“Excuse me, Ms. Falcone, the doctor will see you now,” the nurse interrupted.
I stowed my phone and followed the nurse down the hall. Five minutes later, Dr. Avery walked in with the toothiest smile I had ever seen. Does he bleach his teeth? Boy, they are shiny, I thought to myself as he leaned in to shake my good hand.
“This healed nicely. All of the swelling is gone, and now you can see exactly where your break is on the new scan we took. It’s nice and clean. I see no fragments. If you are going to break a bone, this is what we like to see. Now, the big question. What color cast do you want?”
I smiled as an idea popped into my head.
I asked, “Would it be too odd to ask for a sparkle cast?”
“A sparkle cast? I usually do solid colors.”
“I figured. Here’s the thing: I’m getting married, and the cast is not the fashion accessory I had in mind to go with my dress.”
“I see, no wonder why I struck out.”
“Believe me, doc, you struck out way before I told you I was engaged.”
“Ouch, that one hurt. Okay, let me see if I have any glitter laying around here.”
“Thank you,” I said as he made his exit from the room.
I took the time to call Carter. His voice was still raspy from his sleep, but I was thankful he was getting the rest he needed.
“Hey, baby, where are you?” he asked.
I could hear the rustling of the sheets. I was imagining him in his naked glory doing a full body stretch.
I told him, “I’m at Cedars getting my cast.”
“Oh hell, I’m sorry, love. Why didn’t you wake me? You know I would have gone with you.”
“And risk waking the beast? No way, baby. I did that last night and…”
“I took my beauty and more,” he laughed.
“Yes, you did. I’m still sore.”
“That’s the way I like it. Tell me you didn’t drive?”
“I took an Uber, but you can pick me up if you like.”
“I like, and I will be there soon. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said.
“Thea?” he asked before he hung up.
“Yes, what’s up?”
“Tell the flirty doctor to keep his hands to himself.”
I covered my mouth from laughing. Oh my goodness! My Carter was back in good spirits.
I responded, “He’s been nothing but professional. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Yeah, sure. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Guys throw themselves at you all the time.”
“No, they don’t. You are crazy.”
“Yeah, you better believe it. I am crazy. So crazy in love with you. Just because I didn’t say anything the other night does not mean I didn’t see how he looked at you when we left. We had other issues to deal with first. So this is me wide awake now, and I will be there shortly.”
“I love you, Carter Newbanks. I love you.”
I never thought it was possible to be this happy, but I am.
“You are in luck,” Dr. Avery said as he came back into the room. “We found glitter over in the pediatric wing. Is silver okay?”
“It’s perfect. Cast away.”
Thirty minutes later, a short arm cast was applied, and it was very sparkly. It was heavy, but the nurse said I would get used to it. Hopefully I would not be wearing it too long. I would be the model patient and do everything possible to heal my hand and get this thing off.
I was saying goodbye when Carter swaggered in. Damn, he was hot. All dressed in black, wearing his leather jacket topped off with cologne that already had me wet and horny as hell. Sexy fucker!
“Baby, all done here?” he asked as he took my mouth with no apologies or care for the peering eyes.
Don’t moan. Don’t moan, I kept telling myself.
“I am,” I said as I pulled back to answer him. “Honey, say hello to Dr. Avery. I’m all fixed up, thanks to him.”
I tried to lighten the mood a bit, but Carter wasn’t taking the bait. He winked and turned to say hello.
“Carter Newbanks,” he said as he extended his hand to Dr. Avery. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for tending to my beautiful Thea, or as I like to call her, my future wife.”
“No worries, I was happy to do it. Okay, Thea, I will see you back in four weeks for another scan.” Poor man! He looked nauseous.
“Thank you, Dr. Avery, and I appreciate the sparkle.”
He told us, “Have a great wedding. Congratulations to you both.”
Oh my man was going to say more, but I pinched his side to stop him. We walked out to the parking garage, and I was delighted to see he brought his motorcycle to pick me up.
I said, “You really are in a good mood to take the bike out.”
“I am, and I want to take you somewhere. Indulge me for a little while?”
“Anything for you.”
“I was hoping you would say that. Hop on, baby.”
We drove away from the city and headed toward the beach. I loved being on the back of Carter’s bike. It was exhilarating as our bodies swayed taking the turns. I was pressed hard against his leather covered back, and just his scent alone made me high. High on Carter, and everything he did to me. My legs were buzzing by the time we reached our destination. The familiar house came into view, and I realized we were at Carter’s beach house in Malibu. I took off my helmet and stared at the beautiful three-story home.
The view from the master bedroom was breathtaking. I remember one morning we were drinking coffee and I shrieked in excitement over seeing dolphins. It was not a sight I was used to seeing back home in New York, but living in California, it was a regular thing.
“Are you surprised?” he asked as he nibbled on my neck.
“I actually am. Kind of stunned, if you want the truth. What are we doing here?”
“Come inside, and I will show you,” Carter said as he took my hand and led me into his home.
All the sheets were off the furniture. The windows were so clean, they were sparkling. The floors looked as if they were recently waxed, and fresh flowers were all around the open floor plan room.
