Chapter 22
The nurse handed Bill the last of the paperwork, her voice warm and cheerful. “You’re doing great. Your heart has stayed in normal sinus rhythm, and once we get your meds up from the pharmacy, you’ll be ready for discharge.”
Bill exhaled a relieved sigh and rubbed his hands together. “Hear that, Kaye? Sounds like everything’s going to be just fine.” His voice held its usual strength, but beneath it, there was something more—a quiet gratitude, an unspoken understanding of just how close today had come to being something else entirely.
Nana didn’t answer.
Standing by the window, she barely noticed the papers, the nurse, or even Bill’s reassuring words. Her gaze was riveted on the world outside, her heart pulled toward something beyond the hospital walls.
A soft, knowing smile played on her lips.
Outside, in the park across the street, beneath the shade of a towering elm, Taylor and Nick sat at an old wooden picnic table.
Even from this distance, Nana could see the way they leaned toward each other, heads close, hands intertwined as if neither could bear to let go.
She watched as Nick tucked a strand of Taylor’s hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek. Taylor tilted her face up, eyes shining, lips curving in a way Nana hadn’t seen in years—no, maybe ever. It was the look of a woman who had finally found where she belonged.
Tears pricked at the corners of Nana’s eyes. Today had been filled with blessings—some expected, some surprising, and some, like the love story unfolding before her, absolutely perfect.
“Kaye?”
Bill’s voice pulled her back inside the room.
She turned to him, her eyes still glistening, her heart impossibly full.
“What did you say, sweetheart?”
“I said everything has worked out just fine.”
Nana smiled, crossing the room to him, taking his weathered hand in hers.
“Yes,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his palm. “Yes, it has.”
* * *
Taylor’s gaze drifted toward her grandparents, who sat at a nearby table engaged in an animated conversation with Nick’s mother. Their laughter was light, their eyes crinkled with warmth, and for a moment, she simply let herself soak in the sight. A family, whole and happy. Something she’d once feared she’d never have again.
She turned back to Nick, her voice a whisper meant just for him. “I can’t believe they knew all along about my father’s debts.”
Nick reached for her hand beneath the table, his thumb tracing slow, reassuring circles over her skin. “I’m sure your father would have eventually told you, too.” His voice was gentle, steady. “But if you hadn’t been so desperate for money, you wouldn’t have agreed to be my fiancée… and we wouldn’t be here now.”
Taylor tilted her face to him, her fingers feather-light as they brushed against his cheek. The diamond on her left hand caught the light, sending tiny rainbows shimmering across the tablecloth. “I believe God would have found a way to bring us together.”
The unmistakable chime of silver tapping against crystal goblets echoed through the ballroom of the Heritage Hotel, signaling the moment every guest had been waiting for.
Nick grinned, turning to his bride. “Shall we?”
Taylor let out a dramatic sigh, her eyes twinkling. “It is tradition,” she murmured in mock resignation.
He pushed back his chair and stood, extending his hand toward her. The moment her fingers slid into his, warm and familiar, his chest tightened. How had he ever lived without this?
She turned in his arms, draping her hands lightly over his shoulders, her upturned face full of anticipation. Waiting.
For him.
Nick took in every exquisite detail—the way her eyes shimmered in the golden glow of the chandeliers, the delicate rise and fall of her breath, the slight tremor of excitement that ran through her body.
She was breathtaking.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his mother and stepfather, their smiles full of quiet pride. And then?—
“Are you going to kiss her or just stand there looking like a love-struck fool?” Henry’s voice boomed from across the room.
Laughter rippled through the guests, but Nick barely noticed. His world had narrowed to one person.
He cupped Taylor’s face, his thumb grazing her cheek, and leaned in, pressing his lips softly, reverently against hers. The kiss was brief, but full of promise. A vow without words.
As applause rang out, he reluctantly pulled away, his forehead resting lightly against hers.
“We’ll finish that later,” he whispered.
Her breath hitched, a small, secret smile curving her lips. “I’m counting on it.”
Nick barely had time to settle back into his chair before Erik pushed his back with a dramatic flourish, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“As the best man, I believe a toast is in order.”
Lifting his champagne flute high, Erik turned toward them, his grin unwavering. “I’ve known Nick for a long time, and he’s made some smart moves—hiring me as his attorney comes to mind—” a few chuckles rolled through the crowd, “—but hanging on to Taylor? That wasn’t just a smart move. That was sheer brilliance.”
He turned to the guests, shaking his head with mock seriousness. “Seeing how happy they are almost makes me want to get married. Almost.”
More laughter.
“But in all seriousness, I wish Nick and Taylor a lifetime of love, laughter, and—” Erik waggled his brows “—lots and lots of babies. Go forth and multiply.”
A roar of laughter and applause followed as Erik took his seat, looking entirely pleased with himself.
Nick stood, raising his own glass, the mirth still in his eyes but something deeper running beneath it. A quiet intensity. A truth he’d only recently come to understand.
“To my wife,” he began, and the room fell silent.
His gaze found hers, locking on like a steady anchor.
“To the woman who taught me that a man can have all the riches in the world but still be the poorest soul without love. To my best friend, my heart, my home. Taylor, I am truly blessed.”
By the time he finished, Taylor’s emerald eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
Nick swallowed past the lump in his own throat, overwhelmed by the depth of what they had built together, how far they had come.
Without thinking, he bent and pressed a lingering kiss against her lips, needing her to feel every word he had just spoken.
“I love you, Mrs. Lanagan.”
Her fingers curled around his cheek, soft, certain. “I love you too, Mr. Lanagan.”
“Break it up, you two,” Grandpa Bill’s voice rang out, the picture of health and vitality. “There’s plenty of time for that later.”
Nick grinned, glancing back at Erik. “We’re just getting warmed up. After all, Erik did tell us to be fruitful and multiply.”
Another round of laughter rippled through the guests.
Erik raised his hands in surrender. “For once, someone in this family actually listens to me.” He turned toward Nick, shaking his head. “But really, six kids? You’re serious about this?”
Nick’s gaze swept across the room. Past the tiny ring bearer in his tuxedo, spinning the giggling flower girl in dizzy circles. Past the other children nestled between parents, stealing frosting off the wedding cake plates with delighted grins.
He looked back at Taylor, her fingers laced with his, her eyes full of laughter and love, and knew his answer without hesitation.
His grin widened as he tightened his grip on the woman he loved. “Call me crazy. I really do.”
* * *
Ready for another heartfelt journey?
If you were moved by Taylor and Nick’s story of grace, second chances, and unexpected love, don’t miss the next book in the series— A Love That’s True .
Can two people from very different worlds—and bound by a shared secret—find a love that’s genuine, lasting, and rooted in truth?
Join Claire and Tony as they navigate trust, faith, and the stirrings of something real. And come back to Millville, Iowa—a town where hearts heal, hope grows, and love always has the final say.
Turn the page for a sneak peek… or dive into A Love That’s True now.