Emily and Byron went up to their suite in the farm house. The ceremony had been intense, and they needed a bit of time to recover and be alone for a half hour before the reception began. Meanwhile, the guests could wander around the farm or hang out in the barn, which was decorated for the reception with flowers and fairy lights.The suite they were in had a simple but lovely décor. There were paintings of horses on the walls, and the furniture was old-fashioned and functional. It felt like a restful country retreat."We pulled it off," Byron said, putting his hands around her waist like he couldn't wait for their first dance… or their wedding night. "I hope you were happy with how it all went, minus the Carter incident?"Emily placed her hands on his shoulders and returned his admiring look. Gazing up at him, she could hardly believe they were married. "I'm glad we managed without a martial arts demonstration. Some other time, sure, but not at our wedding. You don't think Carter ru
Finally they were alone together in their suite, where they would spend one night before leaving for their honeymoon. "You didn't want to stay longer at the reception, did you?" Byron asked, taking off his jacket."No, that's why I gave you that 'meaningful look'," Emily said, "I couldn't wait to be alone with you. And we'd already had the cake…""I see, once you've had the cake, it's time to go," he teased, taking her into his arms. "It's not at all about a joining of two families…""That cake was something else," Emily said. "Weddings are all about the cake." His lips felt sweet and gentle as he kissed her. "You are something else," he said. "Now to add a few extra vows…""More vows?" Emily said, though she knew he was probably joking."These vows are not to be said in public because they're more intimate in nature…" he said softly in his deep voice. "Oh…"He reached to the back of her dress and found the ribbons that held the bodice tightly fastened. Emily felt the fabri
This was Emily's first time ever visiting Fiji. It was evening when they got off the plane, and she couldn't see the landscape, but the air embraced her with its balmy warmth and brought the smell of fragrant flowers. Arriving at the five-star hotel, they were greeted by a friendly and polite young woman who offered them a free basket of fresh fruit."Wow! Thank you!" Emily said. She could smell the intriguing scents of the fruit, some of which she had never heard of before.Another hotel employee took them up to the room and showed them the state-of-the-art entertainment system. Here, there was another complimentary snack platter and an assortment of drinks. And on top of the bedspread they found a small platter filled with gourmet chocolates."It's pretty standard for a five-star hotel to provide gifts," Byron said, looking amused at her effusive thanks when they were left alone in the suite."That doesn't mean we shouldn't say thank you and be happy about it," Emily remarked.
Byron paused right in the middle of unbuttoning her floral-patterened dress. "Uh… yeah. I thought we'd agreed we would have a baby once we were married.""But not right away!" Emily exclaimed, sitting up on the bed."I know, that's why I didn't suggest it on our wedding night," Byron said smoothly."You were thinking about it on our wedding night?" "Hey, excuse me for wanting to start a family." Byron got up and went to the other side of the room, trying to remain casual as he snacked on some biscuits. "I didn't know it was such a crime.""I'm sorry if I seemed a bit abrupt," Emily said, "but it just came as a bit of a shock to me that you wanted to do it so soon." "I'm not getting any younger," he said sullenly. "You're only thirty. Lots of people start having kids at an older age nowadays." "Okay, so when were you planning to have kids?""I don't know." She shrugged. "At least not for another couple of years. I have so many things to do nowadays."Byron looked like he w
The next few days felt like the honeymoon period really began. They enjoyed everything the island offered, from swimming in the ocean to sipping cocktails on the beach. They finally did go on the birdwatching tour as well as snorkelling and hiking.Still, Emily felt something was nagging at her. She couldn't forget that poor flea-ridden dog she had seen that first day. "I was thinking," she said as they rested in hammocks in the pleasantly cool courtyard of the hotel, "Maybe we should see that dog again. I wonder how he's doing…""I thought you might say that," Byron replied."And we don't have any outings planned for tomorrow.""I thought we were going to relax and enjoy the beach," Byron said, "but if you want to see a smelly, mangy dog, that's even better.""Byron!" she cried reprovingly."I'm kidding," he said, "I kind of want to see the dog too. I hope he's feeling okay."They returned to the shelter to find a young woman named Anya in charge of the dogs. She seemed like
"Now, I still think getting a pack of dogs is too much," Byron began, "but after seeing Odin again and seeing how much you connected with him, I decided to call the shelter and ask if they could get him ready for a little trip to the northern hemisphere.""What!" Emily suddenly felt wide awake. "I thought you didn't want any more dogs!""Yeah, but I had a little time to debate it. And I do want to make you happy. One more dog in the house wouldn't be that much of a burden. As long as you can make sure he doesn't bite me—""I will! Thank you, thank you!" Emily embraced him, clinging tightly to his strong torso."I'm glad it's making you this excited," Byron said, chuckling. "So you're sure you want another dog?""Yes, I want this dog," she said confidently, "I felt like I had a connection with him. It seemed like you did too.""Okay, I admit it," Byron said, "Odin really got to me. There's something special about that pup.""You are the best husband ever!"Even if Byron didn't s
