Mid Life Love: At Last (Mid Life Love #2)(70)

My bottom lip was quivering and I’d given up on trying to hold back the tears.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met and I can’t wait until you’re officially mine—forever...” He trailed his finger against my lips. “I’ll never hurt you, betray you, or allow anyone else to.”

“Jonathan...” I was crying now. He was too much.

“I’m going to continue to send you flowers every day because you deserve them, because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you...And I promise to love, cherish, and f**k the shit out of you for the rest of our lives.”

I sniffled and let out a laugh. “Those vows were beautiful... Especially that last line.”

“That was the hardest one to write.” He kissed my forehead. “I love you, Claire.”

“I love you too.” I leaned in to kiss him, but he held my shoulders still and whispered. “Tomorrow.”

I sighed. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going for our honeymoon?”

He shook his head and stood up, reaching for my hand. Then he slipped his other arm around my waist and walked me around the rose gardens he’d had imported from the South.

We didn’t say a word to one another. We simply slipped into that familiar quiet that easily enveloped us so often.

After we stared up at the sky together, wishing on separate stars, he planted a kiss on my forehead and drove me back to the hotel. When we boarded the elevator, he smiled at me and peered beneath my sunglasses.

The second the doors opened, he ushered me off and walked me back to my suite.

“I’ll see you tomorrow...” I stood on my toes and brought his head down to mine. I was dying for him to kiss my lips. Just once.

“Tomorrow, future wife,” he said softly and kissed my hand. “You should probably get inside your room before I drag you into mine and forget all about the wedding.”

I laughed kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight, future husband.”

I woke up to loud knocking at my door.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” I threw a robe on over my pajamas and opened the door.

It was Helen and Sandra.

“You’re late for your makeup.” Sandra shook her head. “Bobbie Jo and Kim have been calling your phone for the past two hours. Did you stay up late?”

I shook my head.

“Are you having second thoughts?” Helen raised her eyebrow.

“What? Of course not.”

“Good.” She dragged me over to a chair and pushed me into it. “Since you’re late, I’ll just have the girls meet us here to do everything. Sandra, could you call room service and have them bring Claire some breakfast? We don’t want her getting sick on her big day.”

Sandra nodded and disappeared into the bedroom.

The next few hours were a dizzying blur: Bobbie Jo and Kim did my hair and make-up to perfection; my eyes were layered in a soft glittering eye shadow and my hair was pulled into a beautiful chignon with loose ringlets that grazed my shoulder.

Hayley came and presented me with the garter she’d personally designed, my mother and daughters fiddled with my dress until they thought it was perfect, and a huge white bouquet of flowers was brought into the room.

I was reaching for the silver card that was attached to their stems, but Sandra snatched it away from me.

“Let’s see what Mr. Billionaire has to say to his fiancée on her wedding day.” She flipped the card open and cleared her throat as if she was going to read it aloud, but then she burst into tears.

“Ugh.” Helen rolled her eyes. “Give me that...To my future wife: Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. With the exception of the first day that I met you—the day you came into my life, no other day will ever mean as much to me as today. You are the reason behind my happiness and you hold the keys to my soul. I love you, Claire...Hurry up and get here :-)”

Everyone in the room let out a collective “Awww” and wiped tears away from their eyes—even Helen. As they were passing around Kleenex, I slipped away to answer the knocking at the door.

Jonathan’s mother.

“Hi...” I eyed the dark red wine she held in her hand, hoping that she wouldn’t do what I thought she was here to do.

She noticed me staring at the glass and quickly tossed it back. “I’m sorry...It’s juice, not wine—and I would never...” She paused. “Do you have something borrowed, Claire?”

My eyes widened and I panicked. “No...No, I don’t. Oh my god—that’s really bad luck...I can’t believe I don’t have it.” I clutched my chest.

“Here.” She pulled a gorgeous pearl and ivory pin from her hair. “My mother wore it at her wedding and I wore it at mine. I thought I would...I thought I would give it to you, so you could...You know...” Her eyes were sincere but she looked as if she were bracing for me to shun her away.

“Thank you, Mrs. Statham.” I reached out to take the pin from her, but she slowly drew it back.

“Allow me,” she said and motioned for me to stoop down. “You make my son really happy, Claire...After all he’s been through, he deserves to be happy and I’m glad you brought that out of him.”

I felt the pin sliding into my hair, and when I was sure she was done, I stood up again. I looked at her a long time, fully aware that all my friends were staring at us—ready and waiting to pounce on her should she attempt to do something crazy.