Forever Wishes (Montana Brides, Book 4) Page 19

The neighbors stared at the bridal party racing toward the Daimler.

  Emily jumped in the front seat beside Jake. “Put your foot to the floor,” she yelled. “We’re late for a wedding.”

  ***

  There wasn’t a dry eye in the Church when Samuel Edwin Delaney exchanged wedding vows with Nicoletta Elizabeth Scotson.

  Erin gazed in awe at the look of complete adoration on Sam’s face as Nicky slipped his wedding band along his finger. A soft sigh escaped her lips when he bent forward to lightly kiss his bride’s cheek.

  She glanced at Jake. No one looking at the tall, handsome, male in pew four would realize he was seriously allergic to marriage. She sent him a cheeky smile and he winked back. Life could be so unfair sometimes.

  Emily gave her a nudge and whispered, “Hey, daydreamer. Bouquet.”

  Erin frowned and followed Emily’s gaze down to the two bouquets she clutched in her hands. “Oh, thanks.” She handed Nicky’s flowers back to her and moved toward the side of the church for the signing of the marriage certificate.

  Before the service, Jake had done a quick scan of the layout. Nicky had memorized his directions for the quickest route to the bathroom. When Erin moved forward to add her signature to the marriage certificate, Nicky made good on Jake’s plans, taking off toward the back of the room. More than one anxious head turned to stare at the ball of satin and tulle, speed-walking down the side aisle of the church. Soft laughter echoed around the Church when the minister assured everyone that the bride had already signed on the dotted line.

  The rest of the service went without a hitch. Nicky and Sam smiled radiantly, posing in front of the altar for photos after the priest announced them man and wife.

  As she walked out of the church, Erin wondered if this would be as close as she ever got to saying, “I do.” After smiling another hundred times for more photos, she was almost glad this might be the closest she got to marriage.

  She walked across to Jake, hoping to dodge the photographer for a few minutes. “Move over handsome, this girl needs a seat.”

  Putting his hands on her waist, he pulled her down squarely on his lap.

  Erin grinned when he moved his arms around her middle, anchoring her to him. Wiggling to get more comfortable earned her a growl in her ear.

  “If you keep moving around like that, both of us are going to get mighty uncomfortable.” He nipped the bottom of her earlobe with his teeth and she gave him an extra special wiggle.

  Emily walked over and stood beside them. With her hands on her hips and a twinkle in her eye, she said, “None of that hanky-panky here, you two. My sister just got married and my best friend is canoodling in the corner. It’s enough to make a single girl weep.”

  Erin laughed at Emily’s pouty expression. “Is this the same woman who entertained half a basketball team in a white negligee in the middle of a restaurant?”

  “Gotta keep my options open. And I’m happy to report that one of those options turned out to be rather delicious.” With a wide-eyed, innocent expression on her face, Emily asked, “How did the toga work out for you guys?”

  Erin felt her whole body turn red as she remembered just how well the toga had worked out for them.

  Jake laughed in her ear. “Let’s just say the toga was an inspired costume choice.”

  Giggling at the wink Jake directed her way, Emily said, “Happy to be of help, handsome. But what I really came to tell you is that the photographer’s ready for the outdoor shots. I hope you’ve got your cowboy boots ready, because you’re going to need them.”

  ***

  After a hilarious hour of staged and impromptu wedding photos at Nicky’s parents’ ranch, the bridal party left for the wedding reception in Bozeman.

  Erin frowned as she watched Jake indicate to turn right onto the highway. “You’re going the wrong way. Bozeman’s on the left.”

  He glanced across at her before looking back to the road. “There’s been a slight change of plans.”

  Emily was sandwiched in the backseat between Bill and Martin, the two best men.

  “Jeez, Emily. Watch where those hands are going.” Martin rubbed the top of his thigh where she’d planted her hand as leverage to twist in her seat.

  “Sorry.” Looking out the back window at the bridal car, Emily said, “Sam’s turning this way as well. What’s going on?”

  Glancing in his rearview mirror, Jake smiled at the confused scowl on Emily’s face. “All will be revealed in about fifteen minutes.”

