She slid down and looked up at me, a smile on her face. “Well, that takes pressure off of everything.”
I chuckled and said, “Yeah. I guess it does.”
Lacing her fingers in mine, she guided me back into the bakery. “Okay, we need to head back in and decide which cake we want.”
My heart nearly started beating out of my chest. I pulled her to a stop. “Kynslee, we don’t have to get married now. I mean, we can wait until you’re ready. There’s no need to rush.”
With a sexy smile, she tilted her head and gazed at me for a moment or two. “I know there’s no rush, Miles. I want to marry you. I want to start our lives together, and I’m tired of waiting. I feel something in here,” she pointed to her chest. “A longing I buried for so long. I love you, and I know you love me. I want to build a house, buy one of those SUVs that will fit a couple of car seats. I want to have your baby. I want what we have both been waiting for. I want to be your wife.”
My pulse thundered in my ears, and I wrapped my arms around her, lifting her up and spinning her while she let out the most beautiful-sounding laugh.
Kynslee giggled, then kissed me as I let her slowly slide down my body.
“You just made me the happiest man in the world.”
“Do you know what will make me happy?” she asked.
“An orgasm in the backseat of my truck?”
Playfully slapping my chest, she replied, “Yes, but not now. What will make me happy is getting the cake picked out.”
She gave me one more quick kiss and pulled me back into the bakery. After another round of tasting, the vanilla cake with the strawberry filling was the winner. The chocolate fudge was picked for the groom’s cake which was going to be decorated like the Marine Corps symbol. When I looked over at Kynslee laughing with my sister and Heather, I finally let myself believe this wasn’t a dream.
This was real, and I was going to be marrying my best friend, my lover, the woman I had loved nearly my entire life, in just a few days. It was almost too perfect.
Kynslee
WITH MY EYES closed, I took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. I repeated the process until I no longer felt like I was suffocating from the inside out.
“Panic attack. They suck so hard.”
Heather’s whisper filled the room. I peeked one eye open and looked at her. She motioned with her fingers like she was zipping up her lips. I closed my eyes again and repeated the breathing technique.
“So why didn’t you see this coming?” I heard Patty ask Heather, to which I heard a hand slapping against skin.
“Ha. Ha.”
“Do you think she’ll go through with it? I mean, folks in town think she’s pregnant,” Patty whispered, loudly.
I dropped my hands and opened my eyes. Heather and Patty both took a step back.
“You do know I can hear every word you bitches are saying, right?” I asked.
They nodded.
“Shit, I knew bridezilla would show up eventually,” Heather said with laughter in her voice.
I buried my face in my hands and screamed. I was nervous. I was excited. I was scared. And most of all, I was feeling sick as a dog. No, I wasn’t pregnant. I took four tests to confirm that.
“I’m going to get sick,” I said. Heather ran for the little trash can as Patty bounced into action and grabbed a wet cloth.
With the trash can positioned under me, I took a few deep breaths. Patty bent down. “Honey, are you preggers?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Positive?” Heather asked.
Nodding, I replied, “Yes.”
They both stood up and said, “Thank God.”
There was a light tap on the door to my old bedroom. I was getting ready in my folks’ house and the plan was to walk to the barn where the ceremony was taking place. It was early November and the weather couldn’t have been any better. Sunny, a high of seventy, and a very light breeze.
“Come in,” Heather said. We all looked in to see my father. He took one look at me and smiled.
“Hey Daddy.”
“Hey sweetheart, do you mind if I speak with Kynslee alone, girls?”
“Not at all, Uncle Steve. We’ll be outside,” Patty said.
As Heather walked by, she stopped. “She’s a bit nervous, not pregnant.”
Daddy smiled and nodded. He shut the door and made his way over to me. Sitting down next to me, he let out a soft sigh.
“I know you’re probably not happy with me going on with the wedding, but I love him, Daddy. I want to be his wife.”
“Now why do you just assume I’m not happy?”
With a half shrug, I replied, “You don’t like Miles.”
My father laughed. “I don’t know why you think I don’t like the boy. Yes, I hated seeing you wait for him all those years, but at the same time, I can understand why he didn’t want to put you through that worry. I’m simply happy the two of you have found your way to each other. Miles has proven to me that he cares for you. The day he showed up looking for you, the boy looked like hell. Then, in the middle of planning a rushed wedding, dealing with his deadbeat father, the guy got dressed up like a spice and worked the fall festival booth with you. Which by the way, great custom idea, sweetheart. And Miles even suggested to me another idea for next year. Soap and a loofah.”
I smiled and bumped his shoulder with mine. “Thank you, and I think the soap and loofah idea needs a bit of revisiting when the time comes.”
“What I’m trying to say is, I know he loves you, Kynslee. I see it in the way he looks at you. As long as he makes you happy, I’m happy.”
“He does, Daddy. He makes me very happy.”
He winked at me. “Then why is your head hanging in a waste basket?”
Laughing, I set it on the floor. “Funny, I feel better. Like a weight has lifted off my shoulders.”
“You were worried about what I thought of Miles?”
