Claim

by Janet Nissenson

  Fifteen minutes before the ceremony was due to begin, Ian, accompanied by his two brothers, left the air-conditioned comfort of his parents’ suite and made his way to the outdoor chapel where guests had already begun to assemble. Two of Ian’s younger cousins, plus one of Joanna’s godsons, had been tapped to fill the roll of ushers, taking turns escorting female guests to their seats.

  Everything, he noted with satisfaction, had been set up and arranged according to his and Tessa’s very exacting specifications. The rows of padded white chairs had been precisely arranged in rows, an intricate, beribboned floral arrangement affixed to the chair on the end of each row. Hundreds of cream and lavender roses adorned the arch that stood at the front of the chapel where the ceremony would take place in just a few more minutes. Off to one side a string quartet was playing pre-ceremony music, and a well-known tenor from the San Francisco Opera was warming up his voice for the aria he would sing as Tessa walked up the aisle.

  Even the weather was perfect, just as Tessa had predicted last night. At nearly four thirty in the afternoon, the sun was still high up in the sky, but the temperature was a very pleasant seventy eight degrees with just the slightest of breezes.

  The minister they’d chosen to conduct the ceremony was the brother of one of Ian’s executive staff, and Ian chatted with the officiant briefly as they began to take their places near the wedding arch. Hugh and Colin stood to his immediate left, serving as best man and groomsman respectively, and Ian knew there was no one else he’d rather have beside him at this moment than his brothers. Though the three of them currently lived on separate continents, there would always be this unbreakable bond between them that time and distance would never break.

  Ian smiled and gave a brief nod as first Francine and Oliver Carrington were escorted up the white aisle runner to their seats, followed a minute later by his parents. His mother blew him a little kiss, while Edward gave him a wink. His heart ached a bit to think that Tessa had no real family of her own here, but those thoughts were quickly pushed aside as the string quartet began to play the processional music they had chosen - Puccini’s famous aria Nessun Dorma - and the tenor’s majestic voice rang through the outdoor chapel. It was the signal for all of their guests to rise as the wedding procession began.

  Ian watched as first Sasha and then Julia, both looking lovely in their pale blue bridesmaid dresses, walked up the aisle to their places on the opposite side of the arch. And then he only had eyes for the woman who stood poised at the far end of the chapel, her slender hand resting on the crook of Simon’s elbow as they began the slow walk up the aisle.

  He’d known, of course, that she would look beautiful, because even in her worst moments Tessa was gorgeous. But today, at this moment, she was so lovely that it literally took his breath away to look at her. The gown was perfect for her, the strapless, beaded bodice emphasizing the lean muscles of her arms and shoulders, the graceful length of her neck, the fullness of her breasts. Her waist looked tiny where the bodice nipped in, and the full tulle skirts gave the gown an almost fairytale-like feel. Exactly, thought Ian faintly, like Cinderella.

  Her blue eyes were glowing with happiness, while her wide smile lit up her whole face. Save for a few curls that had been gathered up at the sides and pinned on top of her head, her lustrous blonde hair fell in long, thick waves over her shoulder and down her back. A short veil of ivory lace skimmed her shoulders and upper back, while the diamonds and pearls that adorned his great-grandmother’s priceless tiara reflected off the late afternoon sun. Her full, lush mouth was glossed over in a pale rose that just about matched the natural blush of her cheeks.

  Every eye in the place was focused on the beautiful bride, and especially his own. About halfway up the aisle, Tessa glanced up and met his gaze, and from that moment on everyone else gathered in the chapel - family, friends, the minister, photographer, musicians - ceased to exist. She appeared to clutch Simon’s arm a bit tighter as her step faltered slightly, then squared her shoulders decisively as each second brought her that much closer to Ian, to the moment when he would finally be able to claim her as his own for the rest of their lives.

  Ian waited with barely concealed impatience as Simon bent to kiss Tessa’s cheek, smiling at her with the sort of tenderness a real father might have shown his beloved daughter. And then, just as the tenor reached the very highest note of the aria, Simon placed Tessa’s hand on top of Ian’s and stepped away.

