A Moment of Truth: A Complete Bonus Set (A Matter of Trust #1-2)

by Q. T. Ruby

  “Oh my God.” I’m awash with emotion; my head is swirling and my heart is singing. “That’s why you didn’t want to talk to me? Because you were planning all this?”

  He grins proudly. “Yes.”

  “And that’s why you didn’t call?”

  “It is—apart from the fucking contract, of course.” He’s playful and proud, as he should be!

  “I just can’t believe this.” My hands are shaking, and I’m still trying to catch my breath.

  “Believe it. It’s real, my love.”

  We hug tightly, kiss sweetly, and finally I pull back enough to ask, “I suppose we should call our families, right?”

  He raises a mischievous eyebrow. “They already know.”

  “How do they know? You told your parents you were doing this?”

  “Yeah, I spoke with them about it. Spoke with yours, too.”

  My eyes bulge and my face falls. “What! You called my parents? Oh my God!”

  “Calling is for pussies.” He laughs. “I told you I was busy. I went to see them in person. It’s what a confident, mature man does when he wants to marry Miss Daisy. Wanted to make sure your mum knew that.”

  “You told my mom about Miss Daisy?”

  He laughs and holds me tight. “No. I asked for their blessing, Claire, and they gave it to me.”

  I swallow hard. “I think I’m going to pass out. Was there yelling? Knives involved?”

  “You’re funny. We only used the knives to cut our sandwiches when we had lunch together at their house.”

  “Wait—when did you—” And it hits me. I gasp and grip his arms tighter. “My mother showed up at my apartment just a couple of days ago and apologized for . . . like, everything, and it was so strange and out of character for her, and I thought maybe she was sick or something—did you have something to do with it?”

  “Maybe. The three of us talked for a long time—they were really great.”

  “I . . . I can’t believe you did that.”

  He squeezes me tighter. “I would do anything for you. I would . . . walk five hundred miles.”

  I burst out laughing. “And I would walk five hundred more.”

  We stand there laughing and laughing and hugging and hugging.

  “So, what kind of wedding do you want?” he asks, pulling back.

  “Oh . . . I don’t know. I didn’t think about this, so . . . whatever kind you want.”

  “You’re leaving it up to me?”

  “Yes, except . . . can we have it on the small side?”

  He grins wickedly.

  “What? You have that mischievous look in your eye,” I say.

  “Well, if it’s up to me, then how about we bypass all the traditional wedding hoopla and do it now.”

  “Now? As in fly-to-Vegas now?”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Well, what about your parents? I’m sure they’d want to be there, and my parents, I mean, I know they gave you their blessing, but—”

  He bursts into laughter.

  “You keep laughing, and I don’t know why!”

  He shakes his head. “Sorry, it’s because that’s something I spoke to both of our parents about.”

  “About us eloping?”

  “Well, eloping is when no one knows, especially one’s family, so technically this isn’t eloping. It’s just small. It’s just us. And, yes, my parents are fine with it. Yours, well, we spent a lot of time that afternoon talking about a lot of things.” He chuckles and cocks an eyebrow. “One of them being the actual wedding. Honestly, I was a little nervous bringing it up—you know, that ideally it’d just be you and me, but your dad seemed to know exactly what I was about to say. He suggested it before I did, in fact.”

  “He did?”

  He nods. “Yeah. When I first got to their house, your mum seemed to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but your dad was so welcoming, and we had a very open discussion about everything. Your dad went on and on about you being such a gentle person, and how he hated seeing you so torn up for so long. He also said how much he loved seeing you light up the night of his party when I got there—it’s what he’s always wanted for you—to be happy. It seemed to be a light bulb moment for your mum. She got teary and she just kept saying, ‘I know, I know,’ and shaking her head. There was such pain in her eyes. When I left, she hugged me hard and thanked me for being patient with her. She said she planned on seeing you the next day and talking with you, so I suppose she did that.”

  I can hardly speak. My parents have never been frank with me, except for the cruddy stuff.

  “Your mum began telling me how precious you are to her, and she could tell that you’re the same kind of precious to me, which is very true. And I want this moment to be precious to both of us for the right reasons—because I’m handing over my heart to you and you’re doing the same, and I don’t want helicopters or photographers. I want it to be just us.”

  I nod and wipe my eyes. “Then we’ll fly to Vegas now?”

  “Well, flying will take too long . . . I was thinking more like right-here-in-this-very-spot now. I think it’s the perfect place. Our hideaway.”

  I dab my eyes again. “It’s perfect—I love it here. But, um, are we saying our vows to the sky or something crunchy like that?”

  He laughs. “No. I have plans. Lots of plans. Hang on.” He takes out his cell phone. “Finally, I got this fucking thing back tonight.” He dials someone. “Hi. Can you come around the bend now, please? Thanks.” He ends the call.

  “Are you hiding people, Mister Mischievous?”

  “I would have, but you didn’t come through with Camille’s shovel.” Laughing lightly, he shakes his head in mock seriousness and then nods for me to turn around as an older man holding a book comes around the corner. “Hi, Justice Anthony, this is Claire, my fiancée.” My face burns with excitement at that title. “Claire, Justice Anthony.” He and I shake hands. “Justice Anthony will marry us now.”

