A Caldwell Wedding (Serenity Springs) Read online

  A Caldwell Wedding

  Dawn Sullivan

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or featured names are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement of any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or in part, mechanically or electronically, constitutes a copyright violation. Published in the United States of America in March 2017 Copyright by Dawn Sullivan. The right of the Authors Name to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with The Copyright, Designs and Patent Act of 1988.

  Published by Dawn Sullivan

  Cover Design: Dana Leah- Designs by Dana

  Copyright 2017 © Author Dawn Sullivan

  Language: English

  Other books by Dawn Sullivan

  RARE Series

  Book 1 Nico’s Heart

  Book 2 Phoenix’s Fate

  Book 3 Trace’s Temptation

  Book 4 Saving Storm

  White River Wolves Series

  Book 1 Josie’s Miracle

  Book 2 Slade’s Desire

  Serenity Springs Series

  Book 1 Tempting His Heart

  Book 2 Healing Her Spirit

  Book 3 Saving His Soul

  Dedication

  For all of my readers. Thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world to me.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  About The Author

  Chapter 1

  Sloane sang along softly to the slow country ballad on the radio as she walked around the store, lovingly placing books on the already overflowing shelves. Owning her own store had been her dream for years, and she’d finally taken the plunge close to a year ago, purchasing a used book store in the small town of Serenity Springs. It turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to her. That, along with falling in love with her good friend’s brother and his daughter, made her life close to perfect.

  Slipping a book between two others on the shelf in front of her, she smiled as she trailed her hand gently over the spine of the cover. Her life had changed so much in the past few months. Where before her days were filled with loneliness and sometimes fear, now they were consumed with the love of a good man, and the laughter of a sweet, precocious child. A little girl she claimed as her own, when she never thought she would be blessed enough to have a child to love. Her ex-husband stole that from her when he beat her so badly that she ended up in the hospital, losing the precious baby she was carrying and preventing her from having any more. After that, Sloane overcame her terror of the man she had lived with daily for so long and put his ass in prison. When the bastard was released early on good behavior, she showed him just how a woman sticks up for herself after he was stupid enough to show up on her doorstep. He was the one going to the hospital that time, not her. She may still have the occasional nightmare of the hell she’d lived through, a fear that was engrained in her and sometimes caught her off guard, but Sloane refused to ever be a victim again. Creed was helping her overcome her fears with his patience and love, and she could not imagine her life without him in it.

  When a fun, upbeat song came on, Sloane’s voice rang out loud and clear throughout the empty room as she twirled around once, loud laughter escaping, before putting another book on a shelf. It was early morning, and she still had just over an hour before the store opened, but she had several things she wanted to accomplish before greeting her first customer. She knew she should probably buckle down and work faster, but she was enjoying the moment.

  Lost in the song, she missed the sound of the back door opening just moments before two strong arms encircled her waist from behind, pulling her back against a hard, thick chest. A small squeak of surprise left her throat, but she wasn’t afraid. She would know those arms anywhere.

  “I have something for you.” Creed’s voice was low and gruff, and Sloane shivered when he feathered his lips over her neck. She sank into his embrace, tilting her head back to give him better access as he swirled his tongue over the sensitive skin just below her ear.

  “You do?” she gasped, clutching tightly to his arms, a low moan escaping when his teeth scraped her earlobe.

  “I do,” Creed rasped, before turning her around and claiming her mouth with his. The tip of his tongue traced her lips before shoving past them to tangle with hers. His hands moved from her waist, slipping down over her ass, pulling her into his rapidly growing erection.

  A shudder rippled through Sloane as she slid her hands up over his wide shoulders, sinking them into his thick, dark brown hair. After a moment, she groaned softly, pulling away from his addictive lips. As much as she wanted to lose herself in him, the bookstore wasn’t the best place to do it. It would not be good for someone to peek in the window and see the town sheriff groping her in the thriller section of the store.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I thought I wasn’t going to see you again until later this afternoon.”

  Creed shrugged, a glint of something, she wasn’t sure what, in his eyes. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “I’m done waiting,” he told her.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

  “I’m done waiting, Sloane,” he said, his eyes darkening with intent. “It’s time.”

  “Time for what?”

  “We were supposed to get married in October. With everything going on with Ryder and Rayna, we postponed it. Then we set the date back again when Justice re-enlisted, and again because of Christmas. New Year’s rolled around, then Valentine’s Day, and we still aren’t married, now five months later.”

  Her eyes widened and Sloane leaned back to look up at him. “I know, but I thought…”

  “You thought what?”

