by Tina Saxon
“Addie, you have to take it for what it is. You know how dangerous Travis’s world is, but you can’t keep getting mad at yourself for longing for the father you’ve always wanted. Especially your biological one. I think right now your hormones are getting the best of you.”
I snicker. “You think?”
“Yes, but what I really think is that you need to get your butt downstairs before your groom thinks you’ve changed your mind.”
“Are you kidding? If Aiden thought I changed my mind, he’d be up here handcuffing me to the bed and bringing the pastor with him to say our vows.”
“I could totally see that,” she says, laughing. She grabs my hand and pulls me.
“Wait,” I say, stopping her. I turn back to the table and reach down to grab my mom’s picture. Folding it in half, I place the picture inside my dress, over my heart. “Can you see it?” I turn to Syd.
“Nope. Are you ready?”
I am. It’s time to marry the man I was meant to marry. I’ve never been one to believe that there is only one person in this world meant for you…until I met Aiden. The deep bond we share is so tightly woven inside of us, it’s hard to imagine the force needed to break it. I don’t think I could ever love another man more than I do Aiden.
***
I watch each of my girls go out one by one. Ava quickly closes the door behind them so Aiden can’t see me. After the third time, I giggle to myself thinking it must be driving Aiden mad seeing the door close each time. Lexi comes up and slips her hand in mine.
“Is it my turn yet?”
“Almost, Lulu. Are you ready?” She bounces on her toes. I look at her white dress that falls just below the knees swish as she moves. The burgundy sash around her waist makes a big bow in the back. I squat down, which is a little difficult in this dress. “I love you so much, Lexi. You look beautiful.”
Her little arms wrap around me, and she hugs me. “I love you, too, Addie. I love Aiden, too,” she adds.
“And he loves you.”
“Okay, Lexi, you almost ready?” Ava asks. She fluffs her dress out so it’s not crooked anywhere. “Just remember, go slow, okay?” Lexi nods her head and straightens her back. “Just like we rehearsed,” she reminds her, and Lexi nods again. The door opens and the sound of the music floats around the room. Again, the door shuts and silences the music. We’re in the guesthouse because the double doors lead right out to the chairs. The windows have all been blacked out so no one can see inside. The guys’ belongings are draped over every chair, couch…you name it, there’s a piece of male clothing on it. Geez, they’re worse than women. The table is littered with shot glasses and bottles of alcohol. It’s a good thing I don’t see any empty bottles.
“You’re up,” she says to me, interrupting my perusal of the messy room.
I take in a deep breath and slowly let it out. I stand in front of the door, and Ava adjusts my dress so the train is spread out. Ted is standing on the other side of the door, waiting to walk me down the aisle. I look down and grasp my bouquet in my hands. White roses bound tightly with burgundy satin ribbon, tiny burgundy and blush-colored flowers arranged between the roses, which stands out against the white. I hear a guitar start playing, and I look at Ava. Her smile beams and she shrugs. This wasn’t part of the plan. She swings open the door, and I squint so my eyes can adjust to the bright light.
When they do, I see Aiden at the end of the aisle, standing with a microphone in front of him and his guitar strapped around his tuxedo. The lake is right behind him. The sun’s reflection causes a yellow glow. I can’t move. I’m mesmerized. When the first word comes out of his mouth, his voice cracks. He stops playing and clears his throat, flashing me his sexy half smile with a subtle headshake. He mouths, “Beautiful,” before his fingers begin to move across the strings again. I look up at the blue skies, trying to stop the tears. Why am I even trying? It’s pointless. I step out into the brightness, and Ted hooks his arm though mine. He leans over and kisses me on the head.
“I think I have a man-crush on your guy,” he whispers into my ear. I laugh through my tears. “You look gorgeous, Addison. You ready to go?”
I glance at Aiden and my smile beams. “As I’ll ever be.”
Aiden sings “Marry Me” from Train. His deep, sexy voice reverberates against my beating heart and goose bumps spread across my body. My chest rises and falls as each word he sings wraps around me and pulls me closer to him. I feel like I’m floating. I don’t hear or see anything except Aiden.
