by Pj Fiala
“Wow, Mom. You look amazing. Jeremiah’s going to shit when he sees you.”
Joci laughed. “Not the reaction I’m hoping for, but I think I know what you mean. You look pretty handsome yourself, Gunnar. You clean up good.”
Everyone chuckled, and Jackie opened the door to the church. Sandi started walking down the aisle. Jackie was next. As soon as she had made it all the way down the aisle, the processional music for the bride started. Then Joci and Gunnar began walking down the aisle.
The gasps and sighs as she walked by made her so happy. She felt like a princess. She felt beautiful. But all she could see was Jeremiah. He was stunning in his ivory tuxedo, ivory vest, and an ivory cravat with thin gray stripes in it. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He looked perfect.
Jeremiah sucked in his breath at his first look at Joci. She had refused to let him see her dress or know anything about what it looked like. It had driven him crazy not knowing. Now, he was glad she made him wait—again. She was amazingly beautiful. Jesus, he was a lucky man. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Dayton chuckled next to him, and Jeremiah smirked. When they reached Jeremiah, Gunnar shook his hand and then grabbed Jeremiah in a hug. At the same time, JT and Ryder came up and hugged Joci. The boys sat down, and Jeremiah held his arm out.
She held on to his arm, and they walked up the three steps to the altar.
He looked down at her and smiled. “You are stunning, Joci. You take my breath away.”
She smiled as she looked into his eyes. “I was thinking the same thing about you.” She winked and the minister began talking.
A short time later, the minister said, “You may kiss your bride.”
Jeremiah leaned down and pulled Joci into his arms. He turned his head so his mouth fit over hers and kissed her until her toes curled. Right in church! People whistled and clapped. Still he kissed her. When he finally pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers for a few seconds.
“I’m the happiest man in the world right now, Mrs. Sheppard.”
Joci laughed. “Good to know. I’m the happiest woman in the world right now. I love you crazy.”
“I love you crazy.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Sheppard.”
The recessional began, and Jeremiah and Joci walked down the aisle together as husband and wife amid clapping and cheering from the congregation. They stood in the reception line, greeting all who came through. Molly walked up to them as the last few well-wishers hugged the bride and groom to ask for a few more pictures.
They needed to take family pictures and more pictures of the bride and groom.
Jeremiah leaned down and chuckled. “I think Molly and Ryder are attracted to each other. You should have seen the sparks fly when they met.”
Joci looked up at Jeremiah. “Really? Very interesting. He’s so shy. Will he approach her?”
Jeremiah shrugged. “Time will tell.”
The remainder of the night was a blur. They went through all the motions and spoke to everyone who came to celebrate with them. They left the reception around eleven p.m., neither of them able to wait another minute to make love.
43
Mr. & Mrs
As soon as the door closed in their hotel room, Jeremiah lifted Joci and carried her to the bed. “Jesus, I can’t wait another minute to be in you.”
“Jeremiah,” Joci whispered.
Cupping her face in his hands, he looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you crazy, Mrs. Sheppard. Always have, always will.”
She held his eyes in hers. “I love you crazy, Mr. Sheppard.”
He fit his lips over hers and mated his tongue with hers. Slow, sensual, loving. He reached around her and unzipped her dress. He gently pulled the dress from her shoulders and down her arms. He stepped back to help her step out of it. Holding her left hand, she smirked at him as she lifted her left foot slowly out of her dress.
His breath caught. “Joci…I don’t have words,” his voice cracked.
He continued to stare at her foot while swallowing back the emotion.
“Do you like it?” Her voice was soft.
“Jesus. Joci, it’s beautiful. I’m…stunned…honored. I’m speechless.”
She’d had her tattoo finished by Julie, Deacon’s wife. Where once had been a bud without a flower on the top of her foot, was a beautiful, gray flower with blue detailing and edging.