He announced, “I’m not selling the house.”
“You’re not? What changed your mind?”
“Seriously? As if the magic you weave doesn’t have an effect on me. You were right, baby, about all of it. The times my mother was able to spend here were great and everlasting. I will always cherish them. I made a home here for myself, and for a short time, I was able to share it with my mother. And now if you haven’t changed your mind, I would love to share it with you.”
Can I love him any more than I do at this moment? Probably, because Carter will always do one amazing thing after another for me. He’s been this way since we got together and I really don’t see him changing. He once told me that he thrives off my happiness. Well, I am definitely happy.
“Carter, I love you. Yes to all of it.”
“That’s beautiful, baby, thank you. Did you call Rosalyn yet?”
“I did, and I am waiting for a return call,” I told him.
“I’m sure she will call you soon. What about your mom? What are the odds of getting her to fly out here?”
“Probably slim to none, but I am her only daughter.”
“What if I send a private plane for her?”
“Generous, but not necessary. Let’s get her to agree first, and then we can butter her up with private planes.”
It had been a couple of days since our trip back to the beach house. Carter returned to work and took his rightful place behind the news desk, and we had a new president-elect. Wow, we didn’t see that happening, but it did, and it sure made for good ratings. Stan was dancing around in a euphoric haze. We closed out the last two weeks at number one. He loved when that happened.
However you define it, life was beginning to look normal again. It was a good one for us, and I thanked God for bringing me Carter. Mama would
say my life was blessed, and I would have to say she was right. Speaking of mama, her beautiful face is now on my iPhone screen, calling me on FaceTime?
The screen came to life, and there she was.
“Oh my goodness! Mama, how are you talking to me, and on FaceTime?”
“I have been a busy woman these days. Mrs. Santos’ granddaughter has been teaching me all about electronics and Snapchat. Check your inbox.”
“Okay, rewind. Where is the real Frannie Falcone? Because my mom protested against having an answering machine, and now you are on Snapchat?”
“It’s so fun, Thea. I’m having a great time with it.”
“That’s great, mama, but tell me about you. How is the therapy going? And what is your doctor saying about your diabetes?”
“Okay, slow down daughter. My rehabilitation is done and over with, and I couldn’t be happier about that. My numbers are steady, and I am taking my medicine daily. I have lost fourteen pounds and a whole pant size. My doctors are very happy.”
I said, “Okay, are you ready for some more happy? Because I have a doozy for you.”
“I’m ready.”
“Carter and I are getting married.”
“Yes, I know this.”
“Yes, you do. What you don’t know is that we have moved up the date. We want to get married as soon as possible, and we were thinking the week of Christmas.”
“As in four weeks from now? Oh honey, that’s impossible. We can’t plan a wedding in that short length of time.”
“Yes we can, mama, and I will with the help of my event planner. With or without her help, Carter and I know what we want and when we want it.”
She said, “And you want it out in California? And that means I have to get on a plane.”
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
She sighed a few times, and I gave her a minute to process my news.
She said, “Just tell me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Are you pregnant?”
“No, not yet, but if Carter has anything to say about it, I will be very soon. Mama, please be happy for us. It’s what we want.”
“I am happy for you. You know how much I love Carter, and the prospect of becoming a grandmother makes me so happy and excited all at the same time. You only get married once, and I just want to make sure you have thought this through. I’m guessing no church?”
“No, I’m sorry. We are going to get married at Carter’s house on the beach. He has a huge space and plenty of room for a small party. We want our night to be as intimate as possible, kind of a ‘less is more’ type wedding. Please be okay with this.”
“Oh, Thea, how I wish your father had lived to share this moment with me. You’re his baby girl finally marrying her prince.”
Just the mention of my father brought tears to my eyes.
She said, “No crying, or I’ll start too.”
“Happy tears, mama, I promise you. So are you really okay with this?”
“I am, honey, and no matter how big or small your special day will be, as long as I am there to share it with you, it’s everything. I only wish Carter’s mother could be there too.”
“Thank you, Frannie. That means a lot to me,” Carter said as he popped out from behind me.
I didn’t hear him come in and wasn’t sure how he would react hearing his mother’s name mentioned, but he was perfect.
He said, “You look so good, Frannie. How are you, love?”
“I am wonderful, Carter. Thank you for asking. How are you doing?”
“Better, much better. How can I not be anything less than wonderful when I am marrying this vision you see before you?”
“I couldn’t agree more. Okay, you two, let me run. I have a lot to do and not a lot of time to accomplish everything I want.”
Carter said, “One more thing before you go. It would mean so much to me if I could charter a plane for you. It would be a huge weight off our shoulders knowing you would be getting lots of TLC during your flight. I know you are not fond of it, so knowing you were being pampered would make me very happy.”
“Okay, Carter. I accept.”
“You do? Thank you, Frannie.”
“Thank you! I love you both, and I will speak with you soon.”
I said, “Bye, mama,” and hung up. I said to Carter, “Wow! Is there anything you can’t do? You just sweet-talked my mother into flying across country.”
