“Price you pay…” Michelle said smugly.
“UGH!”
“Well,” Cole held his glass high, “I want to make a toast. First to my gorgeous, bride-to-be Grace. I want you to know that I pray every night that I’m not dreaming, and I’ll wake up with you in my arms each morning. I love you. You are and will continue to be the most incredible mother. I’m a very lucky man.” I smiled and so did Cole.
Did I mention I’m pregnant, not dead? I felt the heat spread slowly through my body and smiled wickedly. I was looking forward to some alone time later.
“It’s not often in your life that you find a person…” Cole continued, “Let alone two people, who you’ve come to care for and admire, as much as Grace and I do, the two of you.” He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temple. “Two people who have showed their best as you showed your worst and still stood beside you, no matter what the outcome was. You two,” he said looking directly between Michelle and Dean, “have been the most instrumental in making all this possible.” He circled his glass in the air encompassing the two of us. “I don’t have any words to express…” Cole looked directly into my eyes, “our love and gratitude. Thank you for everything you’ve done, and if I know Michelle, will continue to do.”
We all laughed, breaking the tension. “We just wanted to tell you we love the both of you very much. So, here’s to our Maid of Honor and Best Man…Cheers. We wish nothing but the best for you both.”
Did I just see Michelle swipe at a tear? So very not Michelle.
We all chimed cheers and held our glasses high, taking a sip of Champagne… or in my case cider.
“One more thing, you two.” Cole looked back at Michelle and Dean, “Grace and I want you both to stay on after the wedding, after we leave to go on our honeymoon. Enjoy the house and each other. The staff will make....”
“There’s that word again, Dean… staff…”
“As I was saying,” Cole interjected, then turned and looked directly at Michelle. “You won’t have to lift a finger, just relax.”
“Thanks buddy, I appreciate that. I have some days coming to me and could definitely use a little R&R.”
“Yeah…and he likes the idea of watching baseball on that ginormous screen and having the ‘staff’ tend to his every need.” Michelle looked at Dean, rubbing her hand over his arm and shoulder.
“I got a need the ‘staff’ can’t help me with.” He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth kissing it.
“Ugh. Really Dean…in front of the bride and groom?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I looked over at Cole and saw the man I met a lifetime ago standing in front of me, and remembered back on that crazy night in Luke’s. The most perfect man in the world, the one who knocked me out of my shoes…literally. I couldn’t believe my luck at finding him, my one true love, my soul mate. I was beside myself; giddy even…it also could be my hormones.
My heart swelled, it felt so good to see Michelle in a place she wanted to be, truly happy with a man who treated her like she should be treated. I love my time with Michelle, but the time we spend, the four of us, sitting around talking and laughing, it’s like the life I always wished I had—only now I do. I rubbed my belly.
Kyle will be attending the wedding in two days. Our wedding. This will be my first time meeting Cole’s Aunt Theresa. The sister of the woman who brought the man I couldn’t breathe without into my life. She loved him when he was a carefree boy; she stood by him when he lost all he ever had. And when he was lost to those who loved him, she gave him the strength he needed to find his way back home.
I would meet this woman, and I would be quaking.
At his aunt’s insistence, Cole took our son to stay with her, so that we could have this time with our friends. Although, I believe she had an ulterior motive, she wanted Kyle all to herself. Not that I blamed her, he was quite the charmer our son. She knew everything we’d gone through, all we’d endured these past months, and I was grateful for her thoughtfulness even if I missed him terribly, but I knew Kyle would love his time with his Aunt Theresa.
The thought of seeing…finally meeting her for the first time was overwhelming.
“Excuse me.” I stood quickly and took off towards the restroom.
“Only five and a half more months Gracie.” I heard Michelle call out as I ran.
Chapter 29
Cole had the caterers work through the whole day yesterday, and into the night, preparing and decorating the entire rear of the property, and wouldn’t allow me to peak. Something he wanted to do for me, a surprise he said. So I avoided looking out the back.
My mother and Franklin arrived via Cole’s jet last night and were situated into a master suite upstairs. I had to admit witnessing my mother’s startled look at seeing Cole’s house was almost comical. I overheard her say to Franklin, ‘it looks much bigger in person than it did on Google’, which, knowing my mother wasn’t a big surprise for me, but the shocked look on Franklin’s face at her remark…that was surprising. I had to stifle a laugh.
I was waiting for news that our VIP’s had arrived, but no word yet.
“Shelle,” I called out, “see if they are here yet.”
“They had just arrived when I went down to get us some water, I saw them.”
“Why didn’t you say something? Was he with them? How does she look? I can’t believe I’m so nervous.”
“Take a chill pill girl, you’re getting yourself into a tizz.”
“Very funny, I’m serious.”
I guess she saw the look on my face and took pity. I was nervous as hell.
“Yes, the handsome little guy is with them. He looks so cute dressed in his little jeans and sneakers.” Her eyes twinkled as she smiled, “He’s with Cole now. I have to say Cole is beside himself, he looks like a kid again…and yes they look like very nice people. Cole definitely takes after his mother’s side for sure. I would have introduced myself but they were having a family reunion of sorts and I didn’t want to interrupt.” She took a sip out of her water bottle and placed it on the table. “Let’s go. I’m sure she’s dying to meet you too.”
