by Bella Andre
She could so easily see herself walking down the aisle in a long, white gown, with Justin waiting for her, arms wide open.
She wouldn’t walk to him—she would run.
Turning in his arms, she looped hers around his neck. “I love you.”
He answered her with a kiss that almost had her forgetting they were at his brother’s wedding. Fortunately, she remembered herself in time to sit down with everyone else as the vows began.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered in beautiful Napa Valley today to celebrate the union of Ashley Emmitt and Drew Morrison.”
The officiant looked like Santa Claus, with a full white beard and a big belly, which was what Ashley and Drew had told them had clinched the deal when they were interviewing people for the job. “I kept thinking he was going to stop and say ho ho ho at any second,” Ashley had said at dinner last night, making them all laugh, most of all her husband-to-be, who clearly thought the sun rose and set on her.
“In the time that I have had to get to know this wonderful couple,” the man said, “I have been happily surprised again and again by their generous spirit, positive outlook, and unconditional love and support for one another. But you don’t have to take my word for it—they have each taken the time to write vows, which I will step aside to let them share with each other, and you all, now.”
Ashley was first, her eyes big and her cheeks flushed as she held tightly to Drew’s hands. “The first night I met you, your music was the most beautiful poetry I had ever heard. I knew that anyone who could create something so wonderful had to be just as wonderful himself. But I was scared. Absolutely terrified of breaking the rigid rules I’d lived by for so long, rules I swore had kept me safe. Until I realized that the person who made me feel the absolute safest—and the happiest—was you. I love you, Drew, for everything you’ve been, everything you are, and everything you will be. And I can’t wait to keep living this adventure with you as your wife.”
“Everyone thought I had it all,” Drew said in a voice rough with emotion. “But until I met you, Ashley, nothing felt right. And then, suddenly, everything did. All because of you. You’re the bravest person I know—there’s nothing you won’t do for someone you love. I still can hardly believe that you love me. I would move heaven and earth for you. You’re my heart. My soul. My everything.”
They were already in each other’s arms, already kissing, by the time the officiant said, “By the power vested in me by the State of California, it is now my great honor to pronounce you husband and wife.”
Taylor couldn’t wait for the day when she would seal her vows to Justin with a kiss. When, she wondered, would they possibly be able to arrange their wedding amidst the demands of her B&B, his new lab in a nearby town, and her doctor visits?
It wasn’t simple, but when was life ever simple? She just needed to remember that everyone had challenges and conflicts to deal with. All that mattered in the end was that they had each other.
Cheers rang out as the newly married couple made their way back down the aisle. As Taylor joined in the applause, her side twinged. It wasn’t, she decided as she took a moment to assess things, much worse than the low-grade pain that tended to be her fairly constant companion these past several months.
She couldn’t imagine anything worse than collapsing in the middle of the wedding festivities. Everyone in Justin’s family knew about her diagnosis, but she’d hate for them to get so deep into the nitty-gritty that they’d be worried about her all the time. It would be far better for them to see her laughing and dancing, to know that she wasn’t letting anything stop her from enjoying life.
Most of all, she didn’t want Justin’s father to see her looking anything but hearty and healthy. Michael Morrison had nothing to feel guilty about, and she was confident that she could help Justin understand that over time.
She took a deep breath of the air that held the faint scent of crushed grapes. As she put her hand in Justin’s and headed into the throng to congratulate Ashley and Drew, she was pleasantly surprised to see Michael coming toward them.
She gave him a big hug, knowing it must have been incredibly hard to watch one of his children get married without his beloved wife at his side. “Ashley and Drew’s vows were beautiful, weren’t they?”
“They were.” His voice was a little hoarse from the tears he’d shed during the ceremony. “Lisa and I wrote our own vows back before it was really the thing to do. She would have loved to have heard theirs.”
Justin, who hadn’t yet spoken, enfolded his father in a warm hug. Everything was going to be all right between them, Taylor was certain of it. Because if anything did happen to her, he was going to need his family more than ever…
Soon, the three of them made it to the front of the receiving line. And as Taylor hugged Ashley and Drew, though they were Justin’s family and not hers, she still felt the pull of an extra strong bond.
A bond that strengthened even further when, fifteen minutes later, instead of standing to one side and chatting with the other guests while family pictures were being taken, they insisted she be included in the photographs.
“You’re family, Taylor,” Drew said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
It really was the perfect day, not only for the bride and groom, but for her too. Dinner was delicious, and then the dance floor beckoned. The Morrison clan certainly knew how to bust a move, and it was tempting to watch from the sidelines, but Justin clearly had other ideas.
He guided them into the middle of the dance floor where the bride and groom were holding each other tight and slow-dancing despite the upbeat tempo of the music. He twirled her and dipped her and made her laugh like crazy. She’d never had so much fun, never felt so carefree and happy.
After all these years of longing to be with him, it felt so incredible to have her dream come true. Okay, so maybe it was more complicated than she’d planned, but they were managing all right so far, weren’t they? Whatever happened next, they’d figure it out together.
