Off Chance (36 page)

Emily walks toward us on the arm of her dad. I have to say seeing Congressman Burnham in shorts and an island shirt makes him seem less intimidating to me. There’s no music to announce her entrance, unless you count the cries of the seagulls in the distance and the crashing waves against the rocks below us.

Emily’s dress is simple and beautiful, with nothing but flowing, plain chiffon dropping down from a pleated empire waist. Tiny, pearled spaghetti straps grace her tanned shoulders. She confessed to me she bought it online because she didn’t have the patience to go shopping. She didn’t even bother picking out the calla lilies in her hand, or the wedding cake that would be served tonight. She told the wedding planner at the resort to pick something suitable, claiming she had better things to think of... namely, her wedding night. That cracked me up.

Emily is staring at Nix as she approaches, her eyes aglow with love for him. I turn to look at Nix and his eyes are intensely focused on his bride. The connection between them is almost palpable and I feel a lump forming in my throat.

Congressman Burnham... Alex... reaches his hand out for Nix to shake. After a few pumps, he takes Nix’s hand and places it on Emily’s. I expect her to step up gracefully beside him, but Nix apparently has other plans. He gives her a tug and she goes crashing into his body. His hands come up to frame her face and he gives her a passionate kiss, bending her backward. Her arms have no choice but to wrap around his neck, and then she’s kissing him back as her flowers fall from her hand.

Everyone starts snickering and the minister has to make several coughing sounds before Nix finally pulls up, giving her a last delicate kiss on her nose. Oh, I’m going to give him so much shit about this on my next work day with him.

Flynn leans over and places his lips near my ear. “Do you think anyone would mind if I did that to you right now?”

I smile and turn my head slightly so I can whisper back. “I’m sure a few would mind. Now hush.”

After the minister makes some surprisingly short remarks and reads a small passage from the Bible, Nix and Emily say their vows. They chose to write their own, so the minister takes a polite step back as they turn to face each other.

Emily goes first and she’s nervous. She turns to Danny, who hands her a piece of paper, and she opens it with shaking hands. Smiling at Nix, she says, “I had to write mine down because I’m afraid I’ll babble.”

Nix says, “Your babbling would be beautiful, baby.”

Giving a shy smile, she dips her head down and starts to read. “Nix... I may have ran you over with my car, but you’re the one that completely knocked me for a loop. From the moment I laid eyes on you... I suspected you were special… in my mind. From the moment you first held my hand, I knew you were special... in my heart. When you opened yourself up to me, you proved to the universe that you were created by God so that I would have someone to look over me.”

She folds the paper up and looks up to Nix. “You probably don’t know this, but every night before I go to sleep, I pray. I pray for all the things people normally do... for the health and safety of my family, for me to get an A on a test, for world peace.” Everyone laughs and she pauses a second until it’s quiet again.

“But I end every prayer with a special thank you... I make sure God knows that I am forever in his debt for bringing you into my life, and I pray that you are never taken from it. I love you, Nix, and I always will.”

I look at Nix and there’s a sheen of tears in his eyes, and oh, crap... my waterworks start. Somehow Flynn knows, without even looking down at me. His arm comes around my shoulder and he pulls me into him while I surreptitiously try to wipe the wetness from my cheeks.

Nix lifts Emily’s hand and gives it a kiss. He reaches into his pocket and also pulls out a piece of paper. This I’m not surprised by because Nix definitely doesn’t seem like the type that would memorize his vows. He’s so damn surly half the time I expect his will be short and gruff.

He opens the paper and scans it, his eyes flying back and forth over the words. Then he looks up, and glances around at all of us staring at him. He crumples the paper up and tosses it to the ground where it lands beside Emily’s neglected flowers.

My heart lurches because I think for a silly moment that he’s going to back out of the wedding, but then he starts talking. “I had written my vows too, but as I look over them... they’re not really want I want to say.”

He takes a deep breath and turns to look out over the ocean. A smile comes to his face and it’s serene and full of peace.

He turns back to Emily. “All of this,” he begins, gesturing with his arm out toward the water. “All of this would have looked like ashes to me before I met you. I saw the world and it had no color. It was dull and lifeless... like dirty dishwater. I lived in a dark place, somewhere between this Earth and Hell. But I don’t live there anymore... not since I met you.”

Nix’s hands come back up and frame Emily’s face. It makes me focus on her and I see tears streaming, which start mine streaming again. “All I see is color now.”

He looks up to the sky. “I see the blue of the sky, and the white of the clouds.”

He looks down to the grass. “I see green... a million shades of green.”

Nix looks back up at Emily. “And I see my favorite color of all... the amber in your eyes. I wish everyone could see the color I do. And it’s all because of you.”

Emily issues a low sob and then throws her arms around Nix’s shoulders. He buries his face in her neck and they just stand like that forever.

I really don’t remember much more of the ceremony. Instead, I focus on these new emotions that have been brought forth by watching such an amazing declaration of honor and commitment. I think about the type of parents they will make, and I wonder if that love will one day be enough for a child.

I’d like to think so but, based upon my experience, I’m just not sure.

