by Sandi Lynn
“This is going to be too hard. I think I love them all,” I said.
“Here, let’s pull one out at a time,” Adalynn said as she stood next to me and pulled the first dress out.
After trying on the first four dresses, and loving each one, it was the fifth dress that made me feel incredible the moment I put it on.
“Oh, Rory. You look like a total princess in that dress. It’s gorgeous on you.”
I looked at myself in the mirror and stared at the white princess ball gown wedding dress with the sweetheart neck line. Even being pregnant with twins, this dress made me feel as if I was the most beautiful woman ever to wear it.
“This is the one, Adalynn.” I smiled.
“Beautiful choice, Rory. Here’s the veil they sent with it. It would look perfect with your hair up in curls.”
“What are you wearing?” I asked her.
“I’ll show you. It’s stunning. Ian picked it out and said it would be perfect for me and he was right.”
She showed me an empire waist, princess line, strapless dress in a light pink. She was right, it was perfect. We walked out into the living room and Ian smiled at me. I sat down on his lap and put my arms around his neck.
“Did you pick a dress?” he asked.
“Yes and I can’t wait for you to see it.”
“Tomorrow, sweetheart,” he said as he kissed me.
Something dawned on me. “Ian, I don’t have a ring for you,” I said with worry.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. When I picked yours, I also picked my three favorite rings and someone from the jewelry store will be by tomorrow morning for you to pick which one you like the best.”
I hugged him and buried my face in his neck. “You’ve thought of everything. I love you.”
“I love you more, sweetheart.”
“Okay, you two, time to say goodbye to each other,” Adalynn said.
“What?” I asked in confusion as I looked at Ian.
“You’re going to stay with Adalynn and Daniel tonight because it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and I don’t want any bad luck.”
“That’s not true and I know for a fact you don’t believe that,” I said.
“Listen, sweetheart. I don’t want to be away from you and the babies any more than you do. There will be many people here tomorrow to help you get ready. So, I’m going to go back to the hotel and go to bed, while you’re here with Adalynn and Daniel.”
I pushed out my bottom lip and gave Ian my sad eyes. “I’ll miss you too much.”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep. Okay?” he asked as he tapped the end of my nose.
“Okay. I’d like that. I didn’t bring any of my things.”
“I packed you an overnight bag and had it sent over while you were asleep,” Ian said.
This man, my fiancé, my future husband, and my best friend, formulated a plan and executed it with perfection. He was my hero and he’d also be the hero of his daughters. I climbed into the bed I slept in when I stayed here the first time and Ian climbed in next to me. He put his arms around me, kissed me, and softly rubbed my tummy as I fell asleep.
Chapter 40
Ian & Rory
It felt like the longest night of my life. I couldn’t sleep a wink because I couldn’t wait to make Rory my wife. After tossing and turning, I finally got up and poured a few shots of whiskey. Whiskey always helped me sleep. I felt like I’d only been sleeping a couple of hours before the alarm went off. I got up, showered, made some coffee, and sat down at the table with my phone.
“Good morning, my future wife. I hope you slept well.”
“Good morning, my future husband. I didn’t. I hope you did.”
“I didn’t either. Too excited about today.”
“Me too. I love you, and I can’t wait to marry you.”
“I love you more, sweetheart, and I can’t wait either.”
“Morning, Ian, Adalynn here. I have to take your bride’s phone away because it’s time for her makeup. She’ll see you in a few hours. Love you!”
I rolled my eyes and chuckled at the same time. There was a knock at the door and it was Daniel. The man from the tuxedo shop was going to be here shortly with our tuxes.
“Good morning, Daniel.”
“Are you nervous yet?” he asked.
“Nah. I’m fine. Cool as a cucumber.” I smiled.
“Good. It’s craziness over at the apartment. People were all over the place.”
“Did Rory and Adalynn’s flowers arrive?” I asked.
“Yes, and I must say, they’re exquisite. Rory burst into tears when she saw her bouquet. I can’t believe how fast you pulled this off. You’ve outdone yourself and I can’t wait to see the expression on Rory’s face when she sees the other surprise you have for her.”
“I can’t either. She’s going to be so happy.”
We put on our tuxedos and it was time to head to the Eiffel Tower. When we arrived, everything was set up perfectly in the park that surrounded the tower and the minister had already arrived. I walked around and said hello to the guests that attended the wedding and then took my place where the beautiful floral archway stood. No expense was spared to make this wedding memorable for Rory.
Rory
“I’m so nervous,” I said to Adalynn in the limo.
“Don’t be. I can’t wait until Ian sees you. His cock is going to go straight up and he won’t be able to control it.” She smiled.
I let out a laugh and she winked at me. “See, did that help you relax?”
We arrived around the corner of the tower and the limo driver told us that he was told to drop us off there. Suddenly, the door opened and a hand reached in and helped me out.
“Andre!” I squealed.
“Look at my beautiful American bride. You are gorgeous, Rory.”
“I tried to call you last night, but you didn’t answer.”
“I was afraid if I spoke to you that I’d ruin the surprise. This is where I begin to walk you down the aisle.”
