"They have no right to tell me what to do or you what to do."
I shrugged. "Based on my history, and how I treated you, I think they have a right to be worried about you."
"They can be worried all they want, they better stay out of my life."
I was heartened to hear her confidence in me, but worried how Kellie and Ryan's reaction might impact her. Would they be able to change her mind?
"You need to stop the car,” she demanded all of a sudden.
"What?" My head snapped to look at her briefly.
“You need to stop the car. Anywhere. Just pull over."
There was a little strip mall up on the right, so I turned on my blinker and pulled into it, finding a parking spot. I put the car in gear and then turned to look at her.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She reached up with both hands taking my face in between them. "I know you Hunter Strong. I understand you. I can see into your heart," she said, one of her hands drifting down and pressing over my chest. "The world, and even your brothers, see one man, but I see you. And the reason I know you so well, because you let me in." She gave me that beautiful smile of hers. "And I'm so happy that you did."
"You don't worry that our way of communicating may mess things up for us?"
She shook her head with confidence. “No. Our kind of banter is fun, don’t you think? It’s sort of like foreplay."
I slid my hand around her neck and pulled her the final inches so I could kiss her sweet lips. If I wasn't sitting in the middle of a strip mall parking lot, I might've put the seat back and let her know just how thrilled I was at her words. It was terrifying to know that she could see right through to my soul, and at the same time extremely calming. When I pulled back, she still had that sweet smile.
"So, let's go see your dad."
I sent the text to everyone saying I wanted to meet them at dad's house, but didn't give them any indication as to why. I was still pretty sure that Ryan and Kellie weren’t going to be too thrilled about my marrying Natalie, but with Natalie by my side, I’d get through it.
I took Natalie to run a few errands so that we could show up last to my dad's house. I wanted to make sure I told them all at the same time and didn't want to be sitting around waiting and having my dad or my brothers harping on me about why I had brought them there.
When we arrived, my dad’s housekeeper answered the door and invited us in.
"Everyone's out on the back terrace. There's some lemonade and cookies that your grandmother bought,” she said.
I took Natalie's hand and led her through the sunken living room toward the back of the house.
"Oh my God. This place is humongous. And look at the windows…the ocean. This place is amazing,” Natalie gushed.
"You want a place like this? Because I will get you one. Anything you want." I’d buy her the moon if she wanted.
She stopped me before we reached the doors to go outside and tugged me to a halt. "I don't need any of this, Hunter. I just need you."
"But something like this would be nice, right?" The contrast between Natalie and my ex was so stark that it made me feel like an idiot that I hadn’t noticed it earlier. My ex not only took everything I offered, but demanded more. The idea that all Natalie wanted was me, not my money, not my name, made me feel loved in a way I’d never felt before.
She gave me a coy smile. "Well, if you wanted to live in a place like this, I wouldn't complain."
I leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Are you ready?"
She nodded, looking a bit like I felt; both giddy and nauseous. She slipped her arm through mine as we exited the house onto the terrace.
My grandmother sat next to my father at the table talking about something. Kellie sat in a chair with Ryan behind her with one hand on her shoulder, the other one sipping a beer. Noah was laid out on a lounge chair. His eyes closed in his hands clasped over his belly with his face turned up to the sun, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and his boots, so clearly he hadn't been working. Carter sat at the table between my grandmother and Kellie, talking to Ryan.
When Natalie and I stepped out onto the terrace, all eyes turned to us. Immediately Ryan's gaze drifted down to where Natalie’s arm was linked to mine.
Natalie leaned in close to me and whispered, "No matter what, I love you."
I patted her hand that was on my arm.
"There he is," my father said, turning in his chair to get a better look at us. "Oh, and he's brought Natalie with him."
"It better be good news," I could hear my grandmother mutter.
My gaze stayed on Ryan and Kellie because I knew they were the ones that would need to bless this union.
Natalie leaned toward me again as we made our way across the terrace. “You should do it like a Band-Aid. Just rip it off. Say it fast."
I looked down at her, the amusement starting to push away some of my fear. "You do like it fast, don't you Princess?"
Her cheeks blushed.
Noah stirred from his lounge chair and looked over at us. "So, what's so important that I had to be dragged all the way out here for?"
We had finally made it to the table. Like a Band-Aid, Natalie's words came back to me.
"Natalie and I are getting married."
Then because I felt a little sick to my stomach, I looked down at Natalie. She squeezed my arm and looked up at me with a grin. Then she turned to the group and thrust out her left hand with the lavender colored diamond I had purchased for her yesterday on one of my many errands in my plan to win her back. Buying it had seemed so natural and automatic that I knew it had to be the right decision.
"Congratulations," my father said, extending out his hand to me.
I shook it, and then leaned over to give him a hug. "Thanks dad."
"Come here Natalie, let me get a closer look at that," my father said to her.
I was so glad that my dad was the type of man that he was; loving, gentle, giving. I was hoping he’d offset whatever negativity or animosity I might get from the others.
"That's it?" Noah asked.
"Yes, that's it. I just wanted to tell you all together."
Noah stood from his lounge chair and walked over towards us. I stepped out of the way from where Natalie had been showing my father the ring.
