Michael’s voice startled her so much she squeaked.
“I just wanted to give it one last chance,” he said, he eyes sad and his mouth marred with a frown. He took a step forward, reaching out to her to take her hand. “Give it some time. There’s nothing to rush into. Maybe there was more between us that either of us realized.”
“Oh, Michael, we both know that’s not true.”
“What if you just think you know, Ally? What if you do this and regret it?”
“It’s hard to regret something you’ve wanted your whole life.”
“Maybe you don’t know what you want yet. We’re still young.”
“Michael, don’t do this. Let’s let it go before we say things we’ll be sorry for later.”
“I love you, Ally. Why wasn’t I good enough for you?”
“You’re a wonderful guy! But you weren’t him. It wasn’t anything against you. I needed you when he left, and you were a friend, but my feelings tapered off after a while, and I felt like all we had was a deep bond over something tragic in my life.”
“I tried to give you space, tried to do it all by the book, and then Richards comes in and just steals you right out from under me. What was I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do now?” His grip on her hand tightened and he shook it to punctuate his words.
“Let go.” Ally laid her hand over his and smiled gently. Just a few hours ago, she had known exactly what he felt herself. “You owe it to yourself to find someone who loves you more than I did. I wasn’t very good to you, Michael, and I see that now.”
“You don’t hear me complaining.”
“But you should.” Ally hated to see the pleading in his eyes, even worse to see him so desperate.
“Don’t make me beg, Ally.”
She tilted her head to the side and studied him. “It’s more than me marrying him, isn’t it? Are you afraid you’ll never find someone else?”
“Of course I’m afraid of that. The last thing I want to do is spend the rest of my life alone!” He stormed from the room, shooting a glare over his shoulder. Then he promptly slammed the door.
****
After Michael left, Ally finished dressing in a fog. With her hair and makeup finished, she waited on the word from the wedding coordinator to take their place. Her father stood beside her, handsome as ever in his tux. Unable to keep quiet, she squeezed his arm.
“You should marry her, Daddy. Mom wouldn’t want you to be so lonely.”
“She’s already said yes, Pumpkin.”
Ally smiled at the endearment she’d had since she was a child, but she still felt obligated to continue. “She’s a lucky gal. And you’re one lucky guy.”
A twinkle shone in his eye as he winked at her. “Yes, I am.”
Her father studied her a long moment and then smiled. “When did my baby girl get so grown up?” He touched her face and kissed her cheek, his protection and love wrapping around her. “You look beautiful, Pumpkin.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” She looked down at her flowing white dress with blush-colored accents that fit her perfectly. She traced the edge of one exquisite lavender rose with her finger. Even the bouquet was perfect, with exactly a dozen pale mauve rosebuds and lacy baby’s breath cascading with a trail of fluttery white ribbons.
“We’re eloping tonight after the wedding. Just the two of us, very private,” her father said on an exhale as the wedding coordinator motioned for them to begin their walk to the chapel.
“That’s so great!” Ally hugged him.
As they approached the chapel, Lana appeared out of nowhere, wearing her satin silver maid of honor dress.
“You’re still sure about this?” She fidgeted with Ally’s hair and tenderly brought a curl around to frame her face.
“Absolutely.” Ally gave her a reassuring smile and swatted her hand away.
“Don’t make him wait too long, I see that devilish look on your face.”
Ally smiled, laughing out loud at how well her sister could read her. And she did make him wait. The wedding coordinator tried to usher her to the closed doors, but she shook her head and held up a finger. Her father actually laughed at her pay back.
“You shouldn’t make the boy wait any longer than he already has. The wedding march is already halfway through.”
After a few more moments, she took her place and allowed the ushers to open the double doors. Immediately she saw the huge crowd of people. Family, friends, old school mates. The chapel was filled. At the end of the long aisle she saw a particularly stressed-out look on Jesse’s face and grinned, her eyes catching his and not letting go until she reached him. She vaguely saw Lucky as best man and her sister standing up for her.
After her father gave her away and kissed her cheek, she took Jesse’s hand and answered his ear-to-ear grin. She caught her father as he held up his index and thumb in the shape of a gun and issued Jesse a convincing, fatherly warning.
“You did that on purpose,” he whispered in an accusing tone when he left. “I didn’t think you were gonna show.”
“So, this really hot guy gave me something earlier today,” she whispered back, ignoring his comment.
“Oh yeah?” Jesse didn’t miss a beat as he took her hands and turned to face her. The minister was giving his speech on the sanctity of marriage.
“Yeah. I got this ring from him.” She placed the engagement ring in his palm and he turned it over to look at it. “I’m not sure if it’s real. What do you think?”
Jesse examined it discreetly, his lips pursed as he did so. His blue eyes gazed down at hers. “Looks pretty expensive, so yeah. I’d say it’s definitely real.”
“I’m not sure.” Ally took it from him again, fingering the big diamond in the middle. She cast him a coy glance. “I’m just not sure though. What do you think, Jesse? You’re my best friend in the whole world. Should I make a big commitment even though he wasn’t man enough to propose in person? To think, he even left a note that I should say yes.”