He bent down and lifted Joci onto the bed. He sat on the edge and pulled her foot onto his lap. He looked at the tattoo. It was still fresh, but so beautiful, the coloring perfect. His two favorite colors. He touched it and ran his finger around the little flower. He looked up at Joci and tears slid down his cheeks. Joci smiled and wiped the tears away from his face.
“I love you crazy.”
“God, I love you, too. Thank you so very much for trusting me. For marrying me. For having my baby.”
He leaned in and kissed her very tenderly. He framed her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. It was hard to speak with all the emotions clogging his throat. “What’s this, Joci?”
Her voice cracked. “It’s my family.”
Jeremiah raised his eyebrows in question. Joci swallowed to wet her throat. “We are all bound by a tenuous little vine, which, if not nurtured, can wither and die. The vine is only as strong as the people who take care of it. The flowers are the fruit of that labor of taking care of each other. Each flower is one of the people in my family who help me nurture this vine. Each flower is the person’s favorite color.”
Jeremiah touched the little white violet on Joci’s ankle and asked her about each flower.
“How about this new little orange flower?”
“JT.”
“And this green flower?”
“Ryder.”
Trailing his finger down the vine to the top of Joci’s foot to a beautiful gray flower with blue edges, he asked, “And this?”
Her voice was full of emotion when she spoke, “That’s the one man who loves me completely, doesn’t let me down, doesn’t betray me, keeps me safe, holds me when I’m sad, shares my happiness, and wants me and no other.”
“Yes, it is,” Jeremiah said, his voice husky.
He leaned over and kissed her, deeply and with the utmost tenderness. In unison, they worked at their clothing. Jeremiah positioned himself on top of her, gently sliding his forearms under her shoulders and holding her close. “This is without a doubt the best day of my life. Yeah?”
“Yeah. Mine, too.” Never looking away, Joci slid her hand into Jeremiah’s hair at the nape and squeezed.
“I’m coming in, baby. Open up for me.”
She smiled as she wrapped her legs around him. He tilted his hips and pushed himself inside, causing each of them to groan.
She closed her eyes at the feeling of him sliding into her. There was no other feeling on earth like this. “Open your eyes, Joci. Watch me make love to you.”
Opening her eyes, she met green eyes, full of love. “Yes. What a beautiful idea.”
He slowly moved in and out of her. Loving her like this was sensual. Staring into her beautiful eyes, he continued the easy rhythm.
“Your hot little pussy is always so wet and ready for me, Joci. Do you know what that does to me?”
“All I know is when I see you, touch you, even hear your voice, my body responds.”
Their breathing grew ragged. “What do you need, Joci? I need you to come.”
“You. All of your passion. Give that to me, Jeremiah.”
With a groan, he began his sweet assault on her body. Pushing into her, his rhythm increased, his breathing labored. His body tightened, and he implored, “Joci. Now.”
She tilted her hips forward, feeling all of him as he plunged into her. Rocking her hips with his, the feel of him sliding into her was quickly pushing her to the edge. She whimpered as her core tightened. He pushed into her with more force. “Jeremiah…I…”
<
br /> She cried out as her orgasm hit her. He pushed into her and held as his cock throbbed and pulsed with his release. He rested his head on her shoulder, waiting for his breathing to slow. She began gently massaging his head; her hand still tangled in his hair.
She lay in Jeremiah’s strong, warm arms. Her three boys were happy and thriving, and her baby was sleeping in her tummy. Life had a way of breaking people apart and bringing them together. It was strong, this family unit. Joci’s last thought before falling asleep was, “Thank you, God, for bringing me so much joy.”
44
The Wedding
Emily sobbed and raised her hand to her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes. “You look so beautiful, Joci. That dress is perfect, just perfect.”
Joci smiled. “Thank you. It feels perfect.” And it did. She’d waited a long time to get married. Forty-five years to be exact.
The other girls chatted and talked excitedly. There was a knock on the door and a beautiful dark-haired, blue-eyed woman walked into the room.
“Hi, can I come in and take pictures?”
“Yes, Molly, come in and meet everyone,” Joci said, walking forward to greet her.
