And of course there’s Barb. She’s sitting with a young stud, her hand on his thigh. I give her a wink of being impressed. She smirks my way as he leans to whisper something in her ear. Something that makes her giggle, which is a sight to see.
My mom is in the front row, beaming at me, next to her boyfriend. It’s still a shock to see someone beside her who isn’t Dad, but I’m getting used to it. She told me she felt him here in the church, watching over us, last night during the rehearsal. I hope she’s right, but I don’t really go for that sort of thing. If there is a life after this one, I hope he’s moved on to a happier place where he won’t miss us as much as I miss him.
Manny is in the pew ahead of her and he’s got his new girlfriend, Mercedes, on his arm. This is the first time he’s brought her out to meet everyone and she looks like she can’t be older than twenty. She’s tucked into him and he’s got his arm around her like he just won the Lottery and she was the prize.
The organ starts. Mark nudges me. My spine straightens. I’m ready to lock this down. They don’t teach us men, when we’re boys, to look forward to marriage. We’re taught we shouldn’t want it, to run as fast as we can. But marrying Annie is the thing I’ve most looked forward to ever since we kicked Tommy’s ass. She’s added something to my life that I didn’t know I lacked. She’s on my team, and at the same time, wants my help. She lets me know I’m needed. Frankly, she makes me feel like I’m a king, and what man doesn’t want that for the rest of his life?
Taryn comes down the aisle first, wearing a long, silk, black gown from the same era as our tuxes. Both she and Laura have their hair up and I watch Laura walking up behind her, looking great in that dress. I glance over to Dan and see him stunned by her appearance. She winks at him as she passes. He turns, glued to her as she walks by.
The pipe organ changes to Here Comes The Bride, the vibrating notes filling the room. Everyone stands. Taryn and Laura take their places across from us.
Annie appears, her hand resting on her father’s arm. My heart leaps into my throat at her beauty, the small flowers framing her face like a crown. Her eyelashes flutter and she looks at me, biting her bottom lip in a sweet smile. I walk down the steps to meet her, and see for the first time her mother behind her, fidgeting over the train of her gown. “Mom!” she whispers.
Mrs. O’Brien rises and rushes up to stand in front of Laura and Taryn.
Mr. O’Brien takes Annie’s hand from his arm and hands it to me. “You take care of my little girl.”
“I will, sir.” I bow to him and look at her. The room disappears as I stare at the mother of my child, my beautiful bride, the one I almost let slip away. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know I’m supposed to lead her up the stairs now, but I can’t think of anything but kissing her, so I pull her to me and give her a long, slow, kiss. The room goes into uproarious applause with some crying out in laughter, “Hey! NOT YET!!” and others, “BRAVO!! BRAVO!!”
Annie’s laughing against my lips and I take her hand and turn, walking up the steps to face the priest. He’s looking at us like he hasn’t seen that before. “Well, now! Let’s begin!”
Chapter Fourteen
Annie
Please, if I’m dreaming, don’t wake me. If you do, I’ll seriously kick your a**. (I had to curb the language out of respect to the location I’m standing in. But I have a feeling God thinks my sense of humor, and swearwords, are funny. (S)He did invent them, and me, after all.)
As we go through all the nuances and speeches of the ceremony, Brendan and I clasp each other’s hands, casting sideways smiles to each other. When we finally get to the vows, the priest asks us to face one another. I look up at Brendan, so handsome, smiling at me in his tux. He reaches out, touches my protruding belly and whispers to it, “You get to be here for this, Jacob.” That’s when the first tear escapes down my cheek.
“Annie and Brendan have their own vows they’d like to share with us today,” the priest announces to the room.
Into my lover’s eyes, I smile. “Brendan, I vow to be yours and only yours. I vow to tell you I love you, even when we argue. I vow to make space for you to be the man you are, and to be a part of your team, to hold my space proudly beside you. Us against the world. I vow to be loyal to you in words and action. To support you as you grow and change through the years. I vow to love you until death do us part, and even way after that!”
