Redemption (Reunion Book 1)

by Adrienne Ruvalcaba

  “Well, apparently she came back. Can we let our son get back to work now?” Carlos said as he stood up.

  “Before you go, I should probably mention that she’s pregnant,” Diego said to his parents. “I just found out this morning. That’s why I don’t want to wait to get married.”

  At his words, Diego’s mother squealed and practically dove at him. He suddenly found himself mashed into a tight embrace with both of his parents as his mother wept with joy. She was saying something, but Diego couldn’t decipher a word that came out of her mouth just then. The only thing he knew was that this was the happiest he had ever seen her.

  On their way out of the office, Carlos turned to him and said, “We’ll be back this evening for the ceremony.”

  ***

  “Delilah Johnson, you are not getting married in travel pants and a wrinkled cotton shirt!” Heather exclaimed.

  “I don’t have anything else that fits right now,” Lilah quietly reminded her.

  “What time did you say the ceremony is?” Heather asked.

  “Six.”

  “Who is officiating? Are there going to be any decorations? What is Diego wearing? How many people have you invited to attend?”

  As the barrage of questions flew at her, Lilah fought the urge to melt into a little puddle of self-consciousness. She didn’t have the answer to any of those questions. “I don’t know. All I know is that Diego and I are getting married in his office at six o’clock tonight,” she said.

  “This is just too much,” Heather said with a sudden laugh. “Don’t you care about what kind of wedding you have?”

  Lilah thought about it for a moment, and realized she really only cared about who she was marrying. With James, she had been nervous about getting married, and she had distracted herself from that feeling by making plans for a nice wedding and reception. Today, the opposite seemed to be true. She was so excited to marry Diego; she honestly didn’t care where the ceremony took place. “I just want to get on with it,” she admitted.

  Heather shook her head and walked away in annoyance. She then whipped out her cell phone and started dialing numbers. Lilah watched in astonishment as Heather mobilized everyone necessary to pull together a wedding in less than eight hours.

  When three o’clock rolled around, Lilah had a dress, a hair stylist, a bouquet for the ceremony, a smattering of decorations, and plans for an intimate family dinner after the ceremony.

  Lilah had felt only slightly put out by the stylist’s suggestion to flatiron her hair. She had insisted on keeping her natural texture for her wedding, but neither Heather nor the stylist had much experience dealing with her texture. The three of them had finally settled on a sleek topknot with several strategically placed coils to frame her face.

  Once the style was complete, Heather stood behind her in the mirror and said, “I think this style looks so lovely on you. You were right about not straightening your hair.”

  “Thanks,” Lilah replied. She reached up and touched one of her springy coils and smiled at Heather in the mirror.

  “It’s a shame your mother can’t be here today, but you can’t really blame her with such short notice,” Heather said.

  “I know; it’s okay. We haven’t talked much since I found out Cyrus is my father,” Lilah admitted.

  “You should talk to her,” Heather replied. “I know it seems like a lot to deal with, but people make mistakes. Just look at what I did. I kept you from your father, and you are sitting here talking to me right now,” she pointed out.

  “I know, but that’s different from having an affair with a married man and then doing nothing with her life just because she was resentful about being a single mother,” Lilah said.

  “Lilah, your mother was young back then, and so was I. It’s harder out there than you think for single parents. I invited her to come for a visit. She’ll be here next week, and we are all going to try and get past the things we’ve done wrong.”

  Lilah took in a breath and nodded. “Okay,” she said as she tried to figure out how she felt about being in the same room with Cyrus, Heather, and her mother all at the same time.

  “I’ll shut up about it now. Let’s get your makeup done,” Heather said as she smiled again.

  By five o’clock, everyone in the house had slipped into their formal attire. Heather wore the same dress she wore to Cheryl’s wedding, and Lilah wore a dress that she had just picked out that morning.

