The Competition
Page 31
Truckloads of white flowers had been coming in all afternoon, and more than a dozen of Maggie’s coworkers had arrived to arrange them. The old oak had become the perfect backdrop, and mounds of blooms were heaped at its base. Long swags of flowers draped its spreading branches. Even the old wooden swing had tendrils of white winding its ropes.
“Nervous?” Dean asked, tucking a bloom into my buttonhole. I pulled on the back of my jacket and stuck a finger down the collar of my shirt.
“Perfect,” I answered dryly. “Where the hell is Maggie? She disappeared hours ago.” The guests were already arriving and beginning to take their seats.
“She had a dress to buy, Joe,” Jackie shot back. “And she got back twenty minutes ago. No matter how casual she wanted this to be, a girl still wants to look like a bride on her wedding day.” She gave Dean an exasperated look. “I’m going to go give her a hand.”
“Maggie told me about Dad,” Dean said quietly, brushing at my jacket. “It doesn’t change how we grew up… but it helps somehow, just to know…”
“He had a hard life and fought lot of battles… both inside and out,” I said. “But underneath it all, he was an honorable man.”
“Growing up, you were the one I looked up to, Joe.” His dark eyes were sincere, so much like his sister’s. “I’m sorry… for not accepting… for not seeing it sooner. How much you love Maggie. And how she could never have loved anyone else…
But life isn’t going to be easy. Maggie’s a handful on her best day. She’s going to push the limits, every chance she gets.”
“I know,” I admitted with a smile. “I love her… and her passion is part of the reason why.” I took Dean’s palm in mine. “After all, what’s life?... without an occasional storm to break the calm...”
I gripped his hand, pulling him to my chest, wrapping our forearms together in a strong and solid bond. “I love you, too, Dean. We’ve always been family… we always will be.
I swear it.”
“Swear it to her,” he said, with a smile and a tilt of his head.
“...Here comes your bride…”
48
Maggie
Tomorrow’s forecast: Unseasonably mild, with high clouds and clear skies.
It had taken most of the afternoon, but it had been worth it… to see the look on his face.
I’d buckled to convention, giving in to the salesgirl’s insistence on white. The dress I’d chosen had long, elegant lace sleeves and a neckline that swept modestly from one shoulder to the other. But it was hardly traditional. The skirt was daringly short, edged with a delicate fringe, and exposed the long length of my legs… And I’d found the perfect pair of tiny, white leather boots…
Dean took my arm and walked me the last few steps down the grassy aisle. I stood next to Joe and was rewarded by the tremble of his lips and the hungry glimmer in his eyes. He looked down at me and smiled. I saw the tip of his tongue sweep discreetly across his bottom lip, and it was my turn to tremble…
“I adore you for those,” he whispered lasciviously. His lips touched the curve of my ear and I felt my knees weaken. “I’ll show you later how much… I have a little gift for you…”
I slipped my hand into his and looked around, at all the friends and family who surrounded us. I turned and gave Jackie a grateful smile, finding her damp-eyed and smiling, too, next to my brother. Ryan was at Joe’s side, looking pleased and proud.
But as the ceremony began, it felt like Joe and I were the only two people left in the whole world. There was music I could barely hear… words that swept past us in a whisper. Everything that happened around us seemed soft, and distant. The one real thing was Joe. He held my hands in his, never letting go. He held my eyes with his gaze, as if I was all he could see.
A thousand memories of us filled his eyes.
I looked around, at the only home I’d ever known, the only man I’d ever wanted. I saw the only future I’d ever dreamed of… there, in his strong, beautiful face. He slipped the ring on my finger… and we made our solemn vows. But it was the bond in our hearts, strengthened by the joining of our bodies, that had already made us one.
He drew me into his arms and kissed me. And the joy that filled me was like the very first time…
Hours later, after we’d said our goodbyes and waved the last of the guests away, I collapsed gratefully into his arms. We sat together on the front porch steps, his legs spread wide, and I nestled comfortably between them. I rested the back of my head in the curve of his shoulder and sighed deeply.
He held up my hand and turned it in under the gentle, yellow porchlight. My ruby sparkled, spitting tiny flames, and the diamond band glittered cooly beside it. “Mrs. Decker,” he said against the side of my head. “I like the sound of that.”
“Blake-Decker,” I corrected, butting him gently with my shoulder. “How about… Joseph Decker-Blake?” I teased.
“Hmm… I’ll have to think on that one,” he replied, kissing my neck and getting to his feet. “I almost forgot… I have a wedding present for you.” He disappeared inside the screen door.
“Bring me another piece of cake…?” I called out. I looked up and took a long delicious breath of cool night air. The stars were finally out, shining like tiny points of celebration in the dark. The white flowers from the ceremony seemed to light the yard, as well. Everything had been so beautiful.
He handed me a paper plate with an indulgent smile. “What...? I like cake…,” I said, as he sat back down beside me. He held a wide, shallow box in his hands.
“For my wife,” he said, dipping his finger in my frosting. “This is how I spent our wedding day, while you were out finding those fucking delicious boots…” He ran his finger up my thigh, leaving a trail of sweet, white sugar… “Open it.”
I lifted the lid. “An album?” I asked, pulling the book out of the box. “Pictures from the article you published…? Oh…, Joe…”
I turned the cover back, excited at the idea of having all the originals put together into a collection. As I flipped the pages, my excitement turned to wonder. I felt my jaw go slack as I turned page after page….
“I wanted you to see what I see,” Joe said, tucking his face into the curve of my neck. He looked over my shoulder and turned the pages for me slowly, as I sat stunned and staring. Each photograph was of me. Holding a child, or holding a hand. One image after another, creating a larger whole… the bigger picture. I saw myself through Joe’s eyes, and what I saw was love.
“All grown up, Maggie. A woman with enough courage and strength to give us all hope. That’s who I see when I look at you, sweetheart. You reminded me what it feels like… to have passion… to have purpose. Don’t ever stop, Maggie. No matter what our tomorrows bring…
Don’t ever stop…”
He reached into the bottom of the box and drew out an envelope. I opened it and took out two tickets…
“I didn’t think an ordinary honeymoon laying out on a beach would satisfy you,” he said. “But I thought perhaps Africa might…
A little honeymoon… maybe a little foundation work mixed in, too…” He caught me into his arms as I held his hands tight. “I don’t know if we can change the whole world, sweetheart. But if anyone can… it’s you…”
He stood, pulling me against him and kissing me until my blood was pounding in my veins. He looked down at me, his eyes filled with love and promise. The heat of his body and the challenge in his eyes made me hot and shameless in the cool night air. I could feel his eyes on my flesh… my legs… His jaw tensed and that muscle twitched, pulsing deliciously. I bit into my lip and smiled my most wicked smile…
I took his hand and led him under the wide, sprawling branches of the old oak. I gasped, needy and breathless, as I sat down on the rough wooden seat and felt his delicious warmth behind me. His scent filled the air as I lifted the tiny skirt of my gown, bending forward and baring my naked, waiting flesh. I looked over my shoulder, met his dangerous gaze and smiled boldly…
“Push
me?”
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