Chapter 5
Hannah had whiplash. Since agreeing to marry Samuel three hours ago, things moved so very quickly. The first thing he had insisted on was that she had something to eat. He made a sandwich with various deli meats, cheese, a little mayo along with lots of shredded lettuce, served with a bag of ruffled chips, accompanied by a glass of iced tea. They hadn’t stopped for groceries, but the kitchen was fully stocked.
She hadn’t known how hungry she was until he placed the meal before her. While they ate lunch, they had a brief discussion. The moment she agreed to the marriage, it was a done deal for her. There was a part of her, which was so content with the decision nothing else mattered. She didn’t examine why she felt the way she did. For once, Hannah just accepted that is how she felt about the matter.
Samuel had the presence of mind to discuss their relationship. “What do you imagine our marriage will look like?” He inquired. The question had thrown her for a loop. At no time had she and Jeremiah had such a discussion. It is possible that things would have turned out differently if they had. Taking a moment, she thought about what was most important to her.
“I would like us to have a partnership, which we are well on the way to. Also, a friendship.”She valued those things.
“Those things are crucial, but I want it to be clear that our marriage is to be a real one in every sense of the word.” A tiny thrill blossomed in the pit of her stomach at the prospect of them living the life that she had once dreamed of. It had been her who had walked, no, ran from that dream. She had chosen duty and devotion over her own happiness. Just maybe this time… no, she couldn’t allow herself to get lost in that hope.
“Oh,” was the only response she could utter.
Samuel reached across the table and took her hand. The feel of his larger hand encasing hers caused a rush of warmth throughout her body. “I won’t accept a marriage in name only. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Her response was barely above a whisper as she nodded.
The way he looked at her was as if he could see right through her. “Good.” Squeezing her hand, he released it.
Well since he addressed what was important to him. Hannah felt she needed to do the same. She didn’t want to go into another marriage carrying the weight of infertility with her. It wasn’t the easiest topic to bring up, especially since she feared he might change his mind.
Hannah was nervous as she called, “Samuel?”
His head snapped up. “Yes, Hannah?”
“Before we go any further, I want you to have all the facts.” She picked up a chip, examined the ridges as if she was an inspector. Dread filled her at having to utter these words out loud.
“Hey.” He called gently.
Clearing her throat, she bared her soul. The admission was painful, but one he needed to know. “I can’t have children.”
“Okay.” His response wasn’t what she expected.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Was there something else you wanted me to say? If you can’t, then you can’t. It doesn’t stop us from having a life together. Or even having a family. We can adopt, foster, and do IVF. Or we can just enjoy our lives together. Any of those options work for me as long as you and I are together.”
Samuel had made it seem so simple. What was more, she believed it from him.
After their lunch, they filled out their marriage license. Hannah still couldn’t believe that they were having a civil ceremony. “Later we can have a religious ceremony.” Samuel had offered, as if she had voiced her concerns aloud. She would think about it. In the meantime, all the documents now sat assembled in a folder on the table, waiting for the judge to arrive to marry them. Hannah didn’t know whether to be impressed by his level of planning or to be weary. There was a fax machine, so once the documents were signed, they could be forwarded to a court clerk. They were on standby, ready to have them filed.
Speaking of being prepared, Samuel had another surprise up his sleeves.
Hannah excused herself to get presentable. She’d been in her room searching through her bag, looking for something suitable to wear, when Samuel had knocked on her door.
“Maybe this will help.” He offered, holding up a garment bag along with a shoe box.
All she could do was look at him in awe. The level of preparation and effort he showed was not what she was used to. She took the bag from him. “Thank you.” She lifted an eyebrow at him. Samuel just winked and leaned against the doorjamb. “Open it.” He instructed. She gasped once she unzipped it, revealing the dress inside. It was… perfect.
“Oh, my,” she said inspecting the dress. It was exactly her size. “How did you get the right size?”
“I had some help.” She could guess exactly who helped him. She loved the dress. However, it wouldn’t have been one she selected on her own. No, Lisabeth would have pushed her to buy it.
Then he pulled the contents of his pockets. They were jewellery boxes. “Just because it’s civil doesn’t mean it can’t be traditional. New.” He presented her with a jewellery box with earrings in it. “Old, my Omma gave this to me.” The contents of that box contained a beautiful onyx and jade beetle hair pin. “And this is borrowed and blue.” Hannah recognized the sapphire bracelet immediately. It belonged to Lisabeth. Their mother had given it to her sister when she married Nigel.
“The Judge and the witness should arrive in about an hour. See you soon.” Samuel informed her.
Hannah heard their guests arriving about ten minutes ago. She hadn’t been ready then as she was putting the finishing touches on her French roll. Once she slipped the hairpin into her hair and gave herself the once over. She took a fortifying breath. Samuel was dressed in a navy-blue suit with a matching dress shirt. As she stepped out of the room, he turned and smiled at her. The action stopped her in her tracks. Despite being in a suit, there was nothing formal about him. It wasn’t the lack of tie. No. His attire highlighted his primal, sexy nature. She was so focused on him; it took her a moment to remember there were other occupants in the room.
