Page 59 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

Holly shifted until she was on all fours. Bending her head toward the floor, she called out to Cupid, “Hey, brave boy. You’re all right.” She reached under the sideboard and stroked the whimpering dog’s forehead.

She’d never seen him like this, and part of her wondered if it was more than just the storm. Hopefully, he wasn’t sick. Holly pressed her cheek to the hardwood and scooted closer, petting his neck.

“Now I’ve got to get both of you out of there,” Nick joked from above her.

Holly backed out of the crawlspace and rested with her head against the sideboard.

Nick strummed the guitar once. “It’s out of tune.”

Holly watched as he twisted the pegs at the guitar’s neck. When each string was properly tuned, he joined Holly on the floor and began to play.

She wasn’t familiar with the melody but felt it encompassing her soul like a warm blanket. She found herself staring at Nick as his fingers moved effortlessly over the strings, the music he made infusing tranquility into an otherwise tense situation.

After a couple of verses, Cupid shuffled forward, poking his head out from beneath the sideboard.

Nick glanced at Holly as he continued to strum, and she gazed at him like a groupie.

Cupid whined again but emerged completely, resting his head on Nick’s leg. When the song ended, Nick gently placed his guitar beside him and stroked Cupid’s head. He regarded Holly, finding her eyes locked with his.

“What?” he asked.

“I feel like the luckiest woman alive.”

She shifted so she could get nearer and kissed him tenderly.

Cupid rotated and stretched out his paw to Holly.

“Let’s elope,” she suddenly said.

Nick bent his neck to search her face, his brows knitted together. “What?”

She sighed. “Let’s just do it. Elope and forget all this crazy planning.”

“What brought this on?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just want to marry you. Is having a big party really worth all the stress?”

Nick took her hand. “I didn’t realize you were so stressed. Let me help you. Because I’m pretty sure your mother would have some words if you suddenly canceled the party she flew halfway across the world to attend.”

“I think she’d be fine.” It sounded more like a question than a statement. Holly felt she couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Okay, there’s something you’re not telling me.” He lifted her chin. “What’s going on?”

Holly bit her lip. “It’s probably nothing, but Kim told me Grayson threatened to ruin our wedding. And while I know it was probably an empty threat, I’ve had this feeling like someone’s been watching me. My common sense tells me I’m imagining it, but it’s making me panic a little. But if there’s a small chance he really is out to get us, and we eloped, there would be no wedding for him to ruin.”

Nick was silent, seemingly taking in her words. Ice pelted the windows, resounding through the silence in the house.

“Holly, why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

Holly fidgeted with the sleeve of her sweater. “I didn’t want to dampen your spirits with something that might not be true. I suppose I wanted to spare you from unpleasant notions of Grayson and his possible evil plan, especially if it’s just something I’m imagining.”

Nick smirked. “First of all, if anything is ever burdening you, I want you to tell me. One of my jobs as your fiancé is to be a shoulder to lean on. Secondly, if your deepest wish is for us to elope right now, I wouldn’t hesitate. There’s nothing more I want than to be married to you, but I don’t want to do it just because your ex may or may not be out to ruin the big day. I’m not afraid of him, and I won’t allow him to hurt you in any way.”

As Nick’s words washed over her, a comforting warmth blossomed in her chest, radiating through her veins like a gentle embrace. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, replaced by a profound sense of security and reassurance. Her heartbeat steadied, and a newfound strength coursed within her.

She cupped his face and placed a tender kiss on his lips. “Thank you. You always know the perfect thing to say.”

Cupid raised his head and yawned, causing the couple to laugh.

---