A Home for my Heart (Matters of the Heart #3)

by Velvet Reed

  “Thanks, Mom,” I whisper into the silence of the room. “I miss you so much, but I know you’re with me now. I love you.”

  Folding the letter, I slide it back into the envelope that’s been its home for the past fifteen years. Knowing that there’s many more of these envelopes waiting for me doesn’t fill me with sadness, but a sense of excitement and eagerness to see what else she has to say. My unease today has been solely about my mom not being here with me, and now I know for certain she is and always will be.

  Getting to my feet I walk over to the safe in the bedroom where Cole and I have secured all our valuables. Entering the combination to unlock it, the door unlatches with a clink. I glance down at the envelope once more and kiss it gently before placing it inside where it will be safe until we get home.

  I head to the mirror and take a look at myself. Definitely going to need to touch up the makeup, but it’s a small price to pay for the happiness that I’ve just received. When I’ve re-powdered, applied another coat of lipstick and mascara, I make my way to the door where the others are waiting for me. Opening it, I beam a bright smile at the anxious ones looking back at me.

  “What are you all waiting for?” I exclaim. “I have a man waiting to spend the rest of his life with me.”

  The anxiety on every single face disappears instantly and they’re all smiling back at me.

  “We need to grab the bouquets,” April announces, and she scrambles into the room with Olivia and Allison behind her.

  “I thought your makeup would be ruined for sure, but you’re as gorgeous as ever,” Ashley says, pulling me into a hug. “Ruby and I just need to get her shoes,” she adds and takes Rubes’ hand, leaving my dad and I alone.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Dad asks.

  Pulling him into another hug, I whisper, “I’m more than okay. I have the greatest parents ever, who knew exactly what I needed to make this the best day of my life. I love you, Daddy, I always will.”

  “I love you too, Sweet Pea. Always will.”

  One by one, the girls file out of the room, indicating that it’s time. My dad holds out his arm for me and I slip mine through his. “You look so much like your mom, Gracie. You’re simply stunning.”

  Smiling wide I squeeze his arm tight as he leads me towards the chapel, towards the love of my life. Towards my future.

  In approximately five minutes, the love of my life will walk through the doors of the chapel and become Mrs. Grace Tierney. I’m not nervous by any means; the fact that the rhythm of my heart has accelerated rapidly as the minutes tick closer is only because I’m so ecstatic that this moment has actually arrived.

  From my position at the altar I look to the people waiting with me. It’s kind of funny that only three sets of eyes peer back at me. My mom and dad are sitting on one side of the chapel and Allison is sitting on the other. But all joking aside, Gracie and I are thrilled that we are surrounded by only the people we love and care for the most. It makes this momentous celebration more intimate.

  As silly as it may seem, it was tremendously hard not being with Gracie last night. I understand my mom’s desire to keep as many traditional aspects of our wedding as possible; especially considering she originally envisaged a huge ceremony with an inconceivable amount of guests. However, the thought of being away from her for even one night is completely repugnant to me. I can honestly say that I got very little sleep last night. A small tradeoff for my mom’s happiness, though.

  The anticipation of seeing Gracie in her wedding dress is killing me. All she said was that it was perfect and she felt beautiful in it. She’d be beautiful in a burlap sack, so that really didn’t help. When I asked my mom what she thought about the dress, she said that Gracie was ravishing and if I was truly a Tierney man, then she wouldn’t be surprised if we were welcoming another little member to the family in nine months’ time. Of course, a comment like that and the implications it made, sent my imagination into overdrive.

  The minister we met on our first day here steps up beside me. He’s about my parent’s age and is extremely down to earth. “You ready for this, young man?” he asks.

  “I’ve never been this ready for anything in my life,” I declare, and he nods, smiling.

