Текст книги "Cherished"

Автор книги: Kelly Elliott

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Текущая страница: 21 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

I smiled as I looked down at Lauren sleeping peacefully in my arms. “This day couldn’t be any more perfect,” I said.

I felt Jenny put her hand on my back. She guided me out of the house and into the backyard. I sucked in a breath of air as I looked around.

“Oh, wow,” was all I could get out.

To my left were about ten high-top tables set up around where the DJ would be. On the opposite side of the DJ was the bar. I chuckled when I saw Scott, Senior and Dewey directing the guys with all the beer and wine. My eyes moved to the right where there was a huge dance floor.

“My god. Why is the dance floor so big?” I asked.

Ari and Ellie started laughing.

“So all the kids have room to run around, but it still leaves space for the adults to dance. I just want to do a little bit of two-steppin’, damn it,” Ari said with a sigh.

I laughed and walked up to the tables. “Oh, Mom, Jenny…y’all, these are perfect. It’s exactly what I wanted!”

The round tables had white linen draped down to the ground, and a dark silver satin cloth was draped over and pinned up to make the scalloped edges. It looked beautiful.

Each table had a pumpkin that Ari, Ellie, and I had carved out, soaked in bleach, and then sprayed down with some preservative that Jenny had made, so they wouldn’t mold. Inside each pumpkin were beautiful fall flowers. Light brown and ivy-colored candles were set in hurricane glasses on either side of the flower centerpiece. The seats were all labeled with mini pumpkins that had a little sign stuck in it with each guest’s name written in chalk.

“I thought we were going with plastic dishware?” I asked as I went to pick up one of the silver plates. As soon as I picked it up, I realized it was plastic. “Holy hell. They look like real plates!”

Jenny nodded her head.

Melody picked up the pumpkin-shaped cookies. “These are to die for. Wait until you taste them! A girl in Fredericksburg made them.”

I looked around at each table setting, and there were cookies in every shape, including pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and witches. Each cookie was in a darling clear bag tied with black and silver ribbons.

“The tables are perfect,” I said with a smile.

“Want to see the cakes?” Melody asked as she clapped her hands.

I nodded my head as I looked at Jenny, who rolled her eyes and smiled. Jenny was so used to all of this, but this was Melody’s first job. Not to mention, it was her son’s wedding.

We walked up to the dessert table, and I had to stop.

Oh. My. God. They went crazy!

In the middle of the table was a beautiful three-tiered white cake with black and silver scrolls on it. It was the exact cake I’d had in my mind brought to life. On either side of the cake were two huge five-layered plates of cupcakes. The various decorations—ghosts, witches, bats, gravestones, black cats, and little spiders—were all so cute.

“The kids are going to go crazy over these,” Ellie said with a giggle.

“Good god, look at the candied apples,” Ari said before licking her lips. “Cake pops? Jesus H. Christ, there are cake pops. Luke and Jeff are gonna be up all night. Oh my god! Look at those cupcakes. They look like brains! Luke is going to be in heaven.” Ari turned to me and said, “This is going to be the best wedding ever!”

I tried not to laugh, so I didn’t wake up Lauren, but I almost busted out laughing at how excited Ari was.

“Melody, I think there are more desserts than there is food!” I said.

“Speaking of food…” Jenny turned.

We all followed her.

Ellie leaned into me and whispered, “Holy hell…you have cake, cupcakes, cake pops, brownies, cookies, candied and caramel apples, and I’m pretty sure I saw chocolate-covered strawberries.”

“Melody kind of thinks Scott has a sweet tooth,” I whispered back.

Ellie pulled her head back and looked at me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him eat a single sweet thing,” she said with a confused look on her face.

I held back a laugh. “He hates sweets. His mother had them in the house all the time. He got so sick of eating them, so he won’t eat them anymore.”

“Shit, I wish I felt that way about sweets,” Ellie said.

We walked up to the table, and I couldn’t help it. I let out a squeal. They had written each food item on small tan pumpkins.

“Mac and cheese,” I said. I laughed out loud and then began rocking Lauren who had woken up during my moment of insanity. “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Melody smiled and pointed at Jenny.

“I love it. I love it all. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Jenny. You’ve truly made this a dream wedding. Not only are the adults going to love everything, but the kids are also going to have so much fun.” I hugged each of them the best I could with Lauren in my arms.

Melody took Lauren from me and gently kissed her as she turned and started walking away with my crying baby. “I’m going to go feed her. It’s almost showtime, and you need to get dressed,” she called over her shoulder.

