Second Chance at Love (Love Conquers All) (28 page)

Beatrice gasped. “He didn’t!” She was mortified. She was going to have a chat with her son. He didn’t have to tell his new wife
all
the family secrets.

Ava couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, let’s go to the bar to celebrate. You sure can afford to treat us all.”

“Amen to that,” Beverly said, linking her arm through Beatrice’s as they strutted off to the bar.

The younger crew breathed a sigh of relief as they sat at the bar sipping on cocktails. The senior wrecking crew hadn’t gotten into any mishaps…or so they thought. After the third round of drinks, one of the older ladies thought it’d be fun to start a conga line in the bar. Karen and the others thought it was rather funny, with Joan leading the line and all. All would have ended well there, but noooo… the old gals really had to let their hair down.

With the assistance of the big Texan from the poker table, Beatrice climbed up on the bar and began clapping her hands and throwing glasses to the floor like she was at a Greek wedding or something. It didn’t help matters that Ben, that’s what the big Texan’s name was, encouraged her performance by clapping and throwing glasses right along with her.

“Whoo! Go Beatrice!” Donna hooted. Turning to Janet, she shouted over the music, “She’s really not so bad. And she’s having a good time, too!”

After ten minutes of the foolishness, the bartender threatened to call security and demanded someone leave their credit card information to pay for the broken glasses.

By the time Karen and the girls alternated between telling Lisa and her workers their adventurous Vegas tale and enjoying a continental breakfast, they were all set to head back to Karen’s place.

As the mother of the bride Donna had made certain she, Janet, and Nita were the first to be styled, dressed, made up and ready to work. Janet and Nita had their hands full with getting the children dressed. And boy was that a job, considering that between Karen, Starr, Summer and Ava there were eight children in all. Well, minus one, because Kyle insisted on getting dressed and arriving to the hotel with Dom.

The living and dining rooms doubled as one huge dressing room. And Donna was in charge of the bridal party.

Ava and Summer had their hair and makeup done and were in Kyle’s room putting on their dresses.

Now she was off to check on her girls. Breezing into Ashley’s bedroom where Benji, makeup artist extraordinaire, had set up shop, she again admired his work as he lined and filled in Starr’s full lips. “Looking good,” she winked at Starr, giving her the thumbs up sign. She chuckled when Starr returned the gesture and Benji huffed, “Sit still Miss Thing, or I swear I’m going to paint a mustache on you.”

Moving on to Karen’s bedroom she stopped in her tracks. “Wow, look at you!” Donna gushed as she spied Jackie the hairstylist putting the finishing touches on Karen’s hair, styled in a fancy French twist with loose tendrils framing her face. Tears began to mist Donna’s eyes. “Baby, I’m so happy for you. Dom is a good man.”

Karen reached for her mom’s hand and gave it a tender squeeze. “Thanks Mom. But please don’t cry or you’ll make me cry, too.” Giving her mother’s hand another squeeze, she teased, “You don’t want me wearing sunglass to hide my puffy eyes do you?”

As hard as she tried she couldn’t keep a few tears from falling. “Of course not, baby,” she said through a watery smile.

Jackie smiled at mother and daughter. Reaching for the box of tissues she always kept handy when doing bridal parties, because someone was bound to cry, she handed it to Donna.

Donna thanked her. After dabbing her eyes she kissed Karen on the cheek. “Let me get out of here and go see if Janet and Nita need help getting the children dressed.”

“Thanks Mom,” Karen smiled as she hopped out of the chair. Just as she was about to go tell her sister they could swap spaces, she and Ashley nearly collided as the child charged into the bedroom.

Holding out her hands she caught her daughter by the shoulders. “Whoa, girlie, where’s the fire?”

For a second Ashley appeared perplexed. Then suddenly a smile bloomed across her lips, lighting up her pretty features. “No fire, Mommy.” Holding the cordless phone up in the air, she said, “There’s a Mr. Goldstein on the phone. He says it’s important.”

Frowning, Karen took the phone from Ashley’s small hand. Why in the world would her lawyer be calling her on her wedding day? Putting the phone up to her ear while covering the mouth piece with her hand, she told Ashley, “Go get your grandmother, and hurry.” If she was going to get some bad news she needed some support.

Taking a seat on the bed, Karen waved bye to Jackie as she exited the room. She blew out a shaking breath to calm nerves that were beginning to fray. Cutting to the chase she said, “Hi Mr. Goldstein. What’s going on?”

The knuckles on her fingers lost their color as she clutched the cordless phone, listening to her lawyer talk. She was nodding her head as her mother swiftly walked into the room with Starr, Ava, Summer, Janet and Nita hot on her heels. When her mother sat next to her on the bed, she reached for her to take her free hand.

They all stared at Karen when she said to whomever she was talking to, “Are you sure?”

“Sure what?” Starr asked, hunching down near the phone, trying to hear the person on the other end.

“Please call Dom and let him know what’s happened.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “I just can’t do it.” If she spoke with him right now about this new revelation she was going to be a babbling mess.

At the mention of her son’s name, Janet immediately clutched the pearls at her neck. “Oh God, what is it?” she frantically asked.

“Mom calm down. She’ll tell us when she’s off the phone,” Ava soothed her mother, because she was two seconds away from tearing up Karen’s house in search of a cigarette to calm her nerves over whatever the call was about.

Summer stood beside Donna and rubbed her shoulder as they all waited for Karen to end the call.

