Saving Our Hearts

by Velvet Reed

  We haven’t had much time since then to talk about it again with finalizing Cooper’s welcome home and baby shower, which has now become an engagement party as well. Olivia wanted to organize a separate engagement party for us, but when Cole and I insisted that it wasn’t necessary, she made us compromise and combine it with today’s event. Saying no to her is the hardest thing in the world, but if her makes her happy, then who are we to stop her.

  I’m in the bathroom putting the finishing touches to my makeup when I see Cole through the mirror leaning against the doorframe. “I’m almost ready,” I inform him and brush the final stroke of mascara across my long lashes. One last look in the mirror and I’m done. The blue wrap dress I’m wearing compliments Cole’s eyes perfectly and was the reason I bought it in the first place. It also does amazing things to the more pronounced curves I acquired during my pregnancy and when I turn and face my sexy fiancé and see the heated look in his eyes, I smile in satisfaction with my wardrobe choice.

  “Would it be wrong if we asked April or Ashley to take care of Cooper at the party, so I can bring you back here and rip you out of that dress?” he asks in all seriousness as he prowls across the bathroom toward me.

  “I think your mom would be pretty pissed if we don’t attend. She’d probably drive over here and drag us there, even if we we’re naked,” I chuckle.

  Placing his hands on my hips, he pulls me closer. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around his neck. “You’re probably right, but, Sweet Cheeks, you look so damn beautiful in this dress. It’s going to be really hard to keep my hands off you today,” he says before leaning in and placing a light kiss on the tip of my nose.

  Closing my eyes, I think exactly the same thing because in his black pants, jacket and grey shirt, he looks gorgeously casual, but sophisticated, and my blood pressure rises just thinking about all the male perfection beneath his clothes. “Well, they say all good things come to those who wait. I guess we’ll both have to keep ourselves in check until we get home tonight,” I tell him with a seductive smile and a naughty glint in my eyes. “You look very handsome, Doctor Tierney.”

  Cole gives me a sexy smile in return. “Oh, I’ll wait if I have to. You just better be prepared for me, that’s all. We might have to break in the hood of the SUV.” He mischievously winks and has me laughing aloud.

  “I think it would be best to stick with the Camaro for that, babe, it being lower and all,” I reply, patting his chest and kissing him quickly before moving out of his arms and heading to the bedroom for my shoes.

  I’ve been walking short distances without the support of my crutches since yesterday’s session with Kevin, and it’s such a great feeling. I’m sitting on the side of the bed and slipping on my black ballet flats, since that’s what’s most comfortable at the moment, while Cole leans against the doorframe once again.

  “So I was thinking about the wedding, and I've done some research on an idea I had," he tells me.

  Looking up from what I’m doing, I simply reply, “Oh.”

  “What do you think about a combined wedding and honeymoon?” he asks.

  That’s something I didn't think of, and I’m wondering where he’s going with this idea. “Like what exactly?”

  He pushes away from the door and walks across to our dresser, picking up a small pile of papers I didn't notice there earlier. “Well, neither of us is going to want to leave Cooper for a honeymoon, but I also want to have time to ourselves as newlyweds,” he says and looks at me anxiously. “Does that sound terrible? That I want time away from our son?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “No, of course it doesn’t. Any newlywed would want time alone, even if only for a day or two.”

  Relief shines in his eyes, and a small grin lifts the corners of his mouth. “Great. So here’s what I was thinking. We’ve already decided that we want something small. We also want a beautiful location and to combine our honeymoon.”

  Nodding in agreement, I keep quiet while he continues, “The last few months have been stressful for everyone, and I’m sure some vacation time would do wonders for alleviating that stress. So...” he pauses, looking down at the paperwork in his hands and then back up to meet my gaze. “What if we got married in Hawaii?”

  My jaw drops and my eyebrows shoot up.

