Finally Forever
Page 9
“Uh, no can do, ma’am. Your son is trying to fry me again with his glower, and honestly, I think the fact he has a gun is likely the better deterrent here.”
She turned a look to her brother as he took in the scene, obviously trying to comprehend what had gone down. His darting glances between the fry pan in Joshua’s hand, and their mothers seemed more than a little stunned. Letting the humor she felt at his shock fill her, she reached out to touch Joshua. She had to, needed that grounding in reality, to help still the turmoil shaking her deep inside. He was her solace, her rock, and the main person who would get her through whatever was to come in relation to Jeremy and his sick addiction.
“Well, poo,” Kristin muttered. “Fine, but if he needs another whack, give me a shout and I’ll come running. Come on, Theresa. We have so much to do, and in so little time if I know our very impatient children.”
“Can you believe the nerve of my son to insinuate,” Theresa was muttering as they left.
“Oh stuff it, Theresa. We both know he gets it from you,” Kristin said before the kitchen door shut behind them and cut off their voices.
Ali smiled and watched their moms leaving. “God, I love those women,” she said. She looked back at the man once more and shook her head. She looked to Rhys and asked, “What do we do now? Seriously, what do we do? Because I want to take over what Mom was doing and kick the man while he’s down for what he’s done to me in the last seven months.”
“Mom kicked him?” Rhys asked.
Joshua was nodding. “Yup, nailed him right where it’ll hurt the most. Pretty sure his balls ended up somewhere in California, actually.”
“Jesus,” Rhys breathed out. “The woman is vicious.”
“We probably shouldn’t physically abuse him anymore, especially since he’s regaining consciousness. During the heat of the moment, sure, but now it’s not going too look good and might lessen his sentence, love.”
“Exactly.” Ali pulled a chair out so that Josh could put Jeremy in it. She stepped back quickly and wrapped her arms around her middle. She looked at the man, watched him, and then when he looked up at her, she asked the first question that came to mind. “Why?” she demanded. “Why me? I never did anything to you, so why?”
For a time, the man seemed confused, and then he glared at her. “You ignored me, you whore. You went off with every guy around except the one right in front of you. I love you and you spit on me with your promiscuity. You are nothing but a slut, just like my whore of a mother was.”
Joshua looked ready to kill the guy while Rhys stood there looking bored of all things. He caught her look at him and shrugged. “What? It’s the same shit from a different psycho, Ali. They all blame someone other than themselves. It’s everyone’s fault but the real person behind the actions—themselves. After the first half dozen times of listening to extremists and crazy folk, you just start tuning their bullshit out.”
Ali took a deep breath and shook her head. “Calling me promiscuous.” She let out a sad sigh. “The truth is that there has always only been one man for me. Only one. The man that I’m going to marry. No one else has ever entered into my mind. You are delusional, and I truly hope that you are able to get help while you are in jail because that is where you are going. You are going to jail, and I am going to press charges in order to ensure you remain there as long as possible.”
“No one will believe a lying whore,” Jeremy sneered at her.
Apparently, that was enough for Joshua because he decked the guy hard enough to knock him and the chair over. She was pretty sure he barely resisted the urge to kick the man too, which might have been due to the crunch of gravel outside. Likely the sheriff arriving, finally.
Alison moved to Josh’s side and looked up at him. She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Now we get our forever, don’t we? Because as I told you, nothing less will do.”
He looked to her and nodded. As the back door opened to show the sheriff and his deputy, Joshua stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel his body vibrating. He was that angry, and she knew it was all on her behalf. “Damn straight we’re getting our forever. No one else is fucking around with our lives and walking away without a limp.”
“Good.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. He was her lover and had always been in her soul. “Nothing less than forever will do for me, Mr. Carver. Now, while Rhys and the sheriff get the trash out of the kitchen, why don’t we go and see what the moms have found so far?” Because knowing those women, they had pages of gowns already found.
“All right,” he said, throwing another nasty look at the man.