Cole’s aunt Theresa had arrived just a half hour ago, so I quickly got dressed to go downstairs to meet her. With all the chaos that dominated our lives for the last several months, there literally wasn’t any time before today for us to get together. And then with planning our ‘rushed’ wedding, suffice it to say, I looked very much forward to finally meeting her and her husband Jim.
Her daughters, Cole’s cousins, Jennifer and Ashley, arrived last night with their significant others. After our incredible supper, the ten of us went into the great room and stayed up late into the night talking and laughing. It wasn’t long after meeting them that I felt as though I’d known them all my life.
Jennifer, a beautiful woman with long dark hair and warm brown eyes and her husband Steve had flown in from San Francisco, where Steve owned a small IT company. He was a wiz at computer programming. They were expecting their first child in four months.
Ashley, who looked like she could easily be mistaken for Jennifer’s twin, except she was taller than her sister by a few inches, brought her fiancé Michael. They lived in San Diego, where they both met at college. Michael works for an aerodynamic corporation as a technician, and Ashley is an executive assistant at a large insurance company. Since both couples lived on the west coast, Cole sent his jet to gather the four of them.
We opened the door and didn’t see anyone, so we took the long staircase down and stepped into the kitchen. There they all stood, lined up, looking out the large glass sliders into the rear yard. I started to walk over to them when Cole spotted me and rushed to my side.
“Not yet,” he whispered as he brought my hand up to his mouth to kiss it.
“Oh, sorry I forgot. Is your aunt…” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence before I noticed a stunning woman with shoulder length black hair slightly peppered with gray at the temples walking towards me with Kyle
in her arms. He had a handful of her hair in his tiny hand and was smiling from ear to ear.
“Grace, this is my aunt Theresa and…” he looked behind her to the man who was walking quickly towards us, “and my uncle Jim.”
Cole reached out to take Kyle from her arms, who unfortunately, still had her hair in his hand. After gently removing his aunts’ hair from his tiny grasp, Cole moved out of the way, and I was finally afforded a good look at her. A lump formed in my throat when I saw she already had tears streaming down her face.
“Hello Grace, it’s nice. No, what am I saying, it’s wonderful to finally meet you.” I stepped forward to hug her but she beat me to the punch, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me as hard as I hugged her. I was now sobbing uncontrollably, as were Michelle, Jennifer, Ashley and my mother who had been standing to the side with Franklin.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally meet you.” I managed to croak.
She stepped back with her hands on my shoulders and studied me. “You’re even lovelier than your pictures.” She rubbed her warm fingers across my face pushing my tears to the side. “Cole is a very lucky man.”
“I’m the lucky one to have him…and his family.”
She stepped back and her husband, Cole’s uncle Jim, stepped closer.
“Hello Grace, it’s so nice to meet you. We are so happy for you both.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek.
“We wouldn’t be here today if not for the two of you. I am so happy you are here…all of you,” I said as I scanned the room. Everyone was a blur through my tears. Michelle walked up and handed me a wad of tissues.
I laughed nervously and the room joined in.
Kyle leaned towards me, trying to get to me. I smiled and reached to take him from Cole’s arms.
“How’s my little man?” I kissed him all over his face. He giggled, the sound music to my ears. I pulled him close and inhaled, loving the smell of him. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of it.
“If everyone is ready, lunch is served in the dining room.” Cole announced.
Aunt Theresa grabbed hold of my arm and we walked together towards the dining room where an enormous buffet had been set up. The big table had two extra leaves in it to accommodate the size of our family.
Our family. Wow, the thought of that just blew my mind. We all made our plates and sat down to eat, Cole pulled Kyle’s high chair between us.
“To family.” I held up my glass of water.
“To family!” everyone chimed in. Cole grabbed my hand on top of the table and squeezed it.
I looked over my shoulder at the wall of curtains that now covered the view to the back yard.
Tomorrow.
Chapter 30
“How do I look?” I said as I spun around.
“Oh…my Grace Elena, if your father could see you now.” My mother, Katherine Chancellor, sniffled as she held one hand over her chest, while the other held a ball of tissues. She dabbed lightly at her eyes, trying desperately not to smear her makeup.
Cole had arranged for our hair and makeup to be done by an exclusive salon in town. When they asked Cole what it was that we wanted, he told them ‘the best’!
That’s my man!
Jill and Sandy both were totally professional, amazing, talented and wonderful artists. They had my mother, Michelle and I all looking like we belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine when they were done.
My mother was dressed in a slim silver gown that clung to her voluptuous figure perfectly. Her blonde hair was pulled into a very elegant up-do. Her long diamond chandelier earrings caught the light whenever she moved her head, sparkling, almost as much as her dress. She was always beyond beautiful, but today she was absolutely stunning.
