Both men blinked at me and Edgar said, "Would I what?"
I didn't know how to describe it, but I wanted Edgar's official blessing on us. He was such a sweet man, and I knew he'd loved his late wife with all his heart, and having him commemorate the start of my new relationship with Nicholas felt right. "Would you do some sort of 'best wishes' ceremony? Not a wedding, but..." I trailed off since I didn't know what to call it.
"A commitment ceremony?"
I nodded, and Edgar said, "I would be honored. Right at the moment, though, Linda and Raul are waiting for me. I could come back here after and--"
"Not here," Nicholas said, and I nodded. The room, strewn with remnants of my previous life and with my wedding dress hanging in the closet, wasn't the right place.
"I'm afraid the chapel is booked all day for ceremonies and decoration time."
Nicholas looked at me. "Do you trust me?"
I smiled. "To the ends of the ocean."
He smiled back, then turned to Edgar. "Have you got any time today after my mom's wedding?"
He nodded. "That'll take about twenty minutes, then I'm free until lunch."
"Perfect." To me, Nicholas said, "Anyone or anything particular you want there?"
"Wendy," I said at once. "Other than that, no." This wasn't our wedding, so we didn't need to have our mothers and all that in attendance. I wanted only people who I knew were completely committed to us to be there as we committed to each other. "Although Mark's fine too."
He brushed his fingers over my hair. "She went from here to the coffee area to give us privacy. I'll send her back and ask her about Mark. Nothing else?"
"You."
He winked. "No worries on that score. Edgar, can I walk partway back with you and tell you what I want?"
"Absolutely." Edgar patted my shoulder. "I'll see you in thirty minutes or so, dear. We'll send someone down to let you know where to be."
I grinned, excitement and delight flooding me. Nicholas gave me a hug and murmured, "And I'll kiss you after the ceremony. Deal?"
My grin widened. "Most definitely."
Chapter Forty-Three
Thirty minutes later, Wendy and I sat on the bed nearest the door waiting. She'd returned a few minutes after Nicholas left, and we'd laughed and cried and laughed again and then she'd said, "Enough of this. Let's get you ready."
Before we did, though, I wanted to get my things from the room I'd shared with Owen since we knew he was at the casino. Anticipating this, Mark had given Wendy my key card, so she and I opened the door cautiously then quickly packed up my stuff and left after I'd placed my diamond necklace and earrings on the dresser. Owen would probably find someone else, someone who shared his lack of need for the butterflies of love, and she'd end up wearing them. I didn't mind at all.
Back at Wendy's room we only had ten minutes to get me ready, but we didn't need even that long. I wanted to wear the silk shawl, of course, and since it matched perfectly with my top and skirt, which I'd chosen with Nicholas in mind, there wasn't any reason to change my clothes. Wendy brushed my hair out, using the hair dryer to get rid of the last wavy remnants of Dimitri's twist, and pulled it back into a neater ponytail. I put on my usual makeup, and my starfish necklace, and Wendy arranged the shawl across my shoulders, then we had nothing to do but sit and talk.
We'd gone over and over it, but as we waited she again said, "I thought I was going to fall over when I saw him at the door. I didn't know what to do. I really thought I was going to keel over. Pass out on the altar."
I laughed, so happy I could hardly sit still. "But you didn't. You made everything work out. And he came through, Wendy."
I hadn't said that before, and she wrapped her arm around me. "Yeah. But more importantly, you came through."
I hugged her hard. "You're right. I did. And when we get married, it'll be forever."
The long-awaited knock arrived then, and we got up and headed for the door together. The older lady smiled and said, "Are you ready?"
"Definitely."
We followed her into the hall, and after a few steps Wendy said, "So, where are we going?"
She shook her head. "I'm not supposed to tell." She smiled at me. "But there's some curiosity about when you'll guess."
I hadn't even thought about it. As long as Nicholas was there, I didn't care if it was in the men's bathroom. But when we got into the elevator and the worker pressed the button for the top deck, the observation deck, I burst out laughing.