The next summer, Byron's half-brother Mateo came to Vancouver to take a summer course at one of the local prestigious cooking schools. Of course, Emily was pretty sure the real reason was to see Katie.The two had really hit it off last year, and Emily knew from Katie that they had kept in touch ever since. She also knew that Katie still thought of Mateo only as a friend, but secretly she hoped Katie would change her mind. Mateo was such a kind, talented and funny young man that Emily thought he would be good for Katie and would never break her heart.They hadn't grown up together, but Byron thought of him as a brother, and he was always proud of his accomplishments. Mateo had his own online cooking show that was getting a bit of traction.To celebrate the reunion, they decided to have dinner at Susie and Angie's animal shelter. Byron and Emily had been spending a lot of time there helping to fell trees and clearing some space for an orchard. It would be an extra way for Susie and A
Everybody jumped into action when Emily and Byron returned and told the others what happened.Emily was halfway into the house when she heard Angie saying, "I have just the thing in the old tool shed, an old drilling rod. Come on."After she called the ambulance, Emily came outside to see Byron and his cousin Rowland carrying the big rusty iron rod between them as they hurried back to the scene of the accident.Emily and the other guests arrived just in time to see Byron stick the long lever under the tractor. His whole body tensed as he strained to lift the machine, and everyone else rushed in to help push it up. Slowly, the tractor was moved upright again.But there was little cause for celebration as Mateo's leg looked badly broken. "I was told not to move him," Emily said, "the paramedics will secure the broken bones when they get here."It was an agonizing wait for the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, they put temporary splints on the broken bones and carried Mateo t
Emily felt such a strong current of desire running throughout her frame. It was always the most overwhelming sensation, being engulfed in the torrent of his kisses. It was one of those times when she was reminded how fierce and powerful her love for him really was. Sometimes day-to-day life interfered and made her forget that there was a man by her side who would do anything for her. When he showed how much he loved her, whether it was with grand gestures and romantic trips or simply the way he kissed her, it felt like the rebirth of a love that was too beautiful for words.Holding him in her arms and knowing how much he desired her nearly made her faint every time. It enchanted every single cell of her being, making the rest of the world a mere blur compared to the hot passion coursing through her body."I love you," she murmured as they rested in the sumptuous bed. "Thanks for always being there for me.""You don't have to thank me," he said, gazing back at her with a look fi
A few days later, Emily woke up to a grey and rainy day, but she was eager to get out of bed. It was the day of their trip. Byron was already up, pulling a tight t-shirt over his muscular torso. He looked way too awake for the earliness of the hour."Today's dress code: motorcycle gear," he said, eyes shining eagerly."It's a road trip?" Emily exclaimed."Yes indeed!"They could have flown anywhere in the world on their private jet, but for some reason Emily was more excited about a trip to the nearby mountains, just like they had always done. It reminded her of the early days of their relationship when they swiftly fell in love, and she had fallen in love with everything about this landscape too. And in some ways, not that much had changed."It's going to be a rugged journey," Byron said, "but don't worry, I've prepared some amenities at our destination.""What is that supposed to mean?" she asked."You don't need to pack too much stuff, just your basic clothes."They left t
Byron poured a lot of funds into the construction of the wave pool, and a few months later, it was built and ready for use.The building looked sleek and contemporary on the outside, while inside it was a warm oasis away from the autumn chill.Mandy swam and frolicked in the waves with her friends, stopping only to sip a bit of juice, then she was back in the water for more splashing. The high ceiling allowed natural light to come in through its numerous skylights, giving the space the ambience of a warm beach. The wave pool was definitely a hit. Emily and Byron watched the kids, lounging on deck chairs by the water."It's not quite as relaxing as a real beach, but it'll do," Byron said as the echoes of children's voices bounced around the vast space. Ripples of sunlight reflected off the water and played over his face."The kids don't seem to care if it's relaxing or not," Emily said, observing them race each other in the waves. "But as long as they're happy…""Do you think Man
