Saving Ever After (Ever After #4) (33 page)

She froze,
her lips unmoving beneath mine. The kiss only lasted a second, and when I
pulled away she wore a stunned and almost dreamy expression. “How’s that for
your kiss good night?” I chuckled and she frowned, snapping out of her slight
daze.

“That’s not
fair. I wasn’t ready. I want a re-do,” she said somewhat breathlessly. I
started to lean forward and she pressed her eyes closed in anticipation.
Instead of touching my lips to hers again, I placed a soft kiss on her head and
then tilted my forehead to rest against hers. Her eyes fluttered open in
disappointment.

“We have
time, Mia. You’re right and there’s so much more we both need to say and talk
about, but not tonight. Tonight was just perfect the way it was. We’ll save the
rest of those hard questions for another night.” I slipped the key card from
her fingers and inserted it into the lock, pushing her door open once it
flashed green.

“Goodnight
Mia,” I handed over the card.

“Night,
Chris.”

Mia

Another stolen smile. A
wink. A soft blush spreading over my cheeks. That was what my morning was like
as everyone rushed about the resort preparing for the ceremony about to take
place. Chris and I hadn’t gotten a chance to do anything more than smile across
the room at each other since we said good night outside my room last night. He
was right though, that it had been a perfect night just the way it was. I knew
we still had so much to work out, but he said we had time, and I believed him.

So, when the inevitable
bombardment of questions had come from the girls while we got ready this
morning, and then Kris when I saw him, I just told them we were still figuring
things out. It was about the only answer I had, and I didn’t want to share
everything that had passed between us. Last night was mine and Chris’. We’d
both been waiting a long time for it, and I wanted to hold on to it and keep it
to myself for a little longer. It was intense and personal and emotional and
overwhelming and more than I’d hoped for. It wasn’t for anyone else. At least
not right now.

There were only minutes
until guests would start filling up the ballroom. That meant it was almost time
for those of us in the wedding party to disappear into the lounges before the
ceremony started. We were all scrambling about, along with the same family
members who had helped with setup last night, to do one last check of
everything, ensuring that the ceremony and reception would go smoothly. Grandma
Helen and I had the task of checking in with the caterers in the kitchen.

“Have you seen that
mother of yours yet? Do you know if she’ll be here?” she asked me.

“Haven’t seen her yet.
Not even Sadie knows if she’ll show.” I wanted to say that I didn’t care either
way, that it wouldn’t affect me, but a part of me, a very small part was hoping
she would be here for Sadie. That maybe there was still a little bit of hope
for our mom. I wasn’t going to hold my breath or let it get to me, but she
would always be my mom, and there was a part of me that would never give up on
that, and I think Sadie felt the same way.

“Well if she shows and
starts stirring up any trouble, you just let me know,” she said quietly, like
she was letting me in on a secret, and then she held up her small purse that
matched the cream color of her long, floral print dress. It was the most
grandmotherly thing I’d ever seen her wear, yet it still had just enough flair
with the off the shoulder cap sleeves and soft but colorful pattern, to be
completely her. She pulled the little purse open just enough for me to peek
inside and see something shiny nestled between the tiny coin purse, all of her
prescription bottles and the can of mace which was bad enough but not what she
was trying to show me. It took me a second to realize the small object with
tiny prongs sticking out of one end was a compact stun gun with . . .  oh dear
Lord, she bedazzled it with sequins and rhinestones.

Oh. Shit.

Grandma Helen had a stun
gun. A STUN GUN!! A damn bedazzled stun gun!

“Where did you get
that?” Better question was what the hell was it doing in her purse at her
grandson’s wedding, but I figured I should start with where she got it.

“I ordered it online.
You can find anything online, and you can never be too careful nowadays. You
see all over the news that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Random
muggings and acts of violence and people kidnapping and trafficking human
beings.”

I didn’t even know what
to say. “You bedazzled it.” That’s about all I could get out.

“Well, of course I did.
Just because it’s a weapon doesn’t mean it can’t look pretty, and I figure it
will make it more humiliating when I get to use it on some mugger or
kidnapper.”

“Of course,” I said, not
sure how to feel about the fact that she had used “when” and not “if” like she
was counting on tasing some unsuspecting criminal.

“Also, I figure if
Eloise down at the senior center runs her mouth one more time about how she
managed to nab Gerry Orson after he was widowed last year, I’ll just give her a
little zap and that will shut her up.”

“I think zapping old
ladies for snatching up widowers is frowned upon,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but she has it
coming. She knew I had my eye on Gerry, and everyone knows that you need to
wait at least six months after the funeral before you make a move, but then bam!
Eloise jumped in after just four months. Four months! Can you believe the nerve
of that woman? She ought be ashamed of herself. Completely tactless and
disrespectful that woman is, so I figure she really has it coming, and I don’t
reckon there will be too many people who will disagree with me.”

I just shook my head. “I
think you should at least keep it put away for the wedding. It’s going to be
eventful enough without you giving someone an extra shock.”

“I make no promises if
your mother shows her face and starts throwing ‘tude around like she’s the
Queen of England or one of them Kardashians.”

I figured that was about
the best I was going to get from her, so I just had to hope Mom didn’t show up
and start “throwing ‘tude.”

I also figured I should
find a way to warn Ace that his grandma was packing. I doubted his parents were
aware of that.

We confirmed that
everything was good with the caterers and then made our way back from the
kitchen. Already I could see guests dressed in their best coming in the lobby
and then lining up to get past the security that had been hired to make sure no
one uninvited slipped in to the wedding. Grandma Helen was scanning the small
crowd waiting to be checked off the guest list and then allowed into the
ballroom.