  “Oh my God! You and your surprises! You’ll never top this one.”

  “Never say never.” He laughs and gives the tip of my nose a quick kiss. “Are you ready? Really ready?”

  “I’ve never been readier, if that’s a word. But wait—don’t we need a license or something?”

  “I’ve got it covered.”

  “There’s no waiting period?”

  “Nope. Justice Anthony can marry us now.”

  “Isn’t there a paper to sign before?”

  “After we do this, we’ll sign the papers, and the Justice will file the paperwork tomorrow.” Dan resumes his toe-to-toe marrying stance, holding my hands again. “Now, are you ready?”

  I nod, and as Justice Anthony opens the bible and is about to speak, I ask, “I’m sorry, but are people going to know about this right away? Like, is there time to just enjoy it being a secret? I like the secret stuff.”

  “I’ve got a plan, and I’ll fill you in on all the details—well, the bits you need to know—after. Do you have any more questions?”

  I pause, thinking. “No, I guess not.”

  “You sure?” He’s holding back laughter.

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” He inhales, exhales, and nods at Justice Anthony.

  “How did you plan this?”

  Dan groans. “Oh my God, Claire! Are you stalling?”

  “No! No, not at all. I just have so many questions. I’ll ask you later. Sorry. Go on.”

  Dan shakes his head, but is grinning all the same.

  Justice Anthony says, “Daniel and Claire, we gather here tonight—in this incredible place . . .” He pauses, looking around at the phenomenal backdrop.

  “That you won’t tell anyone about, right?” Dan asks him with a s
mile.

  Justice Anthony grins, shaking his head. “No, I won’t.” He chuckles and continues. “We are here to celebrate your love, and although you enter this ceremony as individuals, you will leave here as husband and wife, blending your lives and embarking upon the most glorious adventure. I ask each of you—are you here of your own free will to declare your commitment to one another? Are you prepared to begin your life together?”

  “Yes,” we say in unison.

  Ahh! This is happening!

  Justice Anthony continues. “Daniel, are you ready to say your vows?”

  Oh shit. We’re saying our own vows?

  Dan and I lock eyes, which we’ve done countless times, but in this moment it’s so overpowering it takes my breath away.

  “Claire, when I think back to the lift—one year ago today, in fact—you, in your workout clothes and your face, red and blotchy—I should have known this would be the result.” His smile widens. “The feeling was so immediate and powerful—much deeper and so inexplicable that I can hardly describe the feeling, except to say that love was merely a word before I met you. And after one crazy year of highs and lows, we’ve managed to arrive here together on our cliff, and I feel more connected to you than ever. So, I see tonight’s vows not as promises but as privileges: I get to celebrate the joys of life with you and share in whatever sorrows we face; I get to walk beside you and try to outrun you on treadmills.” We laugh. “I get to build a life with you, live with you, and I get to be your husband. You are my love.”

  Justice Anthony turns to me. “Claire—ready to say yours?”

  It takes many moments for me to regain enough composure to actually speak. My eyes are wet and my nose is drippy and I’m not sure what the state of my makeup is. I must be a sight, much like I was on that elevator. Dan releases my hands, pats his pockets, and then reaches inside his jacket pocket, pulling out a couple of tissues. He hands them to me. “Gabrielle suggested I bring a few.” He waits patiently with a smile, beaming and loving.

  Finally, I clear my throat and take his hands once more. “Well . . . since I had no idea I would be exchanging wedding vows—of all things—with you tonight, I’ll have to wing this. It won’t be nearly as pretty or poetic as yours, but here goes . . .” I take a deep, steadying breath then I look into his eyes and say, “If someone told me that in the course of a year I’d meet the man of my dreams, who was also a famous actor, have a whirlwind romance, and in the end marry him, I’d say they’d read too many romance novels. I hardly believed in love anymore when we met in that fateful elevator, Dan. But through your wit and your sweetness and your never-ending surprises, and of course your fifteen minutes of love . . .” He chuckles. “I found true love for the first time. To be able to call you my husband is a gift. I’m done wondering what I did to deserve it, and am simply grateful to have found someone who not only accepts me—flaws and all—but who wants to spend forever with me as much as I want to spend forever with him—eating Chinese and Lucky Charms.” I can’t contain my smile. “Dan, I know that our life together remains unwritten, and there will be good times and bad times to come, but no matter what, I can’t wait to write our life together. Only you.”

  He kisses my hand. “Only you.”

  Justice Anthony says, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dan, you may kiss your bride.”

  Gently, Dan takes my face in his hands, whispers, “My wife,” and then kisses me. He pulls back; his smile is radiant. “We did it.”

  There’s a rumble of thunder and a streak of lightning, and for a moment I mistake it for the fireworks in my heart and mind. I laugh. “Yes, we did!”

  “Congratulations,” Justice Anthony says.

  “Thank you.” We shake his hand and then Dan takes mine. “Time for the honeymoon.” He winks and begins leading me back to the road.

  I stop him. “Wait. We should take a photo, no?”

  He laughs. “Yeah, you’re right. We should. Would you mind, sir?” He asks the Justice.

