by A. Aubry
Jackson: That’s not fair that you get to see me, and I can’t see you.
Me: All in due time, my love. The wait will be worth it, I swear.
Jackson: I know it will be. I just can’t wait any longer to call you my wife.
I giggled to myself and shook my head as I replied.
Me: You’ve already been calling me that for the last two weeks.
Jackson: I was just testing it out. But in a few short minutes, it will be legitimate.
Me: I love you, so incredibly much, Jackson William.
Jackson: And I love you, Madeline Joyce.
“Maddie, you ready to head downstairs?” Alexandria asked as she came over to me.
I nodded and looked back at her, “It’s about damn time that we got this show on the road.”
We laughed as she helped with my train as my wedding party and myself made our way downstairs. Owen gave me a hug, something I was still not used to because I still called him Owen the grouch. I pursed my lips when I saw Ethan talking to Jackson’s friends Derek and Jared. Jackson was sort of forced by his father to ask Ethan to be a part of the wedding. He didn’t have a major part, he was only going to be escorting my mother down the aisle but still, I didn’t like him at all. I hugged my mom tight as she teared up. Alexandria was set with the tissues, she knew this was going to be an emotional day and was prepared.
Linda came up to the doors in a hurry and said it was time to begin. My mother was led out with Ethan and we watched as first Jackson’s parents walked down the aisle to their seats followed by my mother. Then it was Tammy and Brad, Meredith and Jared, Shelby and Derek, and lastly Alexandria and Owen.
I watched as my bridesmaids’ knee length lavender dresses shined in the sun and stood out nicely next to the groomsmen’s stark black suits. My father gave me one last hug as the music changed before he escorted me out of the house and to the aisle. The second that Jackson saw me, his lips pursed hard but still turned up to a smile and I could see he was fighting back tears. I wiped one of my happy tears that escaped away and that was when I saw Jackson was doing the same…we were definitely like two peas in a pod.
My father and I came to the end of the aisle and Jackson came down to meet us. He shook hands with my father and let me give him one last kiss on the cheek and hug before he brought me up in front of the same pastor that officiated Chase and Janette’s wedding five months before. I handed off my bouquet to Alexandria and took Jackson’s hands. The pastor opened his mouth to speak but Jackson took everyone by surprise as he leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
“You look breathtakin’, Madeline,” he whispered to me before he took a step back.
I blushed and giggled, looking down at our clasped hands.
“Couldn’t wait until later?” The pastor teased to Jackson.
“Abe, I haven’t seen her for twenty-four hours…you’re just lucky I haven’t kissed her already,” Jackson chuckled.
The pastor laughed and shook his head, beginning our ceremony a few moments later. I don’t know about Jackson, but I pretty much zoned out of what the pastor was saying. He was saying what every person says when officiating a marriage…that marriage was a union of two people that should never be broken blah blah blah. All I cared about was how much I loved Jackson and how much I had missed just looking at the man. Jackson locked eyes with me after turning his attention away from the pastor and winked at me. I gave his hands a squeeze as the pastor said it was time to start the vows. Wow, had I really zoned out for that much of everything?
“Which of you would like to begin?” The pastor asked us.
I smiled shyly, and Jackson nodded his head at me, “Ladies first.”
Alexandria handed me my small pieces of paper that I had written my vows on and I took a deep breath. Public speaking was never my forte, but Jackson made me feel calm and relaxed. We kept one of our hands clasped together as I read my vows.
“Jackson, we have been on one crazy ride. Just eight months ago, I was trying to get my friend’s four-year-old to stop clutching onto your leg in a parking structure before you came to my rescue later that evening. Eight months ago, we were both in places of skepticism when it came to relationships. The day that we met, my skepticism changed. You have been supportive of me and my dreams, you have been my inspiration, you have loved me for me. I couldn’t ask for a greater man to be with for the rest of my life. I promise that I will spend every day of my life supporting you, listening to your problems and helping you find solutions, to share your laughter and your smiles, and to love you unconditionally until the day that I die. I am over the moon for you, Jackson, and I always will be.”
