by Bella Juarez
Frank had come home two weeks ago and at dinner had informed Sandy that Reese had put in for leave toward the end of May and again in June after the SOCOM Conference. Frank was telling her he would be acting deputy commander while he was on leave. He figured the more leave Reese took, the better for him. When questioned further, he informed her that Reese was taking leave for his wedding in Houston and then his honeymoon in Europe. Sandy immediately called Maggie who had no reaction. Sandy had been confused.
“It looks as if it’s all going according to plan,” Maggie said, watching Reese get into his truck.
“What?” Sandy whispered.
Chapter Thirteen
“Dolce! You need to go and start getting ready!” Lucia lamented as she helped Anna with the final touches to the cake.
Lucia had arrived this morning at 8:00 a.m. and immediately immersed herself and Sophia in work. Sophia was outside with Victoria’s sisters-in-law decorating and arranging all the flowers. It had been so busy that Victoria hadn’t had the chance to introduce Reese’s family to her father and brothers.
“I know, I know…I just have one more thing to do,” Victoria called out from the table.
“No, you don’t! Get your ass upstairs and start getting dressed, it’s eleven already! You have to be standing at an altar in three hours!” Anna snapped. “Alyssa, you and Mena get those bags put together! Do something productive!” Anna called to her daughter. “Tori, get upstairs. I’ll be there in one hour to help you.”
“Don’t yell at her like that!” Victoria said, hugging Alyssa, who was pouting at being snapped at.
“Victoria, I’ll kick your butt up those stairs if you don’t move! Here, Lucia, let’s pick this up and set this on the table,” Anna said, redirecting herself.
“You and Mena come upstairs and help me get dressed as soon as you finish these,” Victoria whispered to Alyssa.
Alyssa nodded and smiled. It was motivation to get her nieces moving and get the job done. Victoria ran up the stairs to her old bedroom. Reese had not been allowed to see her since he had arrived two days ago. Victoria didn’t want to argue. Damn Anna had enlisted Lucia’s intervention and Victoria was whipped. She sure as hell didn’t want to piss off her mother-in-law. Reese was staying with Victor Jr. until after the church ceremony.
She showered and put on a robe. All the sexy lingerie would go on right before she put on her dress.
Before Victoria knew it, an hour had passed and Anna was sweeping her hair into an elegant updo. Eliza was working on Victoria’s makeup and the two nieces had lost interest long ago. She took in a deep breath when she was finally left alone two hours later to slip into her dress. Victoria called Anna and Lucia back into the room to fasten the little buttons that went up the back of her dress.
“Reese is going to have a hell of a time with this!” Anna muttered.
“Don’t let Reese rip it! His pappa almost ripped it off me our wedding night,” Lucia said.
“TMI!” Sophia shouted from the bed.
“How you think you and Reese were made?” Lucia demanded.
“Mom! Please! I don’t want the picture of you and Dad having sex in my head!” Sophia said as she shook her head and started pounding the side of her temple. “Get out! Get out! Get out!” Sophia exclaimed.
“Your pappa was a good lover.” Lucia smiled. “That’s why I’ve never gotten married again.”
“Oh my God! I think I’m going to be sick!” Sophia said as she collapsed on the bed.
“How did you make my bella Gina? I know you had una culo piccante for Gino before you two finally got married! At least I waited until your pappa and I got married!” Lucia snapped.
“A what?” Anna asked.
“Translated, I had a hot ass for my husband before I married him,” Sophia quipped.
Victoria and Anna were laughing hysterically. Sophia was riotously funny. It was exactly the icebreaker Victoria needed. She could feel the nervous anxiety start to ease. The dress was finished and Alyssa raced downstairs to the fridge to retrieve her bouquet of Texas wildflowers.
“Sei così bella! My Reese got it right this time!” Lucia said, beaming. She pulled Victoria close. “You’re going to have a long happy marriage and beautiful bambinos! I am proud to have you as a daughter!”
“Thank you, Mamma,” Victoria whispered, choking back tears.
“Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup,” Lucia said, patting Victoria’s face. “Come now, we need to get dressed!” Lucia ushered everyone else out of the room.
Victoria took a deep breath. As the women left she heard a knock on the door. Her brothers were standing in the doorway. They looked so handsome in their Western-styled suits and cowboy hats. They really did clean up nice.
“We have something for you,” Victor Jr. said.
“Something old…” Rudy teased.
“Okay, I’m not wearing something from my barrel-racing days,” Victoria quipped.
“Something I’m sure you’ll never want to take off again, tomboy,” Ray said, smiling.
“She ain’t no tomboy since she met that guy waiting for her,” Rudy said.
“Oh, shit!” Victor Jr. exclaimed.
“What?” Victoria asked.
“Did we bring him home last night? I was so fucked up I don’t remember if we carried him to the truck!” Victor Jr. said seriously.
“What the hell did you do?” Victoria demanded. “Vic! I’ll kick your ass!”
“Now, manitia, calm down…I think…Have you seen him today?” Victor asked, turning to his brothers. He was trying to pacify his sister with a familiar term of endearment. Victoria wasn’t buying it.
“You know what—” Rudy started.
“Calm down!” Victoria screamed.
“It was a hell of a good time. That man of yours can drink, Tori! You remember Flo?” Rudy asked with a broad smile.
“From the Half Moon? Is she still living? She must look like the crypt keeper by now!” Victoria said, horrified.
“Shit…she and about five other barflies were all over that fresh meat!” Ray smiled.
“Oh my God!” Victoria whispered as she sat down on the bed.
“No, manitia, we’re just messing with you!” Ray said as he knelt down beside Victoria.
“You better be!” Victoria said.
Victor Jr., Ray, and Rudy all gathered around Victoria. Rudy pulled out a small box and handed it to Victoria.
“What’s this?” Victoria opened the box. Her eyes widened and tears started to silently spill down her cheeks. “Where…” Victoria whispered.
“It was behind one of the blanket chests in the tack room. Rudy found it when we moved it a couple of days after you left in January. The chain was broken,” Victor said.
“We thought about sending it to you, but Ray decided we should give it to you today,” Rudy said.
Ray took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped away Victoria’s tears. He removed the small gold cross and fastened it around her neck.
“I remembered how upset you were when you lost it,” Ray said quietly.
The cross had been a gift from Victoria’s mother the day she had made her first Communion. Six months after that day her mother was dead. She had lost the cross two weeks after her mother had died and was devastated for days afterward. She remembered crying endless tears as she searched day and night for the gift. That incident in her life was the reason she hadn’t taken Reese’s ring off since he had given it to her.
“It’s perfect,” Victoria said as her brothers hugged her one by one.
“We love you, Tori. And that guy waiting downstairs for you is pretty cool. Take care of him. ’Cause we know he’s going to take really good care of you,” Ray said.
“If not, it’s a big ranch…” Rudy smiled.
Victoria broke into a smile and shook her head.
* * * *
Reese was with Victoria’s father at the church when he saw his mom walk in. Lucia looked so happy. His mom so
ught him out to tell him Victoria was on her way. Lucia turned and looked at Victor and he remembered she probably hadn’t had a chance to meet him yet.
“Mom, this is Victoria’s dad, Victor Espinoza. Victor, this is my mom, Lucia Thompson,” Reese said.
“Ma’am,” Victor said, tipping his black cowboy hat.
“Oh, I’ve never met a real cowboy,” his mom said.
They shook hands and Victor escorted Lucia to her seat. Sophia and Gino, Sophia’s husband, took their seats. Reese’s niece, Gina, was the flower girl, and she would be walking with Victoria’s little nephew, Little Rudy.
He saw Victor being waved to the back by Anna. The church was starting to fill up fast. Victor had told him this was the same church that Victoria had been raised in. He said he was proud that they had decided to get married here. She had refused a church wedding the first time. Reese had been married in Maggie’s church. This time was different. They had a lot in common, including their religion.
