One
One
FOUR WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
If wedding planning were a sport, Wes Jansen would be the MVP. He might not be as good as his younger brothers at actual sports, but this one surprised him. His wedding to Hailey Sharp was going to be the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, and the World Cup rolled into one day. For someone who grew up believing marriage would never be in his deck of cards, it was surreal to want this so very badly.
Hailey’s key sounded in the lock while he surveyed his evening’s work. Excitement danced through him as he went to greet her at the door. Even after working a twelve-hour day, she looked so good it made Wes’s heart feel too full to fit in his chest. Who needed comfort?
“Hey, sweetie,” she said, hanging her keys on the wall hook as she slipped off her shoes. Her reddish-brown hair was tucked into a braid that trailed over her shoulder. She wore a cute By the Cup T-shirt with a pair of low-rise jeans, showing just a hint of skin that made his fingers itch to trace over the area.
Reaching out, he took her oversized canvas tote from her, set it on the floor, and then pulled her into his arms.
“Hi,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
Her hands came to his waist, and she sighed into the kiss while his hands moved up into her hair, removing the band before loosening the silky tresses. They’d met just over two years ago and still , she unraveled him in the best possible way. When she went up on her tiptoes, he put his arms around her and hauled her closer. No matter how many times he kissed her, touched her, inhaled the scent that was purely and uniquely Hailey, it was never enough. He’d fought their connection in the early days of their relationship and considered himself a fool for wasting that time. Now, he couldn’t imagine not being able to kiss her, hold her, love her with everything he had.
She pulled away, her eyelids fluttering open to reveal a soft, heated gaze. “That’s one hell of a greeting. Did you miss me?”
He turned with her in his arms, moving them toward the spare room. “I always miss you when we’re not together. But I have something I want to show you.”
Her brows arched, making him laugh. Taking her hand, he pulled her down the hallway. Originally, they’d lived in the core of San Verde, where Hailey had her shop, but they’d wanted more space. They’d moved into a town house near where his brother Chris and his wife Everly lived.
“How was your day?” He stopped outside of the spare room they used as an office and library.
Turning in to him again, resting her palms flat on his chest, she smiled up at him. “It was busy. There’s a bug going around. Leo called in sick and there was a moms’ running group that came in and decided the shop is their new Friday-night hangout.”
“That’s awesome. You might have to look at hiring another part-time person, especially with the holidays around the corner. More people are out shopping, stopping for something to eat,” he said.
Hailey poked his shoulder. “Enough stalling, what’s in the room?”
Opening the door, he nudged her forward and watched as she took in what he’d spent the last several hours creating. She walked toward the large rolling whiteboard he’d ordered. It sat in front of their bookshelves. On it, he’d taped printed headings for every category of their big day. VENUE. FOOD. MUSIC. GUEST LIST . If they’d already chosen, booked, or finalized something, like the guest list, the information was under the heading. If they’d narrowed down a category, such as their venue, he put pictures of the options along with a pros and cons list. He’d also created a website to make it easier for guests to access their registry. The six-foot-wide board was a colorful masterpiece that mapped out every little detail that would give Hailey the most incredible wedding ever.
In the middle of the board was Wes’s favorite picture of the two of them—their engagement photo. They were standing on the pier at Manhattan Beach; he’d just said something to her, so his chin was tilted down toward Hailey and she was gazing at him and laughing. They looked so happy it had taken his breath away.
“Wes,” she said in a hushed voice. He couldn’t tell if she was impressed or disturbed by what she saw. Turning her head, her lips tipped up almost in slow motion, like surprise leaned into amusement before heading toward delight. “You made a murder board for our wedding?”
Wes’s jaw dropped. “What?” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.
Hailey laughed and before he could say anything else, she threw her arms around his neck, knocking him back a step. “It’s amazing. I can’t believe you did this.”
Leaning back, he took her upper arms. “What the hell is a murder board?”
She arched her brow in a decidedly haughty way. “Like in crime shows? They put up all the suspects and try to figure things out.”
He looked back at the board. “How is this anything like a crime show?” His voice pitched up at the end.
Hailey put both of her hands on his cheeks, turning his gaze back to her own. “Wes. I love it. I love you . I just meant the way you mapped it all out. All you’re missing is the thumbtacks and strings connecting the different information.”
“I think you’re a little wacky,” he told her, his chest loosening.
Nodding, she slipped her arms around his neck again. “Yup. And you’re stuck with me.”
Holding her close, he breathed her in with a little shake of his head. The familiar hint of her strawberry-scented shampoo settled his pulse now that he knew she wasn’t appalled or put off by what he’d created.
It was she who leaned away this time, her eyes damp. Wes kissed her forehead, whispering that he loved her, letting his lips travel down to her cheek and finally to her mouth.
By the end of the kiss, his pulse was scrambling again. “Why do you seem like you’re going to cry?”
The soft smile she gave him slid under his skin, into his bloodstream, and wrapped around his heart.
“You were so scared to say I love you and get married and now, this . I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“According to my brothers, I’m the lucky one,” he joked, happy to make her laugh.
“I’d say it’s mutual.”
Turning her so he was facing the door, he slowly walked her out of the room toward their bedroom. “I’m not sure about that. I’ve seen the way you look in a dress. I’m definitely luckier.”
Her fingers moved to the top button of his shirt and slipped it free before moving down. “I can’t complain about the way you look without your shirt on, so again, mutual.”
He laughed as he moved his hands down to the hem of her shirt. They cleared their bedroom doorway and he kept walking her toward the bed. When they were close enough, he tugged her shirt up and over her head, setting it down on the chair she used to read in.
As she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, dragged it down his arms, he kissed her, unsure how this one woman had managed to climb inside his heart and take up permanent residence there.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you more than you could ever know,” he said, pulling her tight against his chest.
Once upon a time, Wes convinced himself that he wasn’t built like other men—he didn’t need home and hearth and all the trimmings. But Hailey opened his eyes and his heart. She’d made him realize that there were other sides of himself. Being over thirty when he discovered this was quite the revelation.
Every moment since he’d won her back, he’d made sure to cherish those moments. Especially ones like these.