Her Charming Secret

by Sam Ayers

  Lynn and Nick hugged their daughter, and Pierre rushed towards them and gave Miss Fuzzlez to Gabe so he could hug Adele. Gabe was surprised to have a grumpy cat thrust into his arms, but he took it in stride. Handing the cat back to Pierre, he pulled Adele to him and whispered in her ear, “Now you are all mine. Well, legally, anyway.”

  She blushed and placed her hands over his as they rested around her waist.

  * * *

  Soon, everyone was drifting towards the area where the reception was being held. People were sitting around quaint little tables that had beautiful white flower arrangements on top and were looking ahead, waiting for a speech.

  Alex was just checking the microphone to make sure it was working when he felt something scratch his leg. As the pain shot through him, he looked down to see Miss Fuzzlez scratching his leg. He placed the mike down to push the cat away, and Pierre pushed him aside and grabbed the mike.

  “Helloz everyonez, I am ze Pierre and Mizz Fuzzlez ici,” said Pierre and waved the cat’s paw towards everyone. “Zis iz mi granddauzer’z wedzing! I am zo ‘appy even if zhe didzn’t marriez a Frenchman. I lovez her az much az mi catz, and—” By then Alex and Ashton managed to pull Pierre down.

  “Ha-ha, everybody that was the bride’s grandfather, Pierre. Now, on with the actual speeches.” Alex smirked. “Well, let’s start with me. Congrats to both my lovely cousin, Adele, and her not-so-lovely husband, Gabriel.” He smirked again when he saw Gabe glare at him. “Really now, don’t scowl! You haven’t even been married for an hour yet. You have the rest of your life to enjoy *cough*regret*cough* it. But seriously folks, this is one of those dream couples that get their happily ever after, and I am so happy that Adele, my beautiful, crazy, sweet Adele is married to someone like Gabriel, who will protect her and cherish her. And you better, Gabe, or else they will never ever find your body . . . Anyhow, I am awful at speeches and before they kick me out of this wedding, too, I’ll hand over to Aiden.” Smiling, Alex toasted the bride and groom before taking his seat.

  Aiden got up from his chair and ran his hand through his hair; he put on his best smile and moved forward.

  “On behalf of Adele and Gabriel, I’d like to thank everyone for attending this beautiful wedding today. My name is Aiden, and I am the bride’s brother. First, I want to start off by saying congratulations to Adele and Gabriel. I know that you two have been planning incessantly for the past few months to have this day be everything that you have both been dreaming of, and I got to say, everything is just . . . perfect! I am thrilled that I am with these two wonderful people as they begin this new chapter in their lives. Adele and Gabriel have each walked many miles to be here together today, and this wedding is a joy to behold. Adele and I have been together since our birth. Well, technically, I came into this world five minute before her,” Aiden grinned.

  “But she has always supported me, inspired me, loved me and trusted me; she held my hand and told me to live this life and to never give up hope. Needless to say, she also knows my deep dark secrets,” he smiled as everyone chuckled and clapped their hands. “Guys, I’m not done yet,” he said, looking at Ashton and Alex, who wolf-whistled twice.

  “Gabriel, protect her and cherish her because she loves you more than anyone else. You two seem to have found what we are all looking for from marriage: your ideal person. Your soul mate. The One. You serve as an inspiration to everyone, because you have shown that dreams really do come true. I wish you both the best of luck and a life together filled with health, happiness and joy. So, congratulations again! I hope you enjoy the rest of your celebration today as well as the rest of your lives together!”

  Aiden raised his glass and winked at Adele as she cheered happily before he walked towards his table to join Jo and the others.

  Nicholas smiled and got up for his turn. He kissed Lynn’s cheek and stepped forward. “Hi, I’m Nicholas, the father of the bride. I have been waiting for this moment for twenty-five years, and I must say that it is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Adele captured my heart on the day she was born, and I became more and more in awe of her as the years passed on. She’s my little girl, my princess and my ray of sunlight, and, no matter what her age, she’ll always be those things to me.

