by April Wilson
Jamie introduces me to an older guy named Cooper, who works for Shane. They’re apparently also close friends, and Cooper lives with Shane and Beth. Cooper hovers protectively over Sam, never wandering far from his side, and I think there might be something going on there. I’m a bit surprised at the difference in their ages, but based on the way Sam follows Cooper with his gaze, it seems their admiration is mutual.
About an hour before the ceremony is scheduled to start, Jamie suggests we go upstairs to change. We walk up the curving staircase to the second floor and head toward our rooms.
Stopping at my room, Jamie says, “Why don’t you get dressed and come to my room when you’re ready?”
“Okay.”
There’s something about the act of getting dressed up, knowing that Jamie’s waiting for me, that gives me butterflies. I clean up quickly and change into my undergarments and matching silk stockings. Then I slip my dress over my head and watch it settle into place.
I pull my hair up into a simple twist, apply just a touch of mascara and eye shadow, and slip on my shoes. Then, as my stomach does somersaults, I head next door to Jamie’s room.
“Come in,” he says, when I knock lightly.
The sound of his voice makes my spine tingle. I open the door and step inside, stopping dead in my tracks when I see him standing there in nothing but his black trousers. He’s in the process of removing his white dress shirt from the garment bag. His feet are bare, as is his chest. He’s also not wearing his glasses for a change, and I can’t help wondering if he took them off for my sake.
My God, no man has the right to look that good. It’s just not fair.
His trousers are unbuttoned and hanging low on his hips, and I can see the waistband of his black boxer briefs.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I start to back out of the room, but he calls me back.
“Wait! Don’t go. Come help me with this shirt. I’m having trouble with all these damn pins.”
I close the door behind me and meet him at the foot of the bed. “Here, let me,” I say, taking the shirt from him and removing all the straight pins that are keeping the starched, white shirt in pristine condition.
I dispose of the pins in the trashcan, then unbutton the shirt and hold it out to him. “Here you go.”
I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need help putting on a shirt. “What else can I help you with?” I say.
Chapter 31
Molly
“It’s the cuffs that give me the biggest headache,” he says, buttoning up his shirt. Once he’s got it on, he hands me a pair of sterling silver square cuff links with the initials JEM engraved on them.
“What does the ‘E’ stand for?” I say.
“Edward.”
I smile. James Edward McIntyre has a nice ring to it.
I wait patiently for him to tuck the shirt into his trousers, trying not to stare below his waist. Once he has zipped up his pants and secured his belt, he holds one wrist out to me so I can attach his cuff links.
“Yes.” It’s torture standing so close to him. He smells so good. Whatever cologne he wears should be made mandatory for all men, because it’s absolutely edible. “Hold still,” I tell him.
The top three buttons of his shirt are still undone, and standing so close to him makes me hyper aware of him as a man… his height, his warmth, the scent of his skin and cologne. It’s very unsettling as my body responds helplessly.
“You okay?” he says. “You’re being awfully quiet.”
I swallow hard. “I’m fine.”
After I attach the first cuff link, he hands me the second one. And while I’m working on that one, he distracts me by skimming his fingers over my hair.
“You put your hair up,” he says.
Then he gently fingers one of the tendrils I left hanging loose, making me shiver.
I notice his throat contracting as he swallows. “What are you wearing? Describe it to me.”
“A dress.”
He chuckles. “Funny. Try again.”
“It’s Wedgewood blue satin, shin-length, with a lace overlay.”
“In English, please.”
“It’s blue. Sort of a medium to medium-light blue, with a hint of gray.”
He nods. “That’s better. What else?”
“My shoes are gray, just basic pumps with a slight heel.”
“You do seem a bit taller. What else?”
“Chandelier earrings with tiny seed pearls. That’s it. Nothing fancy.”
He fingers my earrings as I finish attaching the second cuff link.
“There, all done,” I say.
He cradles my face in his hands and closes his eyelids. “God, I wish I could see you.”
“Don’t worry, you’re not missing much,” I say, trying to keep the mood light.
