No Regrets (A Stepbrother New Adult Novella)(15)

They laughed a little, and then Olivia slipped into her Maid of Honor dress. It was gold with a sheer overlay, sleeveless, with a heart-shaped neckline. Much to her dismay, the top part of her dress emphasized her ample bosom, while the ball gown skirt fell to the floor. Her hair was an artful array of black curls spilling over her shoulders, with some baby’s breath tucked behind her ear. She barely recognized herself in the mirror. She was still looking over her attire, when she heard her mother.


“Oh, Olivia, you are stunning!” She smiled at her mom, who exclaimed to the friends around her at her daughter’s beauty. Even then, she was ever the mother, proud of her daughter.

“Thanks, Mom.” They heard the music start up, so she took her place in the procession and quietly made her way down the aisle ahead of her mother.

Absolutely nothing could keep her from looking at him as she walked down the aisle—it was as if she had no choice. Parker was in a tux, with a black vest and a white shirt. She knew everything that he was supposed to wear, down to the cufflinks.

As the Best Man, he waited at the halfway point to escort her the rest of the way down the aisle. He offered his arm to her, managing to give her a reassuring squeeze at the same time. The squeeze sent sparks shooting down to her core and she shivered. She glanced up at him and he looked down at her, his eyes lingering on her lips. As they slowly walked down the aisle, she was thankful he was there to keep her going. She always hated to be the center of attention; it was unnerving.

They parted ways at the front of the church, but not before he whispered, “You are beautiful.”





Chapter Twelve





Parker





Parker was in trouble. He watched her last night at dinner, and he was struck by the light she emanated. There was a glow that followed her, something most people would miss if they didn’t take the time to really look at her. Lately, looking at her had become something he did often. He dreamed about her.

As he stood in the church before the ceremony began, he thought about how she had fallen asleep at her mother’s home. She really shouldn’t be alone out there, in that abandoned house. He would have to talk to her about that.

He glanced over at his father. He hadn’t looked this happy in a long time, and Parker smiled, overjoyed to be here on such a great day. Parker felt different now, as if he had grown up a lot in the last few months. He made time to work, and he tried to get his father to consider an expansion of the business. He knew in his gut it was the right thing to do.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amelia as she smiled in his direction. He was surprised she was there. Her father was a good friend of his Dad’s, so he knew the family was invited. But after he stood her up, he was surprised she would still smile at him. If anything at all, Amelia was his equal in her ability to get what she wanted. He thought about that night again, and remembered how angry Olivia had been.

Just then, Olivia came through the door. There were very few times in his life that he could recall being speechless, but this was one of them. She was perfection, from head to toe, her dress sparkling as much as she did. The white flowers in her hair were a delicate touch, just the right counterpoint to her dark hair. As she came closer, he felt it again—that unmistakable feeling reserved only for Olivia, and his heart pounded in his throat. The symbolism wasn’t lost on him. She walked down the aisle toward him, and it felt right.

He blinked a few times to clear his head. He had to walk her down to the front of the church, and despite how beautiful she was, she looked slightly terrified. He took her arm and the scent he now associated with her—lilac—hit his nose and gave him butterflies. He controlled his response and gave her a reassuring squeeze as they took the last few steps to the altar.

The ceremony was over fairly quickly. As the people slowly scattered away from the church, Parker thought of how his father and Liv’s mother gushed over each other when they were exchanging vows. He contemplated the idea of marriage for a moment. Being with one person for the rest of his life seemed a bit extreme to him, but even as he thought of it, he was scanning the hall for Olivia. He was surprised to see that she had disappeared already.

The reception following the ceremony was simple and elegant. Food had been set out for the guests buffet style, at the insistence of Liv’s Mom—she still liked things to be simple. But Richard in turn had insisted that everything was on the menu: from oysters, to duck, to an elaborate carving station. The cake was a sugary tower, catering to the sweet tooth in everyone.

As people were seated, Parker took his place at the head of the main table to make the toast to the new couple. The opposite of Olivia, he enjoyed the spotlight.

“I just want to toast to my father and Linda. My dad instilled in me a strong work ethic, and dedicated his life to raising me. He rarely took time for himself and never missed any of my events when I was a kid. He was there for me, and today I’m proud to be here for him. Cheers!”

There were claps and the clinking of glasses, and then everyone started on their food. As he sat back, his eyes found Olivia once more. Only this time, he felt something entirely different. She was on the other side of the head table while she laughed and smiled with some other guy. Drew, was that his name? He was obviously some jock, and he had a possessive hand on the back of Olivia’s chair that made Parker want to throw him into a wall. He recognized his feelings for what they were—jealousy. He’d never experienced it before, and it stung more than he wanted to admit.