AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mary bum-rushed me, and I bent down and took her in my arms. Her small hands squished my cheeks, forcing me to make a fishy face. “Thank you, Daddy!” Then, she kissed my lips.
Mary motioned for Becky and Sarah to come closer. “Bubble. I want my bubble.”
“Dad,” Sarah said, her cheeks red with excitement, “are we really going to Disney for summer break?”
I smiled down at her. “Yep.”
“Well, it is the happiest place on earth,” Becky added, her own glow spreading over her beautiful face.
I held out my free arm, bringing the rest of my family in. I was now surrounded with everything I would ever need in life. “No, this, right here”—I pulled them into our bubble of love—“is the happiest place on earth.”
Epilogue
Sweat linedthe top of my brow, and as I swiped my forehead with the handkerchief Mason handed me, I knew it wasn’t the summer weather that was causing my perspiration. Plus I was inside, seated in the dining room, watching the waitstaff I’d hired move about the house, getting the food ready for the reception.
I was afraid to move, let alone undo my bow tie.
"You look nervous." Mason laughed, standing right beside me.
"Me? Nervous?" I shifted, placing my elbows on my thighs. I hadn't done this in a while. And if it was up to me, it would be the last time I ever did.
“This is what you wanted, Charles. This is what you need,” Mason said.
"Yeah, I’m just excited to get all the formalities over. I need to get to the kiss-the-bride part, then the drinking part.” I smiled, though nothing could calm my nerves.
Standing in front of the boardroom was different than standing in front of three dozen people, with them watching you proclaim your love to the woman you were going to spend the rest of your life with.
I should have nixed the idea of inviting more than a handful of people, but I relinquished all wedding planning to Mason, who was more than up for it with his type A, organized ways.
“It’ll be fine.” One strong hand landed on my shoulder. “It’s a quick ceremony by Minister McKinnley. No more than fifteen minutes. I’ve timed his recorded ceremonies on line.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Give or take a few minutes.”
Mason glanced at his watch. “Speaking of the minister, he’s five minutes late.” He plucked his phone from his back pocket, then dialed. He walked away, with one hand on his hip.
“Hey, groom-to-be. Again.” Brad strolled in with a bacon-wrapped asparagus, half hanging from his mouth and another in a napkin in his hand. “I’m here to tell you that the girls are ready and waiting upstairs. Twenty minutes till go time.”
“I specifically told the waitstaff to keep the food from you until after the ceremony,” I said.
He laughed. “That would only work if your staff wasn’t predominantly female.” Brad wiggled his eyebrows in a playful manner. “Let’s just say, I have my ways.”
“What?” Mason’s heightened tone had us turning in his direction. “This is bullshit. You couldn’t find a replacement? This is your one job. Whatever. I’m done.” Then he ended the call and turned to face us, eyes wide.
“Minister McKinnley is sick.”
I jolted up and stood. “What?” I swallowed, then ran both hands through my hair. Bad idea, since my hairstylist was one of the guests invited. No officiant. Shit. Shit. Shit. Now what?
Mason rubbed at the back of his neck and glanced at his watch again. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this. I had a backup for the food, a secondary waitstaff on call. Not once did I think the officiant wouldn’t show up.” When Mason let out a jagged sigh, Brad laughed.
And the look on Mason’s face told me, now was not the time to mess with him. He was out for blood at Brad’s simple reaction. “You think this is funny?” Mason said, his tone menacingly low.
“Yes.”
When he took a step forward, I placed myself between them.
Brad shrugged his shoulders, unaffected. “I wouldn’t be laughing if I didn’t already have a solution.”
Mason scoffed. “Do you have an officiant up your sleeve that’s readily available? Do you? Do you!”
Mason’s voice turned frantic.
