“Okay.” I nodded and followed the porter, gazing around me as I went.
He placed the bag Mom packed for me into the back of a golf cart and indicated for me to sit. It was hard to resist his friendly smile, and I gave him a polite grin as I sat down beside him.
Thankfully he didn’t try to strike up any conversation. Instead he hummed as we drove around the curving pathway. Lush vegetation that had been tamed by expert gardeners grew on my right while the vast ocean lapped against the rocks on our left. The salty breeze cooled my skin, urging me to relax. Tucking my bangs behind my ear, I adjusted my shades and willed myself to listen.
I couldn’t come somewhere this beautiful only to be consumed by sadness. If I was going to think straight, I did need to relax.
The cart stopped outside a luxurious villa and I gave the porter a bemused frown. “Here?”
“Yes, here.” He grinned, the smile taking over his face.
Jumping out, he grabbed my bags, and I followed him up the path to a place that looked like it was reserved for celebrity guests. I was surprised they’d put Sarah up in such flashy accommodation. I supposed she was organizing their big event. It made me wonder how amazing the couple’s villa must be.
The porter opened the door, and I was expecting to walk into a cacophony of wedding gear—a table covered with centerpieces, bridesmaids’ dresses, and shoes neatly lined up for the day. Possibly a lavish wedding gown she’d made.
But when the porter ushered me inside, all I saw was a pristine villa. Beautiful cane couches with plump white cushions and turquoise throw pillows sat in a U-shape on the large beige tiles. The bifold doors were open, giving me a view of palm trees and sparkling ocean. Dividing the villa from the beach was a gorgeous swimming pool surrounded by comfy-looking deck chairs.
I gaped at the porter, who just kept smiling as he placed my bag in the bedroom. With a polite nod, he excused himself and left me to get settled.
It took me a few moments to move. I was still too stunned by what Sarah had arranged for me.
Sliding off my long-sleeve shirt, I folded it as I walked into the bedroom, figuring I should probably open up my bag and find out what my mother had actually packed.
But as I walked into the room, I spotted something on the bed that made me jerk to a stop.
In the middle of the navy blue duvet, about a foot down from the mountain of plump pillows, was a small ring box. The lid was open…and inside was a diamond ring that had an old passed down through the generations kind of look about it.
I gasped. My first thought was that the porter must have accidentally dropped me at the bridal suite. Humiliation swept through me and I was about to grab my bag and run to find Sarah when someone stepped out from hiding and whispered, “Hello, Jane.”
My eyes glassed with instant tears as I gazed across the room at Harry.
He was dressed in slacks and a rumpled shirt. His hair was a mess, his face peppered with light stubble. But his eyes froze me. They drank me in, sparkling with affection as a slow smile drew out his lips.
“Wh…” I breathed then pointed to the ring on the bed then back to him. “Wha…?”
His snicker was soft as he scratched the back of his neck and inched to the edge of the bed. “I know you told me this was too hard, but I just had to see you. I had to give this one more chance. So, please, if you could just hear me out…and then if you still don’t want to…I’ll go.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Does Sarah know—?”
“It was her idea.”
“Right.” I crossed my arms and glanced at the ring again. My heart was throbbing in my chest, pounding through my head and making it hard to hear.
I closed my eyes and drew in a breath. As soon as they popped back open, Harry started talking, his voice husky and earnest.
“I know you’re scared, and I am too. I know our histories are connected in this horrible way, and I wish you’d never had to face that, Jane. But the truth is, it’s in the past. We were wrong to hide it from each other, but maybe it was fate. If we’d known the truth we never would have had the chance to fall in love, but now I want to tell you everything. I want to know you, Jane, and I want you to know me. I want to build a life with you.” His smile was deep with yearning. “Nothing we do or say can change what happened. The only thing we can control is what we do with the here and now.” His fingers curled into a fist, which he tapped against his palm. “I wish I could stand here and promise you that everything’s going to work out. But I can’t. Because I don’t know what the future’s going to dish up. I don’t know if we’ll have a day, a week, a decade, a lifetime together. It’s what I want but I can’t promise it.” He sighed and cringed, running a hand through his hair as if he was annoyed at screwing up his speech.
