Divine Charity (45 page)

He took the other wedding band from Justin and slid it up against the one Val had put on her finger and then wrapped his arms around her and stayed there, the two of them just breathing for several seconds before he rose to his feet.

Finally, Val and Ransome stood before her and she took the first ring that Grace held out to her. With words of love and commitment that came from her heart, she slipped Val’s wedding band on his left ring finger and then gently lifted his hand to her cheek and nuzzled it, glorying in the fact that he now wore the tangible proof that he was joined to her. She took the second ring and slipped it on Ransome’s finger with words meant just for him, and then caressed his hand against her cheek as well. She could hear the sniffles of many of the guests all around her and chuckled as Grace passed a handkerchief to her with tears in her own eyes.

Rose Marie chose that moment to chime in, providing comic relief with her chirping voice. “Why’s everyone cryin’?”

The four of them took a moment to join in an embrace, each of the men kissing her before Ethan formally declared they were bound, husbands and wife, and then presented them to the assemblage.

Amidst cheers and applause, Beau and Justine broke from the congregation and were happily welcomed into their midst.

“Congratulations, Mom! Dads!” Justine said with tears in her eyes as she hugged them all individually while Beau exchanged hugs as well. “I’m so happy for you! I hope someday I’m as lucky as you are, Mom.”

Charity chuckled and kissed Justine’s cheek, and whispered to her, “I hope you are too, sweetie, but more than anything, I wish you all the happiness your heart desires.” She raised her eyes and noticed Noah standing right behind her, his eyes shuttered as though cloaking his reaction to Justine’s happy declaration. A memory of the same expression on a slightly younger Justin’s face flashed in her mind.

Only the two of them could chart their course, their future, either together or separately. As much as she wanted to tell him that life had a way of working things out, she didn’t, knowing that sometimes experience was the best teacher.

She laid a gentle hand on Noah’s forearm and she kissed his cheek and hugged him as he congratulated her. “Noah, thank you for taking a break from your summer trip to come back for the binding with Beau.”

He ducked his head and nodded as he glanced at Justine. “I wouldn’t have missed it, ma’am—I mean Charity. Sorry.”

She leaned closer and said, “It’s all right, hon. I think Justine was happy you came back, too.”

He nodded and she delighted in the way the blush in his tanned cheeks deepened. “I’ve missed her.”

“So your next stop after this summer is the University of Alaska, huh?” Justin said as he joined them and shook Noah’s hand. “You ever settle on a major?”

Noah nodded firmly. “Native studies. I’ll be studying and working abroad every summer.”

“Oh, but I hope you’ll still come home to visit every now and then,” Charity said, noting the way Justine averted her eyes.

“I will. My family made me promise and even though career opportunities may mean a lot of travel, Divine will always be where my heart is,” he said as he clasped his fingers with Justine’s.

“Good,” Charity said, as her men tried to get her attention. Beau and Justine headed off with Noah, joining the rest of the guests as they crowded around her. It was obvious the young men had spent most of their time outside, judging by their deeper tans and their hair, which was sun-streaked and had grown out some on both.

Justin kissed her and said, “The girls have everything ready inside.”

They led her into the expansive living room and a blush came to her cheeks as she remembered racing through the room a month and a half before, being chased by three lusty Vikings. The thought made heat race through her torso and settle in her pelvis. The men had already replaced the ruined petticoat and bra and had even managed to replace the corset strings so she could play with them in the outfit another time.

All of the furniture had been moved out of the way and the rugs had been removed from the hardwood floor.

Grace, who was very heavily pregnant, moved into the center of the living room and beckoned Charity to her as the other girls surrounded her.

After thanking everyone who had been hands on with putting the binding ceremony and reception together, Grace said, “Several years ago, you helped to put together my wedding and reception, an altogether different kind of affair since we were in mixed company with many guests who wouldn’t understand why we would join in a ménage.” She paused as she put her hand on the side of her belly and took in a deep breath. “Sorry. Slugger here wants in on the action, I guess.”

“It’s the sweet sound of your voice, darlin’,” Jack said as he joined her and slipped an arm around her waist.

Grace blushed and caressed his cheek before she continued. “Anyway, we pretended for our guests that it was Jack and I, until the last ‘mainstream’ guest, for lack of a better term, had left. This affair is totally different. Because of the baby, I couldn’t do the legwork on this event. I have all of you to thank for putting everything together. But, sis, I do have something special planned for you.”

She gave a thumbs-up to Ethan, who was in the corner with Dave the DJ, and then said, “I did some research with your men and your first three dances are for Ransome, Val, and Justin, in that order. Everyone feel free to join them, no need to stay on the sidelines watching.”

The guests clapped as Charity stepped forward into the circle of Ransome’s arms as “My Kind of Crazy” by Brantley Gilbert began to play for them.

“The first song we ever slow-danced to?” she asked as he leaned down and kissed her.

Ransome shrugged. “Yeah. I remember watching you at the Dancing Pony that night and thinking it was time for me to suck it up and go for it. Grace asked us what song was important to us and this seemed like the best one, although I was tempted to request the first song I ever saw
you
dance to.”

“Me?”

“Yes, way back when we were in high school. Remember?”

With big eyes she said, “Oh! I remember. Wow.
Really
?”

“God, yes.” Ransome growled as he kissed her neck. “You and I had been arguing about who was better, Nirvana or Alice in Chains. Someone put on ‘Come As You Are’ and you started to dance. I decided right then that my favorite group was Nirvana.”

Charity giggled and said, “Liked that, did you?”

“I did, angel. You were dancing in front of the stereo, turning it up louder, refusing to argue with me anymore, and I had a hard-on that didn’t go away for hours.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he admitted with a chuckle. “Good thing there was a throw pillow on the couch. I was afraid you’d notice, or that the other guys would point it out.”

