela and Jill. Then his eyes were filled with his lovely bride.

Laurel had told him that red was the traditional colour for pagan brides, but he hadn’t been prepared for how breathtaking she would look in her Renaissance inspired gown. The sleeves flowed down from her elbows as she held her bouquet of fresh flowers before her. The skirt flowed back over her legs, then trailed behind her in a short train.

He felt Lane lean close to him. “Breathe,” he whispered near his ear, and Adam realized he’d been holding his breath. He inhaled deeply, then turned to smile at his brother for taking such good care of him.

Then she was there, standing in front of him, smiling up at him. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed it lightly. “We made it,” she whispered and squeezed his hand again before turning to hand off her bouquet to Barb.

The ceremony was heartfelt and personal as they uttered the words of love they had written to each other. As they spoke of how their families had shaped them, Adam glanced at the two empty chairs in the front row–empty except for the single red rose on each of them, honouring Laurel’s parents, Ray and Heather. When Laurel had suggested this, he’d choked up a bit at the beautiful tribute to obviously adored parents.

Luke proudly held out Laurel’s ring to Adam when it was called for. Adam could feel his throat growing thick as he struggled to get through the final piece of the ceremony and slid the simple platinum band onto Laurel’s finger.

Luke handed Adam’s ring to Laurel and stepped back as she took Adam’s hand in hers. As she spoke her vow to spend the rest of her life as his loving partner, he was very glad he had nothing further to say. He blew out a long breath to try to keep his emotions under control. Laurel looked up into his eyes and quirked an eyebrow, asking if he was okay. All he could manage was a single affirmative jerk of his head–he thought he might have smiled, but he was sure it had only appeared as a grimace.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now share an expression of your love,” the officiant announced. Adam’s relief must have been clear on his face as he pulled his beautiful wife toward him for a kiss.

“That bad, eh?” she asked, just before his lips met hers. Her lips were soft and pliant and the perfect balm for his frazzled spirit.

He drew back, not reacting to the thunderous applause that engulfed them, and stroked his thumb over her cheek. “All better now,” he whispered, pulling her close for another kiss, this one a little more intense.

The officiant’s voice cut through the uproar of wolf whistles and encouragement being hurled at them by their guests. “May I present, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Fraser.”

Adam and Laurel turned from each other and gave a wave as they started up the aisle, shaking hands and accepting congratulations from all sides. As planned, they stopped halfway for another kiss, this time with a little dip, giving more of their guests the opportunity to get a photo.

And then they were out, disappearing into the tent behind the seats for a few minutes of quiet before the reception.

Barb was the first to offer Adam a congratulatory hug. “You did good, big guy,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “There was a moment there where I wasn’t sure you were going to be able to go on, but you pushed through.” She squeezed him tightly, then let him go.

Wendy had handed Adam a glass of champagne and he took a long swallow before answering Barb. “It was touch and go there for a minute. Even before you guys got up to the canopy, Lane had to remind me to breathe.”

Lane came through the flaps of the tent, took the proffered champagne and joined the conversation. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you quite that nervous, dude. Should have been a piece of cake–you love her, she loves you…” He let his voice trail off while he emptied his glass.

Adam felt a pair of arms come around his waist and he couldn’t help the smile that sprung to his lips. “Hey husband…wanna go take some pictures?” Laurel purred.

Adam turned in her arms, wrapping her in his embrace. “You bet. Anything to stay close to you, Mrs. Fraser.”

She pushed herself up on her toes to kiss him. “You know, I wasn’t sure about taking your name, but it’s kind of growing on me.”

“I did tell you that was completely up to you. I would not be upset if you opted to keep Dupuis so that you’ve got the same last name as the kids.”

“Well, I don’t have to decide today, but I’m okay with you calling me Mrs. Fraser.” She gave him a wicked grin as she rubbed her nose against his. “Kinda sexy,” she murmured.

“You really want to do that?” he asked, peeling her arm off from around his back and spinning her away from him. “We’ve got hours yet before we can be alone.” She spun back into his arms and he pressed his body against hers.

“I guess I can wait,” she grumbled, bobbing up to give him another quick kiss. “Let’s go get pictures out of the way before Wendy has a stroke.” Wendy was standing by the tent flap, struggling to keep everyone on schedule.

As their guests were directed to the reception area, the bridal party took over the beach area again for pictures. Their photographer was someone Adam had worked with in the past, and he seemed to have a knack for making everyone look their best. But even with his professionalism, after an hour in front of the lens, Laurel was ready for a drink.

