Going to the Chapel

by Deborah Cooke

  Would they have a boy or a girl? Either way, Reid was sure the child would have Cassie’s confidence. He’d make sure of it.

  “It’s an amazing place,” Brendan said. “You’re in the city but above it all.”

  “Perfect combination,” Troy agreed. “Trust Reid to find a gem like this.”

  “I notice that there’s no guest room,” Chris said, pointedly looking around the apartment.

  “All part of a diabolical plan to have Cassie to myself,” Reid replied and they laughed together again.

  The door was open to the balcony to let in the cooler air and Reid could smell the city that he hadn’t been sure he’d like. He loved Manhattan, though, and not just because he was with Cassie. The city, its neighborhoods, and its history all fascinated him. He felt as if he could never explore all of it, and that intrigued him. He’d thought that he needed to know all the variables and all the players, but surprise was unexpectedly addictive.

  Music drifted from the little park far below on the opposite corner from F5, the one that always had a line of street vendors with interesting food. There was a splash pool in the middle of the park, which ensured that there were toddlers, strollers, nannies, and dogs in the daytime, and teenagers and lovers at night.

  The apartment itself was filled with candlelight and laughter. Instead of having a stag, he and Cassie had taken the out-of-town guests out for dinner together on this, the night before his wedding. Reid watched the lively conversation, thinking they could have known each other all their lives. In the middle of it all was Cassie, gorgeous in a deep blue dress, laughing and talking, flicking hot glances his way at intervals. He watched her rock the baby, enjoying her pleasure in the company, taut with the expectation of their exchange of vows.

  Cassie’s dad was on the balcony, looking down at the city.

  “I’m so glad I didn’t have to find a parking spot here,” Nick said to him and the older man smiled.

  “And you’re not driving an RV.”

  “You didn’t seriously think of driving it here?”

  Her dad shrugged and smiled at his wife. “Manhattan is not colored in on the map, as Marianne did remind me.”

  “It would cost you a fortune to park that thing here.”

  “And take years off my life with the stress.” Cassie’s dad shook his head. “We’ll fly in to visit.” He nodded at Reid. “Although you two will probably visit Montrose River once in a while.”

  Reid nodded. “I’ll have to keep tabs on a few things there,” he agreed, not mentioning details. He was planning a quick trip there in the following week before their belated honeymoon in Paris. They were staying to attend Haley and Damon’s wedding, a week after their own, then flying to France on Sunday.

  “I like her,” Shayla said as she sat down beside him. His friend Troy’s wife was always outspoken, and one of the most giving people Reid knew. She toasted him with her drink. “She’ll keep you in line.”

  Reid bit back a smile. “I didn’t know I was out of line.”

  “Can’t be too careful with men like you.” Shayla gave him a survey and an arch look.

  “Men like me,” Reid echoed, knowing he was being teased, and sipped his drink. “What kind of man would I be?”

  “One who needs a woman, a woman like Cassie, who knows just what to expect from you and is ready for it.” Shayla’s eyes were sparkling as she razzed him.

  “I’d like to think she was glad of the way I am.”

  “Exactly. She knows just what she’s getting into and can’t wait. And I like that.” Shayla saluted Cassie with her drink and Cassie noticed. “I like her.”

  “Spreading rumors about me?” Cassie asked lightly when she came to Reid’s side. Ally had taken Emily again and Tori was hovering close beside her. They could have been Emily’s admiration society. Reid caught Cassie’s hand in his, wondering how he was going to survive a single night without her.

  “Never,” he said, giving her fingers a squeeze. “Shayla was just saying how she admired that you knew all about me and loved me anyway.” He deliberately used Cassie’s own words and she flushed a little, her eyes twinkling.

  “Well, that’s part of the appeal, isn’t it?” she asked. “Knowing someone’s deepest darkest secrets?”

  “Don’t imagine that you know them all,” Shayla advised. “This one is the most secretive man I’ve ever known.”

  Cassie’s smile broadened, proof that she was undaunted. “Good thing I’ve got a lifetime to unravel them all,” she said, and bent to touch her lips to his.