He frowns. Then his hands tighten on my face, and he presses his mouth to my forehead. “Molly, you have no idea how wrong you are.”
He trails kisses down my face until his lips settle on mine. He seals our mouths, his lips nudging mine open. When I gasp in surprise, he slips his tongue inside to stroke mine. I taste mint toothpaste and Jamie. When I make an involuntary sound, something that sounds a lot like a whimper, he tightens his arms on me. I lose myself in him, slipping my arms around his waist and splaying my hands on his firm back. He pulls me closer and deepens the kiss.
I suddenly wonder why we’re putting clothes on when we should be taking them off. We’re standing right at the foot of a big bed. It would be so easy to fall into it and give in to something I think we both want.
Someone knocks on the bedroom door, and I jump.
“Wedding party downstairs in ten minutes for photos,” says a booming male voice. “Shake a leg, buddy!”
“That was my dad,” Jamie says. He sighs. “I’ve got to go.”
I release Jamie and step back. My face is hot, and I know I’m flushed.
“I’ll find you after the ceremony,” he says.
“Okay.”
I quickly help him with his cummerbund and gray vest and tie his gray silk tie for him. My dad taught me how to tie ties when I was a little girl, and I always tied his. I feel a sense of deep satisfaction helping Jamie with the finishing touches.
He pulls on his tuxedo coat and grabs his cane. “I’ll see you after the ceremony.” Then he kisses me one last time before he leaves the room.
With Jamie off to do wedding party stuff, I wander downstairs alone. It’s half-past one, so the ceremony doesn’t start for another half-hour. I have some time to kill.
I head to the great room, where I see Beth and Shane standing on the dais at the head of the room, along with Cooper, who’s wearing a no-frills black suit and tie. It looks like they’re doing a bit of rehearsing.
Shane’s already wearing his tuxedo, but Beth’s still in casual clothes. He looks incredibly handsome. Beth’s a lucky girl.
Shane takes Beth’s hands in his and pulls her close. He glances at his watch, then says something to Beth that makes her smile. She reaches up and fiddles with his tie, beaming radiantly. It’s so obvious that they’re madly in love. I almost feel like an intruder watching them together.
I wander into the kitchen, where Elly is helping Gina Capelli put some final touches on a beautiful three-tiered wedding cake.
“That’s a gorgeous cake,” I say.
Gina smiles at me. “Thanks. It’s pretty, but it’s a pain in the ass to work with.”
“Everything’s wonderful,” I say. “The food, the cake. You’re very talented.”
Beth’s friend Gabrielle waltzes hurriedly into the kitchen. “Has anyone seen Beth?” Her long, curly red hair is styled in an elaborate up-do, with sprigs of baby’s breath woven through the strands. Her complexion is pale, like cream, and her face is sprinkled with freckles.
“She’s in the great room,” I say. “With Shane. They’re rehearsing.”
“Oh, thanks! Sorry, gotta run. Beth needs to get dressed.”
I hang out
in the kitchen with Elly and Gina, trying to be helpful when I can. When I hear Lia’s boyfriend playing something soft and lovely on the guitar, I take my cue and head into the great room to take a seat.
The guests begin to fill the rows of chairs quickly, and Shane and his brothers take their places at the head of the room. Cooper’s standing on the dais, front and center. It looks like he’s going to officiate the ceremony. Shane’s standing next to Cooper, then it’s Jamie, Jake, and Liam. Jamie looks so handsome up there in his tux, and so bad-ass in his glasses. How can one family have so many attractive sons? Of course, if you look at their father, who’s seated in the front row on the right side, you can easily see where they get their good looks.
The photographer takes a few more pictures of the groom and his party. Then the lights dim a little, and the photographer steps out of the way as a hush comes over the room.
Jonah starts playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the tempo slow and the melody lilting, and I feel my throat tighten with emotion. The bridal party enters the great room. First, Gabrielle, then a young woman with a sweet, round face, chin-length dark hair, and bright blue eyes.
Finally, the bride enters the room on the arm of her brother, a dashingly handsome man with dark hair and blue-green eyes, dressed in an austere black tuxedo.