Jackson took one of the tissues that Alexandria was holding out and I laughed softly as he wiped his tears. I reached over and wiped away a small trail that he had missed. His face leaned into my touch before he brought my hand over and placed a soft kiss on the back. I smiled and handed my vows back to Alexandria. Jackson then turned and retrieved his vows from Owen. The pastor nodded and said he could begin.
“Madeline Joyce. There had never been a person in my life that could take my breath away with a simple smile ‘til you came along. You have surprised me at every turn and you have shown me that not everybody is the same. I had a tough go at love and I have suffered great loss, I thought I would navigate through life with this dark cloud loomin’ over me. When I met you, that dark cloud disappeared as you brought in the sun. Everythin’ about our relationship feels so much better than anythin’ I have ever experienced, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of our days feelin’ that way. I promise to love you and cherish you every single day, to always put you first, to help you when you struggle, to make you laugh when you cry, and to always be the best that I can be for you. I’m head over heels for you. I have been since the day I met you and I will be until the day that I die.”
I choked back a full-blown sob at how much that made my heart swell. Using a tissue, I wiped my tears, thankful that Shelby and Alexandria had encouraged me to use waterproof mascara. We exchanged our rings and it almost felt too good to be true. My solid white gold band perfectly complimented the large diamond engagement ring that Jackson had given me four months before, and his thick charcoal wedding band stood out against his skin. He wanted something that made a statement, that said that he was taken without him having to use the words.
The second that the pastor said that Jackson could kiss his bride, I didn’t know who was more excited…me or Jackson. Jackson’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist as mine did the same around his neck. Our lips crashed together so quickly it was as though we hadn’t kissed in days rather than twenty-four hours. He held onto me as though he was never going to let me go and I could only hope that my grip felt the same. As the crowd began to cheer, we knew it was time to separate. The pastor introduced us to the crowd as Mr. and Mrs. Ryder and we took off down the aisle as soon as I had my bouquet.
“We did it!” I squealed as I threw myself back into Jackson’s arms.
He twirled me around and laughed the carefree laughter that I had only heard from him when I was around. Alexandria demanded that he put me down the second that her and Owen were by us again because she didn’t want my train to get ruined. I, on the other hand, was more than excited to have her pin it up after the pictures were taken. I’d probably trip and break my neck if I wasn’t careful. The rest of our wedding party joined us, and we did our receiving line as the guests congratulated us before making their way to the cocktail hour. Once everyone left the area of the ceremony and were happily enjoying drinks and appetizers, Jackson, myself, and our wedding party were off to do pictures. I tugged on Jackson’s hand so that we stayed a few paces behind everyone.
“You alright, Mrs. Ryder?” Jackson smirked at me.
“I’m perfect, Mr. Ryder. Thank you for asking,” I grinned before stopping us completely and circling my arms around his torso.
His arms held me close and I closed my eyes as my head rested against his chest. I felt his lips press agai
nst the top of my head and I felt at peace. Jackson and I needed moments like these all the time, just the two of us. He helped keep me calm and I helped him do the same. The sound of a camera shutter went off as the photographer called out from not far away.
“That is perfect you two! Stay right there!”
I giggled and looked up at Jackson, my chin resting against his chest, “Guess our little moment is perfect for the camera.”
“Who woulda thought,” Jackson chuckled as he leaned down and kissed me.
If our moments were picture perfect, then getting these done would be easier than I thought.
“Please give it up for Mr. and Mrs. Ryder!” The MC announced right before Jackson and I came into the tent with our hands held up high in the air.