“You didn’t by any chance respond via text, did you? Because he might be having doubts about asking if you weren’t woman enough to say it in person.” Even as he spoke, Jesse squeezed her hands and smiled.
Tears rose swift and hot in her throat. Carefully, Jesse carefully tucked the ring in his pocket.
“How about it?” His throat worked convulsively as he offered the ring to her. “You gonna be my wife today or not? Got your running shoes on under all that girliness?”
“And miss the chance to walk down the aisle in this beautiful dress?” She smiled at him, happier than she ever thought possible. It was hard to believe that a man this wonderful, this potent, would want her to be his wife. But she didn’t ask questions, just said her vows and listened to Jesse pledge his life and his love to her. When it came time to exchange rings, Jesse took out both her wedding ring and her engagement ring and held them up.
“Are you sure?” His voice even wobbled. She’d never seen him so emotional before. “I know it’s quick. And now that the charges have been dropped—”
“I was so sure that I was gonna marry you when I was a kid, my father had to have a talk with me when I was seven years old to let me know I wasn’t allowed to get married until I was forty. When I cried for two solid days, he finally told me I had to be twenty-one just so I would stop freaking out over how long I had to wait. I’ve never considered marrying anyone other than you, Jesse. Sometimes you just know, and I knew the second I laid eyes on you, even if I was a kid. We were made for each other.”
“We’ll never regret this. We’ll be smart about it. Wait a few years for kids just to make sure—”
“Jesse?” she interrupted, not caring the audience was witnessing their entire exchange and the preacher had stopped talking and was waiting for the rings.
“Hmm?” His eyes finally focused on her.
“I’m waiting for you to put that ring on my finger so we can have our moment. I think we’ve waited long enough for it, don’t you?”
Jesse’s face blossomed into a smile. “Yes ma’am.”
His fingers shook as gathered them. The rings were dwarfed in his large hands, but the diamond and matching diamond band sparkled against his tanned skin.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, taking in every second of the moment they would finally be husband and wife, finally tell the world that this was it for them.
He smoothed her hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. Then he slid the ring on her finger slowly, deliberately, holding her gaze within his for the entire duration. His breath fanned warm over her skin as he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered.
“I can,” he said with a wink. “I’m the one who put this whole thing together.” At that, the audience laughed.
Ally shook her head with a grin.
It all ended with a toe-curling kiss and loud applause from the audience. As they were presented to the crowd, Ally noticed there wasn’t a dry eye to be found. All of the people here had witnessed their friendship… their unbreakable bond from the beginning.
Jesse led her out of the chapel and into a waiting room apparently designated just for them. He whirled around and took her in his arms, kissing her with the fervor of the moment. His tongue dueled, played with hers and his hands cherished her as he gently held her in his arms. When he finally pulled away, she looked at him and laughed.
“I knew the quicker I put that ring on your finger, the quicker I could get you naked. Think they’ll notice if we go missing for a few?”
Ally cocked an eyebrow at him slowly. “I’m thinking about our future here and you’re talking sex? How much more of a man can you be?” She threw her hands up in the air, and turned her back to him, shaking her head. She wasn’t really upset, but it was fun to mess with him.
He didn’t disappoint. “Think back on our younger days. That should help you remember how much more of a man I can be.” His voice against her ear sent tingles down her spine.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. His arms came around her waist, offering that safe haven that she’d always felt with him. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“Oh yes.”
“I can’t wait.”
There was a deafening silence. Then, “You made me wait on purpose, didn’t you? Made me sweat it out just to get even?” At Ally’s reticence, he laughed and kissed her again. “I knew it! You never once thought about not marrying me, did you?”
At that, Ally shook her head and felt the tears rushing to the surface, “Thank you so much for this. Everything was so beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, bringing his lips to hers in a sweet, devouring kiss.
“I love you, Jesse.” She stood against him, feeling the length of his strong body and the fabric of his tux, knowing she’d always be protected.
“I love you, too, Mrs. Richards, and I’ll love you until the day I die.” He spun her around, her wedding dress moving in a balloon around them.
When he finally settled her back on her feet, she pressed her lips to his. This was the boy she’d grown up with. The boy she’d gone fishing with, camped with, shared all of her childhood memories with. This was the young man who had kissed her and given her a taste of a desire she hadn’t thought possible. The young man she’d given her virginity to. This was the man that had never given up on her, even though she broke his heart. The man she’d just devoted the rest of her life to. The man she would grow old with…
Never again would Ally doubt his love for her and never again would she give him a reason to doubt her love. She smiled at him once more, knowing that this was the first day of the rest of their lives. She knew that her life was changed. She had so much to be thankful for.
Taking Jesse’s face in the palm of her hands, she caressed her thumb across his beautiful lips, loving him more with every breath. She whispered to him through her tears of joy, “There’s no one else I’ll ever love but you, Jesse. It will always be you.”
Chapter 15
Five weeks after their three-week honeymoon to Bora Bora, another dream of Ally’s, Jesse settled at his desk and put his hands behind his head. Life didn’t get any better than this.
A beautiful woman in his bed every night, exhaustive rounds of love making, years of waiting and regret completely behind them.
And his best friend was his wife.