  “I’m not very good at surprises.” She looked at her backseat buddies. “Come on guys. Give us a clue.”

  Martin laughed. “We’re sworn to secrecy. You’re going to have to wait.”

  “Waiting isn’t one of my strong points.”

  “No kidding,” Martin scoffed. “You could’ve fooled me. Ouch. Keep those elbows to yourself.”

  “So sorry. Must have been a nervous twitch.”

  He grunted.

  Erin looked at Jake. “We’re going to Nicky and Sam’s, aren’t we?”

  “Yep.”

  “Cool.” Emily perked up. “I wondered what you guys had been up to. Come on, Mr. Hotshot Lawyer. I had to live with Nicky for four days thanks to Sam’s out-of-bounds ruling. Can’t you just give us a teeny-tiny clue?”

  Jake smiled. “Nope.”

  Emily glared at the back of his head.

  As they stopped outside Nicky and Sam’s house, Emily made an impatient sound in the back of her throat. “Come on bug-a-lugs, get that bottom out the door.”

  Martin smiled. “You wanna make it worth my while, sweetie?”

  “Don’t you sweetie me, Martin Delaney.” Emily pushed against his arm as he stalled, half-in, half-out, of the car. He didn’t budge an inch.

  “Oh, for cripes’ sake, Martin. Move!”

  Erin laughed at the gleam in Emily’s eyes. “You’d better do as she asked or she’s going to leap over the top of you.”

  Martin looked down at Emily and the smile on his face disappeared.

  By the time they made it to the front door, Sam was looking nervously at his bride. “I wanted to do something to surprise you. Something special.”

  Jake cleared his throat as Sam went to lead Nicky inside. Sam looked up in bewilderment. Jake mouthed the word, threshold.

  With a smile of thanks, he bent down, lifting his bride in his arms. Nicky giggled when he pretended to stagger through the door.

  “Okay, Tarzan. You can put me down now.” Nicky reached up, kissed his cheek, and whispered something in her ear.

  A dull blush spread along Sam’s cheeks. He turned back to the rest of the bridal party, keeping his bride tucked close beside him. “Okay, girls, close your eyes and we’ll take you inside. That means you too, Emily.”

  Emily muttered something under her breath. “What’s going on? I haven’t moved.”

  “Man, Emily,” Martin grumbled. “Are you always this impatient?”

  In unison, Erin and Nicky yelled, “Yes!”

  Jake’s arm settled on Erin’s back. “Our turn to make a move.” He led her slowly through the half-renovated house. “We’re here now. Watch out for Emily, she’s on your left and not looking too happy.”

  Erin felt a small hand clasp hers.

  “I heard that,” Emily said. “As long as Erin and Nicky are here I know I’m safe.” With a voice dripping with honey she added, “Unlike my confidence in the caveman standing on the other side of me.”

  Martin sighed dramatically.

  Sam’s voice filled the room. “I was about to say that this might be the quietest I’ve ever seen you three, but Emily has just managed to blow that observation out the window.”

  All three girls made scoffing noises.

  “Okay ladies, open your eyes.”

  Erin blinked. They were standing in the room that Sam had been using as his office. But over the last week it had been transformed into a nursery.

  Jake watched Erin run her hand along the top rail of the cot
. Her eyes were huge, taking in everything they’d done. He’d helped Sam, Martin, and Bill turn a dark and dingy space into a fresh, bright, baby’s room. Even he’d been suitably impressed with the end result.

  They’d painted the walls a soft shade of lemon, adding a teddy bear motif around the top. Colorful polka dot curtains hung from the window and a huge rug covered the wooden floor. Bears of all shapes and sizes filled a bookcase against the far wall, and an old rocking chair sat in the corner.

  Tears filled Nicky’s eyes. Her hand shook as she reached for her husband. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”

  Sam wrapped his arms around her. “It was a team effort. Martin and Bill did the sanding, Jake did the electrics, and we all pitched in with the painting. Your mom even helped sew the curtains.”

  With a grin on her face and a pointed look at Martin, Emily said, “I take back any comments I may have made about your manly talents. This room is awesome.”