“Wait,” Charity said, pausing in the dance for just a second. “I remember that evening. Um, whoa…” She blushed at the memory.

“What?”

“Good thing there were enough throw pillows to go around,” she finally said. “Wow. Total blonde moment. I thought it was odd that y’all all stopped arguing with me about it.”

He kissed her nose. “You really had no idea?”

“No, I really didn’t. Damn, I was a tease, wasn’t I?”

The fact that she hadn’t understood what was happening at the time made her blush.

“Not intentionally, but I’ll let you make it up to me later tonight,” he murmured as he moved in a turn with her.

The last chorus of the song faded and Ransome kissed her before releasing her into Val’s arms as “Who I Am With You” by Chris Young began to play.

Charity giggled and said, “Okay, confess. You and Ransome were afraid to shock Grace with your song choices, weren’t you?”

He laughed with her and said, “Despite the fact that your sister is in a ménage and has been for some time, I still see her as being your innocent kid sister somehow. I really do like this song, though. It was my sentimental choice.”

“What was the song you really consider our song?”

He looked down and she watched as a slow, sexy grin crossed his lips. “Gotta be ‘Come As You Are’ by Nirvana. What?” he asked as she wrapped her arms around him and started giggling.

“We really were meant to be together, weren’t we?”

“You know it, baby,” he replied, his eyes taking on that sexy, sleepy quality she loved so much.

“You all look so handsome tonight.”

He grinned as she stroked the lapels on his black suit jacket. The three of them were wearing black suits that fit their muscular bodies wonderfully. “Your sister pointed us in the right direction when we asked her about your dress. I’m glad you decided to really go for it.”

“You are?” she asked, smiling as she recalled the way their eyes had all bulged when she’d made her entry on the back deck, clad in an ecru lace strapless wedding gown. The mermaid cut had been Justine’s suggestion. She would’ve gone for just a basic cocktail-length dress but all of the girls had nay-sayed her, pushing her to actually try on wedding dresses even though she didn’t want to go overboard. They’d had good instincts.

“Of course. You look beautiful. And I can’t wait to take it off of you later,” he murmured while nuzzling her cheek. His arms felt wonderful around her and they swayed close together until the song came to an end. He lifted his head and looked off to the side. “I think someone is waiting impatiently for his turn.”

“Oh,” she whispered as the next song began and a wave of gooseflesh swept over her. Val kissed her forehead and gently turned her toward Justin, who waited with open arms and a tender gaze. She sniffled and tears filled her eyes as Michael Bolton’s “Said I Loved You…But I Lied” began to play.

“Baby…” he whispered as he peered down at her and swiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Should I have picked something less…”

She shook her head firmly as she looked up at him and kissed him. “No. Never.”

“Grace asked me for a song that was special. It seemed like the best one and I knew only you and I would know the deeper meaning.”

Kissing him again, not minding being reduced to tears, she said, “You picked perfectly, Justin. What could be more perfect than the song that was playing the first time you made love to me?”

His eyelids closed as though he was reliving the memory with her, and he smiled and said, “I wanted this moment to be special, for all of us but also to acknowledge our history. I love you like crazy, woman.”

They shared another kiss as they danced and she lost herself in the sweet, sensual closeness of his embrace. The crowd and the house seemed to recede as her memories returned.

The music had played on her radio, mixing with the sounds of the creek gurgling close by as they lay in each other’s arms, slick with perspiration, joined together for the first time.

Her heart pounded as she recalled the love in his deep brown eyes as he entered her the first time, the memory of the slight pain dimmed by time. He’d made love to her with such gentleness, his caresses unschooled and innocent as he held her, both of them awed by the other as they were swept away by fiery currents of passion. She could almost hear their combined panting as they brought each other to orgasm and lay there in wonder for long minutes afterward.

More tears stung her eyes as she looked up at him. “I had no idea I could love you more back then, Justin. But I do. You weren’t just the man who introduced me to lovemaking. You’ve been the man who’s loved me through thick and thin, through childbirth, raising kids, making not only a living, but making a
life
with me.”

He caressed her temple, his fingers gentle on her fancy updo, and said, “Life has little meaning without you in it, babe. Whatever form the future takes, I’m glad you’re with me, and I’m glad Val and Ransome are with us, too.”

Another song began and the area set aside as a dance floor filled with people as the next song, “Run” by Matt Nathanson and Jennifer Nettles began to play. Charity’s heart swelled until she thought it would burst as Val and Ransome joined them and crowded in close so she was dancing with all three of them. Looking around she noticed that Grace and her men, and several other of the ménages were doing the same thing. It was at once a sensual and completely joyous moment, and as her sister met her gaze, she was glad it was one she could share with her and all their friends.

Her tears dried as she reveled, caressing Justin’s cheek before turning in the dance to kiss Ransome and Val. Nothing had ever felt more right. She caught a glimpse of their kids across the way and watched as Noah leaned toward Justine and said something to her. She blushed and nodded at him and Charity smiled as he led her daughter onto the dance floor.

Justin chuckled and she looked up just as he jabbed two fingers toward his eyes and then at Noah in a “my eyes are on you, boy” gesture meant to intimidate. Noah nodded and grinned and Justine rolled her eyes and gave her dad “the look.”

“Enjoying yourself, Papa Bear?” Charity asked as she turned his attention back to her with her fingers on his jaw.

“Damn straight. I have only one daughter and gotta get my jollies while I can. I wonder if that boy knows how much she missed him the last month.”

“I’ll bet he missed her just as much,” she said as she turned into Ransome’s embrace for the last chorus. She started giggling when the next song, “Come As You Are” by Nirvana, began to play. She turned to look over at Grace and called, “Nice segue, sis!”