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.
ChapterSix
SAMUEL
Samuel was pleased with how the events of the day played out. How could he not be? He had gotten what he wanted since he was twenty. Hannah was his wife. It didn’t come about under the most perfect of circumstances, but she bore his ring and would be carrying his name. In time, they would have the union he always dreamed of. He just had to be patient and loving to win her over. There was also the matter of him leaving the past in the past.
Once they were inside the cabin, and the cake was safely on the counter, Samuel turned his sights to calling their parents. It was his suggestion to call her parents first. He felt it would be more real to Hannah once her family was made aware of their nuptials. They sat beside each other as she placed the call. He’d hoped she would place the phone on speaker, but he didn’t want to derail her from her task. She was already skittish enough. Thankfully, his father-in-law had a booming voice. The speaker wasn’t needed. Once he heard her voice, the man morphed into an adoring father.
