Nothing Like the First Time (24 page)

Chapter Twenty

As we pulled up outside the doors of Farnham Castle, I looked up and took in the beautiful sight. It really would be an amazing backdrop for our photos.

Jodie
and Naomi exited the car first and the chauffeur held the door as I got out with my gorgeous bouquet of purple and ivory calla lilies. The butterflies in my stomach must have been trained acrobats considering the somersaults I could feel.

I walked up to the doors and saw Jim waiting just inside for me to take his arm.
We had a short walk to the ceremony room and as we got to the door, Beethoven’s “Symphony Number 9” began to play.

Jim and I began our walk down the aisle, followed closely by
Jodie, Naomi, some younger flower girls and the boys we had chosen to accompany them.

I looked straight ahead and the sight stole my
breath.

Grey stood at the front of the room
, waiting for me to join him. He was cleanly shaven and looked divine in his black tuxedo and a cravat that matched my dress. Tim stood beside him in a tuxedo that matched. He looked handsome but not nearly as handsome as Grey.

As we walked towards Grey, I could feel the butterflies dissipate. This was my place now, this was what I was meant to do.

All eyes were on me. I saw my mother and Dean, Saskia and Melyssa, my father Bryan and his new wife Crystal. They were all watching me intently. Katrina and Lizzie were there, looking elegant and beautiful as always. Katrina had a handkerchief out, dabbing at her eyes. The ceremony hadn’t even started and yet I wanted to cry with her.

A silence fell upon the room as the music ended and the minister began the ceremony. He thanked everyone for being there, the usual speech about being there to join us in holy matrimony. Then came the time for our vows.

I didn’t think it was possible for silence to get quieter, but it felt like it did. I couldn’t hear anything except my own breathing as Grey cleared his throat to begin his vows.

“My darling Carly, the first time I saw you
, you took my breath away and I knew I was going to marry you. Don’t ask how, I just knew that you were it for me. You have always been the most beautiful woman, inside and out. Your caring, compassionate nature drew me to you like a moth to a flame. Words can be beautiful but it’s actions that are meaningful. From this day forth, I shall endeavour to give you the life you deserve—one full of laughter, joy, and precious memories that we can build on and use to shape the future for us, our children, and grandchildren. You are the sun, the moon, and the stars for me, Carly. My world begins and ends with you. I want us to grow old and grey together, to be as in love in fifty years as we are this day.

“
We stand here with our friends and family to witness us dedicating the rest of our lives to each other so it is with all the sincerity in my heart that I say this; you are my best friend, my lover, my soul mate and now my wife. I love you more than mere words could ever express. I want to thank you for choosing to spend the rest of your life with me. I am humbled that a woman like you could love a man like me.”

I wiped a stray tear from my cheek as he took my left hand and placed my wedding band on it. I looked up at him and my heart felt such joy that it wanted to burst forth from my ribcage.

It was time for my vows and I didn’t know if I could express my love for him even if I used all the words in the world.

“
My wonderful Grey, you have held my heart for as long as I can remembe
r
—
f
rom our first kiss, to the moment we are in now, and you will continue to do so for the rest of my life. The day we met was one of the happiest days of my life. We were so young but I knew that one day we would be wed. Sure, there have been hiccups between then and now, but I couldn’t begin to imagine my life without you in it. You don’t just own my heart and soul, you are my heart and soul. I would not be complete without you. I stand before our family and friends this day to make a promise to do everything I can to make you happy—to be all that I can be for you and with you. We have a bright and brilliant future out there waiting for us to discover and none of it would be the same if we weren’t together. You’re my best friend, my lover, my soul mate and now, my husband. This day will live on in my memory as the first day of the rest of our lives.”

I took his hand and placed the wedding band on his ring finger. I held his hand for a moment before looking into his beautiful eyes and seeing the shine of unshed tears.
My hand drifted to my belly briefly and Grey and I shared a secret smile before the minister announced that we could kiss.

The kiss was chaste yet sweet and full of promise. Our family and friends cheered and applauded us as we walked back down the aisle, together as man and wife.

**
*

After having our photos taken outside the castle, we made our way to the wedding car. Family and friends waved us off as we made our way down the long gravel driveway. As I sat beside my husband and held his hand firmly in mine, my other hand drifted to my belly and the tears flowed freely on my cheeks. I couldn’t sum the moment up in words, but if there was one word that sprang to mind, it was bliss.

