He tugged and she hissed through her teeth. Her hand was torn the hell up. “Oh, sweetheart. We need to get ice on this.” He pulled her the rest of the way into a hug and she vibrated in his arms, her fury still running hot. “Let it go or you’re gonna pop. Come on, sugar…let it go.”
“He was twenty when he talked her into the back of his truck. Used no protection and she ended up with me. He has no right to call my mama a whore, Holden. No right. She wasn’t a whore when she met him. She was just a young girl who trusted the wrong man and got kicked in the teeth for it.”
She cried brokenly against his chest and he held her hard. He was in no rush and he let her get it out, like lancing a wound that had festered too long. His palms stroked her hair and down her back. When her jagged sobs slowly faded to small gasps for air, he nudged her face up to look at him and wiped her tears.
“I want to show you how a real man loves a woman.” He kissed her softly. “You are everything any man could possibly want. I’m greedy and I want you all to myself, for you to be mine in every way. Will you marry me, JoEllen Astor?”
“You want to marry me?” He nodded with a smile at her shock. “But we haven’t…”
“I think we go old-fashioned on this one, Jo. You’re the keeping kind and I already know you’re a perfect fit in every area of my life. I’m completely in love with you. I don’t need sex to confirm what I already know.”
Holden kissed her until she groaned with need. “Marry me, Jo. Say you will.” His lips moved over her jaw and down her neck.
“I can’t even think.”
“You don’t need to think.
“I…I can’t believe you want to marry me.”
“Baby, you need to believe it and say yes.” He asked, “Do you love me, Jo?”
“I love you until I’m stupid with it, Holden.”
“Then you have to marry me. Say you will, pretty girl.”
“Okay then.”
Holden kissed her fiercely and hugged her so hard he worried about leaving bruises on her torso. “Let’s go back inside and ice your hand.” He cupped her face and stared into bright green eyes. “Don’t worry about Dale. The boys would have hauled him out.”
Then he scooped her up and carried her back in the bar. Just inside the door, he yelled, “She said yes! Round of drinks on me!” Congratulations came from all sides of the bar as he set her on a stool and gave her another kiss.
Glancing up and meeting Park’s eyes, he grinned. “I need a bag of ice. Rocky here busted up her hand.”
The older man laughed. “I know you’re about to be a married woman and all but watching you beat the shit out of Dale was pretty damn hot. Holden, I’m only human.”
“I understand and I’m right there with you.”
Tina stopped to congratulate them, hugging them both tightly. “I’m so happy for you guys. I have to hustle these drinks out but I’ll be back. Excellent right hook, girl.” Then she winked and lifted a tray of shots to deliver to each patron.
“You weren’t serious about quitting were you, Jo? Tell me you were just mad.” Park’s face was hopeful. “You and Tina are the best servers I’ve got.”
“Sorry about the way I handled that, Park. I’ll give you a month’s notice to find my replacement. I’m going to work for Holden but I don’t want you to be left high and dry. I’ll work my regular shift and train whoever you find if they need it. Damn…”
She let out a long hiss through her teeth when Park gently set the bag of crushed ice over her hand. Looking around the bar, there was no sign of Dale but she noticed that War and Dare were helping Tina hand out drinks.
When she raised a brow at Holden, he shrugged. “They won’t hurt her, Jo. They’re good men. They aren’t forever types but they’ll treat her well while she’s with them.”
“She isn’t one of those clingy women so it should be alright.”
They watched as the last of the drinks were handed out and Dare whistled loudly. “Listen up, people. We’re drinking a toast to Holden and Jo who are getting married. May the sun always shine in each other’s eyes no matter what the weather. Congrats!”
Everyone drank, including Jo who gasped in shock as the dark liquid burned its way down her throat and stole her ability to breathe.
Holden patted her on the back and asked gently. “Baby…haven’t you ever had Jack before?” She looked up at him through watering eyes and shook her head. Then he burst out laughing.
Scowling, she reminded him, “I still have a good hand, Holden.”
He cupped the back of her skull. “I love the hell out of you, Jo.”
“I love you, too. Thank you for being so good to me.”
“It’s easy to be good to you, Jo…but I haven’t even gotten started.” Her eyes widened and he smiled. “That’s a promise.”
Chapter Thirteen
Six weeks later…
Jo didn’t think she’d ever been so nervous in her life. Her skin was overheated, there were butterflies in her stomach, and she felt a little dizzy.
She was in her garage apartment with Sadie and Tina. They were fluttering around doing her hair and makeup. Since she never wore it, they’d kept it light and twisted her long hair into a smooth knot at the base of her skull.
Sadie rested her hands on Jo’s shoulders. “Honey…you gonna pass out?”
“I…I’m so scared. That I’ll say the wrong thing or trip or throw up.”
Both of them laughed and Tina added another bobby pin to keep the simple style in place. “You look beautiful, Jo. Absolutely stunning. It’s warm, sunny, and bright. I can’t believe you wanted to go so simple for your big day.”
She’d asked Tina to be her maid of honor and her only friend accepted with tears in her eyes. The pale green dress she wore fell just above the knee with a pretty halter collar that accentuated her defined shoulders and arms beautifully. She was tan and her hair was twisted into a style similar to Jo’s.