  Looking beyond the open doors I notice a small crowd gathering near the gardens. All heads are turned to the right and I know my girl is on her way. Gracie and I decided that she would pick the song she would walk down the aisle to and I would pick the song we would have our first dance to. So when an attendant at the back of the chapel moves to the corner and music starts to play, I pay attention, and within seconds I recognize ‘At Last’ by Etta James. Great choice, Sweet Cheeks!

  After the photographer and videographers are in place, Ruby’s the first one in view and she looks absolutely adorable in her little lacy dress. When she sees me, her whole face brightens, and she runs down the aisle, making everyone laugh, including the minister. Smiling, she jumps into my arms, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before wriggling away to stand on Gracie’s side of the alter.

  Nate comes in next, making his way forward, taking his involvement seriously, followed by Charlie and April.

  As Sam and Ashley glide down the aisle, my eyes prick and I can feel tears forming. My son, my pride and joy, is wide awake in his little suit sucking on the fist he has shoved in his mouth while perched on Sam’s side. Sam brings him to me so I can kiss his cheeky little face before handing him to my parents for the rest of the ceremony.

  With my eyes trained on the entrance once more, I see her.

  My heart stops beating altogether and lodges in my throat. It takes a huge effort to swallow as the enormity of this moment sinks in. I’ve never seen anything as gloriously resplendent in my life. The way she looks in that dress with her fiery auburn hair pinned up with an intricate clasp is breathtaking.

  Clutching Bryan’s arm, she floats towards me, her face alight with sublime happiness. Her eyes are sparkling and her mouth’s curved into a bright incandescent smile. I must make a move to go to her because Sam chuckles and grabs my shoulder, pulling me back. I can’t help myself. This amazing woman is about to become my wife.

  The timing is perfect as they come to stop beside me when Etta hits the final ‘at last’. The ache in my cheeks signifies that my smile is the mirror image of hers, the happiness we’re both exuding is almost tangible.

  When the minister asks who gives this woman to this man, I cast my first glance at Bryan and see his eyes are filled with tears. Taking a fortifying breath and with a single tear rolling slowly down his cheek, he says, “Her mother and I do.”

  Gracie sucks in a sharp breath before turning to him and squeezing him tight. He wipes the tear away, and she leans over to kiss his cheek. “I love you, Daddy,” she whispers, and Bryan closes his eyes as he stifles a sob.

  As Bryan takes his seat beside Allison, the minister continues with the rest of the ceremony, most of which is a blur because all I can focus on is Gracie. When the minister instructs us, we say our ‘I do’s’. Holding Gracie’s hands in mine I look deeply into her eyes as I declare my vows.

  “I, Cole Jonathon Tierney, take you, Grace Margret Rivers, to be my wife, my partner, my constant friend and my one true love from this day forward. I give you my solemn vow to be faithful to you and only you. I promise to laugh with you through the good times and hold you close through the bad. To honor and respect you as the unique woman you are. To support you unconditionally in sickness and in health, and to love and cherish you without reservation for as long as we both shall live.”

  With her lips quivering and eyes full of tears, I take the ring and slide it on her finger, then bring it to my lips and kiss it reverently. Taking a breath, Gracie squeezes my hands and takes her turn.

  “I, Grace Margret Rivers, take you, Cole Jonathon Tierney, to be my husband, my partner, my constant friend and my one true love from this day forward. I give you my solemn vow that I will love you faithfully through the best and the
worst, through the hard and the easy, whatever may come our way. I promise to stay by your side, always encouraging and supporting your dreams. I will cherish our yesterdays and all our tomorrows, knowing that with you I am complete. I give you my hand, my heart and my unconditional love for as long as we both shall live.”

  Repeating my earlier action, Gracie takes the ring, slides it on my finger and presses her sweet lips to it, lingering for a few seconds.

  When the minister says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” our small gathering makes so much noise you would think the chapel was full. However, with a more important task at hand I block them all out and take my wife into my arms. I worship her lips, pouring all my love and devotion into this one kiss. Our first kiss as husband and wife. Lost in the moment, our tongues move together in a slow united dance. Moving my hands, I brace one at her shoulders and the other on her lower back, and then dip her backwards, never breaking the kiss.