  “A huge wedding here like Mom envisages would cost just as much if not more than it would to take everyone to Hawaii for our wedding and a short vacation. Not that money is an issue, because it definitely isn’t. But just think, Gracie, Hawaii would be a beautiful location, allow us to have a honeymoon because Cooper will have plenty of family around to look after him, and we’ll get to spend time with our family and friends relaxing and having fun. It would also be a way to thank them for everything they’ve done for us.”

  I still haven’t said a word. I’m speechless. As his idea sinks in, I realize how completely perfect it is.

  The bed dips beside me as Cole sits down. “What are you thinking? Do you hate it?” he asks.

  I turn to him and move my hands to his beautifully sculpted face. His eyes dart across mine searching for an answer of any type in response to his suggestion. His excitement over the idea mixed with apprehension.

  “I love it,” I whisper fervently. “I absolutely love it and think it’s the perfect way to start our married life together, Cole.”

  “Really?” he asks. “Because we can do something else, Gracie. This is your day and I want it to be everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”

  I shake my head vigorously. “No, this is our day, Cole, and I know it’s going to be so much better than any dream.”

  His mouth is on mine, melding our lips together so fast that I let out a startle gasp. He takes the opportunity to enter my mouth; his tongue stroking mine in celebration. I’ll never tire of Cole’s taste or the addictive power of his kisses. He pours everything into each one, his love, his passion, his desire, and when each kiss ends, I feel the loss keenly.

  Cole pulls back and rests his forehead to mine. “This is really happening, isn’t it?” he asks and I slowly nod my head against his; our eyes caught up in each other’s conveying everything we feel. “It really is,” I confirm.

  After a moment, Cole leans back. “I found this last night.” He hands me a piece of paper covered in information, and at the bottom is a picture which he points to. The photo shows a white chapel with a clock tower and gorgeous stained-glass entry. It’s surrounded by palm trees and gardens overflowing with color. There’s a manmade pond that wraps around the sides and back with water cascading over a rock formation to the right, closing my eyes, I imagine the tranquil sound of the rippling water. The whole thing is beautiful, but what really sets it off is the endless blue of the ocean that backdrops the chapel. It’s like something out of a fairy tale, dreamlike and exquisitely perfect. And I know with absolute certainty that this is where I’m going to get married. This chapel is where I’ll say ‘I Do’, become Mrs. Cole Tierney and begin my happily ever after.

  “Well?” Cole interrupts my blissful thoughts.

  “It’s gorgeous,” I answer and am rewarded with another smile. “Let’s do it.”

  I find myself back in his arms, and my mouth is once again enduring a passionate kiss from Cole. The happiness and excitement he’s exuding right now is contagious.

  “We’ll have to find out more details and vacancies, but I think we should look for July or August. That should hopefully give us time to book and provide everyone with notice to organize time off work,” I offer.

  “That works for me, baby, and it will mean Cooper will be almost six months old by then. We shouldn’t have any problems traveling with him. Now we just have to break the news to Mom and hope she doesn’t get all depressed over not having a big wedding.”

  Thinking about Olivia’s reaction has me a little nervous. I love her but it’s our day, and she will just have to accept our decision.

  “Now we’ve made that decision, we’d better get going. The last thing we need
is to for Mom to be mad because we’re late before we share the news.” He holds out a hand for me to take and helps me off the bed. “I’ll go get Coop and meet you at the car.”

  I watch him walk away before looking at the photo of the chapel again. My wedding is going to be just as amazing as the proposal, and all because Cole has put so much thought and energy into both. I joked with him about outdoing himself after the proposal, and I think he may have done it by finding the perfect venue for our wedding. My man is so freaking romantic, and I wouldn’t have him any other way.

  The decorations were a mixture of pale blue, silver and white, all perfectly placed providing a glorious elegance to the setting. John and Olivia’s garden, although normally pristine in appearance has never looked better; she's truly outdone herself with this party.

  “Wow. It looks incredible, doesn’t it?” I proclaim in awe as I take in everything from the tablecloths to the lanterns hanging from the lower branches of the trees.

