Fidelity (Infidelity #5)(105)

“We all are. Now…” She reached for my hand. “…are you ready for the show?”

“No, I’m ready for the real thing.”

“Then it’s time to go get him. Your mom is so nervous that I think she may take flight. You know, that thing she does with her hand by her throat.”

I shook my head. “Yes. It’s better than a wine glass.”

“Well, Mr. Demetri is holding on tight, keeping her from becoming airborne.”

“Come on, cousins,” Pat said to me.

I nodded to Chelsea who picked up her bouquet and handed the larger one to me.

“Let’s do this!”

Placing his hand at his waist, Pat offered me his arm. “Striking, astonishing, dazzling, and eye-catching.”

We paused before the entry, still hidden from all the people on the balcony, as Chelsea walked before us. I leaned closer to Pat and whispered, “Tell me you didn’t just Google synonyms for stunning.”

Winking, he patted my hand as the music of the harpist grew louder. It was the wedding march, very traditional and old-fashioned. It was perfect—ideal, wonderful, and picture-perfect. I didn’t need a calendar.

I closed my eyes as Pat led me through the glass door to the balcony. In front of the pool, a small arrangement of chairs, flowers, a harpist, and an altar had been assembled. We didn’t have a his side and a my side, just a grouping of chairs that held my momma, Oren, Jane, Aunt Gwen, Uncle Preston, Cy, Deloris, and Clayton.

As my gaze lifted, my breathing hitched. With the orange glow of the setting sun sending prisms of light dancing off the waves below, the other guests, the minister, Isaac, and even Chelsea disappeared. All I could see was the man in the silk suit. Holding his own hands in front of him, he shifted slightly from one foot to the other, causing his suit coat to shift, accentuating his wide shoulders and the V of his trim waist. His dark hair was gelled back and his tie matched his eyes. His chin was covered with only a hint of stubble and his smile shone like a beacon beckoning my approach.

My steps stuttered as Nox scanned me from my Louboutins all the way to the diamond tiara. Like the first time he’d seen me at the pool, his light blue eyes burned my skin, sending a rush of heat and leaving goose bumps in its wake. I was covered in satin and shimmering organza, yet under his approving gaze I was stripped bare.

My princess, he mouthed.

My Batman, I returned.

Our endearments weren’t audible, though our hearts heard every syllable. In his, I heard his deep timbre. It rolled like thunder to my soul until I searched the horizon for the clouds. There weren’t any. The sky was clear and darkening by the second, making the white twinkling lights decorating the balcony and below the pool’s surface sparkle like fireflies.

Stopping before Nox, Pat lifted my hand and placed it in Nox’s. “Take care of her or I’ll have to kick your ass.”

We all laughed.

“What?” Pat said as he sat beside Cy. “I could… if I wanted to.”

“Dearly beloved,” the minister began.

I suppose I’m supposed to remember every word, but the phrases, combined with the gentle breeze and ocean’s surf, faded away. Our marriage wasn’t about words but about us and about what together we could never be alone. With my hand in Nox’s I was filled with love and hope. I was part of a family. I loved and was loved.

Were they butterflies that fluttered in my tummy as Nox said the words I do, or was it our baby?

With tears of joy pooling on my lids, I turned to the minister as he asked, “Alexandria Charles Montague Collins, do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband?”

This time in front of witnesses there was no hesitation. “Yes, with all my heart I do.”





OUR RECEPTION WASN’T held until a week later at a large hall in Brooklyn, New York. It was Nox’s cousin Vincent Costello and his wife Bella who’d planned it all. They insisted, understanding our desire for a small, intimate wedding.

“Fine, fine, I get it,” Vincent had said. “You’ve had enough news coverage, but Alexandria, you must allow us to celebrate. Not just us, but all of us.” He emphasized the word all.

I’ll never forget his boisterous laugh and welcoming smile. From the first time Nox took me to their home, I was welcomed. Not just by Vincent and Bella, but also by the entirety of the Costello clan and that encompassed a lot of us.

In a way, being with this part of his family made me feel as if I were meeting his mother. After all this was her family.

How could I say no?

And now surrounded by cousins and more cousins, my small family had grown by leaps and bounds. There were so many women, all anxious to give me their marriage and mothering advice.

I wanted it, every word. I also wanted to accept the invitations to learn to cook. They told stories of family meals preceded by full-day cookathons. It was a life I’d never experienced, but one I was anxious to try, not only for me, but also for our child. He or she would only know love, so much love.

“Alex,” Eva, Nox’s cousin who was the doctor, asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Good…” As I spoke I glanced over at my mom. She and Vincent seemed to be in an in-depth conversation. It amazed me how the family had welcomed her as well as me, and not only as my mother, but also as Oren’s significant other.