  At Heather’s insistence, a woman from a formal wear shop in the area had personally delivered several dresses for Lilah to try on. A seamstress had then altered the one Lilah chose before leaving that afternoon. Lilah had sat through the process in amazement. When Heather had a goal in mind, she was a force to be reckoned with. People either fell in line and did her bidding with a smile, or she breezed through their resistance like an almost amiable dictator.

  ***

  Usually everyone who worked at city hall was ready to walk out the door no later than 4:30 on a Friday. Diego knew that news of his wedding must have spread beyond Mrs. Horta and Mr. Sanchez when 5:00 rolled around and not one person had started straightening their desk for the weekend. Everyone was lingering.

  Every time he left his office for something, he felt everyone’s eyes on him. He was also acutely aware of the multitude of whispers and quiet conversations about him throughout the afternoon.

  He was on the verge of making some kind of announcement and sending everyone home when his parents showed up with an entourage of people in formal attire.

  “Why is everyone still here? Don’t they go home at five?” his mother asked him.

  “Obviously, Mr. Sanchez told everyone I’m getting married today,” Diego groused. “I can’t just go tell them to leave without seeming like a jerk.”

  “Don’t worry about it. The more witnesses, the better. It’s okay,” his father said as he stepped forward with a garment bag.

  “What’s that?” Diego asked him.

  Carlos gave him a little frown and said, “You weren’t really planning to get married in your work clothes, were you?”

  Diego shrugged and fought the urge to look away from his father’s look of disapproval.

  “I picked up your suit from your brother’s wedding and had it cleaned today. Let’s get you cleaned up before Heather and her crew get here,” Carlos said.

  Diego knew there was no point in fighting their intervention, so he went with it.

  Half an hour later, he was standing in the restroom listening to a lecture on marriage as his father styled his hair for him. Once Carlos finished, Diego turned to look in the mirror and had to suppress his initial reaction.

  “What do you think?” Carlos asked with a smile.

  Diego raised his eyebrows and said, “I think I look a little bit like Ricky Ricardo. Is that the look you were going for?”

  “Of course! This is the same style I wore to my wedding forty years ago. It’s called the pompadour. I wanted to do one for Hugo, but he keeps his hair too short. It looks good on you,” Carlos replied with a smile as he clapped his hand down on Diego’s shoulder.

  Diego noticed tears in his father’s eyes. He wasn’t crazy about a style so old school it had been out of fashion when his father wore it four decades ago, but he turned to his father and said, “Yeah, I like it. I think Delilah will love it. Thanks, Dad.”

  Carlos grabbed him up in a tight embrace and whispered, “I’m proud of you, mijo. You will be a good husband and a good father.”

  “Of course I will. I grew up with the best,” Diego replied.

  Diego and Carlos exited the restroom to find Cyrus Brown standing just outside the door.

  “Cyrus needs to tell you something, mijo,” Carlos said as he took a step back.

  Diego looked to Cyrus as he stepped forward and said, “I just wanted to tell you all the usual stuff that fathers-in-law say when their daughters get married. Take care of my girl.”

  “Lilah is your daughter?”

  �
��Yes. I expect you to be good to her, certainly better than I was,” Cyrus said with unshed tears in his voice.

  Carlos stepped forward and placed a hand on Cyrus’s shoulder. “You didn’t know. Just take it one day at a time,” he said in a soothing tone.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” Diego said quietly.

  “You mean she hasn’t told you yet?” Cyrus asked.

  “We’ve hardly had a chance to talk about anything,” Diego admitted.

  “Well, you two will have plenty to talk about tonight,” Carlos chuckled.

  When the three of them got back to his office, he was surprised to see it now decorated with several bright splashes of flowers. After he took in the changed atmosphere, his eyes sought out Delilah. She was standing beside Heather, talking to Reverend White. She wore a cream colored vintage dress that reminded him of something straight out of a glamorous Old Hollywood movie.

