“Yeah, congratulations. I’m happy for you both. See ya in a little while!” Meara shouts, trying to catch up with her brother.
I wrap my arms around his neck, assaulted with the memories of the first time I met him, right here. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“I’m going to be the perfect wife for you.”
“I don’t want perfect. I just want you.”
Chapter 25
Charlotte
“YOU’VE GOTTA GET UP or we’ll be late.” Travis nudges me, but my sated body flops like a rag doll.
He laughs and crawls over me, nuzzling my neck. “Come on, sweetheart, you said you wanted to shower.”
He blows on my neck and tickles my ribs. “Okay! Okay! I’m up.” I push his rock hard body and slide out from under him.
I run my hand through my messy hair, and sand sticks to my fingers from the beach. I smile, remembering how rough and urgent we’d been when we couldn’t make it to the bedroom, and he took me against the wall. He carried me to bed and we made love again, slow and sweet.
Standing under the steam, his woodsy body wash is still lingering in the stall. I hold up my left hand, and elation warms my bones. I’m getting married. To Travis. I smile, and carefully wash my hair, trying to avoid getting any strands stuck in the diamond.
With my hair in a towel, I apply lotion with my right hand only. I twist and turn trying to get all angles of my body, but curse when I can’t reach my back.
“Travis! Can you come here, please?”
The door opens a minute later, and with my back to him, I begin to ramble, “I need you to put some lotion on my back. I’m trying to reach, but I can’t get this one spot,” I wrap my arm around and pat my back with one hand, indicating the area.
“Can’t you use your other hand?” he asks, quizzical.
“No. I don’t want to get lotion on my ring.” I’m still reaching around my back, trying to get that one spot, when he comes up behind me.
He chuckles, and grabs my hand. “It’s okay to use your left hand, babe. The ring can be washed.”
“But I don’t want to get it dirty.”
“It’s fine,” he says, reaching for the lotion and squirting a dollop on his palm, “but, if you want me to touch, you all you have to do is ask.” The cool lotion and his warm hands make my knees weak as he rubs the vanilla scent all over my back, and of course, my butt as well.
“Shut up,” I laugh. “I don't want to ruin it. It’s so pretty.” Once again, I hold up my hand to admire the square stone.
“Not as pretty as you,” he whispers in my ear before biting it.
“You’re such a cornball.”
He shrugs and slaps my ass before walking out of the bathroom.
“We don't have a long drive, but there’re two things I need to talk to you about.”
My hand freezes on the volume dial then I twist in my seat to look at him. He’s so handsome tonight in a dark blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.
“Okay?”
“First, why were you at Mary’s after I told you I didn’t want you there alone?” His tone is light. Thank God, he doesn’t seem mad, I think.
“I called you.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, you didn’t answer, and I figured you were busy, so I just hung up.” I swallow hard, still nervous. “I didn’t want to text you or leave a message ‘cause I figured you’d be pissed.”
“You’re right. I told you I don’t want you there alone. Not because I’m some prick that wants you locked up, but because that place is bad, sweetheart. Drug dealers, prostitutes, you name it, it happens there.”
I gasp. “What? I knew it was dirty. I didn’t think it was dangerous.”
“Yeah, it’s bad.”
“But Mary’s there. She lives there,” I shriek. “I’ve gotta help her. She can stay at my place or something.”
“Brandon’s got it covered.”
“What does that mean?”
He looks at me briefly, shrugging, before concentrating on the road. “I trust him. If he says he’s got her, I believe him.”
“But, she—”
“Char, he’s got it. I still don’t know much, but I talked to him while you were napping today.”
“Wow. Well, okay. Can you get her number from him? We didn’t get a chance to talk this morning, since I left before we got to sit down and eat.”
“Yeah. I’ll get it. That brings me to number two.” He pulls into the parking lot and shuts the car off.
He turns in his seat and pulls my head forward so he’s inches from me. Our eyes connect, and he says, “I would never cheat on you.”
Embarrassed, I look down, but he lifts my head with a finger under my chin.
“I know. I’m sorry. I should have trusted you.”
“Yeah, you should have. But what you really should have done is confronted me. If I pulled up somewhere, and a guy had his hands on you, I would not drive away, that’s for damn sure.”
“I know.” I lean my head against the seat. “If it ever happens again, I’ll trust you.”
“I appreciate that.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Ready to celebrate?”
“Hell yeah, I am!” I hop out of the car and meet him around front. We walk hand in hand to the front door. There’s a live band and bass pumps through the old wooden building.
When we get inside, Pierce meets us and shouts over the music, “We’re in the back.”
I nod and Travis tugs on my arm, putting himself ahead of me to clear the way. I shake my head at his caveman antics, but secretly love that he wants to protect me all the time. I grip the waistband of his jeans and watch his firm ass the whole way there. When we round the corner, I see a bunch of familiar faces and tears spring to my eyes.
“Congratulations!” they shout in unison.
One by one, everyone comes over and hugs us. Meara, Travis’ parents, my aunt and uncle, some of the guys from Travis’s work, Brandon, and Mary.
I hug her last, and her presence warms me. Aside from my cousins, I don't have any friends. Although an unconventional beginning, I felt close to her from the start.
“I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Me, too. It’s been a while since I’ve gone out.” She looks around the room and to the door, but when her eyes lock with Brandon’s, he gives a subtle shake of his head. She nods and takes a deep breath. “I’m really happy for you guys.”
The clink of a knife on glass draws our attention to the other side of the room where Travis’ dad is standing with a cane and a goofy grin on his face.
Meara walks around, handing out champagne as Steve gives a toast. “When Brandon called me with the news that Travis proposed to Charlotte, I wasn’t shocked. I knew from the first time I met her she held a special place in my son’s heart.”
He lifts his glass at me and smiles. “Travis has never been much of a talker, but if you mention her name, he doesn’t shut up.”
We all laugh, and I elbow Travis in the ribs as he looks down and rubs the top of his head, clearly embarrassed.