  “Hello, beautiful,” Ian mouthed, knowing that his voice wouldn’t be heard over the sound of the music.

  Tessa beamed, mouthing “Hello yourself, handsome,” in return, and then squeezed his hand as they turned to face the minister.

  The ceremony was relatively brief, their vows the traditional ones that had been spoken millions of times before between bride and groom. Ian’s normally strong, confident voice wavered once or twice, while Tessa had to choke back tears more than once. They exchanged matching diamond studded platinum rings as the minister pronounced them man and wife.

  “And now, Ian, you may kiss the bride,” the officiant declared cheerfully.

  Ian smiled at his brand new wife in a very suggestive, very sensual way as he cupped her face in his hands tenderly. “With the greatest of pleasure,” he whispered for Tessa’s ears only, just before capturing her lips beneath his in a long, very thorough kiss.

  Tessa’s hands fluttered up to rest against his shoulders, opening her mouth eagerly to his seeking tongue, and it was only the sound of her moaning in pleasure that finally caused him to break the deeply passionate kiss. Ian knew that the image of him French kissing his bride would have been captured by two hundred cell phone cameras, would likely be splashed over an untold number of social media pages, but for once in his life he couldn’t care less about his privacy. He wanted the whole world, in fact, to know of his love for this woman, of the passion that made their relationship so rare and so special, and that she now belonged to him for the rest of his life.

  “I love you, Mrs. Gregson,” he whispered against her lips.

  Her blue eyes were misty with tears as she touched his cheek with reverence. “I love you, too,” she whispered back.

  The minister then instructed them to turn and face their guests, jovially proclaiming, “It’s my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Ian Gregson!”

  The applause and cheers and whistles nearly deafened Ian as he placed his bride’s hand firmly in the crook of his arm, and began to guide her down the aisle towards the back of the chapel. Guests eagerly blew bubbles at them from the tiny tubes that had been handed out before the start of the ceremony, and cameras continued to flash constantly as everyone tried to get a photo of the newly married couple. Within seconds, all of the familiar faces become not much more than a blur to Ian, and he gave up trying to pick individuals out of the crowd.

  From that point on, events unfolded one after the other, and at far too brisk a pace for Ian’s liking. As he’d predicted, there were dozens more photos to take of the bride and groom, the wedding party, his parents. He and Tessa were obliged to sign the marriage certificate, and then they were finally able to join their guests for champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

  They were instantly surrounded by well wishers, a nonstop bombardment of guests who shook their hands, kissed their cheeks, congratulated them, and for those who had yet to meet her, receive an introduction to Tessa. After more than an hour of this, it was a relief to have the call made for dinner, and Ian steered his bride in the direction of their sweetheart table determinedly.

  Tessa looked shell-shocked as he pushed her chair in, clearly overwhelmed at meeting and greeting so many people in such a short amount of time. Ian grinned as he poured her a glass of water and wrapped her hand around it.

  “I hope you’re not tired already, love,” he teased. “Because our evening is just beginning.”

  She shook her head. “Not tired, no. Just - wow, did we really invite all these people to our wedding? And how do you know so many p
eople anyway?”

  Ian shrugged, pouring himself a glass of water and drinking half of it down thirstily. “As you know, we had to trim the guest list as it was. We could have easily had over five hundred guests here if we’d invited everyone. Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately, given the circumstances - this resort isn’t able to accommodate a crowd that large.”

  “Thank God,” muttered Tessa half to herself. “I can’t even imagine having two hundred more guests here right now. There’s no possible way we’re going to be able to say hello to all of them.”

  “Probably not,” agreed Ian. “Which is why it was so important to get together with the family before this evening. I knew it would be like this, knew that we’d barely have time to spend with anyone. Colin suggested this morning that we should have eloped instead.”

  Tessa gazed at him in dismay. “Oh. I mean, we never discussed that idea. Is - is that what you would have preferred? It would have been okay with me, Ian. I didn’t need all of this, you know. The only thing I needed was to be your wife.”

