Love In A Nick Of Time (17 page)

Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went, and Samantha and Allen still weren’t married. Mary wasn’t able to set up a civil ceremony until December 31st. Allen was frustrated with the whole process and suggested on numerous occasions that they just fly to Vegas to get married. Samantha welcomed the extra time to ensure that Kevin and Debra could attend the ceremony and it gave her more time for Allen’s surprise.

Allen wasn’t too thrilled about her spending last night at her house to have a girl’s night with Jenna, Connie, and Debra. She even invited friends from her e-mail group. She had to promise him that there wouldn’t be a margarita in sight. Samantha convinced him that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride the night before the wedding. It also gave her the time she needed to check final arrangements for the party at the hotel. She booked a floor of suites at the Hilton, which was no easy task for New Year’s Eve; she had to call in a lot of favors.

Today was more than just her wedding day, today she would give Allen a present that he’d been longing for most of his life, his family. Samantha sat in the tub on her wedding day thanking the Lord for her blessings. She never thought the day would come that she would find the love of her life or even entertain the idea of marriage.

Allen smashed every one of her fears about marriage and children. He made her realize that just because her parents failed her and Kevin didn’t mean that they would fail their children. Her man is fierce and stubborn, but his heart is pure. He embraced her friends and treated them like his, and he moved his office to Omaha just to be with her.

When Allen told her about his natural mother and how he came to be adopted by the Archer’s she sensed a need in him to know where he came from. Why did his mother leave him at the orphanage never to return? Samantha laid the groundwork determined to find out what happen to Allen’s mother. After her initial search she hired a private investigator to follow up her leads. Samantha even submitted Allen’s DNA to a testing lab so the families she’d been in contact with could get tested as well. After months of researching, texting, and emailing families looking for missing children from Vietnam, one of the families was a match.

She received a call from the lab on Monday about the DNA match and had the family contacted immediately. Her investigator provided her with the background information on the family. Hong Hanh and Charles Coleman, Allen’s natural parents were married in Vietnam before his birth and made their home in Washington DC all this time. Charles Coleman was a marine stationed in the Bingh Long Province during the Vietnam War; he was injured in a skirmish and lost one of his legs. He was sent back statewide not knowing what had happened to his wife and son.

Hong Hanh left her son in the care of her Aunt who worked at one of the orphanages near the Cambodia border. Knowing that her son was cared for gave her the freedom to search for her husband, but no one would tell her that Charles had been injured and sent home. She went back to collect her son to find that her aunt had died from a sniper’s bullet and that her son and the other orphans had been moved to another location fifty miles away. She never saw her son again and wouldn’t be reunited with her husband for another three years.

Although the Coleman’s never stopped searching for Allen, they did settle down in the states and try to have some type of life. They never stopped searching for their oldest. Hong Hanh and Charles have three other children, two boys and a girl: Mark, Darren, and the baby of the family, Janice. Samantha wanted to include the Coleman’s in the ceremony somehow, but they respectfully decline not wanting to spoil Allen’s surprise.

The Coleman’s would be at the New Year’s Eve party tonight. They arrived in Omaha yesterday. She had the whole family flown in with the exception of Mark a naval officer who was on duty and couldn’t make it. Samantha, Jenna, and Connie met with all of them yesterday and provided them with information about Allen, his company, and recent photos of him.

Upon meeting the Coleman’s Samantha was filled with anticipation and dread. Was she doing the right thing? All of her fears were set to rest when she met them at the hotel. Hong Hanh was petite woman with dark eyes, salt and pepper hair, and her face appeared calm and serene until she smiled, then the whole room lit up.

Charles was tall and slender, and his hairline was beginning to recede. Like Allen he too wore his hair cropped closed to his head. Samantha could see the similarities between Allen and his parents, he had his mother’s smile and mannerisms and his father’s height and dark eyes. She also saw in their eyes the suffering they endure for thirty years as they searched for their missing child.