My dress train was pinned up and it was easier for me to walk but now it was just time to feed my growling stomach. I knew Jackson felt the same way because he had made the comment during pictures about how hungry he was. And for once, it wasn’t meant in a sexual sense. We made our way to the head table, one of the few things that we had done differently than Jackson’s father and stepmother’s wedding. Our wedding party would sit with us which allowed us to add more people to the seating chart. Jackson had a lot of friends from other teams come out to the wedding, so we needed all the space and seating that we could get.
The one thing that Jackson and I didn’t change was the menu that was offered. I had picked the filet mignon with roasted potatoes and vegetables and it was almost as amazing as the first time I had it. Jackson got the chicken, but we shared our meals with one another. The sounds of people clinking their glasses to get us to kiss was almost too overwhelming from the get go. Finally, Owen announced that if someone wanted to get us to kiss they would need to put money in a donation box. The money would go to Jackson’s favorite charity which went for breast cancer research, something he donated to as much as possible after his mother’s passing. At first, I thought that Owen was joking, until he took out the self-made donation box.
Jackson and I cut our cake, forgoing any attempt to make a mess of it, but my mouth may have spent a little too much time wrapped around his fingers. If anyone else noticed, they never showed it. While everyone was eating their cake, Jackson and I shared our first dance as husband and wife. He escorted me onto the dance floor before snaking his arms around my waist as my arms went around his neck. We slowly swayed to Helium by Sia. It took a lot to decide what our first dance song should be and this one was all about how the one person’s love lifted up the other when they needed it the most. That was kind of like mine and Jackson’s love story, we were both in low, dark places when it came to relationships but after we found one another, we were lifted up and happy.
We locked eyes as we danced, Jackson’s forehead resting on my own so that our mouths were mere inches away from each other. I quietly sang along to the music the way that I did at his father’s wedding. His smile said it all at how happy he was in this moment and my smile mirrored his. As the song came to an end, Jackson dipped me in front of all of our guests and we kissed, forcing ourselves to keep it from progressing into something that may be embarrassing for our guests. The music changed to pop type music that you could dance to and the night took off from there.
When we took a break to listen to the toasts, more tears were shed from me. Everyone had such nice things to say and I had never been as happy as I was in that moment. As the music began to pick up once more, Jackson tugged me towards one of the exits of the tent, making sure that no one saw us sneaking away. That was when I noticed he was leading me to the stables where he had first asked me to marry him. Everything was coming full circle. We walked into the stables and I immediately took off for Jackson’s horse Casper, who stuck his head out to greet me.
“Hey there, buddy! I’ve missed you!” I cooed as I gently petted his neck before hugging him.
“Told you that Casper always liked you,” Jackson chuckled as he joined me at Casper’s stall.
“Well he has a great taste in women apparently,” I giggled as I locked eyes with Jackson.
“We both do,” he grinned and pulled me over into his arms.
I put my hands on his upper arms and smiled up at him, “I can’t believe that we are finally married. It feels like it took forever for these last few months to pass.”
Jackson held me close, “I know. Can I be honest with you?”
I raised an eyebrow at him, “We are married now, it’s a requirement.”
Jackson laughed softly and nodded, “Good point. I just wanted to say that I have never been this happy before. I wish that this was my first weddin’, this is what weddin’s are supposed to make you feel.”
“What did you feel when you and Josie got married?” I asked quietly, not really realizing I wanted to ask that question until it came out.
“It was very rushed, we got engaged and a month later we were gettin’ married. Not all the details were planned out so there were a lot of holes. Plus, durin’ the ceremony she was already drunk. Durin’ the reception, she wasn’t interested in celebratin’ with our families, she kept tryin’ to get me to take her to bed.” Jackson shook his head at the memory and sighed.
I ran a hand through Jackson’s hair, “That is the difference between me and Josie. I don’t drink, and I know that today is a celebration for everyone. We aren’t the only two being joined by this marriage, so are our families. They deserve to let loose and celebrate while getting to know one another. As for the bed aspect of things, I am anticipating that moment.”
“You are so damn perfect, Madeline.”