Noah reached out to her. "Let me be the first to hug the bride."
"Just don't hug too long," I warned him.
"I really feel like I've missed something." Carter said.
"It's because you spend too much time traveling, brother,” Noah told him. “He still hasn’t met Jess,” he said to me.
"Can we go and talk for a minute, Natalie?" Kellie asked, standing from her chair.
Natalie slipped her arm through mine again and snuggled close. "Nope. You can tell me how happy you are for me and Hunter right there."
"This is a little sudden, isn't it?" Ryan asked.
"I thought they'd been together for a while now?" Noah said, looking between us as if he was confused as to why Ryan and Kellie would have a problem with us. I guess when Noah called Ryan after my drinking binge the other night, Ryan didn’t tell him he was going to warn me away from her.
“Considering everything that happened between you two, after the way you treated her, Hunter, it seems a little fast to be getting married," Ryan said. I recognize now that Ryan's protectiveness of Natalie was like that of a big brother or maybe even a father. Still, like Natalie said, it was none of his damn business.
Before I could say anything, Gran let out a hearty ha! sound. "You're one to make judgements about getting married or hurting the woman you love, Ryan Strong."
Ryan's jaw tightened. "It's not the same Gran."
"I don't see how it's different. Isn't it correct that you asked Kellie to marry her and then broke off the engagement when she told you she was pregnant?"
All our eyes went to Ryan and Kellie. I’d known that something had happened between Ryan and Kellie around the time of their enga
gement, but I hadn't known all the details. I looked down at Natalie, and her expression suggested that she had known. Well of course she did. Kellie was her sister, and they were confidantes.
"But I was in love with her. Even then,” Ryan argued.
"Hunter is in love with Natalie. Anybody can see that,” my father said. He looked at me and gave me a nod. "Maybe it took him a little while to realize it, and clearly it terrified him, but that's what love is like. I remember it happening with your mother. Falling so fast and hard scared me to death."
Gran rolled her eyes. "Oh Lord, what a courtship those two had."
"Well, I guess there is time since we have to plan a wedding," Kellie said.
"Time for what?” Natalie's asked. I heard an undercurrent of anger like she was suspicious of her sister’s comment.
"I think they hope that with time, I’ll do something wrong or you will discover that I'm not worthy of you, and there won't be a wedding at all," I said, feeling a little disappointed in my brother and sister-in-law, even though I understood their concern too.
"Who died and made Ryan the patriarch of this family?" Noah asked. "I'm sorry brother. This is none of your business."
Ryan glared at Noah. "I'm just looking out for Natalie —"
"I can look out for myself,” Natalie charged back.
I held up my hands and made a timeout sign. "Here's the deal, and you have to take it or leave it. I love Natalie and she loves me and we're getting married. And if she's alright with it, we’re going to do it right away.” On the chance that Kellie was right, I wanted to tie Natalie to me as soon as possible.
Natalie’s eyes gleamed at me. "We could go to Vegas."
"Oh no, please don't do that,” Kellie said. “That’s impulsive—"
Natalie rounded on Kelly. "Maybe I should go to Italy and have a pretend wedding?"
A loud thump sound reverberated from the table, and my grandmother stood. “Ryan and Kellie, I know that you care about Natalie and I'd like to think that you care about Hunter too, although I'm a little concerned that you don't."
Ryan looked down in shame. I realize that in fact I was hurt by his lack of faith in me, even though I understood where it was coming from. But I knew I could be a good man for Natalie.
"If you persist with this line of thinking, you're going to drive a wedge in the family, and I've spent too many damn years in this family to let you do that. Hunter and Natalie are grown people who are clearly in love with each other, and the two of you, of all people, have no say about how they got together, what has been involved in the relationship, or how quickly they're getting married,” Gran chastised them.
We all stood in stunned silence for a moment. I suspected my grandmother thought we were quite in reverence to her, but I think mostly we were just all afraid of her.
She turned to me and Natalie. Her fierce blue eyes lasered on me. "Now, as far as you two go, I just want you to be sure. I can see that the two of you care about each other, but marriage is forever. It requires open communication that you two have seemed to have lacked in the past. But no one here has the right to tell you two how to live your lives. As your grandmother, I love you, and I'm going to support you in this. And I would hope that the rest of you would too." On that last line, she looked at all the members of her family, one by one, stopping when she reached Ryan and Kellie.
"I painted today," Natalie said, which was a strange comment. Even more worrisome was my concern that she’d tell them she’d painted me nude.
Looking across the table at Kellie, I noticed her demeanor changed almost immediately. "You did?"
"Yes. It was glorious. I'm happy. I want this. None of us knows what the future can bring."
"I know that as well as anyone," my father said, clearly referencing how he lost my mother unexpectedly.
"But I know Hunter. I probably know him better than any of you. I know his heart and it is pure and it's good and he loves me. And we are getting married. And I hope that you will all be there even if it's in Vegas."
I let out a laugh wrapping my arm around her and kissing her head.
Kellie left Ryan's side and came over to us. She hesitated for a moment, but then she put her arms around Natalie. "I just want you to be happy. I can see that you are."
