by Taylor Dean
He leaves that thought hanging in the air between us as we each draw our own conclusions. Could her bad experience explain away her behavior? Maybe it’s a reason, but there’s no excuse. I don’t care to speculate over her motivation. Frankly, it doesn’t matter one iota.
With his back to me, I approach and wrap my arms around his waist. I rest my head on his back. I think the fact that he knows his assailant is worse than not knowing her. “I’m sorry, Jace.”
“I’m not. I’m glad I know. Let’s hire that private investigator. I want to know how she spends her free time. If her hobby turns out to be what I think it is, then we’ll throw the book at her.”
I walk around him until we are face to face. “Jace?” I whisper.
“I’m okay, Shay.”
No, he’s not. He’s filled with so much anger, I can feel it as if it’s a third entity in the room. “I don’t think you are.” I knew he needed closure. He’s needed it for years and instead he buried what happened inside of him. I believe anger is good. Anger is the next step he needed to take to expunge the experience from his soul. I’ve given him what he needs to act. Action will be next and I can see the resolve on his face. Miss Blair is about to face the wrath of Jace. He’s ready for combat and I know he wants to make this right. I don’t feel sorry for Rebecca Blair. Not one bit.
I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on the lips as he stands with his arms at his sides, unmoving and unbending. “Hey, you’re not alone in this. I’m here with you.”
His eyes visibly soften as he looks at me and I love it. I feel his anger leave as his eyes crinkle at the corners and he smiles, a small smile, but a smile all the same. Then he says, “Let’s forget the world, get hitched, and honeymoon our hearts out. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds perfect.” I plant another kiss on his full lips, but he remains in his firm stance.
“Don’t stop. If you keep doing that, pretty soon I’m not even going to remember my own name.”
I kiss him again. And again. “You like to live dangerously, huh?”
“Oh yeah. Sometimes I even eat dinner while watching a comedy.”
“Risky. You rebel you.” I kiss him again, lingering for longer than before.
“That’s nothin’. When I go to an amusement park, I always stick my hands and feet outside of the vehicle.”
“I’d pay money to see that.” I kiss his upper lip and then his lower lip. His breath becomes shaky and I love the affect I have on him.
“I live so dangerously that if manufacturers didn’t write DO NOT EAT on those little white packets that are always in packaging, I’d pop them right in my mouth. They’re so tempting.”
The Ladybug makes an appearance after that one and I bury my head in his chest. I don’t know how Jace comes up with this stuff. Sometimes the jokes just roll off his tongue so quickly I can hardly keep up. It’s good to see his humor again. It hasn’t been around for a while.
He goes on. “Sometimes I tear the tags off of other people’s pillows, even though I’m not the consumer.”
I’m having a hard time containing myself as I tell him, “I knew you were bad news.”
“But you love me anyway. Why do good girls always like the bad guys?”
“It’s the thrill of getting caught while you . . . exit out of every entrance you come across.”
“Hmmmm . . . that is such a thrill.”
“And the fact that the words Don’t try this at home are not a warning, but simply a challenge to you.”
He shakes his head. “You get me, Shay.” He smiles again and then, all at once, he leans down and picks me up into his arms. He twirls me around a few times and then kisses me soundly. Slowly, he lowers me down onto the floor, never breaking our kiss. I let my hands delve into his hair as he moves his hands to frame my face. Reluctantly, he breaks away.
“I need to walk out that door right now, Miss Randall. This will have to wait until you are Mrs. Faraday. We’re doing this right.”
When he gets to my door, I say, “I love you, Jace Faraday.”
He turns around with a quirky half smile and says in an unnaturally deep voice, “And I’ve grown fond of you.”
I laugh out loud and then cover my mouth, hoping I’m not awakening the household.
I wait until I hear the front door click shut before I run downstairs and lock the deadbolt. Then I dash upstairs and watch him cross the street. When he gets to his door, he turns and looks at my window. He blows me a kiss and waves goodnight before entering his house.
I collapse onto my bed and let out a dreamy sigh. I’m finally going to marry my childhood sweetheart. It’s been a bumpy ride and I know there will be many more uneven paths to cross. But we’ve already endured the grindstone and survived it.
We’ve got this.
CHAPTER
Sixteen
THE BIG DAY is finally here and I’m floating on air. My wedding dress is sleek and sophisticated, yet feminine and comfortable. I’m sitting in Spencer and Stony’s master bedroom, fully dressed and ready to take the altar by storm. Spencer is fixing my hair into a perfect upsweep.
I can hardly believe this is happening. It’s as if Jace and me have picked up right where we left off six years ago and we can’t move forward with our plans fast enough. I feel like my life is back on track after a huge derailment and it’s an exhilarating sensation.
Stony and Spencer’s property is currently a flurry of activity as chairs are being set up and the decorations are receiving a few finishing touches. The caterers have arrived and the smell of barbeque is in the air. I occasionally hear a loud blast of music and then muffled tunes as the deejay adjusts his sound system. There’s a feeling of excitement in the air as everyone rushes around, doing their part to prepare for our wedding.