“Did you hear
about the man, or I guess I should say boy, that Ruth brought to meet the
family at Mark’s sixtieth?” Ruth is Grandma Helen’s sister’s granddaughter and
a constant source of excitement in Grandma Helen’s life. Ruth’s in her late
thirties and things are never dull with her giving the family something to be
stirred up about. Apparently since her divorce two years ago, she’d been giving
them a lot to be stirred up about.

“He’s not
much older than her son! I think he’s about your age, but he sure had a nice bottom.
I got a little pinch and – oh, well you’ll see later. If things don’t work out
with you and the drummer, well I’m sure you could steal him away from Ruth.”

“I don’t
think I’ll be stealing Ruth’s man, Grandma.”

“Of course,
I saw you and that boy making eyes at each other all morning, but I’m just
saying, if he turns out to be an idiot and lets you get away, that Lee sure has
a nice backside. I think I’ll try to get another pinch.” She imitated reaching
out and grabbing at someone’s butt. “An old lady’s got to get her thrills
somewhere.” She grinned. “I’m counting on there being a lot of handsome young
men here today. Plenty of bottoms that need a good squeeze.”

Between the
stun gun and the butt pinching, it would be a miracle if no one got tased or
complained of sexual harassment today.

We slipped
back inside the beautifully decorated ballroom and Grandma Helen went to go
take her seat up front with Ace’s parents and the rest of his family. Ushers
were directing guests to other seats which were quickly filling, so that meant
it was time for me to get in place. I hurried back to the ladies lounge in the left
corner, where we would walk in from. The guys would be entering from the men’s
lounge in the opposite corner and we would meet in the middle and then walk
down the aisle in our pairs.

Jax, Vi,
Leila and Cait were already lining up with their bouquets when I joined them.
Ace’s adorable niece was also there, holding her basket of flowers waiting for
show time. I almost cried seeing Sadie with her veil in place, all ready to
walk down the aisle. She looked so gorgeous in her princess-like white dress
and hair all done up. We just smiled at each other, both of us blinking back
emotions. I grabbed my bouquet and took my spot at the front of the line and
then waited for the music to cue.

The ceremony
was beautiful and went off without a hitch. I cried when they exchanged their
vows, and then my big sister was officially married.

The huge
doors between the ballroom and the very grand and equally elegantly decorated
dining hall were opened and everyone transitioned in there for the reception.

There were
several times during the past few months that Sadie and Jaxyn had both come to
visit me in Seattle so that we could plan the wedding together. At the time,
I’d thought the seating arrangement we came up with in the dining hall was
great. All the small round tables that could each seat six were scattered
throughout the room and there was one long table at the head of the room for
the bridal party. The bride and groom positioned in the middle and their
respective groomsman and bridesmaids down their sides.

That meant
there were six people between me and Chris. Six people separating us. I
couldn’t even stare at him across the table because we were all in a line. I didn’t
think this arrangement was so great anymore, but I made it through the dinner
and the toasting, (me with sparkling cider) only tearing up slightly when it
was time for my toast. It was hard to put into words what my sister meant to me
and how happy I was for her.

Then the
bride and groom had their moment to share their first dance before Sadie danced
with Dad and Ace danced with his Mom and then Grandma Helen. I was dragged out
on the dance floor by Spade since it was expected that the best man and maid of
honor would join, and then pretty soon more couples filled up the dance floor.

“So, you and my boy,
Chris?” Spade grinned down at me while he twirled me on the hard wood. My pink
champagne, chiffon dress swirled at my knees as I chuckled.

“If that’s what he wants
for as long as he wants it,” I answered, looking up at him to try and read his
expression. The band was close. The four of them were just as much brothers as
Ace and Marcus were or Bas and Chris were. It mattered to me what Spade thought
about me and Chris.

 He looked thoughtful
for a second, and I grew slightly nervous. “You know, Katrina was a real
classy, sexy girl. Successful, independent and mature.” I almost tripped at his
words. My stomach fell a little and my face heated with embarrassment. I knew
he wasn’t the kind of guy to pull punches, and I knew he had reasons to doubt
that I would be good for Chris, but I hadn’t expected him to be so blunt.

“But I always thought
she was such a boring, stuck up, tight ass. Not at all right for Chris,” he
finished.

My head shot up and he
smirked.

“You, you’re way more
his style, and as for how long you’ll be what he wants, judging from the way
he’s looking at you right now and coming over here to steal you from my arms,
I’m thinking I shouldn’t bury this damn penguin suit in the back of my closet.
I’m probably going to need it again.”

My head whipped over my
shoulder, and sure enough Chris was striding toward us with purpose. A warm
smile spread across his face when our eyes met. He looked so damn good in that
tux, and I’d been waiting all morning and afternoon for the moment when he
would get to take me in his arms again. I was done with waiting. So done that I
didn’t even wait for him to officially cut in before I pulled out of Spade’s
embrace and rushed into Chris’.

He chuckled and dropped
one hand to my hip, taking mine in his other hand, “So I guess I don’t need to
ask if I can have this dance.”

“It’s yours. They’re all
yours.”

“I was hoping you would
say that.”

He twirled, spun and
dipped me until I thought my face was going to split from grinning so hard.
Then the song changed and the music slowed down even more and he pulled me
closer. Both of his hands rested on my hips, mine were locked together behind
his neck, and every inch of our bodies was pressed together. His movements were
soft, slow and sensual, lighting me on fire and making all of my senses hum
with acute awareness.

“You look beautiful,
Mia. I know we still have a lot to talk about, but I need you to know that
there has never been anything more beautiful than you, in that dress, smiling
up at me.” He’d timed that perfectly just before my Dad approached to cut in so
that I didn’t even have time to properly swoon or tell him how damn good he
looked in that tux, and how I could smile up at him for hours because he was
the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen and I was insanely, completely,
irrevocably in love with him. I’d just have to remember to tell him all that
later.