  Lilah’s entire body seemed to light up when she finally noticed him. She smiled and offered him a little wave that was filled with barely contained excitement. He smiled and waved back at her.

  “Looks like the groom is here!” Reverend White said when he noticed Diego. “Is everyone ready to get started?”

  Diego looked around at everyone in the room. Lilah and Reverend White were surrounded by Heather and Cyrus, his mother and father, and his younger brother, Javier. Despite the late notice, Hugo and Cheryl had managed to attend as well. Almost everyone he cared about was in the room.

  “Where’s Mrs. Horta?” he asked before he joined them.

  “Isn’t she out there at her desk?” Maria asked. “Why would she be in here?”

  Diego stifled the urge to roll his eyes as he answered, “Because she’s family.” He then looked at Delilah and Reverend White and said, “Excuse me for a moment, por favor.”

  He stepped out of his office, and found Mrs. Horta typing away at her computer.

  “What are you doing out here?” he asked quietly.

  “No one invited me to come in, and tu jefita keeps giving me the evil eye,” she answered with a shrug.

  Diego could tell that her nonchalance was feigned. She looked like she had just wiped her eyes only moments ago. “Maybe no one thought to invite you in, because everyone in there knows I consider you to be family. They probably thought you’d come in on your own. And my mother was just giving me the evil eye earlier. I think she does that to everyone.” He then came around to the side of his desk, and extended a hand to her. He wrapped his arms around her after he helped her from her chair. “I couldn’t get married with you sitting out here; you are one of my best friends,” he said.

  “Oh, mijo!” she exclaimed as she wiped at her eyes.

  They entered his office, and Diego took his place next to Delilah. She glanced over at him and smiled as she reached out for his hand.

  The rest of the evening went by in a blur. Diego was grateful that Heather had thought to hire a photographer; otherwise, he might not have remembered much beyond the look in Lilah’s eyes as they spoke their vows to each other. Once they were officially husband and wife, there had been a great deal of well-wishing and hugging in his office. Everybody wanted to hug him, and then everybody wanted to hug Lilah. After hugging, they had moved on to taking lots of pictures.

  After the ceremony, everyone had driven to his parents’ house for a small reception dinner. Diego had made sure Mrs. Horta and her husband came along.

  Throughout dinner, he had sat next to Lilah and imagined everything that they needed to say to each other once they were alone. He also imagined going to her appointments with her. He remembered his father going to almost every appointment with his mother back when she was pregnant with his younger brother. He allowed his mind to wander far into the future; way further than he had ever dared to dream before.

  The moment they were alone, he swooped in and gave her the kiss he had been craving all day. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he pressed her close and stroked her lips with his tongue. As he breathed in her sweet scent, everything in his life felt perfect for the first time.

  “Wow,” she whispered in his ear. “I can’t believe today actually happened.”

  “I can,” he said softly. He sat down on the bed and looked up at her. “I guess you’re ready to talk about things,” he said with a sigh.

  “Yeah, we need to talk about things. Things like why you’re still wearing that suit and tie,” she said as she came closer, hiked up her wedding dress, and straddled his lap. “You look very good in it, but I think I like you better when you’re not wearing clothes.”

  She ran her hands slowly up the front of his chest, pushing his jacket off when her hands reached his shoulders. Next, she loosened his bowtie, and removed it with a little flourish. She was fiddling with the first button on his shirt when he surged forward to claim her lips again. “Why are you still wearing that dress?” he asked between kisses.

  His fingers seemed to work independent of his brain. Without a thought, he unzipped her dress and ran his fingers down her spine in a languid caress. Her legs clenched around him as she shifted closer, and he had to fight the sudden urge to flip her on her back and show her exactly what had been on his mind all night. He wanted to be inside her so badly, he ached with need.

  "Estoy muy enamorado de ti,” he whispered.

  “I love you too. I never thought I could fall this hard this fast,” she replied.

  At her words, his heart skipped a beat. “Does this feel too fast for you?” he asked.

