by Leanne Tyler
Her sister nodded. “Whatever you want. So can I watch this?”
“If you have to.”
“I do.” She went into the living room and turned on the television. “So tell me, how’s it like being Mrs. Jones?”
“Great.” Sue walked into the kitchen to check on the food and to get the bread out of the oven.
“I bet he’s good—”
“Kimberly, don’t make me tell Phil that you’re having naughty thoughts about my husband.”
Her sister laughed and she heard the music on the DVD start. She placed the bread in a cloth lined basket and covered it with a clean dishtowel to keep it warm until Alex arrived. He was running late which wasn’t like him.
“Wow. You may not remember it, but I’ve never seen you look happier in all my life.”
“Really?” she walked back into the living room
“Yes. Didn’t you notice that silly grin on your face?” Kimberly searched the footage on the DVD to show her what she was talking about. “Actually, it’s been there for weeks so maybe you didn’t realize it. You love him. Admit it.”
Sue sat down beside her on the sofa. “I do. I whole heartedly do.”
“That’s fabulous.” Kimberly hugged her. “I knew it was going to happen to you from that first night you met. Aren’t you glad I paired the two of you up with that lock and key game?”
“I knew it!” Sue jumped up. “I knew you did that on purpose.”
“Sorry. But you had already met all of Phil’s friends and no sparks flew so I took a chance it might be different with Alex. Boy was I right.”
Sue shook her head. “I can’t be mad about it because you were right.”
Kimberly dug in her purse and found a pen. She circled the total on the credit card statement. “That is how much you owe me. You can either give me the money or pay the balance to my caterer.”
Sue sucked in her breath at the figure. No hotel room was worth that price a night and they weren’t even there a full night. “And I guess you need that now?”
“I have to pay my caterer.”
“How about I write you a check, but you don’t cash it until I go and transfer money from my savings to my checking first thing tomorrow?”
“That’ll work.”
She numbly walked to get her purse glad she was getting a nice pay raise with her promotion so she could afford to make such a dumb move. As she understood it, she had insisted on paying for the wedding, but had she also insisted on the room or was that a package deal, but two charges? The credit card statement didn’t make a distinction. And she didn’t have a receipt for the wedding or the hotel charges to compare. Oh why did they do those jello shots?
Chapter Eighteen
Alex woke with Sue curled up next to him. She looked so beautiful and peaceful lying there asleep. Unlike the pain he’d seen in her eyes when he finally showed up last night. He’d been extremely late getting home, ruining the dinner she’d cooked and the evening they’d planned. But he’d gotten held up at work, and a wreck on the interstate had traffic backed up for miles. He couldn’t even call her because he’d dropped his cellphone in the grass while playing with the dogs on Thursday night and Queenie had destroyed it, mistaking it for a chew toy by the time he noticed it was missing.
Sue tried to act as if everything was fine, but he could tell she was upset, especially when she reheated the food and the chicken was dry. They didn’t argue, but she’d gone to bed early. It wasn’t the way he’d planned to end their first week married.
He reached out and pulled her to him, holding her. She stirred, laying her head on his chest.
“Good morning,” she murmured, planting tiny kisses along his collarbone.
“Sh-h-h. Go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Too late.” She nuzzled his neck, her warm breath sending shivers down his spine. “Will you marry me?”
“I already did. Or have you forgotten already?”
“Marry me again.”
“Are you serious?”
She looked up and nodded. “I know I said in Vegas I didn’t need a big church wedding, and I don’t, but it really bothers me that I can’t remember our vows or saying I do, and I really want that memory. Not because I watched it a hundred times on a DVD trying to make myself remember, but because I remember saying the words. Because I love you Alex Jones and I want to store those words in my heart forever and ever.”
He cupped her face between his hands and kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes. I’ll marry you again.”
“Yeah!” She clapped her hands and scurried from the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To shower. I have to get to the bank this morning before Kimberly cashes a check I wrote her last night.”
“Why?” He sat up in bed.
She showed him the credit card statement and the amount circled in red.
“Whoa! It cost that much to stay at that hotel?”
“Yes. And I was so out of it that I used her credit card and now she needs to pay her caterer.”
“W—wait a minute. If you used her credit card then does that mean she knows we are married?”