  Minutes go by before we finally part only to stare into each other’s eyes. “I’ll love you forever, Grace Tierney,” I declare, earning a dazzling smile and another quick kiss.

  “I’ll love you even longer, husband,” she implores, and my heart expands at her words.

  Our bubble gets burst as everyone crowds in around us, expressing their joy and giving their love. These are our people… Our family. None of us are perfect, but we fit perfectly together and it’s because of that we are truly blessed.

  Even as I talk and hug the others, my eyes never stray from my wife. Grace Margret Tierney is the reason for my existence and I love her in a way that no one has ever loved another before. She’s everything.

  For an hour we made our way through the gardens and around the manmade pond surrounding the chapel. Then we moved to a patch of grass that met the sand on the beach and had intimate photos taken as the sun set behind us. The considerable number of pictures we’ve all posed for in no way diminished the smiles on all our faces. We got congratulated and wished well by the crowd that had gathered before the ceremony, and Gracie was constantly complimented on what a beautiful bride she was.

  Our private little reception’s taking place in a white marquee that looks out to the ocean. The moon casts light across the surface and the waves crash against the shore, creating a picturesque back drop. A DJ is set up in one corner playing soft dinner music, and a portable dance floor is centered near the open end of the marquee.

  There’s only the one long table for us all to sit at, and it is made up beautifully with fine china, crystal drink ware and tall glass candelabras. Mom and Gracie have ensured that while our wedding is small, it’s still as grand as what a big one at home would have been. Our meals were exceptional and the cake a work of art. Gracie loved the edible yellow roses that embellished the top of the white fondant icing.

  Since we’d had speeches made at both our engagement party and hens and bucks night, we decided to forgo doing any formal ones at the wedding reception. It was wonderful, though, when Sam made a small toast which then set off a domino effect and we went around the table all saying a few simple words. It was after this that we cut the cake and played out the usual ritual of feeding it to each other.

  My moment of truth came when it was time for our first dance as husband and wife. Gracie’s choice of song as she walked down the aisle was perfect. I told her as much while we were having the photos taken and when she told me why she chose it, the vision of Bryan so choked up in that moment was made clear. She said that it expressed exactly how she felt about me and our love, but that ‘At Last’ had also been a song that Bryan and Maggie had at their own wedding. Gracie wanted to include her mom in the ceremony and that was her way of doing it. She didn’t mention it to Bryan, though, hence the reason he was so emotional.

  Holding out my hand, the one with the ring that symbolizes our union as husband and wife, I make my request. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Tierney?”

  She places her soft, delicate hand in mine and allows me to lead her to the dance floor. “I chose this song for you, Sweet Cheeks,” I tell her and take her in my arms. When the first strains of music begin, I kiss the tip of her nose and we start to dance. ‘Never Stop’ by SafetySuit expresses what I feel for this amazing woman and how I’ll never stop feeling that way.

  I hold her close, constantly maintaining eye contact as I softly sing the words to her, and through her tears, I can see the love and devotion she holds for me. Our hands move from the classic waltz pose, hers wrapping around my neck and mine around her waist. Now there isn’t any space between us at all. Oblivious to the world around us, we stay that way swaying to the music and savoring the moment. “I love you,” I whisper when the song ends.

  “I love you more,” she replies and kisses me.

  Bryan makes his way to us, and it’s time for the father/daughter dance. “I think it’s time to dance with your old man now, Sweet Pea,” he says to Gracie and I take that as my cue to leave the dance floor. I take my seat back at the table where everyone is watching Gracie smiling up at Bryan with adoration.