Music began to play and Andre told Adalynn to start walking along the red carpet. “I can’t believe this,” I said to Andre.
“Believe it because it’s real and it’s happening. You are a very lucky woman to be marrying Ian. He loves you more than life and those babies too. He told me so.”
I kissed him on the cheek and followed Adalynn a few feet behind. Once we reached the entrance, I gasped at the scene before me. Tears started to fill my eyes when I saw Jimmy, Rosie, Richard, Mandy, Veronica, and Connor and Ellery standing by the white chairs that were decorated with flowers.
“You can’t cry, Rory. Your makeup, remember your makeup,” Andre said.
He was right and I looked up at the beautiful sunny sky to stop the tears from falling. As I looked straight ahead down the aisle, I saw my future husband standing there with his hands crossed and a big smile on his face. My heart was racing with excitement. When we finally reached where Ian was standing, he held out his hand and Andre placed mine in his. He kissed me on the cheek and patted Ian on the shoulder. The minister spoke a few words and then told us it was time to say our wedding vows. I looked at Ian and bit down on my bottom lip because I forgot about vows and I didn’t prepare anything. He looked at me and smiled.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I didn’t prepare because I’m just going to say what’s in my heart.”
“I love you,” I mouthed as he took my hands.
“Rory, these are my vows to you. I will love you and cherish you forever. You’re the light in my day and the stars in my night. You’ve held me up during the most difficult times and you’ve been my rock. I will forever be faithful to you and I will honor you for the rest of my life. You have my word, my promise, and my love forever and always. I will be there for you in sickness and in health until death do us part. You’re the sun in my rain and the rainbow that shines after. My love for you is eternal and nothing will ever change that. With
this ring, I thee wed.”
I tried so hard to hold it together, but I couldn’t. I loved him so much and the tears had to fall. He took his thumb and gently wiped them away. “Ian, these are my vows to you. You showed me a world that I had only ever dreamed of. You saved my life and you saved me. You’re my rock and solid ground. You have filled my heart and my world with love and I’m going to spend the rest of my life thanking you. You are mine for eternity and I will love and cherish you forever. I will be there for you in sickness and in health and through the good and the bad until death do us part. I also promise to make sure you have blueberry muffins every day. With this ring, I thee wed.”
Ian let out a light laugh and smiled at me as I slipped the ring on his finger. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your beautiful bride.”
We both smiled as we shared a passionate kiss and everyone clapped. “I can’t believe everyone is here,” I said.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“The happiest person alive.”
“Good. That’s what I wanted.” He smiled as he kissed me again.
Ian broke our kiss and leaned down and kissed my tummy. “How are my girls?” he whispered.
“They’re very happy too.” I smiled.
We walked hand in hand up the aisle. I stopped when I saw Jimmy and he pulled me into a warm embrace.
“Look at you. My beautiful daughter. I never thought in a million years that I’d ever get to see this day. Your mom would be so proud of you.”
“I wish her and Stephen were here.”
“They are in spirit, Rory,” he said. “You’ve married a very generous and loving man. I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.”
“You made your old dad here cry,” Rosie said as she hugged me and then Ian. “Congratulations to the both of you. It was a beautiful ceremony.”
“Thank you for dropping all your plans at the last minute to come,” Ian said.
“Excuse me for a moment,” I said as I walked over to Richard and Veronica. “I’m so happy you’re here.” I smiled as I hugged them both.
“Not as happy as I am. Seeing my son marry you is the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m proud to call you my daughter-in-law. Thank you for everything, Rory.”
Once again, being the hormonal mess I was, tears filled my eyes. “Thank you, Dad.” I smiled.
Veronica looked at me with her tear-filled eyes. “You are simply gorgeous and this is the best day of my life,” Ian’s mother said. “To finally be a part of my son’s life and now I have a daughter and two granddaughters on the way. I feel like I’ve finally been blessed.”
Ian walked over and placed his hand on the small of my back. He placed his other hand on my stomach and held it there. “I can’t wait for you to meet your granddaughters, Mom and Dad,” he said.
Connor and Ellery walked over to us, grinning from ear to ear. “Congratulations!” Ellery exclaimed as she hugged both of us.
“You look absolutely stunning, Rory.” Connor smiled.
“Thank you both for coming,” I said.
“We wouldn’t have missed this wedding for the world,” Connor replied.
Ian
After the photographer was finished taking pictures of us, I escorted Rory to the limo that was waiting for us. Adalynn and Daniel, along with the rest of the guests, took separate limos back to the hotel, where I had arranged a small, intimate reception.
“You are so beautiful, sweetheart. When I saw you walk down that aisle, I swear my heart stopped beating. I thought I died and I was in Heaven.”
She placed her hand on my cheek. “Thank you, Ian, my husband. I felt the same way when I saw you standing at the end. You have no idea how hard it was to hold back the tears.”
“Yes, I do, because I had to do it too, sweetheart.”
“How did you pull this off in such a short amount of time?” she asked.
“Anything’s possible when you’re madly in love and you want something bad enough.”
“I want to make love to you right now.” Rory smiled.