I wanted to tell him to keep going, that he was doing great, but I couldn’t speak.
“Look, all I can promise is to love you in every moment that I’m given. And right now, I want to marry you. And tomorrow, if we’re lucky enough to wake up beside each other, I will cherish you then too…and the next day and the day after that. I will love you and care for you for as long as life gives me. I can say that with absolute conviction because you breathed life back into me and I can’t live without you now.” His voice wobbled. “I love you so much.”
Tears were making it impossible to see. I slashed them off my cheeks and sniffed. Harry was still blurry, but I managed to see him grab the box off the bed and walk toward me. Dropping to one knee, he held up the ring.
“I know it’s terrifying. Love is dangerous and it can tear you in half, but I think us together is worth that risk. So to hell with it, Janey. Let’s jump into life together, eh? What do you say?”
It took a moment for me to swallow. I wiped a few more tears off my cheeks before giving him a wonky smile and whispering, “Geronimo.”
His desperate expression dropped away and he gaped at me for a moment. “Geronimo?”
My head bobbed erratically. “Geronimo.”
A wide smile burst across his face and he jumped up, grabbing me into a hug and spinning us around. “Geronimo!”
I laughed and cried, making these stupid whimpering sounds as he placed me down and slipped the ring on my shaky finger.
“It’s Nan’s,” he murmured, his eyes shining as he smiled at me. “She wanted you to have it.”
I touched the cluster of diamonds, cherishing how truly precious it was. The thought that his sweet grandmother had passed it on only intensified my tears.
Harry gently took my face and brushed the tears away with his thumbs before leaning down to kiss me.
His tender lips melted against mine and he murmured, “Geronimo” one more time before swiping his tongue into my mouth and reminding me of what home felt like.
I clutched his shoulders, diving into the kiss like it was the only thing I was born to do.
When he pulled back for air, I mumbled against his lips, “I love you. I love you.”
We kissed some more, his hands gliding down my back and pulling me against him. I was getting ready to take things to the next level and christen the bed when the villa door burst open and Sarah hurried in.
“Oh, thank God.” She tipped her head back and clapped her hands before pointing at Harry. “I told you, you had nothing to worry about.”
He chuckled, still holding me tight as I leaned my cheek against his shoulder.
“Okay, let’s get going.” She flicked her fingers at me.
“What?” I frowned at my friend as Harry took a step back.
“We have so much to do. The wedding’s at sunset. Come on, let’s go.”
“I’m sorry.” I frowned at her. “I didn’t realize you were expecting me to be your little helper!” I couldn’t hide my terse tone. It may have been selfish, but I kind of had better things to do than rush around for some bride I didn’t even know.
“I’m not.” She giggled. “I’m expecting you to be the bride.”
My breath hit
ched and I glanced at Harry. He winked at me then ran the back of his finger down my cheek. “You deserve a beautiful wedding, not a courthouse. But we knew you didn’t want to have to plan one again.”
“So, I did it for you. Trust me, it’s going to be awesome!” Sarah sang, then grabbed my wrist and started tugging me out of the room.
I turned back to glance at Harry. His smile was like the sun as he mouthed, “See you soon.”
All I could do was give him the same smile back as I was whisked away to get ready for my wedding.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Harry
The grains of sand were cool beneath my feet. I stood there twitching as the cool breeze ruffled my curls. I was still in a mild state of shock that Jane had said yes. I guess I prepped myself for the big NO a little too well. At that moment, while I waited for my bride, I was caught in a surreal bubble. Sarah’s brilliant surprise had paid off…and I was the luckiest man alive.
Justin and I had lit the torches that would guide Jane to my side. Behind me a guitarist I didn’t know was tuning up for the walk down the aisle song. I had no idea what Sarah had chosen. Trying to coordinate it all from overseas had been slightly complicated, and in the end she told me to trust her and go with it.