“Molly, this is Emily, Jeremiah’s mom. Staci, Angie, and Erin are Jeremiah’s sisters-in-law. You know my sister, Jackie, and my best friend, Sandi. Everyone, this is Molly Bates. I met Molly a few years back at a class and then again on the Veteran’s Ride, where she was one of the photographers. We’ve been working on a few things together since then. She freelances and I was thrilled that she was available today.”
“Hello everyone, it’s great to meet you. Okay, let’s start getting some pictures, shall we? Then, while you’re putting the finishing touches on, I’ll go out and take pictures of the guys.”
She loved taking pictures, especially at weddings. Everyone was so happy and beautiful in their formal clothing. Most people were polite and used their best manners at weddings. Even the biggest bridezillas settled down by the time the wedding actually arrived.
“Joci, you’re a beautiful bride. You look radiant.” Molly smiled. She snapped pictures of the veil being pinned on Joci’s head, Jeremiah’s mom buttoning the cuffs on her bridal gown, and Sandi placing a necklace around Joci’s neck—the usual photographs brides wanted to be frozen in time for the days when the memories begin to fade.
Joci beamed. “Thank you, Molly. I have a hard time believing this is actually happening. I’m forty-five and a first-time bride. I’d given up on love before I met Jeremiah.”
“Well, I’m so glad you found each other.” She smiled as she motioned for the women to stand behind a bouquet of flowers. “I love taking pictures of happy people. And these pictures…well, they’re going to be amazing; you’re a gorgeous family.”
She positioned the women in various poses and snapped dozens of pictures as she enjoyed the excited chatter; the fragrance of fresh flowers, the ladies’ perfumes, and wedding day happiness filled the air. “Okay, I’m heading down the hall to snap some pictures of the men. I’ll see you at the altar, Joci.” She gave a small wave and slipped out the door.
Locating room number three, she knocked on the door and poked in her head. Jeremiah saw her and waved her in. He met her halfway across the room and hugged her briefly. “Thank you for taking pictures for us today. Joci and I are thrilled you were available.”
She smiled. “I’m excited beyond belief to be here. I love Joci.” She glanced around the room, looking for the perfect spot for photos. The lighting was good, the room was decorated similarly to the room Joci and her family were in with tan armchairs, tan carpeting, and oil paintings of flowers hung on each wall.
Jeremiah smiled and turned to introduce her to the rest of the guys. “Everyone, I would like you to meet our photographer, Molly Bates. These handsome men are my brothers, Dayton, Tommy, and Bryce, and this is our father, Thomas.”
Walking to the four men standing by a tall table, he said, “These are my buddies: Sarge, Superman, Pitbull, and Radio.”
Jeremiah turned them to the corner of the room where the groomsmen helped each other with cuff links and cravats. Continuing with the introductions, he said, “David is Joci’s brother-in-law. And these are my sons: JT, Gunnar, and Ryder.”
Molly looked at the camera in her hands as her cheeks brightened pink. “Okay. Ummm, let’s start over here.” She pointed to an area in the corner. With shaking hands, she set up her tripod across the room. She placed the men in several positions and snapped numerous pictures.
“Okay, Ryder and JT, if you could sit on the stools; and Gunnar, if you would stand between, but just behind them, please,” she said, a catch in her throat. She looked through her lashes as the men took up their positions. Mostly, she watched Ryder. She leaned in to look through the lens of her camera and felt goose bumps run up and down her spine as Ryder’s intense green eyes trained on her. She repositioned the guys a couple more times and snapped several more pictures.
“Okay Jeremiah, why don’t you step in next to Gunnar for a few pictures?”
She found it difficult to continue working as her mind kept wandering to Ryder. Each time she looked at him, he was staring right at her.
“Dayton and Sarge, let’s get you two with Jeremiah, please.”
Molly briefly glanced at Ryder and watched him slowly run his hand across his jaw and back to the nape of his neck. His eyes caught Molly’s almost immediately, causing her heart to pound in her chest. Quickly grabbing her camera tripod with her left hand, she snapped a few more pictures.