  I’ve never heard the song that they dance to before but it seems to be a country one. I know that Gracie asked Bryan to choose the song they should dance to and as I listen to the lyrics it’s more like he’s talking to me. Telling me that he loved her first; that she’ll always have a place in his heart; that he knew she’d find me but it still hurts to give her away. They’re smiling and laughing while they dance, but Bryan also reaches up several times to wipe tears from her face. The love they have for each other is what I hope I can give to my children.

  Even though my focus is on Gracie and Bryan, it doesn’t go unnoticed that all the other girls sitting at the table are shedding a few tears as well. When the song ends they hug for several minutes and I can see Gracie nodding her head against his shoulder to something he’s obviously saying to her. Holding her hand and leading her off the dance floor, he places a final kiss on her cheek and they both take their seats.

  “You okay, baby?” I ask when she’s beside me again.

  “I’m perfect,” she answers. “Everything’s perfect.” And by her body language, the utter contentment she exudes, I don’t doubt that she means it.

  Mom’s up out of her chair, practically bouncing with excitement. No one knows, not even Gracie, but my mom wanted to do something different for our mother/son dance and when she told me what she wanted, I couldn’t say no. For the last eight weeks for an hour every Sunday afternoon my mom and I have been having dance lessons, well it was more like learning a dance routine. Wanting something a little more upbeat, while still meaningful, she picked a cover of a classic rock song normally sung about a girl, but with the lyrics changed to accommodate a boy. It’s brilliant and I’m so happy we’re doing it.

  “I’m ready,” she tells me, her voice going octaves higher than normal in her eagerness, causing everyone to laugh in amusement.

  “All right, let’s do this.” I take her out on the dance floor and move into the position we’ve rehearsed so many times.

  When Sheryl Crow’s version of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ starts, we take off across the dance floor. Spinning her in and out, we use steps from a variety of dances and use the entire floor. Sharing this with my mom and seeing how happy it’s making her, how much she’s enjoying it, is worth every minute of the lessons. We go through the routine effortlessly, while our family claps along with the beat. Spinning her out one last time, she comes back to me and the music ends. Throwing her arms around me, she giggles and hugs me. “Thank you, my handsome boy.”

  “Thank you, Mom. For everything.”

  The others are all delighted and shocked about our dance, but it’s soon forgotten as they take to the dance floor and we celebrate into the night. Dance partners change constantly and I dance with all the girls.

  As midnight nears, we do the obligatory garter and bouquet toss. We all laughed at April’s scowl when she caught the bouquet, though I really don’t understand her
desire to never get married. With only Charlie and Sam in contention for the garter, their competitive sides came out and after a small tussle, Sam ended up walking away with the frilly piece of elastic.

  We kiss our sleeping baby boy and bid everyone goodnight. Mom and Dad are taking Cooper for the rest of the night and all of tomorrow so we newlyweds can be alone together. With our hands wrapped around each other’s waist, we leave the marquee and head back to our suite, slowly strolling between palm trees that sway in the slight breeze. “So was it everything you wanted, Sweet Cheeks?”

  She rests her head on my shoulder and her free hand on my chest. “Everything and more,” she replies softly. “It was exactly what a wedding should be. Intimate and shared with the people you love.”

  We continue walking in comfortable silence, both lost in our own thoughts. When we get in the elevator, we’re congratulated by the people occupying it and then we’re at our floor. I take the keycard for the room out of my pants pocket and hand it to Gracie. Bending, I scoop her up into my arms, carrying her in the classic bridal pose as we walk to our door.

  Before Gracie can slide the card in, I kiss her fervently. Giving her a taste of what’s to come. I was starting to feel tired before we left the marquee, but with Gracie in my arms and our kiss increasing in intensity, my whole body wakes up and starts thrumming with need, anticipation and desire. “I know I’ve already told you so many times today, but you take my breath away, Gracie. You’re radiant and I absolutely love this dress…”

  “But?” she questions, her eyes narrowing playfully.

  “But all I want to do right now is slowly peel you out of it and make love to you for the first time as my wife.”