  Reid closed his eyes and enjoyed, not caring who was watching. It was going to be a long cold night.

  “Lovebirds,” Shayla chided, amusement in her voice. Reid was vaguely aware of her leaving his side.

  Mostly he was lost in Cassie’s kiss.

  “I’ve got to go soon,” she whispered when she lifted her mouth from his. “Ally’s tired and Jonathan’s worried, so Mom is worried, too.”

  “Is she...?” Reid mouthed. Cassie’s sister and husband had been trying to get pregnant for years.

  Cassie shrugged and bit her lip. “No one’s telling but I have to wonder.”

  “Fingers crossed.”

  She smiled and kissed him again. “Exactly. But we’ll all go back to the hotel together in a few minutes.” She looked into his eyes. “See you tomorrow?”

  “That can’t really be a question, is it?”

  She laughed and gripped his hand more tightly. “No. But I wish I could stay with you tonight.” She sobered and frowned. “I feel more centered when I’m with you.” She met his gaze as if the truth surprised her a little.

  It surprised Reid a little, too, but it was good. “I was just thinking the same thing,” he admitted. “That it’s going to be odd to be without you tonight.” Their gazes clung for one of those sizzling moments that seemed to be becoming more frequent instead of less. How had he ever imagined that attraction faded over time? With Cassie, it got hotter every day. He stood up and caught her against his side, kissing her temple and whispering into her hair. “Maybe it’s a tradition so we appreciate what we’ve found.”

  “I like that,” Cassie said, running her hand over his chest.

  Reid smiled down at her. “I will definitely see you tomorrow.”

  “Cassie, it’s eleven o’clock already,” her mom said, Marianne’s words carrying over the small and celebratory group. “You don’t want to have circles under your eyes on your big day, do you?”

  Cassie smiled at Reid and he kissed her again, making it last. Troy gave a wolf whistle and the others laughed, but Reid ignored them.

  “Sleep well,” he murmured to Cassie and she nodded.

  “You, too.” She touched her fingertip to his lips and her eyes shone. “Tomorrow, we step on the path to forever.”

  “I thought we were already on it.”

  “But it’ll be official, then.”

  “Sounds good to me. All this and Paris, too.” He was rewarded by her brilliant smile, then she got her jacket and her overnight bag. Her dress was already at the hotel, and the Montrose River contingent—as they’d taken to calling themselves—had already checked in there. Reid called down to Mr. Bernard, the new doorman who Reid considered to be their threshold guardian, asking him to arrange for some cabs.

  There were hugs and kisses and handshakes as the party spilled out into the hall. They lingered there, chatting, since they had to split into three groups for the small elevator. They’d need multiple cabs anyway. Nick made a joke about grabbing some sushi on the way through the F5 lobby, to sustain him while he waited on the others, and there was laughter.

  It was no joke that the food shop was a resounding success. Reid had suggested that one be added to the ground floor amenities because of the apartments above the fitness club, but revenue had vastly exceeded even his most optimistic projections. He was thinking they should expand.

  It seemed quiet when that first group had left, but Reid knew it was Cassie�
��s absence he was missing.

  “Now, we can get to it,” Troy said heartily. Reid knew that he and Shayla had stashed something in the kitchen earlier, but he was surprised when Shayla appeared with a tray of champagne flutes and old-fashioned glasses.

  “Who wants champagne?” Troy popped a cork and started to pour.

  “Or single malt, if that’s your pleasure.” Chris broke the seal on an aged bottle and began to pour it.

  “I’ve got the cigars,” Brendan said, setting them on the coffee table.

  “And chocolate,” Lily said firmly, retrieving a dish of strawberries dipped in dark chocolate from the fridge. Reid hadn’t even realized they were there.

  Megan opened a box of another kind of chocolate. It looked like squares of bark with nuts on top and caramel drizzled over it. “Just in case you have a sweet tooth,” she said with a smile.

  “You all planned this,” Reid accused as the glasses were passed around.

  “Of course, we did,” Shayla said. “We’ve been wanting you to find the right woman for years. What else could we do but celebrate now that you’ve not only found her but are going to marry her?”

