by Ali Parker
I smiled over my shoulder at Andrew. “Looks like we don’t have to hire a wedding planner.”
He chuckled, hands in his pockets and eyes on me. As he stared my way, my heart melted. Everything we’d been through flashed in front of me. It was all the challenges that made this decision to stay together monumentally right. The dark nights made the days shine more brightly.
I hoped I would never, ever forget that.
Chapter 64
Andrew
“Your tie looks fine,” Bob told me.
“Huh?” I dragged my gaze away from the line of trees ringing the field. “What’s that?”
“You were messing with your tie again.” Bob grinned. “You ever wore one of those before?”
I frowned. “Almost every day.”
Bob clapped me on the back. “I was kidding, Andrew. Relax.”
I took in a long breath. “Sorry.”
All around us, wedding guests chatted and catering staff hurried to and fro. The day was amazing, a balmy June morning. The venue Raven and Lanie had discovered couldn’t be more perfect. What was once a mansion on the outskirts of the city had been turned into a preserve complete with hiking trails and a covered area for events.
“Were you this nervous?” I asked, looking Bob over.
I expected him to answer in the negative—Bob was just that confident about everything. I’d only asked because I needed to keep myself busy somehow. If I didn’t spend the last fifteen minutes before my wedding talking, I’d probably die of anxiety.
I’d been on edge before my first wedding, but that had been nothing like this. For some reason, this event was making me go insane. The nerves had been steadily building in me all day, and I could feel it. I was about to get to the breaking point.
“I’m going to explode,” I muttered.
Bob snorted. “Just do it after the reception is over, or the women will kill you for ruining a nice wedding.”
I tried to smile at that but didn’t have much success.
“I was nervous,” Bob said, answering my earlier question.
“Really?” I stared at him in amazement.
He did a little head tilt in acknowledgment, as if he was reluctant to share the truth with me but knew it was for the best. “Course.”
“About what, exactly?”
He eyed me. “What are you nervous about?”
I ran my fingers through my hair, realized I was messing it up, then dropped my hand. “I don’t know.” I paused and then quickly added, “I know I’m doing the right thing.”
“Exactly.” Bob nodded his head, smirking in satisfaction. “It’s regular wedding-day nerves. You’ll be fine. I should get to the doors and see if I’m needed.”
“Hey,” I said before he could walk away. “Thank you. For everything.” My throat constricted. I hadn’t expected for this confession to make me so emotional. “You’ve been there for me for a long time, way before I met Lanie. And now this. Your blessing. It means the world to me. To both of us.” I looked into his eyes and—to my surprise—found them glistening. Was Bob Jacobs crying?
No, that couldn’t be. He was the kind of man who probably shed a sum total of five tears his whole life, saving them up for special occasions.
And yet here he was, getting dangerously close to letting tears fall.
“You’re welcome,” he answered, taking a moment to clear his throat. “But you don’t have to thank me, Andrew. You more than proved yourself a long time ago. There’s no man who’ll treat my daughter better.”
With that, he turned and strode for the house, where the wedding party was tucked away and getting ready. I watched him for a moment, my eyes lifting to the windows of the building.
Lanie was in there somewhere. Within the half hour, she’d no longer be the woman I was engaged to. She’d be my wife.
This time, there was no nausea. Only deep peace and happiness.
“Hey, Mr. Marx.”
I turned around to see Jason sheepishly watching me. Despite the fact that I’d long ago made it clear I harbored no ill will toward him, he often acted timidly around me.
“I wanted to say an early congratulations.”
“Thanks, Jason.” I offered him my hand. For a second, he looked surprised, but then he accepted the shake. “You all ready for school?”
“Almost.” He smiled. “It’s going to be weird not seeing Raven every day, though.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, the house pulling at my attention once again.
Raven, as one of the two bridesmaids, was in there as well. While Jason had decided to head to the University of Washington in the fall, Raven had made other plans.
She’d been nervous to tell me she wanted to travel for a while instead of going to college right away, which is why she’d told Lanie first. The two of them had presented me with a whole argument on why taking a gap year was a good idea. The only thing they’d been missing was a few charts.
To their obvious surprise, I’d agreed with them. Raven had talent. I didn’t need to know much about the art world to see that was true. She also had drive and focus, and she never applied those skills to anything quite so much as she did to art.
If she felt that taking time to travel was what she needed, I was all for it.
That’s not to say I wasn’t a bit nervous. I’d made her map out her exact plans for her first month in Europe and had her promise to check in with me and Lanie every day.
I also may or may not have put a tracker on her backpack.
Just in case.
“How are we doing?” a soft voice asked, and the wedding coordinator arrived at my elbow. “It’s time to start.”
I gulped at the news and just nodded. Luckily, from that point on, all my words were written down for me. I had my vows on a piece of paper tucked into my pocket.