The bell on the door rang and signaled Lucky’s morning arrival. He walked straight to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.
“Long morning already?” Jesse inquired with a grin.
“Oh, shut up. You’re still in the honeymoon phase, dude. Just wait.”
“Trouble with Lana?”
“No, but she thinks she’s pregnant again. I’m not ready for another one. Lilly is more than enough right now. I wanted to wait a few years before trying again.”
Lucky slumped against the counter and sipped his steaming coffee, looking so defeated Jesse had to grin. “Hey, look on the bright side. You’ve got me and Ally for babysitting. We’re brothers now, after all.”
Jesse chose to ignore the fact that Lucky rolled his eyes.
“I can’t handle another one. Lana was so emotional when she was pregnant before.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. I don’t see Ally being emotional. She’s always great with Lily, and I love kids. She could walk in here right now and tell me she was pregnant and I’d be happy a clam. So brighten up, bro, it’s all good!”
The bell clanged over the door again and Lucky and Jesse both looked up to see Lana walking through, looking none too happy.
When Lucky was within reach, she threw a white stick at him. “Lucky! You knocked me up, you jerk! I wasn’t ready for another kid yet!”
Lucky slowly stooped and picked up the stick. “Yup, looks like I did just that.” Jesse watched him run a palm down his face as he stared in horror at the white stick. “Lana, this one is genetically mine. What if he’s the fat kid in school?”
“Seriously? You’re worried about that when I puked up my breakfast this morning and haven’t pooped in eight days?”
He straightened. “No, Lana. Not worried at all. Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Valium?”
Lana just shook her head. “You’re lucky I love you enough to be happy about having your kid.” She gave him a hesitant smile. He smiled back and Jesse thought it was just about the most beautiful sight he’d ever witnessed.
“Love you, Lana,” Lucky said and pulled her into a hug.
“I love you, too,” she said and popped him on the rear. “And he’ll be beautiful. We know his genetics so it’ll be a piece of cake making sure he eats healthy.”
Lucky swallowed, looking a bit shocked.
The bell clanged again and Ally walked in. “What’s up, guys?”
“Nothing. What brings you in, baby?” Jesse stood and kissed Ally on the cheek.
Without warning, Ally shoved Jesse a good two feet backwards and he landed sprawled on the floor. It was a good thing his knee had heeled and was out of the cast.
“What on earth was that for?” he demanded from the floor. Lucky and Lana’s snickering didn’t help matters.
A white pen came sailing at his head. “This is what that was for!”
“Wh…?” That wasn’t a pen. No. No way. He rubbed his eyes, hoping what was in front of him would morph into something else.
“You got me pregnant, you imp! We were supposed to have several years together to enjoy being newlyweds! You just had to take me to Bora Bora!”
Lucky snorted and that earned him a kick to the shin. “Takes two to tango, honey. And I didn’t hear you complaining when it happened. Quite the opposite, in fact.” He glanced at Lucky and winked. Time to show him how this was done.
He stood and leveled his gaze with her. “What are you so upset about? You knew going off your birth control combined with us being newlyweds wasn’t exactly an Einstein move.”
�
�I know, but… but…” Tears sprang into her eyes and threatened to overflow. He could have handled just about anything but that.
“Don’t cry, Ally. We’ll make it through this together. When we have questions, we can always ask the experts.”
Ally glanced at Lana. “What are you staring at?” she directed at her sister, her voice tart.
“Um, well, I found out this morning we’re expecting, too.”
“What?” Ally jumped up, squealing in delight and grabbed Lana into a bear hug. “We get to do this together? I’m so excited!”
Jesse scratched his temple only to look up and see Lucky mirroring his action. They both shook their head at each other.
Maybe he’d been wrong. From anger, to tears to excitement, Ally was already all over the map with her emotions, and she’d just found out. Where would they be in nine months? Fun days were certainly ahead.
“Jesse?” Ally said quietly from beside him. Jesse looked down at Ally’s face, full of uncertainty and doubt. “I know this wasn’t planned, but are you okay with it?”
He smiled and tweaked her nose. “Of course I am.”
“I was hoping for a few trips to Europe and some years for us to make up for our time apart. Now we’re going to be responsible for another human being, and have to save money for the next nine months and…”
Jesse shushed her and chuckled at her panic. “We’ll be fine. Being parents is something we’ve both always wanted. Just because it’s not on our time frame doesn’t mean anything.”
Ally’s eyes met his and a bright smile graced her face. “I love you. Please remember that in the next nine months.”
Jesse chuckled again. “I love you, too. You’ll always be my girl.” At that, he began humming their theme song.
****
Sirens blared. Lights flashed. Adrenaline rushed.
Jesse chased hot on the tail of a white Honda.
“Pull over now, or I’ll shoot your tires,” Jesse announced over his loud speaker. This time, the man was getting a ticket, father-in-law or not.
Jesse followed him with his lights on, all the way to the parking lot of… Pleasures?
The scrawny white-haired man, wrinkled with age, opened the door and moved at an impossible speed toward the other side of the car, where his wife, Ellie, sat. He opened the door and helped her stand, and she waited patiently as he pulled her wheel chair out of the trunk
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