Chapter 10
Paige stood in front of the antique floor mirror, admiring her wedding dress, and although it was supposed to be her special day there was a hollow feeling deep down in her stomach. It wasn’t nerves, it was an empty feeling. At this stage, brides usually felt anxious wondering if they made the right choice, or wondering if the caterers did what was expected, but none of that mattered much. She felt almost mechanically driven, like a wound up doll, being left to march down the aisle.
A light knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie, and the dressmaker went to open the door and her best friend Jess came walking in with Joshua.
“Mommy!” Joshua cried as he came running towards her wearing a grand little tuxedo, with a bow tie.
“Just look at you sweetheart, you look so handsome,” she said smiling as she bowed down, tucking his fringe back, “you make me so proud.”
“I know, Hunter said I can keep the clothes and then I can be like James Bond,” he said excitedly.
“Oh now that’s a great idea,” she said and straightened up.
“Who’s James Bond mommy?” he asked curiously.
“A very famous spy,” she said and smiled at her son.
She could still pull out of this, there’s no law on this planet that would force her to get married, she thought somberly. And although she shared something really special with Hunter a few nights ago, there was still no declaration of love and commitment; this was still only a means to an end for him.
“Are you ready Paige?” Jess asked.
She gave herself another once over and then nodded, “Yes, I am”
Hunters stood at the Wedding Arch, with no best man flanking his side. This was meant to be an informal, last minute wedding to show the important people that he was too in love to wait. The tranquil setting in the large garden on the ranch was perfect, with nothing but close friends and family from his side, which was convenient. From Paige’s side she only had one guest, her best friend Jess.
Until this point, the plan was in full swing, he was going to get married, seal the deal for Old Stone Ranch and once the dust had settled file for an annulment, but that thought alone left him with an uneasy feeling. He wasn’t quite sure if he would want to let her go at all. Just then Gregory Johnson appeared next to him.
“You’re missing your best man, so I reckon I can stand in,” he said behind a fake smile.
“How generous of you, but both Paige and I decided on a small wedding,” he said looking out over the small crowd of people.
“I know you did,” Gregory said and paused for a second, “I changed the terms of our agreement by the way.”
“Why are we discussing business now?”
“Because I’m covering my basis, I will sign the sales agreement for Old Stone after six months from today, just to make sure there’s no false pretenses, this marriage was rather sudden,” he said with a sardonic smile on his face.
Hunter cursed inwardly, and smiled, “If you feel the need to do that, then that’s your choice,” he said coolly.
Saved by the bell, or rather the wedding march, he turned to face the aisle and as Paige made her way past the white flower decorated chairs and down the rose-petal strewn path, he felt his heart contract and realized there and then that he could not go through with this lie. From where he stood he could see the smile on her lips, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and behind her was his son Joshua beaming from ear to ear.
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other uncomfortably, and as she reached him he looked at her, and it was then when he realized she was worth more than this, he didn’t deserve her one bit.
The priest cleared his throat and they both turned to face him, but even as the priest started the formalities, Hunter’s mind was racing and his conscience was fighting him.
“Wait,” he said stopping the priest, then looking at Paige, who tilted her head questioningly at him.
“We can’t go ahead with this,” he said only for her to hear, and by the look in her eyes, he knew she agreed, and then he turned to the guests.
“Friends, and guests I have a confession to make,” he started feeling Gregory’s uneasy stare burn into his back.
“This wedding is a farce, It’s been one since the start when I acquired a willing woman to marry me and stay married to me for a period of time, just so that I could sign a business deal,” there were a few gasps and whispers in the small crowd and for a moment he searched for words, but just then he felt Paige lace her fingers in his and he found a new breath of confidence.
“You see, Paige and I do go back many years, and I was told that I could not purchase Old Stone unless I was a family man, I made a very bad choice. I managed to find her and with deceitful promises, I convinced her to marry me,” he continued without a breath, “the problem is that her son Joshua is in fact my own flesh and blood, believe it or not, we were in love once a very long time ago. And just like the fool I am now, thinking I can con Gregory Johnson into selling his land to me by marrying the first available woman, I was a fool back then. I left Paige without even a goodbye and although I never knew she was pregnant, I never bothered to contact her for reasons I will only explain to her later,” here and here guests started getting up and leaving, but that did not stop Hunter.
“The problem is that if I marry Paige like this today, it would be a lie, because I don’t want an arranged marriage bound to a business deal, I want the real thing, and…” he started, then turned to Paige, “you deserves the real deal. A marriage to man you love,” he said as he looked into her tear-filled eyes. “I’m so sorry Paige, but I love you too much to continue with this deceit.”
Paige was a mess, her mascara was most certainly streaked down over her cheeks, but what was worse was the feeling of utter relief she felt as she heard Hunter declare his love for her, she turned to him and smiled through the tears.
“And I love you too much to let you go again,” she said quietly trying to hide the trembling in her voice.
She felt Joshua cling to her dress and she looked down at him where he stood with eyes wide, and she bent down to his level, then looked up at Hunter, “Joshua, Hunter is your real daddy,” she said, knowing that this must have come as a shock to him, but instead, Joshua flung his arms around Hunter’s’ one leg and hugged him.
Hunter bowed down next them and slid his hand around the back of her neck pulling her forehead against his, “I would like a second chance to redeem myself, and prove to you that I am worthy to be your husband,” he said as he held unto Joshua and Paige.
“I would like that,” she said softly, and midst this emotional reunion of souls, the few guests that were left rose to their feet and applauded them, whilst Gregory Johnson and his wife stood by the love struck couple.
“Well we have a priest, and you two are in love, so why wait?” he said sternly but with a smile tucking at the corner of his lips.
Hunter stood up and pulled Paige into his arms, “I loved you from the start, Paige,” he said smiling as he framed her face in his hands.
“And I have loved you, since forever,” Paige said and turned her face to kiss the inside of his palm.
“I love you too!” the little voice from below cried out, and they all laughed.