And I Love Her (18 page)

My great-grandfather finally went to the bathroom so Prudence returned to me. As soon as she was within reach, I pulled her to me. “Is he talking your ear off?”

She smiled. “He’s really fascinating—and cute. And he loves my accent.”

“The Matthews have good taste in women.” I rubbed my nose against hers. I was never affectionate in public, at least with my past girls, but Prudence was different. I hardly touched Sharon when other people were around.

“We’re still here…” Denver said.

‘Then go away.” I still looked into Prudence’s eyes.

Denver rolled his eyes then walked away. “Fucking pussy…”

My father followed him. “Leave him alone. He’s in love.”

When they were gone, I gave her a gentle kiss. I could kiss her all day. Wine was still on her lips, and I tasted the bitterness.

“Maybe we should tone it down, babe,” she whispered.

“No.” I tightened my hold on her waist. “How do you like my family?”

“They are wonderful.”

“They all love you.”

“I don’t know about that…” She looked down.

I grabbed her chin and lifted her gaze back to mine. “They do. I can tell.”

“There are other people at this party, you know.” My mom appeared holding a flute. She wore a cream colored dress with matching pearls. She looked radiant like she always did. I knew my sister got her looks from her.

“Not to me.” I pulled Prudence to my side.

My mom studied us for a moment before she looked at my face. “I’m very happy for you, honey.”

The comment was unexpected. Did she mean it? She knew our marriage wouldn’t last. “Thank you.”

She looked at Prudence. “We need to plan this wedding.”

“I know…” Prudence fidgeted in place. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“That’s what I’m for.” She touched her on the shoulder. “If you want me, of course.”

“That would be great,” Prudence said. “I don’t know anything about weddings.”

“Great! We’ll start right away. At least we have the venue down. That’s the most important part.”

My great-grandfather returned to Prudence’s side, leaning on his walker. “There you are.”

She smiled and hooked her arm through his. “You want to sit on the patio so you can finish your story?”

“That would be lovely.”

She escorted him outside to the backyard. I watched her go, feeling my
heart burn.

My mother stared at me the whole time. “You guys aren’t pretending anymore.”

“Excuse me?”

My mother was nearly my height, especially in heels. She was very tall, but extremely thin. Her modeling photos were still around the house. Even in her fifties, she was beautiful. I knew Prudence would age just as gracefully. “This isn’t a scam anymore, Cash. She loves you and you love her. And I’m very happy for you.”

“You think she loves me?”

“I know she does. Why hasn’t she told you that?”

“Because she doesn’t…”

“I don’t believe that. Just ask her.”

“Umm…”

“She can’t lie, right?”

“No.”

“Then do it, Cash.”

“And if she says no?”

“You make her fall in love with you.”

I smiled. “Easy for you to say. You always get your way.”

“Because I don’t take no for an answer.” She stared me down. “I want that girl to stay in this family. I’ve fallen in love with her and I don’t want to deal with the heartbreak of losing her. So you make it happen, Cash.”

She was always such a hardass.

“I’m watching you.” She turned away and mingled with the crowd, leaving me standing alone.

Clark appeared by my side. “It’s a lovely party.”

My mood immediately turned sour. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.” I wondered when Sharon was going to throw us under the bus, but if she had I doubt Clark would be here right now.

“Your fiancé looks beautiful.”

“She always does.”

“So, when’s the wedding?”

“Two weeks.”

He drank from his glass. “I’ll mark it on my calendar.” He stepped away and disappeared into the crowd. The stress fell on my shoulders when I realized the weight of the situation. I was risking a lot for Prudence. But even if everything crashed and burned, I would do it again in a heartbeat. There was no doubt.

Chapter Twenty-One

♬

Prudence Clearwater

Since I’ve never planned a wedding before, I didn’t realize how much work it was going to be. Even when Cash’s mom and sister helped, it was still overwhelming. And two weeks was really cutting it close.

When we went to the bridal parlor, I tried on dress after dress but didn’t see anything I liked. Finally, his mother picked something I loved. It was a strapless gown that was tight on my waist and hips. It was plain, with a faint embroidery, but I loved it. It was simple, just like me. One look at it told me Cash would love it.

“You’re so beautiful,” Mrs. Matthews said as I walked out. “That’s the one.”