The wedding ceremony is simple and lovely. Beth looks so happy as she recites her vows to Shane, and as he recites his vows to her, his gaze never once leaves her face.
After the ceremony ends, the guests wander out into the foyer and the dining room while the guys immediately start clearing away the folding chairs. I slip out into the foyer, but stay close so I can watch Jamie, who’s helping with the chairs.
Beth comes out of the dining room.
“Beth, hi! Congratulations!” I give her a hug. Not surprisingly, she’s practically giddy with happiness. “It was a beautiful ceremony, and you look radiant.”
Her smile is genuine. “Thanks, Molly. I’m so glad you came.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And this place – holy cow! It’s magnificent.”
“Where’s Jamie?” she says, glancing around.
I nod toward the great room. “He’s helping his brothers clear away the chairs.”
“You guys came together, right?” she says.
“Yes. It made sense to share the cost of the ride.”
“Are you going to dance with him?”
I make a face and laugh. “God, no. I’m not dancing. I’m just here to watch and eat cake.”
Chapter 32
Molly
After the chairs are put away and the photographer takes more pictures, everyone reconvenes in the great room to proceed with the wedding activities. I haven’t really attended that many weddings, so I’m not sure what all’s involved.
Shane and Beth enter the great room, and the guests greet them boisterously, hooting and hollering and applauding. Beth’s turning all shades of pink as Shane leads her to the front of the room.
Gabrielle hands Beth the wedding bouquet. “Turn around and throw the bouquet behind you to the single ladies.” Then Gabrielle turns to us. “All right, all the single ladies up front.”
Lots of good-natured ribbing takes place as the single women are pushed and prodded to the front of the crowd.
“Don’t forget Lia!” Shane says, pointing out his sister, who’s doing her best to blend into the background.
“Yeah, come on, Lia,” Jake says, pushing his sister next to me in line.
Laughing, Beth turns her back to us. She says something to Shane I can’t quite make out, and he says, “Fire away.”
Beth tosses the bouquet behind her. The flowers are heading straight for Lia, and she reaches out and catches the bouquet before it hits her squarely in the face.
“Oh, hell no!” Lia says, shoving the bouquet into my hands. “Here, you take it!”
I don’t want it any more than Lia does, and I try to pass it back to her. “That’s okay,” I say. “You can keep it.”
But Lia lifts her hands, saying, “Not a chance,” leaving me stuck with the flowers, to the sound of well-intentioned laughter.
“Now it’s the guys’ turn,” Gabrielle says, ushering all the bachelors to the front of the room, including Jamie and all the rest of Shane’s brothers. Even Sam, Beth’s bodyguard, gets in the action when Miguel Rodriguez pushes his wheelchair into the line-up.
Laughing, Shane points out several men who aren’t in the bachelor line who apparently should be. “Hey, Cooper, Tyler, you’re single. Get up here! You too, Peter!”
Cooper growls back at him, and everyone breaks into laughter.
Gabrielle directs Beth to a chair in the center of the room and instructs Shane to kneel down in front of her and remove her garter so he can toss it to the line of bachelors.
Shane kneels down in front of Beth, and when he slips his hands up beneath her wedding gown, the crowd hushes in anticipation of the big reveal. His heated gaze is locked on hers as he slips the garter oh, so slowly down her leg and pulls it free. Then he stands and raises the garter belt into the air like it’s a trophy. But instead of throwing it, he kisses it, then grins as he tucks it into the front pocket of his trousers.
“Sorry, guys,” he says. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting this go.” Then he bends down to kiss Beth. “I don’t share.”
“Party pooper,” Gabrielle chides him, as more laughter ensues. “All right, next is the first dance featuring the newly married couple.”
The room goes quiet as Jonah begins to play Everything by Michael Bublé. Shane gallantly holds out his hand for Beth, and then he sweeps a very nervous Beth into their first dance. “Don’t look at them,” he tells her. “Look at me.”
A hush falls over the room as everyone watches them dance. Eventually Beth relaxes and seems to be enjoying herself. Their gazes are locked on each other’s, and neither of them pays anyone else any attention.
