Nursing in Northlake (At the Altar Book 9) Read Online Free Page A

waited for her turn to walk up the aisle. She watched as Jenna walked into the sanctuary and the door closed again. Jenna looked so cute in her dress with her baby bump. She tried to cover it with the flowers, but it didn’t work. Not that Heidi cared!
    The music changed, and the coordinator nodded at Heidi and her father. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. Her dad shook his head. “This is crazy. You don’t have to go through with it.”
    “I want to.” Heidi wasn’t sure if her words were true or not, but she’d come too far to back out now. The doors opened, and her eyes went to the front of the church to the man she’d spend at least the next year with, but hopefully, she’d be with him for the rest of her life.
    She saw him staring back at her at the end of the long aisle, and her eyes met his. His looked dark from where she stood, but it was hard to tell. He seemed so far away. Her knees wanted to buckle and give way, but she wasn’t going to let them. It would be just like her to trip at the last minute and fall on him, so she carefully concentrated on every step.
    When she stood beside the stranger, and her hand was placed in his, she gave an involuntary shiver. It felt so strange to stand next to someone she’d never met, but had already agreed to spend the rest of her life with. Of course at that moment, she was more worried about spending the night with him.
    She listened as the pastor gave a quick sermon on the sanctity of marriage and the role of the husband and the wife. Well, she pretended to listen. She was too busy looking at the tall, handsome man beside her. She didn’t even know his name!
    “Do you, Slade Henderson, take Heidi Hart to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish as long as you both shall live?”
    “I do.” His voice was deep and solemn as he answered, and it sent a frisson of excitement straight into Heidi’s stomach. He was sexy. How had she lived her entire life without this man beside her? And why was he willing to relocate to Fort Worth?
    His eyes were boring into hers. He finally mouthed, “Say I do!”
    Heidi realized she’d missed her vows entirely. Hopefully the pastor had been smart enough not to order her to obey! “I do.” She felt like an idiot, but whatever. She was busy staring at the sexy man in front of her, and who could blame her for that?
    “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Slade, you may kiss your bride.”
    Heidi’s eyes widened. Why hadn’t she considered that her first kiss with her new husband would be in front of a congregation of witnesses? How crazy!
    Slade leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. He wasn’t comfortable with their first kiss being in front of a huge room of people, so he kept it brief. When he lifted his head, he looked down into her beautiful green eyes. “Dr. Lachele said it’s normal at one of these weddings for the bride and groom to take a couple of minutes alone in the bride’s room. To talk a bit and learn about each other.”
    Heidi nodded. “I’m all for that.” She hadn’t planned a big reception anyway, preferring to spend the time getting to know her new husband. She gulped as she thought the words. Her husband. Oh wow, could she really go through with this?
    Slade took her hand and walked toward the back of the church and toward the bride’s room. Everyone stared at them, and he ignored them all. He had to make sure to introduce her to Seth and Michelle before they left to go back to Louisiana, but more than anything, he wanted to be with her.
    When they got to the back, he closed and locked the door, sagging against it. “That was the single-most nerve-wracking experience of my entire life!”
    Heidi laughed. “Mine too. I hadn’t even considered that we’d be kissing for the first time ever in front of all those people, or I’d have asked the pastor to take that part out of the ceremony.” She sank into a chair facing him. “I’m glad that part’s