“What boy?” My first thought was the tiny ring bearer, who was two and quite a handful.
“My son.” He mopped his brow with a hanky.
“Huff?”
“Yes. He says he can’t get married today. But he must. The family name. Her father will destroy us.”
Family name be damned, I wasn’t going to listen to Aspen’s shrill scream should she discover the groom wanted to bail.
“Take me to him.” I lifted up my skirts to follow him out to the car. Sure enough, the groom sat in the back of a Rolls-Royce, about as white as a human being could be and still be counted as alive.
“Huff, you have to get out of the limo. It’s time to get married.” The man didn’t even acknowledge my presence. “It’s just cold feet. Everyone gets it. I’ve done a million of these things, and it’s scary right up until the time you say ‘I do.’ But then we have a big party, and it will be fun. Come on.” I reached a hand through the door. “Please.”
He stared straight ahead, not even blinking. My Guardian senses kicked in, and I checked him to make sure something magical hadn’t been done to him. Nothing.
“How long has he been like this?”
His father shrugged. “He was fine until we pulled up in front of the house. I’ve been trying to get him out of the car for twenty minutes.” I looked down at my wrist at the diamond watch the generous Aspen had given all her attendants.
“We only have ten minutes.” I tugged on Huff’s sleeve. “Come on.”
“Is there a problem?” a familiar deep voice asked.
Jake bent down and peered into the open door.
I don’t think it hit the floor, but my jaw definitely dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Looking so damn good in that tux. God, could the day get any worse?
He gave me a strange look. “I was invited.” His face creased with worry as he stared me up and down. “What’s wrong?” In an instant he was beside me, looking me over, paying close attention to my chin. “Are you hurt?”
I didn’t smile, but I really wanted to. He still cared about me.
“Not me.” I pointed to the seat across from me. “Huffy won’t move.”
Jake took it all in and grinned. “Huh.”
“Huh? We have ten minutes until the ceremony begins.” I shoved at him. “Convince him to get out of the car. I don’t care what it takes. If you have to, knock him out and put him over your shoulder. I’ll hold up an unconscious groom before I tell Aspen he’s bailed.”
Jake shook his head. “He doesn’t look like he wants to move.”
“Try!” I yelled.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Don’t freak out on me.”
Leaning forward, he touched Huff’s shoulder.
“I’m thinking you pulled up in front of the castle and it hit you, that this is the real deal.” Jake leaned forward and crossed his arms over his knees. “I honestly can’t think of anything scarier.”
“You are so not helping,” I chided. “Be positive.”
“Give it a rest, Al. I know what I’m doing.” Part of me was mad that he spoke to me that way. The other part realized he’d just called me Al. And he was here. So close I could touch him. It had been so long, and I still wanted him just as much as I had the day I left.
“But here’s what I know,” Jake went on. “I saw you two together a few weeks ago. You love her, and she’s so into you it’s not even funny. I saw the way she watched you that afternoon I first met you guys. That woman is so hot for you she burns. It’s hard to find that sort of thing, and when you do, you’d best hold tight.”
Huff’s eyes seemed to focus, and he looked Jake in the eyes.
Thank you, Jesus.
“I love her,” Huff whispered. “She drives me freakin’ insane, but God, I love her more than anything.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Jake shrugged.
“In my head, marriage is forever.” He looked out at his dad. “Mum and Dad were married forty-five years before she died. That’s a long time.”
Jake blew out a breath. “Yep, it is.”
“Aspy’s been married three times, and she’s only twenty-four.” He looked at his hands. “I’m not sure I’m the right guy for her. If she leaves me—”
“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” Jake cocked his head. “What if you are the guy? You just told me she’s the girl for you, and I have a feeling you can keep her in line. That’s what she needs, someone who can handle her craziness and at the same time be the rock for both of you. Trust me”—Jake looked up at me—“I know all about that.”
Huff followed his line of sight and laughed when he saw who Jake was talking about.
“Hey.” I punched Jake in the arm when I realized what he’d meant.
“Marriage is a gamble. You’ve heard it all before. But when it works, it’s a beautiful thing. I do know that if you don’t walk into that castle and marry that woman, you’ll regret it.”
She’ll also kill you.
I didn’t think it would help him to remember that.
