“I love you, too. So fucking much!”
“Oh my god, we’re getting married! Are you sure you’re ready to deal with me forever?”
“Very sure. You’re my whole life.”
We walk out of the room and I ask, “By the way, why is your initial first? I’m the woman, the B should come first.”
“Because if I put B first, it would say BJ and then everyone would think of blowjob. As much as I enjoy blowjobs, I don’t want that associated with our whiskey.”
“Oh . . . You’re right.” I giggle at the thought of having our whiskey bottle read BJ Green. Clark congratulates us when he sees us approaching him, and we thank him for such a wonderful experience. Jake must have pulled some strings to pull this off, but it was absolutely the most perfect proposal ever.
We go to dinner before heading to the hotel. I talk excitedly about wedding stuff, telling our parents, and how excited Nico is going to be. I tell Jake how he gave me his blessing to marry him when we visited them in September.
“Funny. That same trip he told me he would be okay with me asking you to marry me and being his uncle.”
“That kid. He’s something else.” I laugh at how Nico took it upon himself to give everyone his blessing. “Is that what you were smiling about on the drive back home?”
“Yep. It made me happy that he told me that. If Nico approved of me, the rest of your family did.”
“I can’t wait to tell our families. Maybe we should wait for Christmas dinner.” We were going to have dinner all together this Christmas—my immediate family and Jake’s at my parents’ house.
“They all know already what I was up to.”
“Everyone?”
“Yes. Except Sienna. Sorry, but she can’t keep a secret.” I throw my head back and laugh.
“Ain’t that the truth. So I don’t have anyone to surprise with this news?”
“Just Sienna.”
“Savannah and Em know? Wes, Parker, Lacy?”
“Yep. They were all in on it. Why do you think Lacy had that smile on her face when I went to pick you up?”
“Traitor. I thought she just knew where you were taking me.”
“Nah. Everyone was good at keeping it to themselves though.”
“Thank you for making it so special.” I reach for his hand across the table.
“You’re welcome. Only the best for you, darlin.’”
We finish dinner and head back to the hotel. “Want a drink?” Jake asks as he holds up a bottle of Backroads Whiskey we bought from Clark.
“Yes.” We grab two cups from the hotel bar and Jake pours us each a drink.
“Cheers. To our future together.”
“I like the sound of that.” I touch his glass with mine and kiss him before taking a drink. This whiskey is delicious.
“Now about that shower,” Jake says.
“I can use another one.” I stand and place my glass on the table before grabbing his hand and leading him into the bathroom.
I slowly peel his clothes off, feeling every inch of his skin as I do. When I have him before me totally naked, I kiss him. Jake’s hands move to my thighs and caress my skin before lifting the dress over my head. I toe off my boots and socks and walk into the shower. We sensually feel each other’s body as our tongues intimately dance together.
“Hmm . . .” I moan into Jake’s mouth when his fingers rub against my clit.
He stops kissing me and looks into my eyes. “You’re the most important person in my life.” I smile but before I can kiss him, he gets down on his knees and spreads my legs. My legs tremble when his tongue licks along my pussy. Shit, I hope I don’t fall. I spread my arms and hold myself up with a hand on each end of the shower. That feels good. I sigh heavily when Jake flicks his tongue over my clit.
Fuck. He adds two fingers inside me.
“Baby,” I moan as water sprays on my face from the showerhead. He just continues to please me with his mouth and fingers as I make incomprehensible noises. Oh my god, he’s working me up. That familiar wave takes over as I find my release.
Jake looks up at me with a goofy smile, and I cup his face and say between breaths, “Make love to me.”
“Gladly,” he replies and stands up. I get totally lost in him again as we intimately show our love for each other
“The countdown is starting soon!” Em yells over the music.
“Do you have champagne?” Savannah asks us.
“We do,” I respond and smile at my friends. Jake and I came to Atlanta to spend New Year’s Eve. This holiday season has been insane between our engagement, gathering our families for Christmas dinner and traveling to Georgia for New Year’s.