  Jake looked at Erin. Her eyes shimmered with more than tears. In a soft voice she said, “It’s lovely.”

  His gaze locked with hers. He tried to work out what was going through her beautiful head. Her chin tilted upward just a smidgen, reading the concern on his face. He cleared his throat. “I hate to bring this up, but we’ve got eighty-eight guests waiting for us back at the wedding venue. We need to get a move on.”

  Erin looked around the room one last time. For a split second, Jake could have sworn a wistful look settled on her face, only to be replaced by a clenched jaw and a determined frown.

  She didn’t know it, but pretty soon she’d have a lot more than a nursery to worry about.

  ***

  A sigh drifted around the dance floor as Nicky and Sam danced the first waltz of the night. The lights dimmed and the sweet strains of a love song wrapped itself around the happy couple. Cameras flashed and a ripple of laughter filled the room as Sam dipped low, planting a soft kiss on his bride’s smiling lips.

  The first song drifted into another and the rest of the bridal party joined in for a light-hearted waltz.

  Nicky and Sam had booked the whole bridal party into a crash course on ballroom dancing. After four weeks of one-two-three-turn, Erin had told Jake that she’d given up on Bill’s ability to count to three.

  Emily had convinced everyone she’d been born tone deaf.

  At the practice run last night, Martin had tried to persuade Emily to follow his lead. But she hadn’t looked as though she’d follow him anywhere, especially around a dance floor. A grin slipped across Jake’s face as he watched Martin gracefully admit defeat, letting Emily lead him around the room. Almost in time to the music.

  Erin patiently stepped around Bill’s two left feet, trying to keep out of a collision course with the rest of the bridal party. As she passed in front of Jake’s table, she winked, and soundlessly mouthed, “Save me.”

  Jake grinned back, turning toward a very pregnant, petite brunette sitting beside him. “Come on Sue, time for us to make a move.”

  She laughed as Jake helped her to her feet. “I swear that man bruised half my toes the day we got married. Erin’s lucky she’s got you to come to her rescue.”

  As Erin turned toward him, he sucked in a deep breath. Her face shone with happiness, laughing at something Bill had said. Her knew there was nothing more he would rather do than come to her rescue. If any other love-sick Romeo wanted to do the same thing they’d have to get through him first.

  Erin gratefully switched partners. “Hello, handsome. Fancy taking a girl for a whirl on the dance floor?”

  His gaze locked with hers and the temperature in the room shot up a few hundred degrees.

  He slid his hand down her shoulder blades, settling in the small of her back. Cupping the palm of her hand in his, he pulled her close until they were dancing hip to hip. Thigh to thigh. And heart to heart.

  She sighed, snuggling against his shoulder.

  As they moved around the dance floor, he felt like the luckiest man alive. He wanted to protect the woman that had trusted him with her dreams. The woman that had given up so much to be a part of his life. He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the sweet scent of rose petals. He smiled as he remembered the chaos of this morning and the happiness of Sam and Nicky’s wedding.

  He saw a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye and glanced up. Emily had dodged another couple and was dancing straight toward them. If he didn’t move fast, two other people would end up being part of his life, whether he wanted them there or not. He made a sharp right-hand turn.

  Erin looked at him with a frown on her face.

  “Emily was about to land on top of us.”

  She grinned. “Poor Martin.”

  “Don’t be too worried about him. He looks as though he’s resigned himself to bossy women.” He’d expected Martin to be scowling at the redhead leading him astray. But the smile on his face told a different story completely.

  At the twist of a switch, the music changed from soft and romantic to sixties pop. First Emily and now the DJ. The whole world was against keeping him close to Erin tonight.

  She stood in the circle of his arms, laughing at the groan rumbling through his chest. “I take it you’re not up to a bit of rock n’ roll, oh ancient one?”

  He grinned at the wicked look in her eyes. “Viva Las Vegas, baby.”

  ***

  The only thing Erin had dreaded the whole night was about to happen. And if she knew Nicky half as well as she thought she did, it would smack her straight in the face.

