CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
By the time Juanita and Miguel showed up, Nadine was dressed and had given Michael a wet towel. He reclined against the corner wall, mopping blood from a cut on his chin and his gushing nose.
“Can’t believe he broke my fucking nose,” Michael complained, and resisted help when Miguel tried to bring him to his feet. “Should sue the asshole.”
“I can get you some ice,” Juanita offered. “Plenty here in the fridge.”
“Forget it. I just want to get the hell out of here.”
Still holding the towel to his nose, he pushed himself upright, took one look at Nadine and swore. “Hope you’re happy with him,” he muttered. “Melody hopes so too—you know we did it three times that morning? And the night before.”
“You’re despicable.” She held her head high. “And he is definitely the better man, in every way,” she said dropping her eyes to his dick.
He mumbled another curse, and pushed past Juanita, flinging the door wide.
Juanita smiled at her. “Good girl,” she said.
Miguel wiped the blood from the floor. “I’ll get a cleaner for the rug,” he said, happy to leave the two women alone. He was on his way to the storage room where they kept the cleaning supplies.
Jeremy met up with him along the path. “Miguel,” he said panting hard. “The pillars, they are not there. When did you take them down?”
Miguel looked mystified. “Pillars?”
“For the wedding. Pillars, with pink and white ribbons. They were there yesterday.”
“Si, si. I took them down. Early this morning. No wedding. No pillars,” he grinned and his gold tooth flashed.
“No, si, si!” Jeremy ran his fingers through his hair, desperate to make himself understood. “I am going to marry Nadine. Today!”
“No. She no marry. Michael not good.”
“No Michael is not good. I agree, but I love her and she loves me. We are getting married. Today.”
“Miss Nadine loves you?” He scratched his jaw. “How can that be?”
Jeremy wasn’t sure, but he grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Guess I’m just lucky, that’s all.”
Miguel’s eyes lit up. “You and Miss Nadine marry today! This is very good thing. I can’t put pillars up, but the altar can stay, and we bring in more flowers. Si?” He nodded up and down. “We make pretty.”
“Yes. You make pretty.” He laughed and hugged Miguel, lifting him off his feet. “I have to go tell everyone. Anna, Taylor, oh, and the bride.”
A few minutes later, Jeremy was knocking on Anna’s door. He wasn’t at all surprised when Kevin opened it. “Mr. Thomas, first I need to ask you something, then I must see Anna. This news can’t wait.”
Anna appeared in a light blue flowered caftan that floated around her tiny feet. “Jeremy, what is it? Has something happened?”
“Yes. The most wonderful thing.” He grinned, and then tried to wipe the smile from his face. He didn’t want Nadine’s dad to see how very happy she had made him.
“Well, tell us, son.”
The son part got him, and his eyes teared up. He hadn’t cried since he held his buddy in his arms after an IUD blew off his legs and died in his arms.
“I would like your blessing to marry your daughter. I love her, and she loves me.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. Not sure why she does, but I do know that I’ll make her very happy, and cherish her every day of my life.”
Kevin put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. “You have my blessing, and to be honest I was hoping it would be you.”
“Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint you.” He grinned with relief, not sure what he would have done had her father not approved. Letting Nadine go wouldn’t have been an option.
Anna hugged him too. “Congratulations. We are so happy for both of you. When were you thinking of getting married?” Her flashing brown eyes twinkled at him. “I’m sure we’d love to host your wedding.”
“I was thinking in a few hours.” He might be rushing things, but he’d lost her once, and didn’t want to chance it again. “Perhaps at happy hour?”
She beamed. “A perfect day for a wedding. And you’ll give us all something to celebrate.” She glanced at Kevin. “Not that we ever need an excuse around here.”
Kevin nodded. “You got somebody to marry you yet?”
“Nope. Figured I’d work on that once I let Nadine know.”
Kevin took a step back, and looked at him like he was crazy. “You haven’t proposed to her?”
“I did and she said yes. But she wanted to wait a few months. I don’t.”
“I don’t blame you for that.” He shook his head. “The way I see it is this—she came here to get married, and by God, she will be.” Kevin laughed. “You go tell Nadine to get ready and Anna and I will find someone to make it legal.”
“Thank you both,” he said shaking hands with his future father-in-law, and giving Anna’s hand a squeeze. “Am I forgetting anything?”