Taylor was flushed from dancing when the DJ announced that it was time to cut the cake. She felt a little lightheaded and hoped some cake, and a glass of water, would help set her to rights.
The bride and groom were adorable as they first sliced the delicious-looking three-layer chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cake. Drew made his new wife laugh, then blush, at whatever he whispered into her ear. They fed each other pieces of cake…then kissed off the mess they made.
“I’m so glad they found each other,” Taylor said, even as she blushed at the heat currently being generated by Justin’s brother and his new wife.
“I used to worry about Drew,” Justin told her. “Especially once his music career took off—that’s just such a crazy world. But once I met Ashley, I knew she was exactly what he needed. And I also knew I didn’t need to worry about him anymore.”
It was how she wanted his family to feel about her—to know that they didn’t have to worry about Justin anymore because she would always take care of him. Unfortunately, her diagnosis meant they were more worried about him.
She sighed, and of course Justin picked right up on it. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “But you’re wrong. My family knows I’m nowhere near whole without you, because you make my life better in every single way. That’s why they sent me to you in St. Helena, remember?”
She laid her head against his chest. “I think I’m still just overtired from the all-nighter.”
He didn’t poke holes in her excuse as he stroked her hair. She’d slept well last night—she couldn’t actually remember Justin carrying her to bed from the car—but she still felt as though her body was running on fumes.
Since her diagnosis, she had tried to be extra careful about eating right and getting enough rest, but it had been an absolutely crazy week. She wouldn’t have wanted to give up any of the time she’d spent with Justin, nor would she have wanted to miss Drew and Ashley’s wedding festivities.
“
Taylor—” Maddie grabbed her hand and pulled her into the center of the dance floor, where the other single women were assembling. “It’s time for the bouquet toss. And you too, Olivia,” she added, ignoring her older sister’s protests. “I mean, odds are that Taylor will get married first since she’s already engaged and all. But you’re always a dark horse, Olivia, so I suppose anything is possible.”
Only Maddie could get away with saying such things to her sister. Taylor had meant to ask Olivia if there was someone special in her life, but Justin’s eldest sister was a slippery one. It was almost as though she could read Taylor’s mind, and every time she thought she finally had a chance to ask some gently probing questions about Olivia’s love life, the other woman found a reason to escape the conversation. Olivia hadn’t brought a plus-one to the wedding, but she had spent quite a bit of time smiling into her phone as she texted someone.
In any case, though Taylor was quite tall, she’d never caught a bouquet at a wedding. Then again, she thought as Justin gave her the thumbs-up, she hadn’t been with Justin either. Now, she could almost feel her fingertips tingling, especially when Ashley looked straight at her and winked before turning to fling her bouquet over her head.
Taylor stood perfectly still as she watched the flowers sail through the sky as if in slow motion, heading right toward her. She lifted her hands to catch the bouquet, but it slid between her fingers…and hit her on the head.
She scrambled to grab it before it fell to the ground, and when she did, instinct took over. She lifted it above her head like a victor with her spoils, and soon, Justin was there too, spinning her around in circles while everyone laughed and cheered.
And then, as a wonderful surprise, Drew took the stage, pulling Ashley up with him. Never one for the spotlight, Drew’s new bride blushed as he kissed her in front of everyone. “I’ve vowed never to keep secrets from you, Ash,” he said, “but I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping this one.” He picked up a guitar. “The song is called Beautiful. And every word of it is from my heart to yours.”
They were so wonderful together, and so in love, that Taylor was already tearing up before Drew played a single chord. And when he did begin to sing, it was no exaggeration to say that every woman in the room wished for a love like theirs.
Warm all over in the knowledge that she and Justin already had just that, Taylor settled into the circle of his arms as they listened.
The most beautiful song I’ve ever heard
Is you
Your voice is the melody
Your heartbeat is the rhythm
And when you whisper, “I love you”
They’re the lyrics of my dreams
You’re my heart
My soul
My one true love
The most beautiful song I’ve ever heard
Is you
“That was incredible, wasn’t it?” Taylor said to Justin once the last notes faded and everyone in the crowd was going wild, yet again, for the newlyweds.
“I’m not normally jealous of my brothers,” Justin said, “but I wish I could write you a song like that.”
“You’ve already given me everything I could ever want.” She brought her mouth only a breath from his. “You.”
They might never have stopped kissing had the bride and groom not come to say good-bye before heading off to the airport to catch an overnight flight to the beaches of Thailand for their honeymoon.
By the time they’d seen the happy couple off, Taylor realized she was well and truly pooped. Justin knew her so well, thankfully, that she didn’t need to say a word.
“Ready to head home?”
“It was the most magical wedding ever, but it probably is time for me to hit the sack.” She couldn’t wait to crawl under the covers with Justin and make some magic of their own. But by the time they said their good-byes to the rest of his family and got into his car, she could hardly keep her eyes open. “I don’t want to fall asleep on you again tonight,” she said, her words sounding like one huge yawn. “Promise me you’ll wake me when we get back.”