When Ted and I stop at the end, the song is almost over, but Aiden stops playing and takes his guitar off. He hands it to Max and looks at the pastor and says, “I’m sorry.”
I feel my forehead crease, wondering why he’s saying sorry. He walks over to me and a salacious grin spreads across his face. He stops in front of me and looks at Ted, who’s standing there as baffled as I am.
“Sorry, this can’t wait,” he says, his voice raspy from singing. He pulls me into him, slamming his lips down on mine. I open, letting his tongue explore my mouth. I feel Ted let my arm go. I’m holding onto my bouquet and my other hand drops to my side. Hoots and hollers spread behind us. He bites my lip as he pulls back. “Marry me?” he sings.
“I’m trying,” I say, gripping his arm while I regain my composure. A smug smile plays on his lips as he runs the back of his finger over my shed tears.
“There are so many firsts for me at this wedding, this shouldn’t surprise me,” the pastor jokes, walking up to us. “Are you ready to start?” We both look at him and nod.
The pastor begins and the ceremony moves quickly. We kept out the does anyone here object to this marriage because it wouldn’t matter and hello, that’s asking for trouble.
We wrote our own vows, so as we get closer, I start to struggle with nerves. Thank God we decided to keep them short. Aiden is so much better at telling me and showing me how he feels than I am. He squeezes my hands and winks at me. I softly smile up at him.
“Aiden and Addison chose to write their own vows,” the pastor announces. “Aiden.” He nods his head for him to proceed.
Aiden clears his throat and looks down for a beat before his eyes find mine. His emerald green eyes shine from the sun’s glow. “Addison, the first time I saw you, your eyes hypnotized me, your independence challenged me, but it was your heart that finally broke me. You shattered the shell that I had crawled into and set me free. You made me feel things that I didn’t even know I was capable of feeling and it scared the hell out of me.” Our eyes lock with one another and tears roll down my face. He lets go of my hand and sweeps his thumb across my cheek, catching some of my tears. “But it was how I felt when you weren’t around that scared me more than anything. You were the North Star to a man without direction, and I know as long as I look to you, I’ll never be lost again.”
“Oh…” I mumble through my tears. I let go of one of his hands to fan myself. I can’t breathe. I look up to the sky to try to catch my breath. My heart drums in my chest. His words were perfect. He reaches for my hand and lifts our joined hands to his lips. “Wow,” my voice shakes. He closes his eyes with his lips pressed to my hand.
“I love you,” I whisper. His lips curl against my fingers.
“Okay,” I say, taking a sharp exhale. He grins, knowing this is hard for me. “Aiden…” I pause as I collect my thoughts. “I’ve always blamed Fate for everything that has gone wrong in my life. But here I am, marrying the only man who can complete me. And it was all because Fate led me to you. Twice.” I laugh softly. Aiden’s smile pulls at the corner of his mouth as he tries to blink away his tears. “You’ve been there at my worst and guided me to my best. Our love story isn’t perfect, but the love we have for each other is. I love you, Aiden, with all my heart.” My voice trembles by the time I’m done. I’m not sure I could continue even if I had more to say.
I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Aiden squeezes my hands and mouths, “I love you.” I nod and bite my inside che
ek, trying to control my emotions. I pull out a Kleenex from my bra and blow my nose. Aiden quietly chuckles.
The pastor allows us a couple moments to gather ourselves before we continue. After we exchange rings, we turn to the pastor. I hang onto every word that comes out of his mouth. “…the giving of these rings and the joining of your hands, I now declare you husband and wife.” He looks at Aiden and smiles wide. “Congratulations, you may now kiss your bride.”
He sweeps me into his embrace and his soft lips capture mine. It’s not like the kiss before that was rushed and demanding; it’s slow and passionate. The crowd erupts. Whistles and clapping envelop us. I can’t believe I’m married.
“We did it,” he mumbles against my lips.
“We did.”
He pulls back and looks down at me. “Ready for the next thing?” he asks. My lips curl up to a smile that reaches my eyes.
“Yes.”
He glances at the pastor and nods.
