Running Away With You (Running #3)

by Suzanne Sweeney

  As the boys and I make our way toward the arbor, I stop to mingle with some of our guests. There are a little over fifty guests here. I only invited a few of the guys from the team along with their wives and girlfriends. Carlo is here with his wife Willow, along with Anthony and Brianna Rivera, Troy and Delaney Duffy, Xander Parish and his fiancée Jocelyn, and Shaun Marise, who’s here without a guest tonight. As a special surprise treat for my bride, Joey Griffin flew out to be here with us, along with his wife Maggie.

  There are a few faces I don’t recognize, so I assume they are Juliette’s friends from college – Ben, Sara, and Simon.

  Once the boys and I get to the arbor, our mothers are escorted to their seats in the front row by Carlo and Anthony. Auggie thought it would be a good idea for a few teammates to seat our guests, and luckily for me, these guys were more than happy to help.

  “Get your hands out of your hair,” Adam warns through gritted teeth. I yank my hands down. I guess Juliette was right – I do run my fingers through my hair when I’m nervous. If I don’t see her soon, I swear I’m going to explode.

  What the fuck are they doing?

  Finally, I see the hotel doors open as the music queues. I selected Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors” as the processional, and the first to emerge is Emmy. I give Adam a little jab with my elbow as she makes her way down the aisle. He’s so captivated, I don’t think he even notices.

  One by one, Camilla, Callie, and Reese follow, taking their place on my right. As my bride steps through the doors, the music changes to the traditional Wagner Bridal Chorus and everyone rises.

  The moment I see her, my heart leaps in my chest. Everything around me fades away and all I see is her. I can’t take my eyes off of her. She’s mesmerizing ... hypnotic.

  She holds tightly to Auggie’s arm as she slowly makes her way down the aisle. I don’t think there has ever been a more beautiful bride or a luckier man on the planet.

  Her hair frames her face exquisitely in loose curls. For a second I imagine what it would feel like tickling my chest, draping across my thighs. I shake my head. Focus, McGuire, focus.

  Suddenly the light catches her earrings in just the right light, and I’m fucking blown away. She’s wearing my earrings. I thought I would never see her wearing them again. I don’t know how she did it, but even today, she continues to amaze me.

  Visions of a magical night when she stood before me wearing nothing but those earrings and a pair of high heels nearly knock me off my feet. We will definitely be reliving that evening tonight.

  I’m grinning like the village idiot as I take in her dark hair, her tiny, petite frame. The smile on her face broadens as her eyes connect with mine. Endless, shining green eyes that look right at me. And it makes me feel like a god.

  Her wedding gown is simple yet elegant, and it looks like it was made just for her. All I can think about is how it will look lying in a pile at the foot of our bed and how long it will take me to get her out of it. I want to kiss her. More than I want to fucking breathe.

  Is it wrong for me to have thoughts like that here and now? Probably, but I can’t help it. This is what she does to me, and I hope this feeling never goes away.

  I watch as she gets closer and closer. Finally she’s standing right in front of me. Auggie kisses her and whispers something in her ear that makes her smile. And I melt. God, she’s beautiful. I mean, look at her. She’s like an exploding volcano – hot, powerful, and magnificent.

  Auggie takes her hand and places it in mine. He looks me square in the eye and says, “Take good care of my baby girl.” Having heard his words, Juliette looks up at me all misty-eyed.

  I place my hand on her back as we turn and face the officiant. I’m surprised when my hand contacts bare skin through the opening in the back of her gown. A powerful jolt of electricity shoots through me, straight to my heart. It was there the first time we touched and it’s still there today. I know she feels it too.

  With a mind of its own, my thumb draws slow circles on her lower back. She looks up at me, biting her bottom lip. No one has ever looked at me with that much love. The corners of her mouth turn up, so I must be wearing the same expression.

  As the music quiets, Juliette knots our fingers together. She whispers to me, “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  Normally I wouldn’t take kindly to being called beautiful, but today she can call me anything she wants. I tell her, “I’m staring at true beauty.” And I mean it.

  The officiant smiles and begins the ceremony.

  “Evan and Juliette, today you are surrounded by your friends and family, all of whom have gathered here to witness your marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion. Today, as you join yourselves in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great; and now falls upon your shoulders the task of making real your dreams. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life.”

  The officiant asks me first. “Evan, have you prepared your vows?”

  “I have,” I tell him.

  “I Evan Thomas McGuire, take you, Juliette Evangeline Fletcher, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow still you manage to love me. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

  Now he turns to Juliette. “Juliette, have you prepared your vows?”

  She smiles and my heart sings. “I have.”

  “I, Juliette Evangeline Fletcher, take you, Evan Thomas McGuire, to be my husband. I promise to always be your biggest fan and your soft place to fall. Although our lives may change with the seasons, I will love you. As our love grows as a seed to a beautiful flower, I will love you. When the winds of doubt blow through, I will love you. I promise to love you with all I have to give, and all that I am, in the only way I know how — completely and forever.”

