Every part of me aches with regret just hearing that. I gather her up in my arms and hold her to me. I press kisses to her temple. “I’m so sorry, Daisy. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you through all this. I’m sorry you had to face it on your own.”
Her hands anchor my arms in place, like she never wants me to let go. “I’m just glad you’re here, now.”
“I love you.” Those are the only words that feel adequate right now.
I spread her out on the bed and I take off all her clothes. She grabs my hand and draws my fingers along the smooth faded C-section scar that I never even noticed. My heart catches in my chest. This woman had my baby. The thought is overwhelming.
I lay her bare and order her to grab hold of the headboard. I kiss every inch of her body. I take my time and with my tongue, I taste every part of her. She writhes and moans for me. Completely vulnerable, she lets me have every piece of her.
And then, I crawl on top of her and with my pants clinging to my hips, I fuck her. Nice and slow. I draw out every sensation just to see her drowning in pleasure at my hands.
When she’s come three times, I drop to the mattress beside her and hold her tight to my body.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks with her arms draped around my waist.
“I was thinking we need some time together. Just me and you.” I press a kiss to her scalp. “I don’t know how you feel about that?”
She looks up in my face and grins. “Next weekend? Yes. Yes, we should do that.”
“Good.” I press my lips to hers.
“Good.” She places her head on my chest and brushes her lips over my skin. “I love you, Archie.”
“Baby, you have no idea how much I love you.”
She hugs me tighter. “Now, sleep.”
The command is simple enough but I just can’t get to that on this restless night.
And as the moon peeks in through the curtains, I try to beat back the worry clawing into my mind, I convince myself that nothing could ever tear my family apart now that I’m here to protect them. Despite the shocks of electricity moving up and down my left side, I convince myself that we have a solid foundation. That the four walls around us and the roof hanging over our heads is more than just a house of cards.
25
Sophia
Archie's got his arms around me and our lips are fused together. My hands smooth up the front of his chest to loop around his neck. It's so easy to get lost in this man and his spellbinding kisses. I'm not complaining one bit.
On the periphery of my consciousness, Reese hisses at Nova low under her breath. "Girl, pick your jaw up off the ground."
Archie only holds me tighter. I feel his lips twitching into a smile against mine. He abruptly tips me backward which causes my leg to lift up off the ground, just like in a movie. He's putting on a show right here on Reese's front stoop.
"Alrighty, then..." Nova mutters. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her fanning her cheeks with her hands.
When we pull apart, my man flashes me a wink that makes my insides quiver. "I'll be back in three hours, all right?"
I nod because my tongue is still recovering from being tangled up with his. “Be careful with River at Daddy and Baby yoga.”
"Of course I will.” He drops one last kiss on the bridge of my nose. Then, he throws my friends a quick salute. "Ladies, make sure you behave yourselves."
"Yeah, sure." Reese mutters sarcastically as we stand back and watch Archie jump behind the wheel of his car with River strapped into her car seat.
Charlie’s truck pulls away from the curb first. Then, Leo’s car. We wait on the porch until all three vehicles disappear at the intersection. Daddies and babies off to yoga class.
Then, Reese pulls me into the house, straight down the hall.
Cupcake Sunday time.
Nova hauls a chair away from the kitchen table and gestures for me to sit. "Explain!"
I grab a fresh strawberry cupcake from the tray on the table and fall into the seat with a flourish. “Ladies, I’ve found my Prince Charming. That is all.”
My girls jump and shriek all around me.
“What the hell?” Reese collapses in the chair next to me and starts portioning out wine by the gallon. “How did you not tell us about Archie? Why did I have to hear all the juicy bits from Leo? Two years you kept us in the dark. If I weren’t so damn happy for you, I’d be pissed.” She shoves a wine glass my way.
I shrug and take a sip. “I’m really sorry I kept it a secret. The story just seemed too crazy. Too wild. Think about it—we were all sitting together at that bar and the minute you guys walked away, some handsome stranger showed up and swept me off my feet. Next thing you know, I’m pregnant and he’s deployed to god-knows-where.” I release a heavy exhale. “It just seemed really irresponsible and kind of slutty. I guess I was worried what you guys would think of me.”
Nova drops to her haunches in front of me, holding my stare. “Are you fucking serious, bitch? We are Team Sophia, all the way. Whatever makes you happy, we’re on board. And I, for one, don’t give a damn what the country club etiquette police has to say about it.”
Reese grips my shoulder. “All that matters is that you, River and Archie are happy. You all deserve it. So much.” She pulls a deep sip from her glass.
“Really?” Tears build in my eyes.
Nova nods in agreement. “You sure do.” Her expression projects duh in my direction. “Because you're awesome…You've always been a wonderful friend. And you’ve supported us and pulled for us even when you were at rock bottom yourself. We love you for that.”
Reese nods as she speaks. "You realize that neither of us would have gotten our happily ever after if you hadn't been rooting for us?"
"So true," Nova squeezes my knee and snatches her wine goblet from the table.
Heat rushes to my cheeks. I can't take the credit for the fact that my friends found their soulmates. "Oh, you would have figured it out eventually," I say.