McKenzie smiled. “My brother is going to rip that off of you so fast.”

I blushed at her comment then looked in the mirror one more time. I grabbed the price tag and saw the amount. It was a fortune. But I just got paid and I had to have this dress. Even if the marriage ended in divorce, it was still the most special day of my life.

After we got the dress, we ordered the cake and flowers. Cash and I were splitting the cost of the wedding right down the middle. He insisted on paying for everything, but I refused. This was his second wedding and it wasn’t even real. And I didn’t back down until I got my way. But I did give him a nice blowjob as a thank you.

Mrs. Matthews handled most of the planning. Since she was no longer working, she had a lot of time on her hands. Cash and I were both busy with work when we weren’t planning the wedding. And when we had a moment to ourselves, we were usually in the bedroom.

As the wedding came closer, I became increasingly nervous. We hadn’t heard anything from Sharon or Clark. And the wait was the worst part.

“She’s probably waiting until the wedding,” Cash said. “That way she can embarrass us at the same time. Well, embarrass me.”

I sincerely hoped he was wrong
.

The night before the wedding, Mrs. Matthews invited me to stay with her. But I really didn’t want to. Cash offered to leave but that still didn’t fix the problem.

He held my hand while we sat on the couch. “I can go to Denver’s.”

“No.”

“You’re welcome to stay with my mom.”

“Why can’t we be together?” This could be our last night together. Tomorrow, I might be escorted back to England. Cash could be thrown in jail.

He read my mind. “Is that what you want?”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“Of course it is.”

“Then I’m not leaving,” I said firmly. “You can get ready at Denver’s tomorrow. But I’m sleeping with you.”

He smiled. “That sounds good to me.”

I moved into his lap and held him for a long time. It was hard to enjoy the moment when we were both so depressed. Neither one of us thought this plan would go through.

♫

Cash left early the next morning after a long kiss goodbye. It was our wedding day but it was hard to be happy. Not when we were so scared.

“I can’t wait to marry you,” he said as he held me.

“Neither can I.” The emotion overcame me and I tried not to cry.

He kissed my forehead. “I’ll see you down the aisle.”

“Okay.”

He kissed me again. “And I know you’re going to look hot.”

I chuckled at his comment. He tried to make me feel better and it worked. “Bye.”

As soon as he left, Jeremy came over. He was walking me down the aisle and acting as my maid of honor. When I asked, he immediately said yes, no questions asked. Since all my friends were in England, and the people who I thought were my best friends despised me, I had no one to stand by my side. But of course, I always had Jeremy.

“Let’s get started,” he said. He wore his tux. The red rose stuck out of his pocket.

I took a moment to stare at him. “You look so handsome.”

He smiled. “Thank you. I can only imagine how beautiful you’ll look.”

“I don’t look beautiful now?”

He shrugged. “You’ve looked better.”

I hit his arm. “Help me get ready.”

Jeremy helped me into my dress and did everything I asked. When I did my makeup, he answered the door and directed the caterers and the decorators. I didn’t want to see anyone before the wedding because it was too hard. I was too scared. Jeremy acted as my bodyguard and kept everyone out.

When I was done, I examined myself in the mirror. I left my hair down because I knew Cash loved it. My makeup was light because I didn’t like wearing it as much as possible. I wore the necklace Cash gave me, and it matched the ring on my finger.

As I stared at the mirror, that’s when my depression hit. Even if Clark didn’t catch us, this relationship would end in pain. Cash would leave me and divorce me because this relationship didn’t mean anything to him. I’d be heartbroken and alone forever. It hurt so much that I had to sit down.

Jeremy came to my side. “What’s wrong?”

I took a deep breath. I couldn’t cry because it would ruin my makeup. But my heart hurt so much it felt like it was bleeding. “It’s just…hard.”

Jeremy stared at me and waited for me to elaborate.

“I just…know it’s going to end in a year. That makes it difficult.”

He put his hands in his pockets. “Why?”

I was tired of hiding it. “You know why…”

“You love him.”

“It’s so fucking obvious, Jer.”

He didn’t gloat. “It is.”

I took another deep breath. “But he’ll never feel the same.”

“Why do you think that?”

“He told me.”

“When?”

I couldn’t recall the specific time. “When we first met.”

“Six months ago. A lot can change in six months.”

“Not Cash.”