Michelle, like me, stayed in her bathrobe while having her hair and makeup done. Afterwards, she went into her room to get dressed. When she returned I nearly fell over. She is an incredibly gorgeous woman, but today… she was simply breathtaking. Her long dark hair was pulled into a twist in the back; soft tendrils framed her small heart shaped face. She wore an Iris De’Guis gown with long sheer sleeves and gold beading. The collar was high around the back of her neck and then peeled open in the front to a deep V. The body of the gown was form fitting with a large slit up the side showing a generous amount of leg. The light shade of gold complimented her dark hair and golden hazel eyes. The shoes she wore, which I picked out, matched her gown perfectly.
“You look amazing.”
“Thanks… it’s been a long time since we’ve played dress up.” She smiled. She picked up her purse and dropped the few make up essentials she would need inside.
“I know, Shelle. I’m so damned nervous, you would think I’d be used to the idea by now.”
“Why, you’ll look perfect as always so stop worrying.” She reached out and grabbed my hand squeezing it gently.
I was balancing on the edge of an emotional precipice and I knew it wouldn’t take much to topple me over. So it wasn’t surprising, that the simple act of my best friend squeezing my hand caused the water works to begin. I cry at the drop of a hat these days. In my defense, having everyone I loved here with me to witness me marrying the man of my dreams was a bit overwhelming.
Cut a girl a little slack here.
“Gracie… don’t, you’ll smear your face.” She warned as she grabbed a tissue out of the box and handed it to me. “And you know how I hate it when you smear your face…”
I laughed and blinked back tears.
Michelle looked at the clock on the table and turned to me, “Time to get dressed.”
I removed my robe and stood in the center of the dressing room and lifted my arms in the air. My mother kneeled on the chair and held up the make up shield so I wouldn’t stain my gown, as the two of them lowered it over my head. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in some time, the smoothness of silk sliding over my skin.
Once the dress cleared my head and my mother pulled back the shield, I looked at her trying to gauge her reaction.
“My Dear God, I have never seen a bride as lovely as you Grace…” she choked back tears, “You make me so proud…you look just beautiful.” She raised the ball of tissues to her face, but I still heard it.
“What, Mother?” I was taken back. I don’t think I’ve ever heard my mother speak about anything with such feeling.
She was full out crying now.
“Mother, don’t you’ll smear your face.” I was tearing up watching her cry, than Michelle started to tear up.
We’re going to need more tissues.
“Bigger than the moon…he would have said bigger than the moon.” She whispered hoarsely as she wiped at her eyes again and cleared her throat.
“That is precisely why I asked for waterproof mascara dear.” She was trying hard to get her voice back. She stepped back and her gaze slid slowly over me from head to foot. “Grace, you’ve put on a few pounds.” She said trying to change the subject, which was wise on her part. We were all emotional messes right now. She walked behind me and stood watching Michelle button up my back. “It looks good on you.” She cleared her throat again.
“I told her lay off the ice cream, Mom, but you know her. She’s a pig.” Michelle leaned over making sure I saw her then smirked.
It was hard for me to not tell my mother, but both Cole and I wanted to wait until after the ceremony to tell everyone at the same time…saves a lot of hurt feelings he said.
I chose an off white Vera gown that had long sheer sleeves ending in points over the center of my hands. The pearl and crystal beading scattered strategically over the dress caught the light with each movement, each breath. The neck dipped into a low heart shaped formfitting bodice. The front of the gown had a drop waist and the back, which was my favorite part, dipped to a low V over my backside ending three inches above my butt. The entire back was sheer mesh up to my shoulders and down the sleeves. The only stand out feature were the sixty-eight tiny silk covered buttons that ran from the top of my
neck all the way down to the V in my back.
“Gotta tell ya Grace, payback is a bitch. I’m insisting the designer put buttons from my ankle to my ear!” She actually growled at me.
When Michelle was finished she stepped back and looked at me from head to toe. I was waiting for her to say something, and when she didn’t, I raised my head to look into the mirror, finding her standing a few steps behind me staring at me. Her eyes were glassed over, and her mouth hung open. She was speechless. Nice.
“Shut your trap before a fly…” I was going for some humor here.
She just swatted the air and turned around to look for the tissue box my mother was hoarding.
I looked at myself and had to admit I didn’t recognize the woman I saw staring back at me. She was not a girl anymore; she had grown up. She was a woman, soon to be a wife, and she looked…regal.
My mother walked over to the window that overlooked the back of the house, the window I wasn’t allowed to look out of.
“Michelle, look, there’s Simon. You remember him don’t you, Franklin’s nephew, the one who had a little crush on you…he’s still single,” she sang.
She moved the shutter further out of the way. “The caterer did an extraordinarily lovely job with the decorations.”
“You did notice she didn’t say, ‘he’s so handsome’ right…?” Michelle said as she turned to look at my mother, who was still staring out the window. “Mom…” Katherine Chancellor was like a mother to Michelle. When Michelle was fifteen, her mother died of cancer and things were bad for her for a while, so she came to live with us at my mother’s insistence…the sister I never had. “I’m engaged.”
“But Michelle, Simon is very wealthy,” she replied, totally unfazed that Michelle just told her she was engaged.
“I don’t know what to do with her Grace, seriously?” I had to laugh. I was thankful for my mother’s untimely utterances…shifting the subject removed the tension that was steadily building.
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