I find myself holding my breath as they move across the room. It’s so obvious that they’re madly in love with each other. Of course, I’m happy for them, but I’m also a little envious. Todd and I were never so wrapped up in each other the way these two are. I would give anything to have that with someone. And then I glance at Jamie, and my heart constricts. Maybe I have found that kind of love, or at least the potential for it, if I can stop being afraid and start taking a chance.
As their dance comes to an end, Shane pulls Beth close, and the two of them stand in the center of the room, with eyes for no one but each other. When he lowers his head and kisses Beth, there’s an audible sigh in the room.
“I love you, Mrs. McIntyre,” he says.
I think there are tears in his eyes.
“I love you, too,” Beth says, her voice barely audible.
As Jonah ends the song, everyone breaks into applause.
Then, Gabrielle steps forward and grabs my hand, pulling me into the center of the room. I forgot all about Lia handing me the bouquet. I think that means I’m supposed to have the next dance. I feel the blood drain out of my head when I realize that I’ll be expected to stand in front of this room full of people.
“Next is the dance with the lucky lady who caught the bouquet. Normally, she’d dance with the lucky gentleman who caught the garter belt, but since Shane was stingy.…” Again, more laughter. “Poor Molly doesn’t have anyone to dance with,” she says, scowling at Shane for messing up her plans.
For a moment, I’m relieved, thinking I’m off the hook. But then Jamie steps forward, dashing my hopes.
“I’d be honored to dance with Molly,” he says, removing his dark glasses and slipping them into the pocket of his tuxedo. “That is, if she’ll have me.”
I glance around the room, first at Jamie, then at Beth, who’s watching me sympathetically. She knows I don’t want to dance. But now I’m on the spot, in front of everyone. As I glance at Jamie, my heart hurts. I don’t want to dance in front of a room full of people, but I can’t turn h
im down in front of everyone. He even took his glasses off for me.
I have no choice. I can’t say no without hurting Jamie, and there’s no way I’m going to do anything that would hurt him. How can I stand here and be such a coward when he’s putting himself out there for me? I smile at him, touched at his courage and his kindness. “I’d love to, Jamie.”
As Jonah starts strumming the opening chords of one of my favorite songs – All of Me by John Legend – I move toward Jamie, and he meets me halfway. His arm sweeps around my back, and he takes my left hand in his and begins the dance.
A brand new hush falls over the room, making me acutely aware of how closely everyone is watching us. I catch a glimpse of Jamie’s mom, who has tears in her eyes. I feel queasy.
“You’re shaking,” Jamie says. “Just relax. It’ll be over before you know it. And I promise not to step on your toes.”
“It’s not that. Jamie, your mom looks like she’s about to cry.”
He smiles, and I see tiny crows’ feet crinkling around his eyes.
“She worries about me,” he says. “She’s just happy to see me doing something so normal.”
I squeeze his hand. “By the way, you look very handsome.”
He grins. “Thank you.”
And I could swear he’s blushing.
I work hard to maintain the smile on my face for the sake of all the onlookers, as we’re still very much the center of attention. Knowing everyone’s eyes are on us is nerve wracking. I don’t know how long I can do this.
His arm across my back is warm and solid, and he grips my hand firmly, using it to steer us in the right direction.
“Warn me if we’re on a collision course,” he says, laughing.
But I don’t think there’s any danger. We have the whole floor to ourselves, with plenty of room to maneuver. Jamie dances perfectly, leading me across the room with confidence. He keeps his face on me, and I enjoy seeing him without his glasses.
I glance up at Jamie and tease myself, for just a moment, by thinking that we could have something special. He’s extraordinary, and he doesn’t do things in half measures. But I honestly don’t know if I can let go enough to trust someone with my heart – more specifically, with my body. I did that once, and it didn’t turn out well. My husband betrayed me – the one who had pledged to forsake all others. I don’t think Jamie would ever betray me – it’s just not in him to do something like that. But the idea of trusting someone, risking my heart again, terrifies me. Jamie deserves someone as courageous as he is, and I feel like a fraud standing here with him. He deserves someone whole, someone brave.