Page 48 of Resolution
Now, I’m not a crier. I’m not. But I’ll be damned if I can see straight for a few moments. I squeeze her tight and she whispers in my ear, “Love you, Enzo.”
Before releasing her to her spot, I whisper, “Love you, too, Frankie.”
When I look around the room, I’m not sure I see a dry eye in the house. Even Gunderson and Rowan’s eyes shine from across the room when I spot them.Who knew they could be sappy?
When the music changes to the wedding march and people stand, I think my heart stops beating. Samantha steps around the corner, and it takes everything in my power not to run to her. She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Her dress fits her perfectly, and her beautiful mahogany eyes hold my gaze as she approaches on her father’s arm. Her hair’s partially down and flows with curls around her shoulder. She opted not to wear a veil, but her hair has something in it, similar to a tiara, that sparkles in the light.
I briefly remember her father shaking my hand and pulling me into a hug before handing Samantha off to me. I want to devour her on the spot. The knowing glance she gives me tells me she feels the same. Together, we walk to the altar and the minister we’ve hired for the ceremony begins. I can’t actually tell you much beyond that. It feels as if I’m in a dream.
I’m so lost in Samantha. Her touch, her smell, everything about her pulls me into a trance. I can’t wait until I actually get to kiss her.
When we get to our vows, I manage to pull myself out of the trance she has me under. When she steps back and looks me in the eye, my heart stills once again. Her eyes lock onto mine and I can’t look away. The entire church could go up in flames and I wouldn’t be any the wiser.
She licks her lips and clears her throat before clearly stating, “Lorenzo Dean Harper. I have loved you since the moment you walked into my kitchen that fateful day. Little did I know the surprise would be on me. I’ve never been bold enough to ask a man out, but here we are, mere months later. So, it proves I was right about you.”
I can’t help but laugh along with the crowd. When we settle down, Samantha continues, “Enzo, you have made me unbelievably happy. You not only love me, but you cherish each of my children as well. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of our lives… So, let’s face it, buddy, you’re stuck with me.” She wrinkles up her nose as she scrunches her eyebrows, daring me to say anything different.
I can’t help but mouth, “I love you,” in her direction.
“I love you, Enzo, with all of my heart.”
The minster then turns to me.
Crap. Everything I had planned just went out the window. I look into Samantha’s eyes and speak from the heart. “Samantha Elizabeth O’Reilly, you’ve come into my life like a heat-seeking missile and I’m beyond thankful you won’t let go. I, too, have loved you from the start. One of the best things I’ve ever done was surprise Pops at your house that day. Your kids have burrowed their way into my heart, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting any of you go.” I stop and look at each of them before continuing, “I will be with you all, through thick and thin. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for all the days of my life. Thank you for doing me the honor of becoming my wife and making me the happiest man alive.”
The minister then proceeds with the ceremony. We repeat the magic words, and the best fucking thing of the day is when he finally says, “I pronounce you man and wife. I’m happy to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Enzo Harper. You may kiss the bride.” And boy, do I ever. If it wasn’t for some less than subtle throat clearing from the crowd, I may have taken her right there. When I pull away, I can’t help but grin at the blushing bride beside me. I swear I hear, “Thanks. Now I’m all hot and bothered,” but I can’t be sure.God, I love her lack of filter.
We’re ushered out to the reception area where we receive congratulations from all of our guests. We then go outside to take pictures before the sun sets. The staff Melanie’s hired for the wedding changes out the ceremony chairs for dining tables, and by the time we return to the room, it’s been completely transformed.
The night passes in a blur. We eat, cut cake, and once again, people toast in honor of us. We thank the crowd for spending their Valentine’s Day with us, and this gets a roar of cheers. By the time I get to have the first dance with my wife, I think I’m about to die from keeping my restraint. WhenShape of You, by Ed Sheeran begins, I’m so relieved to have Samantha in my arms. It’s not a traditional song, but it’s ours. The smile that lights up her face when the opening beats begin has me willing do just about anything for this woman. We show off a bit while dancing as we enjoy each other’s company. Before the song ends, I tell her we have to dance more before the night is through.
We each take time to dance with our parents, each other’s parents, and of course her kids. For quite a few songs, the five of us try to top one another on the dance floor. I don’t remember a time I’ve had more fun with them. Of course, Maddie dances with Soren for the slow songs. Everyone at our reception enjoys themselves.
The best part of the night comes when it’s time for us to leave. Samantha and I have reservations at the Skamania Lodge, just on the other side of the Columbia River. Our friends and family shower us with love and handfuls of birdseed as we make our departure. God knows how I’m ever going to get all this birdseed out of Samantha’s car. She shakes her head and more birdseed cascades over her body and into the seats of her SUV.
It’s still relatively early by the time we make it to the Skamania Lodge. I’ve booked us a romantic couples’ package for the next three days. It includes a couple’s massage, though when I found out they offer prenatal massages, I switched hers to that. So far, I’ve kept it a surprise as to what our plans are for the evening. I simply told her to pack for cold weather for three days, not that I care if she ever dresses in that time, but I’m sure we’ll have to eat at some point.
Samantha eyes me skeptically when I exit the freeway a short distance later. When she realizes we are going overThe Bridge of the Gods, I suspect she’s figured it out.
As soon as we enter the Gorge Suite I booked us, Samantha sighs.
“What’s wrong, beautiful?”
She shakes her head and birdseed still somehow manages to rattle to the floor. “Ugg… As much as I’ve been dying to attack you from the moment we’ve been alone, unless I want birdseed in my nether regions, I need to get out of these clothes and take a shower. Would you mind helping me get the pins out of my hair? There are at least forty of them in here, or so I’ve been told.”
Well, this is unexpected.But as she pulls at her hair, it’s obvious it hurts to do it on her own. She peers at me in desperation, so I jump in to help. “Sure, let’s go into the bathroom and I’ll see what I can do to help you out.”
Forty minutes later, she’s de-pinned and ninety-nine percent of the birdseed is out of her hair. Honeymoons in real life are hardly like TV, I’m coming to realize. But one look at the relief on Samantha’s face is worth every second and more.
Finally, when the pins are free, she asks, “Mind giving me a sec to get ready for bed?”
I’m so fucking thankful I’m sitting when she walks out of the bathroom about ten minutes later. She takes my breath away in the sheer negligee she’s wearing. It’s a cream color and leaves little to the imagination. The sexy garters and silk stockings make me instantly hard. Holy. Fucking. Shit. This woman’s going to kill me. A growl escapes, as I’m at a loss for words. My instincts are suddenly pure primal.
Her eyebrows raise, and a feign innocent look appears on her face. “You like?”
“I fucking love,” I growl out as I find my body moving on its own accord in her direction.
“I may have gotten a few surprises for our honeymoon.”