“You need witnesses,” she said with a grin.
“I’d be honored if you’d be my best man,” Jeremy told Kevin.
“I’d like that very much.”
“I’ll let Miguel know to keep the altar up,” Anna said.
“I ran into him coming here, and he’s taken the pillars down but he’s leaving the altar and is going to pretty the place up.”
“Okay. Please tell Nadine that her friends are scheduled to fly out this afternoon. Perhaps they can change their flight, but if not I know my Taylor and Kayla would be delighted to stand up for her. And if she’s looking for a new wedding dress to wear on such short notice, both my girls have one they’d happily loan her.”
“I’ll give her the good news. Wish me luck.”
“Tell her that her father is pleased, and delighted to be the best man.”
“I will, sir. And if I need any extra help convincing her to marry me today, I’ll call on you both.” He ran off to see his bride and give her enough time to get ready.
“We’re getting married,” he told her the moment she opened the door. She was showered and dressed, her long blonde hair still damp and curling over her shoulders.
Her big blue eyes widened. “I know we are. Some day.” She moved back inside and he followed.
“You need to call your friends and tell them to stay another night. We’re getting married this afternoon. At happy hour.”
“Are you crazy? We can’t do that. It’s impossible. Besides, I’m not in the mood to get married. Michael saw to that.”
“Michael’s an idiot—you can’t give him the power to hurt you. Not anymore. We can get married in a few hours and we will. Your dad gave his consent and is going to be my best man. Anna is going to find us someone to perform the ceremony and Miguel is setting things right for outside.”
“What?” She licked her bottom lip and frowned. “You arranged all this in the past hour?”
“Yes.” His heart pounded, excitement and fear making it roar like a Ferrari engine. He had known adrenalin in war and had felt these sensations before. “Nadine, what will it take to put you in the mood?” He walked up to her, never taking his eyes off her face. He grazed her cheek with his knuckles and then wrapped his hand around her neck, drawing her mouth close.
He kissed her softly, and when her lips opened he deepened the kiss and pulled her body into his, feeling her surrender as she melted against him.
Her arms went around his back and she held on tight, allowing him to have his way with her mouth, her throat, and kiss the soft skin behind her ear.
She whimpered and sighed. “The mood is improving,” she whispered. “Keep up the good work.”
He picked her up and took her to bed, and an hour later, she was giggling and drinking the leftover champagne from last night. “This is my wedding day,” she told him. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to see you and here I am. Naked, satiated, in your arms.”
“This is the first day of the rest of our lives and I want it to be special from start to finish.” He kissed her champagne-flavored mouth, and caressed her soft breast. “I love you so much, and I intend to make you a very happy woman.”
“You have, and you will. I’m certain of it.”
“Well, forgive my forgetfulness, but Anna said if you wanted to borrow a dress that Taylor and Kayla both have wedding dresses to lend you. And they can stand in as bridesmaids if your friends can’t stay.”
“Oh crap. I forgot to call them. I wonder if they’ve already gone?” She jumped out of bed and grabbed her cell phone. “They left me several messages, but I had the ringer off.”
Reading her text messages, her face broke into a huge smile and she turned to him, eyes sparkling. “Anna told them the wedding was on, and they’ve been helping Juanita and Miguel with fresh flowers and decorations.” Still naked, she danced seductively around the table. “And more good news! Ashley has a dress for me to wear. It’s blue. Something borrowed and something blue.” Her eyes welled with tears. “I love my friends, and I love you.” She came back and kissed him, a long wet kiss. “Now will you leave me? I have a wedding to attend in a few hours, and a dashing husband to dazzle.”
“He’s already dazzled. Don’t worry.” He got out of bed and put his clothes back on. “I better go see if we have someone to marry us. If not, I’ve got a few hours left in the day to get notarized.”
She laughed. “Now that I’m in the mood we better get this done. I don’t want to leave here with two botched weddings!”
“I promise you won’t. One way or another, you’re going to be Mrs. Jeremy Williams tonight.”
“I like the sound of that.” She grabbed her robe and slipped it on. “Now I have to take another shower, shave my legs, and do all the things a bride should do.” She stopped short, looking at him. “We don’t have wedding vows.”
“This is an informal wedding. We’ll keep it simple. Long as you promise to love me, honor and obey, I’m good.” He made a quit exit at the door, dodging the pillow aimed at his head.