All I really cared about was marrying Jane, so I gave in easily and followed all her instructions. When I arrived at the resort only a few hours before Jane, I was blown away by the luxury of it all, but Sarah told me her father owned a big record company and could afford to shell out for her best friend. My parents had paid for my flights as a wedding gift. I felt bad they couldn’t be there, but in an effort to make Jane’s wedding as un-wedding-ish as possible, we’d kept the guest list to only two witnesses—Sarah and Justin. I promised my parents a grand celebration over Christmas, then vowed to do the same for Jane’s family over Thanksgiving. I was pretty sure her mother was in the throes of arranging a party as I stood on the beach waiting for my future wife.
Clearing my throat, I straightened the linen shirt Justin had brought to me a couple of hours earlier. It was white and I’d left the top two buttons undone and rolled up the sleeves. I looked like I was ready for a casual dinner by the poolside. Just the look Sarah was going for.
Justin tapped me on the shoulder. “Y-you good?”
“Yeah, mate. I’m feeling bloody tops right now.” I nodded, and he gave me a little thumbs-up.
“This is r-right. If she’s gonna marry anyone, i-it should be you.”
I turned to him, my smile grateful as I extended my hand. “Thank you. That means a lot. Sarah told me how close you were to your brother.”
He shook my hand and nodded, then noticed something at the end of the beach. His eyebrows shot up, and he spun me back around before pointing at the guitarist.
The sun was setting behind me, lighting Jane’s way with a golden beam. As she stepped into it, my breath hitched, my eyes welling with tears while the guitarist behind me started playing and singing, “Thinking Out Loud.”
I couldn’t take my watery gaze off her as she walked down the aisle with Sarah. Her red hair was curled and floating around her shoulders. A white flower was tucked behind her ear, pressed against her freckled cheek. Her dress was teal blue, reminding me of the waters from our European holiday. The soft fabric floated around her ankles, catching on the breeze and moving like its own ocean as she glided toward me. Pearl chains decorated her feet, wrapping around her big toes and up to her ankles. My eyes traveled back up her body again and over the fitted bodice that wound around her torso, culminating to a one-shoulder strap that was gathered with a neat line of pearls.
She looked breathtaking.
The song drew to a close just after she reached me. I took her hand and held it, gazing down at her with all the love and affection I possessed. It was a lot. I was overflowing with the emotion, my beaming smile testament to how much she owned my heart.
The celebrant’s deep voice eased into our moment, guiding us through a simple ceremony that finished as the sky turned dark orange.
I kissed her under the night’s first stars, treasuring the feel of her arms wrapping around my neck, her soft breath kissing my skin just before her lips did.
Sarah cheered while Justin clapped behind me, and I lifted Jane off her feet. She laughed into my mouth, then touched her nose against mine.
“I love you, Mr. Tindal.”
“And I love you, my sweet Jane.”
She smiled and kissed me again while the celebrant announced us husband and wife and the guitarist kicked in with another rendition of “Thinking Out Loud.” It was the perfect song for the moment, and although I still had no idea how long I’d get to love the beautiful woman, I was confident that I would love her with everything, any chance I got.
My wife.
My beautiful Jane.
A love I would never take for granted.
*****
Jane glided across the bedroom floor, her teal dress still floating like water. It had been all night and I’d been mesmerized by it. I lay on the bed watching her. We were stuffed full of delicious food and slightly buzzed after one too many glasses of champagne. It had been the best night of my life. Watching Jane walk down the aisle toward me, hearing her declare she wanted to be mine…
I spun the simple gold band on my fourth finger and shook my head. I’d fought becoming a husband for so long, but maybe life had made me wait for Jane.
Who knew?
All I did understand with every fiber of my being was that the decisions I’d made throughout my day had been the right ones, and hopefully I could say that same thing tomorrow night.