“Would everyone please take a seat,” he says, trying to quiet everyone. He gestures with his hands for everyone to sit down. Confused faces look around, wondering what’s going on. I look over to Syd, and she can barely contain her excitement. Once everyone quiets, the pastor says, “Today we witnessed a man and woman come together as one. But they are not completely whole yet.” He smiles brightly at Aiden and me. “Alexandra Jade Collins, will you please step forward.”
I turn to look at Lexi and her eyes widen. She looks around, unsure. I flash a smile and nod, gesturing for her to walk toward us. She walks slowly to the middle of Aiden and me. I can hear sniffles in the crowd already and it’s not helping to keep mine at bay. I have looked forward to this moment since we received the official paperwork from Jaxon. I want her to know she’s so special to us and we felt this would show her. She places her little hands into our hands and stares up at us with questioning eyes.
Aiden squats down and kisses her on the forehead. “It’s okay, Tater Tot.”
“Alexandra–”
“You can call me Lexi,” she says innocently, interrupting him. Chuckles are heard coming from behind.
“Okay, Lexi. Do you know why you’re here?”
“I’m the flower girl,” she says excitedly.
“Yes, and you did a great job.”
Her face lights up. “Thank you.”
“But that isn’t the only reason why you are here today.” She looks up at me and then to Aiden with confusion. We both smile down at her, reassuring her that it’s okay. The pastor talks again and she looks at him. “You’re here because you are very important to Addison and Aiden. They would like to tell you something.” She nods her head.
We stand in front of her and kneel. Aiden helps me down because of the confines of my dress. I adjust myself, making sure everything is still in its place.
“Lexi,” I start. “I can’t imagine a life without your bright smile and beautiful voice. You have lit up my world, helping me in so many ways.” Tears roll down my cheek.
“You helped me, too, Addie,” she says, her eyes filling up with tears. I’m sure she doesn’t even know why.
“Tater Tot.” She looks at Aiden. “Before I met you, I didn’t even think I wanted kids. But now I’d be happy to have ten just like you.” Oh, God. Stop with the ten! I glance at Aiden and narrow my eyes. He laughs out loud. “Lexi, the love we have for you is unconditional. We want you in our lives forever, and we would be honored if you would be our daughter.”
“Do you mean you want to adopt me?” she says, jerking her head in my direction. I nod as my emotions take over. My face twists, as I’m sure I’m about to ugly cry. “So, you’ll be my Mommy and Daddy?” That did it. I choke on my tears.
“Yes,” I cry out. “If you’ll have us.” Aiden sniffs and I look at him. Tears run down his face. His lips curl up to a smile.
Lexi jumps into my arms almost knocking me over. Aiden wraps his arms around Lexi and me as we embrace. “Yes, yes, I want that,” she cries into my chest.
I pull back and wipe the tears away from her face and kiss her forehead. I watch Aiden’s hand reach into his pocket as he pulls out a ring.
“Lexi,” the pastor says. She looks up at him with red eyes. “Aiden has a ring that represents the love between all of you. There are three hearts on the ring, each representing one of you. They are interlinked with no end. That means your love will go on forever. Can you hold out your hand?”
She sticks out her hand and looks at Aiden with anticipation. We had the ring custom made so we know it will fit her. As Aiden slips it on her right-hand ring finger the pastor says, “Lexi, do you take Addison and Aiden to be your mother and father.”
She bounces on her toes again. “Yes.” Aiden pushes the ring on her little finger. We know the ring won’t fit for very long, but she can do whatever she wants with it when she outgrows it. It’s more the gesture than the ring.
“Aiden and Addison, do you take Lexi to be your daughter? To love her unconditionally and give her a home she can call her own forever?”
We both look at Lexi and say “I do” at the same time.
“Aiden and Addison Roberts, I now pronounce you parents,” he says joyously. Lexi jumps up and down, hugging both of us. Everyone gets to their feet, cheering and clapping again. Aiden helps me off the ground and then picks Lexi up. With his other hand, he links it through mine.
“I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts…” the pastor says loudly over all the loud cheers. “…and Lexi Roberts.” Now the crowd is roaring. Music fills the air and we make our way down the aisle. People pat us on the back or squeeze our hands as we walk past them.
