Scott had made the honeymoon plans and given her not a single hint of where they were going, only that they would be gone a week. Even the clothes he had suggested she pack gave her no clue. She walked through the house carrying a fresh cup of coffee. There were gifts to wrap. Jennifer smiled at the thought. She went to her office and picked up the packages. She had gifts for the wedding party, but those were already wrapped. The gifts still to be wrapped were for Scott.
It was a little thing, letting him choose what she wore at night, but it was an important gift. A few of the boxes she wrapped were to make that gift possible. The other gifts, they were simply things that would serve as memories for both of them—a copy of a book Ann had helped her get autographed, a sweater she had found for him, an engraved watch. The gifts were small, but they would make a memory, and that was the reason for them.
The gifts were wrapped and Jennifer was putting the final touches to what was packed in her suitcase when Rachel and Beth arrived. Her friends carried breakfast with them, and their excitement made Jennifer smile. Jennifer sat at the kitchen table with them, sharing a raspberry danish and listening as her two friends went through the details for the day. Jennifer put herself in their capable hands—her hair was brushed silky smooth, her makeup was done with an expert hand. When they arrived at the church her dress and veil had been laid out in the dressing room, a room filled with a profusion of flowers from Scott.
She dressed quietly, smiling at the excitement around her. Margaret was going to be a wonderful mother-in-law. She had brought the bouquet of flowers Jennifer would carry. The children were in and out of the room. Both Tiffany and Amy were going to carry flowers down the aisle, and all of the boys, Greg, Tom and Alexander were recruited to help Scott. Jennifer knew at the reception she would be meeting much of Scott’s extended family, and she took a deep breath as she left the dressing room, escorted by Rachel and Beth. “They are seating the family,” Peter told her as she joined him at the top of the stairs. He smiled at his wife. “Two minutes,” he told them. “Are you nervous?” he asked, offering Jennifer his arm. He was going to give her away.
“I’ll be fine once I’m down the aisle,” she replied. “The church is full?”
Peter smiled. “Yes. Scott looks calm on the outside, but it’s covering one very nervous guy. He was pacing earlier, when he thought he was alone.”
The doors to the auditorium were opened, and the music began. It was time. The girls went first, followed by the bridesmaids, then Peter squeezed her hand and Jennifer was walking into the church on the arm of her brother. The flowers in the church were overflowing with color and fragrance, Heather had outdone herself. She could see Scott standing at the front of the church with Brad at his side. He looked so dignified: tall, strong and confident. As she caught his gaze he smiled, and she saw him start to relax. She smiled back.
When she reached the front of the aisle, Scott took her hand in his, and Jennifer relaxed, finally, where she felt safe and protected. His grip was firm and strong and confident.
She listened to the service, and when the time came to exchange vows, she placed both of her hands in Scott’s and faced him, enough love for a lifetime shining in her eyes.
“Jennifer St. James, do you take Scott Williams to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor and cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”
“I do,” she answered, smiling at the man who was to be her husband.
“And do you, Scott Williams, take Jennifer St. James to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”
“I do,” Scott replied with conviction, smiling at Jennifer.
She gently squeezed his hands.
Brad handed Scott Jennifer’s wedding ring, and he smiled and kissed the back of her hand before sliding it on her finger. Jennifer accepted his from Rachel. Her hands trembled as she slipped it on his finger, annoying her, but making him smile and softly whisper, “I love you,” as they turned to face the front of the church again. She looked up at him and grinned. “Did Peter tell you I almost fainted at my first wedding?” she whispered.
“Now you tell me,” Scott replied in a whisper, amused. “No wonder he said Brad had smelling salts in his pocket. I thought they were for me.” He still held her hand, determined not to release it again, now that the service was almost over. They lit the large candle on the table, shared communion, then Rachel was handing Jennifer back her bouquet, and the minister was turning to the congregation. “Ladies and gentleman, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Williams,” the minister said with a smile. “Scott, you may kiss your bride.”
Scott took his time, amusing Jennifer, who stood patiently as he smoothed back her short veil, linked his left hand with hers, gently tipped her chin up with his right hand and lowered his head to share their first kiss as husband and wife. He was smiling, a deeply satisfied smile, and it made her smile in return.
They walked down the aisle holding hands, Jennifer very content to leave the details now to Scott.
“Doing okay?” Scott leaned over to ask, taking advantage of a slight break in the guests coming through the reception line.
“Yes,” Jennifer told her husband, loving the word husband. “My hand’s taking a beating with all the handshakes, but I’ll make it.”
“Pain?”
He would get her out of the line if she so much as hinted at pain. Jennifer could tolerate it. “No, just annoyingly stiff.”
“Does that mean your pool game might be a little off?” he asked with a grin.
“Don’t count on it,” she replied.
