‘Why’s your surprise in Dan’s room?’ I asked puzzled.
‘Well let’s go in and see,’ she grinned as she opened the door and pulled me in. I was confronted with the hair and beauty team sitting in the lounge area and they leapt to their feet as we walked in and ushered me into the master bedroom.
‘What’s going on?’ I demanded, then suddenly caught my breath. Lying on the bed was a wedding dress, the very one I’d fallen in love with in London.
‘Dan told us he wanted to marry you here, but they were booked up until late next year, so Molly and I suggested, that as we already had your dream wedding day theme, why not have a joint wedding? I already knew you’d fallen in love with this dress too, so when he said he was going to propose I sent the shop the photo to deliver it here for you. Hurry up, we don’t have much time.’
‘Brooke … I …’ I stalled, completely stunned. ‘It’s your day, yours and Molly’s. It should be all about you.’
‘We’re best friends Ellie, if we can’t share the best day of our lives with each other well … now it’s all about us. We were just going to have a quiet registry office wedding and you and Dan have done all of this for us, you’ve made it into a day we’ll never forget, a day you planned for yourself, for years. I want you to share in that too, unless of course you’d rather have another day just the two of you? If I’m ruining it for you?’
‘Of course you’re not,’ I laughed as I flung my arms around her. ‘I just want to marry him Brooke, I’d give up all my fantasies just to have him, so if it means I get to do it earlier than I thought, with my dream theme and dress, by sharing the day with someone, there’s no one else I’d rather do it with.’
‘Thank God,’ she groaned. ‘You had me worried for a minute and I promised him you’d be cool with it. He swore to serve me my head on a plate if you weren’t happy.’
‘So how would you like your hair?’ asked the girl as I was scuttled into the chair.
‘Something simple and retro, maybe swept back into a chignon?’
‘Great I can work with that,’ she nodded.
‘Make up?’ asked the other girl.
‘I’m actually happy as I am,’ I smiled. I’d gone for some skin illuminating moisturiser this morning, lashings of black mascara and a hint of eyeliner with natural lips.
‘O ok,’ she frowned. I tried not to laugh as Brooke took her to one side and gave her a mouthful for implying that I’d look better with more on. My eyes drifted over to my dress again. I was really getting married? I could hardly believe it. This time yesterday I wasn’t even engaged, marriage wasn’t even something that had been on the cards. About ten minutes later I was standing in front of the mirror in my perfect dress, with movie star hair and Brooke crying in the background. I caught her eye in the mirror and my eyes filled up as well, she hardly ever cried. I wished mum and dad were here for this, to see how happy I was, what a wonderful man I was about to marry and how many amazing friends I had.
‘Time,’ called Jenny as she opened the door.
‘Ok?’ asked Brooke as she mopped her eyes. I nodded with a sad smile. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I wish Dad was here to give me away.’
‘He’d have been so proud, Ellie. I only hope that you’ll feel it fitting for me to stand in his place,’ came John’s voice. I spun around to see he’d changed into a suit with tails and emerald tie, matching Oliver’s outfit.
‘Are you all trying to make me look hideous by making me cry my eyes out?’ I moaned, as I ran over and hugged him. ‘I’d be honoured to have you give me away, you’ve been such a father figure to me.’
‘Then let’s make a move, we have a not so patient groom awaiting us.’
‘I’m your bridesmaid by the way,’ interjected Brooke. ‘I assumed you’d return the favour.’
‘Of course I would have, do we need a toilet break before we make a move?’
‘Shit! Sorry, bad choice of phrase, but no we don’t, I have nothing left to give thank God. Thanks for reminding me about the bathroom though,’ she nodded. She ran off and returned with a small hand bound bouquet of pink and white gerbera’s, my favourite flowers.
‘You?’ I sighed as I looked at her touched.
‘No, all Superdan, I’m this,’ she grinned as she dropped to her feet and instructed me to lift up a foot. I watched as she slid on a blue garter for me. ‘So you have your locket as your old, your engagement ring and dress as your something new, the wedding day as your something borrowed,’ she giggled, ‘then now your blue garter.’
