by T N Lowe
“Marry me,” Patrick blurts out.
“What?”
“Marry me, Lena. I love you, and I don’t care if you want to stay in Bar Harbor or join Samuel on the campaign trail. Either way, I’m not living where you aren’t.”
I bite my lip and nod, “Yes.”
Patrick rises higher on his knees crashing his lips to mine. He pulls me tight to his cheek, and I pull back whining in pain. “Fuck, I’m sorry princess. I got caught in the moment are you okay?”
“I’m okay the sudden movement pulled at the stitches. I want to join Samuel, he’s my father, and I want to know him better.”
“Are you sure? Once you commit to this life, there is no going back. You would be taking your place as Samuel’s daughter in The Family.”
“Samuel explained it to me, and I understand what it is the organization does and why they do it. I may not agree with how some of the results are achieved, but when we take over, we can make changes.”
“Okay,” Patrick says kissing me gently this time. “Can we marry tomorrow?”
“What? We can’t get married tomorrow.”
“Why not? Do you want a big wedding?”
“Well, no. The only person I have to invite is Samuel.”
“Exactly everyone we want at our wedding is here. The high ranking Family members, Samuel, and my parent will be here tomorrow. I want to be your husband, not your boyfriend when we join Samuel on the campaign trail.”
“Umm, I guess we should ask your mom to make sure it’s okay with her first.”
“Let’s go tell everyone the good news,” Patrick says helping me to my feet kissing me one last time before helping me shuffle down the hall to the family room. Brianna jumps to her feet the instant she sees us racing over, “Do you need anything? Are you in pain?”
“No, I’m fine thank you.”
‘Then sit you shouldn’t be on your feet,” Brianna says taking me from Patrick’s hold and helping me into a chair she shooed Dylan from.
Patrick follows sitting on the arm of the chair and takes my hand, “We have an announcement. We’re getting married, tomorrow.’
Brianna hugs Patrick, “That’s wonderful. But why tomorrow, we can’t host a proper wedding with one day notice.”
“The only people we care about are in this room. Lena and I don’t want a big wedding,” Patrick answers for us.
Samuel crouches next to me, “This is what you want?”
Looking up at Patrick I answers, “Yes, this is what I want. Patrick and I spoke when we join you on the campaign trail; we want to be husband and wife when we do it. He also explained that there are certain customs we have to follow for our marriage to be recognized, and all the key people will be here tomorrow to celebrate Christmas the following day. That is why we want to marry tomorrow.”
Samuel stands taking my hand in his and giving it a light squeeze, “Okay, we’ll make the arrangements.”
The rest of the day is a whirlwind of wedding planning. Brianna, Rylie, and Hui whisk me off to the master bedroom, “Let me show you what I have from my wedding. You are more than welcome to use them if you want,” Brianna says from the back of her walk-in closet.
“That’s very kind Brianna, but won’t Rylie want to use them for her wedding?” I ask looking at Rylie.
“No, Rylie and I already went through everything a few years ago. She already has the things she wants,” Brianna says coming out of the closet carrying a large box and a garment bag. Pulling the lid off the large box, she pulls out a headband decorated with wildflowers Brianna puts it on my head, next she pulls out a ceramic horseshoe, a hanky hat looking thing, and a green ribbon.
My eyes burn with tears, I throw my arms around her neck and hug her as tight as I can. “Thank you for this,” I sob into Brianna’s neck.
“Shh, it’s okay. You will never be alone again,” Brianna tells me petting my hair.
Pulling from her embrace I take Rylie’s and Hui’s hands in mine, “Thank you,” I choke out. They squeeze my hands in response.
“Okay, no more tears. We have a wedding to plan for tomorrow,” Brianna says opening the garment bag. “This was my wedding dress, Rylie wants her own, so you are more than welcome to wear mine,” Brianna says pulling a simple dress with the slightest hint of blue to the fabric.
“It’s beautiful,” I say touching the skirt of the dress. “I would be honored to wear your dress. Thank you.”