He shook his head. “You’re so blind. How can two people be so blatantly honest to each other but miss that?”

“What?”

“That you two love each other.”

I shook my head. “He would have told me if he did.”

“Just like how you told him?” he said sarcastically.

“Jeremy, please don’t make this harder on me.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll be right back. I need to get your veil.”

I stared at him in the mirror until he shut the door. Then I sat down and controlled my breathing, knowing I had to follow through with this decision even if it broke my heart.

Chapter Twenty-Two

♬

Cash Matthews

I took my place down the aisle and stared at everyone in the audience. Five hundred people were sitting on the white chairs that faced the ocean. The sky was clear and the wind was tame. The weather couldn’t be more perfect.

Denver was my best man just like last time. He clapped my shoulder every few minutes to give me support. But that wasn’t necessary. I had cold feet with Sharon, and for good reason, but that wasn’t the case with Prudence.

Clark was in the audience. His eyes were fixed on me the entire time. I ignored his look and waited for my bride to come to me. Even if this didn’t mean anything to her, it meant something to me.

Jeremy walked down the aisle then grabbed my arm. “Can I have a word?”

“Everything okay?”
Was Prudence reconsidering?

“Yes. I Just need a moment alone with you.”

“The wedding is about to start.”

“This is too important to wait.” He led me down the aisle until we entered the house. Waiters were everywhere so there wasn’t a single place to go. Jeremy pulled me into the bathroom then locked the door.

This didn’t look right…

Jeremy gave me a serious look. “You and Prudence have been living together for awhile. And it’s pretty damn obvious you two are madly in love. You aren’t faking it anymore. It’s real.”

Where was this going?

“I don’t understand how you both can be so equally blind to the other person’s feelings. But somehow you managed it. My sister has never been very bright. I don’t know what your excuse us.”

“What’s your point?”

“You haven’t told her how you felt. And you need to do it now.”

“This is the worst possible time.”

“No, it’s not,” he snapped. He started to get angry. “If you want her and you love her, she has the right to know. Not tomorrow, not in a few months, and not next year. Go up there and be honest like you promised. This circus show has gone on long enough.”

I took a deep breath. “You really think I should?”

“If you don’t, I’m going to scream. Do it, Cash.”

“Did she say something to you?” My heart surged with hope.

“Just go talk to her.” He unlocked the bathroom and stepped out. “I’ll stall to give you time.”

Shit. I was really doing this.
But I knew her brother was right. I should have told her long before. If she didn’t want to marry me, that was her choice. But damn, that didn’t make it any easier.

But when I reflected on our time together, I thought I saw the same love I felt in her eyes. Every touch, every kiss said otherwise. Maybe she was just as in love with me but she was afraid to admit it. Or it was just wishful thinking…

But either way, I was going to do it and hope for the best. If she said yes, it’d be the greatest day of my life. If not, well…I’ll deal with that if it happens. I took a deep breath then headed to the stairs. When I arrived at her door, I knocked gently.

“
Jer?”

“It’s Cash.” My heart was pounding so
hard, I felt it in my chest.

“Come in.”

Fuck. Here it goes.
I opened the door then looked at her. I knew she’d look beautiful in anything, but she was extremely gorgeous. The white dress fit her perfectly. Her face was painted but it wasn’t excessive. She was a dream. My dream.

“Is everything okay?” Concern was in her eyes.

I forgot to speak because she dazzled me so much. “No…”

“What is it?” She lifted her dress and came closer to me.

“Can I say how beautiful you look first?”

She looked down at herself then blushed. “Thank you…”

I’ve never been so scared in my life. I took her hand. “There’s something I need to tell you. And I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

“Okay…” Her breathing increased. I could tell she was scared.

“When we agreed to this relationship, I said I didn’t want anything serious. We’d have fun then go our separate ways. And I said I would never love you….well, that was a lie.”

Her eyes started to bubble with tears.

“I don’t know when it happened. It just did. When you were about to leave for London that’s when I decided to tell you the truth. I had a friend from Capitol Records come to the show so I could introduce you. Afterwards, I was going to tell you everything…but you left.

“I searched for you for months. I stayed with Jeremy for weeks looking for you. Neither one us knew where you went. As soon as I found you, I was going to tell you every feeling in my heart. But when I did find you…I thought you were with Dean. And that was too much for me to think about. Then you said you wanted to marry him at one point. That’s when I knew you didn’t love me, and you probably never would.