‘Perfect, we’d better go, my man is a stickler for punctuality.’
Brooke headed in, with a cheeky wink at me as she did and I linked arms with John and took a deep breath.
‘Ready?’
‘Ready,’ I smiled.
‘You’ll take his breath away, more than normal.’
‘Don’t make me cry, I’m trying really hard not to.’
‘He’s a good man, Ellie. He’ll take excellent care of you.’
‘He is a good man and he already does, John. I really should thank Zac, if he hadn’t cheated on me that day, I’d never have met Dan or had my beautiful boy.’
‘Do you ever hear from him?’ John asked, as he opened the outer doors.
‘No,’ I smiled. ‘Last I heard he was selling shares in The Philippines.’
‘Chairs?’ he looked at me surprised.
‘You’re spending too much time with Brooke,’ I laughed.
Dan
I sighed with relief as I saw Brooke come through the door and give me the thumbs up. I was worried that Ellie wouldn’t want to get married today, that she’d feel cheated not having a wedding day all to herself. She deserved it, she deserved so much more than I could ever offer to her.
‘You can relax now, mate,’ Logan advised, as he patted my back. ‘She’s coming and this time you’re not going to blow it with a lame arse excuse for romance. I’ve never seen you tank like that before.’
‘You’ve only seen me turning on the charm when it was all about sex, this is so much more,’ I said seriously. I looked over at my parents, at Oliver bouncing on my mother’s knee, she was crying already, as was Magda. Next to them were Theo and Florie, I’d made sure I’d asked their approval, I didn’t want them to feel I was disrespecting their daughter, but they were more than happy for me to ask Ellie. They’d let go of Moira long before I did, I guess they had one another to help pull them through it and I was up here alone, until my blonde bombshell crashed into my life. I blinked a couple of times as the door opened and John walked in with her on his arm. If I thought she was stunning before, now she’d outdone herself. She looked like a movie star with her hair up in that sexy way, exposing her slender neck. A neck I wanted to lick, kiss, bite and mark to show everyone she was mine. She was mine, in about ten minutes she’d be completely mine and everyone was going to know it. If I so much as caught another guy looking at her the wrong way … so help me God. Her skin was just radiant and I’d never seen her so happy. Almost as happy as I was and that dress, it was sexy yet classy all at the same time, just like my woman. I blew out a quick breath, I was getting choked up and I’d be damned if I was going to cry in front of everyone.
‘You’re one lucky son of a bitch,’ Logan muttered in my ear.
‘Biggest understatement you’ve ever made.’
‘You’re damn lucky I prefer brunettes or you wouldn’t have got a look in,’ he chuckled. I ignored his jesting for once, as Ellie drew level and lifted her shining eyes to mine. We just stared at each other for a moment, lost in each other. I watched her pupils dilate and her chest heave. She wanted me, fuck did I want her back just as much. I just wanted to crush her to me and kiss her like I’d never kissed her before.
‘You’re perfection,’ I whispered.
‘I was thinking the same about you,’ she smiled as she reached up and adjusted my emerald tie, before giving Brooke her flowers and kissing John on the cheek. All the men had chang
ed into morning suits with tails while she was getting ready, I’d wanted it to be formal. Brooke had said tails were in Ellie’s wedding mood board, whatever the hell one of those was. As soon as she turned back towards me I grabbed her hand and everyone burst out laughing, including us, as Oliver squealed “Mama, Dada.” I watched her look over at him and blow him a kiss and heard him giggle. Every time I thought I’d fallen for her as hard as I could, she did something that made me fall even further. ‘Thank you so much for doing this for me,’ she whispered as she kissed my cheek.