“How do you do this all the time?” she asked her new husband as he slipped his hand into his pants pocket through the slit in his tunic and twisted his upper body toward her for the perfect shot.

“It’s second nature now, babe. I’ve worked with some wonderful photographers and gotten to know what they expect and what poses I look best in. You’ll get there. Here, just push your elbow back a little…there.” Adam turned back to the camera as the flash went off again.

Even after the three years they’d been together, Adam’s professionalism and poise still amazed Laurel. At home, he was goofy and silly and dressed in his favourite torn sweatpants and ratty T-shirt. But if he was leaving the house, he’d put on jeans or trousers and a nicer shirt. When they had an event to attend, they always visited his stylist–he’d found a new one in Toronto who he liked better than the one he’d had in LA–and they would be dressed to be noticed. Laurel had an exquisite wardrobe that Sabrina, their stylist, had an inventory of for unscheduled events.

But today, Adam’s poise was really showing as he worked with the photographer to get the shots he knew they wanted of the two of them alone as well as with their families.

“Have you got everything?” he finally asked Joseph, the photographer. Joseph scanned through the list that Laurel and Adam had given him and gave Adam a thumbs up.

“Okay, Mrs. Fraser. It is time to get this party started.” He clasped Laurel’s hand and guided everyone toward the reception tent.

It was a long and glorious evening that went by in a blur. Although Laurel always seemed to have a drink in her hand, most of them got set down, half drunk, when someone pulled her back out onto the dance floor. So when Adam came to collect her to retire from their party, she was only a little tipsy.

“Are you ready to go? I don’t think I can wait another minute to have you alone, Mrs. Fraser.” His arms were around her from behind and his voice was a soft growl in her ear.

She twisted around to see his face. “I’m so ready…but don’t we have to walk the gauntlet or something?”

She felt him shake his head against hers. “We don’t have to do anything we don’t want to. I told Wendy we’re leaving quietly.”

She turned in his arms and kissed him hungrily. “Then what are we waiting for?” she murmured against his lips.

Their car was waiting for them in the parking lot to whisk them away to their hotel. The backseat was spacious–a little too spacious for their needs–so Laurel moved to the middle and draped her legs over Adam’s, letting her head drop to his shoulder and his strong arms around her lull her almost to sleep.

She felt his lips press against the top of her head. “We’re almost there, babe. Do I have to carry you in?”

“No,” Laurel stated emphatically. “I can walk. The day was just catching up to me,” She paused for a moment, snuggling a little closer to him, “and you’re really nice to cuddle with.” She let out a sigh of contentment.

“Same. We’ll have to spend some quality time cuddling…later.” His voice dropped to a gravelly growl that sent delicious jolts of need between her legs.

“Yes, later,” she whispered, lifting her lips to his. He softly kissed and sucked her lips, pulling back when she tried to take their kiss deeper.

He stroked her hair away from her face. “I love you,” he whispered. “Thank you for saying yes.” Laurel could hear that his voice was thick with emotion.

“Thank you for asking,” she whispered, her eyes shining up into his.

He turned his head away, sniffing to hide his emotion. “Today is turning me into a sap,” he said with a chuckle.

She put her hand to his cheek to turn him back to her. “My sap,” she assured him, drawing his lips to hers again.

Their hotel suite was spectacular, with a gorgeous view out over the ocean from their balcony. Their king-sized bed was festooned with a scattering of red rose petals and there was a chilled bottle of champagne and a charcuterie board on the counter in the kitchenette. All of this they noticed as they were whisking their luggage towards the bedroom.

“Come here, wife,” Adam said from across the room. “I’ve heard horror stories about getting brides out of their wedding finery.”

Laurel slid into his arms, wrapping hers around him and pulling him against her. “No horror stories here, babe. Just a zipper.” She could feel his hands slide up her back to find the zipper pull that would reveal her to him. As he did that, she pulled away to tug at his belt. It was an old style that knotted instead of buckled and as the zipper reached the curve of her butt, she pulled away from him to let the dress fall off of her, leaving her in only a bustier and panties.

“Whoa,” Adam exclaimed, letting his eyes roam over the red and black lingerie as he tugged his belt loose. “Is this for me?” He stepped forward, placing his hands on her sides and running them over the smooth satin material.

“All yours,” Laurel ducked her head and looked up at him through her eyelashes, “and this has a zipper, too.” She flicked the zipper pull nestled between her breasts.

Adam crossed his arms and, grabbing the bottom of his tunic, pulled it off over his head, giving Laurel a spectacular view of his chiseled torso. He wasn’t training for a role right now, so she’d seen him more defined, but he maintained a base level of fitness and still looked fabulous. Laurel could almost feel her mouth watering.

She stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on his chest, right over the tattooed quote that she admired so much. Then she let her mouth range lower, kissing and nipping her way down to the waistband of his loose pants, which were already tented.

She found his belly button with her tongue and wiggled it, making him back away with a chuckle. As she pulled him close to her again, she asked, “What do you want tonight, husband?”

Adam lifted her from her crouch and encircled her with his arms. “I really need to get horizontal and then make love to my wife.” He kissed her tenderly before turning them both toward the bed.

Before Laurel crawled onto the bed, she turned to Adam, pushing her breasts toward him. It took him only a moment to realize that she wanted him to unzip her bustier, and he took his time moving the zipper down, his appreciative gaze following it until the garment was hanging off her shoulders. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met,” he whispered as he pushed the straps over her shoulders and down her arms, letting the bustier drop to the floor.

Laurel snorted. “You’re going blind in your old age, Fraser,” she scoffed, brushing more rose petals off the bed.

Adam had dropped his trousers to the floor and stood to face her, the only garment still between them, her panties. He looped an arm around her waist and bore her down to the bed, covering her body with his.

“So what do I have to do to prove to you how beautiful you are?” He stroked her hair off of her face as she shrugged in response to his question.

“Maybe this?” he whispered, pressing his lips to hers in a slow, sensual kiss. She opened to him with a groan of pleasure and let her tongue dance with his, her fingers combing through his silky hair.

Adam’s lips roamed down her jaw to her ear, where he sucked her earlobe between his lips, then ran his tongue up the shell of her ear. “Oh, God,” she moaned, pressing her hips up against his.

“Or this?” he murmured, licking and sucking along her jaw to her other ear. As she pressed against his body again, she wasn’t sure how much more teasing she could take. All evening, she’d found herself searching Adam out with her eyes so that she could feast on what a handsome man she’d married. At this point, she was more than ready to get on with things.

But Adam had a different idea as he let his lips range lower, taking his time along the side of her neck, then kissing and nipping her full breasts before cupping one with his hand and sucking the already hard nub of her nipple into his mouth. A rush of heat shot directly between Laurel’s legs and she squirmed to try to control her need.

“Maybe if I worship your breasts, you’ll realize how beautiful you are.” He painted the words along her breast as he moved his mouth to the other nipple, giving it the attention it craved.

“Oh, Adam!” Laurel gasped. “Okay, okay. I think I’m beautiful. Please!”

He took his time making sure to give this nipple equal treatment before popping his head up to look at her. “I don’t think I’ve proven my point yet. You’re not just beautiful, but the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with.” As he ducked his head to move lower, Laurel had a moment of doubt. She’d seen some of the women Adam had been with before her–she’d even met a few of them, as Adam tended to maintain friendships with his former girlfriends. They all had gorgeous model bodies and sculpted faces, full lips and bright, wrinkle-free skin. She always felt frumpy next to them.

“I knew it,” Adam said from somewhere around her navel. “You just tensed up. You’re thinking about the other women I’ve been with, aren’t you?”

“Sorry. I can’t help it. You must be blind if you think I’m more beautiful than they are.”

“None of them have these,” He dipped his head to trail his tongue along one of her silvery stretch marks, “or this,” He sucked the skin of her belly into his mouth, “and none of them love me the way you do, with your whole heart.” He slid further down on the bed, settling between her legs.

He ran his tongue slowly up between her lips, lingering on her clit for a moment before pulling away. “And no one has ever appreciated my talent down here the way you have.” He licked her again as she squirmed and moaned.

Laurel gasped out, “No one?” before letting out a low groan of pleasure. “Their loss, oh, God!” She grasped the blankets with both hands, ready to hold on for the ride.

After that, she was lost in a surge of feeling that she had a hard time controlling. She’d experienced Adam’s ‘talent’ many times, but it still took her by surprise how much control he had over her pleasure and how he could push her to the edge and keep her hanging there until he was ready to let her tumble over.

Tonight, though, he didn’t seem to be in a teasing mood. If the tent she’d seen earlier was any indication, he had been as aroused as her by a whole evening of scorching looks across the room and stolen moments on the dance floor. She gasped, pulling her legs up as her orgasm coiled low in her belly, ready to wreck her. One quick flick of his tongue and she cried out her release, squirming against his mouth as he tried to give her as much pleasure as possible. Her fingers reached down to fist in his hair, not sure if she wanted him to stop or keep going.