Swallowing hard, she confessed the cause of her terror to the only two women she could ask for help. “As nervous as I am about the wedding itself, I’m even more nervous about…after. I should have, you know, studied or something.”
Both women leaned against the vanity table in front of Jo. They stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to be sure they understood what she was saying.
Sadie chose her words carefully. “Jo. Sweetheart, are you…are you still a virgin?” She nodded with a blush that must have been more obvious in the white dress. “I can’t believe my son showed such restraint. He’s crazy about you. Wow.”
“I’m crazy about him, too.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Tina’s blue eyes were huge. “I thought you were going to…you know…take care of that weeks ago.”
Jo wrung her hands. “I planned to. I really did. Then Holden asked me to marry him and said we’d waited this long, we’d do things right. Now the day is here and there’s been all this buildup with the kissing and stuff. I am scared to death.”
Sadie smiled. “This is something I remember very well, Jo. When Keith and I got married, it was expected for the woman to be a virgin. It was a scandal if she wasn’t.” She reached out to smooth the line of Jo’s dress. “Keith was very male and loved me so much. We struggled for months before the wedding to wait just a little longer.”
“So have we. I’m ready to crawl out of my own skin if he even breathes on me.”
Both women laughed loudly and Sadie continued. “When our wedding day finally came, I realized I didn’t even know what I was waiting for. Fortunately, Keith knew what to do and made the first time a wonderful experience for me.” She made a funny waving motion with her hand.
“Holden has been with women before you, Jo. I think I can safely say he’ll make sure your first time is everything it should be. You might not know what you’re doing but he does so don’t worry.” Reaching out, she stroked Jo’s cheek. “It’s wonderful that you waited for the right man. You’re good for him in every way,
Jo.”
“I hope so. He’s good for me, too.”
Tina crossed her arms over her chest and gave her a slow smile. “On a slightly naughtier note, men like to be touched and they like to receive audible clues that things are going well.”
Jo thought that made sense.
“Any part of your body touching any part of his is going to feel good to him. Since you love him, you’re gonna want to touch him a lot. Be yourself and be honest, Jo. Tell him what you like and what you don’t, talk to him about how he’s making you feel. Be natural and he’ll get even more pleasure from it than you.”
“Excellent advice. I wish you’d been there on my wedding day,” Sadie said honestly.
The younger woman laughed. “Humans are wired as sexual creatures. Things are going to flow very easily between you and Holden. Don’t worry about a thing, honey.”
Just then, the twins burst into the room with Keith chasing behind them. “I tried to wrangle them but they insisted on being with the girls.”
Jo teared up instantly. “Oh god, you both look so beautiful. Come here, come here. Look at you. Always so pretty, dressing you up makes you positively angelic.”
They grinned and twirled for her.
The little girls wore white dresses with fluffy layered chiffon skirts. They’d helped to pick them and been over the moon when their opinions counted. There were wide pale green satin sashes around their waists, tied in big bows in the back.
They showed off their white tights with little green butterflies on the ankles and white patent leather shoes. Their long, dark hair was loose but for two small braided strands pulled back from their faces.
Abigail and Andrea hugged her tight and gushed over her dress, a white lace bodice with spaghetti straps and flowing chiffon skirts. She liked the way the dress made her feel but their compliments meant more than they probably realized.
“You look like a fairy princess, Jo.”
“Thank you, girls. So do you. Are you excited?”
They nodded happily and skipped around as the women finished placing tiny pearl combs in her hair. Sometimes, they would stop and pet her hands lovingly.
When Sadie and Tina pronounced her done, Keith took her hand to help her up. For a long moment, he simply stood there with her hands held in his.
“You’re making my son a very happy man, Jo. I’m glad you’re going to have one another to lean on now.” Keith was a man of few words but they always affected Jo deeply. She teared up and he patted her cheek. “You look awful pretty. Let’s get you married off so we can laugh and dance and eat. You must be starving. Sadie didn’t eat for two days before our wedding.”
Jo nodded with a grin and Tina handed her a bouquet of Gerber daisies and varying shades of greenery. Leaning down, she kissed each of the girls on their lips to give them some color and winked at them.
“Thank you both for everything. What you think matters to me. You are the best little girls anyone could ever ask for and I love you both very much.”
“We love you, Jo. You’ll live in the house with us now!” It made Jo blush to think about all the changes that would be happening in her life over the next few hours.
Tina said cheerfully, “Show time! Girls, you get to make the first grand entrance. Remember how we practiced.” Their expressions were serious as they nodded.
Music started to play and they headed down the interior apartment stairs. The twins went out first with their baskets of flower petals. They carefully scattered them with complete concentration and all the adults found it adorable.
Tina followed with War and Dare and Jo heard several guests sigh at the picture they made. As the two men took their place with her friend, she thought they framed her quite nicely. Nearly the same height, War was dark where Dare was light. They held the pretty redhead between them.
By the time Keith and Sadie appeared on the walkway with her between them, the entire gathering on the side lawn was on their feet and staring at Jo in wonder.