Jennifer enjoyed the reception, mingling with Scott’s family, her husband never far from her side. He was a dashing figure in his tux, and she loved watching him. It seemed to be mutual, because he had her blushing more than she could remember doing in recent months. Everyone wanted to ask about the fire, and she found herself trying to keep the details to a minimum. Heather, who now considered Jen second only to an angel, gave her a happy Mary Elizabeth to flirt with for the pictures everyone requested.
Scott maneuvered her to the back of the reception hall. “Let’s slip away and get changed. If it fits, wear the outfit I had Rachel put in the dressing room for you. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“We’ll miss the rice.”
“Not with Tiffany and Greg around, but I figure it’s worth a shot,” he replied with a chuckle, kissing her at the top of the stairs where they needed to part company. “Hurry.”
Rachel helped Jennifer slip carefully out of her wedding dress, and they both laughed when they saw the gift from Scott. He had sent jeans, socks with wedding bells on them, new tennis shoes. It was the sweatshirt that brought the laughter. It was white with a beautiful red heart with Scott Loves Jennifer written on the front and Jennifer Loves Scott written on the back, all the kids’ initials at the bottom as the designers.
Jennifer met Scott at the top of the stairs. He had changed into jeans and a company sweatshirt. He grinned and gave her a hug. “Thanks for wearing it.”
“Are you kidding? I love it.”
“Brad has brought the car around, it’s been appropriately decorated, though I was able to talk the kids out of tin cans attached to the bumper. We’ve got friends standing two-deep in line to toss rice.”
“You’re loving this.”
He grinned. “Of course. Now that all the ceremony is over, it’s time to have fun.”
She laughed and let him tug her to the door. “Ready to run?” he asked.
As they came through the doorway, the rice began to fly amidst laughter from their family and friends. They hurried to the car through the shower of rice. Scott came around to open Jennifer’s door, get her safely seated. She had to bat a few balloons from inside the car before she could get in. Scott circled the car, grinning at the Just Married wording on the windows. Brad handed him the car keys. “The car is filled up, sodas
are in the cooler, and I made sure all your luggage is still there.”
“Thanks, friend,” Scott said with a grin.
Scott found his sunglasses and slipped them on, looked over at his new wife and grinned. “Ready to go?”
She laughed as she tried to get the rice out of her hair. “Please.”
She watched where they were going until she saw Scott turn onto the interstate. She settled back in her seat and made herself comfortable. The stress was over, and she was now conserving her energy for the evening. It had been a very long day already. She closed her eyes with a sigh.
“You were beautiful today.”
She turned her head on the seat and smiled. “You looked dashing in your tux.”
“You think so?”
“Most definitely. Can you tell me where we are going?”
“I thought we could use a little uninterrupted time. We are borrowing the home of friends for the next week. It’s a country place, secluded. There’s a pool table in the den, so we can play a few friendly games. There are horses to ride and cross-country trails to ski if we get some snow. I also thought you might enjoy the peace and quiet to work on your book. Rachel transferred everything to my laptop, and your notes are in the briefcase.”
She reached over and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He gestured to the map on the seat beside him. “It’s a four-hour drive, so it’s going to be late when we arrive. Why don’t you try to get comfortable and catch a nap? There should be a couple of pillows in the back seat, complements of Trish.”
Jennifer found them. “Thank you, Trish.” She piled them up against the door and made herself comfortable.
Scott looked over, a short time later, to find Jennifer had fallen asleep. Her hands were slack in her lap, her breathing low and level, and her head was leaning against the locked side door, the seat belt holding her still. He smiled. His wife.
Thank you, Lord. I owe you one.
Her eyes had been so crystal clear since the day she had come awake. No fear, no tension, no stress. It was the Jennifer he had seen in pictures from years ago. She hadn’t told him why the fear was gone, and he didn’t intend to press. She’d tell him when she was ready.
It was a glorious sunset an hour later, wonderful in color. Scott considered waking up Jennifer to enjoy the view but decided against it. She was sleeping so peacefully. She woke about twenty minutes before they arrived, stretched her arms and settled back, relaxed.
It was a beautiful home. Scott led Jennifer to the front door and, with a smile, carried her over the threshold.
Scott found Jennifer in the kitchen when he came downstairs from carrying in the luggage. “They left a nice note,” Jennifer said, gesturing to the counter. “They also left dinner. There’s Italian beef and a wonderful cheese dip, all the fixings for salad. Interested?”
“Very. I don’t remember lunch.”
Jennifer smiled. “See if you can find the plates, and I’ll get started on the salad.”
They played four games of pool after dinner, effectively dispelling any notion of her stiff hand having affected her game. After soundly beating her husband for the fourth time, Jennifer couldn’t prevent a giggle as he swept down on her after she sank the eight ball and picked her up off the floor. “You are lethal at this game. I think it’s time we did something else.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “What did you have in mind?”