We arrived at Katrina’s for the reception and saw that she had strung fairy lights on the p
orch—it looked so beautiful, so perfect—a reminder of the first night Grey had taken me to the cottage.

Grey got out of the car and held his hand out for me. I took it and stood from the car. He pulled me into an embrace and though people were starting to arrive, he kissed me deeply like there was no
one else in the world.

***

Everyone was in the garden where a tent had been erected. Chairs, tables and a makeshift dance floor had been assembled and yet more fairy lights adorned things—but there was so much more than that. Katrina had gone all out with balloons, floral centerpieces for each table, little name tags for each person to see where they were seated. The whole thing looked like something from a wedding magazine, it was all executed to perfection. There was a small booth where the DJ we requested was set up. He started to play some music as we entered.

We sat at the top table and waited for the rest of our guests to arrive.

“I love you, Mrs. Sterling,” Grey whispered.

“And I love you
, Mr. Sterling,” I said as I squeezed his hand.

***

It was time for Grey’s speech and I wondered just what exactly he planned to say. Only one way to find out, I guess, so I sat, attention rapt on him, as he cleared his throat and clinked a fork against his glass to get the attention of our guests.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for a few moments.”

A hush fell across the room as my handsome groom spoke.

“I’ve never been good at giving speeches, nor have I been good at speaking so publicly—but this is my one chance to tell you all how much I love my wife and
so I will swallow my nerves.”

He looked down at me and the smile on his face warmed my heart. He was beaming with pride.

“As you all know, Carly and I were teenage sweethearts. We were friends for a while before we got together, but truth be known, I never wanted to be her friend. I asked her out once and she said no—she told me she wasn’t looking to date and I told her she would change her mind eventually and I’d be there waiting. She grudgingly said we could be friends, so I took what I could get. Then about two months later came the day of our school trip to Farnham Castle. Carly didn’t know what I had planned, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what she’d do when she found out. But there was only one way forward, and so I waited until our tour of the castle began. A few minutes in, I pulled her aside down a small corridor and kissed her. To my utter delight, she kissed me with as much passion as I put into the kiss. We walked round for the rest of the day hand in hand, and that moment changed the course of both our futures. The following day, she came home from school and I stood on her doorstep with a bouquet of calla lilies, her favorite flower. I asked her if she would go out with me that night and to my delight, she said yes. From that night, we were inseparable—she said she had always wanted to date me but had wanted to get to know me better first.

We were so young and carefree, as in love as any two people could be. I’ll admit, Carls was my first kiss, my first girlfriend
, and my first…well, you know…! I never wanted anyone else. Then one day, I ruined it all—I was offered a job that meant I would be traveling the world and stupidly, I accepted. I tried to get Carls to come with me but she wouldn’t leave everyone and everything she knew. I admit, I screwed up by leaving. Ten long years passed by before I got the courage to come home. While I was away, I saw some amazing sights but nothing I saw could compare to my beautiful Carls. When I came home, she wouldn’t take me back straight away and I really don’t blame her—I had to prove myself worthy of her once more.

I stand before you today as the proudest man, the happiest man alive. Carls took me back and even better than that, she accepted when I proposed. Now she is my wife and I couldn’t be any happier than I am in this moment. Putting the ring on her finger today, my heart felt full of love and pure joy.

So I would like to thank you all for being here to share in our special day, but most importantly, I want to thank Carls for being my love, my life, my soul mate, my everything.”

Grey looked at me and I beamed from ear to ear. My heart was a puddle of mush and my stomach was doing somersaults. This man loved me more than anything and I was the luckiest woman alive.

“I’d like you all to raise your glasses and toast my beautiful wife,” he said as he raised his own glass.

“To Carly,” the room erupted.

A stray tear escaped my eye and Grey caught it with the pad of his thumb as he sat down. He took my hand in his and leaned over to place a chaste kiss on my lips.

Tim gave his best man speech and he told funny anecdotes about Grey and what he was like at home when I wouldn’t date him. Apparently he was an injured, love-sick puppy.