  Reid grinned. “Thanks.”

  Troy raised his glass, his expression serious. “To Reid and Cassie and many, many years of happiness.” He touched his glass to Reid’s. “And to the best friend I have, the one who deserves the good stuff more than anybody I’ve ever known.”

  Reid felt his throat tighten and he hugged Troy before drinking his toast. Then they were all hugging, laughing and drinking, as if the years since college hadn’t happened at all.

  Who would have imagined that he’d have ended up here, with Cassie Wilson as his wife? Not Reid. Not in a million years. But he was very, very glad.

  Men in suits.

  Cassie loved that sight more than anything else in the world.

  She entered the Rainbow Room late Saturday afternoon with her dad and the music began. They’d hired a harpist and the sound was just perfect in the space. All the guests turned to look and Cassie took a good look herself.

  The guys from F5 stood under the bower of flowers at the far side. Tori and Ally had gone down the aisle ahead of Cassie and stood on the left, both looking so pretty in navy blue with pink and ivory flowers. She’d spent most of the day with Ally and Tori and her mom, and it had been fun.

  Her breath caught when Reid stepped forward, more gorgeous than ever in his tux. He smiled, admiration in his gaze, his friends Troy and Chris behind him. All three of them looked wonderful in their tuxes with pink roses in their buttonholes.

  Reid’s smile broadened as his gaze met Cassie’s and her heart gave a little thump. He still looked as if he was thinking something wicked and that made her smile a little more. He’d warned her that he was going to be clean-shaven today and in a way, she missed his short beard. In another, she thought he looked even more handsome.

  But not much less disreputable.

  He was all hers.

  Marianne was in the first row on the left, with Jonathan and Nick and Emily. Kyle and Lauren were beside Marianne, and Tyler and Amy were in the row behind. Damon and Haley sat beside Tyler and Amy, with Theo and Sonia from the club on the aisle. On the other side of the aisle were the rest of Reid’s friends from college, the wives of the best man and groomsman in the front row. Shayla was wearing a hat that had to be three feet wide and looked like she should wear it to Ascot or the Kentucky Derby. There were more friends and family but Cassie’s nearest and dearest had the best seats in the house.

  The view of the city beyond them all was spectacular in the late afternoon sunlight. The sky was perfectly clear and deep blue. Even though they’d worried about the weather and planned an indoor wedding just in case, it had turned out to be a glorious day.

  “You sure?” Cassie’s dad asked in an undertone, a twinkle in his eye. “Last chance to change your mind.”

  Cassie laughed at him. “I’m too crazy in love to walk away now, Dad.”

  “Good.” William nodded approval. “That’s how it should be.”

  The music changed slightly and they stepped forward together, Cassie’s gaze locked on Reid. The aisle seemed a thousand miles long even though she knew it wasn’t. As planned, her dad stopped right beside her mom and lifted Cassie’s hand from his elbow.

  He offered it to Reid. “I’m not giving my Cassie girl away,” he said as the music faded. “She makes her own choices, as is right and good. But I am glad that I will have a son now, too.”

  Reid blinked quickly, surprised by William’s words, then shook his hand. He took Cassie’s hand in his and guided her to the minister. “You look fabulous,” he said softly. “Not that I expected anything else.”

  “You look like a different man without your beard,” she teased softly. “Am I in the right place?”

  “You’d better believe it,” Reid muttered and tightened his grip on her hand.

  Cassie smiled as the minister cleared his throat, then the music stopped and the ceremony began.

  She thought suddenly of the song that was playing at the Shop ’n Save when she’d walked in there after fifteen years. She’d met Reid again after slipping on pickle juice and he’d kept her from falling. That had been the start of the adventure that led them here, and the song couldn’t have been more appropriate.

  This is it.

  Two

  Amy didn’t want to ruin anything, but she felt unsettled.

  It was more of a sense that something was going to happen than a bad feeling, but she didn’t trust it. She felt like she had a million aches and pains and had experienced a couple of big contractions earlier in the day. They’d been hours apart, and she’d been warned that would happen long before the baby came. Still, she felt on the lip of something.

