The music changed as the pianist started playing the bridal march and everyone stood. God, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Amber! He saw tears begin to fill Amber’s eyes as a chorus of ‘awwwwww’ swept through the crowd like a wave.
He finally turned and saw Joey and Jamie walking down the aisle, beaming, hand in hand. Seth had to admit that it was pretty sweet.
As they reached the end of the aisle, the pastor asked, “Who gives this woman to marry this man?”
Joey stood up straight and said, “I give my mom to marry him.” Joey pointed at Alex, lest there be any confusion as to who he was entrusting his mom to.
There were a few quiet chuckles around the sanctuary and Seth noticed several women in the church place their hands over their chests and mouthed “awww” in reaction to little man giving his mom away.
Alex stepped forward and ruffled Joey’s hair as he took Jamie’s hand. Seth motioned for Joey to come and stand by him just has they had practiced in rehearsal.
He heard his brother whisper to Jamie that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Seth’s eyes tracked back to Amber like a moth to a flame. Anytime Amber was near him, he had a hard time not staring at her, not just losing himself in gazing at her loveliness. Jamie was beautiful, but his brother was wrong. Amber was by far the most beautiful woman on earth.
Sensing Seth’s eyes on her, Amber lifted her gaze to his. As soon as their eyes locked, the rest of the world disappeared to Seth. She was all that existed.
A small, almost shy smile formed on her beautiful mouth before she quickly returned her attention to the ceremony. Seth forced himself to do the same.
The pastor was welcoming everyone there to celebrate the union of Alex and Jamie, and then proceeded to elaborate on the meaning of marriage, “Marriage can be a great adventure when it is the outward expression of a great love; such a love is characterized by compassion, passion, and courage.
“It allows you to see through to your partner's essence, willing to be in total support of your partner's well-being, goals, purpose and spirit; and unwilling for your partner to be less than all he or she can be - spiritually, mentally, and physically.
“Sooner or later, we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in movies.
“We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams.
“Without love, we merely exist. With love, we truly begin to live!
“Such a love requires that you be totally honest with yourself and your mate, that you ask for what you want, take action even though you are afraid, share your feelings and listen - but leave your partner free to be who they really are. In other words, always love your partner for who they are, not for who you think they should be.”
Seth listened and he slowly came to the realization that that was exactly what he shared with Amber. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would never have that again, never share that with anyone else. What he and Amber had was once-in-a-lifetime.
Alex turned to Seth, holding out his hands for the rings. Seth pulled them from his jacket pocket and was filled with pride for his brother as he listened to him say his vows.
“I, Alex, take you, Jamie, to be my wife, my partner in life, and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward, for as long as we both shall live.”
Seth heard a commotion in the back of the church and saw several girls being escorted out by Katie’s Aunt Wendy. They looked like they were crying.
That was weird.
As Alex slipped the ring on Jamie’s finger, he said, "I, Alex, give you, Jamie, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."
Seth noticed that tears had begun falling down Jamie’s face. Seth felt a pull on his hand and he looked down to see Joey’s very serious face looking up at him. He leaned down and Joey whispered, “Is my mom okay?”
“Yes,” Seth smiled as he whispered, “she’s crying because she’s happy.”
Joey scrunched up his face at him and looked at Seth like he thought he must be crazy.
Seth shrugged and quietly said, “Girls.”
Joey immediately understood, and with a knowing nod, agreed in a whisper, “Girls.”
As Seth stood, Jamie was just beginning her vows.
“I, Jamie, take you, Alex to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love,” her voice cracked as she sniffed, “I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together.” The pastor handed her a tissue as tears fell down her face. She wiped her eyes and then continued, “I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward, for as long as we both shall live.”
She then took the ring and slipped it on his brother’s hand as she said, "I, Jamie, give you, Alex, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."
Music began playing again and Seth nudged Joey, who was taking part in a candle lighting ceremony. Alex, Jamie and Joey all took separate candles and used them to light one large candle, then blew out their individual flames, signifying their union as a family.
When Joey returned to his spot next to Seth he held up his hand proudly and Seth gave his new nephew a high five.
Wow. Seth hadn’t actually thought about it until just that moment, but yes, that was true. Not only did he have a brand new niece, he now also had a nephew. He knew his other brothers would probably also be having kids in the next few years, and that all of the kids would grow up with each other.
Looking back, he realized how much he had enjoyed having, not just his brothers, but also his cousins Haley, Krista, Becca, and Jessie, around all the time. His childhood was filled with memories of them all. Never before had he felt a deep desire to have kids of his own, but now he did. He looked up at Amber as she held her bouquet in front of her and realized that if she was pregnant right now he would be…excited.
Hell, forget excited. He'd be thrilled.
The pastor’s voice interrupted his thoughts as he loudly proclaimed, “By the power vested in me by the State of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
A huge smile spread across Jamie’s face as Alex leaned down and kissed her. He continued kissing her as he lifted her off the ground. Cheers erupted as Joey once again pulled on Seth’s hand.