Janice was the spitting image of her mother although she was a little taller and wore her hair longer. She brought her husband Jeffrey and their twin daughters Karen and Sharon. The two little girls couldn’t have been more than six years old. Their laughter was contagious making her want to laugh too. Darren was a younger version of Allen, he was just as tall, maybe even taller, but he didn’t have Allen’s arrogance and confidence.

Samantha welcomed Allen’s family and tried to make them feel at ease as she told them her plans for Allen to meet them at the New Year’s Eve party. She could tell that his family was anxious too, they were probably worried that Allen would deny them or wouldn’t want to know them. She tried to assure them that in finding them he would finally be whole. Now all Samantha had to do was keep Allen occupied after the ceremony so he wouldn’t become suspicious.

“Hey girl, are you going to spend all day there or are you going to get married?”

Samantha, pulled out of her musings, quickly got out of the tub and dried herself off. “I’m coming!” She quickly put on her bra, panties and thigh highs. She had her hair up for the occasion. She quickly applied her makeup, and put on her jewelry. Allen would never forgive her if she was late and they had to reschedule the ceremony. She opened the bathroom door and saw Connie and Jenna who of course were already dressed. This felt like déjà vu, when she and Connie helped Jenna get dressed for her wedding.

“Come on girl shake a leg.” Connie removed the protective plastic surrounding Samantha's silver brocade Anne Klein suit. She helped Samantha get dressed while Jenna helped her with the checklist. The notched collar and single buttoned suit fit her like a glove, the pencil skirt ended right above her knee.

“Okay. Something old?”

“I have on my pearls.”

“Something new?” Samantha showed Jenna the gold bracelet that Connie and Jenna gave her last night.

“Something borrowed.”

“Debra gave me this lace handkerchief.”

“Something blue?”

“I’m wearing Laura’s garter that you wore on your wedding.” She slipped on her shoes and looked at her appearance in the full-length mirror by the window. “Ladies, in less than an hour I will be Mrs. Allen Archer.”

“For corn sakes look at the time!” We’ve got less than forty-five minutes to get you to the courthouse or you’ll miss your appointment and I’m sure Allen will blame me and Connie.

“What about the rings?”

“Mike’s got the rings.” Connie grabbed Samantha’s hand and pulled her out the door. “Get your ass out of the house now; we don’t have any time to waste.”

***

They made it to the judge’s chambers in a nick of time, just in time to hear the county clerk call them into the chamber. Of course everyone else was there waiting for their arrival. “Hey don’t look at me it’s not my fault it took Connie so long to find a parking spot.”

Connie’s mouth dropped open. “If Jenna and I hadn’t been at your house dressing you, you’d still be sitting in the tub daydreaming.”

Allen looked so good in his black tailor made suit with a silver silk shirt and tie which matched Samantha’s suit. Love and desire rumbled in the pit of her stomach as she stared at her husband to be. Allen winked at her and gave her a quick kiss before pulling her into the judge’s chambers.

Kevin went to console Connie before entering the chambers. “Don’t worry Connie, I didn’t believe Sam for a minute, waiting for her to get ready is like watching paint dry.”

Samantha couldn’t help but cry, how did she get to be so lucky? Mike stood next to Allen as Jenna and Connie took their places at her side. Kevin, Debra, and Mary brought up the rear to watch history-taking place. Two of the most unlikely people fell in love and sealed the bargain with a commitment to love and cherish each other for as long as they both shall live.

“By all the laws of God and the state of Nebraska I pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss your bride.”

***

They celebrated their wedding ceremony with an early lunch at the Courtyard. Samantha could barely eat her salmon salad; she was nervous and jittery in anticipation of tonight. She was having a hard time following the conversations around her; lucky for her that everyone else seemed willing to fill in the gap. She hated keeping secrets from Allen and he seemed to sense that something was wrong.