I’m happy that our parents met and get along. Brian and Jen did as well, and it turns out Brian has a few friends in common with Jen and Keith. Nico was obsessed with Hayley and watched over her the entire night. Everyone congratulated us on our engagement, and when I told Sienna the news, she started jumping up and down asking if she could be the flower girl. Of course, I told her yes. Then, she said, “Now I can really call him Uncle Jake!” She ran up and gave him a hug then blushed. It melted my heart.
When Savannah and Parker visited after our engagement, they insisted we go to Georgia for the end of the year and we quickly agreed. Savannah confessed that the trip to Tuscaloosa was to celebrate our engagement more than visit Caroline. I thought it was strange since Caroline was going to spend the holidays in Georgia, but I didn’t put much thought into it.
“Oh, the ball is starting to drop!” someone yells and everyone at the bar quiets down and counts down to a new year.
“Five, four, three, two, one . . . Happy New Year!” people yell all around us. Jake cups my face and kisses me lovingly.
“I’m not walking away from this kiss,” he says against my lips. I smile and kiss him back.
The last thing I ever expected after last New Year’s Eve was that I’d be engaged a year from then, and to none other than Jacob Green. Our relationship spun out of control and took me by surprise. Everything happened so fast, but Savannah was right months ago when she told me love has no timeframe. When you find that person you can’t live without, you fight to be with them. When you think you have no more fight left in you, you fight a little more. When you find love this pure and honest, you will do everything in your power to keep it from slipping from your fingers.
“You were my first New Year’s kiss,” I confess to Jake.
“Mine too. And you’ll be my last.”
“I can’t believe you’re getting married!” Savannah squeals.
“I know! It’s crazy!” I look at my make-up in the mirror. It looks amazing. I wanted to keep it simple. “I can’t believe you are married!” I tell her.
My hair is twisted in a messy, side braid that lands over my left shoulder.
“Isn’t this crazy?” Savannah wraps an arm around my shoulder and touches her head to mine.
“Totally.”
“You two are going to make me sentimental.” I smile at Emily as she walks out of the bathroom in her dress.
“You look amazing.” My bridesmaids are wearing short, strapless dresses in light purples and blues with cowboy boots.
“Thanks. Now go get dressed, Sav, so we can see Beth in her dress.”
“You’re next,” I tell Emily as Savannah gets dressed.
“Don’t remind me. How were you not stressed planning a wedding?” I laugh and nudge her. Wes proposed a couple of months ago when they went away on vacation. He reserved a beautiful cabin in the Smoky Mountains for their getaway.
Savannah is the last one left to put on her dress. She’s my maid of honor, and I’m excited to have her standing by my side today. Lacy is my other bridesmaid.
“Do you like my dress, Auntie Beth?” Sienna twirls in her white, short lace dress and brown cowboy boots. She looks precious. Although Nico is older, he still agreed to be the ring bearer.
“You look gorgeous, sweetie.” I bend down and ki
ss her cheek. “Have you seen Uncle Jake yet?” I ask conspiratorially.
“Yep! He looks handsome.” I smile at my niece and wink.
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Savannah comes out of the bathroom in her dress and I smile up at her. I am so grateful to have the people I love surrounding me today.
“You ready?” Tess asks. I nod and smile. She and my mom help me get dressed. I have a white, low back, lace bustier and matching underwear. I slip on my garter and smile at my mom and Tess. Together they help me put on my dress.
“Stunning,” my mom says and holds back her tears.
I look in the mirror and bite down on my lower lip. This is so real. My dress is a full lace gown with a sweetheart neckline and lace cap sleeves that expose my skin underneath, as does the lace covering my back. I am also wearing boots bought specially for this occasion.
“Wow,” Savannah and Emily both say at the same time.
“Oh my god!” Lacy squeals.
I see tears filling their eyes and scold them. “No crying! You’ll ruin your make-up.” I hug my friends and turn to look at the back of the dress in the mirror. The dress really is stunning.