  Throwing a bridal bouquet to the single females in the room seemed like such a moronic thing to do in the twenty-first century. Anyone who seriously believed catching a wayward bunch of flowers would lead them to the altar had to be seriously delusional, or seriously desperate.

  She was neither. She had Jake. Erin didn’t need an altar. And she most definitely didn’t need to be standing in the middle of a room surrounded by women who were half her age and twice as excited. She felt better when she saw Emily standing at the back of the room.

  If she sidestepped Mary-Beth, there’d be a clear path to the back of the pack. That would get her away from the hordes of eager females only too happy to catch the damn bouquet. She turned to make her escape.

  Mary-Beth grabbed her arm. “You can’t move. I promised Nicky.”

  “What do you mean?” Erin tugged a little harder, but Mary-Beth’s grip tightened. Nicky started moving to the front of the stage.

  “She knew you’d try for a quick getaway. I’ve got first dibs on her Gucci handbag when she’s finished with it if I keep you in the middle of the floor.”

  Erin glared at Mary-Beth. Sold down the river for a piece of expensive Italian leather. What next?

  She knew what was going to happen next, and she wasn’t happy. Sucking in a deep breath, she thought the best way to deal with Nicky’s sly, underhand tactics, was to confront it head on. And duck at the crucial moment. There must be some hapless, besotted female in the general vicinity only too eager to catch the flying torpedo in Nicky’s hands.

  A sense of impending doom settled on her shoulders. With an evil glare that would have felled a less determined bride, Erin looked at Nicky just before she turned to launch the dratted bouquet.

  “Damn,” she muttered, as the bouquet fell with unbelievable accuracy toward her head. Ducking at the last possible moment, she smelled victory. Her jubilation was short lived. She stared in horror as the bouquet bounced off someone standing behind her, landing in a prickly lump on her head.

  She looked bemusedly up at the angelic expressions on the girls surrounding her. Comprehension slowly dawned. “Not all of you? She couldn’t possibly have bribed everyone?”

  They stared back with happy smiles. Dropping her head into her hands, she realized Nicky had fallen down the slippery slopes of corruption. She’d cornered her in an archaic ritual that was totally wasted on her.

  Erin groaned as the masses moved aside to let a smiling Nicky through. “G
otcha, girlfriend.”

  She clambered to her feet and a loud cheer went up around the room. “Nicky Delaney, remind me to never underestimate you again.” A quick smile touched Erin’s face as she hugged her best friend.

  Nicky whispered in her ear, “I thought it might give Jake something to think about.”

  “Nice try, but it’s not going to happen.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Oh, Lord. Nicky had her sights set firmly on making sure Erin continued the wedding tradition. The sooner Sam and Nicky left for their honeymoon, the better her life would be.

  ***

  Jake watched the bouquet throwing with dread, but not for the same reason as Erin. He’d spotted her being corralled like a wild filly into center stage. Someone had bigger plans in mind than a random toss of the wedding bouquet. The group of women surrounding Erin were way too excited about catching a bunch of flowers.

  Erin admitted defeat gracefully, acknowledging the whistles and claps from the wedding guests with a wave of her hand. Before he had time to blink, she jumped to her feet and headed straight toward him, the flowers clutched tightly in her hand.

  “Quick, follow me.” Not waiting for a reply, she grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the kitchen. She didn’t bat an eyelid at the garter ritual getting underway behind them.

  He couldn’t help the laughter in his voice, as she frog-marched them through the kitchen doors. “I know Nicky intended you to be the next bride, but this is ridiculous.”

  She turned to stare at him in confusion.

  With a dramatic hand to his brow he moaned, “It’s far too quick. I need time to get used to the idea that you want my delectable body for life.”

  She swatted his delectable head with the wedding bouquet.

  “Ow, woman. You should play tennis with that smash. You’d scare your opponents witless.”

  “Witless. Don’t talk to me about witless. I must be the most witless person I know at the moment. How could I have gotten hoodwinked so easily by a pregnant, hormonal bride on her wedding day?”

  He smiled at the steam threatening to escape from her now not so carefully arranged hair-do. Picking a stray leaf from her head, he said, “It’s okay. You handled yourself with dignity. The salute at the end was positively inspired.”