"Not without causing ourselves a universe of pain first,” Nova says confidently.
Reese agrees. "Leo and I definitely wouldn't be together if you hadn’t been in the background, nudging him along when he was full of doubts about us.”
"Yup. And you were the one pushing me to give Charlie a chance when Reese was trying to warn me off." Nova gives her sister-in-law the stink eye. Reese mumbles an apology.
"You've been living and loving vicariously through your friends for too long. You deserve some 'happy' of your own." Reese grabs my arm and wiggles it.
I feel their words on the deepest level. The three of us collapse into a hug. “So, you guys aren’t mad at me for being a sneaky bitch all this time?”
Nova tosses her head back and laughs. “Oh honey, you are forgiven. We all turn into a sneaky bitch when we find a good man and go crazy for the D.”
Reese’s lips quirk up with mischief. “Amen, girl.”
I burst into giggles when my friends’ hands connect in a high-five.
26
Archie
Las Vegas
Two years ago, 11:02 P.M.
My gaze stays on the side of Daisy’s face as Elvis speaks. “Daisy and Tony, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
At those words, she turns to me with the hugest smile and launches into my arms. I barely manage to keep upright as her mouth lands on mine. Her kiss is wet and sloppy and full of exuberance. And I like it so, so much. Almost enough to forget about that crazy thing we just did.
Elvis clears his throat, “All right, folks. Congratulations but you’re gonna have to take all that kissing out to the lobby. You’re holdin’ up the line.”
Our mouths break apart and I check over my shoulder. A less-than-sober senior couple are going at it like zoo animals while they wait for their turn to exchange vows before the hip-swinging Elvis impersonator.
“Sorry,” I mumble when they break apart so the old man can steal a pump from his asthma inhaler.
> Daisy yelps when I lean down and swoop her up into my arms in one fluid movement. Lace and silk and itchy taffeta and all. I carry my beautiful bride down from the platform and out through the gold-trimmed double doors of the Eternal Sunshine Chapel.
I smile at her. She looks so happy. Deliriously happy. And seeing her like this, my heart does a victory dance in my chest.
It was just four hours ago that I discovered her at the bar. Just four hours ago, her heart was broken and she was sobbing as if her world was coming to an end. And now, this…
Daisy nuzzles her face to my chest and sighs. “Well, when I woke up this morning, I never thought I’d end up married to you.” She nibbles at my throat.
I laugh. “Tell me about it. I made some good life choices today.”
“You and me both,” she offers sarcastically.
When we reach the reception desk, the weathered-looking woman in the small swiveling chair flashes us a grin. She reaches under her desk and hands us our fake marriage certificate, a string of condoms and a 10% off coupon for the motel across the street. “Congratulations. You two make the sweetest couple.” She adjusts her oversized gold-plated earrings and nods with conviction. “Y’all are gonna last.”
Daisy thanks the woman for her blessing. Still carrying my blushing bride, I walk through the sea of twinkling lights hanging from the overhead arch. I don’t set her down on her feet until we’re on the sidewalk outside of the neon-lit chapel.
“That was so much fun.” She looks up at me, her eyes twinkling brighter than the string lights.
“It was,” I say.
I scan her face as we walk toward our waiting limo, looking for some hint of her actual state of mind.
She’s either really good at hiding how she feels or the irony of what we just did hasn’t settled in yet.
Yes, we just had a fun fake wedding fake-officiated by a fake Elvis. But when the sun rises, real life will kick in again with all the unpleasant realities it entails. I don’t want it to catch her by surprise.
I intertwine my fingers with hers and lead her off to a quiet spot on the side of the road. There’s a wooden bench and I pull her down to sit.
The martinis she had at the bar earlier have long lost their effect. Now, she’s high off of excitement, drunk off of the bright lights and vibrating energy of the city. When she has to go back and face her real life, she’s going to crash. And it’s killing me to know that I’ll be halfway around the world when that happens. I won’t be there to catch her.
“What’s up?” she asks as she observes my features. I guess she finds worry and uncertainty when she looks into my eyes. One corner of her mouth jerks up into an ironic expression. “Already having second thoughts about fake-marrying me? God, looks like I have that effect on men, huh?” She’s trying to be funny but I hear the genuine hurt under her words.
As crazy as it sounds, I’d marry this woman in a heartbeat. I would make her my legally wedded wife and love the fuck out of her for the rest of my life. We may have only just met but she’s the kind of woman that you make crazy, out-of-character decisions for. And with the vulnerable mental state she’s in tonight, it probably wouldn’t be impossible to talk her into marrying me. But that would be selfish of me. She and I are just ships passing in the night. We don’t have a future beyond that.
I cup her cheek in my palm and draw my thumb alone her cheekbone. “Are you okay?”
She’s had a rough night. Even the most confident woman would take a mental beating after being dumped the way she was.
Her shoulders expand when she pulls in a deep breath. “I know…” she says softly. “I know you’re worried about me, about how I’ll handle everything tomorrow and the days after that. And the answer is, I have no idea. But what I do know is that we’re here now. I want to be Daisy tonight. And I want to enjoy every second of you, my Tony.” She leans into my touch. “So, let’s do that. Let’s make tonight memorable. Let’s not worry about tomorrow.”