The whole world seemed to blur as I made my way to the front of the aisle. People waved and smiled from the white folding chairs. As I passed my parents, they each reached out and clasped my hands. Near the front, Karen sat next to her husband, already dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
It all seemed as if it was from a dream, though. This day that I’d been waiting the last six months for couldn’t finally be here.
Taking my spot at the altar, Saxton joined me and gave me a fist bump.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
He smoothed his hair. “Showing Sasha around the grounds. There’s a pond down there. It’s really nice.”
I smirked to myself. Seeing Saxton with a girlfriend was, unexpectedly, not that weird at all. He was the same old Saxton, making jokes and bringing his lighthearted attitude to every situation. He still partied, still made crazy and questionable choices. Still drank like a fish. The only difference was, he now did all of that with the same girl.
The reverend joined us, and at the sight of him, the guests began to settle down. I kept my eye on the house, waiting with bated breath. I was faintly aware of the wedding coordinator still bustling around, talking to the reverend and the guitarist, but the doorway Lanie would be coming out of was the only thing in focus.
Another breath. Another few heartbeats. There was no time to tell myself again to calm down, because the music was beginning, the guitarist playing a soft tune.
The door of the old house opened, and Erica came out first. She smiled at everyone over her bouquet, and a low whistle came from somewhere in the crowd.
“Inappropriate,” Saxton dramatically gasped under his breath. For a moment, my nerves loosened, and I almost laughed—but Raven was coming out the door then.
She wore a blue dress like Erica, just cut in a different way, with the skirt longer and no sleeves. Smiling wide, she made her way down the aisle. She walked with the slightest limp, one that might have been unnoticeable if you weren’t paying attention. It was the one leftover symptom from the car wreck, something that would likely be with her for the rest of her life, as she’d broken her leg so badly.
The limp did
n’t get her down, though. Overall, she’d been positive about the whole thing. Now, as she reached the end of the aisle, she looked my way and absolutely glowed.
Love and pride filled my heart. Our relationship had gone through some tough times, but the last six months had been the best yet. Lanie had moved in with us just a couple months after we became engaged, and we’d fallen into our new family dynamics right away.
Danica, you’d be so proud of her.
I pressed my lips together, holding back tears. I’d spent a lot of time wondering about what my deceased wife would think about my life now. Without a doubt, I knew she’d be happy.
And maybe she was. Maybe she was looking down on us right then, beaming with pride over the young woman Raven was growing into and feeling happy for my new relationship. She would approve of Lanie, for sure. And if things had been reversed and I was the one who died, I would want the spouse I left behind to move on.
Yes, life was perfect. If I needed any further confirmation of that, all I had to do was look at the vision coming down the aisle.
The song had switched without my noticing. Everyone was standing, all eyes on the bride. With Bob at her side, Lanie practically floated my way, a bouquet of roses in her hands and a long train dragging behind her dress. Her hair had grown out over the last half year, and now it curled into a little bob against her chin.
Watching her, my fingers itched. I longed to run my hands through her hair, to press my lips to hers.
As she came closer, our gazes connected, and the love and trust in her eyes nearly floored me. I struggled for breath, the world spinning around me.
The song ended, and Lanie handed her bouquet to Erica. This was it.
The reverend began talking, but the words made no sense. For me, there was only Lanie. Her soft brown eyes. Her sweetly curved lips.
In a few short minutes, she would be mine. The whole world would know it.
“Here.” The voice was so close to my ear, I couldn’t not register it.
Saxton handed me the rings. Was it that time already?
As if knowing what was on my mind, he nodded encouragingly.
Taking Lanie’s hand, we slipped on the rings. We repeated the words. And then…
“You may kiss the bride,” the reverend said.
The bride!
Taking Lanie into my arms, I firmly pressed my lips to hers. Cheers echoed across the lawn.
Drawing back, I looked down into her smiling face, satisfied beyond belief in the realization that I would be doing that each and every single day for years to come.
People pressed in around us, hugging, patting our backs, and kissing our cheeks. Questions. Photos. The cutting of the cake. The first dance. On and on it went.
It wasn’t until hours later when the last champagne had been popped and dusk was creeping over the lawn, that Lanie and I were finally alone for the first time that day.
The band played a slow song, and I pulled Lanie closer to me. The white lights strung around the tent sparkled, and everyone we cared for chatted happily at the tables or out on the lawns.
“Well?” I asked, sending her into a lazy spin. The train had detached from her dress, but the skirt still flew out as she turned.
Lanie landed back in my arms with a smile. “Well, what?”
“Is this the wedding you hoped for?”
“It’s more.” She pressed her palm against my chest in that way I loved.
“And in a few short hours, we’ll be on a plane.” I tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. I’d gone all out for our honeymoon. A trip to Hawaii wouldn’t be perfect unless we took a private jet stocked with champagne, robes, and some special “adult toys.”
“I know. I can’t believe it.” Lanie looked sideways as we swayed. “And in another month, Raven will be gone.”
I followed her gaze. Raven and Jason sat at a nearby table with my parents, chatting away.
