Geek Groom (Forever Geek Trilogy #2) (8 page)

We exchange rings.

We sign the register.

We light a candle.

And then we stand there holding hands as we’re introduced to our friends and family.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Sharp-Carew. Jillian. You may kiss your groom.”

About bloody time.

R
eceiving lines are strange things. We are standing on the stone steps of the church while everyone is obligated to hug and kiss us and congratulate us before they are permitted to exit the building. It’s always struck me as odd. But now that I’m here, now that I’m the one getting the well wishes and the lipstick-stained cheeks, I sort of adore it. Not that I love being the centre of attention, but I’d be a liar if I said I’m not basking in this moment.

It’s not until a small gap appears in the throng of people milling around us that I’m able to see a police van (the paddy wagon, as it’s known) and two police cars from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary in the parking lot. The officers are standing around gabbing with some of the groomsmen as if they’re old friends.

“Why are there cops at our wedding?”

“I invited them.”

“When?”

“Oh Jillian,” Auntie Margery says, clutching my hands and kissing my cheek. “What a lovely wedding. And you.” She turns to Evan. “I don’t know what your mother did, but if a man like you existed when I was young, I wouldn’t have quit until I had you.”

Auntie Margery, you dirty bird!

As she moves off I repeat my question to Evan.

“After they finished chasing us, and decided not to arrest us for carrying concealed weapons—Thank you for coming in, Aunt Rose.”

And another kiss, this time from one of Evan’s relatives.

“I told you to call the RNC and see if you were allowed to wear those swords.” Aunt Rose might not be out of earshot but I don’t care. If I have to have this conversation with him peppered between kisses and hugs, I will.

“I know. But every time I called I was put on hold.”

“You told me it was okay.”

Don’t shriek. Be calm. Be the Jillian you know you can be. And watch out for Dr. Lester. He’s all hands.

“I ran into an RCMP officer one day and he said it shouldn’t be a problem,” Evan says with a shrug.

“The Mounties aren’t our cops!”

“I know. But I figured it would be fine.”

Dr. Lester, the head of my department, is shaking Evan’s hand while trying to wrap an arm around my waist. “If I could set a uniform for every female in the department, it would be that gown you’re wearing.”

“And if I could set a uniform for every male in the department, it would be a codpiece that locked.”

That shuts him up quickly.

After all the family and friends and officially invited guests have gone through, five guys and one woman in uniform make their way over to us.

“My apologies for the delay in your wedding,” the eldest of the group says. He’s the only one with a moustache, which means he’s likely been with the constab for twenty years or more. The rest of the officers with him look our age or younger.

“I’m surprised you didn’t send them all to the lock up,” I say, accepting his handshake. “Although I haven’t heard the full story yet. Maybe you can enlighten me?”

The officer, Constable Kennedy, laughs. “We got a call about a fight in Bannerman Park. Two calls, actually. One said it looked like they were armed. Another said it was a gang. I was in the area, and so was another car. Dispatch sent the van because of the gang report.”

“May I?” Evan asks.

“Please do,” the cop says.

“We’re in the park with the photographer and she’s having us do all sorts of stunts with the swords. And of course, we’re carrying on a bit too. And then we see a couple of police coming across the grass, slowly, yelling for someone to stop. Daniel looks behind us to see who they’re yelling at and he sees a couple of young fellas running. They look like hard cases, so Daniel takes off after them. And so we all do. We’re closer than the cops are and figure seven on two is a fair advantage.”

Gentle God. How were they not shot?

“Now, if I were first on the scene, I’d probably have recognized what had happened. But Owen here is a rookie, and needs to work on his scene evaluation skills. He radios in for backup and I come up the other side of the park.”

“Please tell me they weren’t running with their swords in the air.”

“No. If that were the case this story might not have ended so well. Luckily, not one of them was carrying his little fake sword. They all dropped them when they started running. Cadet Smith,” he looks towards the lone female, “was the one who put it together and radioed for a stand down.”

“But not before we came face to face with guns drawn,” Evan says, his voice a little shaky at that detail.

“No, sadly, not before that. We did take them in, and were wondering what the best course of action would be.”

“Did you call Dad?”

Please have had that much sense.

“You bet I did,” Evan says. “You can thank him and Constable Kennedy here for the fact we made it at all.”

“Those bloody swords.” I look at Evan’s waist where it should be hanging. “Where is yours?”

“They’re at the station. We can pick them up on Monday.”

“Is it illegal to have them?” My voice is a whisper.

“No,” the constable says. “But they were processed through evidence before we got everything worked out. And I can’t get them out for you until Monday.”

Finally I know the whole story. After a round of thanks and more apologies, and promises to behave for the rest of the evening and offers for them to come to the reception when they’re off duty, we are ready to move on from the church.

It’s not until we’re getting into the horse-drawn carriage that something dawns on me.

“Evan. Please tell me no one told them my mother stabbed your mother.”

There’s nothing reassuring in the smile he gives me.

“G
ood morning, wife.”

“Good morning, husband.” The light from the window above the bed shines down on us. Our first full day in Ireland is off to a bright start.

My phone vibrates on the night table and I reach out to grab it before Evan can snatch it away.

