Somebody's Angel (#5 in a Military Romance / BDSM Romance series) (Rescue Me) (69 page)

Anita sniffled, and Savannah broke loose from Adam’s arm a moment to walk the few feet forward to hug her long-time champion and friend.

“Thanks for getting me to this moment, Anita,” she whispered.

“You did that all by yourself, sweetie. I was just there to help you focus on what was important when things got a little mucked up.”

Savannah swallowed past the lump in her throat, handed Anita her bouquet, and took a deep breath before turning to Damián once more. Surrounded by their family and friends, she was ready to take this monumental leap into the arms of her man. Damián took a step forward at the same time she did, and they quickly closed the gap between them. Adam stepped back, and Damián took her by the elbow and leaned forward. “My princess has never looked more beautiful.”

“And my knight, my
prince
, my protector never more dashing.”

Father Martine cleared his throat, and they turned their attention to him as he proceeded with the Mass. At the conclusion of his homily, he offered a blessing on their union. He then said, “In a moment, our lives can change. Damián and Savannah, there is a special way you are together that’s unlike the way you’ve ever been with anyone else. You’ve crossed many bridges to be here today, overcome many obstacles. Each bridge you have crossed has only made your love stronger.”

Savannah glanced at Mari who stared in awe at her maman and daddy, as she called him most of the time, as if they’d just stepped from the pages of
Sleeping Beauty
. Savannah felt like Damián’s princess today.

Rosa placed an arm around Mari’s shoulder and beamed a smile at Savannah, too.

After her beloved priest concluded the Catholic Rite of Marriage, he announced that the bride and the groom would share their own words of commitment. Savannah and Damián turned toward one another. Marc handed the rings to Father Martine. Savannah hoped she would remember the words she’d written to bind herself to Damián for life. She’d kept them simple and short, knowing how nervous she would be, but each word came from the heart.

Damián cleared his throat as he reached for something under his coat. “I was afraid I might leave something out. I hope you won’t mind if I refer to my written copy as a backup, just in case.”

Savannah shook her head, honored that he would take the time to write vows just for her. She blinked rapidly.

* * *

Damián pulled the worn piece of Marisol’s lined school paper from between his belt and the waistband of the trousers, unfolding it for the umpteenth time in the past few days.

He took her petite hand in his and held it, giving her a gentle squeeze as he tried to steady his own hand. Why was he so nervous? This was the most perfect day of his life. When he looked into her eyes, he nearly lost every single word he’d been trying to memorize for the past week.

Focus, man.

Suddenly, he made a decision and refolded the paper, tucking it back inside his belt. These words needed to be spoken from the heart. If they weren’t vows he could remember today, then how would he remember to live up to them later?

He took her hand and slipped the ring over the tip of her finger, stopping just before the second knuckle.

“With this ring, Savannah,

I vow to always be with you

from this day forward.

My heart will be your shelter.

My arms will be your home.

My life will be dedicated

to bringing a smile to your lips

and joyful tears to your eyes.

May God bless you always,

as He has blessed me by reuniting us.

May we always find the words to communicate

through all of life’s surprises—

good and bad, happy and sad, easy and difficult.

May you feel the depth of my love,

knowing you are truly the woman I was meant to love

for the rest of my life.

May you always see your innocence and fire—

the reflection of your inner beauty—through my eyes.”

Damián drew a shaky breath as he pressed the ring over her first knuckle. He looked into her Pacific-blue eyes, swimming with the most beautiful, heartfelt tears he’d ever seen, and smiled.

“Savita
, I give you my heart forever.

I have nothing of greater value to offer.

I promise I will do my best always

to be the man you need and deserve.

I promise to love what I know about you,

to trust what I do not yet know,

and to respect you in all knowledge to come.

Through all of our years together

and in all that life may bring us,

I promise to continue to encourage, guide,

and challenge you to try new things,

and I hope you will trust that I will never harm you.”

Damián seated the ring snug on her finger and smiled as he claimed his bride as his own.

“I feel so honored and pleased to call you
mi princesa
.

I will love, honor, and cherish you and the gift of your love forever.”

Hearing a loud sniffle behind Savannah, he turned to see Marisol, tears streaming from her eyes and an expression of magical awe on his
muñequita’s
face. A wreath of tiny roses sat atop her long black hair, and she wore a beautiful puffed-out, long blue dress. She looked down at the blade poking out from his trouser leg and smiled approval at her embellishments, he supposed. He motioned for her to join them and then took the hands of both of his girls as he added:

“I also promise to be the best father I can be to Marisol

and any other children we may be blessed with.

May our family always feel the sense of joy we feel today.

I thank God every day for you both.

Thank you for allowing me inside your lives and hearts.

I love you both from the depths of my soul.”

Savannah took the ring from Father Martine and placed it against the tip of his ring finger. He felt her hand shaking—or was it his? He smiled his encouragement, and she relaxed.

amián, I know in my heart

you will continue to be my faithful friend.

On this special day and in the presence of

our relatives and friends,

I give to you my sacred promise that

I will always be with you to support you,

in times of sickness and in times of health,

in times of joy and in times of sorrow.

“I promise to love you completely each and every moment,

to console and comfort you during difficult times,

to laugh with you and to grieve with you,

to share with you life’s simplest and most enduring pleasures,

to be truthful and honest with you,

and to cherish and mirror your patient guidance and love.”

Focus, Savannah.

She took a breath and gazed down at Mari, who had remained beside them as they continued to exchange their vows, before turning to Damián once more.

“I promise to be the best mother I can be to Mari and our future children

and to work beside you to keep our family strong.

I promise to slay any dragon foolish enough to mess with my family.”

