Ireland
Just outside the bridal room in a quaint New York chapel, I watched a couple of children, a boy and a girl, dance around in the hallway, laughing and playfully pushing each other. “Ready to walk down the aisle?” I knew that wonderful voice anywhere—it warmed my soul and often made me feel like a giddy school girl. It was even worse with my raging hormones, the further along I got.
“You mean waddle,” I corrected him, smoothing my hands over my rather large baby bump. “Should you be here? Bad luck to see the bride.” I smiled as he drew closer and placed his hands to the side of mine and I moved them so he could feel the baby moving.
“I assure you that I don’t believe that to be true. Besides, that doesn’t apply in our situation. I came to check on you.” Jensen leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “And remember I saw you all day long before our Vegas wedding.”
He was right. “I’m fine. Just hoping the ring girl doesn’t throw petals too far or dump them all at once. I have reminded her that they are to be gently tossed as she walks slowly down the aisle to the front of the chapel…” Taking a deep breath I could imagine a completely chaotic scene that I hoped people would laugh about if they happened, and not crown her bratty-brat of the year. “Oh, I pray she doesn’t sprint when she sees the crowd… or do some acrobatic moves.”
“She is pretty proud of her wonky cartwheels…she’s going to be a great athlete one day,” he announced, proudly and I grimaced.
“Don’t say that so my father hears you,” I warned him, looking around since he should be coming my way any minute to walk the bride down the aisle.
“Why?” Jensen cupped my face and tilted it up to a handsome view. “Surely he has learned that women are quite spectacular…his own daughter is amazing with his athletes…” He kissed the tip of my nose. “…pairing them precisely with the right PR and marketing.” He sounded so proud of me as he spoke that my entire insides got all warm and toasty, causing my face to turn a bright shade of red. “I love when you blush, baby, but you know that I speak the truth. Hiring you as a consultant was the best…or one of the best decisions I ever made.”
My involvement with Callum Sports and D & D International was not a full-time job, but merely an as-needed position. I did love the fringe benefits that went along with my assignments. The man in charge was gorgeous and very attentive to my needs and he made me want to please him every chance I got. A big perk was that he was willing to connect intimately in my home office—over my desk, on my window seat, on my rug…in any position, top or bottom. I couldn’t ask for a better business liaison…or husband.
“The best move I ever made was to join you in the pool. You were so hot with your big strong arms on the side of the pool. I just knew that would dazzle me every day for the rest of—” My words were cut short as my father appeared in the hallway, decked out in a black tuxedo with a white shirt and lavender bow tie.
“Shouldn’t you be on the other side of the church in the groom’s room?” His voice took on a no-nonsense tone that had Jensen presenting me with a kiss and running off. “Showtime,” he said to me before we stepped into the bride’s chambers to get the ball rolling.
Montana looked so beautiful in her wedding gown and Novak was so handsome in his dark tux with a lavender tie. They were a stunning couple. Who would’ve thought that they would be getting hitched? Well, I had mentioned it a time or two, but mainly as a joke. Their relationship grew and sparks began to fly as they worked and traveled together. Montana loved her key role; dressing several athletes in Callum sportswear. I was a bit surprised that she didn’t date one of her hunky clients, but she was more interested in giving her advice to the designers—something Novak encouraged her to do. I think he liked that it took her away from dressing the male athletes, but she does have great fashion sense. I, personally, liked that she had even more sense when she accepted his marriage proposal. I could see the love blossoming between them and I was thrilled to be part of their new beginning.
As I walked down the aisle before my daughter, Indigo, sprinkled her basket of lavender petals behind me for the bride, I noticed another one time unlikely—not really as far as I was concerned—pair sitting alone in a pew; Olivia Cane and Noah Tate. Their closeness…linked arms made me smile as I passed them.
Reaching the altar, I looked at the man…my husband standing next to his best friend, and grinned at him as he winked. It was the moment of truth I thought to myself as I turned to look down the aisle, saying a little prayer as our little princess commanded the crowd’s attention. To my delight, I smiled and shook my head as she dazzled my heart with her bright cherub face gleaming as she did her own thing—dusting the aisle here and there along with tossing a few in the air until Indigo rushed to her daddy. A total daddy’s girl—there was no denying that fact.
Seeing the two of them together, a couple of tears slid down my cheeks as the music was cued. Hearing everyone rise to their feet, I watched my gorgeous bestest friend dressed in a beautiful white dress slowly making her way to her groom. She was on the arm of my father who stepped up for Montana since her father had passed away when she was a child. The look on Novak’s face was priceless; you would swear that he was seeing her for the first time.
Listening to them recite their vows, I remembered saying my own “I do” to the love of my life. Our ceremony may not have been elaborate and as fancy as the wedding we were both witnessing, but it wasn’t any less than perfect. We could’ve had the big hoopla if we would’ve went through with the whole wedding that our parents had arranged. Instead, we agreed to a formal reception with a mass of unknown people—that was enough for us—and it pleased everyone involved, especially our mothers.
We tossed the bouquet and garter, cut the cake, danced our first dance, and then waved goodbye and went on the honeymoon excursion that had been gifted to us. It was when we stayed in a private villa on the island of Mustique—naked and alone—that we created our daughter. We named her Indigo after a place on the island—a family tradition continued as I was named after my parents’ favorite place. The pregnancy test I had taken a few years back after the big revelation at Jensen’s parents’ home showed a minus sign which had us both sighing with disappointment. “I wanted you to be carrying my baby,” Jensen said as he held me that night. So when it came time to pack for our romantic getaway, I watched him make a point; showing me that the jumbo box of condoms was staying back in Brooklyn.
In fact, he pulled that same move on our fourth anniversary about seven months ago which contributed to the need for me to wear a tent rather than a sexy gown like the other two girls in the wedding party. I liked to moan to Montana, but I was…Jensen and I were both excited to be having our second child…another girl—we hadn’t broken the news to anyone, our private secret. I’d say it was a problem when planning a baby shower but we really didn’t need anything and declined a shower. I imagined that they would balk once Brooklyn—conceived at home—was born. Knowing our families they probably already had a surprise party all arranged, so it was nice to be in control for the time being.
It was even nicer dancing close together on the dance floor at the reception in a big fancy hotel immediately following the ceremony. There was nothing better than having the big strong arms of my gorgeous husband around me. I reached up and fiddled with the knot of his purple and lavender striped tie and then slipped my hand down the length of it. “I see that you have perfected the Pratt knot.”
“Not as much fun as having you tie it for me but after doing all the guy’s ties, I actually got mine done in record time,” he smiled down at me, proudly.
“You know, fast doesn’t always make it good.” I giggled, meaning something completely different.
“Fast at the finish…slow and easy to start…a nice build up…ugh!” Jensen groaned. “How long do we have to stay? We have a suite upstairs and your parents are taking Indigo for the night.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me as he pushed his hard length against me and instead of laughing, my whole body shivered with chills from head to toe.
“I hope you still want me as much as you do now when we’re in our nineties.” My fingers had left his tie behind and were climbing into his thick brown hair, winding their way around to the back of his head.
“We have a true desire for each other that will never die even if we may not be able to get all the parts working as they do now.” I shook my head and we both laughed until Jensen turned serious and reached forward to hold my face in his warm hands. “I will always do my best to show you how much you are loved. You will never doubt my feelings for you till the day I leave you behind. Even then, I will look down on you and wait patiently until we are together again.”
“Don’t say things like that to me,” I sniffled as tears fell down my cheeks. “My hormones cannot handle your sexiness or your sappiness.” I giggled thinking of just how mushy his words could be, but I loved them and I would love him forever.
THE END