living covenant 03 - eternal covenant (29 page)

“I can’t wait,” I deadpanned, hopping up on one of the stools and watching as Mom cooked breakfast. “I want bacon and sausage.”

“You’ll eat what you’re served and keep quiet about it,” Mom shot back.

“And I thought it was supposed to be my big day.”

“It is your big day,” Aric said, kissing my cheek before wandering over to the pantry. “That’s why I’m going to give you your wedding gift early.”

I stilled. “Wedding gift? Was I supposed to get you a gift? Crap!”

“I think the gift of my life will do,” Aric said, making a face as he returned with an envelope. “I picked it out, but everyone paid for it. It’s technically a gift from everyone.”

I screwed up my face as I took the envelope. “I’m kind of afraid to open this,” I admitted.

“Just open it,” Aric prodded. “You’ve been asking about it for weeks.”

Realization dawned. “This is our honeymoon stuff, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Aric confirmed. “We leave tomorrow for two whole weeks.”

“Where have you been hiding this?” I asked, flipping the flap open. “I broke into the safe, but it wasn’t there.”

“Yes, I knew you would break into the safe, so I hid it the one place I knew you wouldn’t look,” Aric said.

“The pantry? I’ve been in the pantry for cookies twenty times this week alone.”

“I hid it in the oatmeal box,” Aric answered. “I knew you wouldn’t look for healthy options.”

“Well, crap,” I muttered, digging into the envelope and pulling out a set of plane tickets. I widened my eyes when I realized it wasn’t one set of plane tickets but rather a stack of tickets. We had more than one destination. “What is this?”

“We’re going to Europe,” Aric answered. “You said you wanted to go to London, so we’re going. We’re also going to Ireland and Scotland before winding things up on a beach in Santorini.”

“Holy crap!” I was beyond excited. “That means we can see the Loch Ness Monster.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” Aric said dryly. “Are you happy?”

“Baby, am I!” I threw my arms around his neck, relishing his warm embrace. “I still can’t get over how you managed to keep it a secret.”

“Living with you has taught me that you can do anything when you put your mind to it,” Aric said, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “We’re going to have a good time.”

“And I’m going to ride the Loch Ness Monster,” I said.

“You know he isn’t real, right?” Paris interjected. “He’s an urban legend.”

“So am I,” I shot back. “This is going to be great.”

DESPITE
my mother’s protests I excused myself to the wine cellar before she could hustle me into the shower. I found Rafael sitting on a cot reading a book when I entered.

“You’re a lovely bride,” Rafael said, smirking. “I thought you would go fancier, but you always manage to surprise me. The bedhead is a marvelous touch.”

“I’m going to start getting ready in a few minutes,” I said. “I wanted to give you something first.”

Rafael leaned forward, his dark hair brushing his shoulders. “You’re giving me a gift on your wedding day? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

“I owe you,” I said. “I probably owe you more than I can ever repay.” I wasn’t used to being serious with Rafael, but I’d prepared myself for this moment and I had no intention of backing down. “You stood by me when you had no reason to do it.”

“I knew you would grow into something great,” Rafael replied, his tone equally somber. “You didn’t disappoint me.”

“Didn’t I? There was a time, and I know it was brief, but there was still a time when you thought we might have something,” I said. “I’m not sure I ever did, and I don’t think I was fair to you.”

“You didn’t owe me anything, Zoe,” Rafael said. “You stayed true to your heart, and no matter how much it irritated me at the time, I knew you loved Aric. I’ve always known that. Things worked out as they were supposed to.”

“I still want to thank you,” I said, lowering my hand and letting the magic wash over him.

Rafael was taken aback as he felt the warmth I sent surging through him. “What was that?”

“Your present,” I said. “Go enjoy the sun.”

Rafael raised his eyebrows. “For how long?”

I shrugged. “Forever.”

Rafael was dumbfounded. “Are you sure?”

I pressed my lips together and nodded. “I’m sure,” I said. “I think your eyes are probably still going to be sensitive, but I’m not a doctor. You’ll be able to survive bouts in the sun, though. You won’t burn. You’re already dark, so I don’t think you’ll get a sunburn.”