‘I did it for me too, for totally selfish reasons,’ I whispered back, as I let my lips slowly graze hers before we turned to face the registrar. I could feel her trembling next to me and kept giving her reassuring glances. Last time I got married I’d said the standard vows, and even though I didn’t want to get married, or mean them, I’d tried to live by them. This time was different and I wanted to reflect the importance of it this time around. We turned to face each other and I was about to start when Oliver started chanting for me and everyone laughed again. I looked over and he was writhing in my mother’s arms like a floundering fish. I looked at Ellie and raised my eyebrows and she nodded. He wanted to be with us, he should be with us, this was an important day for him too, he was going to become a Davenport at last. I crouched down and called to him, so mother set him down and he made a beeline straight for me. I threw him up in the air, caught him and kissed him as he giggled. Then he held out his arms for Ellie to give him a cuddle and a kiss, before she handed him back to me and I supported him in one hand against my shoulder, as I took her left one with the other and took a second to compose myself.
‘Ok?’ she whispered, as we just gazed at each other. I nodded, suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of emotion at the look of love on her face. Love for me. Love I’d somehow doubted that I deserved, until she said yes last night. Her acceptance of my proposal had squashed those doubts for good.
‘Ellie Baxter, you came into my life at a time when I’d given up on it, on the prospect of ever finding happiness again. Somehow you saw inside me, past the protective defences I’d built. You saw the man inside, you saw good inside, something even I didn’t know existed. I was too scared to let you know how I felt, but the sense of loss I felt when you left, told me that you were the woman for me. I stayed away because I doubted that I was the man for you, which made me even more miserable than before I met you. Somehow we found each other once more, but my stubbornness drove you away again. Losing you that second time was the low point in my life. Those months without you, imagining how life could have been with you at my side were hell. I don’t think I can ever repay Brooke for bringing you and my wonderful son back into my life,’ I nodded and blew out a deep breath, as I felt salt stinging my eyes. God damn it I was going to cry.
‘It’s ok,’ she said quietly, a few solitary tears rolling down her face too.
‘You both bring me so much happiness, happiness I never even imagined existed. You’re my rock, my anchor and my tether. Without you by my side I feel lost in an endless ocean. Your beauty takes my breath away every time I see you, your huge heart has stretched mine to the point that it may burst, because holds that much love inside it for you and my children. Your happiness is now my primary mission, you’ll never want for anything. You make me want to be a better man, the best man, father and husband that ever lived, and I promise I’m never going to let you down again. You’re my soul mate, Ellie. The love of my life. The woman who owns my fragile heart in her hands and it will never belong to another. Never,’ I whispered, as emotion got the better of me and she had to reach up to wipe away my tears, before her own. ‘I love you, Ellie Baxter.’
‘I love you, so much,’ she nodded and kissed me, before giving Oliver a kiss too. ‘I thought I knew what love was, I thought I’d known happiness, but meeting you, even when you weren’t at your best, completely shattered those illusions. Somehow I could see past those walls you’d built up, see the man inside, the one you’d given up on. He’s the most giving, loving and protective partner and father a woman could ever hope for. That I ever dreamed of. I feel so blessed to have you in my life, no one makes me feel more safe, cherished or loved,’ she nodded. I let go of her hand to drag my handkerchief from my pocket to wipe our eyes, before clasping her hand tightly in mine again. Every word she spoke plucked at my heart strings, it was painful I loved her that much. ‘Every time I think I’ve reached my capacity for loving you, you go and do something that makes me fall for you even harder. With you I know that my children and I will never be lacking for any love. Even if you had nothing, if you were just that woodcutter I fell in love with, I’d never have any regrets. You’re the love of my life Oliver Daniel Davenport, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, to grow old with you, to see our children flourish, find love and have children of their own. You own me, I’m yours, without reservation, for life.’
‘Mine,’ I nodded as I kissed her. I barely registered the formal vows, I spoke them in a daze, I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she looked up at me with that dreamy distant look in her eyes. Knowing she was mine now, officially, made me want to devour her on the spot. Logan took Oliver off me so that Ellie and I could exchange rings. My hands were clasping her face and my lips were on hers before the registrar even said the words. Ellie let out a small gasp of surprise and I took the opportunity to sink my tongue deep into her mouth, to taste her for the first time, as my wife. My woman. All mine. At last. I kissed her until my need for oxygen forced me to break away as everyone clapped and cheered and my chest swelled with unimaginable pride. There’d been darkness in my heart, deeply embedded, but she was the light that obliterated it, sent the shadows scurrying away until no black remained. She made me whole, complete. Happy.