“They do that all the time, Uncle Seth,” Joey’s huge brown eyes looked up at him as he shook his head.
“Sorry, little man,” Seth said in commiseration as he ruffled Joey’s hair.
Hearing those words ‘Uncle Seth’ come out of Joey’s mouth sealed it. He definitely wanted a little boy or girl looking up at him calling him Dad.
After the cheering had begun to die down, the pastor opened his arms and said, "I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Alex Sloan.”
The cheering started up once again at an even higher volume as Alex and Jamie made their way down the aisle. Seth heard the guys that worked at the fire house with his brother whistling and whooping.
Joey followed Alex and Jamie, and Seth stepped to the middle and held out his arm to escort Amber down the aisle. She was smiling from ear to ear as she took his arm and he leaned down and quickly kissed her. He hadn’t thought her smile could get any bigger but it did. God, he loved her.
Chapter Twenty-eight
“Okay,” Haley said as she took a seat at the large round table where Chelle, Katie, and Amber had gravitated after having completed the bulk of their bridesmaid's duties, “I realize that you are probabl
y sick of repeating it, but I have to know what happened last night. I know you said you were fine when I texted you, but I want details.”
“Yes, details please. I have been dying to know,” Katie said as baby Mya slept in her arms.
“Well, um, it all happened really fast. I was in such a rush to see my mom when I parked that I forgot my purse in the car. When I went back to get it, he grabbed me from behind and put a knife to my throat.”
“Oh my gosh!” Haley exclaimed, her hands flying to cover her mouth.
“Then he dragged me to a dark corner, and thank God I had taken that seminar with Seth, because I could literally hear Seth’s voice in my head telling what to do - to stay calm, not to panic. To remember that my elbows, hands, and heels were weapons, and where to aim, because no matter how big your attacker is, they have weak spots.
“So anyway, when a car’s headlights flashed, distracting him, I did one of the moves Seth had taught us, and then I and started running. I tripped on a cement wheel block, and that slowed me down, but I still got up and kept going. When I reached the door to the catwalk, I felt him grab me and I screamed.”
“No,” Chelle said, scooting forward in her chair.
“But it actually wasn't him, as it turns out, it was Seth. Oh, man, when I saw it was Seth it felt like all the adrenaline that had kicked in when the attack started just instantly evaporated. My muscles got all jelly-like and I collapsed. He picked me up. My face was covered in blood because I had gotten a bloody nose when I fell, so he called for security and medical attention. Then he held me till they came and put me on a stretcher and wheeled me away.”
“Wow,” Katie shook her head.
“And,” Amber continued, “Seth was the one who caught Bubba.”
“The guy’s name is really Bubba?” Katie asked.
“No, his name is Buford, but I guess his nickname is Bubba.” Amber explained.
“Oh, well, dang. I’m not even sure which one I would use if those were my options,” Katie said as she moved Mya to her other arm. “So Buford/Bubba was responsible for the break-ins as well, right?”
“Yep,” Amber sighed, “I guess when my mom was in Horizons, she was bragging about me and how well the shop was doing. Well, not bragging, really - it was more like exaggerating to the point of flat-out lying.
“Bubba was also a patient there and he saw my mom as an easy mark. He convinced her they were going to get married and drive across the country. Officer Williams said that he confessed to both the break-in at Bella and at my house. We have him on tape busting out my car windows, but for what it's worth, he confessed to that, too.
“He said my mom didn’t know anything about any of that. She was just trying to get money from me so they could go on their road trip and elope.”
“I’m just so glad you’re okay, Amber,” Chelle said.
“So Seth found Buford/Bubba in the garage?” Katie asked.
“Yep. Officer Williams said that Seth had him pinned against the wall with the same knife he had used on me pressed against his throat.”
“That whole thing totally sounds like a movie, and my cousin makes a badass hero!” Haley declared.
“He is definitely my hero,” Amber smiled as she took a sip of champagne.
The girls continued to chatter on about the incident as Amber leaned back in her chair, reflecting. She hadn’t really given the whole thing much thought since Seth had taken her home last night. She had been too busy being ridiculously happy about the fact that Seth wanted them to really do this. To actually be together.
She looked across the room at Seth and a tremor ran through her entire body. His mere presence commanded a room. His air of authority was so amazingly hot that Amber felt her cheeks getting warm as she stared at him.
He was standing with his brothers and Cameron. He looked more relaxed and happier than she had ever seen him look. She hoped that she had (at least a little) something to do with that.
“Okay, I need all the single ladies on the dance floor,” the DJ announced in his booming voice. “Jamie is going to throw the bouquet.”
Amber remained seated. She hated this part of the wedding. Women took it way, way too seriously. They would throw elbows, step on toes - she even had one woman spit on her in order to grab the bouquet! She didn’t need the drama. Certainly not after the month she had just had. She had been on the receiving end of enough violence perpetrated by someone trying to grab something they felt belonged to them, thankyouverymuch.