Rafael snorted, although tears formed at the corners of his eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I said. “Just enjoy the day.”

I followed Rafael up the stairs, holding in my laughter as he tested his hand in various parts of the house where the sun peeked through windows. Aric appeared in the living room, his tux draped over his arm, and watched as Rafael walked through the sliding glass doors and onto the deck.

The vampire extended his arms and lifted his face to the sun he hadn’t seen in centuries as he circled.

“What did you do?” Aric asked, awed.

“I thanked him for helping us live our dream.”

FOUR
hours of harsh primping later, I was at my wit’s end.

“I’m done,” I said, jerking away from my mother and her mascara wand of death. “I’m completely done. I want to see my dress now.”

Mom pressed her lips together. It was the moment of truth, and she knew it. “Okay,” she said, moving toward the closet. “Just remember, it’s too late to wear something else, and I threw that other dress away.”

“Whatever,” I muttered, bracing myself for some hideous monstrosity.

Mom pulled a garment bag from the closet and unzipped it, revealing a relatively simple spaghetti strap dress with a skirt that somehow managed to be big without being overly wide – or making noise.

“What do you think?” Mom asked, already shrinking before the anticipated onslaught.

“I think it’s beautiful,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Really?”

“Really,” I said, taking the dress. “Now give me a few minutes to get in it. I … need a few minutes. I need to be by myself.”

I didn’t tell her what I had to do, and she was so relieved I didn’t freak about the dress – or shred it into a million pieces – she left me alone for the final preparations. I carried the dress into the bathroom and hung it on the back of the door before rummaging in the bag of medicinal items Paris brought back from the pharmacy earlier in the week.

There was one more thing I had to do.

IF I WAS
nervous about getting married – and I kind of was – all of it faded when I saw Aric waiting for me in front of the flower arch. Who bought that, by the way?

He was handsome in his tux, and the look on his face when he saw my dress said more than I ever thought possible. It reflected love and forever, and those were the only two things I would ever need from him. Well, that and his cooking skills. I couldn’t forget those.

I did a double take when I saw his best man, briefly wondering where they found a tuxedo for Rafael on such short notice. I pushed that out of my mind as I joined Aric, though. That question could wait until the reception.

My mind was jumbled as we ran through the ceremony, and I tuned out most of the words. When it came time to recite our vows, though, I had no choice but to focus. I had something to say, although Aric was first.

“Zoe and Aric have written their own vows,” the minister said. “Now they will share those vows.”

Aric licked his lips as he gripped my hands. “I know you think I’m exaggerating when I say that I fell in love with you the moment I saw you,” he began. “It’s true, though. I always knew you were it for me.

“We’ve been through a lot, and even though some of it was hard I wouldn’t trade any of it because it led us to this moment,” he continued. “You’re my whole heart, baby. I can’t imagine a life that doesn’t include you, and now I never have to. So, I give you my heart with the promise that I’ll never want it back. You really are my everything.”

I bit my lower lip to keep from crying and sucked in a steadying breath. “The first time I saw you I knew you were going to be trouble,” I said. “I saw a handsome man with a big ego, but I saw something else that day, too. It was your heart, and it was huge.

“You have no idea what you’ve done for me,” I continued. “You’ve stood by me in the worst of times, and you’ve pulled me back from a dark precipice more times than I can count. We traveled a few rough patches, but I think part of me always knew we would get past them, even when my heart and head were at war.

“I won’t live a life without you,” I said. “I won’t give up everything we’ve built. I never knew I wanted you until I got you, and now I can’t imagine living a different life. I didn’t know it was possible to love anyone as much as I love you. You’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

The minister smiled indulgently and opened his mouth to finish the ceremony. He didn’t get a chance to, because Aric swooped in and grabbed my face, planting a huge kiss on my lips.

“You need to exchange the rings first,” Paris whispered.

Aric dug into his pocket, never moving his mouth, and slipped the wedding band on my finger, pushing it down until it fit snugly against the engagement ring he had given me. Paris handed me his ring so I could do the same, all the while never breaking the kiss.