  She was afraid she knew what it was. All she wanted to do was attend Cassie and Reid’s wedding, then get home again. She was seriously loving her sweats and the cushy chair in the living room these days. And any drama could happen after the service, please and thank you. She sent a little wish to her unborn son as she stood beside Ty.

  The baby had dropped a few weeks before, indicating that the big day was getting close. Everything was on schedule and her OB/GYN was pleased. Amy, however, felt like she was waddling around like a duck and she had to pee all the time. The baby’s room was painted and the furniture was in place. They were organized in terms of diapers and other furnishings, but they hadn’t yet decided on a name.

  The boy-with-no-name was officially due in two days, but Amy knew that first babies often were late. How much longer could this go on? How could she feel as if she’d been expecting this child forever, and still feel nervous and unprepared? They’d gone to all the classes. They’d had all the prenatal appointments. She’d eaten as she was supposed to and exercised and tried to do everything right to give him the perfect start. She couldn’t exactly hope for the pain of delivery, but it would be nice to be smaller than a hippopotamus again.

  And sleep. She’d had a lot of fantasies in her time, but had never imagined that one night’s sleep might rank so high on the list. If she could have had one wish, it would have been for her first baby to arrive in an orderly fashion, on time or even better, after both weddings, in the hospital with Dr. Madison close by. She’d packed her hospital bag a week before and had put it in the car today, just in case.

  Amy straightened beside Ty and held his hand as they turned to watch the bride’s arrival. She’d distract herself by concentrating on the details of the wedding.

  The simple truth was that Cassie’s wedding had only started and it was already beautiful. The harp music swelled as Cassie stepped into the Rainbow Room and Amy caught her breath at how beautiful the bride was. Her dress was simple but expertly cut, with a skirt that swirled behind Cassie as she walked. There was lace on the bodice and sleeves, striking and elegant against Cassie’s skin. She was so fit and slender that Amy felt a pang of jealousy. Cassie’s fair hair was wound up and caught i
n place with a jeweled ornament that looked like a spray of leaves. Her veil was simple and sheer, apparently just cast over her head, but Amy knew that arrangement was no accident. Her bridal bouquet was a cascading arrangement of pink and cream, with roses and baby’s breath and flowers Amy couldn’t identify from her place. It stretched almost to her knees.

  Cassie could have been a photograph in a bridal magazine.

  Amy sighed in admiration, and Ty looked down at her in alarm, mistaking the reason for her small sound. She shook her head and smiled at him, then a sudden contraction spread like wildfire from her back. It was tight and hard, more ferocious than the Braxton-Hicks contractions, and she clutched Ty’s hand, closing her eyes against the pain.

  When she opened her eyes, Ty had leaned closer, a question in his eyes. Cassie and Reid were standing before the minister and the music was fading. Amy swallowed and touched Ty’s watch with her fingertip.

  There was nothing to be done until the contractions were five minutes apart.

  She could rely on Ty to keep time.

  They took their seats and she felt dampness that wasn’t entirely welcome. Thank goodness she’d worn a sanitary napkin, just in case.

  How long could the service be?

  The minister greeted the guests and said a few words about the sanctity of marriage. Amy felt a tightening and wished he’d hurry up. He asked if there were any objections to the match, but there was only silence.

  Amy didn’t need Ty or his watch to know that the next contraction came quickly. It seized her around the waist like a vise and seemed to last forever, although even through the pain, she noticed that it reached its greatest intensity right in the middle.

  This time, when she opened her eyes, Haley was crouched beside her left side. Amy remembered that Damon’s partner was a nurse and smiled at her in relief.

  Reid was making his vows to Cassie, repeating after the minister. Haley glanced at them, then indicated Ty’s watch, making a spinning motion. Ty held up four fingers. Haley nodded. She drew a line in the air that went to a high peak, then dropped off. She drew a second line that started high and diminished. Before she could draw a third, Amy drew a spike, indicating that the worst pain was right in the middle of the contraction.