  “My little girl dreamed of this day and her Prince Charming. Adele used to tell me that one day a guy would ride a white horse and take her away. I silently prayed that wouldn’t happen, because I couldn’t think of giving her away – it was overwhelming. And now her dream has come true, complete with her very own Prince Charming. I give you my whole-hearted blessing, and I know you two will last a lifetime. I am so happy that this day has finally come. Gabriel, I am confident that you will take care of my daughter. Thank you for making her happy. I know in my heart that you will be the perfect match, regardless of what happens later in life. Adele and Gabriel, I wish you much love and happiness in your new life together. Congratulations!”

  Ashton and Alex were giving him a standing ovation and Pierre was crying again. “Youz never letz me zpeak on Adelynn’s wedzing! You badz man, Nicholas!”

  “That was awesome!” Lynn said and pulled Nick down for a passionate kiss.

  When everyone had finished their lovely speeches, it was Gabriel’s turn. Adele kissed his cheek as he got up. He grinned and moved forward. More wolf-whistles started.

  “Adele, the day I met you, my world stood still. I had always hoped to meet someone like you, but wondered if such a woman even existed. Adele is my best friend and lover, and now, thankfully, she’s my wife, too. When we first met, I knew she was something special. But it went beyond that. Adele, we have faced so many things together, for so long and now I know that my life without you is meaningless. Seven years ago, our meeting was unexpected, likely something you would never want to remember again,” he said, looking towards Aiden as he remembered the day he was brought in to be operated after getting into the worst accident.

  He met Adele in the hospital and she begged him to help her brother. Pushing his thoughts away, he continued, “But when we met, you exceeded all of my expectations – you were my perfect match. It was as if our meeting was written in the stars, arranged by some heavenly being. I never feel alone, because I have someone who is ready to hold me up and support me in whatever I decide to do. I have never been so sure that you are the one for me. And the more I got to know you, the more deeply I fell in love. I knew that I wanted to hear your laugh, see your smile and feel your heart beating for the rest of my life. Thank you for the past seven years. They were amazing, and I know the rest of our lives will be even better. It’s funny to think that we are celebrating on the exact day we met. To me, that is a sign of fate. I love you, Adele!”

  While everybody got up, cheered and applauded, Aiden was quiet. Seven years! It had been seven years since he had had the accident and lost his memories. Adele, who was being hugged by her mother and congratulated by everyone around her, turned around to see Aiden sitting quietly. She felt happy, but Aiden’s feelings were mixed with her happiness. He was cheerless. He felt her gaze on him and immediately put on his best smile as he moved forward to hug her.

  “You okay?” Adele asked her twin.

  “Never better! You did it!” Aiden smiled.

  “Yeah, I did it!” she murmured and kissed his cheek.

  Everyone was on the dance floor now. Pierre, as promised did a hula. He didn’t let the bride and groom have the first dance; instead, he pulled Danielle and said that the first dance always belonged to them.

  Gabriel pulled Adele closer as they danced slowly; he kissed her and said, “Can this day get any better? This was perfect!”

  “I know, right? I mean, that speech was something else, Gabe!” Adele grinned.

  Alex and Abigail were burning the dance floor as usual; they remembered their own first meeting and their first dance. He pulled her to him and they swayed to the music, his hands around her waist and hers around his neck. She smiled, looking into his eyes, a
nd swatted at him when he pulled her closer. They broke apart when a livelier tune came on, and Alex began to groove, causing Abby to laugh.

  Lynn danced with Nick and smiled when she saw Aiden asking Jo for a dance. “They look so good together,” she whispered. Nicholas smiled and kissed her instead of replying.

  Aiden and Jo gently swayed as the soft music played. “This was awesome, Aid! The best wedding I’ve ever been to.”

  He chuckled. “This is the only wedding you have ever been to, love.”

  “Right! Anyway, I loved it. Adele and Gabriel are perfect together.”

  Aiden moved away before looking at her and whispering in her ears, “I need to talk to you. Follow me, but I’m going first.”