Waiting to walk down the aisle, she didn’t notice anyone but Holden.
He wore a black suit with a pale green tie and his normally shaggy dark hair was swept back from his face. Even thirty feet away, it was impossible not to lose herself in the green of his eyes. He gave her a smile and she realized he was tearing up which made her tear up again. He was staring at her as if she was a priceless treasure.
Holden also looked like he didn’t want to wait. He took a step in their direction and Jo saw Sadie give him a sharp shake of her head in her peripheral vision. With a sigh, he relaxed his stance to watch her approach.
When they stepped up and the preacher asked who gave Jo in marriage, his parents said they did and put her hands into Holden’s. Sadie took her bouquet and handed it to Tina. Then she pressed their cheeks together and whispered, “We love you, honey.”
She and Keith went to sit in the first row and Holden leaned close to whisper louder than he realized, “You look so beautiful, Jo. I finally…finally get to marry you.”
He leaned back to the chuckles of the guests and the preacher but didn’t let her hands go. His thumbs traced maddening circles on the backs and she was so distracted that she didn’t hear the preacher.
When she realized, she blushed hot. Clearing his throat with a smile, the older man started again. This time, Jo paid attention.
She said her vows and Holden said his. The moment they were pronounced man and wife, Holden didn’t wait to be told to kiss her.
He pulled her in hard and she wrapped her arms around him just as firmly. Their first kiss as a married couple was deep and full of promise.
It also went on for longer than they realized.
Only when Tina whispered, “Uh, guys…” did they separate to the outright laughter of everyone around them. The guests clapped and cheered, the girls bounced up and down, and Sadie blotted her eyes repeatedly.
The distance from the side yard to the back patio took a long time to traverse. It was set up with tables, chairs, and a billowing white canopy. Their guests were mostly Holden’s friends and family. People repeatedly stopped to chat and congratulate them.
Against Jo’s wishes, they hired a DJ, bartender, and caterers. She’d planned to do all the work herself to save money.
“You’re getting as simple a wedding as I’m willing to let you have, Jo. I should be renting a ballroom and hiring a full band, pulling out all the stops.” Then he’d kissed any further objections right out of her head.
Her new husband pulled her straight out on the dance floor when they finally made it to the reception area and Jo’s entire body filled with panic.
“I can’t dance. I’ve never even tried.”
A gentle stroke of his fingers over her cheek and along her jaw made her take a deep breath. “I’ll hold you close and lead, Jo. Trust me.”
There was no need to argue that she did. “Always, Holden.”
Chapter Fourteen
Their arms went around one another and he glided her around the patio. It felt like her feet barely touched the floor because Holden held her tightly enough to support most of her weight.
After less than a minute, when she started to relax, he dropped his mouth over hers.
The kiss was so methodical, focused on holding every ounce of her attention that Jo didn’t realize when the song ended. They stood in the middle of the assembled dance floor, still and lost in one another.
One of the guests shouted, “We don’t need to ring crystal for these two!”
Holden raised his head with a smile, kissed her blushing face lightly, and led her to their table. The moment food was placed in front of them Jo began to pick at it. Her hands shook.
“You’ve barely eaten in days.”
“I didn’t even realize. There was so much to do and I was nervous.”
He picked up a flaky roll and smeared butter on it before holding it to her lips. “No more nerves. Bite, baby.” The smile he gave her made her heart feel bigger in her chest.
> She swallowed around the small lump in her throat. “I feel happier right now than any day ever in my life.”
“It’s only going to get better, Jo.”
Throughout the afternoon and well into the evening, they celebrated with their friends as well as Holden’s family and business acquaintances. Only Park and Tina were invited by Jo personally. They were the only friends she’d had before she met Holden.
The fact that she’d never attended a wedding before her own blew her new husband’s mind. Sadie and Keith insisted they play all the cheesy wedding songs and everyone was encouraged to dance.
When they left the dance floor after laughing hysterically through the Chicken Dance, Holden told her, “Laughter looks beautiful on you, Jo.”
“Thank you, Holden. You’ve given me so many good moments, reasons to smile. Experiences I’ve never had, that I didn’t even know I was missing out on.”
“There are many more in your future.”
She blushed because he would be her first in many things. He lifted her hand and kissed it with a grin. The wedding ring he’d placed there glinted in the soft light from lanterns suspended in the trees. Her eyes went wide.
“Jo, get used to the ring. It is your ring and it looks great on you.”
Her eyes lifted. “I feel funny wearing something so expensive, Holden. Like people are gonna think I stole it or something.”
A hard expression crossed his face. “Anyone ever makes you feel like that and I’ll handle it. You deserve beautiful things because you’re beautiful inside and out.”
Every time Holden kissed her, she felt beautiful. His kiss this time was no different.
“I love the way your face looks when I kiss you, Jo.” He leaned toward her with his elbows on his knees. “Putting that ring on your finger means so much to me. It means you’re finally mine and I’ll never take that for granted.”
She traced her fingers from his temple to his lower lip. “I can’t wear it most of the time, Holden. I reach into small spaces and use power tools. I need to get a strong chain so I can always have it on me even when I have to use gloves.”
Gravity: A Country Romance Page 7