“I know your mother is no longer with us, and I could never take her place, but I want you to know I will always be here for you along with Rylie and Hui.”
Wiping the tears from my cheeks, “Thank you. Thank all of you.”
“Okay enough of this mussy stuff,” Rylie says. “Is there something special you would like to do tonight as your bachelorette party?”
“Not really, but can someone give me a ride to my house. There is something that I need to get for tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Hui says. “Then you can show me your cute little town.”
“Give me a few minutes to clean up, and I’ll be ready to go,” I say standing and shuffling to mine and Patrick’s bedroom. Picking up my phone from the table I send Patrick a text,
Me: Can you come to the bedroom and help me with something.
Patrick: Be right there ;)
Not even ten seconds later Patrick walks through the door, “What can I do for you princess?”
“Can you help me change into a pair of jeans and put my shoes on?”
“Where are you going?”
“Hui and Rylie are driving me to my house I need to get something for tomorrow.”
“You can tell me what and where it is, and I’ll get it for you.”
“Patrick, I will be okay. Rylie is going to drive us to my house; I’ll grab what I need then we are coming back. Rylie and Hui will be with me the entire time.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Willow, Mike, and Martin are all in jail. I will be fine.”
“Fine, but text me when you get there and when you leave.”
I giggle, “Overprotective much?”
“I’m not taking any risks with you.”
I roll my eyes, “God help our children.”
Patrick kisses me enticingly before helping me change into my jeans then puts my shoes on and ties them. Helping me into my coat, Patrick says, “You’re ready to go. Now be careful exiting the car, there is still snow and ice on the ground.”
“I will be,” I say kissing his chin. Patrick follows me out of the bedroom and to the front door. He pulls Rylie aside telling her something. “That looks intense,” I tell Hui.
“All the Love men are intense and fiercely overprotective,” she tells me. “You’ll learn how to handle him.” We’re giggling when Rylie and Patrick join us again.
“I love you, be careful and text me when you get there,” Patrick says kissing me again.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Samuel asks.
I roll my eyes, is this what it’s like to have men in your life? If so I may have to rethink the husband and father. “I need to get something from my house for tomorrow.”
“Tell me what it is, and I’ll send someone to get it,” Samuel answers.
Sighing I say, “It’s personal. We are going there and back; I’ll only be gone twenty minutes tops.”
“Fine, my driver is taking you.”
“Okay, can we leave now?”
“Yes, but be careful,” Samuel says.
“Let’s go before they change their minds,” I say as Rylie and Hui laugh. Elmer brings the car around and helps me into the back seat. As he drives away from the house, I ask, “Was that normal?”
Rylie barks out a laugh, “Yeah that was normal. Patrick has always been overprotective. And Samuel is just like my dad.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. My dad would have put up more of a fight. My guess is he has this whole town under surveillance, and that’s why he let you go so easily,” Hui say
s.
“You think so? You think Samuel has people watching us?”
“I can almost guarantee it,” Rylie says. Putting her hand on my knee she says, “Don’t worry they will loosen up a little once things get back to normal.”
“Thank god because that was too much,” I say as Elmer pulls into my driveway. Rylie and Hui open their doors sliding out into the cold Maine air. Not wanting Elmer to report back to Samuel and Patrick that I refused his assistance I waited for him to help me from the back of the car and walk me to the front door. Rylie and Hui take over once we are inside assisting me upstairs to my mom’s old bedroom. Opening her closet, I stand on my tip toes and reach for the small box on the top shelf and wincing in pain.
“Let me,” Hui says, being the tallest of the three of us. Pulling the box down she sets it on the chest of drawers, opening it I pull a long strand of black and white pearls. “Those are beautiful.”
“Thank you. There were my mom’s; I’m not sure where she got them from.”
“Is that everything you need?” Rylie asks.
“Let me get some more clothes while we’re here,” moving to my bedroom I toss some clothes into a small bag. Rylie and Hui help me back downstairs to Elmer. He takes the bag from me then takes my arm, and we retrace our steps back to the car.
