“My sister and I do,” he said with certainty, and the crowd gave a collective sound of approval.
“Did I do good, Dad?”
I gave him a wink. “You did perfect, buddy.” He turned around and went to sit with the nanny as the pastor got on with the service.
But instead of the words he’d spoken the night before, he gave a much quicker version. Before I had even had a chance to catch my breath from her entrance, I said my vows and then presented her with her ring.
Her eyes lit up. “It’s beautiful, Cole, thank you.” She placed her hand on her breasts, reaching for her collar to tug like she did when she was nervous. I gave a soft chuckle, and then the reverend turned to her, moving right along. Then, she spoke her vows, her eyes burning on mine with so much conviction. “For as long as we both shall live,” she said with a quiver in her chin.
I reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it a moment before she could present me with my ring. “Thank you,” I whispered.
As the ceremony continued, we stared so deeply into each other’s eyes that I felt lost in a daze. I was determined to have a safe flight. I had the rest of my life waiting for me with this perfect woman and our perfect, little family.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride.”
I pulled her close and brought my mouth down on hers to seal our union. While we wanted to have a quick ceremony, I wasn’t so inclined to cut my kiss short, too. I let it linger, and the guests cheered. When I pulled away, she wiped her lipstick from my lips and leaned in close. “I had the reverend do a shorter ceremony. I hope you didn’t mind.”
I had a feeling she had something to do with it. “It was perfect, but now what do I tell all of these people about the flight?”
She shrugged. “That they get to have a bonus show?”
The reverend cleared his throat. “Ladies, gentleman, friends and family, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Cole Saunders.”
Everyone got to their feet, and just when the reverend was about to make his announcement about the reception, I stopped him. “Excuse me, Reverend Hoke.” I took the microphone from his lapel and held it close to my mouth. “Everyone, we’re really blessed that you all could come out and celebrate today with us. I’m very lucky to have married a kind and understanding woman who not only loves me unconditionally but knows how important this day was for me as well. My bride has selflessly given up a moment of her big day so that I can do something very important for my company. And if you’d all like to stick around a little longer, I’m going to test my latest creation on its maiden flight, and I’d love for you all to join me.”
There were a few gasps, and several of my staff exchanged glances and whispered. Finally, someone clapped, and before too long, we had a crowd of cheering people.
Jessica took Cam by the hand, and I called Nanny Ellen over to take our daughter, who was bright-eyed and awake as if she didn’t want to miss the big day.
We led the crowd out on the tarmac, and just as planned, Tanner had a crew pull the plane around. I took a deep breath and kissed my family. As I pulled away, the crowd cheered, and I looked over to see the maid of honor kissing the best man. I looked out into the crowd, and his mother and Mercedes didn’t look amused. Strangely enough, the lanky woman didn’t seem jealous, though. But then, he’d said he’d broken things off with her.
When they finally came up for air, Leslie was grinning ear to ear, and Mercedes was walking away to find her car.
Tanner’s mother walked up and gave him a hug, knowing he was going to be up in the air as well, and she gave Leslie a onceover and patted her son on the back. “I approve,” was all she said.
Tanner smiled and then gave me a nod, and the two of us went to the plane to board it. “Well, if we die, at least we’re dressed nice. They can just toss us in the ground and be done with us.”
“We’ll be fine. The preliminary engine tests did perfectly. Now all we have to do is make her fly. Our investors are watching. Let’s give them a show.”
I started up the plane and took a deep breath as the engines roared to life. Then I went through the checklist of everything that needed testing before we could take off.
Item by item, we checked things off, and finally, we were on the move. I held my breath and prayed that the moment I’d waited my entire life for wouldn’t be a failure.
My heart went up in my throat as we made liftoff, and things couldn’t have been running smoother if I had dreamed it. We circled the air above the hangar, and I looked down to the ground where my family looked so small.
“Everything is good,” said Tanner, checking off his list. “Fuel looks good. Levels are holding where we want them.”
We flew another pass just to make sure that the levels were holding strong, and when I was confident, I turned her around one last time. “Let’s land this thing before we run out of luck,” I said.
“I’m all for it, man. I think we’re good. She’s holding her own.”
The grin on my face was so big that my cheeks hurt, and I dropped the landing gear and put her down on the ground with a perfect landing.
That was when I breathed a sigh of relief. I screamed out a big, “Whoop!” and Tanner cheered too. We made sure we did everything by the book, and there was still a bit of time to spare on our permit.
I stopped the plane at a safe distance, and then before I could climb out of it, I could already hear the cheers across the runway.
Tanner laughed. “I think your guests loved the show,” he said. “You did it, man. You really made it.”
“I couldn’t have done it without my copilot.” I patted him on the back. “You’re a great friend, man, and I love you, brother.” We shared a hug, and then while I still had him around the neck, I looked into his eyes. “Don’t hurt Leslie, or Jess is going to make me kill you.”
Tanner gave me a reassuring look. “I’ll behave, man. I think she’s worth settling down for.”
