Page 93 of Jilted Jock
“We’ll see about that.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. She pulled back far sooner than I wanted, but there were children present, so I held on to the promise I’d get to kiss her a lot more often. I planned to start as soon as we left here and stop – never.
“Do we have a deal?” she asked.
“No.”
“No?” A stunned look made her eyes wide and jaw drop.
“Two weeks isn’t going to work for me. I’m going to need more time.”
“How much?”
“Let’s start with forever.”
She nodded, more tears filling those beautiful blue eyes. “That sounds perfect.”
I picked her up and kissed her hard, screw the onlookers. I loved her so much, beyond reason, though the reasons were many.
The microphone crackled and Chuck gave the five-minute warning for the kid’s race. Adele and I finally pulled apart.
“Ready to go watch CJ dominate?” she asked, breathless and lips swollen, the front of her clothes as dirty as if she’d run the race with me.
“He’s here?”
She laughed and pointed to where Chance and Aubrey held onto their son near the kid’s course. After I took a couple photos with the kids who’d waited for me to stop sucking face with my girl, we walked over to them. Something about them all showing up cemented the fact she was serious. I knew how much they meant to her and her to them. I’d never been more thankful to see Chance in my whole life.
“Hey, mate,” I said, and we hugged.
“Good to see you, regretting hugging you about now though.”
I laughed and pulled back, eyeing his white t-shirt – now streaked with dirt and mud. “Sorry.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “Not as sorry as you’ll be if you screw this thing up again. I went easy on you last time.”
I chuckled. “God, you’re a cocky bastard.”
Adele
Six Months Later
“Wow, Adele, you look…” Chance walked fully into the tent where Aubrey and I were finishing getting ready. She tucked the veil into my hair as my brother took in my wedding dress. “You look perfect. Absolutely stunning. Your groom is out there puking his guts out… I think he got the better deal.”
“Oh no, Finn’s sick?” Aubrey asked, a hint of a whine in her voice. She’d been pacing around nervously all morning making sure everything was perfect. She wasn’t even this much of a bridezilla for her own wedding.
“Nah, don’t worry, princess, he’s just working those pre-game nerves out of his system.”
Aubrey placed both hands on her hips, which made her adorable baby bump more obvious. “You mean pre-weddingnerves.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
Laughing at them, I stood tall and asked, “Am I ready?”
With no full-length mirror, I had to rely on a small lighted mirror Aubrey had brought and the confidence that she’d never let me marry the man of my dreams looking anything less than my best.
Even before they confirmed it, I knew Aubrey had done well. I’d only had one request for today and that was to give Finn whatever he wanted. Honestly, after his last wedding fiasco, the fact that he wanted to have any sort of ceremony was a small miracle.
Aubrey hugged me tight and then handed me my bouquet with a wistful smile. “Alright. It’s time.”
She left Chance and me alone in the large tent. Outside was a view of the Pacific Ocean and probably a breathtaking sunset, but I only cared about the man waiting for me. His woodsy scent lingered in the air from when he’d set up the tent earlier today. This was our home for the next week. A tent and an SUV filled with food, clothes, and hiking and climbing gear.