He smiles at my addition, but then gets very serious, looking into my eyes with earnestness and presence. “Annie, I vow to be yours and only yours. I vow to tell you I love you even when we argue. I vow to spend my days making you smile until your cheeks hurt. I vow to stick by you as the years pass and as we grow old. I vow to be loyal to you in words and actions. I vow to hear your take on life, treasure your opinion and contribution as you always treasure mine. And Annabelle, O’Brien soon-to-be Clark, I vow to love you until death do us part and way the fuck after that, too.”
I laugh, tears blurring my vision. “Don’t swear in front of the baby.”
He grins. The priest chuckles and asks, “Do we have the rings?”
Mark steps forward and presents them to us. We both take each other’s ring. Brendan slides mine slowly onto my finger as I stare into his proud eyes. “With this ring, I’m yours.”
I take his and slide it on his finger. “With this ring, I’m yours.”
The priest declares, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Then he adds, quickly, “Again.”
Everyone applauds as Brendan grabs me and kisses me in a way that would have made past generations blush. He finishes with a dip, holding me firmly under my back as I laugh and receive a million tiny kisses all over my face.
He stands me up and takes my hand to face everyone.
They all go nuts. Nicole, who I’ve come to love, cheers louder than everyone else and I throw a grin her way and mouth, you’re next. Her eyes go round and she shakes her head really quickly.
“Ready?” Brendan asks me.
“Yep!” He guides pregnant me down the steps and brings my hand to his lips as we pass by our applauding friends and family. “I trapped you, Freckles. You’re mine now”
We head for the limo Mark and Bobby have covered with whipped cream and beer cans. In soap, it says, Another One Bites The Dust. As Brendan opens the door for me, people are running out behind us, throwing birdseed. I climb in, carefully, and gaze up at him, outlined above me by sunlight. “No, Brendan Clark. I trapped you. Aren’t I the sly one?”
“What are you going to do with me now that you’ve got me, Mrs. Clark?”
I shrug, and adjust my dress around my ankles, dragging the long train into the car and tucking it near my ankles. “Well, Mr. Clark, I guess I’ll just have to love you forever.”
“I guess you will,” he grins and closes the door, bowing to the audience standing outside the church. “We’ll see you at the reception!” They applaud as he runs over and jumps in the other side of the limo.
The driver asks through the open divider. “We’re going to reception hall first. I’ll make myself scarce until you call. But, after that, where are you headed?”
“After that?” Brendan kisses me with no signs of stopping. I laugh and peek over to see the driver smile and close the divider.
I respond to his kiss, joy filling my heart. “Where are we headed after that?”
He puts his hand on my belly, rubbing it as he whispers against my lips, “To a life now worth living.”
Chapter Fifteen
Brendan
Married a few months. Wife: not happy.
My wife looks up at me with a disapproving frown. “It’s too small. I need a bigger one.”
I manage to keep a straight face. “Honey. Never say that to me again.”
Annie blinks, then bursts out laughing, her bright blue eyes sparkling under the lights of the converted parking lot on Castro Street as she points to another Christmas tree further down the aisle, an eight foot tall fir d
angerously being admired by another couple. “I want that one.”
“Uh-oh.”
She grabs my shoulder with both hands, whispering, “Steal it before they get it!”
“Now there’s the holiday spirit,” I chuckle, to which she gives me a playful grin.
“You can do it, honey!”
Clearing my throat and disengaging my hands from my coat-pockets, I hastily head over to the couple, side-stepping two children running by in San Francisco winter-wear, little boots crunching along fallen pine needles, and of course, no snow.
It’s only two days before Christmas so the lot isn’t as plentiful as it once was, but we’ve just now gotten around to shopping for our first tree since this is the first time either of us has done this since we became adults. I guess we were procrastinating out of inexperience. Mark and I never bought a tree when we were roommates for the five years after college. Sara and I had one in college but I have chosen to forget that. Annie, having been a full-on Goth girl back then, celebrated Halloween more than Christmas, and when she left that darkness behind her and went to Italy, she celebrated at her ex-boyfriend’s mother’s house. She and Christiano didn’t get a tree of their own. He was older and she told me he felt it was something meant for children.