  She responded with a series of kisses, branding a little trail down the side of his neck. Each time her lips touched him, Diego felt the fire within him burn hotter until it threatened to consume him.

  He pushed down the front of her dress, and she leaned back to reveal the peaks of her full breasts to his hungry gaze.

  “Bonita,” he breathed before taking one into his mouth.

  She tangled her fingers in his hair and pressed his face into her breast again. “Keep kissing me,” she softly pleaded. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Don’t you want to talk, querida?” He felt his carefully constructed façade of control melt away the longer they kissed and touched each other.

  “Yes, but let’s talk later,” she answered.

  With a growl of primal satisfaction, he kissed her deep and flipped her over onto her back. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. She captured his lips in another kiss that curled his toes and increased his need to be inside her. He stood up and quickly shed the rest of his clothes as she slipped out of her dress. Her eyes went straight to his erect penis and stayed there until he rejoined her on the bed.

  Suddenly, her hands were everywhere at once, eliciting shivers of delight all over his body. The throbbing ache to enter her as soon as possible drowned out almost every other thought in his head. “Te amo mucho,” he whispered against every inch of her smooth skin.

  He ran his hands over her expanding belly and she rested her hand on top of his. “Can you believe we’re going to be parents?” she whispered.

  “Yes, and I can’t wait. I’ve always wanted to be a dad,” he answered as he leaned down to kiss her belly.

  “Make love to me,” she said softly as she looked into his eyes again.

  He leaned down and kissed her belly again. He made slow circles with his tongue, moving closer and closer to the juncture between her thighs. “I want to taste you first,” he said.

  He pushed her legs apart and smiled up at her. “I’ve dreamed about being with you every night, Lilah.”

  Her head fell back against the pillow in silent surrender as he flicked his tongue against her sensitive little bud. He rejoiced in the way her body responded to him as he stroked her. When her climax neared, she wound her fingers through his hair. She breathed his name into the silence and shuddered against him as the waves of her release came over her.

  She pulled him up for a kiss and wrapped her legs around his wais
t. His heart pounded as he entered her still clenching wetness, and he lost himself in physical sensation. She met every thrust and welcomed his tongue when it delved deep into the inner sanctity of her mouth. The intensity of their lovemaking built until both of their bodies clamored for release. His climax neared, and he looked into Lilah’s eyes.

  “Look at me, mi amor. Can you see how much I love you?”

  She nodded, and he surged forward one more time, his body clenching as he climaxed. “Mi amor. Mi esposa,” he whispered against her neck as he caught his breath.

  As Lilah relaxed in Diego’s arms, she felt like she belonged to a real family for the first time in her life. His arms around her were a concrete reminder that he was now her husband. His parents had welcomed her into the fold with open arms, deepening her love for him.

  She couldn’t stop herself from running her hands over his chest and shoulders and listening to the steady tap of his heart. After he fell asleep, she thought about everything that had happened between them today. Her body grew heated again as she remembered their lovemaking. The knowledge that he loved her so much was the most powerful aphrodisiac she had ever encountered in her life. She pressed herself against him and planted a series of gentle kisses on his neck.

  He murmured something unintelligible as his arms wrapped around her. She kissed his chest and gently kneaded his muscles. “Muy guapo,” she whispered.

  “Umm,” he responded without opening his eyes.

  Lilah continued her quiet exploration of his body until his penis grew hard again. She wrapped her fingers around his shaft and kissed him until his eyes popped open. He gave her a look filled with such heat, she felt singed down to her core.

  She dipped her head down and took his fully erect penis into her mouth as he watched her. She stroked him with her tongue, enjoying the way his body involuntarily clenched when she did something he liked. He caressed the side of her face as she did her best to return the pleasure he had given her earlier.

  “I’m so close, baby,” he said as his body clenched tight and his movements became jerkier. “I can’t hold it back any longer.”