“Wanna show me how perfect?”
Jackson leaned down and kissed me passionately. My arms wrapped around his neck as I held myself flush against him. His lips coaxed mine open and I willingly let his tongue in. I gasped as it made contact with mine, just one of the reactions that Jackson’s kiss could cause me to have. His hand skimmed up the back of my dress, over the buttons that held it together, and up to the back of my neck as he held me in place. Our kiss seemed to go on for hours when we finally took a step back to breathe.
“Did that show you?” Jackson asked breathlessly.
I nodded slowly as I panted, “That and so much more.”
We watched each other as our heartrates finally calmed down and our breathing returned to normal. Just the way that Jackson was looking at me, I could see love burning in his eyes and it took my breath away when all I was trying to do was get it back. No guy had ever looked at me that way. Once upon a time I thought that Tony looked at me that way, but it was all in my mind. Jackson was my knight in shining armor, my prince charming, and I loved the way he looked at me.
“We should probably get back to the party so that I don’t jump you right here in the stables,” I teased.
“It’d be a first…” Jackson laughed before giving me a chaste kiss and we walked back to the party.
Upon our return, we did the garter toss and the bouquet toss. Drake caught the garter and Shelby caught my bouquet. After how hot and steamy her and Brian had been getting on the dance floor, I felt like she was definitely the next one to get married. The party began to wind down hours later, my parents and grandparents had already turned themselves in and went to their hotels for the evening far before the party was over. It was mostly our friends who stayed until the very end. As soon as it was done, and everyone who was not staying at Jackson’s family home were gone, Jackson and I walked back towards the house.
Sometime over the course of the night I had kicked off my shoes, they were killing my feet. Even now though, my feet were killing me from all the standing and dancing that we had been doing. Shelby and Brian couldn’t get into the house fast enough and we definitely knew what was on their mind. Owen and Alexandria disappeared into the house next, staying in one of the respective guest rooms. That left just me and Jackson as we slowly made our way up to the house. Once we were alone, Jackson scooped me up into his arms and carried me bridal style the rest of
the way into the house and up to his bedroom where we would be staying. He set me down on the bed and I sighed contently as I laid back.
“Thank you for carrying me, my feet were starting to kill me even more,” I smiled at him as he stood at the end of the bed by my feet.
Without hesitation, Jackson lifted one leg and began to massage my foot, “Leave it to me to help my wife ease her pain.”
I giggled quietly as I watched him. His eyes were focused on me as his hands worked at first one foot then the other. Jackson truly cared about me and wanted to take care of me in any way that he could. Whether it was to offer me a foot rub when my feet were sore or rubbing my shoulders as I wrote to help me destress. He was amazing, and I couldn’t help but be thankful that he was now mine forever. He released my foot and I quickly scooted to the end of the bed and stood up in front of him.
“Now…let’s get back to what we were almost ready to do in the stables,” I whispered.
Jackson smirked and captured my lips with his. His hands made easy work of the buttons on the back of my dress as mine worked on the buttons of his dress shirt. As soon as the last button on my dress was done, I felt the fabric skim down my body as it pooled on the floor. I pushed Jackson’s open shirt off of his shoulders, thankful that he took off his jacket and I took out my veil hours ago. Quickly undoing his dress slacks, I dragged them down his legs as he stepped out of his shoes and pants. I climbed back onto the bed and waited as Jackson took off his socks and crawled on top of me.
His hands ran over my skin as he unhooked my bra and tossed it off in some direction that I couldn’t see. Next, he easily slipped off my panties which immediately vanished as well. I used my hands to push off his boxers eagerly, Jackson chuckling as he aided me in getting them off. We kissed as my legs eased open for him and he sunk into me so quickly that I let out a loud moan right away. As he began to move, my legs hooked around his waist and my hips lifted slightly to meet his thrusts.
“Fuck, you aren’t wastin’ any time there, wife,” Jackson groaned against my lips.