His lips moved to kiss along the tops of her thighs before he moved his body up to cover hers. He stroked her cheek, a wistful look in his eyes. “I can’t believe that you’re all mine.” His lips were soft against hers, stirring such tender feelings in her heart.

But she knew he still needed something from her. She bucked her hips against his. He chuckled softly against her lips. “That’s part of your allure,” he whispered. “Insatiable.”

He rolled his hips back and Laurel wrapped her hand around him to guide him home. With one powerful thrust, he was inside of her. He groaned against her neck. “I’ll never get tired of this.”

She ran her lips and teeth along his neck and shoulder until he raised himself so that she could claim his lips. She would never tire of this feeling either–this deep feeling of connection when they made love. She arched against him as his thrusts increased in speed and intensity.

“Oh, babe! Oh, God,” he cried out, gasping and panting out his climax. He dropped his head to her shoulder, pressing her body down into the mattress.

Laurel ran her hands lightly over Adam’s back, soothing him back into his body. Her lips kissed a slow trail along his shoulder until he raised himself on his elbow so that he could look into her eyes.

He stroked his thumb over the soft skin of her face, gazing into her beautiful hazel eyes. They were so expressive–dark now after making love to him, but sparkling when she laughed, soft and full of love as she’d met his eyes during their vows, gentle when they rested on her children. He pressed his lips to the tip of her nose and smiled as she wrinkled it up, returning his smile.

“Epic way to start our marriage,” she whispered, her lips quirked into a gentle half-smile.

“You know me,” he joked. “I never do anything half-way.” He kissed her nose again before withdrawing from her, only to pull her in beside him.

They were quiet for a long time. Adam didn’t know what was in Laurel’s mind, but he was feeling well pleased and at peace with his life. He was married to the woman of his dreams, helping her to raise three beautiful children whom he adored. The wedding had gone off without a hitch, thanks to Wendy keeping everything on track, and they were still as explosive in bed together as they’d always been.

He felt his eyebrows furrow. Should he trust this happiness? Suddenly, he wished something had gone wrong today. Perfection always made him a little nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Laurel’s voice floated up to him from the crook of his neck. She pressed her lips against his shoulder to soothe him.

“Nothing,” he whispered, “just hoping our joy bubble doesn’t get burst.”

“Joy bubble? Is that what we’re in?” He felt her little chuckle ripple against his side.

“Yeah, everything has been so perfect. I guess I’m afraid it can’t last.” As he gave voice to his fear, he could hear how silly it sounded.

“Are you talking about the wedding? It was far from perfect,” she murmured, snuggling in closer.

“What do you mean?” He craned his neck to try to see her face. She raised her head to look at him.

“There were at least a dozen little snafus today.” Her expression told him he should know this.

“Like what? Everything seemed to run so smoothly.”

“Well, like Jill chasing one of your nephews and falling and scraping her knee, getting blood on her dress. Your mom helped me to get the stain out before the ceremony. Then Luke put his satchel down somewhere and couldn’t remember where. You were in the search party to find it, weren’t you?”

He nodded silently. “But those things didn’t affect the day.”

Laurel shrugged. “They didn’t make it any less memorable, no, but things didn’t go perfectly. The officiant couldn’t find us and was almost late. My brother, Matt, had to go out to guide him in.”

“Really? I didn’t realize.” Somehow, just hearing about these minor glitches in their perfect day soothed his feelings. “Guess I was busy elsewhere when that happened.”

“Wendy dealt with most of it on her own, but she let me know. We both had lots to occupy our time without those little problems weighting us down.” She leaned in to kiss him quickly. “Besides, it will just add spice to the story when we tell it.”

He settled her head back on his shoulder and was pensive for a long moment.

He could feel her smile against his shoulder. Her lips pressed gently against his chest before she laid her head back down. “Sleep now, love. We’ve got lots going on tomorrow, too.”

Yes, they did. They’d spend the day with their guests, accepting congratulations and enjoying a quiet day in one of the most beautiful places in the country. The day after that, they would head to Victoria to board their flight to Europe for a two-week Mediterranean cruise/European tour, which would see them finishing their honeymoon back in Paris. Adam had added that to their itinerary so that they could finish their interrupted romantic vacation in the city of love.

“Yes, we do,” he whispered. He closed his eyes on one of the longest but most enjoyable days so far in his life. “Night, Mrs. Fraser.” He pressed his lips to her forehead.

“Night, Mr. Fraser.” Her voice sounded heavy with fatigue as she squeezed his body to hers. Adam smiled into the dark of their room and closed his eyes, letting the lovely weight of his wife beside him quiet his mind so he could drift off to sleep.