Three Wishes (58 page)

“Lily,” Nate cut into her rambling story, a story that for some reason Lily found hilarious but Nate most definitely did not.

“What?” Lily asked, screwing the top back on her mascara.

“I don’t find this amusing,” Nate told her.

“Well, of course not, you weren’t there. You had to
see
it to
believe
it,” she explained on a giggle, underlining her words with verve as she had been doing for the last half an hour. “I was
wrestling
on the
floor
in my
wedding dress,
” she reiterated a snippet of her infuriating story that she’d already told him, one of the many snippets Nate found he detested most of all.

“Even if I’d seen it, I wouldn’t find it amusing,” Nate replied.

“Well, I do,” she stated firmly and then she went on, saying words that shocked Nate even though he couldn’t imagine ever feeling shock again, he felt it at her words, “Nate, I don’t care what it says about me and I hope you don’t think less of me but here it is, I’m
glad
. I would have
paid
for that opportunity. I told you what she said, what
they
said, her and Jeffrey, about
you
and also about
Victor
. And then she slapped Laura. I was itching to get at her, slapping her
mother!
I just could
not
believe. What a
bitch!
”

That
snippet of the story, Danielle slapping Laura, was the one he detested most of all. He was pleased he’d not known that part when he’d been at the police station or, he had little doubt, he’d be the one in jail likely locked in a cell after committing double homicide.

“Do you think less of me?” Lily asked quietly, interrupting his thoughts.

“No,” Nate answered honestly.

“You’re sure?” she pressed.

“Absolutely.”

Silence, then in a bare whisper, she said, “I think I may have torn out some of her hair and I have to admit, I kind of feel badly about that.”

Finally, Nate laughed and after a few seconds, Lily joined him.

It took a moment but it registered on Nate that this was the first time they’d shared laughter. They’d shared many moments of amusement, smiles, grins, he’d made her laugh, she’d (far more often) made him laugh but never had they shared a moment like this.

And now he had a life before him that would be filled with these moments.

His laughter naturally died and once it did, he found her hand and brought it to his lips. He brushed them against her knuckles and then dropped their joined hands to his thigh but he didn’t let hers go.

“Do you think Victor arranged for a new time?” Lily asked, Nate glanced her way and saw that surprisingly she was relaxed, happy and not at all affected by her tumultuous day.

“Yes,” he replied, returning his eyes to the road.

“Well, if he hasn’t, please don’t be disappointed. We’ll reschedule and –”

“He’s done it,” Nate said firmly.

“If he hasn’t, then –”

“He has.”

“If he hasn’t –”

“Darling, he
has,
” Nate said in a tone that was unmistakably final.

“Okay,” she muttered then rebelliously, under her breath, she said, “but, if he hasn’t, I don’t care. I have you now, married or not, it doesn’t matter to me, just as long as I have you.”

He felt that becoming-familiar feeling of happiness surge through his chest, his hand squeezed hers but reluctantly he let it go so he could downshift and stop at a traffic light in Bath.

“So,” Lily changed the subject, “where are we going on our honeymoon?”

“It’s a surprise,” Nate replied, the traffic light changed and he moved forward, closing in on the Registry Office hopefully to find that Victor had succeeded in his task.

“Does it have a beach?” she asked.

“No,” he answered, deftly executing a turn in the heavy traffic.

“Does it have mountains?” Lily tried again.

“No,” he responded, feeling his lips twitch at her sweet interrogation.

“Is it in a foreign country?”

“Yes,” he told her.

“Italy?” she queried, hope in her voice.

“No.”

“France?” Lily went on doggedly.

“No.”

She seemed stymied as Nate pulled up outside the Registry Office. He parked on the double yellow lines and the Aston would stay there. They could ticket him, he didn’t care, he had millions of pounds. He’d happily pay a parking ticket or a hundred of them to shave off ten minutes of waiting to be married to Lily.

He got out and was rounding the car when she alighted from the other side.

“Please wait for me to open your door, Lily,” he requested softly when he made it to her.

“Switzerland?” she ignored his request and kept at her former topic and Nate threw back his head and laughed.

He brushed his lips against hers and escorted her to the pavement, saying a firm, “No.”

“Where are we going then?” She lost her patience and her eyes flashed but with happy frustration rather than true anger.

“I’m not telling you.”

She dug in her heels at the bottom of the steps to the entry. Victor and Fazire filled it as Lily looked up at Nate.

“I never said I wanted it to be a surprise Nate,” Lily stated then threatened, “I’m not going in there until you tell me.”

Without hesitation, for Nate no longer cared if it was a surprise or not if it meant he’d have to wait any longer to get married, he finally relented and told her, “Indiana.”

Lily’s head moved involuntarily and she blinked.

“You’re taking me to
Indiana
for our honeymoon?”

Nate slid his arm around her waist and pulled her toward his body. When he felt her softness hit him, he bent his head to hers and, their faces a breath away, he said, “I want you to see this property I purchased. It cost a fortune. The people living there didn’t feel like moving. In the end, I persuaded them. It’s a limestone farmhouse with marble window sills and a big pond in the front yard.”

Lily sucked in her breath and her eyes grew wide. Then he watched as they filled with tears and she leaned into him. Her hand went to his cheek, she whispered his name and he felt all the love in the world wash over him in that quiet whisper.

At his name on her lips said in that tone, Nate’s head descended the rest of the way and he kissed her through her tears.

“Lily!” Maxine yelled from somewhere near but Nate didn’t care where. “You’ll ruin your makeup!”