  Dancing with her was all right – Uncle William wouldn’t have any objections – but them sneaking away together could cause trouble. So he walked away towards the deck and waited for Jo. There weren’t many lights there, so people wouldn’t know if they stood there.

  Jo joined him five minutes later and asked, “Is everything alright? Why did you call me here?”

  “Jo . . . dear Jo, I’m not sure how to say this. I guess I have waited long enough.” He sighed deeply and continued, “I love you, Josephine!”

  Jo was surprised; he called her here to confess on his sister’s wedding. This couldn’t get better! “Really?” she whispered.

  “Yes, I love you. Always have, ever since the day I set my eyes on you.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her soft lips.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered, before moving away. “Stay back for a minute!”

  He moved back and waited. She made some sort of squealing sound and jumped and giggled. “Yes, yes, yes! He said it! Yaaaayyy!”

  He was shocked to see her enthusiasm, but he chuckled and pulled her into a deep hug. “Jo, there’s one more thing.”

  “What is it?” she grinned and ran her hand through his hair softly.

  “You know I’m old-school, right? And I like doing things the traditional way?”

  She pulled away and got nervous as she thought about where this conversation was heading.

  “Let’s do this the right way. Marry me!”

  She was shocked to hear those words; she moved back and lowered her head. “Anything but that.”

  “What? What do you mean, Jo?”

  “I don’t want to get married, because it always ends badly. I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered.

  “You won’t lose me. You just saw my sister’s wedding. Did you see the love in their eyes when they said their vows? It’s a promise to be together. Forever!”

  “I can’t think about this right now. I’m so sorry. You need to give me some time.” She sighed and walked towards him. “Don’t you think it’s too soon?”

  “Too soon?”

  “Yeah! We just started dating; like, a month ago!” She sighed and placed a kiss on his cheek and said, “Let’s talk later; I can’t think right now. I’m sorry, Aiden.” She touched his cheek lightly and walked away.

  Aiden watched Jo walk away slowly. She wasn’t ready now, but would she be ready in the future?

  * * *

  As Adele and Gabriel started saying their goodbyes, Pierre teared up and rushed up to hug Adele. Pulling her behind him, he glared at Gabe, “I will znot givez mi granddauzer zo you! I will ze take herz to France!” Gabe looked annoyed while Adele laughed.

  Alex yelled, “Old man, they are legally man and wife; you can’t do anything about it anymore.” Pierre glared before nodding. Turning, he hugged Adele and began to cry, “Oh my poorz granddauzer. How you must zuffer for marrying ziz man! Zon’t worry! Grandpa Pierre willz alwayz helpz you.”

  When he moved away, Nicholas hugged her. “Take care of yourself. Don’t want you to fall sick.”

  “Daddy, I’ve grown up!” she grinned.

  “You’ll always be my little girl!” He kissed her brow and moved back.

  Adelynn hugged her daughter tightly, “Take care of yourself, baby. Have fun, and call me, okay?”

  “Will do!” Adele smiled and said goodbye to Ashton, who was a little upset as he was very close to her. Little Aubrey didn’t care that much. She just told Adele to bring her a souvenir when she returned. All she wanted was her Aidey.

  Adele couldn’t find Aiden, and it was getting late. Alex told her that he was standing behind. She felt uneasy the whole time he was gone. She saw him walk away and Jo had followed him. She knew that he was going to propose to her, so she happily danced with Gabe, but now she was worried.

  “Aiden?” she called when she saw him standing near a tree, alone.

  He smiled. “Hey, time to leave?”

  “Yeah. Is everything alright? Did you talk to Jo?”

  Knowing that the truth was going to hurt her, he put on a fake smile and said, “Everything went perfectly! I’ll fill you in on the details later.”

  “I’m glad!” She threw her arms around him. Gabe came towards them and said, “Ady, baby, let’s go.”

  “Take care of her, Gabe.” Aiden smiled and shook hands with him.

  “Always!” Gabe said and pulled Adele along. “Come now, love, we are getting late.”

  She smiled and followed before turning to look at Aiden. “You aren’t coming, Aid?”