“It’s almost time. We should start heading out,” Tess tells us.
Savannah, Emily and Lacy grab their lavender bouquets, and I hand Sienna her baby breath’s bouquet. My bouquet is a mix of lavender, baby’s breath and white peonies.
The wedding party stayed at the bed and breakfast where the wedding is taking place. We found the perfect location. The bed and breakfast is on a ranch, and they use the land and barn for events. They created rows with white wooden chairs and an aisle down the middle. The reception will take place inside the barn. I can’t wait to see how it all turned out.
“Sweetie,” my dad walks into the room and smiles at me.
“Hi, daddy.”
“You look beautiful. Jake is a lucky man.”
“Thank you.” The tenderness in his eyes fills me with love.
I watch as my bridesmaids make their way outside and smile to myself at the thought of their significant others shitting themselves when they see how beautiful they look. Jake’s groomsmen include Justin, Parker and Wes.
Suddenly, my dad begins to walk. It’s time. It’s really time! Okay, I need to breathe. I hear the wedding march and my dad smiles at me.
“You ready to do this?”
“Yes,” I say on an exhale and he laughs.
“I won’t let you trip.”
“Thanks dad. No need to add anymore stress to this.”
We walk to the beginning of the aisle, and I close my eyes for a second as I say a quick prayer of thanks to the heavens above me for bringing Jake into my life and for giving us the opportunity to work through our issues so we could be together forever. When I open my eyes, I blink away tears and look for him.
The groomsmen look amazing in beige pants and white button down shirts with the sleeves rolled up. They’re all wearing matching beige vests. The first couple of buttons on their dress shirts are undone. Jake looks amazing! His smile is wide as he stares at me and his blue eyes shine in the afternoon sun. He’s dressed the same as his groomsmen, except he is wearing a tie that matches his eyes.
I instantly smile when I see him. I can’t help but look at him with love as I make my way towards him. This is the beginning of the rest of our lives. Too caught up in Jake’s eyes, I don’t even look at the people sitting on the chairs on either side of me. I hear whispers and comments, but I’m focused on the only person who matters the most to me. When my dad and I reach the end of the aisle, he kisses me on the cheek and shakes Jake’s hand. Jake and I smile at each other for what seems like forever before the minister speaks.
Everything happens in a blur. We repeat our vows, speak a few words from the heart and before I know it, the minister declares us husband and wife. Jake kisses me passionately. Probably more passionately than normal at a wedding, but I don’t care. I wrap my arms around his neck when he dips me and kiss him back just as hard. When we stand back up and look out to our family and friends, they’re all cheering. I wipe a few tears from my eyes and notice Jake’s eyes are moist too.
“I love you,” I say to just him.
“I love you too, baby. Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
Savannah taps my shoulder and smiles. She gives me a big hug and hands me a letter. I almost forgot. I hold it up to Jake and ask, “Do you have yours.”
“Of course,” He takes his letter from Justin and the minister hands us a wooden box.
We decided to write letters to each other, which we will place in this box with a bottle of Backroads Whiskey, to open on our one-year wedding anniversary. It took me some time, but I finally poured my heart and soul into my letter. Sometimes finding the perfect words to express how you feel is difficult. The minister drives the nails into the box that is carved with our own logo from our whiskey bottle. The same phrase, Unique Blend, is carved underneath. I look over at Jake lovingly and squeeze his hand. His smile shows how happy he is.
We take pictures, and then everyone walks into the barn where tables are set up with white and lace linens. We didn’t do a formal seating arrangement. We wanted people to sit with whomever they wanted to and socialize. Instead of round tables, we opted for rectangular tables and placed mason jars with lavender and baby’s breath across the length of each table.
The night is moving along perfectly. The food is great and the drinks keep flowing. After dinner, the DJ begins playing music and asks for Jake and me to make our way to the center of the dance floor. Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello” begins to play and Jake wraps his arms around me. We move together to the beat of the music, and he whispers the lyrics in my ear.