  The officiant turns to Adam who hands him the rings. Holding them up, he explains. "Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have given here today."

  “Evan, as you place the ring on Juliette’s finger, please repeat after me: I give this ring to you, my beloved, my friend, my wife. Whenever I see this ring, I will remember the cherished bond we have created here tonight.”

  I slide the ring onto her finger right beside the engagement ring. It was made for her.

  “Juliette, as you place the ring on Evan’s finger, please repeat after me: I give this ring to you, my beloved, my friend, my husband. Whenever I see this ring, I will remember the cherished bond we have created here tonight.”

  Staring at this beautiful woman standing beside me, I feel my hands get sweaty. I don’t know if it’s stress, heat, or nerves, but try as she might, Juliette just can’t get that ring onto my finger. The ring that fit just fine this morning won't fit without a little help.

  And now for the part I’ve been waiting for.

  “Because you two came here today intending to marry, because you joined hands, made solemn vows, and exchanged rings to remind you of those vows, you are now joined as partners in mutual love and respect.

  According to the powers vested in me, I pronounce that your wedding vows are sealed and you
may henceforth be known to all as husband and wife. It is my absolute pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. Evan McGuire. You may now kiss your bride.”

  I want to do much more than kiss her, but that will have to wait a little while. I dip her back in my arms, and I go straight for the kill. I go all in. I kiss her with everything I have. I want her to remember her first kiss as my wife for the rest of her life. God, what a beautiful sound the word “wife” makes in my head. Juliette Fletcher is my wife. Mine. Forever.

  I fucking love watching her sleep. I look down at the ring on my finger just to make sure it wasn’t a dream. It’s still there, which means this beautiful woman lying naked beside me is my wife. At the moment, I can’t think of anything quite as beautiful as the woman who’s just taken my name.

  She’s slept long enough. I can’t hold back another minute. I begin with soft and gentle kisses on the inside of her neck. I let the stubble on my chin graze her shoulder. She rewards me with a smile and a giggle.

  I look down at the very moment Juliette opens her eyes and looks up. “Good morning, Mrs. McGuire,” I say between love bites. God, I love the sound of that, so I say it again. “Mrs. McGuire.”

  “I’m pretty sure it stopped being morning a few hours ago,” she reminds me. She takes my hand in hers and examines the ring on my finger. I will never take it off. “It’s so strange to see that on your finger,” she says.

  I pull her up against me, wrapping my arms tightly around her. This is what Heaven feels like. Fucking paradise. I kiss down her jaw and suck at the tender flesh of her neck. I love my wife’s neck – and by the sounds vibrating in her throat, she loves what I’m doing.

  My stomach growls like a thousand Spartans preparing for battle, and my new wife laughs at me. “Hungry?” she asks.

  “I could eat,” I tell her, hoping she gets my innuendo.

  I watch as Juliette crawls out of bed and slips on my white dress shirt. The first thing she does is lift the collar up to her nose. She closes her eyes as she inhales slowly. Holy fucking shit. My body reacts instantly to the sight. I’m as hard as a fucking rock – again.

  I pull on a pair of shorts and follow her into the kitchen, where she’s bent over, looking through the refrigerator. The shirt rides up enough to grant me a glimpse of her bare ass. I contemplate picking her up and carrying her right back into our bed, but my stomach has other plans and another loud growl betrays me.

  “Hey, Chief. Look what I found.” She turns around holding a platter of fresh fruit. She lays it down on the counter beside the croissants and pastries. “Do you think this will hold you over until dinner?” she asks.

  “Oh, yeah.” Together we sit at the large table in our suite and fill our stomachs until we can’t eat another thing.

  She gets up to throw away her crumbs and she yells in shock. “Oh, my God!”

  In an instant I race to her side, only to find her looking at her reflection in a mirror on the wall. “Baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  “Okay?” she repeats. “No! How did you keep from laughing at this? I look ridiculous.” How do I respond to that?

  “I’m never going to get all these knots, tangles, and pins out of my hair.” She sighs. “I’m going to have to wash it out.” She twists around to face me, her warm arms wrapping enticingly around my waist. “Do you want to help me?”

  Yes! my body screams. “Lead the way, Mrs. McGuire.”

  “I love you,” she whispers in her sweet, soft voice.

  I bury my face in her neck, breathe in her intoxicating scent and murmur, “God, I love you too.”

  She smiles widely, her eyes happy, and I will do whatever it takes to keep that happiness there for the rest of her life. “Good. Can we get naked now?”

  “I thought you’d never ask, sweetheart.”

  It’s so good to be home. Juliette kicks off her heels and plops herself on the couch. “Baby,” she calls to me, “call Auggie and tell him we’re back so he can bring Maddy home.”

  “Just a minute. I want to put my trophy in my office,” I tell her. I still can’t believe I was given the honor of being selected as the Most Valuable Player in the Pro Bowl. What an amazing year it’s been.

  “No!” she shouts, stopping me dead in my tracks. “No one will ever see it in there. Put it on the mantel where it belongs.” She jumps to her feet and begins to make room for it among the candles and other knickknacks. My wife is proud of me. Is there any greater feeling in the world?