“You give me too much credit. Do you honestly believe she would miss her daughter’s wedding? She loves you too much.”
“I guess you’re right, but I’m not the only one. You’re her son now, and she will always make you feel welcomed into our family.”
“I know. She’s so easy to talk to. We are very lucky.”
“Yes, we are. Are you ready to go home?” I asked.
“I am. How about you?”
“Can you give me ten minutes? I just want to finish up one more thing, and then I am all yours.”
“Forever, right?” he asked.
“Always.”
He blew me a kiss and then left me on my own to work. I took a little more than ten minutes, more like twenty, but I was all caught up, and it was Friday. I could go into the weekend and relax with my man.
Sally called out, “Hey, boss, you have a Rosalyn Davenport Baker on your private line. Do you want to take it? Or shall I take a message?”
“Oh my goodness, Sally, I will take it! I have been waiting for her call. Do me a favor and tell Carter who I’m on the phone with.”
“You got it.”
“Rosalyn! I have been waiting with bated breath for you to return my call. Where have you been?” I asked excitedly.
“Sorry honey, I was kidnapped by a sexy man who took me to Las Vegas. He then forced me to marry him and consummate our marriage all throughout the night with driving home the most amazing orgasms I have ever received. I guess that’s why Donovan Tate is the sexiest detour I ever took, and now he’s my husband.”
“Oh my God! You are too much. So, I guess the event planner to all of California got a party of her own? And how jealous I am that I didn’t get to be invited.”
“Don’t get too offended, no one did,” she responded.
“I’m not following. Are you telling me you just eloped? I’m surprised you didn’t want to celebrate with a party to end all parties.”
“That’s just it, when it came to something for myself, I realized I only wanted the most intimate of ceremonies. I do this for a living and as much as its fun, it’s also exhausting. I really didn’t want to take all that time planning a huge event when I could marry Donovan in a snap and then celebrate by just being together. It was really fabulous. I’ve been back for a couple of days now, and it has taken me this long to go through my messages.”
I told her, “You are popular, so I’m sure you had hundreds.”
“Nope, try over a thousand. Lucky for me, I have a fabulous team that helped me go through the very important ones first, which includes you. So talk to me.”
“I’m honored to have made the list. Okay, here it goes. I’m getting married too.”
“Yes, I know. I planned an awesome night for you two.”
“Well, now I need you to plan one more awesome night for us, like in a few weeks from now.”
“Seriously? I know I’m awesome and everything, but this is the craziest time of year for weddings. Everyone wants to be husband and wife by the New Year.”
“Well, for me it’s more like before Christmas Day. A lot has happened in our lives since we got engaged, and it’s made Carter want to fast forward to the happily ever part. He only wants to marry me and does not care for anything else. We agreed to marry on the Friday before Christmas. It would give my mom enough time to fly out and help me before the wedding. We loved the idea of Friday night because we could roll right into the holiday, then leave for our honeymoon on that Monday, and be away through New Year’s.”
“Okay, if I agree to
do this, there would have to be some concessions made that are non-negotiable, okay?”
“Of course, what are they?” I asked.
“As you know, I have a fabulous team in place. Each person I employ is an extension of me. They are the best in the business and will carry out every last detail to make your day special. Usually I am there every step of the way, but unfortunately for your day, I will not be available. I have promised my new husband that I will take some much-needed time off and enjoy the entire month of December celebrating us. I know it sounds crazy, but we met last New Year’s Eve, and now a one year later, we will be ringing in the New Year as husband and wife. Believe me, no one is more surprised than I.”
Oh my goodness, my eyes were stinging from the joyful tears that were falling. I was so taken aback from listening to Rosalyn’s story, she had to call out a few times to make sure I was still on the line with her.
“Yes, I’m here,” I responded.
“Are you okay? I hope I didn’t upset you.”
“Are you kidding me? I am on top of the world right now. Rosalyn, that’s exactly what I want with Carter. I just want it to be us, my mom, and a few close friends. I have waited forever to find him and to feel this way. I guess listening to your beautiful story just makes me appreciate what I have with my man and how I cannot wait to marry him.”
“You do remember me saying I was kidnapped, right?” she said.
“I do, and it sounds fabulous.”
“It was, Thea. It was. You’ve heard of Walker Reed?”
“Who hasn’t?”
“Well, he’s a very good client and my husband’s boss. He and his wife, Reese, were the driving force behind us getting together.”
“Is that why you call him your sexy detour?”
“Yes, it’s because our conspiring friends set up a chance weekend for us, and what a weekend it was. But…”
“But?”
“Yes, but…I got cold feet and left him sleeping all beautifully naked in bed, but not before leaving something special behind for him to find. It was my way of a test. He said all the right things when we were together, but I didn’t trust he would want me past our night together.”
“So you just upped and left?” I asked.
“I did, and I thank god for Donovan showing up at my office and calling me out on my bullshit. He interrupted my work day and did not care who heard him. He pointed his finger at me as if he was casting a spell and said I wasn’t getting rid of him so easily.”
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