“Beth, I’d be lost without you. Thank you for trusting me and giving me a chance to prove to you just how much I love you.” I hug him tighter, not able to speak as tears build and I struggle to hold them back.
“I love you, Jake, more than you’ll ever know. I know I’m hard-headed, but I really do love you.” He kisses my forehead and closes his eyes as we finish dancing to our song.
We spend the night dancing with friends and talking to family. Everyone congratulates us numerous times and continues to serve us drinks. I’m pretty sure they want to get us drunk, but I want to try and stay sober for my wedding night. Not that Jake and I haven’t had sex many times, but this will be the first time I make love to him as Mrs. Green. Beth Green. I’m still getting used to it.
“Can we leave already?” Jake whispers behind me as he wraps his arms around my waist.
“What’s the rush?” I tease.
“I want to see what you’re hiding under this dress.”
“I think you might like it.” I hear a low growl rise from his chest and I laugh. I turn in his arms to look at him. “I want to see what you’re hiding under your clothes.”
“You know what I’m hiding.” He leans his hips to mine, and I try not to moan.
“Damn, Jake.” His cock is hard as stone.
“That’s all your doin.’” He kisses me softly. “Can we leave?” he repeats against my lips.
“Yes.” We say bye to everyone before walking back to the bed and breakfast. Thankfully, we’re staying here tonight.
Jake closes the door behind him and stalks over to me already loosening his tie and unbuttoning his vest. His hands move to the back of my head and pull me into his kiss. This kiss is lazy as his tongue explores the depths of my mouth. I tangle my fingers in his hair and pull gently on the wavy strands. When he breaks away, his eyes are hooded.
“Turn around,” he demands. Jake searches for the zipper hidden on the side of the dress and pulls it down slowly. He carefully picks the dress up and over my head, placing it carefully on the chair in the corner. He runs a hand down my back, causing my skin to prickle deliciously.
“Face me,” he says hoarsely.
I
turn to look at him and he groans. He takes a step back to admire me, and then teasingly brushes a finger over the swell of my breasts. I reach for the buttons on his shirt and swiftly undo them. I pull the tie over his head and then remove his shirt and vest together. I move my hands up his chest and look at his tattoos. I trace his two newest additions—the JB logo from our whiskey bottle blended in perfectly with the rest of his design, and the phrase “Whiskey Girl” in script over his heart. I remember the day he came home and showed me. I was overwhelmed with emotions when I saw them.
Jake leans down to kiss me and I melt into him. I’ve never felt as precious as I do when I’m in his arms. I lie back in bed with Jake’s guidance and allow my husband to make love to me.
“We’ve got forever,” he says against my skin.
We really do.
These damn numbers are becoming a blur. Isn’t this what an accountant is for? Why do I feel like I’m doing his job before he comes by tomorrow? I’m exhausted and damn annoyed. This is supposed to be my early night. The night I go home to my wife, so we can spend time together and I please every inch of her body. It’s been three months since we got married and not a day goes by I don’t thank God for blessing me with such an amazing woman.
“Damn you, Bill!” I yell at my empty office. I look around and sigh. Then I pick up the only picture I have on my desk and look at it, a smile takes over my tired face. That woman is absolutely gorgeous. Her big brown eyes smile at me from the photo. I look like a whipped fool, because I am. This is my favorite picture of us. Not one of our wedding day, but the day I proposed. I planned it to perfection. I chuckle at her confused face when I showed her the finished bottle at the whiskey distillery. Her defensive tone when she saw just my last name on the bottle. She’s a spitfire. I put the frame back down trying to finish as fast as I can to get home to her.
Time has only made us stronger and my love for her deeper. It broke my heart to lose her, but when I felt the love in my heart with Hayley, I knew I wanted that. I wanted to share all my experiences with Beth and bring that into our lives. I still don’t know how the hell it happened, but I had a change of heart. I had an awakening I guess. All of a sudden I craved having a baby of my own with the one woman I have ever loved.
Whiskey Nights Page 21