♦ ♦ ♦
The next morning Patrick and I walk into the kitchen Quinn, Samuel, Hui, and Jain are sitting at the table while Brianna and Rylie are at the stove cooking breakfast. “Good morning,” Brianna says when she sees us. “Have a seat breakfast will be done soon. Rylie go wake your brother.”
Despite Brianna’s protests Patrick and I shared a room last night. She swore it was bad luck for the bride and groom to share a bed the night before their wedding. Patrick gently told her there was no way he was letting me sleep alone in case I needed something in the middle of the night. Brianna just huffed and rolled her eyes.
“Where’s Liam?” Patrick asks tickling Jain belly making him squeal in delight.
“He had to take a call from work,” Hui answers.
As Liam and Dylan sit, Brianna and Rylie place plates full of food on the table, waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and fruit salad. “Eat up, we have an appointment at the salon in two hours,” Brianna tells me.
Breakfast is perfect, and even though there is enough food to feed an army the guys help clear every plate. “Okay I cooked you clean,” Brianna tells Quinn.
“You heard your mother, let’s get this cleaned up,” Quinn tells his sons.
“But it’s my wedding day, I should be excused,” Patrick says placing his arm on the back of my chair.
“Nope, if anything you need more practice than your brothers,” Quinn says with a chuckle.
“Liam,” Patrick calls on his only married sibling.
“No comment,” Liam says pushing away from the table, picking up plates from the table. Rolling his eyes, Patrick follows suite picking plates up from the table.
“Okay Ladies we need to get ready for our appointment,” Brianna says.
Looking at Patrick, I ask, “Will you help me?” Even though the stitches were taken out yesterday, it is still painful to bend over.
“Of course,” Patrick says taking my hand and walks with me to our bedroom. He helps me disrobe and into the shower. Once I’m clean and dry, Patrick helps me into a pair of jeans, a heavy sweater, and boots. Taking my hand again he walks me to the front door, “Be careful and have fun,” he tells me with a kiss.
The girls join us with Samuel behind them, “Elmer will take you,” he tells Brianna. “He is ready when you are.” Coming to my side he kisses the top of my head, “May I talk to you for a minute?” he asks me.
“Sure,” I say eyeing Patrick not sure what Samuel wants to talk to me about.
Stepping into the empty dining room Samuel starts, “I know I wasn’t in your life, and I want to make up that time we’ve lost. But I was wondering if you would let me walk you down the aisle tonight? If you say no I’ll understand but I would regret it if I didn’t at least ask.”
“I would love that. Thank you, Dad,” I say hugging him as tight as I can without hurting myself.
“Thank you,” Samuel says hugging me back and kissing the top of my head.
♦ ♦ ♦
The spa Brianna takes us too is not what I expected. Thought she would take us to the one in the Resort Inn. Instead, she takes us to an unmarked building I’ve driven past countless times and never knew what it was. After parking Elmer helps me from the car and walks me to the front door. Brianna takes my arm from there and leads me inside. “So, no massage for you because of your healing wounds, but I have you scheduled for a manicure, pedicure, scalp massage, then hair and makeup,” Brianna explains before checking us in with the front desk clerk.
While the girls are escorted to their massage rooms, I’m taken to the pedicure. A lovely older woman brings over a tub of water with rose petals in it. Placing my feet in the water, she begins to massage my calves. When she is done with the massage, she pulls my feet from the water dries, massages them, then asks me to pick a color, I chose a steel blue. She paints my toes then moves me to a manicure table and repeats the process with my hands.
After my hands and feet have been pampered and my nails painted, I’m handed off to a massage therapist for a scalp massage, which is terrific. I don’t think I have ever felt so relaxed in my life. When she’s done, I’m escorted to hair and makeup, where I meet up with the girls. I ask the stylist for something simple and classic; she nods studying my hair.
