The Davis Years (Indigo) (33 page)

“Yeah.” She couldn’t believe there’d been a time, and not so long ago, when she hadn’t realized he was everything she needed.

He pulled Jemma aside and into a long, wonderfully suffocating kiss.

“I’m gonna miss you so much,” he whispered into her hair.

“We’re gonna see each other in a few hours.” Jemma wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling.

“Yeah, but those are going to be really, really long hours.”

“You’re right.”

“Hours? I can’t do this.” He bent down and brushed his lips against hers.

She pulled him to her in a deep kiss.

“Okay, if I don’t leave right now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to.” He gave her a last quick kiss and then pulled away. “I can’t wait until tomorrow.”

“Me, either.”

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he said with a wink. They laughed. “But we won’t end up dead any time soon.”

“Thank you for making me happier than I’ve ever been, Romeo.”

“Thank you for giving me all the chances I needed to get it right, Juliet.”

“Okay. Now get going.” She blew him air kisses and waved him away.

He caught every single kiss, backing to the spot where his brothers and Seth stood, shouting for him to hurry up.

***

They went to a bar near the motel where they were going to spend the night. Davis hadn’t wanted a bachelor party, but they insisted on “at least one drink.” He knew what that meant. For them, anyway. He ordered a Coke.

Seth sat next to Davis at their table. “I guess I’m earning my keep, huh?” He laughed.

“If you say so,” Davis said, laughter rippling through his words. Seth was handling the sale of the house. Davis was keeping his house. Better than that, his brothers were signing it over completely to him. By the time he got back from his honeymoon, the papers would be ready and he’d sign, making him the sole owner. Lydia was going to stay there as long as she needed to. That was good since they were still trying to get to know each other. And they still had some rough spots to work through in their relationship.

He didn’t care too much where he was or what he was doing, though, as long as Jemma was with him. He’d really lucked out with her. After all he’d put her through, she still hadn’t given up on him. Thank goodness for that because she meant the world to him. She always had. He planned to make sure she knew that all day every day for the rest of their days.

“I say so. Now, we just have to get you a job,” Seth said.

“Yeah. Know any magic?” Davis had burned just about all his bridges in Derring County when it came to employment.

“No, but I know a guy. Friend of mine who works over at Parks and Rec. They’re thinking of starting up a lacrosse division. They could use a good coach.”

“Yeah, but that’s a part-time thing, right?”

“You didn’t let me finish. I think you should go back to school.”

“You do?” He’d never really thought about it before.

“Yeah. Why not? Coach high school lacrosse. We’ve needed a real coach at Derring High ever since your old coach retired. Ever think about that?”

“No,” Davis said slowly.

“Maybe you should.”

He turned his glass in circles on the table and watched the condensation pool on the table’s lacquered black surface. “Yeah. Maybe I should.” He sat back in the booth and looked around at the faces of his brothers, Michael, and Seth. “You have a card? For that Parks and Rec guy?”

“Not on me, but come by my office as soon as you get back from your trip.”

“Will do,” Davis said. He took a sip of his drink and sucked up an ice cube to chew on. “Definitely.”

“Good.”

“And thanks again. For the loan,” Davis said. He’d borrowed money from Seth to pay for his honeymoon trip.

“Yeah, you keep calling it a loan, but it’s a gift. A wedding gift. And if you ever try to pay me back, I’m not taking the money.”

Davis grinned. “I know you were joking earlier, but you’ve more than earned your keep.”

He shrugged. “I have three daughters. I love ’em to death, but it’s nice to have a son sometimes, too.”

He laughed, throwing an arm around Seth. “Works for me.”

Jemma managed to smile at all the familiar faces smiling back at her. Her stomach churned with nerves, and walking down the aisle on sand was no easy task even in low-heeled sandals. Despite her nerves and the sand, seeing the faces of the people who meant most to her warmed her heart. Emily Rose, Wendell, Lydia, and even Davis’s brothers. And of course Mary. Mary was right next to her, as a matter of fact, giving her away.

Jemma looked next to Davis where Codie stood. She was Davis’s best man or woman or whatever. She wore a slinky silver dress that worked well on her small form. She smiled at Jemma and mouthed that she was so happy. Jemma smiled back.

After Mary gave her away, Jemma’s world became Davis. It was a good thing they were having a DVD made because she missed her entire wedding, lost in Davis’s eyes. Still not able to believe it was happening. She had to be prompted to say “I do” and she stumbled all over her vows. Davis thought it was adorable and said so in his vows, which were the only part of the ceremony she was able to concentrate on. Well, besides the kiss, of course.

“I want you to know I’ve never been happier and my life is perfect now,” Davis said as they headed back down the aisle through the clapping, shouting throngs.

Jemma nodded, unable to think of a thing to say. She smiled and waved and laughed and enjoyed her moment.

The reception was mostly on the deck of the lake house and in the sand below, but people milled in and out of the house. Jemma and Davis danced their first dance to “Just Like Heaven” in the living room, even though it wasn’t exactly slow enough for a first song at a wedding reception. Nothing about getting them to that point had been conventional, so they didn’t see the point in trying to start being conventional with their first dance.

Afterward, Jemma danced until her feet were numb. She was glad she had remembered to bring her flip-flops along. She danced with everyone at the reception, it seemed. Carolina grabbed her after a few songs.

While they danced, Carolina said, “Did Em Rose tell you? The audition went great—I got the callback and things are looking good for me getting picked up for the tour.”

“That’s fantastic. Congrats,” Jemma said, happy that things had worked out well for Carolina, too.