Well, I’m giving her one of those. And I’m going to give her her first tree, too.
As I walk up to the nice, normal-looking conservative couple in their late thirties, I’m determined, to say the least. “Excuse me!”
The man’s thick coat is faced away from me as he discusses the tree with a tight-lipped brunette. He turns to look at me from underneath a green beanie hat pulled tightly over short red hair. “Yes?”
His wife–or girlfriend?–stares at me with half curiosity, half thinly disguised annoyance.
My left hand rises up to indicate the fir in a possessive yet apologetic manner, palm up. At least, that’s the effect I’m going for. “That tree’s already sold. I’m so sorry.”
“It is?” the brunette frowns. She scans the tree. “It doesn’t have a sold tag on it.”
Annie, who’s a little slower lately, arrives with smiling condolences for their loss. “Oh, isn’t that awful? I know. I told them they should put a tag on it, but they said since we were taking it right away, there was no need.” She looks at me.
I quickly glance from her to them. “No need. It’s true. That’s what the guy said.”
The woman regards us with dripping skepticism, pursing her lips even tighter. Her boyfriend–I just noticed, no ring–starts to bend. “That’s fine, we can get another…”
But she cuts him off. “I just saw you at the other tree over there. Why were you looking at it if you’d already bought one?”
Annie’s eyes innocently round, which looks cute as hell under her white knitted hat, her strawberry blonde hair hanging long and loose. “That?” she asks with amused disgust. The woman gives a clipped nod. “We were laughing about how tiny it was. I mean, look at that thing! It’s a runt compared to our big boy here. I need something bigger!”
“To which I replied, never say that again,” I smile. The boyfriend laughs but stops when he sees his girlfriend’s face.
“Let’s just get another tree, Lily.”
“Show me your receipt.”
“Lily!”
My mouth slackens. I’m impressed at the woman’s audacity. She means to win, and I can respect that. But she doesn’t know my wife, and what she just said, and with that tone? Button pushed. Missile launched. When I glance to Annie’s face, my smile turns into a bared-teeth, thin-lipped grimace.
Here we go.
Annie lowers her voice. “I don’t have to show you a receipt.”
Lily steels her eyes. “Well, then I’ll just go ask the employee if you’re lying.”
Annie’s eyebrows rise a half inch. “Lily, is it?”
The boyfriend and I share a look.
“Just out of curiosity, Lily, what made you notice us?”
“What?”
“Why. Were. You. Watching. Us?” She’s asking like she already knows the answer. I wish I knew where she’s headed; I’ve got no clue.
“I saw… you were expecting, and my eyes were naturally drawn to…” She quiets as though she’s said too much, her eyes giving away something only women can see.
Annie looks around the lot, like the subject is closed. “That’s what I thought. Well, luckily there are a lot of trees still here…”
“There aren’t that many,” Lily argues.
“…so why don’t you go pick another tree, be nice and easy to get along with, so your boyfriend here will want to give you one of these, too.” Annie points to her pregnant belly with both index fingers. I stifle a snort.
“What did you just say to me?” Lily cries out, aghast.
Annie takes a step closer. “Look. I’m nine months in. Baby was due last week. My patience is zip and my manners? Shot. My apologies for saying it like it is, but this is how it is: be nice, you get one of these, and keep one of those. Be a frowny-faced, tight-lipped Nazi, he will go running for the hills before you can say Happy New Year.” She points to the guy whose face is now as red as his hair, the truth having been told aloud. Annie announces, without malice, “He looks like a keeper! Why don’t you take his lead?”
Stunned speechless, Lily lets her boyfriend guide her away, gently reassuring her, “We’ll get another tree. That’s their tree. It’s fine. Okay?”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I just…” she trails off, dumbfounded.