She sounds confident, rational and level-headed when she says that. It puts me somewhat at ease. Maybe she will be okay when all is said and done…
A slow grin spread across my face. “I can do that. I can be your Tony tonight.” I knot my fingers with hers. “What do you wanna do next?”
She chews on the corner of her lip and stares off into the distance as she thinks. When she looks back at me, her eyes are wide with excitement. “We can get tattoos!”
My eyes roll into my head.
“What?” she laughs.
“You wanna get tattoos?”
Her head bobs enthusiastically. “Yes. I wanna get tattoos. Why not?”
I reach into the pocket of my pants for my necktie. I pop out the tie clip and swiftly prick her arm with the pin at the back.
“Ouch!” she leaps an inch into the air and clamps a hand down on the spot where I poked her. “What’d you do that for?”
“That’s why we’re not getting tattoos, my delicate Daisy.” I smirk.
An unrestrained giggle pours from her. “Point taken.”
I grab her arm and pull it across my lap. “Here. I have a better idea.” I reach into my pocket for the pen I stole from the Eternal Sunshine Chapel when I finished filling out the fake wedding forms.
She howls with laughter as the pen scribbles across her skin. “I’m ticklish. What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” I give all my focus to what I’m writing on her.
When I’m finished, I hold her arm up. She cranes her neck and twists her arm to read what I’ve written. “Don’t let the boy who couldn’t love you keep you from the man who will.”
Her stare freezes on the words for a long time. She doesn’t say anything but her jaw trembles. Finally, she looks up at me. “Thank you for being so nice to me…”
“You deserve it, Daisy. Being loved isn’t a luxury. It’s your right. You’re an exceptional woman. And any man in your life who doesn’t love you to the point of delirium doesn’t deserve to be your husband.”
She grinds her eyes closed. “And what if I never find anybody? What if I end up spending my life alone?”
I lay a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “You’ll find a great guy one day. That’s what you deserve. Just promise me you won’t settle for anyone else before you find him.”
She looks up at me with tears pooling in her big, black eyes and nods. “I promise.”
“Good.” Pulling her close, I press a kiss to the crown of her head. We stay like that for a long time, absorbing each other. Coming to terms with the fact that, in a few hours, we’ll be saying goodbye to one another. “So, how about we check out some casinos?” I squeeze her hand.
She nods again. There’s melancholy in her eyes. “That sounds like a very good idea.” She forces a smile just for me.
Rising, I take her hand in mine and I lead her back to the limo.
27
Archie
Struggling not to cringe visibly, I take a quick glance across the cabin in the direction of the loud, off-key singing.
Sophia looks like the American dream sitting here in the front seat of my drop-top red Chevy. With sunglasses tucked into her dark, windblown hair and her flirty little floral top slipping off her shoulders...
But as she tries to hit the highest note of Tom Cochrane's Life is a Highway, she sounds like she’s being strangled by her seatbelt. I glance over at her just to make sure she’s okay.
Our eyes meet and the widest smile curls her lips. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
I live for that smile. There's no way in hell I'm killing her vibe by telling her to shut the hell up with that singing. I’ll listen to her disharmonious vocals until my ears bleed if it means I get to see her happy.
As I bring my eyes back to the open road stretching ahead of us, I grab her hand across the console. I bring her palm to my lips. "You're just beautiful, that's all."
She’s not fooled, though. "I'm sorry. My singing must be awful." Laughing, she closes her eyes
and drops her skull against the head rest. The sun kisses her face and neck. "I really needed this." Her head rotates to the side and she stares at me with worried eyes. "Don't get me wrong—I love our daughter—”
"You don't have to convince me, Daisy. I see it every time you look at her."
She squeezes my hand and continues. “It’s just that I haven’t had a getaway, a minute to breathe in two years. I've been operating in panic mode every day. On emergency setting, y’know? And it's just nice to take a breath. Finally." She pulls air into her lungs.
“Well, you deserve it,” I tell her. “And this weekend, I’m going to make sure you have the time of your life.”
"I can’t wait.”
We have no destination in mind. It’s just me and my girl doing one of my favorite things, cruising in the Chevy, discovering new towns, meeting new people.
As we approach the upcoming exit, I reach across and brush her windblown tendrils from her face. "How about we stop and grab a bite to eat?"
With a big grin, Sophia nods. "Yes, let's do that."
I merge onto the off-ramp and soon, we’re riding along a narrow cobblestone road that runs parallel to a beautiful waterfront. Yachts and speedboats are docked in the harbor and tourists duck in and out of the little artisanal shops and boutiques that line the other side of the street. Sophia’s eyes are alight as she takes it all in. My heart jives around when I see how fascinated and happy she looks. I love being at least somewhat responsible for that look on her face.
“You see anything you like?” I ask as we drive by a grouping of fancy-looking restaurants with nice terraces and well-dressed waiters.
She leans across, her attention fixed on the crooked sign hanging off of a rundown building across the street. "Merlini's Sandwich Bar...That looks good."
Dream Boy Page 16