“Yes, so much for trying to keep her from being hurt. And you know, she was actually excited. She’s even taking credit for getting us together because she finally admitted she paired us up for the lock and key game. I told you it was rigged.”
A slow grin spread across his handsome face. “She can claim what she wants, but baby you know we were meant to be together from the moment you rear ended my truck because you were checking me out.”
Sue opened her eyes wide and sank down on the edge of the bed, almost landing in the floor. “Y—you knew that was why I hit your truck?”
He nodded.
“Jiminy!”
“No, Alex.”
She laughed.
He pushed her back on the bed, covering her as he kissed her. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, knowing they’d be okay.
Epilogue
One week later…
Sue woke feeling funny. She slowly sat up and the odd sensation in her stomach sent her scurrying from the bed, waking Alex in her retreat.
“What’s wrong?” he sat up, throwing the covers back and following her into the bathroom.
“Don’t look,” she gasped between heaves as everything in her stomach made a mad exodus into the commode.
“Oh honey, are you sick?”
Retching again and again until there was nothing left, she couldn’t believe he had just asked that question. No, she was having a party. Didn’t he want to join?
He got a washcloth from the cabinet and wet it, rubbing the back of her neck with it.
She pulled toilet tissue off the roll and wiped her mouth and blew her nose. “I think I want to die.” She flushed the commode and stood up, feeling light headed.
“Sh—h—h. It’ll be okay.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed. He sat down, holding her. “Do you think it was something you ate last night at the rehearsal dinner?”
“No. I don’t think it was the food. You ate the same thing I did and you’re fine.”
“Has anyone been sick at work?”
“No. I don’t think it’s that either.”
“Then what?”
She moved out of his arms and crawled back to her pillow, laying her head on it and hugging his to her chest. “I’m late.”
“No. We don’t have to be at the church for your sister’s wedding for another few hours.”
“Not that kind of late, Alex. We were in Vegas three weeks ago. I don’t think we used protection that night.”
He stared at her, not saying a word for the longest time. She watched him closely almost certain he hadn’t even taken a breath.
“Okay.” He grinned and reached out to touch her stomach. “So we might have a little one in there?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
“You can say
that again.”
“Wow.”
She laughed and he lay down beside her, tilting her chin up for his kiss. He played with the charm around her neck not saying anything for a long time and tried to wrap his head around the possibility that he was going to be a father. A father.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“These last few weeks have been jammed full of changes.”
“I know.”
“But it’s been exciting.”
“And scary.”
“That too.”
“But we’re happy and we’re together.”
He nodded. “Don’t move.” Getting up he went over to where he’d laid his pants the night before. He fished something out of the pocket and brought it to her. “Lucinda gave you that charm before we met, right?”
“Yes.”
“She gave me this bottle. She told me to keep it with me at all times because it holds a good luck potion. And as much as I find her voodoo hokey, I have to admit it has brought me very good luck.”
Sue smiled, entwining her fingers with his. “You’re my Vous Deux, Alex.”
“And you’re mine.”
About the Author
Award-winning author Leanne Tyler lives in the South and her writing reflects her heritage. She writes Sweet and somewhat Sensual Southern romances, whether historical or contemporary. Leanne’s debut release Victory’s Gate was the 2007 American Rose winner of the Through the Garden Gate contest and was released electronically by The Wild Rose Press in December 2007. Finally in December 2009 the Through the Garden Gate Anthology became available in print and includes the four winning entries.
Stepping into the Contemporary circle, she debuted with her Class of ’85 Reunion story It’s Always Been You in August 2011. And her first full-length historical novel Season of Love (Nov. 2011) is a time-travel set in 1850 Charleston, SC. A recent release from Books to Go Now, A Country Kitchen Christmas (Feb. 2012) is a light inspirational romance. In May and August 2012 the first two books of The Good Luck Series were released from Amazon: The Good Luck Charm and The Good Luck Spell. Ava, a short story in the Love Letters Series, was released in November 2012 and the audio version in March 2013. In January 2013, Because of Rebecca was released through Amazon’s Kindle Select Program and will be available through all venues beginning May 17, 2013.
Leanne invites readers to step into her world and enjoy the passion.