Naomi had set up the screen for the slideshow, and Jodie provided the images we were about to see. Everyone watched in silence, laughing here and there at the things they were seeing. Then the last photo was the scan of our baby. Everyone looked directly at us and then the room erupted in a cheer.

Grey stood back up momentarily.

“That last picture, ladies and gentlemen, is our baby. We found out recently and thought what better way to tell you all at once so there was no bickering about who knew first—Carls and I couldn’t be happier, and we hope you are all happy for us!”

Everyone applauded and cheered and there were even a few wolf-whistles thrown in for good measure.

I caught Katrina’s eye and she beamed. She was going to be a grandmother and I could tell this made her immeasurably happy, just by the look on her face.

I looked to my parents
, who both smiled at me. Saskia even had a small smile playing on her lips.

Grey looked at me and his smile was the one that meant the most. He was hap
py about being a father and I was delighted that I was going to be a mother. I was going to have a baby in just a few months’ time.

The DJ announced it was time for our first dance and Grey led the way to the dance-floor as our wedding song began to play. We had chosen
“That’s Where You Find Love” by Westlife. The lyrics were perfect.

As Grey led me across the dance-floor, I felt amazing.
From the first time I had seen Grey, I had fantasized about this day. We were so in love back then, but now that we’re older, the love is so much deeper and I know it will last a lifetime.

If you ask me, there
’s nothing like the first time and I’m sure that Grey would agree.

Epilogue

“Momma
, make me juice, please?” Chloe asked as I puttered about the kitchen.

“Yes
, darling, Momma will make you some juice,” I said as I grabbed her sippy cup and took the juice from the fridge.

“
Dadda is still asleep,” Chloe giggled as she toddled around the kitchen and headed towards the door.

“Go and tell
Dadda to get up, Momma needs some help with breakfast!” I said as I walked over to her to hand her the juice.

“Thank you,” she said as she took her sippy cup from me and toddled off in the direction of the living room.

I heard her footsteps going up the stairs and knew she would jump up and down on Grey until he got his butt out of bed.

“GET UP
, DADDA!” she shouted as loud as she could.

I heard laughter and knew Grey was awake.

“Momma wants you in the kitchen.”

I heard footsteps on the stairs and they were followed by a louder set of footsteps.

Grey came into the kitchen with Chloe in his arms. She was squealing as he tickled her.

“Good morning,” I said as I tried to stifle the laugh threatening to burst forth.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Grey said as he came to kiss me.

“Did Chloe wake you? Sorry about that!”

I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled to the surface.

“Shall we help Momma in the kitchen or shall we go and play with your dolly and let Momma cook by herself?” Grey asked Chloe.

“Help Momma!” Chloe said as she climbed out of his arms and ran over to me.

“Oh, okay. You convinced me!”

Grey helped me cook and then the three of us sat in the kitchen eating our breakfast.

“I can’t wait to see Chloe’s face when she sees the scan this afternoon,” Grey said.

We were going for a 3D scan to determine the sex of the baby. I was 22 weeks gone, the weeks couldn’t pass quickly enough for me. For us. We were all so excited about having another baby. Chloe was looking forward to being a big sister and Grey and I were over the moon that we were expecting again.

To be a happy family was all I had ever wanted. Grey and I had been through our fair share of ups and downs and now we deserved to be happy. Chloe was a joy and we were looking forward to the
arrival of the second baby to make our family complete.

We had the best kind of life. The kind a lot of people only dream of. There was a gorgeous cottage with a little white picket fence, a beautiful dog named
Millie, a fantastic husband and daughter and now a baby on the way.

My parents had been better grandparents than I had assumed they would be. Saskia and I had made up and she and Melyssa were good aunts. They loved it when we went to visit. They spoiled Chloe and she loved them dearly.

Katrina was a fantastic grandmother and she was so excited about the second baby’s arrival.

Aunt Lizzie was the perfect great-aunt, being around Chloe made her so happy. She, of course, was just as excited by the news we were expecting again.

I can sit and reflect on the life I had without Grey around and now I realize that during those years apart, I had existed but not truly lived my life. This, what we are doing now, is living—truly living.

I had been wrong thinking I would ever get over Grey and I have never been gladder to be wrong. My first love is also my last love because I know with all my heart that we have that forever kind of love.

~
The End~