“It feels like I got hardly any time to be a mom,” Lanie said in a mournful little voice.
“Hey.” I tipped her chin up. “You know how much Raven loves you. She’ll be back soon.”
“I know.” She smiled, but the sadness was still there.
“Yeah.” I soothingly rubbed her back. “I’ll miss her too. But, hey. At least we won’t have to deal with any stomping on the stairs or blasting music for a few months.”
She laughed ruefully. “No,” she moaned. “I’m going to miss that too.”
“So will I,” I admitted.
Lanie snuggled closer to my chest, and I dropped my face to the top of her head. The song bled into another one, and we danced on. In our little bubble, nothing else existed. It was just me and her.
Thinking back, I couldn’t believe how long it had taken me to realize Lanie was exactly what I needed. We’d only dated for a couple months before I popped the question, but now even that seemed too long.
I’d known the moment I first saw her that she was different. She held something for me that no woman ever had. I’d been too thickheaded to see it at first, no matter that my body and heart were both constantly pulled toward her.
In the end, though, I’d figured it out and not a moment too soon.
I’d done what I was afraid to and taken a leap. For that, I’d been rewarded. Lanie was mine. For that night and forevermore.
Chapter 65
Lanie
I whisked the curtains open, taking in the white beach and the sparkling blue water. Palm trees and other foliage covered the far side of the bay. A few people surfed, but other than that, the area was empty.
“Oh my god,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”
Andrew’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind. “Yeah?” he murmured, laying a kiss on the side of my neck.
We’d gotten to the resort after dark the night before, and all I’d really gotten to see were the patios and the lobby. I’d pored over the brochure, though, listing all the things I wanted to do.
“I can’t believe we’re here for a whole week.” I rested my arms against Andrew’s.
“What do you want to do today?”
“Mm.” I leaned against him, thinking about it some. “Sunbathe? Take a surfing lesson? I dunno. What do you want to do?”
“Spend time with you.”
I spun around to face him. “I like that answer.”
A knock on the door made me look over his shoulder. “It’s so early. Who is that?”
Andrew shrugged but couldn’t hide the knowing look on his face.
“Andrew?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, only opened the door and accepted the breakfast tray an employee was wheeling in.
“Breakfast,” Andrew said, taking the silver cover off the spread.
“Is that champagne?” I nodded at the bottle and two flutes nestled between the breakfast plates. “At eight in the morning?”
“It’s our honeymoon.” Andrew grinned. “Do you have anywhere to be that requires you to be sober?”
“Not that I know of.” I laughed.
“Then cheers to us.” He popped the bottle and filled the glasses to the brim.
Ten minutes later and, somehow, I was on my second glass and jumping on the couch.
“Don’t spill your drink,” Andrew chastised with a smile.
I stuck my tongue out at him but stopped bouncing. It was making me too dizzy. Standing on the middle cushion, I finished off my champagne.
“Can you believe we got married just yesterday?” I asked.
“No,” he admitted. He was sitting on the sofa across from me, legs spread and arm languidly dangling over the seat’s back. I could have this man anytime I wanted, and yet my mouth still watered at the sight of him there.
“It feels strange. I’m going to have to get used to it.”
“What, you don’t like being married to me?”
“No! That’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just weird because, I don’t know. You’re my husband now.” I smiled at the word. “But I do l
ike it.”
“Good,” he answered in a syrupy voice.
“I miss Raven and Karen already.” I frowned.
Andrew laughed.
“I’m serious!” I chastised him. “Raven will be gone soon. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”
“She’ll be back before you know it. She’s just traveling to a few countries, not going to the moon.”
Still, I couldn’t smile. Over the last six months, Raven and I had become closer than I’d ever hoped. She was more than a stepdaughter to me. Because of the strange combination of the close age difference and the fact that I was her school counselor, we had a relationship that couldn’t really be labeled.
It was mostly like she was the sister I’d never had. Little sister, that was. Our relationship wasn’t completely rainbows and sunshine. I’d had to put on my parenting hat a few times and get on her case after she came home late. Mostly, though, we were thick as thieves.
Sighing, I plopped down on my butt.
Andrew patted the cushion next to him. “Come over here.”
Grinning, I set my champagne glass down on the end table. “Why?” I teased.
Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Are you playing hard to get?” he asked in a husky voice.
“Maybe.” I seductively trailed my finger across the top of my T-shirt. The champagne had given me a good buzz, making me feel like I wanted to be a little wild.
Slowly, my eyes on Andrew, I took my shirt off and dropped it to the floor. His lips twitched upward, but he didn’t say a thing.
Still making a big show out of the process, I stood up and wiggled out of my shorts. I still had my bra and panties on. Stretching my arms up high, I sighed. “See anything you like?”
Andrew chuckled. “I like everything I see.”
Winking, I did a little shimmy and unhooked my bra. Instead of exposing myself to my husband, I turned my back to him as I kicked off my panties. I could feel his hungry gaze on me. It heated up my skin and made desire collect between my thighs.