I looked at Ellie and Ari. “I’m so nervous.”

They each linked their arms in mine, and we made our way back to the house, following Jenny as she barked orders to people while we walked by them. We headed into my bedroom, and I took one look at Amanda and busted out crying.

“What? Oh god. Do I have the wrong dress on or something? Shit, it’s the baby weight, isn’t it?” Amanda said as she began jumping up and down, vigorously shaking her hands.

“Don’t be silly, Amanda. You have the right dress on, and, bitch, you don’t even look like you just had a baby. Jessie is just happy to see it on you,” Ari said as she just began getting undressed in front of all of us.

I dropped my mouth open as I looked at her and instantly stopped crying. “Fuck me. How do you look like that after two kids?” I looked her up and down.

The smile that spread across her face was priceless. “Lots and lots of sex.” She raised her eyebrows.

“Ugh…really? Gag me,” Ellie said as she took off the sweatpants and T-shirt I had made for each of them.

They were both wearing black corsets with matching lace panties.

Azurdee came walking out of the bathroom, cursing. “Shit…how in the hell do you get these bastards on?”

Ari whistled and looked at Azurdee. “Damn, girl. You might give Heather a run for her money in the boob area.”

Heather laughed as she looked up from where she was sitting and putting on makeup. “You look beautiful, Azurdee. Here, turn around and let me help.”

Ellie giggled.

“Will you zip me up, please?” Ari asked me.

I zipped her up, and then she turned around.

“Well? You still like them?” Ari asked.

I glanced up at Heather, who was now helping Azurdee into her dress. I shook my head, looking around at each of them. They each had on black chiffon ruched dresses that were strapless and knee-length. They were all so damn beautiful and doing nothing but bickering with each other.

They all came and stood next to one another. I made my way down the line, looking at each one. Azurdee was my best friend and maid of honor. Lark was going to shit his pants when he saw her. Heather was the sweetest one of the bunch but the first to admit that she liked to play in the bedroom. Ellie had her innocence that just poured off her as she stood there with that sweet smile of hers. Ari was all spit and fire in a beautiful package but one of the kindest people I’d ever known. Amanda was the person who would drop everything in order to help out one of her friends.

I felt the tears building as I looked at each of them. They had started off being my friends, but over the last few years, they had become my sisters.

“Oh no, honey…don’t cry. You’re gonna ruin your makeup,” Heather said as she walked up and took me in her arms. She let me go as she stepped back and winked at me. “It’s your turn.”

Ellie let out an, “Eeeep,” as she quickly got my dress that was hanging up. She brought it over and laid it down on the bed.

I slowly started taking my sweatpants and T-shirt off.

“Holy hell,” Ari said.

I stood there in my white corset, lace thong panties, and garter belt that Ellie had helped put on before we had gone outside.

“And you just had a baby a few months ago. What are you doing?” Ari said with a wicked grin.

“Sex…lots and lots of sex. I actually think the sex is better now after the baby than before. God…I swear he just has to whisper my name, and it seems like I’ll orgasm,” I said with my own wicked smile as I raised my eyebrows up and down.

When Ari quickly shook her head at me, I instantly knew who was standing behind me. I spun around to see Melody.

Oh Lord…where is the closest rock for me to crawl my ass under?

I slammed my hand over my mouth and felt my cheeks turn warm. I closed my eyes and wanted to die. My future mother-in-law had just heard me talking about sex with her son—while I stood there in a thong, for Christ’s sake.

She slowly let a small smile spread across her face as she nodded her head. “Nice to know my husband taught him something right.” She walked up to me and took the white thigh-high stockings from my hand. Then, she bent down, gently taking my foot, and started sliding them on.

I quickly looked up at Ari and the rest of the girls as they all just laughed.

I smiled as I started to step into my beautiful wedding gown. As Melody and Azurdee helped me, I thought back to the day when I’d bought it.

I stared at myself in the mirror. Tears were rolling down my face as Ari, Azurdee, and Ellie all went on and on about the dress I had on. I looked over at Melody. I thought she knew how sad I was that I was doing this without my mother. Heather wasn’t able to come with us, and I was really hoping she would since she’d done this before. When Melody had asked if she could come, I’d almost wanted to scream yes.

She quickly wiped the single tear away and smiled at me. I raised my eyebrows at her in my silent way of asking what she thought. She smiled bigger and nodded her head. I smiled and looked back at myself in the mirror.