Epilogue
Vegas. Bright lights, weird and wonderful people, and hundreds of wedding chapels. Practically one on every corner. There was only one of any interest, the one she and Joshua were about to be married in. If her brother would hurry the hell up and walk her down the aisle.
Alison looked up at Rhys and smiled. “You need to walk me down the aisle so that I can get married,” she said happily. She smoothed down the designer gown that her mother had picked out for her. “Mom is even waiting. You do know that we are just dragging this out and soon Joshua will come looking for me, right?”
“I haven’t gotten the go yet, so chill,” he muttered to her. He was holding his cell phone in hand, so that must be what he was talking about. A few minutes later, it vibrated and he lifted it to read before nodding. “All right, we’re good to go now.” He moved up next to her and crooked his arm. “Shall we?”
Ali laughed and looked back to Rhys. “Okay, what was that all about?” She was now more than a little curious about what the text message was all about. “Can I see?” She reached for the phone.
Shrugging, he let her have it. It only had one word—now.
He just gave her an innocent look when she shot a look his direction. Plucking the phone from her hand, he stuck it into his pocket. “Come on, let’s go get you hitched. Before Josh faints or decks the minister. Either is entirely possible at the moment.”
“I’m perfectly happy to get ourselves out of here so that I can get hitched.” She was looking forward to becoming Mrs. Joshua Carver. “I’m happy, Rhys. I just wanted you to know that. I’m very happy.” He hadn’t asked her that question, but she had seen it in his eyes.
“You better be, and he better keep you that way,” he told her. “Cause, if he doesn’t…” Rhys let the threat trail off. Likely best she didn’t know what he’d do to the man she loved if he ever upset her. “Why are you giving me that goofy look?”
“Because you are funny. I’m happy, and we will have our ups and downs. You know that is simply how life is. In the end, though, I know that he will make me happy and I will do the same. Our lives will be good.” She squeezed his arm. “Now just to get you and Gwennie to the altar.”
He gave the same shudder at her use of her nickname for his fiancée. “We’ll get married in our own time and place. She’s making all sorts of plans, then changes her mind and starts over. It keeps her happy, so, hell,” he muttered scraping his fingers through his short hair. “For now, this is your day. Let’s get this party started.”
Moving forward, he led her through the double doors as they opened, thanks to a motion sensor in place. Handy little gadget, that. Before her, at the end of the aisle, was Joshua on one side, and Gwen on the other side, acting as her maid of honor. Joshua turned as she and Rhys walked down, and his eyes went huge. The minister actually had to throw a hand out to stop Josh’s forward movement. The man even shook his head at Joshua and pointed back to his spot with a no nonsense look.
Ali’s eyes were only on him. She walked along and could only hear a buzz when the minister spoke and she was passed off to Joshua. “Hi,” she whispered quietly. “Last chance to run,” she teased him, squeezing his hands tightly in hers as if to keep him with her.
He lifted one of her hands, dropping a kiss to her fingers, then repeated the mov
e with her other hand. “Not in a million years,” he whispered back to her. He smiled at her as the minister started the ceremony. Both of them had to be prodded when it was their turn to say or do something, as they were just that caught up in one another.
“You may kiss the bride,” the minister finally said.
His grin getting even wider, Joshua stepped toward her as he tugged on her hands. “Mine,” he whispered as he lowered his head to press a gentle kiss to her lips.
Alison couldn’t agree more. He was hers, for now and all time. When they pulled back, she looked to the family members and some of Rhys’s friends and nodded. “Catch.” She gave her back to the guests and tossed the bouquet. She grinned when one of Rhys’s friends caught the arrangement and laughed at the look on his face. She turned to look at Joshua and asked, “How about we go and start our forever now, Mr. Carver?”
“I think that’s a damn fine idea, Mrs. Carver.” Then, surprising her and likely everyone there, he scooped her up in his arms to walk down the aisle, out the door, and toward whatever life had planned for them.
The End
www.april-zyon.com
Other Books by April Zyon:
www.evernightpublishing.com/april-zyon
If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:
Love in the Afternoon by Daisy Philips
Texas Twang by Paige Warren
Nyght’s Eve by Laurie Roma
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com