“I’m so happy for us.” Carolina stopped dancing and grabbed Jemma’s shoulders. “I’m glad we both figured out which dreams were worth fighting for and went after them.”

“Me, too.” Jemma felt tears coming on yet again. She fanned her face with her hands.

They hugged.

Jemma, Emily Rose, and Carolina danced to several songs. Then the music changed, and they returned her to the groom. Later, surprise of all surprises, Stephanie asked to cut in with Wendell standing right next to her.

Stephanie kissed her cheek. “You’re glowing. I’m so happy for you. Really.”

“Thank you.” Jemma said, tears threatening to spill over for the thousandth time that day. Stephanie took Davis’s hands and Wendell took Jemma’s.

“I’m happy for you,” Wendell said. “I really mean that.”

“Thank you.”

“He finally got his act together for you, huh?”

“I think we got our acts together for each other,” Jemma said.

“Good,” he said. “Remember when we were kids and you used to write Mrs. Jemma L. Hill all over your notebooks?”

She laughed. “Shut up.”

“Well, you can do it for real now.” He grinned. “Congrats.”

She looked up at him as the song ended, her arms still around him. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

Wendell went back to Stephanie and Davis grabbed Jemma.

“I love you, Mrs. Hill,” Davis said, his arm tightening around her waist.

“Love you, too.” She grinned, thinking of what Wendell had said earlier. “Hmm. So nice to hear that.”

“Nice to say it, too.” Davis pressed his chin to the top of her head. “Who would have seen all this six years ago?”

“I’m just happy we’ve all come as far as we have,” Jemma said. She smiled, looking around the room.

Emily Rose and Michael danced. Emily Rose’s head rested on Michael’s shoulder, and he held her close. Cole and his wife sat with their arms around each other, whispering to each other and smiling. Ashby danced with his daughter, her tiny feet on top of his shoes. His wife watched the two of them with a look of adoration on her face. Codie sat next to her date, the two of them laughing about something. Carolina flirted with Wendell’s friend, Brad. He’d come to the wedding with him and Stephanie. Brad and Carolina had been inseparable for most of the evening.

Mary sat at a table with a couple of friends. When Jemma looked at her, Mary gave her a huge grin and two thumbs up. Jemma laughed, nodding at Mary. Her mother.

After the dance, they went back to their table. Jemma dropped onto Davis’s lap, careful to put her weight on his left thigh. “I’m completely wiped.”

Davis put his arm around her. “That makes two of us. Wanna get outta here?”

“Yeah.” She rested her arms on his shoulders. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going yet.”

He winked at her. “I know.”

“It better be somewhere great.”

“It is. Don’t you worry.”

“Well, let’s get out of here so I can find out for myself.”

She stood up and reached out for Davis’s hands, which he gave, and together they pulled him to his feet.

Codie ran a hand through her dark hair, grinning up at them. “You two headed out?”

“Yeah. Codie, thanks.” His face grew solemn, and he gave her a meaningful look. “For everything. Always.”

“You know I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Codie said, standing and patting his arm. She looked at Jemma. “You got a good one. He’s a handful, but a good one.”

Jemma smiled. “I know. Thanks for being such a good friend to him.”

“Yeah, well, you know you’re stuck with me now, too, right? I don’t see myself as losing a Davis. I’m gaining a Jemma.”

“Good.” Jemma laughed.

“Well, I guess I should let you two crazy kids in love go.”

“We’ll call you when we get there,” Davis said. He was good at keeping their destination a secret. Jemma had been listening closely, hoping he’d slip and give it away while talking to Codie, but no such luck.

“Okay. Now get outta here.” Codie waved them off.

They started walking toward the kitchen to find Mrs. Braden.

Lydia rushed up to them. “Where are you two going?”

“Getting out of here,” Davis said, running a hand over his hair and looking around at the laughing, carousing guests. “You guys are having plenty of fun without us, and we have a long day ahead of us before our flight tomorrow evening.”

“Flight?” Jemma turned to him, wondering what he was up to.

He grinned and squeezed her shoulders.

“Oh, yes. That’s right,” Lydia said. A knowing look passed between mother and son. “We have to finish up here then.” Lydia grabbed Jemma and whisked her away from Davis, stuffing her bouquet into her hands. Jemma looked back at Davis helplessly and he shrugged, his hands up in the air.

After the bouquet tossing, garter belt throwing, well-wishing, and car vandalizing, Jemma and Davis were finally on their way out of there.

“So where are we going?” Jemma asked, curling against his side. His arm went around her.

“Right now? To a hotel in D.C.”

“What? I don’t have anything packed.”

“Sure you do. Mary slipped a bag in the trunk for you earlier.”

Jemma squeezed his waist. “I don’t even get a clue about tomorrow?”

Davis kissed the top of her head. “Not one.”

“This could be dangerous. For you, I mean. If I don’t like it.”

He laughed. “You’ll like it. Really.”

Jemma held her left hand in front of her face and admired the two rings there. The man they linked her to was worth more than both of them put together.

***

The next evening, on the shuttle from the airport hotel parking lot, Davis handed her a ticket, along with her passport, which he had somehow gotten his hands on at some point. Probably with help from Mary.

She gasped and held both to her chest. “Spain? Madrid?”

“We told Maria and Guillermo we’d go there for our honeymoon, right?” He winked at her.

“How—when—but this had to cost a ton.”

“Don’t worry about that. It’s all taken care of,” Davis said, pulling her onto his lap. “Just worry about all the fun we’re gonna have.”

“And love we’re gonna share.”

“Forever and ever from now on.”

“That’s a promise.”

“’Cause I don’t make threats.”