The woman smiled at me. "Think you know?"
I tapped my starfish necklace and she winked.
"I don't know," Wendy said. "But I'd like to."
"You will," I said, unable to hold back my giggles. Had he really--
When the elevator door opened and I saw the quiet pool, I knew he had. The usual deck chairs had been removed, and a long white carpet led from the elevator to the secluded alcove where he and I had watched Hatchet Monster together. At the end of the carpet stood Edgar in a dress shirt and pants instead of his ceremonial uniform, Mark in the t-shirt and shorts he'd been wearing last night, and Nicholas.
Like me, he wore what he'd worn the day we were alone together in the Bahamas, and as our eyes met across the carpet his smile said he'd done it on purpose and knew I'd done the same.
I tried to walk toward him with dignity, but halfway there I couldn't stop myself speeding up. He moved toward me at the same time and caught me in his arms, and we squeezed each other hard and whispered, "I love you," before turning to face Edgar.
The older man's eyes looked moist, but he smiled at Nicholas and then at me. "Is this acceptable, Melissa?"
"It's where I fell in love with him again," I said softly. "It's perfect."
I heard Wendy sniffle, and turned to her as my own eyes filled with tears. "Come here, you."
We hugged each other tight and she said into my ear, "If you could see yourself! Remember Stephanie at her wedding? Just the same."
I knew. I could feel it, feel how my whole being lit up at the sight of him, and the joy of it pushed the tears away. "I love him so much."
"I know you do." She eased back and said so the others could hear, "All right, enough of that. Edgar, back to you."
We all smiled and Edgar said, "Thank you, my dear." He reached out and took my right hand and Nicholas's left, then gently placed them together. We interlocked our fingers as he said, "So. I'm going off the cuff here but I think today sort of warrants that. Love isn't always easy. That part of the fairy tales is a lie. Sometimes you really have to work at it. But that doesn't make it any less real, or any less worthwhile. And when you find it, find a real love, you know it right through you."
I squeezed Nicholas's hand and he squeezed back. I did know it. Every last cell of my body knew it.
"Melissa," Edgar said, "you worked for this today. Don't ever forget how you feel right now. Your love will grow and change over the years but that won't ever diminish today."
I smiled at him and nodded, my heart so full I couldn't speak.
"Nicholas, you were ready to work for this too," Edgar said, then smiled at everyone's surprise. "Yes, I saw you at the chapel door." He turned serious. "And I could tell you weren't going to let Melissa go. Keep that with you."
Nicholas nodded and squeezed my hand again.
Edgar looked over at Wendy. "My dear, do you need my handkerchief?"
One glance at her tear-filled eyes and my own welled up again. "Yes, please," she said, laughing as both of our first tears fell, "and do you have a spare for Melissa?"
Before he could answer, Nicholas pulled a tissue from his pocket and held it out to me. "Brought it just in case. You're not usually a crier but I thought maybe..."
In thirty minutes, he'd planned this ceremony so perfectly and also thought of every last detail. My heart filled with so much love it hurt, and I threw my arms around him. "I love you. So much."
He held me hard, his cheek against my hair. "I'm going to tell you I love you," he said
softly, "every day for the rest of my life."
"Works for me."
He squeezed me tighter then set me back and said, his eyes full of love and amusement, "Now could we maybe let the nice captain finish?"
I took the tissue from his hand and wiped my eyes, grinning at him, then tucked it into the pocket of my skirt and took his hand again. "I suppose."
The nice captain blew his nose hard on the spare handkerchief he did indeed have with him and said, "Before we all lose control completely, Melissa, repeat after me. I, Melissa..."
I turned to Nicholas and repeated everything as Edgar said it, looking deep into his eyes and making sure he knew I meant every syllable. "I, Melissa, commit myself to you, Nicholas, as your partner and companion and friend, and I promise to love you as long as we both shall live."
Not a single doubt in my mind as I spoke, and none in his eyes as he listened.
Edgar then had Nicholas repeat the same words, and I knew I'd hear them again and again in my mind and love them more each time.