* * * * *

Fazire

“Nate, it doesn’t matter.” Lily said comfortingly to Nathaniel.

“It matters,” Nathaniel said curtly to Lily.

Fazire looked on.

“There’s nothing we can do. We have a full schedule,” the Registry Office person said, wringing her hands.

“Son, I tried,” Victor cut in and Fazire saw he looked completely dejected. Fazire knew the proud man
had
tried, he’d watched him. Victor had tried
everything
. He tried coaxing, he tried threatening, he tried bribing, and nothing worked.

“She was accosted in her living room and mistakenly carted away by the police!” Maxine shouted dramatically. “Surely you can make an exception for
that
.”

The Registry Office employee shook her head.

“But they’ve been waiting eight years.” Fazire heard Laura say, her voice so sad it made Fazire sad too or more sad than he already was. He was sad for Lily, for Nathaniel, for Tash, his glorious Tash who was looking on crestfallen, even for Laura and Victor who so wanted this for their family.

“Lily-child,” Fazire said softly, knowing what he had to do.

Lily didn’t look at him. She was staring up at Nate with love and concern shining in her eyes.

Fazire knew at a glance she had changed. Fazire knew that Nathaniel had healed her last night that Lily had healed Nathaniel, that her wish had finally come true, that they would finally find happiness. For the rest of his genie days, and there would be
many,
he would live happily with the knowledge that he’d created that for his Lily.

But Fazire was still sad, sad for himself, sad that he was to be leaving them, his adored Lily, his beautiful Natasha and this fine man he’d grown to respect.

“Lily-child,” Fazire repeated, his voice stronger and Lily turned to him, took one look and disengaged from her furious lover and moved to Fazire.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly, her hand light on Fazire’s arm, she was watching him closely, losing track of her own dire circumstances to worry about him.

“Use it,” Fazire said and he found, to his utter astonishment, his voice was croaky.

Oh, how the other genies would laugh if they ever heard
that
.

He cleared his throat and repeated, “Use it.”

“Use what?” she asked, her eyes confused.

Fazire nodded his head toward Nathaniel and Lily looked over her shoulder at her fiancée.

“I want a word with the Registrar,” Nate demanded.

“I’ve already spoken to the Registrar,
he’s
already spoken to the Registrar,” the employee pointed at Victor and Tash leaned heavily, despondently, against her father’s legs. Nathaniel’s hand came to his daughter’s shoulder reassuringly as the employee went on. “I’m
so
sorry. We’ll schedule a new date for you as soon as we can.”

Lily turned back to Fazire, her face pale and Fazire knew she understood.

“I can’t… we can wait,” she whispered, her eyes panicked.

“Look at them, Lily. Look at Tash. She thinks your Nathaniel can do anything. She thinks Nathaniel has a
different
kind of magic. To learn any different, Lily-child, you
know
it would break her heart.” Lily shook her head, this she did fervently, fear now filling her face and her fingers on his arm tightened as if she’d never let him go. “Look at them,” Fazire urged softly.

She shook her head again and she didn’t look but she knew, she
knew
and so did Fazire. He knew she’d do anything for Tash and he knew she’d do anything for Nathaniel.

Her other hand came up to take hold of his other arm.

“Fazire,” she whispered and then she moved close then closer, her arms locking around him.

“Use it, Lily-child,” Fazire murmured softly in her ear as his darling Lily shoved her face in his neck.

“I don’t want to. You’ll go away and you’re family. Family doesn’t go away until they
have
to go away and you don’t have to go away. You never have to go away.” Fazire felt his Lily’s body jolt then she whispered, “I love you Fazire.” her voice broke on his name and her arms went so tight, Fazire didn’t think he could breathe but luckily he didn’t have to breathe so he just let her hold fast.

“I love you too,” he replied, shocking himself because he meant it, he meant it to the depths of his cynical genie soul.

The genie council for Best Wish of the Century had been wrong.
Lily
was the best wish ever granted.

Ever. Since eternity.

“Use it,” Fazire repeated.

“No,” Lily denied.

“Lily-child,
use it,
” he begged and felt her body jolt again.

She was silent for long moments then he heard her request in a whisper, “If I do this, you must let Tash say good-bye.”

Fazire closed his eyes.

“No, I can’t bear… no.” It was Fazire’s turn for his voice to break and he heard Lily’s quiet hiccough of grief.

“If you go, I’ll miss you,” she was still whispering, her voice an ache.

“Use it, Lily,” Fazire pressed, not sure he could take much more.

“We’ll never forget you,” she went on and he knew she was delaying. He knew she was trying to think of another way.

“Please, Lily, now… use it.”

Her arms grew even tighter. “I’ll write a story and forever it will pass down in our family so everyone will know about you,” she promised. “How wonderful you are, how funny, how loyal –”

“Lily-child…” He felt moisture in his eyes and didn’t know what it was for a moment before he blinked it away. Then it dawned on him it was tears. Fazire, the great genie, was
crying
. He hoped that didn’t get out, he’d never, in eternity (literally), live
that
down. “
Use it,
” he implored and at the tone of his voice, Lily’s body stilled.

Then her face burrowed deeper into his neck and she spoke the words against his skin.

“Fazire, I wish to be married to Nathaniel McAllister, today, right here, right now, in the Registry Office in Bath.”

Fazire pulled gently out of her arms and she stood before him, eyes shimmering with tears locked with his, she lifted her hands up in front of her and held them clenched together in despair as her lips pressed tight against each other to fight the tears.

Then grandly, using his best genie voice, Fazire said, “Lily-child, your wish is my command.”