  “Well, with everything that has been happening, I thought you would want to wait. Justice can’t come home right now. We don’t even know where he is for sure. We haven’t talked to Linc in months. Katy will be leaving soon to find out what she can about her past. She has put it off because of everything, like us. It didn’t seem to be ideal to push for our wedding right now.” As much as she wanted to be married to this man, she could not expect him to say their vows without all of the people he loved, all of his family, there to support them. It just didn’t seem right.

  Tugging her closer to him with one hand on her waist, Creed slid his other hand up into her long, dark hair, cupping the back of her head. Holding her still, he leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers. “We aren’t putting our lives on hold any longer, sweetheart. If we do, who knows how long it would be? I refuse to wait any longer to make you my wife.” Kissing her again, he grinned, “You think you are ready to be Mrs. Creed Caldwell?”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes, and her lips trembled. “I would like nothing more,” she whispered.

  “Well, you have three week
s to make it happen,” he said with a grin, giving her one last kiss before reaching over and picking up a cup of coffee he’d left nearby. Handing it to her, he trailed a finger down her cheek before turning and walking toward the door.

  “Wait a minute,” Sloane called out in shock. “How am I supposed to get everything done and be ready for a wedding in just three weeks, Creed?”

  Stopping with one hand on the door, he turned and smirked. “Sounds like you better call in re-enforcements. I don’t care how you get it done, Sloane. In three weeks, you will be my wife. I don’t care if we get married at the courthouse with the Justice of the Peace.”

  “No!” Sloane said, stomping her foot and scowling at him. “We are getting married in a church.”

  Creed laughed as he pushed open the back door. “Make it happen,” was all he said, leaving and locking the door behind him.

  Sloane sighed, shaking her head at the thought of everything she was going to have to do within the next few weeks to pull this wedding off. But, somehow, she would do it. There was nothing more she wanted in the world right now, than to be Creed’s wife. He meant the world to her; such a strong, loving, caring man, willing to do anything for those he cared for. She would make sure everything was ready in three weeks, no matter what, because that was what he deserved. Creed was wrong about one thing, though. He did need his family at the wedding. All of them. And she was going to make sure they were all there, every last one of them.

  Walking over to her computer, Sloane quickly searched online for the phone number she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone, to make a call, knowing it would just be one of many as she tried to track down Justice Caldwell.

  Chapter 2

  Creed walked into the Serenity Springs police station, unable to keep the grin from his face. He had been patient long enough, and maybe it wasn’t fair to give Sloane just three short weeks to plan everything, but soon she would be his in all ways. He was done waiting.

  Katy glanced up from where she was talking to Claire, her eyes twinkling when her gaze met his. “What’s gotten into you, big brother?”

  Creed laughed, making several heads turn in his direction as he walked past the front desk, heading toward his office. It was a sound they didn’t hear very often from him. As the sheriff of Serenity Springs, he felt like he had an image to uphold. Not only that, but he just was not the outgoing, social type of man that his brothers, Ryder and Caiden, were. He tended to keep to himself, spending his free time with Sloane, Cassie, and his family.

  Turning to his sister when she followed him into the room, Creed slipped an arm around her. Hugging her close, he squeezed her tightly once as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Katy returned his embrace in a rare form of affection, before gently pulling out of his arms. “Well?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow and placing a hand on her hip, “are you going to tell me what has you in such a good mood this morning?”

  Creed grinned, a slow smile that spread across his face, a look of satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. “I know you were planning on leaving soon, sis, but if you could put it off just a little bit longer, I would really appreciate it. I would like you to stay here for at least the next month.”

  Katy’s eyes dimmed a little, but she returned his smile. “Of course, Creed. Whatever you need.”

  “What I need, is for you to be here for Sloane, at our wedding,” he said.

  Katy’s eyes lit back up immediately. “Of course! A month? That doesn’t give her much time.”

  “I know,” Creed agreed, shaking his head. “She is definitely going to need help. I’m tired of waiting though, Katy. I know what I want. We have put this wedding off long enough.”

  Katy shook her head, laughing. “It’s only been a few months since you were supposed to have gotten married,” she pointed out. “Four at the most.”

  “It feels like a lifetime,” he replied, and it did. He would haul Sloane up to the courthouse today and tie the knot if he thought she would go for it.

  “You know I will do everything I can to help,” Katy said. “Do you know where the wedding is going to take place?”

  “I am leaving that all up to Sloane. I will get married wherever she wants. The only thing I want, is her.”

  “Getting a bit sappy in your old age?” Katy teased.

  Creed just laughed. Maybe he was. He knew he had been a hard ass most of his life, but Sloane was slowly starting to mellow him out. “I appreciate you staying, Katy. I know how important your plans are to you, and I would never want to get in the way of them.”