Anxious eyes were on her as she disconnected the call. Karen pinched herself to make sure she was awake and not dreaming. Wiping another tear from her eye, she took another deep breath and let it out. The invisible boulder she’d been carrying on her shoulders for weeks finally fell to the ground, crashing into a billion pieces of dust.

“That was my lawyer, Mr. Goldstein.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Starr prodded, waving her hand in the air like a cop directing traffic.

Karen chuckled, shaking her head at her sister. The poor child is so nosy. “He said
somehow
the family judge assigned to the case got a hold of the report from Bass’s investigation on the Johnstons.” She winked at Summer because they all knew how the judge got a hold of the report. After she exchanged vows with her man, Judge Henry Stiles was getting a big fat kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. “Apparently he contacted their attorney and advised him to counsel his clients to drop the case.”

“Well I’ll be,” Donna whispered, hugging her daughter close to her.
These folks really are connected.

“And what else did he say,” Janet excitedly queried as she eased onto the bed on the opposite side of Karen.

“According to Mr. Goldstein the judge said that with the financial mess Gregory’s parents are in, they aren’t fit to raise a litter of puppies, let alone two children who are already being well cared for. He did say that if they were so interested in seeing the kids they could have supervised visitations once a month for two hours.” Karen didn’t share with them that the judge felt the Johnstons wouldn’t go through with seeking visitation since she would become the legal guardian of the trust fund that now belonged to the kids.

Summer threw her hands up over her head and yelled, “Woo-hoo! Yes! That’ll teach those greedy bastards to mess with you and your babies again!”

Everyone erupted in laughter as they all gathered around Karen, hugging and congratulating her.

“Come on, Miss Thing.” Benji called out to Karen from the doorway, his hands on his hips. “You better get your butt in here if you don’t want to look a hot mess on your wedding day.”

Karen giggled, “Here I come, Benji!”

Pivoting on his heels, he called over his shoulder, “Well, come on then.” His eyes scanned the faces he’d just perfected with the stroke of his brushes. “You heifers better not start that crying and mess up all my hard work.”

Karen looked back at the other women and snickered. “I guess he told y’all.”

“Miss Thing! Move it!” Benji snapped from the other room.

Karen took off running into Ashley’s bedroom. “I guess he told you!” Summer, Starr and Ava howled after her in laughter.

Gayle Jackson indeed was a miracle worker. Bargaining for a larger ballroom, she transformed the front of the area into a makeshift chapel with a center aisle and seating designated for the bride’s and groom’s family and friends. Each end chair on the aisle was beautifully dressed with a large, satiny bow the same violet color of the bridesmaids’ dresses. The altar was adorned with an array of beautiful flowers peppered in shades of ivory, lilac, lavender, and violet. Soft glowing light from the polished silver candelabras gave the room a romantic aura.

Silence began to fall over the small crowd of fifty family members and friends as the live band began to play smooth jazz. The mothers of the bride and groom were escorted down the aisle by Dominic. As they reached the end of the aisle, the two women hugged, then Dominic kissed Donna on the cheek before taking their seats on the front row.

The bridal party procession started with Summer and Nick, followed by Starr and Kevin, and then Ava and Langston. Ashley and Zoe were absolutely adorable in their violet A-line dresses with lavender sashes. NJ and Autumn were little hams as they managed to do their jobs as ring bearer and flower girl, grinning and waving to the guests. The crowd laughed when the tots had the nerve to stop and strike a pose for the photographer.

“Please stand to receive the bride,” Pastor Richardson’s deep baritone boomed.

Dom’s heart pounded in his chest so hard, he feared it would explode out of his chest at any second. Karen looked absolutely stunning as she floated toward him on the arm of her stepfather, Patrick Wahl.

Kyle, who stood next to Dom as his best man, smiled up at him with dark, sparkly eyes. “Mommy looks so beautiful.”

Smiling down at the child, Dom nodded his head. “Yes she does.” Pride swelled his chest and tears burned the back of his eyes. She was a vision of beauty in an ivory taffeta Teri Jon cocktail dress. And she was about to become all his…forever.

The tiny butterflies in Karen’s stomach wildly fluttered. It was really happening. She was about to become Mrs. Dominic Peretti, Jr. and she couldn’t be happier.

Her eyes connected with Dom’s and the love she saw shining in their dark depths made her want to run into his arms. Instead, she smiled at him and mouthed, “I love you.” Tears stung her eyes as he mouthed the words back to her.

Patrick leaned down and kissed her forehead as he placed her hand in Dom’s. “I love you, sugar. Thank you for allowing me to give you away.”

Standing on her tippy-toes she kissed his cheek. “I wouldn’t have it any other way Poppa Patrick.”

Slightly stepping to the left of Karen, he waited for the pastor to say, “Who gives this woman to this man?”

Full of love and pride, Patrick answered, “Her mother and I do, sir.” Taking a seat next to Donna, he held her hand as she used the other to dab at her tears.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness…” The pastor’s words began to fade out as Karen and Dom held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes. It was the weirdest thing. They didn’t have to say a word to communicate how much they loved each other. A warm current of electricity flowed between their bodies, connecting their souls from before creation. Their spirits were merging, becoming seamless… becoming one flesh as they made a covenant between them and God. As if on cue, the private haze they’d been cloaked in evaporated as they began reciting their vows as prompted by the minister.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may salute your bride.”

Family and friends went wild clapping, cheering and whistling as Dom drew Karen into his arms and laid a kiss on her so passionately that the room’s temperature hitched up another ten degrees.