Samuel came over to her, then took her hand. He introduced her to Judge Allen, who had brought his wife Vanna along as a witness. The sweet woman gifted her with a small bouquet of white and yellow roses. “I wasn’t sure if you had flowers. So, I picked some from our garden.”
The exchange of vows was quick. Hannah found she meant every word she repeated. Which seemed to match the sincerity of Samuel’s. Despite the civil ceremony being performed by the judge, she was surprised to find that there were religious additions made. He read a bible verse, even said a prayer over their union. She hadn’t even thought about a ring, but Samuel had. Her band was an elegant white gold twist ring with diamonds woven throughout it. It was stunning without being flashy. In a word, it was her. His band was also a twist ring, however, his was thicker and diamond free. Their rings served as a symbol of their unity. She approved.
However, the real surprise came when Judge Allen announced, “You may kiss your bride.”
The kiss. No, the all-out possession was positivity indecent. Samuel claimed her mouth, stirring the passion which she tucked away all those years ago.
“Well,” Judge Allen announced as Samuel ended their first kiss. “Let’s get these certificates signed and filed. Then Vanna and I will be out of your hair.”
“I thought we were going to invite the Chos over for dinner?”
The judge shook his head at this wife, “Dear, these two don’t want to have dinner with?—”
“We’d loved to.” Hannah accepted on their behalf. Samuel looked on in surprise.
He recovered quickly. “Thank you for the invitation. We’d love to.” Samuel closed the small gap between them. His palm warmed her lower back as he looked down at her and smiled. Her throat went dry. She was certain her gulp was heard by everyone. His hand rubbed her lower back, as if that was supposed to bring relief. It did not. With him sitting so close beside her, she could not distinguish between their body heat.
Hannah signed the documents, joining their lives together. For the rest of the Allens’ brief visit, words escaped her. Hannah found herself in a daze. Her new husband’s touch was a constant. Which established a new erratic heartbeat. One she struggled to get used to.
After the judge gave Samuel directions to their cabin, he informed the couple they could head out within thirty minutes. “So, we’ll see you in about fifty.” The term neighbour was used loosely in these parts. The Allens were the closest cabin to them, but they were almost a twenty-minute drive away.
This would afford them all the privacy they could handle. It sent a shiver down her spine. “Are you okay?” he inquired as the hand at her waist pulled her closer.
She nodded and then made the mistake of looking up at him. He looked at her with what she could only describe as… possessiveness. His smile unnerved her, and she stepped out of his embrace.
“Well, we are married.” Her steps were large as well as quick as she created space between them. Only then did her heartbeat find its regular cadence.
“We are,” he agreed. “Tell me, would you like to call our parents and share our good news now or after dinner?” Hannah’s head snapped up. The realisation of how little thought she put into her actions hit her. Of course, they should announce sooner rather than later. They couldn’t live in a bubble. Speaking of people, she owed Lisabeth a hug as well as a pinch for her part in all of this.
“When we get back.” It was the safest selection for her. He raised an eyebrow at her. She willed her body to relax and function as it should. “I don’t know about your parents, but the conversation with Minerva and Lewis Wilson will not be a short one, or one we can rush through. They will have lots of questions.”
“Fair enough. We can address the board with an email from us both.”
“We can draft it when we get back.”
“Draft? I was thinking along the lines of this email will serve as notice that Hannah Wilson and Samuel Cho are now married. We look forward to serving you.” The message couldn’t be more clear-cut. There was no explanation, no softening of the shock of the news. No, the message was simple. This is what we have done. Deal with it. Somewhere along the line, Hannah must have changed because she found she liked the tone he was taking with the board.
“That sounds great.” she nodded. He smiled at her in acceptance, and she found she liked that too. Yes, she liked it very much.
Dinner at the Allens turned out to be a nice evening. Their cabin was beautiful. Vanna explained they hoped to spend more time there when the Judge finally retired. The meal was delicious. It was like an intimate reception.
The best part of the evening was the company. Hannah listened with rapt attention as the older couple described what they believed was the secret of their thirty-eight-year union. She mentally took notes. Storing it away. Maybe she could put some of their ideas into practice.
Hannah had been too full for dessert, and Vanna insisted she not miss out. The older woman sent them home with the sweet treat. A beautiful lemon and cranberry bundt cake with lemon icing. Hannah held the cake container on her lap. The moonlight lit their way back to the cabin. She was so excited when she saw a deer prancing by. It was so beautiful out this way.
“While we were at the Allens, I was thinking how nice it would be to have a place away from everything.”
Samuel offered. “We can look at getting a second property, away from it all.”
Hannah was about to tell him it was something they could look into when she heard wolves in the distance. “You know what…” She stopped, listened for more howling, and although she didn’t hear it again, she shook her head. “…never mind, it’s okay.”
“No need to worry Jagiya, wherever we are I’ll keep you safe.” His statement was a lot to unpack. It had been a lifetime ago since he called her the Korean word for Darling. She had missed him calling her Jagiya. It always made her feel so cherished. Combined with his declaration to keep her safe… it was a nice wedding gift.