The minister could do nothing but chuckle. “Ladies and gentleman, I give you Mr. Aric Winters and Mrs. Zoe Lake-Winters. Long may they bask in perfect love.”

30

Thirty

I walked into our bedroom behind Aric shortly after midnight, watching him remove his tie in the mirror. He looked happy. Peaceful. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was about to blow all of that out of the water.

I considered keeping my secret until after the honeymoon, but it didn’t seem fair. This was something with which we both had to deal. And, let’s face it, I needed him to talk me off a ledge.

The party continued outside, and I could hear Paris and Kelsey laughing as they cavorted with the groomsmen. They would leave tomorrow, but unlike before, I knew visits wouldn’t be stretched so far apart. Given the bomb I was about to drop, I had a feeling they would be a lot more frequent.

“What are you thinking?” Aric asked, locking gazes with me in the mirror. “You look pretty unhappy for a woman who just married the man of her dreams.”

“I’m not unhappy,” I said, climbing out of the dress and slipping it over a hanger so I could put it in the closet. “I’m … thinking.”

“Oh, good. I love it when you do that,” Aric said, unbuttoning his shirt as he turned. “What are you thinking about, Mrs. Winters?”

I arched a challenging eyebrow. “You act surprised that I took your name. I kept my name, too. Isn’t that what compromise is all about?”

Aric shrugged. “I’m just messing with you,” he said. “I really don’t like that look on your face, though. What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure anything is wrong,” I said. “It’s just … stay here a second.” I walked into the bathroom, my mind swimming with possibilities and worry as I reached into the top drawer. My hand was closed around an item when I returned to the bedroom, and with each step my heart pounded harder.

“Zoe, you’re really pale,” Aric said, worry washing over his handsome features. “What is it? Please tell me you’re not sick again. We never did find out why that happened.”

“Hold out your hand.”

Aric wordlessly did as instructed, narrowing his eyes as I dropped the white pen-shaped item in his palm. Aric glanced at me and then studied the item. “What is this? Is this a pen? Why is there a plus sign on it?”

I bit my lip. “I … .”

Aric flipped the item over and read the product name on the back, color draining from his face as reality set in. “This is a pregnancy test.”

“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out, gripping my hands together. “I think that’s why I got sick.”

“But … you said that was impossible,” Aric said, dumbfounded. “You said … .”

“I know what I said. I was wrong.”

“Holy crap,” Aric said, his knees going out from under him as he sank to the end of the bed. “We’re going to be parents. I … holy crap!”

“Are you angry?”

“No,” Aric said, shaking his head.

“Are you happy?”

“Kind of,” Aric replied. “I think I might be in shock. I wasn’t expecting this.”

“That makes two of us,” I muttered.

“How did you know?” Aric asked, lifting his conflicted brown eyes to mine. “You had to know. That’s why you took the test.”

“I was curious about why I got sick,” I said. “I blamed it on Pemberley until he said it wasn’t him. Then all that other stuff happened, so I pushed it out of my mind. I didn’t get a chance to think about it again until last night.”

“And you just knew you were pregnant?” Aric asked, his voice climbing an octave. “Holy crap! We’re going to need a baby room.”

Of course he would focus on details like that. “I don’t know whether you’re happy or sad,” I said. “I need a sign.”

“I’m … confused,” Aric said, shaking his head. “When did you first suspect?”

“I don’t know,” I answered, flapping my hands as I paced in my trousseau. “It was at the back of my mind as this far-off possibility until last night. Then, well, I shared a memory with someone while we were sleeping … and it wasn’t you.”

Aric stilled, stunned disbelief washing over him. “You shared a memory with the baby? How? What did you see?”

“It was different,” I explained. “It wasn’t a memory as much as flashes of the past few days. I saw glimpses of you and me, but they came from a third point of view. They kind of came from lower, too. As if someone was looking up at us, in fact. That’s when I decided to take the test. Paris bought it when I was sick.”

“And the baby shared a memory with you,” Aric murmured, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “Holy crap,” he added, with slightly less shock.

“You need to pick something else to say,” I ordered. “I … do you not want it?”