Reese stood at the front of the church, waiting. He heard the music start to play and watched as Gina and Little Rudy walked down the aisle with Alyssa. He could hear the awws as the trio walked. Alyssa was beautiful in her pink lace dress and small heels. Little Gina was in a small dress that matched Alyssa’s. The trio made their way to a statue of the Virgin Mary and Alyssa lifted Gina so that she could put her little basket of flowers inside the grotto at Mary’s feet. Victoria’s brothers came in escorting their wives and took seats along the front. Jim Williams and Anna came in next. Jim was Reese’s best man. Anna was the matron of honor and she looked stunning. Reese had decided not to wear his uniform this time. He had worn it the first time around, so Reese and Jim were both in civilian suits.
Victoria’s grandparents came down the aisle next. They approached the altar and Maria handed Reese a basket with gold coins inside. He handed it to the priest. Gavino handed Jim what looked like a huge rosary. Finally, he got a glimpse of Victoria. He was breathless when he saw her come up the aisle. He hadn’t been sure about his mom’s old wedding dress when she had told him about it, but there was no doubt in his mind now. It was perfect.
The lacy, sleeveless ivory dress hung to Victoria’s ankles. Her shoes were an old-fashioned lacy boot. The flowers she carried matched her spirit. It was a bunch of wildflowers that had been arranged beautifully. Victor kissed Victoria and handed her over to Reese. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He hadn’t really been nervous until now.
The priest started the ceremony. Reese knew it was going to be a little long because it was Catholic and there were some Mexican traditions that they had decided to honor. They knelt and the ceremony started. The first custom was the blessing of the gold coins. There were thirteen in the basket that Maria had given him. Those coins, he was told, had been in the Espinoza family for several generations. Anna had used them at her wedding, as well as Rudy and Ray. The priest blessed the coins and handed them to him. The priest explained the coins represented his trust in Victoria and when he handed them to her it would mean she had accepted that responsibility and was committed to honor his trust.
The ceremony went on for a while longer than a traditional Catholic Mass. Jim and Anna were asked to place the lazo around Reese and Victoria. It was the double rosary that Gavino had handed Jim and it represented the commitment and love that they were promising each other. The lazo, it was explained, was to show how they were linked together in marriage for eternity. He prayed that this marriage would last and he wouldn’t have to go through another divorce. He smiled inwardly, knowing they were too stubborn to give up. No matter what happened.
Little Rudy brought the rings forward and Victoria and Reese exchanged them. Finally, they were asked to stand. It seemed to him as if they had been kneeling for hours. The priest declared them man and wife and he kissed his new wife. He was glad it was over, so he grabbed her and kissed her again as he held her close to him. Reese heard Victoria giggle.
“Did you miss me?” Victoria whispered as she hugged Reese.
“Yes, I did,” Reese said, taking her hand.
They raced to Rudy’s truck and climbed inside to head back to the ranch and the reception. He relaxed for the first time in a month because it felt good to have this wedding behind them.
“Hello, Mrs. Thompson.” Reese kissed Victoria again.
“Hello, husband.” Victoria smiled.
* * * *
“Time for the first dance!” Ray said into the microphone.
Reese led Victoria out onto the dance floor as “I Cross My Heart” by George Strait played. After the first chorus played they were joined out on the dance floor by the rest of the wedding party. Victor escorted Lucia out for that dance.
“That song is perfect, sweetness,” Reese said.
“I think so. It reminds me of you every time I hear it,” Victoria said.
After that dance the party became more relaxed. They traveled around greeting the guests. The photographer was running around snapping all kinds of pictures. They stopped at the table where Victoria’s grandparents and Anna’s family were sitting.
“Reese, this is my husband, Marc Santiago. Marc, Major Reese Thompson,” Anna said.
“So you’re the one Anna wanted to trade me in for?” Marc asked with a wide grin as they shook hands.