  “Of course.”

  Justice Anthony takes a few photos of us with Dan’s phone then hands it back to Dan. While we scroll through the pictures, I glance at Dan, whose smile hasn’t diminished one iota, and I’m overwhelmed that he’s mine—officially, legally, forever and ever and ever mine. Holy shit!

  “So where are we honeymooning?”

  His mischievous eyes slide to mine. “You’ll see. I’ve only just started with the surprises.” He takes my hand to lead me back to the limos.

  “What?”

  “I told you I love surprising you.”

  We spend a few moments signing the official paperwork. After, Dan steps away to briefly speak to the driver of the limo he took. We say good-bye to Justice Anthony and Dan holds the door open for him to get in. It pulls out and away. Brad opens the door to our limo as Dan says, “Let’s go.”

  I slide in with Dan scooting in after me. When Brad gets in I notice him grinning at me through the rearview mirror and I wonder if he knew, but I don’t ask. Instead, I grab Dan’s knee. “I love you,” I whisper and give him a quick kiss.

  “I love you, too . . . so we have a little time before the paperwork is filed. Justice Anthony said he’d wait a day or so. Hopefully by then we’ll be at our destination. We’re flying on a private plane, and everyone involved will get an extra bonus after we make it there without public knowledge—right, Brad?”

  Brad glances back in the mirror, smiling. “Yes, sir!” Dan raises the privacy screen.

  I shake my head. “Do Camille and Bridget know?”

  He reaches inside his jacket, pulls out his phone, and scrolls through the photos we just took on the ledge. “Want to send them this one?” Dan types a few words before handing it to me. “How’s this?”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Chase . . . yes!”

  “I believe Colin and Shane are at your apartment now, too,” he says with a wink and a smile.

  “Oh my God—yes, they are!”

  He sends it, and in a nanosecond, my phone is ringing. It’s Camille.

  “Put it on speaker,” Dan says. “Hello?”

  “Dan? Hi. It’s Camille. So, I’m, well—all of us here—are trying not to freak out or anything, but we need to know what this photo means—did you guys get engaged?” The anticipation in her voice is crystal clear. I hear Bridget yelling something in the background; Colin and Shane are shouting things, too, but I can’t make them out.

  “Yes, we did, but then . . . we also got married,” I say. They shriek louder.

  There’s a lot of shushing, then, “What? What? When?” Bridget asks with more shouting in the background.

  “Like ten minutes ago. He proposed and then . . .” I look at Dan, who’s so damn proud of himself. “He had everything ready for us to marry on the spot!”

  There’s group yelling. “Okay. Okay. We need details!” Camille says before quieting everyone on the other end of the line.

  I shake my head, still in disbelief. “Well, I don’t know many details, but he had this whole thing planned—but it’s completely quiet and no one knows, so you can’t say a word to anyone! Dan’s hoping we can get to our honeymoon destination before anyone finds out.”

  “Where’s that?” Camille asks.

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, what will you be wearing?” Bridget asks as if my wardrobe matters right now. Then again, I do need some clothes.

  I turn to Dan. “Yeah, what will I be wearing? Will we stop somewhere to buy me underwear and things?”

  He laughs. “Funny you should ask . . . I knew when you were flying to L.A., and I knew Shane and Colin were taking Bridget and Camille out on their double date, so there was only a small window of time. I used the spare key you gave me to let myself into your apartment, and I packed some things for you.”
<
br />   “Oh my God,” I say, dumbfounded.

  “I hope I got the right things.”

  “Me, too, although you probably packed my ugly clothes.”

  “No, I packed the smallest clothes.” He snickers. “So, that said, Mrs. Chase has to go now. We’ll see you soon!” Dan says, laughing, his thumb hovering over the END button.

  “Wait! Give me that phone,” says a male voice, followed by rustling.

  “Hello, Claire. It’s Colin. Congratulations,” Colin says, sweetly, but something in his voice tells me there’s more. “Let me just say . . . I cannot believe your fucking husband knew Shane and I were going to be in New York and he avoided us just to get you some clothes and didn’t bother to tell us what he was about to do. Prick. After all this time.” Colin sighs dramatically.

  “I’m sorry,” Dan says sincerely, followed by a snort. “Everything’s been under wraps, and I couldn’t risk anyone overhearing. Plus, I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

  “You could have called! You’d better make it up to me. When will I see you so I can officially kick your arse?”

  “Soon. I’ll text you to let you know. But soon,” Dan says, smirking at me.

  “That’s it? That’s all I get? Soon? Fucking tell me, you git.”

  With his free hand, Dan takes hold of mine—the one with my brand new, sparkling ring—and places it on his thigh. He stares at it while stroking the top of my hand gently, his thumb circling near my ring. “Sorry, I can’t. I’ve got surprises for Claire, and she’s sitting right here.”

  “Yeah, well. You still owe me.”

  “You’re right, I do.”

  “Congrats, Claire, and see you soon, prick.”

  Various voices shout, “Good-bye! Love you guys! Prick!”

  We shout the same in return.

  We hang up with them and I turn to Dan. “Can you give me a hint as to where we’re headed?”