Ellie
The power of his kiss took my breath away, had me sag against his strong frame and hardened slabs of muscle in an effort to stay upright. It was done, I was his wife, nothing was ever going to come between us again. He was my priority now, him, our gorgeous little boy and our unborn child. They were everything I’d ever wished for, I had no more wishes to make, he’d made them all come true. He held me against his chest as he gazed down at me lovingly while I tried to gather some semblance of thought. My man. My wonderful man. My husband. I smiled as he grinned down at me, before he turned to take Oliver off Logan again and placed his free arm around my waist, as I placed my hand on my stomach, over our new life. Our family of four was properly connected now, complete.
Turning to face our guests, I realised more had arrived for our ceremony. Theo and Florie, Pete the Pub and his wife, Conn and his girlfriend, Stuart and James too. The afternoon went by in a blur with hugs and kisses, then the pictures by the photographer, on our own, with our family and friends and of course with Oliver. The photographer took great care in staging one on the decking over hanging the loch of the three of us, which Dan confirmed was going to be his “coming out” release to hit the Sunday papers tomorrow. We had Champagne, caviar, smoked salmon and the most tender Scottish beef and a wedding cake to die for. The four of us cut into it at the same time, laughing at our lack of tradition. As the sun finally went down and the candles glowed and the fairy light ceiling above started to twinkle, I had to go to the small ladies room to shed a few tears. I was so happy, I just wished my parents had been here to witness it. I kissed my locket before trying to tidy up my smudged mascara.
‘Hey, those better be happy tears?’ Brooke asked, as she came in and hugged me.
‘Most definitely. Thank you so much.’
‘For what?’
‘Letting me share your day with you, for helping Dan organise it.’
‘It’s just made it even more special sharing it with my best friend. Can you believe we’re both married?’ she giggled.
‘No,’ I laughed. ‘Let’s see your ring.’ She held out her hand, Molly had got her an engagement ring soon after Brooke proposed. She had a dainty rectangular diamond on a w
hite gold ring and a matching wedding ring set with a small diamond in the middle. ‘They look beautiful, Brooke.’
‘They are, I love them, but Jesus Christ, that rock he got you? I hate to think what that cost. Let me see it again,’ she demanded. I held out my left hand and realised not only hadn’t I switched it across, but I hadn’t even checked out my wedding ring. It was a slender platinum one with tiny diamonds dotted all around it. I slid it off to put my engagement ring back in place and caught a glimpse of an inscription inside the wedding band, which made me smile and tear up again as I read it. Forever mine, Miss Baxter. The only downside to my amazing day was that I hadn’t had a chance to choose and buy his ring. I slipped my stunning engagement ring back on and caught my breath as I looked down at them both together. I was really married. Brooke grabbed my hand and shook her head. ‘He’s going to blow through his fortune if he keeps spending like this.’
‘He doesn’t need to, other than the house alterations, we have everything we need Brooke, his love and having his children was all I ever wanted.’
‘I’d say you hit the jackpot then,’ she grinned.
‘You too. Have you decided on whose surname you’re taking yet?’ I asked.
‘Hello! Like I want to be called Mrs. Beaver-Wett. I mean WTF, right? Could they have a more apt surname for a lesbian daughter?’
‘Mufflicker?’ I suggested with a giggle.
‘Mufflicker, I like that one,’ she laughed. ‘Cockfreezone?’
‘Todger-dodger?’
‘Eagerfor-Beaver!’
‘Molly Hanson it is then,’ I laughed. I’d been in stitches the first time I found out Molly’s surname was Beaver-Wett.
‘I had to wax a client last week whose name was Chris Peacock,’ she giggled.
‘Was it crispy?’
‘Veiny,’ she shuddered. ‘Honestly the things I see in my line of work. So what about you?’
‘Well obviously Mrs. Davenport, and I’ll have Oliver’s name changed too.’
31 Days of Summer (31 Days #2) Page 49