  “Mom certainly knows how to throw a party, that’s for sure,” Cole agrees before he heads to the back of the house carrying Cooper’s car seat and diaper bag.

  Seeing the lengths she’s gone to for what was supposed to be a small party, I’m filled with unease about telling her our wedding plans. She’s really thought of every little detail and executed them to perfection. There’re even two separate tables set up for gifts, and on closer inspection of the packages already placed there, I realize one is for Cole and I and the other is for Cooper. With no guests in attendance yet, it’s clear these gifts are either from Olivia and John or other family members, which is crazy because they have already showered Cooper in presents.

  “What do you think?” A voice startles me for behind, and I whirl around to see John looking dapper in a dress shirt, pants and casual jacket. He’s handsome for a man in his early fifties, and it gives me a glimpse into how Cole may age in the future.

  “It’s spectacular. I can’t believe Olivia did all this,” I praise.

  John’s face shows his pride in his wife, and his happiness that I like what they’ve done. “You just wait until the wedding plans start. She’s already bought a dozen bridal magazines and been talking about it incessantly,” he chuckles.

  The smile slides off my face at his words, and my stomach plummets with impending doom over Olivia’s disappointment.

  John’s hand has hold of my arm in support. “Gracie, you’re as white as a ghost. What is it?” he anxiously asks.

  I shake my head slowly and meet his gaze with pleading eyes.

  “Oh, God, please tell me the wedding is still going ahead.” His anxiety again present in his tone.

  “Y-yes, of course,” I stutter.

  “Well then, what’s wrong?” he asks once more, confused by my reaction.

  I look around the gardens, taking in the scene again before I tell him. “It’s just Cole and I have decided what we want for the wedding, and it isn’t anything like this, and now I’m terrified of Olivia’s reaction.”

  “Oh,” John states and that simple little word is laced with surprise, understanding, and a hint of trepidation. He clears his throat before continuing, “Well, I guess you two better fill her in on your plans before she gets too ahead of herself.”

  I nod pitifully and John smirks. “Come on now. It won’t be that bad. Livie knows it’s your day, and she’ll go along with whatever you both want. She’s just beside herself with excitement. There’s no need to worry.”

  However, his words do little to curb my anxiety.

  Wrapping his arm around my shoulder, he gives me a supportive squeeze. “Let’s go inside and see what else needs to be done, shall we?”

  Together, we enter the house and find Olivia and April fussing over Cooper like they do every time they see him. They're so focused on him they don’t notice our presence. I smile and my heart swells with the knowledge my baby is loved so much by so many people.

  Cole coming back into the kitchen gains their attention, and they finally realize I’m here as well.

  “Gracie honey, you look beautiful,” Olivia remarks. She hands Cooper over to April and comes to me, arms wide for a hug. “I have so much to show you and talk about, honey. Venues, color schemes, dresses... Have you thought about a date yet?” She’s practically bouncing with excitement, and her eyes are sparkling.

  I cast a furtive glance at Cole which Olivia doesn’t miss. “What’s wrong?” Her questioning eyes dart between the two of us.

  Looks like we aren’t going to be able to wait until everyone’s together to make the announcement. I shrug at Cole, knowing we have no choice but to tell her now.

  “Mom, Gracie and I have decided what we want to do for the wedding?” Cole tells her.

  Her face falls and I swear she looks like she’s about to cry. Moving over to the island, she takes a seat on one of the bar stools. “I guess... I guess I thought you would want me to help out with the planning and everything,” she says barely above a whisper, and I feel like we’ve just broken her heart.

  Cole moves quickly and crouches down in front of her, taking her hands in his. “Oh, God, Mom, we do. Please don’t be upset. We do want your help, but it’s going to be completely different than what you’re expecting.” He pauses looking up at me before returning his attention to Olivia. “Gracie and I have decided to get married in Hawaii.”

  “Hawaii!” Olivia screeches in high-pitched shock.

