Chapter Thirty-Five
Jade and Kat descended in a puddle jumper that practically crash-landed on the white beaches of Negril and Jade dutifully held back Kat’s hair as she puked. They took an early flight to meet with the resort’s wedding coordinator. Jeremy, Tyson, and Mia were arriving the following morning and the rest of the guests, namely her parents, were scheduled to arrive the morning after that. She and Jeremy would be saying their vows at sunset on New Year’s Eve.
After sharing the news with their friends Christmas morning, there had been a whirlwind of excitement. Apparently, only Americans thought weddings took a year to plan, because here in the world of Jamaica and OCD best friends, things were moving at light speed.
As soon as Kat washed her face and adjusted to the heat, she put on her control freak hat and immediately started giving orders. Their bags were delivered to their hotel rooms and the next thing Jade knew, they were meeting with the event coordinator to synchronize their agendas.
Jade wasn’t quite sure what was on the schedule. Her focus was solely on finding out if her dress had arrived. She’d ordered it online and paid a fortune to have it shipped in time.
After Kat had made it clear to DeMont, the resort coordinator, that she was in charge, they went to the front desk to pick up Jade’s gown. A shuttle took them into the village where a seamstress lived. Kat was a little skeptical when they arrived at the dilapidated hut with a near-starved dog roped to a bush out front, but DeMont had promised the woman was the best seamstress around.
The seamstress, Necie, was in her seventies and looked weathered to the bone, but the woman could sew a straight seam faster and neater than most people could write. When she finished, Jade stood in front of a bronze-tinged mirror and smiled. It was perfect.
The dress was the softest silk and slipped into place over her curves like it was made for her body. The natural train ran a few inches behind her and the back was cut into a deep V. As she studied her reflection, her finger slipped under the halter and traced the raised skin of her scar. She looked the picture of normal. And despite what others couldn’t see, she felt normal. She was truly happy.
Once they were back at the hotel, they had lunch and arranged another meeting with DeMont to survey the site for the wedding. They would be saying their vows under a white chuppah on the beach, swathed in fuchsia lilies and ivory orchids.
After their meeting, they visited the salon for some necessary pampering. As the gossamer drapes danced in the breeze from the marble balcony of the salon, she sampled fresh fruit and drank from a coconut a native carved into a cup using a machete. Yes, she was in paradise.
The following morning, they awoke well rested and acclimated. While waiting for the others to arrive, Jade, again, sampled the rum being offered in the lobby. Several shuttles arrived as they looked for the guys and Mia. The longer they waited the more Jade consumed. Around her third pina colada, she spotted them.
“Momma!” Mia exclaimed as she saw Kat.
Jeremy walked to Jade and pulled her into his arms, delivering a slow, teasing kiss. “Mmm, coconut. You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
Her drunken exuberance was impossible to hide. “I’m so glad you’re here. Jeremy, it’s so nice here. The water’s so warm and clear. You can see starfish at your feet and the rum’s delicious!”
He laughed and kissed her nose. “I missed you.”
She hummed, pressing into him. “Do you think we can sneak away to our room before Kat sends you and Ty away on a groomission?”
“Groomission?”
“Yeah, a mission for the groom.”
He frowned. “What do we need to do? I have Mia’s dress and I have our wedding bands.”
“Oh! Can I see them?”
“You can see mine, but I’m holding onto yours until we say I do.”
“Well, I still think we should try to escape for an hour or five.” Her fingers played at the exposed skin of his throat. “Our suite’s unbelievable.”
He growled. “Let’s go—”
“Okay, guys,” Kat announced, coming to their side. “We have an appointment with the officiant in about forty minutes, so that’s just enough time for you to drop off your bags and change before we head to the beach.”
“Who invited her?” Jade muttered under her breath.
Jeremy chuckled. “You.”
The following evening, after the rehearsal, Jeremy walked Jade to a secluded hammock on the beach. The beaches glowed like jewels under the starlit sky.
As they swayed beneath the sheltering trees, he teased at the hem of her sundress just above her knee. “Tomorrow, we’re getting married.”
“Mmm… It’s nice having a minute to ourselves.” It must have been all the fresh sea air that put her so at ease. Well, that, and all the rum.
Wrapped in a tight cocoon of limbs and canvas, she curled her leg over his thigh. Although they were out in the open, with the hammock curving around them and the canopy of palm leaves blocking the noise from the hotel, they were hidden from the world.
He glided his hand up her thigh and under her dress until his fingers found the lace seam of her panties. Ever so lightly, he traced his finger along the edge and hooked the fabric with his fingertip. Jade lifted as he pulled the material away.
“I’ll hold onto these,” he teased, stuffing the panties in his pocket.
Slowly, Jade turned and maneuvered her way on top of him, careful not to flip the hammock. She straddled his waist and opened his pants, their exposed parts hidden under the skirt of her dress. Reaching beneath the fabric, he guided himself into her as she slowly rode him.
His blond lashes appeared almost silver in the moonlight. His expression eased with pleasure as she sensually moved over him. The hammock swayed with their languid pace, a relaxing escape from the rest of the world, just her and the man she loved.
They made love under the inky blanket of the sky, luxuriating in the freedom to touch and play with each other.
“I can’t believe I can have you like this for the rest of my life,” he whispered and she was thinking the same.