His words were music to my ears. I pulled away and got up from the seat, wearing my tux and feeling like a billion bucks.
When I stepped off the plane, Jessica and Cam ran over to me, and Nanny Ellen hurried over too, bringing little Sky as everyone clapped and cheered for me and Tanner.
“That was amazing,” said Jess. “It was so graceful, too. You should really be proud, baby.”
“Are you relieved?”
She laughed. “Me and everyone else.” She leaned in close to kiss me and whispered in my ear. “I mean, I’ve never had so many of your employees be nice to me.”
“You’re Mrs. Saunders now, so they had better be.” I kissed her hard, and the crowd went wild again.
Tanner, who had kissed Leslie for all she was worth the moment before, clapped his hands loudly over his head. “Hey, we have a reception to get to, and it looks like we’ve got even more to celebrate!”
He wasn’t kidding. I had never had more to celebrate.
When the crowd began to clear, a few stragglers came up, and one woman in particular caught my eye. Not because she was a raving beauty, but because I’d met with her months before when she’d given me a sizable investment. No one else had wanted to continue working with me during the whole Lynn Holden ordeal except her. She had taken a chance when many wouldn’t to get my project back up and flying.
“Mrs. Dearborn. Thank you for coming.”
“You certainly know how to throw a party,” she said. “And I can see that my money was put to good use.”
“Thank you. This is my wife, Jessica, and my children, Sky and Camden Saunders.” Cam stood a little taller, hearing his new name.
“You certainly know how to grow a family as well as a business Since I know this is your special day, I won’t bore you with details, but I would like to meet with you next week about an arrangement that could make you an even richer man.”
“I appreciate it, and I will, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever get any richer than I am at this moment.” I held Jessica a litt
le closer to my side.
Mrs. Dearborn smiled. “And that’s how I know I’m in business with the right person. I’ll see you at the reception.”
With that, she turned and walked away, but my attention went immediately to my bride. “I told you it would be all right.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she planted a big kiss on my lips, which made Camden giggle. When she pulled away, she looked into my eyes like she hadn’t seen me in ages. “Well, Mr. Saunders, we’ve got a party to go to.”
“Yes, we do, Mrs. Saunders.”
Jessica
Things had been a whirlwind since we’d gotten married, and it didn’t seem like we were even the same family most days, which wasn’t a terrible thing at all. Not with Cole’s career taking off and him making the press circuit to talk about his plane.
A week after celebrating little Sky’s first birthday, we walked the house, making sure that things were magazine perfect as we waited for the interviewer to arrive who would put Cole and his plane in one of the top magazines in the country for aeronautical science.
When the doorbell rang, I straightened Cole’s tie and brushed my hand down the front of his shirt. He quickly grabbed my hands and held them to his lips where he planted a soft kiss. “Don’t be nervous. You’ve done an amazing job getting things just right.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re going to do a good interview, so don’t you be nervous.” I kissed him on the cheek, barely making contact so I didn’t smear my lipstick or leave him marked. Then together, we walked across the room and opened the door to greet our guest.
The woman on the other side was smartly dressed in comfortable heels and a blazer. Her mousy brown hair was only a shade lighter than her thick-rimmed glasses. She was also accompanied by a two-man crew for lighting and photography. “Hello, I’m Marissa Claire with Aero Mag, here for your interview.”
Cole stepped back, opening the door a bit wider for her to enter. “Of course, Marissa. Welcome to our home. This is my wife Jessica. We’re pleased to have you here.”
As she walked in, the men followed and shook our hands. Louis and Steve went about their business, pretending like they were merely shadows to Marissa, which I supposed was their normal way of doing their thing.
“You have a lovely home,” Marissa said with a smile, and then her nerves showed as she let out a long breath. “Sorry, it’s not often I’m so overtaken by how nice someone’s home is. You’ll have to tell me the name of your decorator.”
We exchanged a look, and I couldn’t wait to tell Leslie that the interviewer complimented her work. “I can certainly do that; she’s a good friend of mine. Where would you like to do the interview?”
“Well, it’s a gorgeous day, but this house is a beautiful backdrop.”
“How about the sky room?” I said. “It has enough windows to let in natural light, and it’s probably our favorite room in the house.”
“Oh, that might be perfect,” she said, gesturing to the men to get their equipment off the floor. “Is there seating?”
I waved them on. “Yes, come along, and I’ll show you.”
On the way, we passed several of the photographs I’d taken of Cole’s planes which we’d had framed, including three special ones that I’d given to him when we’d first met. Marissa stopped and turned to her photographer Steve to point them out.
“These pictures are gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“My wife is a photographer. One of the best, in my opinion.”
Steve cleared his throat. “I’d have to agree. As a matter of fact, I think it belongs in the expo my camera club is having next week. We’re doing a contest, and it’s not too late to enter. You’d be a shoe-in to win with one of these.” He turned back to admire her work.
“That sounds like fun. I’ll have to get you to tell me more about this camera club. I’ve been telling my husband that it’s time I go back to work behind the camera, whether I do it for fun or business.”