I feel like I stepped into an enchanted fairytale world. The wedding dinner is being held in an old sugar mill ruin that sits down at the bottom of a hill, just outside the main restaurant for the resort. It’s a crumbling building made of stone and mortar. The roof is long gone and our ceiling is the night sky, which is awash with twinkling stars. Windows dot the walls but the frames and glass are long gone. Instead, tall pillar candles have been set on the ledges and cast flickering light everywhere. The walls may be falling but a new wooden floor has been built and my understanding is this place is used to hold small, outdoor parties and dinners.

There is a huge dining table set in the center, laden with more candles and stargazer lilies that perfume the air. Another table sits to the side with a small, two-tiered wedding cake and bottles of iced champagne.

“You have sand all over your feet,” Flynn says as he looks down at my sandals.

This I already know because it’s slightly uncomfortable with the grains of sand rubbing between the leather straps and my skin. We went down to the beach after the ceremony while the photographer took photos of the happy couple, as well as the entire family. Cillian, Ever, and I tried to back away but it did no good. We were dragged into every family photo that was snapped and it made me feel strangely displaced... like I was committing a fraud. I didn’t belong here with these people, and yet they were making sure we were immortalized forever in their family gathering.

Flynn bends down and undoes the buckle of one sandal. He lifts my foot out and I put a hand on his shoulder to balance. He carefully wipes all the sand away, and puts my shoe back on. He then does the same to the other foot.

I watch Flynn as he tends to my feet with a mixture of affection and morbid wonder. He is so caring toward me... always has been, and I wonder if this is because our relationship is new, or if this is the way it will always be. I wonder if I’m a novelty or I’m a potential permanent fixture by his side.

It’s true... we’ve only been lovers for a few days, but we’ve had each other’s hearts long before then. Flynn speaks to me like no other person ever has. I want to wrap myself up inside of him, but there are moments where I just want to go back to the way we were. It was so safe and I had expectations that he never failed me on.

But now... this new relationship is odd and I’m having a hard time trusting the feelings that come with it. The intimacy we’ve shared... the sensual knowledge we have of each other... it overwhelms and confuses me. He’s exposed me to feelings I never knew existed between two people. He makes my body want things that it’s never even considered before.

He makes me want more, and yet, I’m afraid the further I taste, the hungrier I will get. I’m afraid I’ll become dependent on him, like my body depends on water to survive. And the scariest thing of all—the thing I fret about all too much—is that if this doesn’t work out, and I lose him, then I won’t survive it.

Nix and Emily walk in, interrupting my thoughts, and everyone breaks out into applause. Several waiters move into action, popping open champagne and passing it around.

When everyone has a glass, Mr. Burnham steps to the center of the floor and raises his glass to the couple. “Nix... I couldn’t have picked a better man to entrust my little girl to. She’s your problem now.” Everyone laughs and Nix kisses Emily on the temple. “Emily... you do an old man proud. You’ve exceeded all of my expectations and you’re going to make a wonderful wife and a loving mother. To Emily and Nix.”

Every one salutes with murmured affection and we all take a sip of the bubbly. Emily’s mom ushers us all to the dining table and we take our seats to start the wedding feast.

Reggae music is being piped in from somewhere and we’re all on our way to getting drunk. Nix and Emily made their exit a while ago, and all the parents just left, including Danny and Ryan so they could get Amelia nursed and to bed. The only ones left are us single kids.

Flynn sits next to me, with his arm around my shoulder and his thumb rubbing my skin. Even with the monumental buzz I have going on, his touch manages to inflame me.

Cillian reaches over and pops another bottle of champagne. We’re on our umpteenth one.

When he fills everyone’s glasses, he sits back down and kisses Renner on her neck. “I hope we don’t get so drunk I don’t know what I’m doing tonight.”

Renner pats his cheek. “You always know what you’re doing, baby.”

“TMI,” Flynn whispers under his breath but I hear him and giggle.

Cillian stands up and wobbles slightly before he rights himself. “Another toast to Emily and Nix. That was a helluva wedding.”

We all yell,
hear, hear,
and knock our drinks back, which really isn’t couth to be doing with champagne. I let out a tiny hiccup and Flynn grins at me.

“I expected nothing less,” Linc muses. “It was a helluva proposal.”

“Oh, it sure was,” Ever chimes in. “So romantic... I about died.”

The look on Linc’s face is adorable as he looks at Ever with undeniable fear over whether he can pull the same thing off tomorrow night. “Yeah, I don’t know if I could ever be that eloquent,” he grumbles as he stares at his flute.

“Well, if it helps,” Ever says and then takes a small sip of champagne, “I’ll say yes no matter what.”

Linc’s eyes snap up to Ever’s. “You’d say yes?”

“Well, duh... why wouldn’t I say yes? I love you, you big dummy.”

“I just thought...” Linc says but then trails off, eyes still bewildered. I can see the wheels spinning in his head, wondering if he had just made a mountain out of a molehill.

Ever scoots her chair back. “Here... let’s take the pressure off you.” She hikes her skirt up, which luckily is long and loose, and still covers everything, and bends down on one knee in front of Linc. She takes his hand in hers.

Linc looks around at all of us, a near state of panic gripping him. I put the back of my hand to my mouth to hide my laugh and look over at Flynn. He grins back at me.

“Linc,” Ever begins. “I lost you once, but then I got you back. I’m never letting you go again. There’s no place you can hide from me, so don’t even bother trying. I’m attached to your hip so you might as well get used to me. So in essence... what I’m saying is—let’s get hitched. What do you think?”