“Come to bed, wifey.” I patted the mattress.
Jane giggled and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I will, I just have to give you something.”
She pulled a booklet from her bag and walked over to me. With a mystified smile, I took it and studied the dragons on the front cover.
“Brandy wanted me to give it to you.”
“She did this?”
Jane nodded.
I grinned and sat up, thumbing through the book while pride pulsed through me. That girl was a talent.
“It’s amazing,” I murmured, running my finger over the mended heart on the last page.
“She gave it to me just before she left for Chile. And then the principal walked in with that envelope from Sarah.”
Setting the booklet aside, I turned to Jane and took her hand. “You didn’t mind us surprising you?”
She tipped her head and let out a rueful chuckle. “As much as I hate surprises, I think it’s sometimes the only way to bust through my stubborn veneer. I was so scared of losing you.” She ran her fingers down my cheek. “I needed to see your face. The second I did, I knew I couldn’t keep pretending. I may have found my way to a contented life eventually, but you make me so incredibly happy and I shouldn’t deny myself that joy. Even if I only get it for another day.”
I lightly held her wrist and kissed her palm. “Jane, we could have a lifetime of days ahead of us.”
Her smile faltered like she couldn’t quite believe it.
“It doesn’t matter how many we get.” I kissed her wrist. “Let’s just live one day at time and make the most of it.”
“I like the sound of that.” Her smile grew wide and beautiful.
I leaned forward and kissed it, gently pushing her onto the bed so I could cover her with my body. Working my way across her cheek, I kissed her neck and down across her bare shoulder. She let out a blissful sigh, running her fingers into my hair and whispering, “You’ve added so many things to my list today.”
I looked up at her and grinned. “Do you have it with you? We could write them on and cross them off.”
She giggled then wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t touched the list since you left LA.”
“Well, that won’t do.” My eyebrows knit together.
Her eyes sparkled as she brushed her teeth over her bottom lip. “Do you want to start a new on
e? We could call it ‘Jane and Harry’s To Do List.’”
“Or…” I lightly nipped her shoulder, then gave her a cheeky wink. “We could call it ‘Jane and Harry’s Done It List.’” Gliding my hand down her leg, I gathered the soft material with my fingers, sliding it up until I could reach her smooth skin. Palming her thigh, I traveled up to her perfect bottom and gave it a gentle squeeze.
She chuckled and hooked her leg over my thigh, giving me full access to her delectable arse.
“Let’s stop making a list of wishes and start writing down everything we’ve achieved instead. We know what it’s like to lose. We know the importance of making life count. Adding to our list each day will be a reminder that we’re not wasting our lives, that we’re living in the moment and cherishing all it has to offer.”
Her eyes glittered like fireflies as she pressed her body against mine and kissed me. Rubbing her thumb over my bottom lip, she smiled and whispered, “You want to add something to the list right now?”
“If that hungry look in your eye is saying what I think it is, then most definitely.”
She laughed and wriggled out of my grasp. “Come on, then.”
“Where are you going?” I rolled over to watch her run around the bed. She stopped in the doorway and unhooked the strap of her dress. My body stirred with desire at the sound of her zipper coming undone. Wriggling her hips, she shimmied out of the dress then whipped her knickers off.
“Aphrodite,” I whispered with a smile.
Her cheeks flamed with color as I openly admired her. “I’ve always wanted to make love in the water. Fancy a midnight dip in the pool?”
I was ripping off my shirt before she’d even finished talking. As soon as my pants hit the floor, I walked across the room naked and swept her into my arms. Carrying her through the villa, we stepped into the tropical night air. I stopped at the edge of the pool and smiled down at her moonlit face.
“Geronimo, sweet Jane.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and squealed as I jumped into the water. The second our heads popped above the surface, our lips met in a wet, frenetic kiss that rivaled our first reunion. Her legs wrapped around my hips and I walked her to the edge of the pool, where I happily added the first item to our list.
Geronimo (A Songbird Novel) Page 18