“Did she tell you that?” Reese asked, looking at Anna. He was shocked at Anna’s brazen confession to her husband.
“I’ll never talk to Momma again if she leaves my daddy,” Alyssa said.
Marc laughed and pulled Alyssa against him, kissing her forehead. “That’s my princess. Keep your momma in line for me,” Marc said.
“Whatever,” Anna said, rolling her eyes.
Marc released Alyssa and took Anna’s hand. “How about a dance, Mrs. Santiago?” he asked.
Anna smiled and rubbed her nose against her husband’s. “Excuse us,” she said, looking into Marc’s eyes.
The electricity between Marc and Anna was almost tangible. Victoria knew Anna would never leave Marc. He was such a handsome man. He was tall like Alyssa and down-to-earth. She often compared him to Manny Pérez, the actor. She had overhead that this next campaign season Marc would run for Texas attorney general.
“Pobre cabrón…” Gavino said shaking his head as he watched Anna and Marc on the dance floor.
“Why did he say that?” Reese asked Victoria as they walked to the next table. Gavino had just referred to Marc as a poor bastard.
“Because even though my grandfather worships Anna, he knows what he’s got with her. You know how bossy she can be. Marc is so in love with Anna that he’ll do whatever she wants. My Welito thinks Marc’s got no cojones when he’s around Anna,” Victoria said.
“I can see that,” Reese said, glancing out on the dance floor.
Reese and Victoria arrived at the table where Jim, Eliza, and Rudy’s family were sitting. Jim and Eliza had brought their two children. Little Rudy and Little Jimmy had become buddies and were giving their parents quite a run for their money. Eliza looked happy and comfortable, Victoria noted. It was so unlike the many times they had had to be around Maggie’s cronies.
Reese pulled Victoria aside later into the evening.
“Let’s go, sweetness,” Reese urged.
Victoria looked around and saw the party was starting to thin. Lucia and Victor were gone and everyone with younger children was starting to leave. The elder Espinozas had left as well. Only the die-hard partiers seemed to be hanging on. Reese took Victoria’s hand and led her away.
* * * *
Reese closed the door to the room he and Victoria had reserved for the next couple of days. He watched as she walked to the center of the room and stood. He walked behind her and put his hands on her shoulders and gently rubbed. He felt her shoulders rise as she took in a deep breath. He traced his hand up and down the back of her dress and saw all the buttons that lined the back.
“Your mom said not to rip it,” Victoria said as if reading Reese’s m
ind.
Reese chuckled. “Leave it to my mom to encase you in a vault. Do you want me to unbutton you?” Reese asked.
“Please,” Victoria said.
Reese kissed her neck as he started the chore of unfastening Victoria’s dress. He started unfastening the buttons, placing a kiss on her skin after each one was undone. He completed the task and slipped the dress from her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. His cock jumped when he saw what Victoria had been hiding underneath that old-fashioned dress. He always found her attractive and sexy, but in his mind she looked as if she had just stepped out of a lingerie spread.
“You are so beautiful, sweetness,” Reese whispered as he unhooked the lacy bra she was wearing and slipped it from her shoulders.
It had been almost two weeks since Reese and Victoria had been together. He was hungry for her because she had come to Houston a week early to nail down the details of the wedding and he had been in San Diego the week before she left. When he had arrived, a couple of days ago, Victor Jr. had taken him to stay at his house on the ranch. Yesterday he had decided to check into the hotel early and had spent the night in the room, alone.
Reese turned Victoria around to face him and kissed her slowly. He broke away, lifted her, and carried her to their bed. He laid her down and worked his way down to the lacy boots that encased her feet. He untied and removed one and then the other. He let his hands run up and down the thigh-high lacy stockings that wrapped around Victoria’s sensual legs. He loved her womanly body. She was unlike the bone-thin women he had known before her. She moaned as Reese kissed around the lacy tops of her stocking and continued stroking those legs.
“Do you like that, sweetness?” Reese asked as he moved to Victoria’s belly ring that she had changed to a pearl.