The dress had a sweetheart neckline with a slim A-line cut. The intricate lace was stunning as was the hand-beaded bodice. The removable cap sleeve bolero jacket added such a sweet and innocent look. The functional corset back just made the dress feel sexier, and the chapel-length train added just the right touch of elegance. The straps were removable, making the dress even more elegant. It would be perfect for the reception.

“You look beautiful,” Ari said with a wink.

I was surprised at how good I looked in it, considering I’d just had a baby a few weeks ago.

I looked back at Melody. “Do you think Scott will like it?”

She smiled and started crying harder. She nodded her head. “Yes. He’s going to piss his pants when he sees you walking down the aisle.”

Everyone laughed as I stepped down and hugged her. She held on to me probably a little bit longer than needed.

Before she let me go, she whispered in my ear, “You look beautiful, baby girl. Just beautiful.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Thinking about the day you bought it?” Melody asked as she looked at my reflection in the mirror.

“How did you know?” I asked.

She let out a small laugh. “I’ve stood right where you are. I also stared at myself in the mirror, praying that I wasn’t dreaming.”

I turned to face her. I was sure she could see the fear in my eyes. “Why am I so scared? It’s not like we don’t love each other…I mean, we are living together, and we have a baby. So, why am I shaking from head to toe?”

She shook her head and laughed. “I don’t know. I wish I had the answer for you, but I don’t, sweetheart. Let me ask you something. Do you love Scott?”

I sucked in a breath of air. I couldn’t believe she was even asking me this. “Of course I do—with all my heart.”

“And do you want to spend the rest of your life with him and only him?”

“Yes!” I said, not even having to think about it.

She smiled bigger. “Then, you have nothing to be scared of because I asked him the very same questions, and I do believe you both answered back in record-breaking time. He loves you so much, Jessie. And I know you love him. The moment you see each other, I promise your nerves are going to disappear, and nothing but love will replace them.”

I pulled Melody into my arms and hugged her as tight as I could. “Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done and for welcoming me into your family with open arms.”

She pulled back slightly. “Oh, Jessie, thank you. Thank you for making my son the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Thank you for my beautiful granddaughter in the other room, who already has her grandpa wrapped around his finger. Thank you for loving my son like you do. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter if I had planned it myself.”

I dabbed at the tears in my eyes.

Ellie came running over with tissues and makeup in her hands. “Don’t cry! Your makeup!”

The Wedding

“Scott, take a deep breath, dude. I can practically hear your heart beating,” Lark whispered.

It was finally here. The moment I’d been dreaming of since I could remember. I was marrying the girl of my dreams, the only girl I’d ever truly loved.

“I’m fine,” I said.

Gunner leaned over and laughed. “If you keep rocking back and forth, we’re all going to get motion sickness.”

I looked over at him and smiled. I had been rocking back and forth, and if I dug my fingers into my hands any more, they were going to start bleeding.

“Were you this nervous?” I asked no one in particular.

They all answered, “Yes,” with the exception of Lark, who laughed.

I laughed and shook my head. I looked down the line at my friends. These guys were more than friends. They were like brothers to me. It wasn’t lost on me how all the female guests were looking us up and down. We each had on black tuxes with silver vests and silver ties. Jessie had insisted we all wear our cowboy boots, and not one of us had argued with her. It had been decided that we would be allowed to change into jeans and just keep the white shirts, vests, and ties on for the reception.

Then, the music began playing, and I instantly felt sick. Then, Lark put his hand on my shoulder.

He squeezed it and said, “Scott, the moment you see her, it will all go away. Every fear will vanish when she smiles at you, dude.”

I nodded my head, knowing he was right. “I just want to make her happy, Lark. I just want her to know how much I love her.”

He slapped my back lightly. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I see the way y’all look at each other, Scott. Just speak from your heart.”

The first couple down the aisle was Alex and Luke. They were walking together, holding hands, and it was probably the cutest damn thing I’d ever seen.

I glanced at Lark, who had a smile from ear to ear.

“My god, if that isn’t the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered.

I chuckled since I had just thought the same thing.

“Stick around for a while, Lark. There’s something in our water if you want one,” Gunner said.

Lark’s smile never faltered. He didn’t even make a smart-ass comment about how happy he was being single.

Alex immediately walked up to Gunner and hugged him, but Luke pulled her away to where he had been told they needed to stand. I had a feeling that Alex was going to have a very hard time dating when she got older with Gunner, Jeff, and Luke to watch over her.