  “I never considered the idea, love,” he assured her. “And you did need all of this, as you put it. You deserved to have the sort of fairytale wedding every girl dreams of. And I would have missed out on the chance to show you off to everyone. By the way, darling, I realize I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you as yet, but you look beyond beautiful today. I can’t even come up with enough phrases to describe how exquisite you are. Cinderella wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to you.”

  She smiled, obviously pleased at his words. “I’m glad you approve. I knew the moment I tried this gown on that it was the one, that you’d love it. Especially since it was the most expensive of the bunch.”

  Ian threw back his head and laughed heartily. “There may be hope for you yet, darling,” he drawled. “And this is one dress at least that you’ll never wear again after tonight.”

  She placed a hand on his thigh, giving it a squeeze. “Needless to say, you look amazing yourself. You know I have a weakness for a man in a tuxedo. And since you wear a tux better than any man I’ve ever seen - well, consider me putty in your hands tonight, Mr. Gregson.”

  He picked up one of her long blonde curls and threaded his fingers through it. “If that’s an invitation, Mrs. Gregson,” he told her with a wicked grin, “then I accept it happily.”

  He wrapped the strand of hair around his hand and tugged her close, unable to resist kissing her again. But the moment their lips touched, it seemed that the entire group of guests seated nearby erupted once again into cheers and whistles, this time clinking their silverware against their glasses to add to the noise.

  “You can’t bloody well stop now!” yelled Colin, as Ian reluctantly broke the kiss. “Don’t you know anything, Ian? It’s tradition for the bride and groom to kiss when the guests clang their knives and forks against their glass.”

  As the clanging continued insistently, Tessa tugged his head back down to hers, a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes.

  “We have to keep our guests happy, darling,” she laughed, reaching up to kiss him again. “Though if this keeps up, we’ll never get to eat our dinner.”

  They did, in the end, get to partake of the delicious wedding dinner that they had spent so much time in choosing - a wild mushroom tart for a starter, followed by a salad of watercress, goat cheese, and candied walnuts. For the main course, guests were served their choice of a beef tenderloin, salmon filet, or a vegetarian dish. The beautifully prepared meal was accompanied by fine Napa Valley wines.

  Tessa ate more than she thought herself capable of, knowing that the night was still very young, and that dinner would be followed by hours of dancing, cake cutting, and the tossing of her bouquet. She cradled one of the gorgeous pink-tipped cream roses wistfully.

  “It’s too pretty to throw away,” she sighed. “I want to keep it forever. Especially since they’re my very favorite flowers, ones that hold some very special memories for me.”

  Ian’s knuckles caressed her flushed cheek. “Which is why I told the florist to make up a smaller bouquet that you can toss to all the single ladies later on this evening. Julia’s holding onto it for you.”

  She picked up his hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “Once again,” she breathed, “you’re the most thoughtful, wonderful man in the whole world. And you always seem to think of everything.”

  He grinned. “I try my best, darling.”

  As dusk fell, the thousands of tiny, twinkling lights that had been strung around the outdoor patio where the reception was being held came on. To Tessa, it reminded her of an enchanted forest, especially the way the bougainvillea twined around the stone walls and wooden posts. There were beautiful flowers everywhere, and each table was lit with golden, glowing candles. It was a magnificent setting, a wedding that would have certainly been fit for royalty, and everything was sheer perfection in her eyes.

  There were toasts then - from Hugh, the best man; from Colin, who Tessa had feared would say something risqué or inappropriate but was surprisingly sentimental instead. Edward spoke next, welcoming Tessa to the family, and then it was Julia’s turn as the maid of honor to say something witty and amusing.

  But it was Simon who very unexpectedly rose to his feet next, even though he was clearly ill at ease speaking in front of so many people. And it was his brief, rather halting speech that brought Tessa to tears.