  I thought the greatest joys came on the football field. The best games were the ones hardest fought and nearly lost.

  Football requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. There are touchdowns and fumbles, rousing victories and crushing losses. It’s a rough game, and even the toughest will occasionally get hurt. Sometimes we get the breath knocked out of us.

  Life and love are a lot like football. I didn’t know that until just now.

  Characters

  Listed alphabetically by first name

  Adam Cooke– Evan’s best friend and NJ Sentinels’ Player Liaison

  Anthony Romeo Santos – N.J. Sentinels Cornerback

  Averee DeVeau –Evan’s former girlfriend and pop star

  Blaine Campbell – bartender at Rush

  Brianna – Anthony Santos’ fiancée

  Camilla Ramos-Chase – Marcus' wife

  Carlo Rivera – NJ Sentinels Wide Receiver

  Caroline Warren (Callie) – Evan’s sister and floral designer

  Clare Bogan – bartender at Rush

  Cole McGuire – Evan’s cousin and minor league baseball player

  David Jorgenson – Juliette’s college boyfriend

  Dean Warren – Callie’s husband and Evan’s brother-in-law

  Derek Lattimer – head bartender at Rush

  Emmalyn Akins (Emmy) – bartender at Rush

  Evan Thomas McGuire –NJ Sentinels Quarterback

  Genevieve Fletcher – Juliette’s mother

  James August Deegan (Auggie) – Real Estate Agent

  Jeremiah Fisher – pastry chef at Rush

  Jill McGuire – Evan’s Mother

  Jocelyn – Xander Parish’s girlfriend

  Joey Griffin – host of “Night After Night”

  John McGuire – Evan’s Father

  Juliette Evangeline Fletcher (Jette) – co-owner of Rush

  Kate O’Leary – JSRG, Kateful Dead

  Laci Keilani – Reporter, Celebrity News Network

  Louis Vinciguerra – Head Coach, N.J. Sentinels

  Lucas Luu – Actor, Auggie’s boyfriend

  Madeira (Maddy) – mixed breed boxer

  Maggie Martin – Joey Griffin’s wife

  Marcus Chase – general manager, Rush

  Natalie Grecco – pastry chef, Rush

  Nikki Knight – JSRG, Nikki Knightmare

  Philip Harper – member of Point Pleasant Police force

  Reese Simone Barrett – chef, Rush

  Regan Felicity Warren – Caroline and Dean’s daughter

  Ryker Donovan – former US Army soldier and new chef at Rush

  Shaun Marise – N.J. Sentinels Halfback

  Shea Keilani – Laci’s sister

  Thomas Guardino – police detective

  Troy Duffy – N.J. Sentinels Placekicker

  Walter Falkowski – counselor

  Willow Rivera – Carlo Rivera’s wife

  Xander Parish – N.J. Sentinels Running Back

  Playlist

  If there was a soundtrack to accompany this book, these are the songs that would be included:

  “You Shook Me All Night Long” – AC/DC

  “Love Runs Out” – OneRepublic

  “Iron Man” – Black Sabbath

  “Happy” – Pharrell Williams

  “I Run to You” – Lady Antebellum

  “Ironic” - Alanis Morissette

  “Christmases When You Were Mine” – Taylor Swift

  “If I Lose Myself” – OneRe
public

  “Talk Dirty to Me” – Jason Derulo

  “Timber” – Pitbull and Kesha

  “Unconditionally” – Katy Perry

  “Am I Wrong” – Nico & Vinz

  “Rude” – Magic!

  “Bartender” – Lady Antebellum

  “Turn Down for What” – Lil Jon & DJ Snake

  “Thunder Road” – Bruce Springsteen

  “You Are So Beautiful” – Joe Cocker

  “Mirrors” – Justin Timberlake

  Mixology

  “I drink to make other people more interesting.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

  Adios Motherfucker

  Ingredients:

  1/2 oz vodka

  1/2 oz rum

  1/2 oz tequila

  1/2 oz gin

  1/2 oz Blue Curacao liqueur

  2 oz sweet and sour mix

  2 oz 7-Up® soda

  Directions:

  Pour all ingredients except the 7-Up into a chilled glass filled with ice cubes.

  Top with 7-Up and stir gently.

  Three-Legged Monkey

  Ingredients:

  1.5 oz of Crown Royal® Canadian whisky

  1 .5 oz of amaretto almond liqueur

  splash of pineapple juice

  Directions:

  Pour Crown, Amaretto and pineapple juice in to a Shaker with ice.

  Shake until really cold.

  Pour into shot glass and serve.

  Between the Sheets

  Ingredients:

  1 oz brandy

  1/2 oz light rum

  1/2 oz triple sec

  sweet and sour mix

  Directions:

  Pour cognac, rum and triple sec into an ice-filled rocks glass.

  Fill with sweet and sour mix, and serve.

  Moscow Mule

  Ingredients:

  1 oz vodka

  1 tsp. simple syrup