the first copy of our book, Gia. I found my passion finally. You led me to it. It’s writing.
“Yesterday Cy gave me my wedding present, the
Gemma set the book down and pulled out the bouquet of flowers. “Today I’m getting married. I wanted you to have this. You will be my maid of honor, just like we talked about. Katelyn has agreed to stand in for you and we’re wearing the matching charm bracelets we made on spring break our senior year of high school. It’s actually quite a compliment to have a world-famous model wearing your design.” Gemma laughed and wiped away a tear. The pain had lessened over the months, but it hadn’t gone away yet. She didn’t know if it ever would. But there were more good days and more happy memories than bad, so she took that as improvement.
“You were right, Gia. I did find the one perfect man I couldn’t live without. And today I’m going to marry him. Hopefully we’ll have a family of our own soon. I wonder if we’ll have twins?“ Gemma stood and smiled. She was ready to get married.
* * *
“Suck it in, Tammy,” Annie ordered when Gemma entered the room full of bridesmaids getting ready.
“I am.”
“Well, try harder.”
“Tammy, raise your arms above your head and then suck it in,” Katelyn calmly instructed. Tammy followed her instructions and the zipper slid up.
“Thank goodness,” Tammy sighed.
“Well, I know Katelyn and I had that same scare, but we couldn’t suck it in.” Morgan joked at she rubbed her baby bump.
“No kidding. I’m about to burst.” Katelyn slowly lowered herself into the chair and put her feet up.
“There you are. Oh, you look beautiful.” Paige clapped her hands just the way Gemma noticed Marcy did.
Gemma blushed and did a little twirl for them. “Thank you. I feel beautiful. And anxious. But I’m really looking forward to the reception.”
“Right. That’s the part you want to get to,” Tammy giggled.
“Ladies, it’s time to go. Oh . . . don’t you look lovely?” Miss Lily twittered as she kissed each lady on the cheek. “Now, we don’t want to be late.”
Cy stood at the altar and waited for the doors to open. His sister and sisters-in-law had all made their appearance and now he was waiting for his bride to make hers. The months had flown by and they’d only fallen deeper in love. Their house would be done by the time they returned from their honeymoon. He hoped they’d be filling that house with children soon.
The music changed and the doors opened. His father stood proud as he escorted Gemma down the aisle. Cy never saw the huge smile on Jake’s face or the joyful tears from his mother in the front row. No, he only saw his glowing bride as she floated down the aisle.
He took a step down and offered her his arm as they stepped in front of Father James. “You’re breathtaking,” he whispered to her as she grinned up at him.
“And I love you,” Gemma said as she squeezed his hand.
Cy mouthed the words back to her as Father James started the ceremony. He happily pledged his love and life to Gemma. When the priest pronounced them husband and wife, Cy grabbed his bride and kissed her with all the love he had.
Laughter and cheers erupted as Cy scooped Gemma into his arms and ran down the aisle. She wrapped her arm around his neck, tossed her head back and laughed with such joy that he knew their life would be filled with nothing but happiness.
The bridal couple took a seat at the head table as the town sat around them talking gleefully and eating dinner. Gemma leaned over to Cy and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I wanted to give you your wedding present tonight, but I’m too excited to wait,” Gemma whispered.
“Sure. I won’t turn down gifts. Does it involve that thing you do with your leg and then you bend . . .”
“I’ve learned a new trick. Think we can escape?”
“A new trick? Let’s go,” he winked.
“You think they’ll notice?”
“Have some faith in your husband, Mrs. Davies. I was a spy after all. They’ll never even miss us.”
Cy casually stood up and offered his hand to his wife. He led her around the perimeter of the reception, talking to friends, before leading her toward the small break in the white curtains hanging from the tent. Now he understood the goofy little grins his brothers always wore, because he knew he had the same look as he looked down at Gemma.
“So, what’s the plan, super spy?”
“We’re going to walk right out of here and no one will notice.” Cy stopped her near the hidden exit and looked around. When he was sure no one was looking, they slipped through the curtains and into the moonlit night. “Now, about that new trick?”
“Come right this way, husband.”
“I’d follow you anywhere, wife.” And he would.
Marcy Davies smiled to herself as her family talked around her. Cy thought he was so sneaky, but she always knew when he had slipped out of the house as a boy and tonight was no different. She had seen the look in her son’s and new daughter-in-law’s eyes. And definitely didn't miss them sneaking out of the tent.
Marcy nudged her husband of forty years and nodded to where Cy and Gemma had just been standing, “It looks as if your son couldn’t wait to begin the honeymoon. Oh, Jake! I just know there’ll be more grandbabies on the way soon,” she whispered as she wiped a tear from her eye. Her family gave her so much happiness.
“Just make sure you don't die of happiness too soon,” he whispered back with a grin on his face that Marcy still found sexy. Oh no, she was very much alive tonight and if her husband kept smiling at her like that, Cy and Gemma wouldn’t be the only ones sneaking out of the tent.
“You’re right, honey. I can’t die happy until I have all my grandbabies. Tammy and Pierce . . .” Marcy’s eyes narrowed on Tammy and Pierce and the rest of the Davies family gathered around Gemma and Cy. “Tammy? Is that apple juice?”
“Um . . .” Tammy stuttered.
“And your dress looks different than it did last month.” Marcy paused as she looked Tammy over. Tammy fidgeted under the examination. “Oh my gosh. You’re pregnant!”
“We are, but we wanted Gemma and Cy to have their day before we announced it. So, thanks for blowing the surprise, Ma,” Pierce tried to chide.
“Well, bless y’all’s hearts,” Marcy cried as she wrapped her dear daughter-in-law up in a hug.
Miss Lily and a group of townspeople came over to offer their congratulations. “Keeneston will be in full bloom by spring,” Miss Lily said as she and her sisters dabbed their eyes.
Ahmed stood by the door and watched his love dance. She was beautiful. But the man dancing with her didn’t deserve her. He had to remind himself he couldn’t claim her by punching the guy out. She couldn’t know his feelings until Sergei was dead. Until then, he had to love from afar. It was starting to hurt, but Ahmed tried to keep the hope alive that someday he would be where Cy was today—married to the love of his life.
“Sir,” Nabi said as the serious young man approached him with a piece of paper, “this popped up in a Pakistani newspaper. One hundred people and counting are dead in a train explosion.”
“He’s back,” Ahmed said as he glanced at the picture of destruction.
“You’re sure it’s Sergei?”
“I’m sure. He must've found a new employer. See, the minister of energy was on the train. Instead of just killing the minister, he blew the whole thing up. The high body count hides the assassination. It’s one of his old tricks.”
“What are you going to do?”
Ahmed thought about his deceased wife and child before looking up from the newspaper. His eyes
