CHAPTER 21: KERRY
“You’re sure about this, right?”
It was Brett’s voice, and it cut through the haze of wonder in my head. I nodded.
“Brett, how can you even ask something like that? Of course I’m sure.”
He chuckled. It was a small, nervous laugh. “Sorry,” he said, smiling softly. “I can’t help it—it just seems so impossible, I can’t believe it’s happening.”
I leaned in closer. “Brett Randell,” I said slowly. “What do I have to do to demonstrate to you how much I love you?”
He laughed. “Oh, Kerry,” he said. “I believe you. I just…it still doesn’t seem possible to me.”
I gave him a sidelong glance. “Well, it is. So believe it.”
He laughed again.
I walked to the other side of the room and looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a white suit—white blazer, white skirt. The top was a pale silk, just the pink side of white. It brought out the color of my eyes. My hair was up in a loose bun, strands of it tumbling down to like and burn on my shoulders.
I frowned. Adjusted one of the small pearl clips I’d put in the one side, as a decoration. There. That was better.
“You look beautiful,” Brett said.
“Thanks,” I grinned wryly. “You look handsome.”
He looked surprised, and glad. “You think so?”
I rolled my eyes. “Brett Randell, you must know that.”
He blushed red. “Thanks, Kerry.”
I let my eyes drink in their fill of him. In a suit, his dark hair brushed back, green eyes bright in contrast with it, he was stunning. I stared at his muscle-bound form and felt my heart start to thump.
“Right,” I said, my voice wavering suddenly with feeling. “We are off?”
The muscles of his throat swallowed dryly. “I guess,” he said.
We went down the stairs together. We had settled our troubles in the month after the attack, during which time we’d stayed in the house just outside Miami. We walked out through the front door and climbed into the car.
While we drove into the town, I let my mind run back over the events of the last week or two. We had heard from Brett’s tormenters, who had, it seemed, agreed to a settlement that was much less than we had expected. With the sale of Brett’s car, and the return of the deposit on both of our apartments, we could just about meet the new price. I took a risk and contributed my savings. We were free.
With the problem of the threat against us gone, we had the freedom to follow our hearts. And that was what we were going to do now.
We drove, slow and nervous, but with a growing sense of wonder in my heart, into town.
When we walked into the small, official-looking building, I was amazed to be met by my friend, Joanna. The friend I’d met while working for the ballet company, but who I thought I’d lost when my ankle tore. I had texted her on the off-chance that she’d still want to meet up. And now, here she was.
She wrapped me in a floral-scented embrace. I held her close.
“Joanna,” I said quietly.
“Kerry.”
I could feel my eyes filling with tears—this one extra connection on top of all the emotions that raced through me today was one step too far for me. I bit my lip and struggled not to sob.
Then she was releasing me and stepping back. “You might know Dominic?” she said.
I shook my head at the tall, lean-faced man who grinned at me.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hi! Dominic Worth. Nice to meet you.”
We shook hands. Brett shook his hand and grinned at him. He looked happy. He also looked scared.
I went to join him and we went into the office together.
We stood before a woman in a dark blazer, with a neat haircut and a nice, muted-colored suit. She said some words I scarce heard, and passed us a pen. We signed. She said some more words.
Our two friends signed the page.
That was it.
We were married.
I looked at Brett. He looked at me.
We smiled.
We kissed.
I leaned against him and he wrapped his arms around me and we stood there, in the small, quiet space and his mouth moved over mine and we gave ourselves up to a moment of intense, sweet passion.
Then, our friends laughing and congratulating, we left.
***
Later, in the restaurant, I watched Kerry laughing and joking with her friend Joanna. I stared at her in wonder. She was so beautiful. She was my bride.
It made no sense. If all the colors of the morning had come down and said they would brighten my life forever, I would feel as blessed, as honored. Nothing else could even come close.
I noticed Dominic look sideways at me, watching my glance. I smiled.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Dominic laughed and took a sip of his drink. “Yes, she is,” he said. “Very beautiful. You’re a lucky guy.”
I felt myself go pink. “I know,” I said.
He laughed.
I caught Kerry’s eye across the table and she smiled at me. There was such a knowing look in that gaze, so alluring and exciting, that I felt my groin twitch. I smiled back, hesitant. She beamed.
Later, when it was just getting dark, we walked out of the restaurant together. I was standing next to Kerry and I looked down at her, drinking in how beautiful she looked. The white was bright and crisp, like her. And the pale pink made her hair seem even more fiery. I stared at her, letting my eyes drink in the beauty of her long oval face, her brown eyes. That pale skin that went all the way down into her satin blouse and disappeared there.
As my eyes took her in I saw her smile up at me. I grinned. My hand was at my side and I could feel the warmth of her body close to me. It was exciting.
“Well,” Joanna was saying, “I guess we should be on our way. I’ll say goodnight now, okay?”
“Okay,” Kerry smiled. She held her friend close and I felt the sweetness of that connection. I waited to say goodbye to Joanna, shaking her hand.
“Make sure Joanna stays close to Miami,” she said firmly. “We’re not letting her escape so lightly from us—not a second time around.” She shot a grin at Kerry. “You hear me?” she said, and I assumed she was talking to me, since she turned a stiff stare on me.
“I will,” I nodded.
She smiled, laughed and waved, then, still smiling, headed to her car.
I turned to Dominic, shaking his hand gravely.
“Thanks for coming all this way,” I said. I really appreciated it.
“No worries,” he said. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Take care, eh?”
“I will,” I nodded. “Thanks.”
We shook hands.
I watched him say his farewells to Kerry, saw her shake his hand warmly. He nodded briskly, going pink, I noticed, with awkwardness, and then waved and headed into the dark evening.
That left Kerry and I alone in the car-park.
I turned to her. I held her in my arms. We kissed.
“My wife,” I said. I was trying to convince myself, I think. She smiled.
“Oh, Brett,” she whispered. Her body pressed against mine and I could feel all the exciting curves of it through the silk. I was desperately aroused and she leaned against me, then tipped that cute face up to look at me. “Shall we go?”
I nodded, too excited for words.
We went to the car and drove home together.
It was a long drive.
When we reached it, the white sand gleamed in the starlight, the water a pool of liquid black on the horizon, flowing with the reflection of light and dark.
I breathed in the sea-scented air. I looked at Kerry. In the dark, her hair just highlighted to a dull pewter, she looked so, so beautiful.
We stood there for a long time, drinking in the beauty of the scene. I thought that there was a part of me that wished this moment would never end, that we would turn into stone right here and stand forever, my arms round her, looking out into the misty, mysterious sea.
But then she made a little sigh and shifted in my arms and we walked away together.
Slowly, our footsteps just visible in a track of dark-shaded indents behind us, we walked toward the house.
It sat there just offset from the dunes’ meeting with the sand, the white paint gleaming faintly in the pale light. I breathed in the scent of salt and dust and warmth and I knew that I was home.
Home was wherever she was. And we were here together. It was home indeed.
Wordlessly, slowly, we went into the house and shut the door together.
We kissed.