Then, Amanda started down the aisle, followed by Heather, Ari, and then Ellie. They looked breathtaking. I smiled at each of them as they walked up and winked at me.

Damn, I love those girls like sisters.

Then, Azurdee appeared, and I heard Lark let out a gasp next to me. One quick look at him told me everything I’d already known. He was head over heels for her. During the few times they had been together out at our place, it was obvious that they both liked each other, but Lark was being a stubborn ass about it.

Then, the wedding march began playing. I closed my eyes and prayed to God that I wouldn’t cry. If I did, Jeff would never let me live it down.

As I opened my eyes, I saw her. It felt like all the air had been sucked from my body as our eyes met. I looked her up and down, and I was pretty sure I felt my knees wobble. I felt like I was about to pass out when she smiled that big beautiful smile of hers. I smiled back, and it was like a million sensations traveled through my body.

I never took my eyes off of her as she made her way closer to me on her father’s arm. She was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers that matched all the flowers on the tables and the flowers that the girls were carrying. Jessie’s bouquet was bigger and wrapped in silver silk with a runner.

Right before she got to me, she stopped and turned toward my mother, who stood up. She was holding Lauren, who was sleeping like the little angel she was. My mother handed something to Jessie and then kissed her on the cheek. Jessie leaned down and kissed Lauren before turning back toward me and walking up.

The pastor took a step forward and smiled. “We are gathered here today in the presence of God and Scott and Jessica’s family and friends, so that they may be united in holy matrimony. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

Drake wiped a tear from his eye. “I do.” He placed Jessie’s hand in mine and looked at me as he said, “I’m giving you my life. I’m trusting you to love her, take care of her, and never hurt her.”

I smiled as I reached out and shook Drake’s hand. “I promise you, I’ll spend the rest of my life loving her and taking care of her. She’s my everything.”

He gave me a weak smile and turned to Jessie. He wiped a tear from her cheek and gave her a kiss. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and all I could think of was that I would be doing the same with my Lauren one day.

Jessie and I turned and both took a few steps closer to the pastor.

I looked at Jessie. “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful in my entire life. You take my breath away.”

She let out a small sob and tried to hold the tears back. “I love you,” she whispered.

I used my thumbs to wipe away her tears. “I love you, too.”

We decided to say our own vows, and I had been panicking the whole night and morning about it. I knew what I wanted to say, but the moment it was my turn to talk, I just stood there, frozen. I couldn’t open my mouth until Lark gave me a nudge from behind.

Jessie smiled, and I knew exactly what I wanted to say. I smiled and shook my head as I gently squeezed her hands in mine.

“The very moment I knew I loved you, I ran away from you. I was nothing but a scared and stupid boy fighting his feelings. The moment you showed up in my world again, I knew I would never run away from you ever. I knew I would fight every day for the rest of my life to show you how much I loved you, how much I needed you.

“Every morning when I wake up and look at you, I realize how much I love you more with each passing day. When you walk into a room, I swear it feels like I can’t breathe from just the sight of you. When you smile at me, I feel your love pouring out, and I thank God that he blessed me with that love.

“The day you said yes to me, I thought that was the happiest day of my life, but I was so wrong. The day our daughter was born, I just knew that was the happiest day of my life. But I was wrong again.

“Today, standing here in front of you, knowing that you’re about to become my wife and that I get to wake up every day to your beautiful smile for the rest of my life…today is the happiest day of my life because I know it’s me and you, forever and always. Without you, I’d be nothing, Jessie. You’re my entire world. My reason for being is to love you, protect you, and make you feel nothing but…cherished,” I vowed, my voice cracking. I barely got out the word cherished before I felt the tears running down my face.

Jessie was smiling at me as tears rolled down her cheeks in what looked like one endless stream.

She wiped the tears away and gave my hands a quick squeeze. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out before she began talking.

The Wedding

I knew my hands were shaking, and I was still trying to recover from what Scott had just said to me. When his voice had cracked, it had been my breaking point, and I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer.

Now, it was my turn to try and express to him how much he meant to me, how he made me feel every day of our lives.

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Scott, since the first day you ever smiled at me, I knew my heart would always belong to you. Then, you kissed me, and I really knew I was yours. The road we traveled to get to where we are today was not an easy one. We both took a few wrong turns and had some pretty big hills to climb, but we did it. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You are the air that I breathe, the light in my darkness, and the hope of my future. I never in my life imagined that you could make me as happy as you have or make me feel as loved as you do. I love you, and I’ll always love you with every ounce of my being. Thank you for loving me and never giving up on our love.”