When Nicholas was done, we both looked to Edgar. He smiled. "Nicholas and Melissa, it gives me the greatest pleasure I've ever had as a captain to unite you to each other. You may now seal your commitment with a kiss."
The world faded away as I turned back to Nicholas. He raised his hands slowly and took my face between them, then finally pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was sweet and tender, and I returned it with all the love I felt for him.
When it ended, we held each other tight for another beautiful moment and both murmured, "I love you," at once.
When we pulled back to look at Edgar, he said, "Well, I think it worked."
We all burst out laughing and I let go of Nicholas to hug Edgar. "Congratulations, my dear," he said, and I kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you so much."
He smiled. "Entirely my pleasure," he said, shaking hands with Nicholas and then with Wendy and Mark. "Now, I have some captainly duties to attend to, but I'd love to have the four of you at my table tonight if you'd like."
We all nodded, since it was both sweet of him and an honor, and he left, but once he was gone Wendy said what I felt sure we were all thinking. "Up there in front of everyone?"
Nicholas took my hand. "Melissa, I think we need to go find our families and tell them we're together." I could feel his hand shaking in mine but his voice was strong. "Then it's out in the open. We can handle whatever happens."
I nodded. "I think so too."
"Do you want company," Wendy said, her voice betraying how little she wanted to be that company, "or should you do it alone?"
Nicholas and I looked at each other and he said, "I think alone. Yes?"
"Yes."
"And then maybe," he said to Wendy, "we could meet you guys for lunch and a drink? Or several drinks depending on how it goes?"
We chuckled and she said, "Sounds like a plan. Email me when you know when and where."
I nodded, and we all hugged each other again, then they left and Nicholas and I began to make our way to the chapel.
Partway there he stopped and turned me to face him. "I want you to know that nothing on earth is going to get between us again. I love you and I always will."
I touched his cheek. "Right back at you."
He smiled and kissed me again, then we went to the chapel together.
Chapter Forty-Four
At ten that night, I lay in Nicholas's arms in his room, both of us almost too tired to talk.
"You were amazing today," he murmured.
I laughed sleepily. "Takes one to know one."
He had been amazing.
Calmly telling his mother and new stepfather and Austin that we were in love, accepting with equal class Raul's awkward congratulations and Austin's amused but sweet teasing and Linda's anger on behalf of Owen, then agreeing that we needed to tell Owen ourselves... all of that had been incredible enough on its own.
But the way he looked Owen in the eye, once we found him in the casino, and explained without apology that he loved me and I loved him and we were going to be together forever... I'd never forget it. Though Owen had just grunted something about 'pathetic' and turned away, Nicholas had been strong and steadfast and I loved it. I loved him.
After that, we'd had to go to my mom's room, and I took the lead there and with Nicholas at my side I had the strength to tell her how we felt and to handle her disappointment calmly.
I knew she did like Nicholas, so that made it easier, but of course he wasn't, as she said, "as settled" as Owen. I hadn't taken the bait, hadn't defended Nicholas, because I knew he didn't need defending. Instead, I'd simply said, "I love him, Mom. Everything I said today, I have with him," and she'd finally said begrudgingly that she hoped we were happy.
We were. Once the difficult stuff was over we had a wonderful celebratory lunch with Wendy and Mark then spent the afternoon reading in blissful happiness at the quiet pool. The white carpet was gone and the chairs were back and again occupied by readers, but Nicholas and I knew what had happened there and sitting in the place where we'd marked our commitment to each other felt unbelievably wonderful.
I didn't see either of our moms or Raul or Austin in the dining room, and Owen was no doubt still in the casino, but we had a terrific dinner with Edgar as he'd requested, laughing so hard we cried as he told tales of his years as captain and the weird and wonderful weddings he'd seen, and then we sat in the coffee area chatting with Wendy and Mark until I began yawning and Wendy said, "So, not to be indelicate, but... where are you sleeping?"
I giggled now, thinking of it, and Nicholas said, "What's so funny?"
"Not to be indelicate..."