“It’s time to go, Jeremiah,” Dayton announced.
Relief washing over her, Molly gathered up her cameras and equipment. “Thanks, guys; I’ll see you out there,” she called as she quickly headed out the door, her pulse racing and her temperature higher than it had been before walking into that room. It had little to do with the fact that she was in a room filled with handsome men, but more because one of those men had caught her attention in a serious way.
Ryder watched Molly walk out the door and had the desire to follow her. Her eyes were stunning—so shiny and blue—like a bright summer sky. Her dark hair was cut in a short bob. It suited her. He wondered if it was soft. He wanted to touch it and let it fall through his fingers. She was petite but taller than his mom, even in the flat-heeled shoes she wore today, but he thought her legs would look incredible in high heels, wrapped around his waist as he pushed himself into her. He took a deep breath then released it, shaking his head; he didn’t even know if she was single, so no need to continue torturing himself.
“Hey Ryder, you ready to go?” JT chuckled.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” he mumbled. He swiped his hand across his jaw and looked away from his brother.
JT nudged him with his arm. “She’s fucking hot. You gonna tap that?”
Ryder scowled at him. “Don’t be crude, JT.”
Gunnar shrugged his shoulders and smirked. “Well, your eyes never left her once. You looked at her like you were going to devour her. Poor thing looked nervous.”
Laughing, JT said, “Maybe I’ll take a shot at her if Ryder’s too shy to talk to her.”
Ryder glared at JT just as Jeremiah approached.
“Come on boys; I’m getting married.” Jeremiah wrapped his arm around Ryder’s neck and pulled him forward toward the door. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m okay, Dad.”
“Don’t let them get you down, buddy.”
Ryder nodded.
He and JT sat in the church with their grandparents. Gunnar was walking his mom down the aisle, so he headed down the hall toward the chapel doors to meet up with his mom, Aunt Jackie, and his mom’s best friend, Sandi.
As Ryder and JT took their seats, he looked around to find Molly. His heart hammered in his chest when he found her standing in the corner at the front of the church, waiting for the men to walk out so she could take pictures. Her dark hair shined where the lights touched it. Her slender body stood tall as she set her camera on top
of the tripod and adjusted the lens. She glanced his way, and his heart sped up; heat crawled up his torso and beaded on his forehead.
Molly’s heart beat wildly. There was something about Ryder that got to her. She chanced a look around and saw Ryder staring at her and her breath caught in her throat as little shivers danced down her arms and up her spine. Dammit, she couldn’t stop looking at him. She forced herself to look away just as the men walked through the door to stand in front of the church. She almost missed it! She had to start concentrating.
She snapped pictures of the men as the music started, then quickly trotted around the back of the pews and scrambled through to catch the bridesmaids walking up the aisle. She could snap posed pictures later, but sometimes these in-the-moment shots were fantastic. Joci and Gunnar began walking in. Gunnar looked at her and winked, and she clicked away. As soon as they walked past her, she scrambled around to run up the side of the church to get more candid moments up front. As she reached the front of the church, she was able to capture Gunnar and Jeremiah hugging and then she looked over and saw Ryder hugging Joci. Her fingers were tapping the camera buttons as quickly as she could while she watched Ryder whisper something in Joci’s ear. JT leaned in next and hugged Joci as Ryder hugged his dad. Wow, what a moment.
Throughout the ceremony, she continued taking pictures of this beautiful family. She couldn’t wait to get home and take a closer look at Ryder. One of the advantages of being a photographer was knowing you could snap away now and stare all you wanted to later—in private.
Joci had given Molly a list of pictures she wanted to have taken after the ceremony. After the honeymoon, she and Joci would sit down and work on the photo albums together. Joci wanted a few pictures for the house, but mostly, she wanted digital collections made. She and Jeremiah planned to give digital picture frames to all of their family and friends to share memories from today and throughout the past year.
