Everything I've Never Had (32 page)

Sputtering, I say, “Adrian, I...don’t you think that’s kind of soon? I mean three weeks. We haven’t even slept together. Are we going to tell anyone? Would it be a Catholic ceremony?” I realize I’m babbling and spitting some of the same issues he’d given me a few nights ago. The same issues I’d brushed aside in favor of our staying together while he is deployed, but I’m blown away.

Adrian pulls me down to the floor with him before he pulls me close, breaks my heart, and mends it all at once with his next words. “I have to go there knowing that I'm yours to protect,” he says, pausing for a second and bringing his lips a hair’s breadth from mine. “Because I'd never do anything to hurt you, Celeste, including getting myself killed.”

I close the small distance to his mouth and urge his lips open with mine, thrusting my tongue against his before I slow down and lightly run it alongside his until he joins me. Pulling my mouth from his, I open my eyes and meet his blues and give him another little kiss.

I let my eyes drift over to my ring that’s resting on his shoulder. “The stone is the same color as your eyes, and the ring of diamonds that surrounds it is exactly like the halo of silver that surrounds your pupil.”

He laughs nervously. “I didn’t consider that. But it is your birthstone. And I just know you wear a lot of that color and have a lot of that color decorating your house.”

“I do,” I agree. “And there’s one reason.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“When I met you I slowly began gravitating toward this color, the color of your eyes. I didn’t even realize it until we were talking one night on my front porch. You’d just returned with the boys from a basketball game. The porch light was on and it was hitting your eyes just right, and I thought, oh my God, I’ve been obsessing and hoarding blue because of this man’s intensely beautiful eyes.”

He laughs again, this time in earnest. “That was the night I thought you’d swallowed a bug because you started choking all of a sudden.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “I can’t wait to be your wife, Adrian.”

“Is that a yes to our date?”

“Yes,” I say.

He kisses my forehead, my nose, my cheek, and my mouth all the while murmuring how happy I’ve made him. He gets up and helps pull me to my feet, moving us over to the wingback chair near the window. He settles in with me in his lap and pulls my legs up to drape over the side of the chair. I lace one arm around his neck while my other hand runs up and down his chest so that I can shamelessly admire my breathtakingly gorgeous ring.

“I hate to be Debbie Downer, but we have to get some paperwork together. I’ll have to go home and get my social security card and birth certificate at least, right?” I gasp suddenly. “That dress!” I accuse.

He looks sheepish. “Yes, that dress is your wedding dress.”

“You’re good, Mr. Hebert.” I smile approvingly.

“And the paperwork is all squared away too. We have an appointment at Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay St. Louis.”

“Why Bay St. Louis?”

“I figure it’d be best if this ceremony is just for us. I mean the family is slightly accepting of our being together, but could you imagine the spectacle if we told them we were marrying before I left? Just imagining the number of obstacles and objections make my head spin. I just want this day for us. Is that OK with you?”

“A peaceful, perfect day for us.” I grin. “Yes, it’s how it should be.” Thinking back to all the trouble he’s gone through, I shake my head, disbelieving. “How did you manage all that anyway?”

“I pulled some strings to get us married over there. I happen to know a few people myself. Bishop Bernie contacted Our Lady’s priest and gave his approval. We’ll still have to jump through a few hoops where the Catholic Church is concerned, but they’ll let us marry there. And the rest,” he hesitates with a grin, “Louis.”

“Louis?”

“Yes, Louis knew where all of your documents were located in the family safe, and he’s kind of a romantic.”

I laugh. “He is.” I’d forgotten about all our extra originals we’d stored there. “Why? Why all the subterfuge?”

“I didn’t want you worrying or over-thinking things. I wanted to make it very easy for you to say yes.”

I run my lips along his jaw until I’m at his ear and I whisper, “You make it impossible for me to say anything else. Yes, always yes.”

STEPPING OUT OF the bathroom, I release a deep breath. I’ve never been more sure of anything or anyone in my life, but I’ve also never been more nervous. Adrian’s looking in the mirror and his gaze catches mine as he rearranges his vest. His eyes light up as he takes me in.

He spreads his arms out to his sides, gives me a sheepish grin, and turns toward me. “I hope this is good. I’m not big on dressing up, but I’m pretty sure no one’s going to be looking at me anyway.”

I move to him and straighten the collar of his unbuttoned white shirt that provides a stark contrast to his tan skin. Running my hands down his sleeves, I take his engraved H cufflinks from his hand and fasten them for him. He laughs and says, “I never thought I’d have the opportunity to wear these.”