  Aiden smiled and said, “Be there in a minute, you go along.”

  She smiled at him and walked away.

  He pulled the ring he got for Jo out of his pocket and wondered if she would actually ever accept it. They were in love, and he was beyond happy but he wanted to legally say that Jo was his.

  He sighed, pocketing the ring again. He loved Jo enough to give her time, but now it was a question of whether she loved him enough to marry him one day. He heard people searching for him, and standing tall, he plastered a grin on his face and walked out to wave goodbye to his sister.

  - Chapter 27 -

  Dire Challenges

  Aiden’s desk was buried under paperwork. While Alex and Adele seemed convinced he was just trying to ignore the heartache of Jo’s rejection, he was just compensating for all the time lost during the wedding, at least that’s what he had been trying to convince himself.

  Looking up he noticed that even the most diligent workers had left for the night and the office was empty – empty like his heart was. Sighing, he leant back in his chair, a hand creasing up his forehead to alleviate the headache that was blooming there. A knock on the door had him opening one irate eye to see who was still there; the sight of Jo standing by the door decreased his annoyance but increased his heartache.

  “Is there something you needed, Jo?”

  “Not really . . . Aiden shouldn’t you be getting home too?” She asked concerned.

  Aiden sighed, “I still have a little more to do, you can leave though.”

  Not hearing a word from Jo and having his eyes back on the papers, he assumed Jo had left and startled when he felt hands on his shoulders. “Jo, what are you do . . . doing?” He asked.

  Jo grinned at him; the smile was sweet and seductive all in one. While her smile was an innocent one, her eyes spoke volumes of her intent.

  “Oh nothing! I thought you looked too tensed and a massage would relax you a bit.”

  Aiden couldn’t hold back a moan as her deft hands loosened a knot in his shoulders, “Ah, Jo, that’s enough. This is highly . . . umm . . . right there . . . umm . . . inappropriate.”

  Jo giggled, “Yes boss, I get that but isn’t it my job as your secretary to make your life easier?”

  Aiden growled and swiftly turned his chair causing Jo to startle and fall in his lap, smirking he tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear and whispered, “I’ll show you easier,” before kissing her with all his pent up feelings. Jo moaned as he nipped his way past her ear down to her neck, “Aiden . . . not that I don’t love this . . . but your desk is pretty uncomfortable when pressed against my spine.”

  Aiden chuckled, “So, what do you say we do?”

  Jo got up
and smirked, pulling him along, she pushed him on the couch in his office before straddling him. “I think you and I will both be much more comfortable here.”

  Aiden nodded dumbfounded. He had never seen this side of Jo, she had always been so sweet and shy, and this side interested him.

  Jo slowly slid his tie loose, trailing her hand down his chest as she unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt; she was reaching down so her hair tickled him and Aiden’s breath caught when the door opened with a bang.

  “Hey, Aido. You still here? Man you gotta stop moping—” Alex said walking straight in and stopping when he saw his cousin and his friend looking completely debauched on the couch.

  He smirked, “For heaven’s sake dude! This isn’t the place to lose your innocence, you have beds and rooms that actually lock for that.”

  Jo dropped her head on Aiden’s chest and giggled while Aiden glared at Alex. Alex just grinned and walked out saying something about possessive dudes on his way out.

  Aiden got up and buttoned his shirt. He folded the tie and kept it in his pocket before fixing his hair. “It’s getting late, let’s go.”

  Jo was surprised on how quickly he recovered and was all professional again. When they drove back to his place, Aiden decided to do more work; he sat in his study making notes for his course. He was already doing his M. Phil and he had challenged himself that he would get that Ph.D. no matter what happened. It had been two weeks since Adele’s wedding and everything was back to normal; nothing had changed except her surname, now she was called Adele Reid-Wood. Wait, more than normal actually because Jo was in his kitchen – cooking. Which could be abnormal, right?

  She realized how she had upset him by saying no and tried to make up by doing all kinds of things, but they ended up wrong all the time, like now, for example. Aiden smelled something burning; keeping his laptop aside, he ran towards the kitchen.