“No texting with Ingrid every moment of this honeymoon.”

“I’ll turn it off. Promise.”

And then I laugh. “Although this text isn’t for me. It’s for you.”

I hand him the phone so he can read it.

I: This message is for Evan. I slept with your brother.

“This isn’t good news for us, is it?”

“Has Daniel ever had a stable relationship?” I ask.

“He’s about as good with relationships as Ingrid is.”

“Then no. This isn’t going to go well for us at all.”

“That’s it. No more texts. Write her back and tell her to have fun and leave us alone till we’re home. Then we’re turning off that damn phone.”

Here’s what I really text her back.

J: If he’s as good as his brother, you’re in big trouble. Love you. Jill.

I turn the phone off and run a hand down Evan’s tanned arm. The man turns brown at the first sign of sun. “What do you propose we do today?”

Since he’s been to Ireland before, I’ve appointed him tour guide. He knows what I want to see and I’ve decided to just let him handle all the details. So long as it’s not all Vikings, all the time, I’m cool with whatever he has planned.

“Options for the day include puttering around town, driving down the narrow lanes at breakneck speeds, hitting one of your dozen must-see sites, or staying in bed, getting up only for food or other necessities.”

There’s so much I want to see and do. And we really should take advantage of this weather. Enough people have warned us that it could rain at a moment’s notice. But we’re hardy Newfoundlanders. A little bit of rain can’t stop us.

After yesterday’s flight and the drive to our Irish oasis, there’s nothing that sounds better to me than staying in bed with my hard-bodied, sexually skilled husband. Even the sound of sheep grazing outside the door doesn’t bother me.

“I vote for a bit of both. Sexy times and village strolls. How does that sound? And we can start with the former.” I reach across the bed and—well, you know. If I didn’t tell you in detail what happens in our bed when we were in the early lusty days of our relationship, I’m not going to share it with you now.

But you might find this new development interesting. We forgot to bring protection with us. And we really don’t care. Besides, no one really gets pregnant on their honeymoon, right?

HEART’S EASE SERIES

Now Available

Against Her Rules (Book 1)

Hard as Ice (Book 2)

Play Me (Book 3)

21st Century Rake (Book 4)

FOREVER GEEK TRILOGY

Coming Soon

Geek Dad (Book 3)

Now Available

Geek God (Book 1)

Geek Groom (Book 2)

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V
ictoria’s Heart’s Ease series is a fun, steamy romp set along the coast of rural Newfoundland. Learn more about the small town of Heart’s Ease and the people that fall in love on its windswept shores below. All books are available at your favourite e-retailer.

T
hriving business? Check. 

Sexual exploits with a rockstar? Check. 

Complete independence? Check. 

Elsie Walsh had it all. Or so she thought. Until Scottish hunk Campbell Scott showed up on the doorstep of her bed and breakfast. He’s making it pretty hard for her to stand by her one rule: No sleeping with the guests. She’s denied some of the world’s hottest actors, musicians, and even royals... but how can she keep Cam out of her bed, when he’s invaded her head and her heart? 

Campbell Scott went to the wilds of Newfoundland with one thing on his mind: sketch some birds, and then get back to his playboy lifestyle in London. But one look at his sexy hostess and there’s a whole lot more in the air than sea birds. Rejection isn’t part of his vocabulary, and Cam sets out to not only convince Elsie that he belongs in her bed, but by her side at the Heart’s Ease Inn.

T
he first time Daphne Scott met hunky hockey superstar Jack Walsh, she was hungover and more than a little irritable. Still, it was hard to deny that he was hotter than Adonis—even if he did know it. 

The second time Jack met the sexy Scottish beauty Daphne, he had a concussion and wanted nothing more than to get home to Heart’s Ease so he could recover. He didn’t expect the ice queen to become his best medicine. 

A whirlwind romance at the Heart’s Ease Inn seems like the best prescription for them both. Until the real world creeps in, forcing them to learn that making a long-distance relationship work is harder than either imagined. When their careers threaten to put half a world between them, they must make a choice. Have they taken on a task harder than the very ice he skates on?

W
hen sparks fly between sultry lawyer Fiona Nolan and sexy folk singer Dillon O’Dea, little do they know that they’re about to turn a long simmering family feud into an all out scorcher. 

From the moment she sets eyes on Dillon, Fiona knows that she's willing to play for keeps, even if it means upsetting her family. And when she takes on a case to defend one of her family’s enemies, will Heart's Ease ever be the same idyllic escape? 

Together, Dillon and Fiona fight back against one of the oldest conflicts in Heart’s Ease history, relying on the power of family and music to bring harmony back to the town.

R
ock superstar Asher Corbin is back in Heart's Ease. And he's not alone. This time he's brought the entire cast and crew for his upcoming film debut to the small town for a retreat back in time to the Regency period. 

Grace Nolan is thrilled to go to an honest-to-goodness Regency ball. But there she finds herself at the mercy of her deepest fantasy: a scandalous rake fresh out of the pages of her favourite historical romances. 

When Grace claims not to recognize the dashing celebrity, Asher seizes the opportunity to step out of his persona and explore life out of the spotlight. But when she finds out his secret, her response plunges them into a game of seduction neither had expected to find.