“With an eye like this, you could do very well.” Steve reached into his wallet and passed me a card.
“Thank you.” I felt a little pride in my work, and even though Cole and Leslie had told me many times my work was amazing, it was nice to hear a stranger say it. I’d spent so much time worrying about the children that I hadn’t taken a lot of time for myself, but with Nanny Ellen quickly becoming a part of the family and me trusting her more, I needed to start utilizing the time she was providing.
As we walked down the hall and into the sky room, the trio seemed even more impressed. Marissa walked over to the seating and looked around. “This is going to be perfect. Mr. Saunders, would you sit here? Mrs. Saunders, you can join him here.” She told us exactly where to sit and how she wanted things staged, and once we took our seats, she stood back and gave us a warm smile. “You two make a gorgeous couple if you don’t mind me saying.”
“We never mind a compliment,” Cole said with a laugh. “We’ll take them where we can get them.”
“So, if you’re ready, I’ll get started with the interview.” Marissa sat down and turned on a recorder. Then she took out her pen and a pad that was full of questions. “I hope you don’t mind, but I like to make sure and get a little bit of your family life, your upbringing, what led you to have a conscience for conservation.”
“Ask away.” Cole sat back and put his arm around me.
Marissa cleared her throat and then looked at her list. “Well, I guess to start, tell me how you got into the airplane business.”
“My father,” said Cole. “He inspired me. He used to love making model airplanes, and I would help sometimes.”
I wondered if Cole would tell them all about how his father had beaten him, how he would only let him sort pieces of the planes, and never let him glue one single piece into place. How the only way he got to make a model for himself was to take over the abandoned project and finish it when his father was passed out drunk from another bender.
Instead, he smiled and told his story, leaving out all the ugly parts.
Marissa smiled and took down the notes. “Your father sounds like a good man.”
“I can only aspire to be better for my own kids,” he said with a smile.
Marissa jotted down some notes and then looked up with her pen paused. “How many children do you have?”
“Two. A boy and a girl. Camden is seven, and our daughter Sky just turned one.”
“Sky, that’s a lovely name and quite fitting.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I named her for the color of her father’s eyes.” I looked over at him, and he gave me a half-smile and squeezed my hand tighter.
Marissa giggled. “You two are so in love, and it shows. Is it true that you tested your airplane on your wedding day?”
Cole laughed. “Yes, there were about a hundred of our closest friends there to witness.”
“Right between the ceremony and the reception,” I said. “Talk about a day I’ll never forget.”
Marissa carried on asking us many things about our lives, and through it all, we told the truth, not once embellishing the facts to make them more appealing. Only when Cole had mentioned his father was one single thing omitted.
Finally, when we were wrapping up from Cole telling her about his airplane, she put down her pen. “It really sounds like the two of you have a perfect life.”
“No one’s lives are perfect,” I said, and Cole squeezed my hand.
“But we’re very blessed.” He lifted my hand and kissed it.
After a while longer, she had her crew take some photographs, and then we showed them around the house and introduced them to the children. Then finally, Cole and I both walked them out and thanked them for a lovely day. They had been pleasant and polite, and the entire experience was much more laid back than we’d originally anticipated.
But when we were back in the house, I couldn’t help but wonder why he had glossed over his father in such a way. “I never real
ized how perfect we are,” I teased to break the ice. I couldn’t go in asking him why he lied. “I mean, who knew your father was such a saint?” I walked into the kitchen and poured us each a glass of lemonade.
Cole joined me and took the glass. “What good would it do to tell strangers all about my nasty childhood?”
“I don’t know, but doesn’t it make it all seem like you had it easy?” I took a sip of the drink, which made my lips pucker. “Don’t you think it lessens the struggle you’ve had, the obstacles you overcome? That’s what makes you who you are.”
“Not to me.” He said with a shrug as he reached out and took my hand. “I’m still who I am, Jess. The same man who I’ve always been, and my struggles, the obstacles I’ve overcome to be where I am, they are still the same too. Even if I don’t tell the world or Marissa and Aero Mag about it.”
I could see his point. It just seemed like a lot more credit than I would have given his abusive father. “You made him sound like a saint, though. He was a monster.”
“A monster who I’ve forgiven long ago. We can’t hold on to things like that. It only makes bitterness. I’ve no time for that. I spent too long feeling that way when I was younger. It didn’t get me anywhere. It wasn’t until I worked my ass off going to college that I really learned that there was more to life than sitting around hating your father, and so I told myself to focus on the good. I’ve been a better man since. And now, I have the responsibility of being a better father than mine was.”
“You’re a wonderful father.” I stroked his stubbly chin and then kissed him softly.
He pulled away and met my eyes. “You are a great mother and a perfect wife for our perfect life. I didn’t need to embellish anything when it came to us.”
“I want another baby,” I said, surprising myself. Cole was surprised, too.
He took a step back, and his entire expression told me he wasn’t expecting it. I hoped he didn’t think it was a horrible idea, and just when I was convinced he did, he smiled.
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