The gazebo Stony built is more than I thought it would be. It’s a perfect circle, painted white, with a pointed roof and small arches in between each pillar. I can’t think of a better place to marry Jace.
Mom is downstairs with Brit as the photographer takes pictures of her in her pale peach dress while she looks perfect. I figure it won’t last long, but for right now, she looks like a little princess. Spencer put her hair up and added a small tiara. Brit loves it and I’m never going to get the outfit off of her. I think she’ll eat, sleep and play in it for the next few days.
All at once, we hear a sweet voice singing a lullaby.
Spencer grabs the video monitor. “Oh, that’s my mom putting Sophie down for a power nap.”
Grandma Tess is obsessed with Sophie and no one gets to hold her when she’s around. As long as Sophie doesn’t catch sight of her father, she’s happy with the arrangement.
“Sorry it was so loud. It has to be on the highest volume setting at night or I won’t hear it. I’m a heavy sleeper and I’ll end up having a dream about checking on Sophie and never get out of bed to actually check on her.”
“Really? I wish I could sleep like that.”
Spencer shakes her head. “It’s a blessing and a curse. Thank goodness Stony is a light sleeper. More often than not, he’s the one who gets up with Sophie if she wakes up in the night.”
“He’s a good father.” I know Jace will be too and I can’t believe I’m about to marry him. My stomach flutters nervously.
“He’s the best,” Spencer says with a pensive smile as she strategically aims a few sprays of hairspray on various spots on my head. My thick hair has never been easy to put up. Then she adds a few tiny white roses to my upsweep. She lets out a few long strands of hair around my face and gives them a curl with the curling iron.
Spencer stands back and asks, “What do you think?”
“I love it. You’re a miracle worker.”
“Hey, baby sister.” I look up and see Stony stepping into the master bedroom, observing me with a glint in his eyes. “You look absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you. You’re looking pretty good yourself.”
Actually, Stony’s looking downright
sharp in his tux. I’m proud to call him my brother.
“Gotta look refined while I walk my sister down the aisle.”
With the absence of our father, Stony agreed to walk me down the aisle and give me away. I couldn’t be more pleased.
Spencer’s looking chic in a cream dress with a bolero style peach sweater and pearls at her neck. I told my family members to wear something peach and that was the only directive I was going to give them. They had free reign to choose from there. The men are all wearing peach ties with their tuxes and it looks as though the women will each just have a splash of peach in their clothing, which is exactly what I wanted. It’s perfect and not too matchy-matchy. Now that my hair is done, Spencer’s working her magic with my makeup. She’s a master at it.
“How are things going out there?” Spencer asks Stony as she brushes blush on my cheeks.
“Going good. Jace just arrived. He’s using one of the bedrooms downstairs to get ready. Told him upstairs was forbidden territory reserved for the blushing bride.” In spite of the blush on my cheeks, I think I really do blush at the thought of Jace. I’m marrying him today and I’m tingling from head to toe. “The groom showed up, Sis. Always a good sign. Looks like this wedding’s gonna happen after all.”
I smile. “I guess he didn’t change his mind or get cold feet.”
“Glad to know I won’t have to drag him by the hair to the altar.”
“Stop it, you two,” Spencer tell us as she hides a smile. “Is Irene here yet?”
“Yep. Wanted to see you, Shay, but she didn’t think she could make the stairs. She’s resting on the couch.”
“I’ll go see her when I’m done getting ready.”
“Let me know and I’ll make sure Jace is out of the house when you’re ready to come down.”
“Thanks, Stony. By the way, I’m not walking down the aisle to Camelot, right?”
Stony winks at Spencer and Spencer smiles a secret smile at him.
“Nope. Jace said you’re walking down the aisle to Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. Great choice. The deejay has got it all set to go.”
For a moment, a zing of panic runs through my veins and I think he’s serious. I throw the hairbrush at him and he dodges it. “Not funny.”
“Gotchya.” Stony pats my shoulder. “All systems are go. Stop worrying. I’ll go check on everything one more time.”
A few minutes later, Grayson helps Mia up the stairs very slowly. She looks gorgeous in a cool peach skirt and a cream blouse, but she’s also looking a little green.
Worry overtakes me. “Mia, are you okay?”
“I was, I swear. I was feeling really good when we left the house. But the drive nearly killed me. The motion of the car set me off again and . . .” Mia covers her mouth with her hands.
Spencer points to the bathroom. “Go, now.”
Mia runs into the bathroom and we hear her retching miserably.
Grayson shakes his head. “Sorry about that, ladies. She’s putting on a brave face, but she’s having a tough time.”
“We’ve both been there. Don’t worry about it,” I tell him. “I’m just glad she’s here.”
“You look radiant, Shay,” he says as he gives Spencer a hug. “I won’t hug you. I don’t want to mess you up.”
“Thanks, Gray.” All the compliments are boosting my confidence.
Mia exits the bathroom, looking pale, and Grayson takes her arm.
“Lie down, Mia. Take a rest,” Spencer tells her.
Mia doesn’t argue, she collapses onto the bed in a crumpled heap. “Please tell me this is worth it.”