He laughed too. "She's so subtle." He tightened his arms around me. "You're okay with this, right? I'll sleep on the couch if you want. Or I'll separate the beds."
We chuckled. When we'd first returned to his room that night I'd noticed that his bed did indeed split into two though he'd told his mom it didn't, and he'd admitted he hadn't been able to face watching Owen get ready to marry me.
I shook my head. "This feels great. All of it."
He kissed my hair and I kissed his cheek then snuggled further into him. We hadn't kissed for real more than a few times today, and as if by silent consent we hadn't let the passion simmering between us grow. Making love with him on what was to be my wedding day felt wrong to me, and he either knew that or it felt wrong to him too. Either way, it was more than enough to be in the circle of his arms.
"Good night, Melissa. I love you."
When he said those words, they went right to my soul. I could feel the difference between a man who truly meant it and one who knew he was supposed to say it. "I love you too," I said, putting my heart into the words.
He squeezed me tight, and we held each other in silence for a few moments. Then, before sleep took me, I mumbled, "See you in the morning."
"Morning? What about the buffet?"
My second and last chance at the midnight chocolate extravaganza. "No way I can stay awake until midnight but I guess we could set an alarm."
He started to pull away but I held onto him. "No, don't leave. You feel too good."
"But don't you want to go to the buffet?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "Wendy says it's amazing. All that chocolate. But..." I yawned. "This is amazing too and I'm too comfy to let you move."
"I'll buy you chocolate in Toronto. Lots of it."
"Deal." I shut my eyes and fell asleep with a smile on my face.
I woke to his lips on my ear, sending shivers through me, and his murmured, "Wake up." I blinked and sat up partways, my sleep-blurred vision seeking the alarm clock. "Oh, it's just after midnight!"
"Yes, ma'am. Ready for chocolate?"
I laughed and sprang out of bed.
"I'll take that as a yes."
I used the bathroom while he changed, then he did while I pulled off my pajamas and dressed again in my skirt and t-shirt. He grinned and kissed my cheek when I picked up my shawl and wound
it around my neck, then we set off together to the buffet.
Wendy and Mark had a table for four near the door and she waved us over. "You made it! I'm so glad you get to do this at least once."
I reached for a chocolate on her plate. "Me too."
She smacked my hand. "Get your own, missy."
I did, and Nicholas did too, and we were soon savoring the amazing desserts. "I can't believe I missed this the other time," I said, licking a little melted chocolate from my fingers. "It's delicious."
She nodded. "Did you set an alarm or just stay up?"
"Neither, actually. I fell asleep and..." Realizing I didn't know the answer to her question, I turned to Nicholas to find his neck turning red. "How did you get up?"
He shrugged. "I just stayed awake."
"Couldn't sleep thinking of chocolate?" Mark smiled. "Not surprising given this spread."
But I knew it wasn't that. Nicholas had been exhausted too. I looked at Wendy, who was grinning at me, then back at Nicholas. "You kept yourself awake so I wouldn't miss this, didn't you?"
He shrugged again. "No big deal. It wasn't that long."
Two hours. He'd spent two hours lying in bed, forcing himself to stay awake, because I didn't want him to get up to set an alarm. "Wendy, Mark, look away for a second?"
They did, and I pulled Nicholas to me and kissed him. He kissed me back, his sweet chocolaty mouth dancing against mine, and we opened to each other at the same time. The kiss turned deep and hungry, for just a moment, then we both pulled back. Our eyes locked, passion flashing between us, then he kissed me hard again. Love and desire overwhelmed me at once and I clung to him and forgot everything but him.
"Safe to turn--oops."
We burst out laughing and broke apart at Mark's words.
Wendy swatted him. "You ask if it's safe before you turn around and look at them, fool."
"I'll remember for next time."
Nicholas wrapped his arm around my shoulders, drawing me close. "It's not my fault." He kissed me again, shorter but with the same passion in it. "She tastes like chocolate."
Toronto Collection Volume 2 (Toronto Series #6-9) Page 93