  “I just want to say,” the chauffeur began, clearing his throat, “that being asked to give Tessa away at her wedding today was the single greatest honor of my life. I don’t have a child of my own, but if I did, I couldn’t be more proud of her than I am of this young lady right now. She is a remarkable woman, and Mr. Gregson is a very, very lucky man to have her for his wife. God bless you, my dear, and all the happiness in the world to you both.”

  Tessa surged to her feet, heedless of her full skirts, and hurried over to where Simon was still standing. She flung herself against his solid, comforting chest, weeping silently against his broad shoulder as he patted her a bit awkwardly between her shoulder blades.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “For being here for me today when I didn’t have a father of my own. I wish with all my heart that you really were my father, Simon, because I’m convinced my real one isn’t even half the man you are.”

  Simon pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I wish that too, my dear. And I’ll never forget this day. It was one of the best days of my life.”

  He returned her to Ian then, and the two men exchanged a brief hug, thumping each other on the back as though they were the best of friends, rather than employer and employee. But Tessa knew that she would never again think of Simon as merely their chauffeur, or even their trusted bodyguard. To her, he would now be considered family.

  After the dinner dishes were cleared away, it was time for the bride and groom’s traditional first dance. As Ian led her onto the dance floor, Tessa’s eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the vocalist who had taken the stage with the seven piece band.

  “Isn’t she the singer who was at the Lake Tahoe hotel last year?” she murmured to Ian as the band leader prepared to announce the bride and groom.

  “One and the same, love,” he replied with a grin. “And since that particular night is one of the most memorable of my life - the first time you told me that you loved me - I made sure that Donyelle could be here this evening to sing our special song.”

  And then, as Ian spun her expertly around the floor in a modified waltz to the familiar strains of If I Ain’t Got You, Tessa thought for certain her heart would burst with joy. There was, after all, only so much emotion, so much happiness, that a person could handle at one time. And since she felt near to overflowing with elation, she knew that this night, this moment, would be the best one of her life. No matter how many other wonderful things might happen in the future - children, anniversaries, special times together - this night when she’d become Ian’s wife would always be the most magical of them all.


  Chapter Eighteen

  Matthew Bennett motioned to the bartender, who was enjoying something of a lull in the action for the first time that night.

  “Can I get a refill on this?” he asked, sliding his glass across the bar.

  “Sure thing, sir. Masterson’s, right?”

  Matthew nodded at the mention of the ten year old bourbon he’d been drinking for most of the evening. “Good memory.”

  The twenty-something bartender grinned good-naturedly as he poured Matthew’s drink. “Not much call for bourbon this evening, what with all these British folks floating around. I don’t think I’ve mixed so many martinis, or gone through this much single malt Scotch in two months combined. So when someone asks for a bourbon I tend to remember. Or the line of Patron shots that this very attractive lady keeps coming back for. Except I think her husband just cut her off.”

  Matthew offered the bartender up a smile, plus a ten dollar bill in the tip jar, as he picked up the cut crystal glass that held his drink. “I think I know who that lady is. If it’s the same person I’m thinking of, her twin sister is the matron of honor. And from what I recall from the bachelor party I attended last week, that lady can drink most grown men under the table.”

  The red-headed bartender sighed. “Not anymore, apparently. Her husband grabbed the last shot right out of her hand and drank it down himself. She was just about to give him hell for it when he kissed her instead. That seemed to shut her up.”

  Matthew laughed, but any reply he might have made was cut off when a couple walked up to the bar and ordered a martini and a glass of Glenlivet. The bartender gave Matthew an “I told you so” eye roll before efficiently mixing up the drinks.

  Ian and Tessa’s wedding had been every bit as lavish and wonderful as Matthew would have expected, knowing quite well what a stickler for detail his friend could be. He also knew how devoted Ian was to Tessa, and that no expense had been spared to give her the sort of wedding most women could only dream of. It was a stark contrast to the simple, budget-conscious event that was all he and Lindsey had been able to afford seventeen years ago. But given the way Lindsey spent money like a drunken sailor these days, it seemed at times that she was hell-bent on making up for all those lean years when they’d lived on a budget, and would have never been able to stay at a posh, exclusive resort hotel like this one.