Page 52 of Courageous Demands

A past full of insecurity, growth, and change.

A present that brought so much understanding, love, and acceptance.

A future that he couldn’t wait to share.

As he looked at Willow in the distance speaking with the printer, he advanced. Slipping up behind her, he laid a hand on her hip and couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips as she jumped slightly before melting against him.

“Hey…”

“Hey yourself…” she said, beaming at him. “Mr. Perkins made stickers too. Can you believe that? I didn’t even mention them, but he made a bunch of individual stickers and suggested we put it in with the bags of candy.”

“Huh, that’s pretty clever, isn’t it?” he replied, meeting the man’s eyes and seeing his conspiratorial wink. Alec had called back to order the stickers thirty minutes after they ordered the invitations. “I appreciate you helping my girl out.”

“Anything for you. I think it’s commendable what you are doing.”

“Mum’s the word – or at least until tomorrow. Tonight, we are stuffing bags of candy and delivering a staggering number of pumpkins tonight to the church,” Willow smiled, looking up at him. Gosh, she seemed so happy and practically glowed before him. Everything about her seemed so soft, so welcoming, and it just called to him like a radio wave finding its frequency.

“Do you need any help?”

“Always,” Alec chuckled. “I’ve got a few friends coming over to help put together everything, but another hand is always welcome.”

“Oh yes, and we are passing out all of the announcements tomorrow, all over town…”

“I can help with that, too.”

“That would be amazing. Thank you.”

Yes, everything was coming together – slowly but surely.

Alec had kept things a secret from as many people as possible, but there were little cracks starting to form in their ‘secret.’ The guys knew he was engaged and had figured it out, teasing him mercilessly out of love. There was nothing that compared to the bond he had with his ‘made family’ of ‘brothers’… except Willow outshone that staggering love and respect with a fervor they would never know or understand. He would die for his brothers and put his life on the line all the time… but for Willow?

It would shock and horrify people at how far he would go simply to make her smile. Looking at her, he kept his thoughts to himself. Yes, he would do literally anything to make sure she never left his side again – including swallowing his fear that held him back because living without her for the next fifty or so years was staggeringly bleak and not an option anymore.

Alec loved Willow.

He could see his future in her eyes, see their children, and feel a love that was blindingly beautiful. Now was their time – and he was stepping forward, taking the chances, and following his heart where he had once been so blinded by fear, hate, and regret. This was their moment, and nothing would detract from giving his beautiful bride the wedding she deserved.

Nothing.

13

* * *

WILLOW

You ready to make some magic happen?

Willow smiled at her cell phone, seeing Alec’s text message. She knew he was getting the jitters just like her, but a part of her couldn’t help wondering if it was for different reasons. They had talked about everything over the phone long into the evening. Favorite recipes, children, hopes, dreams, wishes, and surprisingly enough – they even talked about plants for next year's garden.

She had so much on her plate right now, so much stress, that it was really starting to get to her. Judge Stevenson had redoubled his efforts, almost as if he could sense something was going on. Their attorney, Elana Carpenter, advised her to step back and allow him to keep ‘digging a hole’ for himself. Each jab was being documented, each slur noted, and the woman was going to unleash a firestorm on the man who was degrading her that would be infinitely worse if Willow actually lost the election because of it.

“Let him keep opening his mouth,” Elana had advised them coolly. “Little does the man know that he is single-handedly providing the nails to his own coffin. The more he talks, the safer he feels, and it will only get worse until he makes a fatal mistake.”

“Are you sure?” Willow asked nervously as Alec held her hand tightly in his, sitting there silently with his lips pressed together.

“Yes, let him be the one to destroy himself – and if he causes you to lose the election as well, then we’ll go after him for Political Sabotage as well. The fool will not know what hit him.”

“Alec?”

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