She paused and grinned at him, remembering their shared fairy tale in the cave at Laguna Beach before growing serious again.

“And I vow to replace each bad memory

with a hundred happy ones.

From this day forward, Damián,

I give you my hand, my heart, and my love.”

Her voice cracked as she finished. Thank God she’d made it through the vows before being overcome with emotion. Savannah blinked away the tears as she seated the simple, vintage Mexican-silver band on his brown finger. She’d found it in an antique store and hoped it carried a happy story like the one attached to the ring she now wore on her finger. Seeing the faded skin on his pinky finger where the ring had been worn since she’d known him would take some getting used to.

A tear splashed onto his finger, and she lifted his hand to her mouth, pressing her lips against the ring she’d given him to seal her vows and kiss away the tear. Later, she’d show him the inscription when they were alone.

Semper Fi, mi amor.

Anita came toward the couple carrying the two lit candles, handing one each to the bride and the groom. As Savannah and Damián walked toward the altar where the unity candle sat, Savannah stopped and turned around, gesturing for Mari to join her and Damián to help them light the candle that would unite their family as one. She glanced over at him as they blew out the candles representing the end of their lives apart. Their flame would now burn brightly as one family.

Back in their places, Father Martine continued the ceremony, “At this time, Savannah and Damián would like to symbolize their union with a Mexican wedding tradition called the
lazo
, or lasso, ceremony. The lasso of the double rosary symbolizes the inseparable nature of the newly married couple.”

Savannah had watched brides and grooms being lassoed before this altar many times, but the symbolism had never included the context in which she now found herself being lassoed to Damián. Karla and Adam looped the giant rosary first around Damián’s shoulders and then, completing the figure eight, over Savannah’s head and shoulder. When their wrists were attached to the
lazo
, Savannah flashed back momentarily to the first time she’d allowed Damián to restrain her with rope. Adam and Karla had been there, too. She fought to stay in the moment, not wanting to miss anything.

“Damián and Savannah, this loop is symbolic of your love and will bind you together every day of the rest of your lives. Remember the holiness necessary to preserve your new family can only be achieved by mutual sacrifice and love.”

Teresa came forward as Father Martine concluded the
lazo
ceremony and presented him with the prayer book and the rosary. Father blessed the gifts and gave them to Damián, reminding him that he was now the spiritual leader of his family.

Father Martine motioned, and Gunnar came forward to present both Damián and Savannah with a bag she knew held thirteen gold coins. “At this time, we will perform another traditional custom called
Las Arras
.” He explained the ancient origins of the custom, but she and Damián had agreed to modernize the tradition. “Each bag holds thirteen coins, one for each month and one to give to charity. In exchanging these coins, Damián and Savannah will pledge
‘Lo mio es tuyo y lo tuyo es mio’
—‘What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine.’ I bless these coins knowing they are also symbolic of the unlimited good the universe has in store for this loving couple—unlimited love, joy, peace, and prosperity. I accept this for Damián and Savannah, and so it is. Amen.” They exchanged the coin bags, the coins making a tinkling sound for all to hear.

Adam and Karla removed the
lazo
and handed it to Savannah as a memento of her becoming the mistress of Damián’s heart. Forever she would cherish this visible symbol of the promises they made today.

Savannah turned to Rosa who extended the small bouquet of six red roses. Savannah said to Damián, “Someone else needs to be honored for getting me here today. Please join me?” He smiled and nodded, taking her hand and giving it a little squeeze. As the couple departed toward the side of the church, Karla began her angelic rendition of
Ave Maria.

For you, Maman.

They made their way to the side altar and to the statue of the Madonna that had drawn her into this sanctuary—in both senses of the word—all those years ago, both as a child beside her mother one special Christmas Eve and again exactly twelve years later as a pregnant and scared young woman. Savannah placed the bouquet at the base of this statue of Mother and Son.

“Thank you,
mi Madonna
, the symbol of both mother and child, for your oversight and guidance. Please let Maman know how happy I am and that all is well.” Tears blurred her vision.

“
Savita
, are you okay?” Damián’s voice beside her drew her attention, but she couldn’t meet his gaze yet. When she finally turned toward him, her gaze still downcast, she saw for the first time he wore a blade rather than the shoe prosthesis. She glanced up at him, “When…?”

“Today. It was time.”

“Oh, Damián, I’m so proud of you!”

“While you were hiding from me in that room in the back, Marisol already started decorating it for me.”

Curious, Savannah bent down looked more closely to find two butterflies with blue translucent wings and black tips in the bow of the blade, just like the butterflies she’d seen at the cave a few weeks ago representing her maman and John, the man who had died at her father’s hands trying to rescue them.

Thank you for letting me know you’re here, Maman.

Damián and Savannah returned to their places in front of Father Martine, so he could continue the liturgy. At the offering, Adam and Karla walked toward the back of the church with Marc and Angelina to collect the gifts of bread, water, and wine. Angelina carried the two engraved goblets that would be used during Communion.

At the conclusion of the liturgy, Father Martine addressed those gathered to witness their special day. “This circle of love is now complete.” Father Martine continued as he blessed their union and motioned for them to stand and face each other. She looked up into her beloved’s warm brown eyes. “Savannah and Damián have agreed to love one another with all of their hearts, to be one another’s only intimate companion, and each other’s inspiration. It may seem like only yesterday that they started their lives together and allowed this incredible love to bloom, and yet they know why they were meant to be here today. Though life may not always be as perfect as it is at this moment, Damián and Savannah vow always to keep their love as pure as it is today, promising to be there in laughter and tears, sickness and health, comfort and fears, in poverty and wealth until the end of eternity.”

Father Martine paused as Damián brushed a tear from her cheek. “In the presence of these witnesses, and in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and by the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”