“Let’s do this.”
The woman smiles. “Remember, ladies, take your time. Smile and keep moving toward the front of the church.” She clasps her hands together in front of her chest and gushes, “You both look beautiful.”
Charlotte takes a deep breath and follows the woman out of the room. I cast a quick glance in the mirror to make sure I look my best, then follow them out. The music begins, and Charlotte makes her way around the corner and then the long march up the aisle. Seeing as our parents are both deceased, I decided I’d give myself away. At the time, I thought it was the smart thing to do, but now, as I’m counting to ten before I follow Charlotte, I wish I had someone to lean on.
Mentally, I get to ten and walk up the red-carpeted aisle. Chase is there, smiling at me. A hush goes over the church as I try to remember to take my time. Charlotte and I have rehearsed this many times, so I’m concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and keeping my eyes glued to Chase so I don’t panic being in front of so many people.
When I reach him, I turn, kiss Charlotte on the cheek, and give her my bouquet, then spin around and face Chase. Mason is his best man, and he winks at me.
“You may all be seated,” announces the priest. He waits a moment for people to settle, then says, “We are all gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”
Not listening to the priest, I reach for Chase’s hand, and he smiles down at me. His thumb runs across my knuckles, soothing me.
The priest clears his throat, and we both look at him.
“Chase, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.”
It’s my turn, and before the priest has finished, I say, “I do.”
The church erupts into laughter at my enthusiasm.
The priest clears his throat and smiles at me. “It seems the bride is a tad eager.”
More laughter and I feel a blush creep its way up my face.
Chase has a slight frown on his face and shakes his head slightly. “Like we rehearsed,” he whispers.
I nod and smile at him and then the rest of the church. Liam and Connery are in the front on what I assume is the bride’s side of the church, as Joe and Brandon are there, too. Connery is openly laughing while Liam is dabbing his eyes.
When I look back at Chase, the smile is gone, and he’s staring down at me intently. I grin at him, but he shrugs and looks back at the priest.
The priest smiles down at me, then looks at Chase. “Repeat after me.” Chase glances at me. “I, Chase Noah Kelly, take you, Isabelle Jones, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Chase doesn’t look at me as he says his vows. Instead, he’s staring at the priest. It’s a little strange that he’s not looking at me. I’m trying to memorize every detail of his face, but he seems more interested in staring at the man in black.
Maybe he’s nervous?
Looking up at the priest, he’s not looking at Chase, but down at his book.
He smiles at me and says, “Repeat after me.”
I don’t wait for him. I’ve memorized my vows.
“I, Isabelle Jones, take you, Chase Noah Kelly, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
“Well, done!” praises the priest. “Now, let’s make this official, shall we?” He looks at Mason. “Ring bearer?”
Mason touches his coat pocket, then another one and another. Looking as though he’s lost the ring, I’m about to say something when he bursts out laughing and produces my wedding band. The people laugh, and as he hands it to Chase, I realize it’s not the band I picked out. This one is encrusted with diamonds all the way around, where the one I picked was a plain platinum band.
Chase puts the ring on my finger and repeats what the priest tells him, but I’m staring at the ring the entire time, wondering what happened to the one I picked. It’s not until the priest clears his throat and Chase squeezes my hand that I realize it’s my turn. Mason also hands me the ring for Chase, and it, too, has changed. It’s a platinum band with a diamond and fancy work all the way around. The original bands were plain, simple, and nothing like these.
I recite my vows and look expectantly at the priest, as he smiles down at us.
“By virtue of the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He looks from me to Chase and loudly says, “You may kiss the bride!”
Chase pulls me to him and sticks his tongue halfway down my throat. My hands immediately go to his chest, and I try to push him off. It’s a disgusting display in front of our friends and family.
Mason laughs. “Guess we know what they’re thinking about!”
Chase finally lets me go, then turns, and holds my hand up in the air like he’s just won some sort of prize. Turning to Charlotte, she hands me my bouquet and bursts into tears.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.”
“You’re damn straight it’s okay! Welcome to the family, Charlotte!” booms Mason.
This causes Charlotte to step back, and she trips and falls on her ass. Mason laughs louder, and I try to go to her, but Chase grabs me by the hand and drags me from the church. When we get to the doors, I turn around to see Joe and Brandon comforting her. Chase keeps pulling me toward the car and practically pushes me inside. It’s a long black limousine with a partition between the driver and us.
“What the hell was that?” I rage at him.
“What?”
“Charlotte fell over. I need to check that she’s okay.”
“She’ll be fine.”
Shocked at his flippant reply, I stare at him with my mouth hanging open.
“What?”
“Charlotte was crying.”
“I’m sure someone is taking care of her.” He pulls me onto his lap. “How about a kiss?”
“Chase!”
“What? I want to spend some time alone with you without your sister or my father or anyone else sticking their noses in. You look beautiful.” He holds up his hand with the wedding ring on it. “Did you like my surprise?”
“You changed the rings.”
“Yeah! I got yours to match your engagement ring.”