He nibbled along her jaw before finding her mouth. “Let’s go to bed.” His husky request got a blush, an intimate smile and a nod. “I like that idea.” She thought about the gifts and whether to mention them but decided against it when her hand found its way inside his shirt as he carried her toward the steps. The agenda for the night was not going to need help. She let her hand play across his chest as he reached the first landing and watched his eyes turn dark with passion. She smiled and slid her hand lower. “Jen, I need thirty seconds of good behavior here, or you’re going to get dropped on your tush,” he warned. She chuckled and kissed his jaw. She had missed being married.
“Which side of the bed do you prefer?” he asked as he carried her into the guest bedroom.
“Yours,” she replied with a smile.
He claimed a kiss as he very gently lowered her to the bed. “I love you,” he whispered.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you more,” she said with a smile.
He was laughing as she tugged him down.
It was sometime before dawn when Jennifer awoke, tucked beside Scott, held safe and secure by his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. She moved to restore circulation in her left hand and felt his arms tighten.
“Hey, you’re awake,” he whispered drowsily, awakened by her movements.
She kissed his jaw. “Told you I liked your side of the bed,” she murmured.
Even half-asleep, he smiled at her comment. “You can have it every night. I like sleeping with you,” he replied, enjoying immensely waking up with a wife instead of alone. She chuckled at where his hands moved and leaned over to kiss him. “It’s mutual.”
Epilogue
“Do you think something might have happened? He’s late.”
“Twenty minutes,” Scott replied, folding his arms around Jennifer’s shoulders as she stood watching out the front window.
“His first night on his own with the car. Are you sure he was ready for this?”
Scott smiled. “He’ll be fine. And there will be a good reason he’s late. He’s been a model of good behavior since we put the possibility of a car before him. He’s not going to lose the privilege he’s worked months to achieve by doing something stupid the first time he gets the keys. Let’s wait and see what he says.”
“Well, I worry about him.”
“Of course you do, you’re his mom,” Scott replied, leaning over to kiss her.
She leaned back, letting him take her weight. “How are our other two? Asleep?”
“Hopefully,” Scott replied, having been the one to get soaked giving the twins their bath. Not that he minded. The three-year-olds both looked like their mom and they loved to flirt. “Kay wanted Quigley to sleep in their room and April practically pleaded with me to say yes, so I let the shaggy beast have the rug.”
Jennifer grinned. “What did April do, flutter her eyelashes at you?”
Scott smiled. “She likes to think it makes a difference, and who am I to dissuade her? April is easier to resist than Kay. Kay has that Daddy smile.” He slid his hands around to link with hers. “Come on, it’s not the in thing for parents to stand at the window and watch for their kids. You have to do it with some class. Like sit on the couch.” Jennifer reluctantly let herself be pulled away from the window. Their adopted son, Paul, had just got his license, and it was tough to let go, accept the fact he was growing up, would turn seventeen in a few weeks. After five years, the first two of which had been marked by incredible battles of will, their son was now pushing straight A’s in school, lettering in track and able to wipe the table with both of them at pool. She loved him with a passion. Add Kay and April who formed Paul’s personal adoring fan club, and Scott who thought his son should be a fighter jock or president, and Paul had the deck firmly stacked in his favor.
“It’s a chaperoned date, you don’t have to worry about him. Kevin won’t let him get into any trouble,” Scott reminded her.
Jennifer smiled as she leaned her head back against Scott’s arm. “I know. Kevin has turned into a great youth minister.”
He stole a kiss. “Are we ready for Morgan?” Their lawyer was coming out in the morning to discuss a fourteen-year-old runaway who desperately needed a home.
“I think so. Are you sure we’re ready to do this again?”
“I think it’s the mission God dropped in our laps,” Scott replied seriously. “I love being a dad. You’re not having any reservations, are you?”
Jennifer shook her head. “No.”
The lights of
a car came through the living room window. “Thirty minutes. Not too bad,” Scott commented, glancing at his watch.
Paul swooped in the front door, dropping his jacket across the banister. “You know, one of these days I’m going to catch you two more than just smooching on that couch,” he remarked, dropping into the leather chair across from them with a grin. “I’m in love,” he said dramatically.
“Really?” Jennifer asked, sitting up. He and Tiffany had been spending a lot of time together, and tonight wasn’t their first date.
He rolled his eyes. “No…the car. Even Kevin says it’s cool.” Praise from his idol. “Tiff’s not too bad, either,” he told his mom, amused at her look. “I was late because Kevin had to pop the hood of the car and take a look. Oh, and he wants me to be the junior high social director this summer. I told him I would ask you.”
Scott grinned. “Do you want to?”
“Me? Have lots of munchkins around looking up to me and hanging on every word I say? Now who would like that?” he replied, grinning.
“You,” Scott replied. He glanced at Jennifer. “Sure, it’s fine with us. You might want to ask Tiffany if she’d like to help out.”
“I kind of planned on doing that,” Paul replied with a grin.
Jennifer settled herself into the crook of Scott’s arm with a smile. She loved being a mom.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5953-3
THE MARRIAGE WISH
Copyright © 1998 by Dee Henderson
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
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