Nuptials for Sale
Page 13
I crawled up his chest and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
“Okay, now we can be serious. What’s up?” he pulled us both up into a sitting position. “Is this about me leaving my underwear on the bathroom floor last night? I said I would try to be neater, and I think I have been, but I can’t be trained overnight.”
“Be serious! This is important!” I said, even though I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
He straightened up and put a grave face on. When he felt ready, he gave me a nod letting me know I could start.
I took a deep breath. “For ten years you were my best friend and I loved you. You were there for me no matter what I was going through, and I could always count on you. I couldn’t imagine my life without you. But all that changed last year, when I left you at the altar.”
“Live on national television, too!” he said with a smile.
“Yes, live on national television,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “But let’s not forget that my biggest reason for doing that was because I didn’t want to hurt you.”
He leaned over and kissed my neck, “Yes, you are so kind.”
“Anyway,” I pushed him away and tried to get the conversation back on track. “For the past year, you’ve been both my boyfriend and my best friend.”
“Your bestboyfriend.”
“My bestboyfriend,” I smiled, “and the love that I felt for you before hasn’t changed, but now I am in love with you. I love everything about you, even the fact that you sometimes leave your underwear on the bathroom floor.”
A huge smile spread across his face. It wasn’t the first time I’d said ‘I love you’ to him, but that didn’t matter. Every time I said it, he smiled brightly.
“I love you too!” he said without hesitation.
I took another deep breath, “I can’t imagine my life without you, and I don’t want to.”
I sat up, with my hands behind my back, and pulled the gold band off my thumb.
“I can’t make up for the ten years that I wasted not seeing how perfect you were for me, but I’d like to try by offering you the rest of my life. Joshua Martin Matthews,” I held my hand out with the gold band in my palm, “will you make me the luckiest, and happiest, girl in the world by marrying me?”
Josh grinned, “I think I’m going to cry!” He fanned his hands frantically in front of his face like a pageant queen. Then, with a smile added, “Of course, I’ll marry you!” He pulled me against him in a huge embrace.
I shifted and grabbed his left hand. I slipped the gold band onto his ring finger and looked at him with a smile.
“It’s your dad’s ring. He gave it to me last year and I held on to it.” I explained as he inspected the ring.
“It’s perfect.”
I grabbed his hand and held it up to inspect the ring, “We have his permission, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I called him yesterday,” I shrugged, “to ask him for his permission.”
“You called him to ask his permission to use the ring?” Josh asked me slowly, as if he wasn’t sure if he understood.
“Yes, and to ask for your hand in marriage,” I said shyly.
He laughed loudly, “Did you really call to ask for my hand?”
“Yes, and he gave me his blessing.”
Josh smiled and gently cupped my face. He pulled me to him and kissed me passionately. Too soon, though, he broke the kiss and held my face inches from his.
“Are you sure this time?” he asked. Even though he was smiling, I could see a hint of worry in his eyes.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss me again, but I stopped him before he could press his lips to mine.
I held his face in my hands, “Just promise me that our wedding will be the way we want it, and not some big budget monstrosity that takes on a life of its own!”
“I promise that this time our wedding will be exactly what we want, and nothing else.” He smiled and pulled me to him for a kiss.
Epilogue
Melody Jane Holden and Joshua Martin Matthews were married on May 14, 2011. The ceremony was held in the bride’s parents’ backyard. The Rev. Michael Darden officiated the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of George and Catherine Holden. The groom is the son of Martin Matthews and the late Helen Matthews. The ceremony was held in front of twenty of their closest friends and family. The bride wore a simple, yet elegant gown, and the groom wore a linen suit. A garden reception was held immediately following the ceremony. The couple honeymooned in Hawaii prior to the wedding date, and will continue to reside in the apartment they’ve shared for two years. For the record, the bride and groom would like it to be known, that no one sponsored the event, it was not filmed, and the bride and groom planned and paid for every penny of it!
About the Author
Virginia Jewel lives a simple life with her dog and cat. When not working at her real job, or writing, she spends way too much time watching reruns and shopping at her local “SuperMart”.
Follow her on her blog at http://virginiasbookshelf.blogspot.com or on Twitter @VaJewel