by Jillian Dodd
Fuck. She’s a vision. The things I could do to her right now. Even with most of the muscles in my body already aching, my manhood is still feeling … well, cocky.
Vale turns and grabs for a knotted length of rope slung over a thick limb. After a few experimental tugs, she grasps one of the upper knots, steps back, and then breaks into a run.
All I can do is hold my breath as she swings out over the water. She lets go with a shriek and plummets down, making a big splash.
Seconds later, she pops up, laughing. “It feels great! Get in here!”
What am I supposed to say to that? I strip down to my underwear and pray the rope will hold me. It looks like it’s been out here for a long time.
Only one way to find out. I test it with a few tugs, and then I run and swing the way she did.
One big splash, and I’m shocked by how chilly the water is, but I do agree. It feels great.
“See?” she asks when I surface. “Just what we needed. So refreshing after being in the sun all day.”
“You? You needed refreshed?”
Her laughter rings out in the tree-lined space. Really, we might as well be in our own little world out here. The sense of privacy doesn’t do anything but inflame my desire.
We did say we were going to be friends from here on out, right? What could be more friendly than a quickie in the lake?
She takes a few strokes away from me, almost like she senses the struggle and figures it’s better to give me some space. “It’s been years since I’ve been out here. Not since …”
The way she stops catches my attention. “Since when?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You sure about that?”
She shakes her head, her arms moving back and forth in front of her as she treads water. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I wasn’t thinking. But … I came out here the night before I left home.”
Oh.
“In case you were wondering,” she adds, “it wasn’t a proper proposal. There was no ring. No getting down on one knee. It was spur of the moment. A desperate last-ditch effort to keep me here.” She throws herself back until she’s floating faceup, eyes closed. “I couldn’t accept. Not like that. Not when it was desperation that had made him ask.”
“What was so wrong with him wanting to keep you around?”
She hits me with a look out of the corner of her eye. “We were kids, Carter. We had no business getting married at that age. At least, I know I didn’t. I knew myself well enough to know that it wouldn’t work out. And he wasn’t the kind of man I dreamed about, even back then.” She pulls herself upright with a sigh. “It’s not easy, knowing yourself at such a young age. No one believes you when you say you know what’s best for you.”
For the first time, I can see things through her eyes. Not that I’ve ever blamed her for leaving home and striking out on her own. I admire that and still do.
Again, it’s like she can sense my thoughts. I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually could. “I know you think I was mean to him or left without responding. You think I left him hanging here this whole time. But I didn’t. I flat-out told him no. That it wasn’t right for me. I wanted more. I always have.”
“Do you think your parents would’ve supported a marriage?”
“Are you kidding? My father would’ve driven us down to the justice of the peace that very night. He probably still would, if given the opportunity. He wanted me to stay. Wanted me to settle down. To become more like my mother, I guess.” Her voice is tight, choked. She ducks underwater before I can see her expression.
I swim over to where she went under, looking around and finding her, the white of her underwear still visible. When she surfaces, I’m right in front of her.
And there’s so much pain and hurt and guilt in her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I misjudged you,” I tell her. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions before I thought about things from your perspective. I wouldn’t have wanted to be tied down into marrying someone at such a young age either. Some people can do that. Your sisters seem happy. And look at AJ and Lakelyn—they’re blissful.”
“But they went to college. They’ve lived more. I was only eighteen. I loved Trent, and he was a good high school boyfriend, but I knew deep down that he wasn’t the one.”
I draw closer to her. “You don’t have to feel badly for following your dreams. Saying you’ve done well for yourself is an understatement.”
There’s a moment when our eyes meet, and my heart stops beating. I think, This is it. This is when we come back together. When we both decide to admit what’s still between us.
Her lips part.
I want those lips.
I want to taste them. To lose myself in her the way I used to. When I stopped being me and she stopped being her and we would become … us, I guess. Something new, something bigger and better as partners than either of us was on our own.
“Carter …” she says breathlessly as she leans toward me.
And I know this is the moment.
She wraps her legs around me as I tread water, swimming us over to where I can stand and touch the bottom. Her lips reach mine. Our bodies are plastered together, my hands cupping her ass, and I’m aching for her.
“I knew I’d find you here!” Blake yells out.
I’d like to drown him right now.
Vale pulls back to look over my shoulder at her brother. “Your timing sucks.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what brothers are for.”
I turn around and face Blake. “We’ve been going nonstop since we left LA. We just needed a few moments alone.”
“Mom wouldn’t be too happy if she knew you were hiding out here and necking while she needed help with the desserts. The rehearsal is in a few hours.”
We swim over to the bank. Vale lets out a sigh and swims away from me.
Probably for the best. We might’ve gotten into trouble out there.
“She’s right. Your timing does suck,” I say to Blake.
“Just be glad I didn’t take your clothes and ride off with them.” He pedals away, laughing. “I was going to, just so you know. But I didn’t because you’re a pretty cool guy.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Blah, blah, blah.