“What’s going on?” Aspen’s high-pitched tone made everyone’s spine stiffen.
“Aspen, it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.” I jumped up and blocked her view into the car and Huff’s pop tried to do the same thing.
She peeked around us and then moved forward.
Picking up her skirt with one hand, she stepped off the curb and shoved me out of the way.
“Huff. Get out of the car.” The words were said in a whisper, but that didn’t make them any less intense.
He stared up at her. “I love you,” he said, his face blank.
She smiled at him and all the daisies in the world opened up in that moment. “I know. I love you, too. That’s why you have to get out of the damn car and marry me.” She reached her hand in, and he took it. “I refuse to live the rest of my life without you.”
He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. “I’m sorry, baby.”
She tugged his hand toward the church. “It’s okay. You can make it up to me on the honeymoon.” Her look said it all, and suddenly Huff’s steps picked up.
“Oh, yeah.” He gave a wicked smile.
Turning, she kissed his cheek. “Oh, yeah.”
“Ah, love,” Jake whispered behind me.
I turned on him. “Scariest thing ever?” I gave him my best evil stare.
It wasn’t very effective. He grinned. “I was defusing a possible hostile situation and am not responsible for words said in the heat of battle.”
“Did you mean what you said to him?”
“Every word of it.” His right eyebrow rose.
“Then why can’t you take your own advice? Why can’t you take that same chance with me, that you told Huff to take with Aspen?” Stupid tears welled up in my eyes.
Why did he have to show up right now? If my mascara trekked down my cheeks, Aspen would kill me.
“I am taking that chance, Alex. I love you. Why else would I fly eight hours to a wedding for people I barely know?”
It took a moment for his words to register. “What?”
He gave me a questioning look.
“Say it again,” I whispered.
“I love you, and I want to be with you. Is that clear enough?”
I punched his arm.
“Ouch. What’s that for?”
“What the hell took you so long?”
He pulled me to him. “I had a few dragons of my own to slay, but I’m here. And I want you, Alexandra Caruthers. I want you right now more than anything else in the world. I can’t promise that your job won’t be an issue with us, but we’ll work it out. We have to, because I can’t live without you.”
Then he kissed me. His mouth was soft and teasing at first, and then he took over. My knees melted, and so did my heart. If he hadn’t been holding on to me, I probably would have passed out.
“Hey!” Aspen’s voice made me jump. She and Huff stood on the top of the steps. “You two can get a room later, on your own time. This is my wedding, and I’m ready to get married.”
Jake laughed out loud and took my hand.
“We are so getting that room later,” I whispered.
“Oh, yeah.” Jake squeezed my hand, and I entered the castle, my heart so full of love I thought it might burst right there on the spot.
Six hours later, the party was still going strong. The wedding had been everything Aspen could have wished for. She was blissfully dancing cheek to cheek with Huff. They’d been wrapped up in each other the entire day.
Jake had his arms wrapped so tight around me that I thought he might really keep his promise about never letting me go.
“How much longer until we can sneak away?” he whispered into my hair.
I smiled against his chest. “We could go upstairs now.” I raised my head so I could look at him. The hunger in his eyes made my body burn.
“I was thinking maybe somewhere a little farther away. Maybe a certain ranch in Texas.”
I pulled back a little. “I can’t just leave. Aspen will have a fit.”
“I doubt it.” He nodded toward the happy couple. “My guess is she won’t even know you’ve gone.”
I watched them for a minute. He had a point.
Taking me by the hand, he led me to an empty closet on the bottom floor.
I laughed. “How did you know this was here?”
He winked. “Security, ma’am. It’s my job to know. Okay, do your thing,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me.
I touched the tattoos together and whisked the man I loved off to Texas, where I planned on showing him just how much I wanted him.
Candace Havens
is a veteran entertainment journalist who spends way too much time interviewing celebrities. In addition to her weekly column seen in newspapers throughout the country, she is the entertainment critic for 96.3 KSCS in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She is the author of
The Demon King and I
,
Like a Charm
,
Charmed & Dangerous
,
Charmed & Ready
,
Charmed & Deadly
, and the nonfiction biography
Joss Whedon: Behind the Genius of Buffy
, as well as several published essays. Visit Candace at
www.candacehavens.com
.
About this Title
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