Spencer concentrates on applying my eye shadow as she says, “It’s worth every second. Just wait until you hold your baby in your arms.”
Grayson gently kisses Mia’s cheek. “I’ll be back, sweetheart. Take it easy. I’m gonna go see if Stony needs any help. The guests will be arriving soon.”
Butterflies bounce wildly in my stomach. This is it. My wedding day. The April weather is gorgeous and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Spring is in the air and everything is perfect.
Then, all at once, I hear loud crying and I’d know that cry anywhere. “That’s Brit.”
Mom comes up the stairs, holding Brit’s hand as she screams in pain. I immediately see why. Both knees are scraped up and dripping with blood.
“Mama,” she says as she holds out her arms to me.
Mom catches her before she can run to me and turn my white dress into something I could only wear for Halloween.
“Oh, Brit, what happened, baby?”
“Fall down,” she says as she wails.
Mom explains. “She was running down the sidewalk, tripped, and fell flat on her face. Her knees took the brunt. She wants you and only you.”
“Oh baby, let’s fix those knees.”
Spencer dashes off to her medicine cabinet. “I’ll grab some bandages.”
Mom places her on the countertop in the master bath and I lean to one side and give her a big hug, being careful not to get blood on my dress. She calms down as Mom washes the blood off of her knees. Spencer applies some anti-biotic cream, and Mom holds gauze pads in place while Spencer tapes them on.
“There we go, good as new.” I’m so glad we already took solo pictures of her, but our wedding party pictures will be interesting to say the least.
Mom picks her up and pats her back. “Let’s get you a snack and some juice, little one.” Then to me, she says, “The photographer already got some beautiful shots of her. Don’t worry.”
I kiss Brit’s forehead. “I love you, baby. Okay, now?”
She nods her head, even though her bottom lip is still drooping.
“She’ll be fine,” Mom assures me as they head for the stairs.
“Brit?” I hear from downstairs. “How’s my favorite girl?”
It’s Jace, checking up on her. I hear her squeal, “Daddy!” It sounds as though she runs to him and I hear the muffled sounds of the two of them talking.
We told Brit that Jace would be her new daddy and she immediately took to calling him by the new name. Jace doesn’t make just me happy, he makes Brit happy too.
I glance at myself in the full length mirror and I like what I see. Then I gasp with horror. “Blood. There’s. Blood. On. My. Wedding. Dress.” My voice quivers as I stare at the offending spot. It’s a small spot, but it screams for attention on white. Crazy thoughts of a ruined wedding day run through my mind with lightning speed.
“Don’t panic,” Spencer says. “I can get it out.”
“Use your own spit,” Mia mumbles from the bed. “It works every time, I swear.”
I look at Spencer and I know my panic is evident on my face. A few tears escape and I know I’m ruining my makeup.
Spencer nods in agreement. “I’ve heard that too. Your own spit breaks down the blood. Since this is your daughter’s blood, the DNA’s close enough. It’s bound to work. A little cold water will help too, and if that doesn’t do it, diluted hydrogen peroxide will do the job.”
Spencer runs around the bathroom gathering the supplies. I plop down on the vanity chair and try to hold back my tears. Everything was going so smoothly.
“Stay calm, Shay. It’s okay.” The effort of talking gets to Mia and she runs to the bathroom again, nearly colliding with Spencer as she exits with an armful of supplies.
“This is going downhill fast,” I tell Spencer.
“Nonsense. Everything is under control.” Spencer is cool as a cucumber as she sets to work on the stain. I’m so glad she’s large and in charge today. I need her.
The spit works to break down the blood and it washes away easily with a few dabs of cold water.
“Voila,” Spencer says with a smile. “Crisis averted.”
I return her smile with a watery smile of my own. Then we fist bump in celebration.
“Let’s repair your make-up and you’ll be all set.” Spencer cleans up the mess and asks Mia if she is okay.
I join Spenc
er as we stare at her with concern. At this point, she’s lying down on the bathroom floor. “Do you want to go back to the bed? Let us help you.”
“No, I don’t want to move. I’m fine. Go get ready.”
“Mia,” Spencer says. “Did the doctor give you medicine for nausea?”
“Yeah, I didn’t want to take it unless I absolutely had to. I think I’m gonna have to.”
“I think so too. Call if you need us. We’re just right here.” I’m a little worried about her. She can barely function.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m having a great time. Time of my life actually.”
At least she hasn’t lost her sense of humor.
I sit back down at the vanity and Spencer begins the job of repairing my makeup when Grayson enters the room again.
“Mia?”
Spencer motions with her head. “On the bathroom floor.”
“Oh, she likes it there. The tile is cool on her skin. She says it helps.”
“Why did you do this to me, Grayson?” Mia moans from the bathroom.
He cringes. “She says that a lot. She’s kidding.”
“No, I’m not,” we hear Mia whisper.
He shrugs it off. “Hey, I’ve been sent to tell you that a few guests parked inside the gate and trampled some of your flowers.”
“What?” Spencer says. “Where’s the parking attendant? He’s supposed to be directing cars and telling them where to park.”
“He was taking a smoke break. He’d been on duty for twenty minutes. Stony fired him.”