Vale
We’re in the formal gardens on the property. The gardens that were actually started by my grandmother and grew to what it is today. Which is basically breathtaking. Fortunately, we had an early spring this year, and the trees and flowers are in bloom.
At the end of the path we are on is the gazebo overlooking a small pond with a fountain. One that Grandma decided she wanted to add after seeing a hotel’s water show in Vegas.
I thought my dad was going to fall off his chair. Needless to say, Grandma ended up settling for a smaller set of three fountains with colored lights that come on at night.
A few days after her project was complete, I asked if she was disappointed. She surprised me by saying no. Telling me that she’d asked for something bigger so that she got what she wanted. And then muttered something about my dad being a tight ass.
“Now, where’s the maid of honor?” the wedding planner says.
I hold up my hand with a smile. “Right here.”
She nods, checking off something on her tablet with a stylus. “Perfect. Sister of the bride. You’ll be after the flower girl and her wagon.”
I wiggle my fingers at Sophie, who’s so excited to have been given such a big job.
The planner lines the wedding party up.
First, AJ walks his mother down the aisle—a path of turf grass brought in for the occasion and placed over the pea gravel usually here. His father follows behind, and AJ seats them before taking his place at the gazebo altar.
Carter is lined up next. He holds out his arm to my grandmother, who gives his bicep a squeeze and smiles at him.
Needless to say, she’s in seventh heaven.
“You certainly showed the rest of the boys aroun
d here a thing or two today,” I hear her telling him.
“Thank you. I was hoping you’d be impressed,” Carter says to her.
“Well, I was—you can be sure. If I were younger, I swear—”
“Mom.” That would be my mother speaking. And she’s aghast.
Carter looks over his shoulder at me, and we share a grin.
“You’ll scare him off before they even have the time to plan the wedding,” my mother continues.
I’m pretty sure Grandma squeezes Carter’s arm one more time before she takes her spot in the first row on the bride’s side.
Carter then takes his place next to AJ.
My mother is next, escorted by my brother, Blake, who is actually behaving himself tonight.
They are followed by Lakelyn’s bridesmaids and the other groomsmen—first my sisters with their respective spouses and then two pairs of their college friends.
Sophie, who was excited about her upcoming job as a flower girl, has been reduced to tears over the fact that her wagon isn’t ready yet.
Thankfully, the wedding planner and Aunt Helen maneuver it in front of me before Sophie has a full-on meltdown.
“All right,” the wedding planner says to Sophie, “you can walk down toward your mommy with the wagon.”
“But I supposed to have babies!” she screeches.
“The babies will be here for the real wedding,” I tell her, referring to Raine and Seth’s twins, who will be in the wagon.
“I need babies to practice!” she yells.
I quickly grab two hymnals from the back pew and put them in the wagon. “You have to pretend they are the babies tonight since this is just practice.”
“Just practice?” she asks.
“Yes, you have to make sure you can pull the wagon safely before we can put real babies in it.”
She gives me a pout but takes the wagon’s handle and makes her way to the front of the church. She only bangs into the pews and has to back up a couple of times, but she seems to get the hang of it by the end.
The wedding planner points to a spot. “You will stop here, so we can close the doors to allow the bride and her father to assemble without being seen. Wait until the flower girl gets situated and then make your processional.”
I reach the gazebo and take my place.
“This is when the bridal march will start.” She makes a motion with her hand, and it starts playing. “The guests will rise, and”—the wedding planner flings open pretend doors, where tomorrow, there will be a cased set of wooden doors standing there—“the bride will make her way to the front.”
She’s clapping her hands in time with their footsteps and counting out loud, making sure they go slow enough. I’m shocked my father hasn’t told the woman he knows how to walk.
With all her precision, I halfway wonder if this woman has done fashion shows.
Lakelyn looks beautiful, and I can only imagine how she will be beaming tomorrow. She’s carrying the huge ribbon bouquet that was made from all her shower wrappings and wearing her adorable jumpsuit. Her makeup is soft and pretty, and her hair is in bouncy curls.
“Lakelyn, you’ll hand your bouquet to Vale.”
My sister turns and pretends the ribbon bouquet is really heavy, grimacing and grunting.
“You’re silly,” I say, and we both giggle.
Until the planner scowls at us, and then we quit goofing around.
“This is when the minister will say, We are gathered here today, blah, blah, blah, love and whatever …”
I shouldn’t have looked at Carter. He’s struggling to hold back a laugh to the point where his eyes are watering.
“I wonder if she has a side business, writing sermons,” Raine quips from behind us.
And that does it. A single bark of laughter erupts before I can stop myself, which makes Carter snort loud enough for us to all hear him. And the rest of the wedding party starts laughing too.
Well, except for my mother. I can practically feel the heat of her glare, but there’s no helping it.
“I really hope you can behave yourselves tomorrow,” the planner chastises but continues. “The officiant will pronounce you husband and wife—don’t kiss; save it for the wedding—and you will make your exit.”