In lieu of a response, he reached for her hand and was lifting it to his lips when a sharp pain brought her awake with a gasp. She tugged her hand from his to press it to her side.
“Taylor.” He stroked a lock of hair away from her face. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out around the agony of what felt like a knife spearing through her.
“Taylor!”
She could hear Justin yelling, knew he was trying to get her attention, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than the horrible sensation of being ripped in two from the inside out…right before everything went dark.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Justin had never been so scared. Never knew he could feel like his heart was being torn from his chest.
He should call 911, but he couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Could barely remember how to breathe.
A knock came at the window. Olivia was peering in at them. “Taylor, you left your purse.”
The sound of his sister’s voice knocked him out of his paralysis. “911.” His hands felt numb, and he’d never be able to pull out his phone without fumbling it. “Call 911!” he yelled through the glass. “Taylor has passed out.”
Thank God Olivia was always clear-headed, especially when the stakes were high, and a split second later, she had her phone to her ear. He could hear her telling the emergency responder that Taylor had polycystic kidney disease and had just passed out in the parking lot of Sullivan Winery.
Justin wanted to put his arms around Taylor and hold her, but he didn’t dare move her. Carefully checking her pulse, he confirmed that her heartbeat was still strong, but she was dangerously pale and her breathing was shallow.
Minutes later, an ambulance siren sounded, growing louder and louder until it approached his car. “Sir, I need to examine your friend.”
“Fiancée.” He needed them to know that she was so much more than just a friend. She was his everything.
It was nearly impossible for Justin to move from Taylor’s side, or to let go of her hand—he wasn’t sure he would have managed it without Olivia’s firm hands on his shoulders guiding him from the car.
“Could you tell us what happened, sir?”
“We had just gotten into the car when Taylor gasped and put her hand to her side. She has advanced polycystic kidney disease. She hasn’t slept enough this week.” Because he hadn’t been taking good enough care of her. “Plus, she was dancing a lot tonight.” Because he’d wanted to have fun. “She’s probably dehydrated, and a cyst in her kidney might have burst.”
Or worse.
God, no, he couldn’t let his brain spin out into worse…
The lead paramedic spoke to Taylor, though she hadn’t yet regained consciousness. “Taylor, we’re going to move you onto a stretcher and then into an ambulance so that we can get an IV running. You’re going to be feeling a whole heck of a lot better soon.”
The paramedics worked as a well-oiled unit, and soon, she was in the ambulance with Justin crouched beside her, holding one of her hands. His family had gathered around the back of the vehicle by now, concern etched deeply into their faces.
Justin could barely think past the self-recriminations that were going around and around inside his head. But he needed to tell the emergency crew one important thing. “Her doctor is at Queen of the Valley in downtown Napa.”
“Great,” the EMT administering the IV said. “That’s also the closest emergency room.”
The back doors of the ambulance were just being closed when Olivia hopped up beside Justin. He’d never been so thankful in his whole life for the support of his family as he was when she put an arm around him and said, “She’s going to be okay.”
The sirens wailed as they sped off toward the ER.
* * *
Taylor’s eyes fluttered open just as they were pulling up to the hospital. “Justin?” Her thro
at sounded raw. “What happened?”
He wanted to press kisses all over her face, but he couldn’t risk jarring her. “You passed out after the wedding.”
“I didn’t want that to happen.” Her words were barely above a whisper. “Tell them I’m sorry.”
“No, sweetheart, you don’t have anything to be sorry ab—”
A grimace of pain sent her eyes rolling back in her head and stopped his words cold. “Help her!” he pleaded. The paramedics already had the doors open and were preparing to roll the stretcher down the ramp and into the hospital.
A nurse came to take Taylor’s full name, address, and doctor’s name so that she could pull her file. The emergency room doctor grilled the lead paramedic, then grabbed the clipboard and began giving instructions to the rest of the medical team as they rolled her away through the restricted double doors. Everyone was completely focused, everyone knew exactly the part they had to play, and somewhere in the back of Justin’s brain, he knew he should be thankful for it.
But he couldn’t remember how to be thankful for anything right now. Not when the woman he loved was in unspeakable pain…and he couldn’t do a damn thing to help her.
“I pushed her too hard.” The words shook as they left his mouth, each of them loaded with self-hatred.
“Justin—”
“I should have been making sure she went to bed early. I should have made sure she didn’t get dehydrated. I shouldn’t have let her do so much this week, between running her business and spending time with me grape stomping and flying in balloons. But all I wanted was to be with her.”
“Justin, please—”
Increasingly dark thoughts were swirling around and around inside his head. “This is all my fault.”
“Stop!”
Justin abruptly realized his sister was standing in front of him with her hands on his shoulders, shaking him.
“I know you’re upset, but blaming yourself isn’t going to help anyone.” Olivia’s words were softly spoken but firm. “I’m sure the doctors are already getting to the bottom of what happened. They won’t let anything else happen to her, Justin. You’ve got to believe that.”