“I want to make love to you too, and we will tonight, after the wedding reception. All night long, I will make you come multiple times.”
“God, Ian, stop.” She smiled. “You’re making me wet already.”
“Okay, Rory. We need to stop talking like that. I don’t know if I can hold back. So, tell me about Andre.”
Rory laughed as she held my face and kissed me. We arrived at the hotel and I took Rory to the room where the reception was being held. The wedding cake turned out perfect and Rory was very happy. We shared a wonderful celebration dinner with our family and friends and then Rory and I cut the cake. As we danced our first dance as husband and wife, Rory made a comment to me.
“Have you noticed that Andre and Mandy haven’t left each other’s side since the ceremony? They even sat next to each other.”
“I did notice that, sweetheart. I wonder if they’re falling for each other.” I smiled.
“Come to think of it, they did talk quite a bit when he was staying with us,” Rory said.
“Good for them. I hope they find in each other what we have.”
It was finally time to take my wife up to our hotel room and make love to her for the first time as Mrs. Ian Braxton; something I’d been looking forward to all day. I carried her into our room and laid her down on the bed while I hovered over her and stared into her beautiful brown eyes.
“I love you more than anything else in this world, Mrs. Braxton, and now I’m going to show you how much you mean to me and how special you are.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Mr. Braxton, because I plan on showing you the same thing.” She smiled.
I growled and kissed her passionately as we made love a few times that night and celebrated our marriage.
Chapter 41
Rory
3 Months Later…
I stood in the middle of the nursery and looked around. It was huge. Ian had the wall knocked out between both bedrooms and had them completely renovated. I felt sorry for the workers because Ian was on their asses every second of every day to get the job done. They finished two days early. I slipped them some cash and apologized for my husband’s behavior. It turned out exactly the way Ian and I had planned. We decorated with the colors of soft pink and cream. It was perfect and so were the two paintings that Ellery painted for us that hung above each of the girls’ cribs.
“It’s beautiful in here,” Ian said as he wrapped his arms around me.
“It is. Now that it’s complete, we just need to wait for our daughters to be born.”
“Ah, they’ll be here soon, Rory. Filling this room with laughter.”
“Laughter won’t come for a while, babe. They’ll fill the room with cries.”
Ian chuckled and kissed my head. “I can’t believe all the things we got from the baby shower. People were so generous,” I said.
“They always are, sweetheart.” He smiled.
Ian and I went out to pick up a couple more things for the babies. As we were walking down the shopping plaza, we ran into Andrew. Suddenly, I felt sick as I held onto Ian’s arm.
“Ian, Rory. Wow, look at you. You look great,” Andrew said.
“Excuse us, Andrew. We’re in a hurry,” Ian replied.
Rory and I began to walk past him and then stopped when we heard him speak.
“I need to apologize to both of you. I want to apologize to both of you.”
Ian turned around and looked at him with anger in his eyes. “How dare you.”
“I’m in therapy, and I have been for months. I even met someone that I think is really special.”
“Good for you, Andrew,” I said. “Keep getting that help.”
“I miss your friendship, Ian,” Andrew said with sadness.
“Yeah, I miss your friendship too, except the part where you had my wife pinned to the ground on a cold bathroom floor in a club. I hope you get all help you need, and I hope that
your relationship works out. Take care, Drew.”
Ian took my arm and led me down the sidewalk. He didn’t say a word for quite a while after that. I knew there was a part of him that missed Andrew, but he would never forgive him for what he did, even if I had made peace with it.
“I have to pee,” I said.
“You just went to the bathroom ten minutes ago,” Ian said.
“And? What’s your point? Do you have any idea what it’s like to have two human beings inside of you, pushing down on your bladder?”
“Good point, sweetheart. I apologize. Now let’s get you to a bathroom.”
****
Ian and I were lying in bed. He was doing some work on his laptop and I was looking through a Cosmopolitan magazine. Suddenly, Ian looked over at me and smiled. “Can I play with my girls?”
I sighed. As much as I loved his attention to the babies, he actually got them all wound up when he talked to them. They would start kicking away and he thought it was funny. “Ian, they’re settled for the night.”
“Please, Rory. Just a couple little words. Please,” he begged.
“Fine. Just make it quick. I’m tired.”
He smiled and kissed my tummy. “Hi, it’s your daddy. I just wanted to say good night to both of you.”
And there it was; the kicks had started. Ian put his hands across my stomach and smiled with each kick. He was so cute, and I had no doubt in my mind that he was going to make the best daddy. He’d kept a close eye on me ever since the first ultrasound, and when he couldn’t be with me because of work, he usually had Mandy keep me company. I sighed with each kick because one of them was kicking my bladder and it hurt. I was already feeling the pressure of them down there and he was making it worse.
“I love you, but fuck, Braxton, your children are really making me uncomfortable, and I have to go to the bathroom.”
He kissed my stomach three more times and got up and helped me up from the bed. “Rory, it’s getting harder for you to get up.” He laughed.
“I’m so happy you find it amusing. How about I stick two babies up your penis and see how comfortable you are.”