Ignoring her instructions, AJ grabs my sister, dips her back, and gives her a big, loud smooch, which makes us all break out in laughter again.
They walk down the aisle, and then Carter takes a few steps to the center and meets me in the middle, holding out his elbow.
We’re both still laughing. Actually, I’m practically gasping for air. I have no idea why this is all so funny.
Well, it was until Carter touches me.
Then, I’m lacking oxygen for a different reason.
He smiles at me and says, “So long as the minister doesn’t say blah, blah, blah, love and whatever, I think we are good.”
But all I’m thinking about is how I’m walking down the aisle with him.
And I kinda wish I were for real.
A cute story.
Carter
“I always knew I would marry her.” AJ looks over at Lakelyn with eyes filled with joy. “Been planning for this day since the summer I turned ten years old. When we first met. So, it isn’t like I was nervous or anything to ask her to marry me.”
“Until it actually was time,” Lakelyn teases. “You were a nervous wreck, and I couldn’t figure out why. You’d just won your bowl game.”
“For those of you here who don’t know, I proposed to Lakelyn the night after our team won the national championship game. I considered doing it on the field after the game, but I wanted something a little more private, so I scheduled what she thought was a surprise hot air balloon ride for us.”
“Thus the nervousness. He’s afraid of heights!”
“But I did it for you, pumpkin,” he says. “We were in Arizona, and the southwest is well-known for their balloon festivals. It was a little scary, being that high up off the ground in what was basically a wicker basket strapped to a parachute filled with hot air.”
“When I first saw the balloon, the thought did cross my mind that it would be a cool place for a proposal. But I’d thought that many times before, and it hadn’t happened. He was nervous. Pacing, checking his watch. Kept one hand in his pocket the whole time. I just kept trying to reassure him that we weren’t going to plummet to our deaths.”
AJ laughs. “Little did she know that I was freaking out because the photographers, who were supposed to be on the ride with us to capture the moment, were caught in traffic. And if we didn’t take off soon, the lighting wouldn’t be right, and … well, I just wanted it to be perfect.”
I notice that Vale is mesmerized by their story even though I know she’s probably heard it before. And I realize that the photographer was like me. Stuck in traffic. Trying to get to a proposal. Although this one obviously happened, whereas mine didn’t.
And I’m still stuck. Unable to move on without her.
“As soon as they arrived,” Lakelyn says, “I was kind of bummed. I figured he’d want to propose in private. But, boy, what a view we had when we finally got up there. I had never been in Arizona before, and this was the most brightly colored sunset I’d seen. The view of all those colors over the mountains was just incredible.”
“And just as the sky was ablaze with color, the photographers got out their gear, and I knew it was time. I took her hands and told her that I knew a lot was up in the air, concerning our lives together.”
“Get it?!” Lakelyn screeches. “Isn’t that the cutest thing ever?” She leans in and gives AJ a kiss.
I can’t help but glance at Vale again. She’s beaming and dabbing at her eyes.
I keep wondering if this could be us someday. Will we laugh about the proposal that almost happened? Consider it just part of our love story?
And these days, I don’t know who I’m angrier with—her for kissing that guy or me for giving up on us so easily.
Either way, Ashlyn was right. I need to start fighting for Vale. I mean, whoever the guy was that night, he’s certainly not here with her now.
I am.
She turns to me with a little shrug. “I’m a sucker for moments like this.”
“And then I told her that I didn’t want to do life without her,” AJ continues, “that’d we go wherever the wind took us. It didn’t matter as long as we were together.”
“And then he goes, ‘Lakelyn, do you remember that summer when we were ten and you taught me how to catch a frog?’ And I was like, ‘Uh, yeah.’ And then he was like, ‘And remember how you told me that you had to kiss the frog to see if he was really a prince?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah,’ and then he was like, ‘I was your frog. And now, I want to be your prince.’ And I was like, ‘Uh, okay.’ But I didn’t really get it. I thought he was talking about the draft because we didn’t know where we were going to be living. And then I thought he was telling me this because he thought he was going to die via hot air balloon crash.”
“Then, I got down on one knee,” AJ continues. “Something that is no easy task for a big guy who is afraid of heights to do in a balloon basket with flames in the center. And the basket rocked. And I thought I was going to fall out, plummeting to my death before I got to ask her. To tell her how I felt. Nothing more than a little fear to get you high on life.”
“More like a little of that ditch weed,” Blake yells out, referring to the marijuana that I’m sure grows wild around here.
“You should write greeting cards,” Lakelyn fires back.
“And I asked her to marry me.”
“And I said yes!” Lakelyn screeches happily.
“And here we are,” AJ says. “So, don’t laugh when you see the little frogs on our wedding cake.”
Lakelyn’s eyes get huge. “You didn’t!”
But AJ just laughs.
Then, he raises his glass and says, “To my love. My life. My soon-to-be wife. I can’t wait to marry you tomorrow.”
Everyone at the rehearsal dinner joins him by toasting his bride.
“Now, let’s eat!” he says.
“They have a cute story,” I say to Vale.