I just smile and run my hands down his charcoal gray vest, fastening his buttons as I go. “You look perfect.”

“You’re not pissed I’m not wearing a tie?” He gives me a look of disbelief.

I take in his disheveled hair and day’s growth—two things I’d asked him not to change as I left the room to get ready. Leaning in, I nibble at his Adam’s Apple for a moment before running my tongue up his neck and pulling back to say, “If you were all buttoned up, I couldn’t do that, now could I?”

He just grabs me and kisses me senseless. On a groan, he releases me and spins me toward the mirror. He claps his hands together. “This dress...this dress is gorgeous.” I look down at my ivory vintage find that I’d purchased for a steal at an estate sale. I’d never had the occasion to wear it, but I absolutely loved the floral organza material, the scoop neck, and the butterfly sleeves. It was so simple, so sheer. It floated down over my body just perfectly before coming to rest with at a swish around my ankles. Complete exquisiteness that I couldn’t resist buying even though I could never imagine having the opportunity to wear it. It had been stored in the very back of my closet, almost forgotten over the last couple of years.

“You have no idea how thrilled I am that you found this in my closet. I’ve always wanted to wear it, but I’ve never had the right moment. It’s vintage, you know? 1930s.”

His admiring gaze flies to mine. “Are you serious?”

I give a nervous laugh over his look of astonishment. “Yes, why?”

He grabs my hand and brings it up in front of us. “This is vintage. 1930s.”

“Are
you
serious?” Now
I’m
astonished.

“Yes. That’s unbelievable. When I went to see the jeweler, I described you to him and told him your favorite things and that you were a designer. He just nodded at everything I said. As a matter of fact, I started getting kind of pissed because I didn’t think he was listening to me. When I wrapped it up, he went to the back and came out with this. I was shocked over how much it reminded me of you. I didn’t even say anything. I just nodded and handed it back to him to wrap up for me. I never looked at any other ring.”

“That’s beautiful, and I love it so much. It’s so perfect.”

“You’re perfect. I love you,” he counters. Smiling, he says, “All right. I think we’ve got the something blue covered, definitely have the something old covered.” He grabs my ass and squeezes, eliciting a gasp from me.

“You better be referring to this dress, Adrian!”

“What?” Oh…shit, yes, definitely the dress,” he says with a laugh.

Then he reaches behind him, and I feel him slide something around my neck. When he moves his hands around to fasten the double string pearls that are interspersed with crystals, my breath leaves me in a whoosh. “Your something new, my lady.”

“I’m impressed. You’ve thought of everything, Adrian.” Running my hands over the pearls, I can’t help but say, “It’s so much. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I never spend money on anything. I’m a saver. I’ve still got plenty where that came from.”

I feel my shoulders relax. I don’t want to put him in the poorhouse. I bite my lip and nod. “Thank you. I love them. They’re amazing.”

“They remind me of you. Classy but modern.”
I can’t believe he is my man.
Again I wonder how no one had snatched him up.

Once they’re fastened, I see him digging in his pocket and wonder what else he’s up to. “Your something borrowed.” He shrugs, puts the lace, embroidered handkerchief in my hand and says, “Actually, it’s more stolen than borrowed. I lifted it from my mom’s cedar chest. It was one of the grandmothers. I can’t remember which one.”

Laughing, I move over to the bed to put my shoes on. “Thank you. Now, you really have thought of everything.”

“Don’t move,” he orders.

“Umm...OK,” I say.

I’m holding my shoes in my hands, waiting patiently for him and wondering what he’s up to now. I see him grab his jeans and sort through them for a moment before joining me. He kneels down on one knee and props one of my feet on his leg. Taking one of my ivory lace booties, he drops a penny in it, places it on my foot, tightens the laces, and ties them up. I laugh.
He’s superstitious!
Placing it on the floor, he grabs my other foot and repeats the process.

“These are sexy as hell,” he tells me once he has me all situated. “I’m thinking you in nothing but these tonight. You and shoes. Mmm...the red ones with the black trim and black laces—those are my favorite.” He crooks his brow at me and runs his hands up my stockings, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “Please tell me these aren’t thigh highs.”

I chuckle. “Why?”

“Shit! They are,” he says on a sigh as he reaches the tops of my stockings. Snatching his hands back, he grabs me by the hand and pulls me behind him to head for the door. “Hurry up. If we don’t leave now, we’ll never leave.”
That doesn’t sound too bad to me
, I think. He stops abruptly, spinning so that I bump into his chest. He cups my jaw and forces me to meet his eyes. “And I’m not taking you until you’re my wife,” he says all raspy before whisking me away to make me his.