Haley stood and grabbed her arm as Single Ladies by Beyonce started playing. “Let’s go, single lady.”
“I’m good, Hales. You go ahead,” Amber said as she reached to pick up her glass of champagne.
“I don’t think so, Chickadee, let’s go.” Haley grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the wooden dance floor.
Amber stayed at the rear of the pack as several women pushed their way to the front. She hung back with the four Sloan girls as Jamie stepped in the center of the floor, flowers in hand.
The music continued playing as the DJ counted down 3, 2, 1! Jamie threw her arm up in the air but then lowered it again, bouquet still in hand. It was a fake-out. Several girls dove for the floral arrangement that Jamie still held.
Jamie looked over her shoulder coyly. “That was just to make sure you were paying attention.”
Everyone laughed as the countdown started once again. The DJ yelled 3, 2, 1! Jamie’s arm once again flew up in the air. This time she released the bouquet and it went tumbling through the air. Right toward Amber.
Uh oh.
--- ~ ---
Seth leaned against the wall, sipping a beer as he watched Amber waiting on the dance floor with his cousins. He hadn’t been able to stop staring at her all day. She would look sexy in a garbage bag. But, man - that dress was no garbage bag. It hugged every one of her curves and when she moved, it was as if the gown moved with her.
Damn, he couldn’t wait to get her home and out of that dress. He glanced at his watch. It had been less than ten hours since they had made love in the shower this morning and already Seth wanted her again. Badly.
Cam threw his arm around Seth’s shoulders. “You think about my proposal yet?”
“Yes,” Seth knew his friend had been waiting for an answer; he had just needed to be sure before he gave it to him.
“Yes, you’ve been thinking about it? Or yes, you want to do it?” Cam asked hopefully.
“Both,” Seth said.
Cam’s face lit up as he yelled, “Hell, yeah! That’s what I’m talkin' about.”
Seth was glad the music was so loud no one was able to hear Cam’s outburst.
“So what about the lovely Miss Webb, what’s the dealio?” Cam asked happily.
“We’re together.”
“Daaaamn, good for you!” Cam said as he slapped Seth on the back. “But I was actually talking about the shit that went down in the hospital parking garage.”
Jason leaned forward so that his face was between their shoulders, “You didn’t hear? My brother is a hero. He caught that asshole and pinned him up against the wall until the police got there.”
Seth shook his head. “Amber’s the hero.”
Cam (of course) ignored Seth’s statement, only commenting on what Jason had said, “You had him against the wall and you didn’t kill him?”
Seth watched as Jamie threw her arm up but did not release the bouquet. He saw women scrambling when they thought it was airborne. Amber stood in the back watching. She looked as if she had absolutely zero interest in catching the symbolic flowers.
“You going in for the garter toss?” Cam asked Seth, and didn't even give him a chance to answer before issuing the challenge, “Bet you twenty I’ll get it.”
“No.” Seth replied flatly.
“No, you’re not going in? Or no, you won’t bet?” Cam asked, seeking clarification.
“Both.”
“Man, you’re no fun.”
Seth watched as Jamie again
threw her arm up in the air. This time she let go of the bouquet and it flew high in the air. Girls were falling over themselves. He thought he saw a couple of them throw some elbows.
He tracked its trajectory and quickly scanned to Amber, who was staring as it flew straight at her. For a moment, he thought she was just going to let it hit her in the chest and bounce off of her onto the floor – or, more likely, into the grasping claws of one (or more) of the other women. But at the last minute, she raised her arms and caught it.
Cheers erupted from around the room. Well, mainly from his sisters-in-law and cousins, but they were loud. Jamie walked over and gave Amber a hug. He noticed that she whispered something into Amber's ear, but Amber just shook her head.
She almost looked sad, or anxious, about having caught the bouquet.
“Bet you’re gonna try to get that garter now, huh, buddy?” Cam laughed.
The DJ once again came over the loud speaker as Katie’s Aunt Wendy brought out a chair for Jamie to sit on while his brother removed the garter. Jamie moved to sit as Alex kneeled before her. He couldn’t see his brother’s face, but he did see Jamie’s as she blushed at something Alex had said. Seth saw her mouth, “No, be good. Joey’s here.”
Seth smiled as he moved behind Amber and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.
“Hi.” She turned and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth before snuggling up tighter against him.
He bent and whispered in her ear, “I want to take you home and strip you out of that dress. I want to kiss every inch of your body. I want to hear you say my name as I bury myself inside of you.”
Amber’s breathing was labored and he felt a shiver run through her body. “That sounds like a good plan.”
Everyone started cheering as Alex pulled Jamie’s garter off with his teeth.
He began to move away from Amber but she pulled him back for one more kiss. Damn, he loved her.
As he stepped onto the dance floor, Cam stood beside him as several other guys got into football stances. Alex spun the garter around on his finger before turning his back and shooting the garter over his shoulder. Guys jumped and dove. Seth watched it fly and reached his arm out, snatching it out of the air right before Cam had a chance to.
My Everything - Seth & Amber Page 25