I hear Cherrie say, “I think everyone needs to refresh their makeup,” as I pass her. I laugh and nod. Although, I’m sure it’s a lost cause for me. I’m on an emotional high, and I’m not coming down anytime soon. The pieces of my puzzle have just been glued together.
Chapter twenty-seven
The DJ announces each couple in our wedding party. We’ve just spent the last hour taking pictures, and I’m tired. My feet hurt and I’m dying for an alcoholic drink or a nap. Neither would be a good idea right now. We’re standing behind a closed curtain, waiting for our turn. Except for glimpses, I haven’t had a chance to see under the tent. The sun is slowly melting in the sky, leaving behind a beautiful pink sunset as a backdrop to our reception. You can hear the frogs down by the lake starting to come out and play.
“I can’t believe you did all this,” I say, looking at Aiden, running my hand up his lapel. He looks gorgeous in his tux. He’s loosened his tie already. I’m sure he’s ready to lose the jacket, too.
“I can’t believe you doubted me.” He puts his hand on his heart and drops his head to my shoulder dramatically.
“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear and then nip his earlobe. “It was amazing.” I kiss his neck and run my hand up through his hair. I can feel the movement of his chest increase as I kiss him along his jaw. His hands glide down my sides before wrapping around me. He pulls me into his hard body and tilts his head to find my lips. Warmth spreads throughout my body. A moan slips from my mouth when his lips trail down my neck to the hollow spot behind my ear.
“Fucking hell, I want you so bad right now,” he growls into my neck. My whole body shudders. “When I saw you standing there waiting to walk down the aisle, I about lost my shit and ran to you.” I giggle. I can imagine him doing that. “And now I have to wait for who knows how long before I can have you.” He stops his assault but his hold on me is tight. I can tell he’s trying to regain control.
“They are about ready to introduce you,” Ava says, coming from behind the curtain.
Aiden takes a deep inhale and exhale. “Give me a minute,” he says to her from over my shoulder. “I guess I shouldn’t go in there with a hard-on, huh?” he whispers in my ear. I look up to the sky and laugh. When our eyes meet, he leans his forehead against mine. “I love you, Mrs. Roberts.”
I smirk. “You like th
e sound of that, don’t you?”
“There isn’t a better sound.” He flashes his signature sexy half-grin. “Except when you’re screaming my name,” he adds.
“Are you ready yet?” Ava asks, impatiently. Aiden moans.
“When is Katie moving here for good?”
He narrows his eyes at me before releasing his arms. “Yep, we’re ready.” I laugh out loud. I knew that would help his situation.
We hear our name and Aiden links our fingers together as we walk in. Our friends and family cheer and clap with our entrance. Tables lined with white cloths surround a dance floor. Decorations of burgundy are placed all over. Lights are strung over the entire ceiling, dancing around from the light breeze coming in. A band is setting up to play, higher up on the stage, but right now the song “At Last” by Etta James plays over the speakers.
I glance at Aiden and raise a brow. “Did you pick the music, too?”
He grins and gives me a carefree shrug. “Maybe one or two songs.”
We make our way to the dance floor and grab the microphone from the DJ. Looking around the crowd, I’m in awe at the amount of love I feel right now. It’s consuming. I feel my face flush, and I look away from everyone. I hate being in front of crowds. Especially being on display. Whew, it’s hot in here. I fan myself and Aiden looks down at me with a concerned look.
“I’m okay. It’s a lot to take in,” I say quietly. He smiles and kisses me on my nose.
“I’m right here, sweetheart.”
I nod and turn back around. He brings the mic to his gorgeous lips and says, “Wow. Can you believe she’s finally mine?” Whistles and clapping drown out the music. “We want to thank everyone for being here. Our new journey begins today and with all of you by our side, we can handle anything that comes our way.” He briefly glances down at me and winks. “Now, let’s celebrate. Someone bring my wife a drink!” He throws the mic to the DJ and swooshes me up in his arms and swings me around. “My wife.” His face beams as he says it again. He sets me down, and Syd comes to my side with two flutes of bubbling champagne. I look at her with wide eyes.