  Katy burst into laughter. “We both know that is a lie, Creed.”

  It was true. It was a lie, and he could admit that to himself, but he would never say it to his sister. “Katy, I may not fully understand why you feel the need to find your biological parents, because I don’t share that need, but I will support you one hundred percent. I will be there for you, and will do anything I can on my end to help you.”

  Katy’s eyes shimmered with suppressed tears, as she responded, “I know nobody understands. I don’t even understand it, Creed. There is just something pushing me to find them. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like if I don’t find them soon, if I don’t go looking for them, something bad is going to happen. I don’t know what. Hell, maybe I am just being stupid. But it is a feeling I have, one that won’t go away.”

  Creed nodded, “I have always taught you to follow your instincts. If this is the way you feel, if you think something is wrong, and that you need to go, I understand. I just wish you weren’t doing it alone.”

  “I don’t have a choice,” she said. “There isn’t anyone I can take with me. You are needed here at the station, Ryder is running the ranch, Caiden has his veterinarian practice, Linc is doing his thing with the rodeo, and God knows where Justice is.”

  Shit, she was right. There really wasn’t anyone to send with her. “I’ll go,” a voice said from the doorway. Creed glanced over to see Rayna Williams, Ryder’s fiancée, standing there. “I will go with you, Katy.”

  “No,” Katy said firmly. “When I am gone, Creed will need someone he can rely on. If anything comes up, I will call you guys. I promise.”

  Rayna hesitated, but Katy insisted, “I will be fine, but Creed won’t.”

  “She’s right,” Creed sighed, raking a hand through his hair in frustration, “I do need you here, Rayna.”

  Katy rose. “Don’t worry,” she said with a smile, tapping the gun at her hip lightly, “I can hold my own.”

  “There is not a doubt in my mind that you can,” Creed agreed, “although I would feel better if someone was with you. Maybe I could send Jace.”

  “You are not sending anyone from the office with me,” Katy argued. “I will be just fine, which I have told you several times already. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get to work. Cody and I have patrol.” Stopping at the door, she looked back, “I am very happy for you, Creed. I will leave after your honeymoon.” She paused, “You are taking a honeymoon, right?”

  Creed chuckled, “Yes, we are. That’s why I need you to stay for a month. I have two tickets to Hawaii. We leave the day after the wedding, but Sloane doesn’t know that yet. I want it to be a surprise.”

  “Then I will leave as soon as you get back, but I can’t wait any longer.”

  Rayna’s concerned gaze met his after Katy left. “We can’t put her off any longer, Creed. She is going to do this. For some reason, she feels like she needs to. All we can do is stand beside her, support her, and be here if she needs us.”

  Creed grunted, “I understand, and I agree, but it doesn’t mean I have to fucking like it.”

  Chapter 3

  It took a full week to track down Justice, and after a brief five minute conversation with him, Sloane hung up the phone in frustration. All of that, just to be told that he was on a mission, and there was no way he could drop it just to come home for the wedding.

  Staring at the phone in her hand, Sloane grimaced as sh
e thought of the conversation she’d had with Creed’s brother.

  “That man has always been there for you, no matter what. He has done everything in his life for you, for his family, never asking anything in return.”

  Justice interrupted, “He asked for help watching over you from what I hear.”

  Her eyes narrowed, “Well, maybe that should tell you something, Justice.”

  There was silence, and then, “Sloane, it’s not that I don’t want to be there. I do.”

  “Then make it happen,” she growled. “Show your brother that you care about him. Show him the same consideration, love, and support that he has always shown you.”

  “Sloane…”

  “Dammit, I don’t care what you have to do, Justice Caldwell. Pull strings, bribe someone, I don’t care. You do whatever the hell you have to, but you better be at that wedding.”

  Sighing, Sloane shook her head in frustration. She only had two weeks left, and she still had to find Linc.

  The door to her store opened, and Katy walked in. “Okay,” she called out, as she made her way to the counter, “pack your bags. We are going to Houston Friday night.”

  “What?”

  “All of the bridesmaids are kidnapping you, and we are going to Houston,” Katy repeated, stopping in front of her and resting her hands lightly on her hips. “We leave at noon. Plan on a night out Friday with dinner and dancing, and then dress shopping on Saturday.” Katy frowned, “Cassie doesn’t need a flower girl dress, does she?”

  “No,” Sloane said, shaking her head, “but why don’t we go to Dallas? It’s closer.”

  “Yes,” Katy drawled, “but I am pretty sure that you are looking for my brother. He isn’t in Dallas.”

  Sloane’s eyes widened in surprise. “You know where Linc is?”