In the back of her mind, she was probably wondering how long it would last, but I figured I'd have every day for the rest of my life to prove to her that I’d love Natalie forever.
Epilogue
Natalie
Whoever said that best laid plans go awry, never married Hunter Strong. True to our natures, which lacked patience, we married quickly, as soon as we could arrange it on the beach behind Hunter’s father’s house.
We coincided the wedding with finishing the final proofs for the European marketing campaign for the expansion that Ryan had started several months ago. Someone needed to take the proofs to Europe and run them through a few focus groups, for which Ryan suggested that Hunter and I go as part of our honeymoon.
I reminded Ryan that I didn’t work for him anymore. Even though Hunter and I had reconciled and I was willing to be a sounding board for him, now that I had a lovely studio, my interests were back on my art.
I wasn't sure what would happen with my career, especially when it came out I was marrying Hunter. Everyone would probably completely dismiss my art as an indulgence from my rich husband. But when I was in the studio Hunter created for me, I got lost in my work, and it didn’t matter. Well, it mattered a little bit, but Hunter mattered more. Plus, as the work on creating artists studios downstairs started, I found a new passion in working with Hunter on his vision for the building.
Hunter balked at the idea of having a working honeymoon. "I plan to be making sweet love to you the entire time I'm there. A focus group doesn't need to see that."
I grinned. "One thing's for sure, you’ll get rave reviews if you show up naked."
In the end, I talked him into it because it involved a complete tour of Europe and I was able to expand the time we’d need from two weeks to four. A month in Europe with Hunter exploring all the art and history was a dream come true and Hunter said he wanted to give me my dream. I worried that he’d think that’s why I was with him, like his ex was, but he assured me that he could tell the difference between my love and hers.
After our wedding, Hunter had me on a private plane heading to Europe. Not only did we consummate the marriage, but he also initiated me into the mile-high club.
The first stop of our honeymoon was Barcelona, and while it was hard to beat San Diego for the weather and the beach, I couldn't deny that Barcelona was stunning. All the old architecture was gorgeous. Even things not designed to be art, looked like art to me. There was so much to take in, and I was pretty sure I hadn't brought enough sketchbooks. Hunter found a little art store and bought me several more. He said if I used those up, he’d buy me more. I worried about running out of space in my suitcase, but he said he’d buy me another one of those too, or arrange to have my sketch books shipped home. He really was the best husband ever.
It was our second day in the city, spending the first day in our room, in bed more specifically, but now we are out touring the city finding a little café to have a delicious Spanish meal. A bowl of calamari sat in front of us and Hunter reached over, grabbed one, and popped it into his mouth, winking at me as he did. I pulled out my mini sketchbook and began to draw him. He was so relaxed and handsome, and every time he smiled, it was that wide gorgeous one that always took my breath away.
"I don't know if I should keep buying you sketchbooks, if all you're going to do is draw pictures of me,” he said, amused by my constant sketching.
"Well, if you would stop being so sketchable, maybe I would."
After our meal, we walked through the city, taking in the sights and shopping, and then at the end of the evening, we went back to the hotel going up to the terrace on the top floor that gave us a grand view of the city at twilight. We sat at a table ordering drinks.<
br />
"Have you ever thought about buying something here?" I asked him.
"Do you want me to buy something here?"
I shook my head and laughed. It was nice that he wanted to buy me the world, but I didn't need that. Everything I needed sitting next to me at the table.
His phone rang and he cursed as he looked at the caller ID. "What does Ryan want now?" He put the phone up to his ear. "I'm on my honeymoon. This better be good."
"Where are you?" I heard Ryan’s voice on the other end.
"I'm in Barcelona on my honeymoon. Now leave me alone."
"I mean, where are you? Are you at the hotel?"
“I'm on the rooftop terrace of the hotel having a drink with my beautiful wife. Now stop calling.” He snapped the phone shut.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"Who the hell knows." He rolled his shoulders and then he slid his arm along my back and leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "There. All better now."
"Monsieur Strong?" a well-dressed man asked as he approached our table.
"Since when do they speak French in Spain?” I asked.
"My name is Christian LaMont. I know your brother, Ryan and his wife, Kellie. I arranged their wedding."
Hunter and I looked at each other and smirked. Apparently Christian LaMont still didn't know that Ryan and Kellie’s original wedding was fake.
Hunter extended his hand, shaking Christian’s. "It's nice to meet you Mr. LaMont."
"Please call me Christian."
"I'm Hunter and this is my wife, Natalie."
It always sent a thrill through my body to hear Hunter refer to me as his wife.
"Will you join us for a drink?" Hunter asked Christian.
Christian waved his hand. "No, no, I know you're on your honeymoon. But your brother asked that I deliver this to you. He knew I was going to be down here in Spain and had it sent to me to deliver to you."
"Why didn't he just send it to us directly?" I asked. The family had our itinerary. Then again, Hunter and I could be spontaneous. It was possible we’d take off for Greece or something.
Giving In To Love: A Friends with Benefits Office Romance (Strong Brothers Book 2) Page 19