“It’s okay. Let’s just forget it.” He glances back to me and guy-to-guy, I can see he’s more than a little bit grateful, if not amused.
Eying my badass wife, I ask, “Was it worth it?” as soon as they’re out of earshot.
Annie shrugs. “I’ve got a problem with authority. You know that.”
“The second she demanded the receipt...”
Annie shrugs, trying not to feel guilty. “...It was over. I can’t stop myself. But come on! She was so rude!”
Not bothering to argue, I’m regarding the scope of this tree. “How are we going to get this bad boy home now that we’ve got it?” I glance down. She meets my eyes with a helpless look.
“Uh oh.”
“Yeah.”
She stares at it, looks at me, stares at it some more. Then one corner of her mouth tugs up. “You want to tell them they can have it?”
“No way!”
We look at it some more, until she announces, “No, really! That’s the best thing to do anyway. Go give it to them. Tell them we changed our minds. Here, I’ll do it!”
As she turns, I grab her around the waist and turn her to face me. Even with this baby-belly, she’s like a small paperweight to me. She gasps at the speed with which I’ve managed her body, and I lean in closely, holding her eyes. “This is the tree you wanted. We’re getting this tree home. I want you to have the best Christmas you’ve ever had.”
“By stealing a tree from someone?”
I kiss her nose, repeating as I nod, “By stealing a tree from someone.”
“Isn’t that bad karma?” she murmurs against my lips.
I kiss her softly. “You should have thought of that before. Now let’s see if they deliver.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tommy
Incarcerated a few months ago. For life. Me: not happy.
“They’re comin’ for ya, Tommy!” whispers Dinon from the cell next to mine. He’s always watching. He sees things before everyone. Me? I don’t care to watch. I like to keep to myself. Keep my head down. Maintain my virginity. And aside from that, stay out of the game. And there’s a deadly serious game in jail, just like in the movies and T.V., only it’s worse because it’s real.
I gotta get out of here.
“Who’s coming, D? Santa Claus?”
“Listen,” he hisses.
I straighten up on my elbows on the bed. Then I hear them. Multiple pairs of methodically advancing footsteps. They coul
d belong to anyone. It’s the not knowing that’s got my teeth on edge and goosebumps rising slowly. I keep to myself in here. But I knew that couldn’t last forever.
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, jumping down from the top bunk. The second I hit the cement, The Chain Gang appears in my doorway, a group of Italians I’ve carefully avoided. Until now.
“Well, well, well. Pretty Boy. If it ain’t the pretty boy who missed,” smiles Antonio who controls the gang as well as most of the Caucasian inmate population. He’s got a scar sliced across his neck from a near fatal knife fight in here last year. The other guy missed the near and went straight to the fatal. But what’s creepier is he doesn’t blink.
I ask with measured caution, “How’s it goin’ Antonio?”
“We were wonderin’ why you don’t sit with us? We noticed you keep to yourself and we were wonderin’ if you might be lonely. Maybe you need some friends.”
I blink. He doesn’t. I glance at the three guys flanking him. I look at Antonio again. I know this little speech of his means he’s got a job for me. If I don’t do it, I’ll be headed to the infirmary the second after I close my eyes to sleep. That’s what happened to the last guy. He didn’t make it back on his own two legs.
The truth is, I’ve got no one to turn to in here, and I need a friend. He’s offering me what he considers friendship, which is really thinly veiled indentured servitude. But if I take it and join them, I might have some protection. Either way, it’s a horrible life.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Can we talk in private?” he asks, pretending like there is such a thing as privacy in here.
“Sure.” I back into the cell and he walks in, but his ghouls stay back and turn around as though faced away they can’t hear us.
Antonio lowers his voice and his chin, looking at me from underneath his eyebrows. “There’s a guy who’s not treated me with the respect I deserve.”
Capturing Hearts: Hearts Series Book 4 Page 4