"Can I do it when I'm six?" Mandy asked, not letting go of the idea of being on television."No," Emily said firmly."Can I do it when I'm seven?""No.""Ten?""Maybe." Emily hoped the whole discussion would be forgotten after that many years. She never wanted her child on a so-called talent show which was probably rigged anyway.Luckily, Mandy was distracted by her friend, and the two girls went to play outside."She's so talented," Katie said, "You should take her to a music academy. I'll bet she's going to be a sensation."Emily shook her head. "She's way too young. Please don't get excited. I know it seems like showing her talent to the world is a good thing, but too many child stars have started out on brilliant careers only to burn out as teenagers. I definitely don't want that for Mandy.""You're right, Talent Quest is a bit of a freak show," Katie said, "but don't you want her to at least learn as much as she can to reach her full potential?""She's got all the time i
Byron took a long breath. "Okay, don't be mad at me but… I bought Charmers. And now every single branch of Charmers will carry your brand of clothing.""Byron, you promised me you wouldn't do that!" Emily was so disappointed she was hardly even tempted by the creamy pasta."I promised I wouldn't destroy them," he said, a sly smile playing about his lips, "and I don't intend to. I've even kept Simone around, though in a slightly less senior role. She couldn't be induced to resign. The woman is very stubborn, but I know you don't like us to make enemies…""So you took over the company she was running, and you don't think she'd be mad?""Not as mad as I was when you told me she dropped your products," Byron retorted, "But believe it or not she's actually okay with the takeover. Charmers were struggling financially anyway. Believe me, I did them a favor.""Well you didn't do me a favor," Emily retorted. "I didn't want you to get involved.""But—""I'm capable of solving my own probl
"I pet a big white dog!" Mandy announced when they got home.The dogs spun around the new arrivals in a furry whirlwind, and Emily was relieved to be with her four-legged friends. She was glad she hadn't brought them to work that day to be despised by Simone."That's good," Byron said, greeting Mandy and Emily with kisses."I was not so lucky," Emily said."Mommy didn't have time to play with doggie," Mandy said sadly."And on top of that, I lost a really big client…" Emily added. She took off her shoes and collapsed on the living room couch."Lady said the 'f word'," Mandy recalled. Byron raised his eyebrows. "I know I'm not allowed to say it," Mandy continued, "but she didn't know that.""What the heck happened over there?" Byron asked."Ugh! I can't even go into right now," Emily lay back on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the stress of the day. "Simone made me so mad.""Lady was silly," Mandy said."Yes, she was very silly," Emily confirmed.Byron s
Emily was in a playful mood the next morning. She didn't want to get out of bed, even though she had an important meeting. The date night had ended in a rather passionate episode. Mandy was already asleep by the time they got back home, and they made the most of their time. It was not exactly rare for them to have alone time, but maybe it didn't happen as often as before."You're very giggly," Byron noted. "I thought you'd be tired after last night."He was a bit sleepy but didn't mind indulging her desires when she kissed his face and body all over."Thanks for helping me feel relaxed when I should be nervous," Emily said as she got up to get dressed. "Simone Cather is coming in for a meeting today. I've never worked with her before, but I hear she can be difficult. I'm going to bring Mandy with me to win her over with cuteness."Simone had just taken over leadership of Charmers, the biggest fashion retail store in the country. Emily had a good relationship with the previous CEO
Emily was able to run some errands while Sylvia gave Mandy her first piano lesson. She was glad to have a bit of time to shop, and Sylvia insisted on not having anyone interfere in her tutelage anyway. Emily wondered how Sylvia would cope being left alone with her granddaughter. She had been out a couple of hours, and she hoped they hadn't killed each other.Contrary to her expectations, the house was quiet when she entered. Sylvia and Mandy were deep in conversation over tea and cookies."Mommy! Mommy!" Mandy ran over to greet her."How was your lesson?" Emily asked."I learned to play piano!""She did fairly well," Sylvia said. This sounded like high praise from someone who was more used to criticizing.Mandy sat down at the piano with very good posture to show Emily what she'd learned. She played Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It was a simple piece that most kids started with, but Emily was amazed that Mandy played it so flawlessly. She kept up a steady rhythmic accompanimen
Unschooling was a little harder to commit to than Emily had imagined. She knew that there were plenty of learning opportunities for Mandy at home, but sometimes work demands, or just wanting a bit of time to herself made her reluctant to teach the kid.It was early September, and the unschooling had been going on for a week. Emily was working on her sketches in her home office while Mandy watched an educational program in the cinema room. It didn't seem like too much time had passed, but when Emily looked up from her sketch, the house felt unusually quiet. She went into the cinema room and saw that Mandy must have finished her program and dutifully turned the screen off. She was an amazingly responsible child in some respects."Mandy!" Emily called, "Where are you, Mandikins?"An eerie silence filled the large house. Emily checked all the rooms, but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Surely she wouldn't have gone outside all by herself? For a chilling moment, she thought the