  “Yeah, Hawaii. We thought we would combine the wedding and the honeymoon and after all the stress of the last few months, give everyone else a vacation while we’re at it,” Cole explains.

  “Oh, hell yeah!” April chortles and does a little dance with Cooper. “Did you hear that, Coop? We’re going on vacation, baby.”

  I can’t help but giggle at her reaction, but that stops when I look at Olivia, pensive in thought.

  “I think it’s a great idea, Son,” John declares as he comes to my side and wraps a loving arm around my shoulder again. “Exactly what everyone needs, and having us all there will allow you and Gracie some time to yourselves while we look after the little guy.”

  “That’s what I was thinking as well, Dad,” Cole agrees with a fond smile for his father before we all train our attention on Olivia again.

  “What do you think, Mom?” Cole asks.

  Taking in a deep breath, Olivia looks up at us seriously. “Well, it’s going to take a lot of co-ordination over the internet and by telephone. Everyone’s going to have to arrange their work schedules, and I’m assuming you’re wanting a summer wedding, so we’ll need to get our butts into gear and get organized, but...” she tapers off, but then her whole expression changes and the bubbling excitement, she displayed earlier returns, “it will be incredible. The photos will be so beautiful, and honestly, it will be kind of like we’re having a family vacation, and Lord knows it’s been a long time since that has happened,” she beams.

  “We just want something intimate with our family and closest friends. Anyway, Mom, you've always got April’s wedding to organize a big lavish affair for,” Cole chuckles.

  “Who says I’m ever getting married?” April stuns everyone by saying.

  Olivia whirls around to respond to April’s declaration but doesn’t get the chance when Sam and Ashley come through the back door laughing, followed by my dad, Charlie and Ruby. “Hey, everyone,” Ashley greets and that sets off five minutes of kisses, hugs and hellos.

  “So what were you all discussing before we walked in?” Sam asks. “It looked kind of serious.”

  “Cole and Gracie are getting married in Hawaii and we’re all going with them,” April quickly announces in a clear effort of distraction from her revelation earlier.

  Excited chatter fills the room as our plans for everyone to have a vacation are disclosed. Dad confirms he has no problems closing the garage or leaving Brad and Tanner to run it, because it’s been a long time since he and Charlie took time off. Everyone else agrees they will work things out as soon as
we have dates organized. The excitement and willingness of our families make my own anticipation heighten, and I’m all too eager for my wedding to happen.

  Chapter 29

  Cole...

  The garden is a hive of activity with guests scattered across the lush green lawn, enjoying the beautiful weather and party festivities. I honestly didn’t realize Mom had invited so many people today, but then again, that’s mom, always happy to entertain and celebrate anything that happens with her children and now her grandchildren as well.

  The tables set up for the gifts are jammed packed. It’s going to take forever to go through them, and then we’ll probably need to make two trips to get everything home; everyone has been extremely generous.

  Glancing through the guests again, I look for the woman who owns me and finally find her after a few seconds. She’s talking with Sam and some people from the hospital. She’s laughing at something someone says; her body so relaxed and her face glowing with happiness. It’s a beautiful sight to witness. While we’ve talked about everything several times, and she seems to be just fine, she’s also had a few nightmares. When I asked what they were about, she told me it was always a room filled with pictures of her, and a crib that Cooper was laying in. She hasn’t had many of them, but they’re always the same thing. She refuses to go to a counselor though, so I just comfort her and talk her through it.

  I start walking over to her, but I’m stopped by familiar and not completely welcomed faces. “Cole, dear. How are you?” Regina Lange greets me. I never realized until this moment how much Miranda looked like her mother, but is so completely different.

  “Regina. Richard,” I acknowledge them both. “Thank you for coming today.” As much as I don’t want to like them because of their daughter, I can’t. They've been friends with my parents for most of my life, and they really are nice, decent people. It’s hard to comprehend how someone like Miranda is their child.