“But I told you I wanted a simple band, so it wouldn’t matter if I worked with it on. This might get damaged.”
Chase scoffs. “It’s not like you’ll be schlepping it like you used to. You’ll be in sales, there’s no reason you couldn’t have a ring like this.” He frowns. “I thought you’d like it?”
There’s nothing to be done for it now, so I nod. “I do.”
“And what was that all about… you memorizing your lines? Did you do it to show me up? You could’ve told me.”
Confused, I lean back. “I did it because I love you, and I was excited for today. I wanted the day to be perfect for you.”
Sensing he’s upset me, Chase puts a hand to the back of his neck and pulls me in for a kiss. “You know what would make the day perfect?”
I shake my head.
“Letting me fuck you in the back of this limo before we get to the reception at the house.”
“Chase!” I look at the partition. “We have a driver.”
He shrugs. “He can’t see in here, and the windows are heavily tinted. No one will know.”
“No.”
His hand goes up under my dress, and he digs his nails into my ass.
“No,” I repeat more firmly.
“I’ll be quick.”
“What else is new?” The words fall out of my mouth before my brain has a chance to catch up.
Chase’s mouth goes into a hard line, and he pushes me
onto the floor.
“Chase!”
“Fuck you, Isabelle. Always so needy. I’ve never had any complaints before, but you, you’re always wanting.”
Scrambling onto my knees and then the seat opposite him, I fire back, “Well, maybe if you got me there first, we wouldn’t have this problem!”
“Like I said, I’ve never had a complaint before. Maybe you need to take a good hard look at yourself?”
“Just because all the other women you’ve been with before haven’t complained doesn’t mean you weren’t lacking.”
His face goes red, and he raises a hand in the air. My mouth falls open, and suddenly, the car jolts to a stop, causing Chase to slide off the seat and onto the floor. I can’t help it, I laugh. Chase looks up at me, surprised, then he laughs too.
The door to the limousine opens, and the driver is standing there.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, but a reporter ran in front of the car. I had to brake suddenly.”
“It’s perfectly okay. Can you give us a minute?” Chase asks the driver, who immediately closes the door. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have said those things.”
Chase kneels in front of me and cups my face. “It must be the stress of the day. You mean more to me than anything. I don’t know what came over me. It’ll never happen again.”
Leaning into him, I kiss him. “Let’s go face the music.”
We’re on our way to the airport. I’m excited as I’ve dreamed of going to Hawaii for as long as I can remember. I’ve packed for the warmer weather, which means I’ll be living in bikinis for a month. When we arrive at the airport, the car takes us to the VIP lounge, and we go through security there.
“Mr. Kelly! Lovely to see you again,” says a man as we walk through.
“Good to be here. Is the plane ready?”
“Yes, sir. All we need you to do is board.”
Chase kisses my knuckles and smiles at me. “You ready, Mrs. Kelly?”
“I can’t wait! You’re going to love the house I picked. It’s in a gated community, right on the water with a private beach. There’s a pool, jacuzzi, and a steam room.”
Chase smiles as he pulls me through the airport toward the private entrance to his family’s jet. We walk across the tarmac and up the stairs into what can only be described as luxury—plush seats, champagne chilling, and two flight attendants to care about our every need. Giggling to myself, I take a seat, and Chase sits next to me.
The attendant hands me then Chase a glass of champagne. “Welcome aboard. We’ll be taking off shortly. Would you like some hors d’oeuvres?”
Chase shakes his head. “My bride will have some strawberries.”
“Very good.”
She walks away, and Chase once again takes my hand and kisses it. “We aren’t going to Hawaii.”
“Yes, we are. I’ve arranged everything.”
Chase shakes his head. “No, honey. We’re off to Alaska. We own a house up there, and it’s beautiful this time of year. Lots of snow, we can ski, dog sled, and it’s one hundred percent secluded.”
Frowning, I shake my head. “But I hate the cold, and you know that.”
“The house is fully heated, so you’ll never know we’re in the snow.”
“Unless I want to go outside?”
Chase lets go of my hand and twists in the seat. “Why do you have to wreck everything?” He scrubs a hand down his face. “I thought you’d like the surprise?”
“But Chase, honey, I’ve been planning the honeymoon for two months. You said I could go anywhere. What about my reservation? Not to mention I packed nothing warm.”
Chase stands and glares down at me. “It’s never good enough for you, is it?”
“Chase?”
He shakes his head and stomps down the plane, leaving me in tears.
Two hours later, I’ve got my feet on the seat, hugging my knees to myself, staring blankly out the window. It’s a six-and-a-half-hour flight to Alaska—I googled it. Chase comes over and sits next to me. I glance at him, and he smiles at me, but I say nothing and continue to stare out the window.
“Come on, you’re not still upset, are you?”
Turning my head, I rest it on my knee and stare at him.
“Don’t sulk. There’s nothing to be done now. You might as well make the best of it.”
“Why?” I whisper.
“I thought it would be better. Alaska is beautiful this time of year.”