“Yes and no. I was letting my mind think too hard on things, I need to just let it go.”
“That’s my advice on just about everything. There are only a few small things in this world that we can truly control, Kynslee. Focus on making your life happy, filling it with the things you love, and I promise, the rest will fall into place.”
I kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He stood. “You best get back to getting ready. I saw your future husband a few minutes ago, and he was a sight.”
Standing, I felt myself grin. “How was he?”
“Well, if I’m being honest, he looked about the same as you when I walked into the room. The boy was nearly jumping out of his skin to marry you.”
I laughed. “Nervous too, huh?”
“The day I married your mother I felt the same way. My biggest worry was whether I could make her as happy as she made me. Miles was feeling similar.”
I felt the tears building in my eyes.
“Oh no, do not cry, Kynslee. Your mother warned me if I made you cry I wasn’t going to be able to have any cake!”
Laughing, I hugged my father. “I love you, Daddy. Thank you for helping make all this happen. I walked through the barn this morning, it looked beautiful.”
“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Kynslee. Now, let me bring everyone back in. I think they want you getting dressed.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He kissed me once more on the forehead. “I love you, baby girl.”
Once my father left the room, everything turned into a whirlwind of excitement. Heather, Patty, and Lana all helped me get ready. Baby Wanda was in the room, and each time she made one of those precious little sounds, it felt like a bolt of lightning hitting my womb. Good Lord, the baby bug was hitting me hard, and on my wedding day, no less.
My blonde hair was pulled up from the sides with ringlet curls hanging down and resting on my bare back. A few wisps framed my face. I wore pearl drop earrings that were a gift from Ally. She told me her m
other had worn them when she married Miles’s grandfather. Ally had never gotten the chance to wear them in her own wedding, but she said she was glad they weren’t wasted on a jerk like Peter.
“It’s time for the dress!” Heather called out.
I watched my mother unzip the bag and take the beautiful white lace dress out. It had been a pure miracle that I’d fallen in love with the second dress I tried on. We had driven into Austin and visited a small bridal store on the north side of town, Alexia Gavela, where my mother bought her gown when she married my father. The gown fit like it had been made just for me and needed only a few small adjustments to make it perfect. I loved it because it was sophisticated, yet sexy as hell. Miles was going to freak when he saw me in it.
“Okay, let’s get this on!” Heather said as she helped me slide into the form-fitting dress. I turned and looked at myself in the long mirror. Everyone stared, including me.
“You look amazing in that dress. Miles is going to pull it off of you,” Patty said. “Sorry, Aunt Ally.”
My mother laughed and looked at me in the mirror. Our eyes met. “You look stunning, but your father may have a heart attack when he sees you in this dress. And Miles will most certainly be affected.” He wiggled her brows.
“Mom!” I said, feeling my cheeks turn hot.
Glancing back at the dress, I took it all in. The white lace gown had a few accents of beads and pearls on it, but nothing that took away from the gorgeous design. The plunging tank bodice left little to the imagination, to say the least. It was fully lined in a beige mesh that gave it a barely there look. It made the white lace lining pop and showed the incredible detail. The drop scalloped back went all the way to the bottom of my back, exposing my skin and adding that perfect touch of sexy.
My mother touched my arm, causing me to pull my gaze off the dress and face her.
“This is for you. Your something new.” She slipped a silver bracelet onto my arm. It had diamonds circling the band and caught the light in the most beautiful way.
“Mom, this is stunning.”
“It’s from your father and me. I have one more thing. It’s from your sister.”
My chin trembled as she pulled out the diamond and pearl hairpin that had been my sister June’s. “As you walk through the barn, it will catch the light from all the white twinkle lights, and it will be just like she’s with you.”
I fought to hold back my tears. “She is with me. With us.”
My mother nodded.
“They’re both beautiful, and I will treasure them always.”
With a smile, she kissed my cheek. “You look stunning, sweetheart. A vision in white. Miles is going to be knocked right off his feet.”
Pulling in a deep breath, I looked back at my reflection in the mirror. “I can’t wait to see him.”
“His two Marine Corps buddies showed up right on time. They all look so handsome.”
“Handsome? Aunt Ally, they are all drop-dead gorgeous. The moment they walked into the house I heard all the women’s ovaries bursting at once, including mine.”
We all laughed.
Heather walked up to me and smiled, making me get all teary-eyed again.
“You have your something borrowed.” She touched my earrings. Then she looked at the bracelet. “You have your something new.”
I sniffled and fought to keep my emotions in check.
“You need something old, and something blue.”
She held up a blue lace garter belt that was covered in crystals and pearls. I gasped when she held it out for me to see.
“Miles told me he found this in Paris at a store next to the place he bought your engagement ring.”
I was losing the battle of not crying. My eyes went form the garter to Heather. “He bought this for me?”
She nodded, and her own inner battle to keep from crying was evident.
“He’s so damn romantic, and he doesn’t even try! It’s not fair!” Heather said.
We both giggled as Patty and my mother lifted my dress, and Heather slipped the garter on.