“You have a Hedy Lamarr meets Sophia Loren look, so I think something classic with a touch of sass will fit you perfectly,” the stylist says.
“That sounds perfect,” Brianna says from beside me.
“Are you wearing a vail?” The stylist asks.
“No, no vail,” I answer.
“Good, let’s start by getting her hair washed and blown dry,” she says pointing me to the sinks.
Once my hair is washed and dried, she gathers all my black locks into a messy high knot. With three different size curling irons, she attacks the messy knot and the tendrils that have escaped. When she’s done, it looks like a Cinderella bun made of curls. My make-up is done the same, light and classic with bright red lipstick.
“Patrick isn’t going to know what hit him with when you walk down the aisle,” Rylie says.
After the spa, I’m rushed into Brianna’s bedroom to dress so Patrick won’t see me. Once I’m dressed and shoes on my feet Brianna hands me a horseshoe. “You carry this during the ceremony for luck. When you get home, you hang it in your home. This,” she says handing me a hanky, “is a magic hanky when you have your first child we will turn it into a christening cap. This was Patrick’s cap from his christening.” Giving me one last hug Brianna says, “Okay, stay here until Samuel comes for you.” Then she leaves with Rylie and Hui in tow.
Not even ten minutes later Samuel enters the room wearing a tux. “Wow,” he says as I stand. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you,” I say blushing.
“We still have a few minutes before we need to make our entrance. Seeing you standing here today, I want nothing more than to be mad at your mother. But I know she was only doing what she felt was right for you, but I missed so much, and I’m sorry for that.”
“I feel the same way,” I tell him. “When I was little I wanted a dad just like all my friends. Knowing you were alive this whole time pisses me off. But I couldn’t be happier that you are here today.”
“Well, let’s not dwell on what we missed and enjoy what we have,” Samuel says with glassy eyes and opens his arms. I walk into his arms for a hug. Samuel fingers the pearls around my neck, “Where did you get these?”
“There were Mom’s,” I answer.
“I know. I gave them to her on our anniversary. I can’t believe she kept them all these years.”
“They were one of her few treasured possessions.”
/> We break apart when someone knocks on the door; Rylie pokes her head inside, “It’s time,” she says then disappears.
“Let’s not keep them waiting,” Samuel says offering me his arm.
Samuel leads me down the hallway to a large room that has been transformed into a small hall, with chairs lining a short aisle and a pergola draped with poinsettia flowers. Under the pergola is Patrick in a tux standing next to a priest. My heart skips a beat when I see him, a huge smile on his face and his eyes glued to me. If it wasn’t for Samuel holding my hand, I would have run into his arms, but remembering where we’re and why we’re here, I walk slowly and with as much grace as I have to his side.
Reaching Patrick, Samuel places my hand in Patrick’s kissing me on the forehead before taking his seat. Then the priest wraps a green ribbon around Patrick’s wrist then mine, the rest is a blur as I focus on Patrick’s golden brown eyes, the eyes that haunted my dreams since I was five, the eyes of the man I love and will love for the rest of my life.
Chapter twenty-one
Ten Months Later
Life is crazy. Shortly after Patrick and I married, Dylan took over as interim CEO while we joined Samuel on the campaign trail. Being newly married on a campaign bus proves to be interesting, but we made it work.
Driving across country is twofold. First, we meet with voters, give interviews, attend rallies, meet with donors, and attend debates. When I ask Samuel why he is campaigning when he knows he’s going to win; he explains that even though the Electoral College will vote him in if he doesn’t have enough votes; he wants the American people to know what he stands for and vote him in themselves. And the people feel the same way he does, they want to send their children to safe schools and a safe workplace and Samuel has a plan to offer them.
The second reason for driving across country is to introduce Patrick and me to the other members of The Family. Samuel takes his time explaining everything to Patrick and me about what each member does and how they are intricate to The Family as a whole. Samuel also goes into more detail about why things are done the way they are. Some things Patrick and I plan on changing, others we want to leave in place.