I reached up and lightly brushed the tear away that was slowly moving down his cheek.

Everyone let out an, “Aww…”

Scott grabbed my hand and kissed my wrist. “I love you to the moon and back, baby.”

I laughed. “I love you to the moon and back and then to the moon and back again.”

“One-upper,” he whispered.

Everyone laughed.

When the pastor said it was time to kiss the bride, I couldn’t wait to feel his lips on mine. I would never get tired of him kissing me. I longed for his touch twenty-four hours a day.

The kiss was sweet yet passionate.

Before he pulled away, he whispered against my lips, “You look breathtaking in that dress, baby, but damn, I can’t wait to get you out of it.”

I moved my lips to his ear. “Neither can I. Wait till you see what I have underneath the dress.”

He pulled back and looked at me. His eyes became filled with nothing but passion. I had to bite down on my lip to distract myself from the aching pulse between my legs.

The pastor pulled us both out of our trance by announcing us as husband and wife. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Scott Reynolds.”

As we began walking down the aisle, we both stopped and kissed Melody and Scott, Senior. Then, we walked over to my father, Dew, and Aaron. I kissed each of them. I was still upset that my brothers hadn’t wanted to be a part of the wedding party, but I understood their reasons. They had known Scott wanted his friends, and they hadn’t wanted us to have a huge wedding party. I smiled and punched Dewey in the arm. I quickly smiled and said hello to his new girlfriend, Rachael.

As we walked down the aisle, I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking on cloud nine. I never thought the birth of my child could ever be topped, but I did believe this day just tied for first place.

As the night went on, kids ran around on nothing but sugar highs. Games were played, new memories were made, and lots of dancing happened. One by one, the kids crashed throughout the house in beds, sofas, and portable cribs.

I’d never laughed so hard in my life, and being surrounded by our family and friends just made it all the more special. Melody had a blast playing hostess, and Jenny kept everything moving along.

When it came time for the bride-and-groom dance, I started shaking. Scott had left it up to me to pick the song, and I couldn’t pick just one. I had narrowed it down to Mark Wills’s “I Do” and Kenny Chesney’s “Me and You.” I had been stressing about it for two weeks until Ellie and I had gone out for a ride one morning.

She had said, “Play each song by yourself with no one around. Whichever song moves you the most is the right song.”

That evening, I’d asked Scott for a few minutes alone. I’d grabbed my iPod and made my way to the main barn right behind the house. I’d sat there and listened to both songs, and one of them had clearly spoken to me. Every word in it had screamed Scott and me.

I closed my eyes and prayed that he would agree with the song choice. As we made our way to the dance floor, Dewey and Aaron each took turns saying a little something. It mostly consisted of threatening poor Scott with bodily harm if he ever hurt Lauren or me.

Scott had taken it like a trooper, but as he took me in his arms, he said, “Jesus H. Christ…I don’t know who to be more scared of—your father or your brothers.”

I laughed as I kissed him quickly on the lips.

The DJ announced we were about to dance our first dance as a married couple.

I looked into Scott’s eyes and smiled. “I love you, Scott,” I said with a shaky voice.

He placed his hand on the side of my face and brushed his thumb across my cheek. I leaned my head into his hand and closed my eyes. He slowly moved his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me to him for a kiss.

Kenny Chesney’s “Me and You” began playing, and I felt him smile against my lips.

He barely pulled away. “How did you know?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “How did I know, what?”

“The first time I ever heard this song, I thought of you. I thought if we ever got married, this would be our song. I used to have dreams of dancing with you to this song.”

I sucked in a breath of air and began crying as I buried my head into his chest. The way he was running his hand up and down my back while softly singing the words to me only caused me to cry harder.

Any doubts and bad memories I ever had about our relationship completely melted away with every word he sang to me. I had no doubt in my mind that this man would always love and be faithful to both Lauren and me with everything he had.

I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and smiled. “Scott, I’ve never in my life felt so incredibly loved and cherished. Thank you for making this one of the happiest days of my life.”

The smile that spread across his face caused me to smile.

“Baby, I plan on making you feel that way every day for the rest of your life.”

I placed my hand on the side of his face as he brought his lips down to mine.

Right before he kissed me, I said, “Sounds like a good plan.”