“What’s the matter sweetheart; you’ve barely touched your lunch? Allen rubbed his hand up and down her thigh trying to make her feel at ease.

Oh hell not only did she have a jittery stomach. Now she was horny. Last night was the first night that she and Allen had slept a part since her kidnapping. “I want to be alone with my husband,” she whispered in his ear before sucking his lobe.

Allen’s response was instantaneous. “Listen everyone, Samantha and I want to thank you for witnessing our marriage and celebrating with us today. We want to spend a little time together before the party tonight. I’m sure you all understand.”

Mike and Kevin gave Allen a ribbing about claiming his wife. Jenna tried to assure her that everything would be fine by giving her the thumbs up. Connie laughed and winked at her before waving goodbye. “Don’t forget the party starts at 10 p.m. sharp we have a lot to celebrate and I don’t want anyone to be late.”

“I promise that we will be on time this evening.” Allen hustled Samantha out of the restaurant and into the car.

“Well do you want to check in at the hotel or would you rather go home?”

“I don’t have the patience right now to check into a hotel, besides home is closer.” Allen liked saying that, home, he used to think that his house in Seattle was his sanctuary. Now he realized that it was just a placed where he laid his head at night.

His home was with his new wife, wherever Samantha is he’s at home. He was trying to concentrate on his driving which was damn hard to do with Samantha’s hand in his lap. “Unless you want to end up wrapped around a pole I suggest you get your hands away from my crotch.”

“I’m sorry baby the last thing I want to do is end up back in the hospital. I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.”

Five minutes later Allen pulled the car into the parking garage of their condo. “Okay Mrs. Archer here’s the deal; I’ll try to keep my hands off you until we get into our home. I would like nothing better than to keep you in bed for the rest weekend and the party be damned.”

They got out of the car and practically ran to the elevator, Allen impatiently pushed her inside. “Uhmm, Mrs. Archer, I like the sound of that.” She crowed Allen into the corner, unzipped his pants, took hold of his erection, and started massaged the tip with her thumb. “Do you realize how sexy it is to watch you cum? When we get home I can’t wait to take you into my mouth and taste your essence, and maybe that will tie me over until we make it to the bedroom.”

“Damn it Sam, there are cameras in this elevator!”

“I remember when you all but raped me in an elevator at Kevin and Debra’s wedding; you didn’t worry about cameras then.” Samantha continued her ministrations while sliding her other hand over Allen’s broad chest, she sucked his nipple through his shirt, knowing it would drive him nuts.

The elevator stopped on their floor and Allen zipped up his pants, grabbed both of her hands and pulled her out of the elevator. Forcing her into the hallway, he had the key into the lock in no time and pushed her into the condo. “You are in so much trouble!” Allen could feel the heat of lust rising throughout his body. He quickly disrobed until he was down to his pants. Samantha was taking her time teasing him as she gave him a tantalizing strip show.

Samantha dropped her coat on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and shed her wedding suit. She stepped closer to Allen wearing only her white satin and lace bra and panty set, thigh highs, and the blue garter. “I certainly hope so husband, I like the kind of trouble you bring.” She dropped to her knees and reached for his zipper determined to finish what she’d started in the elevator.”

“Oh no you don’t you’ve had your fun, but I’m running this show.” He stood Samantha up and easily hauled her over his shoulders and carried her to their bedroom. “You’ve been a bad girl, and you need to be punished.” He swatted her on the ass before dumping her on the bed.

Samantha licked her lips and she thanked her lucky stars for the beautiful warrior standing before her. “Punish me good baby, I’ve been a very bad girl.”

***

When Samantha woke up she was alone in the bed, she heard the shower running. When she touched Allen’s side of the bed it still felt warm, so he must have just left the bed. It was probably his absence that woke her up in the first place. Allen put some kind of spell on her because she didn’t sleep well unless he was in bed with her. His idea of punishment should be registered as a lethal weapon. Samantha got out of bed and put on her robe, she felt well loved and lethargic.