“Why did you let me organize the honeymoon if you were just going to change it? And the wedding rings? It’s your way or no way. This isn’t a partnership, it’s a dictatorship. It’s not how I thought our marriage would be.”
“You’re not being fair. I thought the wedding rings would be an awesome surprise, and Alaska is beautiful at this time of year. So, if we do it your way, it’s okay, but if we do it my way, it’s a dictatorship?”
Standing, I point at him. “It’s completely different! We chose the rings together. You asked me where I wanted to go and told me you didn’t care, and when I suggested Hawaii, you said yes. Then, without telling me, you did what you wanted without discussing it with me at all. For fuck’s sake, Chase, I packed bikinis!”
Angrily, I storm down the back of the plane, tears streaming down my face. Opening a door, I walk into a bedroom. There’s a heart in rose petals on the bed. Upon seeing it, I cry louder. Chase walks in and slams the door shut.
“You will stop this, now.” He has his hands on his hips, and he’s glaring at me.
A sob escapes me, and he runs a hand through his hair and punches the wall, splitting his knuckles. I squeak in surprise and jump back, away from him.
Chase holds up his bloody hand. “Look what you did!”
“W-What I did? You’re the moron who hit the wall.”
Chase glares at me and then hits me across the face with the back of his hand. It sends me flying backward, and I hit the end of the bed and slide onto the floor. My face is covered in his blood, and I’m crying uncontrollably. Chase immediately drops to his knees.
“Jesus, Isabelle, I’m so sorry.” He reaches for me, and I shrink away. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry, I’ll never do that again.” Tears run down his cheeks. “I love you, Isabelle. I don’t know what came over me.”
Chase is bent over, his head touching the floor close to my side. Reaching out, I put a hand in his hair, and he crawls a little closer to me, his head almost in my lap.
“Please, forgive me. Please, don’t leave me. It’ll never happen again.”
“Do you promise?”
Chase nods, and together we stay like that, clinging to each other until there’s a knock at the door sometime later.
“Mr. Kelly, would you like dinner?” asks a voice through the door.
Chase sits up, staring at the wooden surface. “Give us ten minutes, and we’ll be out.” Twisting, he turns to look at me and blanches at whatever he sees on my face. “You need to go clean up. The bathroom is through there, and you’ll need your makeup case.”
Leaning in, he kisses my nose and helps me to my feet. Without saying a word, I go into the bathroom and close the door. My face has blood splattered on it, and one side of it has a red mark which going to turn into a bruise. Using a washcloth, I wet it and wipe off Chase’s blood. My eyes are puffy from crying, and my cheek is slightly swollen. Using concealer, then a foundation, I cover the mark, but there’s nothing to be done about the swelling. When I come out of the bathroom, Chase is sitting on the end of the bed.
He frowns at me. “Is that the best you can do?”
I nod at him without speaking, and he immediately comes toward me. Flinching away from him, Chase hesitates, then keeps coming, cupping my face in his hands.
“Never again. I love you. Please, tell me you forgive me?”
Fresh tears fall, and I nod.
Chase kisses my lips lightly. “Thank you.” He moves past me into the bathroom and comes back wit
h a handful of tissues. “Wait here. I’ll bring dinner to you. That way you won’t have to be embarrassed.”
I’m stunned.
So, I won’t be embarrassed?
Surely, it’s the other way around?
Chase should be ashamed of himself. I knew he had a temper, but he’s never hit me before. From the moment he asked me to marry him right up to this point, he’s worked hard to be the man I know he can be. We’ve had so many conversations about our future, and I compromised on more than one issue to make this work, and for what?
I’ll not be treated this way.
All I need to do is make it through the honeymoon.
When I get back home, I’m gone.
The plane lands, and Chase whisks me away to his family’s secluded home in the mountains. The view from the bedroom is pristine—mountains, snow, wilderness, and not another person around for miles.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
I nod and smile, but the only thing I can see is that I’m trapped. I have no warm clothes, and I wouldn’t last more than five minutes outside in the cold. Snow falls from the sky—a blanket covering everything—sealing me in.
“Are you hungry?” His hands land on my shoulders, and try as I might, I can’t help the flinch which courses through my body. Chase sighs and kisses the top of my head. “You said you forgave me.”
“I have. I do.” Twisting away from him, I put distance between us before turning around. “I’m sorry, I’ll try harder.”
Chase smiles and walks toward me, his hands raised as though in surrender. “It’ll never happen again.” His hands rest on my shoulders, and he rests his forehead on mine. “Now, Mrs. Kelly, what would you like to eat? We have a well-stocked kitchen, cold room, and bar.”
Leaning back, I smile. “Bar?”
Chase kisses my nose. “Ahh, the lady wants to drink. My kind of woman.” He releases me and turns around. “One mojito coming up!”
Wrapping my arms around myself, I take a deep breath to steady myself. I’m stuck here for a month, so I might as well make the most of it.
My cell phone beeps, and I pick it up. It’s a picture of Charlotte with Morgan. A text message comes through.
Charlotte: We hope you’re having a good time.
Spark of Time: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 5: an MC/Band of Brothers Romance Page 8