“There’s one more thing you need,” Heather said. She held up a small silver coin. “A sixpence in your shoe.” She slipped the sixpence into the small pocket on the garter belt. “For prosperity. That is from me.”
My hand came up to my mouth and a sob slipped free. Heather stood, and we hugged, being ever so careful not to wrinkle either of our dresses. Heather, Patty, and Lana each wore a dress that they had picked out. I didn’t have a color theme, I wanted it to be easy for everyone. They all ended up going with light blue, something they must have decided on together. It matched the beautiful bouquets of flowers that had touches of blues in all of them. Another thing requested by Miles because he remembered blue was my favorite color.
With a shaking breath, I dabbed at the corner of my eyes and said, “I’m so happy, I don’t remember ever being this happy.”
“Just wait until you see Miles,” Lana said.
I faced her. “Is he in his uniform?”
She nodded. “He is.”
Of course, I’d seen Miles in his uniform before, but only in pictures. The few times he’d come home on leave, he, of course, wasn’t in his uniform. At least not the rare times I actually saw him home on leave, that is. I couldn’t wait to see him.
A knock on the bedroom door had my mother walking over to open it. She barely had the door open, but I heard his voice.
“Can I talk to her?”
My heartbeat quickened. It was Miles.
“Miles Warner, you know you cannot see her,” my mother said in a harsh yet loving voice.
He laughed. “I just want to hear her voice, maybe hold her hand?”
Heather, Patty, and Lana all sighed. I nearly melted on the spot.
Motioning for me to come to the door, my mother made sure Miles stepped back. I leaned against the wall and stuck my hand out and Miles did the same. The moment he laced his fingers in mine, I started to cry.
“Happy crying?” he asked.
“Very happy,” I managed to get out.
“I can’t wait to see you.”
I swallowed hard and took in a deep breath. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”
He squeezed my hand. “I wanted to tell you, before all the craziness of this day started, that I had a dream last night.”
I leaned my head gently against the wall. “A good dream?”
Miles didn’t always have good dreams. As a matter of fact, most of them caused him to toss and turn in his sleep. The moment I touched him, or snuggled up next to him, he calmed down and drifted into a deep sleep, hardly stirring at all.
I had asked him about the dreams, and he said they were something that would always be with him. He promised me if they became something he couldn’t handle, he’d talk to me about it. I respected and honored that. I knew Miles had to have some horrible memories, and he knew I’d always be there if it was something he wanted to talk about. But for now, his focus was on us. A new life. A family.
“It was a fan-fucking-tastic dream.”
I smiled. “Care to share?”
“It was me and you, and you were pregnant.”
My free hand came up to my mouth as I tried to hold myself together. Heather and Lana were at the ready for damage control on my makeup.
“I like this dream so far,” I whispered after a moment.
“We were looking out over the Texas Hill Country watching a sunset and trying to decide what to name our little girl.”
My eyes closed. “A girl?” I asked, another sob slipping free. I felt the hot tears on my cheeks, and I didn’t even care. I wanted more of the dream even if it did make me an emotional wreck.
“Yeah, a girl.”
“Did we come up with a name?”
Miles slipped something into my hand and pressed my fingers around it. “Yeah, we did. I love you, Kyns. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Miles. More than you’ll ever know.”
He l
et go of my hand, and I heard him walking down the hallway. I pulled my hand back in and leaned against the wall. The photographer who had captured that whole moment, shut the bedroom door then started taking pictures as I opened the folded note that Miles had placed in my hand.
I attempted to focus on the words through my blurred vision.
Dear Kynslee,
For the first time in my life, I was afraid I’d never see you again. I was shot last night and the only thing I could think of was you. I wasn’t about to leave you. I couldn’t leave you. Then I heard June’s voice telling me to get up and run. It was her voice that got me moving, then I heard yours, calling out to me. It led me back to our pick-up point. It was you and June who saved me. But that shouldn’t be a surprise, you’ve always been the center of my world, Kyns. The one thing that made this life meaningful. I want you to know that I love you so much. I’ve always loved you, and I will forever love you. I’m coming home to you, princess. I swear, I’m coming home. And when I do, I’m marrying you and making you mine, just like we promised each other.
Yours forever and always,
Miles
It was dated three years ago today. I stared at the date. Three years ago, Miles wrote me that letter.
“Oh, Miles.” I clutched the letter to my chest and closed my eyes.
Lana gently placed her hand on mine. “Kynslee, we have to touch up your makeup. It’s almost time.”
I nodded and let them work their magic. Smiling, I picked up my phone and sent Miles a message.
Me: What was the little girl’s name?
He responded instantly.
Miles: I think you know.
Heather stood in front of me, holding out my bouquet.
I typed out one more text.
Me: June
Miles: Yes, but you called her Lilly June.
Me: Lilly was June’s favorite name.
Miles replied with a simple heart. I closed my eyes. I missed my sister, but I knew she was always there with me.
Heather gently took the phone from my hand, then squeezed it. “Ready? Your dad’s here.”
My father had tears in his eyes, and I pointed to him. “Don’t you dare cry. If I cry again, it’s all your fault!”
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