“After spending months with you, making love to you, kissing you, telling you every secret I’ve ever hoarded, that love only grew. Now I’m desperately, insanely in love you.”

Tears bubbled and one escaped down her cheek.

“I still don’t know how you feel, but I’m going to take a risk and hope for the best. There are times when you cling to me when we make love that tell me something more profound is underneath the surface. There are times when you kiss me and I feel your lips tremble with longing…and sometimes you look at me like you love me. And when you refused to be with Gavin, that made me question everything.

“If you don’t feel the same way, I still want to get married, if you are willing. But if you do feel the same, which I sincerely hope…please tell me.” I took a deep breath and waited for her response.

Prudence didn’t say anything. The tears fell down her face and she wiped them away. Were they tears of sadness or joy? I patiently waited.

She grabbed my face and kissed me hard on the mouth. “Of course I love you. I’ve always loved you…”

My heart burst at her words. Every dream I had came true. She was mine. She was really mine. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought you didn’t feel the same.”

I felt my own tears emerge. “Fuck, we are so stupid.”

She laughed even though she was still crying. “I fucking love you, Cash.”

“I love you too.”

Prudence held me close and sobbed for a moment. “I’m so happy…”

“Not as happy as I am.” I couldn’t control my emotion. A tear escaped and fell down my face. But I didn’t care. This was the greatest moment of my life. I held her for a long time, feeling her shake in my arms. Every one was waiting for us downstairs but I didn’t care. Nothing else mattered but she and I.

Prudence pulled away then pressed her face to mine.  “What do we do now?”

I knew what she was really asking. “I’m in love with you and I don’t want anyone else for the rest of my life. I’ll be at the end of the aisle if you still want to walk down it.”

“Yes. Yes.”

I smiled. “You’ll marry me?”

“Are you proposing?”

“Yes.”

“I’d be honored to spend the rest of my life with you.” The tears still glistened in her eyes.

I kissed her forehead. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world. I was just a shadow of what I am now. Every girl meant nothing. Every night alone was unbearable. But then you came into my life and brought the light with you, brightening the dark crevasses of my heart.”

“Cash…”

I kissed her again. “Let’s get married.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door.

She squeezed my hand as we headed down the stairs. But when we turned the corner, an argument was taking place. Jeremy was standing in front of Clark, blocking the staircase.

“You can’t go in there!”

“It’s a scam.” Clark held the phone in his hand. “I have proof right here!”

Fuck. This can’t be happening.

Jeremy turned when he saw me. “I don’t know what to do. I bribed him with millions but he wouldn’t take it.”

“And I should arrest you for it,” Clark snapped.

He marched to Prudence and I. “I’m calling this in. I told you I would bust you.”

Fuck. Everything was ruined.
I turned to Prudence and saw the despair on her face. She clung to me and refused to let go.

Clark pulled out his phone, getting ready to dial.

I held up my hand. “Please let us get married before you call it in. Please. Have mercy.”

“What?” He looked at me like I was crazy.

“I know I’m going to jail but I want to marry her before I do. I won’t be there forever, and when I get out, I’m joining her in London.”

Her eyes widened. “Cash…”

“I’m not living without you. I spent my entire life looking for you and I’m not letting you go.”

“What about your job?” she asked.

“I don’t care, baby. That means nothing without you anyway.”

She started to cry. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I held her for a moment so she would calm down. Then I turned back to Clark. “Please let us get married. You can wait fifteen minutes before you call it in.” I held his gaze. “Please.”

Clark held the phone in his hand then watched the two of us. Then he sighed. “You were clearly lying before but you obviously aren’t now.” He returned his phone to his pocket. “Congratulations.” He opened the door then left the house.

I couldn’t believe that just happened.

Prudence jumped into my arms and held me close. “Oh my god…”

I held her tightly.

Jeremy smiled. “Good thing I was here to pull your heads out of your
asses.”

Prudence and I were too happy to care.

“Let’s get this wedding going,” Jeremy said. “Everyone has been waiting.”

I pulled away and kissed her. “I’ll be at the end of the aisle.”

“Okay.”

I reluctantly let her go and took my place on the beach, waiting for my bride to join me.