Leaning low, she kissed him softly. “I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one.”
“We’ll see.” He pulled her hips tighter to his. “Our bodies fit perfectly together.”
Her heart raced as he brought her to climax, her cries lost in the breeze. When they finished, she curled into his side and kissed his neck.
“Maybe we should stay here forever. We could live in a hut on the beach and sleep in hammocks all day, making love only when we woke at night.”
He moaned in agreement. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”
She wasn’t sure if it was the chaos of wedding plans, the excitement of the island, or the contentment that came with marrying Jeremy, but her mind hadn’t strayed to depressing thoughts in days. Of course, life couldn’t always be so perfect, but the idea of maintaining the illusion was tempting.
“Unfortunately,” he whispered, “I was supposed to have you back to your room an hour ago.”
“Says who?”
“Your matron of honor.”
“More like my Gestapo of honor.” She could only imagine if she’d had a big wedding.
His eyes crinkled as he silently laughed. “I’m told you have a big day tomorrow.”
She sighed and smiled. “That’s true.”
“Why don’t I walk you back to the room?”
“Fine, but once we’re married I’m revoking Kat’s clipboard.”
It wasn’t easy leaving her fiancé that night. It would be the last time they slept apart and somehow saying goodnight was more excruciating than all their prior goodbyes. As she lay in bed, her mind wandered over pictures of their future. She wasn’t sure what the next several decades would bring, but she truly believed they’d be happy.
The next day unfolded as if it had been planned for years. Delicious anticipation ran through her veins, passing every minute with a wave of giddiness. The women at the salon polished, buffed, waxed, and styled her to perfection.
Her hair was done in loose waves swept up on one side of her face. She used Kat’s feathered lily pin in her hair as her something borrowed. Her something new was, of course, her dress and her something blue was a pair of sapphire earrings. Her mother had provided her with something old, a delicate pearl bracelet that was a family heirloom.
After the salon, she and the other women had lunch and relaxed until it was time for the photographer to arrive. While Jade was sitting on the balcony, the door slid open. She turned and saw Mia, her nails painted a pale shell pink, her hair loosely pinned up in curls and secured with a fuchsia ribbon headband.
“Hey, princess.”
Mia climbed onto her lap. “Kiki, when you marry Daddy, will that make you my mommy?”
Ah, so that’s what that look was about. “Well, I’ll be your step-mommy, but your mommy will still be your mommy. Just like Daddy’s your daddy, but Tyson’s also your daddy.”
“Sometimes I call Tyson Daddy.”
Jade pulled back and studied her angelic face, noting the worry in her eyes. “Honey, I’ll still be your Kiki.” It was a nickname Mia had given her when she was just learning to speak and Jade loved knowing she was close enough to earn a one-of-a-kind endearment.
“Can I call you Mommy, too?”
“You can if you want.”
“But no one else has a Kiki.”
Jade smiled and kissed her nose. “Well, then I say we stick with Kiki. You know what’s really cool?”
“What?”
“I’ll still be Kiki, but now you’ll be my step-daughter.”
Mia smiled and hugged her tight. “I’m glad you’re marrying my daddy.”
Jeremy waited at the edge of the beach, where the banks were damp. His white linen shirt rippled in the breeze as the ocean teased his feet. His chest filled with anticipation as the ceremony began.
Tyson stood beside him, dressed much the same. A white chuppah, wrapped with bright splashes of flora popped against the backdrop of the turquoise sea. Fading shades of pink painted the sky under the setting sun as a native Jamaican softly played the steel drums.
Kat approached from between two arched palm trees, followed by Mia, an angel on a cloud of white sand. Then the music changed again and his heart jolted as he recognized the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Jade stepped out from behind the trees, her arm linked in her father’s, and stole every last breath from his lungs. More than exquisite, her beauty humbled him.
Her dress shimmered, shades of pearl kissed with hues of pink from the setting sun. In her hands, she held a cascading bouquet of berry colored lilies. As she approached the altar, her father kissed her cheek, and Jeremy shook his hand. This was it.
The officiant began the ceremony, but his attention was completely devoted to Jade. She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. When it was time to exchange vows, Tyson passed him the rings, and he turned to Jade.
“My beautiful Jade, I’ve known you for years, but feel as if I’ve loved you for an eternity. My love for you is written into my bones. I promise to love, honor, and respect you from this day forward. I will always place your needs above mine, your comfort above my own, and your happiness above all else. I promise this to you, forever and always. From this day forward, I will always catch you if you fall.”
He slid the ring onto her finger as she gazed up at him, tears shimmering in her green eyes. “Jeremy, you’re a unique work of art amongst a tarnished world. You’re loyal, loving, and selfless in everything you do. You’re gentle and kind. You’ve given me courage when I had nothing left to give. You’ve taught me to hope in moments of loss and given me strength when I needed it most. You accept me for who I am, make me laugh when I want to cry, and mend my soul when it’s broken. I promise to do the same for you from this day to our very last. I promise to be faithful and love you for the rest of this life and in my next.”
She slid the band onto his finger and every part of his being seemed to slide into place. The officiant said a few closing words and grinned. “You may kiss the bride.”
She smiled, such genuine joy lighting her eyes as he pulled her close. “My beautiful wife.”