36

Three Months Later

APRIL

I took a deep breath, wishing I didn’t have this sick feeling in my stomach on this beautiful day. Today of all days!

“Are you okay, April? You look a little pale.”

Pasting on a smile, I turned to Polly, reaching out to rub her protruding belly. “I’m fine. What about you, do you need to sit down?”

She shook her head, her hand touching her stomach protectively. “I’m good, the baby is doing summersaults, but I’ll be okay.” In three months she had become a dear friend to me as well as Jay. When they had announced that they were expecting and asked if we would be the godparents, I thought Connor was going to burst with pride, already plotting on how he was going to help raise the little football player.

Jay had argued that it could be a girl but Connor had given that handsome grin of his and predicted it was going to be a boy. In the end, he was right. Little Lucas would make an appearance right before spring practice was to start.

Realizing she was still looking at me with concern on her face, I sighed, fidgeting with the end of my long veil. “It’s just that this day is so unbelievably perfect, I don’t want anything to ruin it.”

“You’re afraid he’s not going to be here, aren’t you?” she asked gently, laying a hand on my arm. “Honey, I promise you, he will be there. Not even the Super Bowl could keep him away.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that. I’m not worried about him running. He’s going to be there waiting for me at the end of the aisle,” I said with a confident smile. After all we’d been through, I had absolutely no doubts about that whatsoever.

Polly raised an eyebrow, “Then what is it?”

I turned back to the dressing table, and looked at her through the reflection of the mirror, trying to keep control of the smile that wanted to escape. I felt like I was about to burst. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

My eyes trailed down my neck to the dress I had so carefully picked out for my wedding day. It was still hard to believe that I was about to be married to Connor. The last three months had been some of the best of my life, spending my days working on promoting my business and working with some pretty high society clients, including Connor’s own ex-fiancée, who was marrying some rich baseball player in a few months.

We had buried the hatchet per se and I knew she wasn’t worried about me stealing that groom away from her at least. My love for Connor was written all over my face, today and every day. I loved the man to distraction. He had been working hard to get his shoulder up to snuff for the next season and I was looking forward to seeing him in his suit without his sling. We’d gotten pretty creative with our sex life around his shoulder injury.

With a grin on my face, I turned back to Polly. “I think I’m ready.”

She gave me a quick hug and exited the room, leaving me to have a few moments to myself. I’d been surprised when Connor had suggested we get married in the same church my parents had, thinking that he would want some crazy Hollywood affair like before. It spoke volumes of the significance of having my own wedding day here, feeling my parents’ spirits with me as I had gotten ready. “Wish you both could be here, but I’ve really found him, like you always said I would,” I said softly to the empty room. “And I’m not giving him back.”

Connor was the soulmate I had been looking for and no one could have predicted the way I would have found him. He was my everything and in my heart, I knew he felt the same. Connor told me every day that he loved me, showed me in more ways than one. It was in his grin when he kissed me, his longing stare, and most of all in the way he made love to me with so much tenderness that I thought my heart would explode if the feelings got any stronger.

I took an encouraging breath and steadied myself against the vanity, imagining my dad beside me. His spirit would give me the strength I needed to take this final step, to give all my love to Connor.

The music drifted into the room and I picked up the bouquet of flowers, stepping to the door.

This was it.

CONNOR

Fuck.

This was it.

The music swelled and I cleared my throat, feeling the rush of emotion well up in my chest as I waited to see April.

My April, who was about to be my wife.

It still was a surprise. The last three months hadn’t been like anything I had ever experienced before. I thought the honeymoon had been great, but nothing could have prepared me for living day to day with the love of my life.

And more times than not I had found myself reaching for her in my sleep, so scared that it wasn’t reality. But every morning she greeted me with love in her eyes, and I couldn’t have ever asked for anything else. I loved her even more than football!

When I had suggested this little church chapel that her parents had gotten married in, right down to the sun reflecting off the lake like she had planned before, I thought she would never stop crying, but it had warmed my heart to see her so happy. Everything about her perfect wedding was about to happen, except the groom was different and it was a man who loved her so damn much it scared the shit out of him.

I couldn’t even imagine my life without her in it, and I would do anything to make her happy, anything at all. She was never going to feel anything but love from me, though maybe a little bit of irritation as well. I could be a dumbass from time to time. But at least it would make for great make-up sex!

The doors opened and my breath caught in my throat as she started down the aisle. I didn’t think it was possible but a tear formed in my eye at the sight of her.

She was breathtaking, dressed in a white gown that was covered in lace, two straps the only things on her lickable shoulders. Her veil was long, her hair down framing her face, and I laughed as I noticed the pair of white sneakers peeking out from under her dress.

She had balked at heels, saying she hadn’t wanted to make an ass of herself in front of the cameras. I still couldn’t believe April wanted them; it had been all her idea, though I would’ve been perfectly content to have the day completely our own. But it was a thought she’d had, one that took flight and had actually worked out pretty damn well. Inviting some select media to join us on our special day got rid of all the party crashing and we had received some pretty sweet perks by having them there.

Tonight we would fly back to the place where it all started, compliments of one of the magazines we had picked to run a full spread on our wedding and the reception to follow. The guys on the team were also all in attendance in the small church, the coach just a few feet away giving me a wink. Jay was at my side, the only man I wanted to have stand up with me since he had been a major key player in this relationship. I couldn’t believe he was going to be a father soon but I couldn’t wait to see little Lucas in a few months. Hell, I couldn’t wait to start making my own kids.

April reached my side and I fought the urge to take her into my arms. She looked so damn beautiful and I couldn’t believe that she was about to be mine, all mine. Me, Mr. ‘unable to commit to a proper adult relationship’ was about to throw down the gauntlet and jump off the cliff… and straight into April’s arms.

The officiant started his words but I couldn’t take my eyes off her, giving her a grin as she looked at me expectantly. “I was right. You didn’t run,” she whispered.

“Hell no, not a chance,” I answered, taking her hand in mine. “And I will never run, ever again.”

The officiant cleared his throat and we both looked at him sheepishly, the entire church bursting out into laughter. “May I continue or would you like to say your vows another day?”

“Sorry,” I said with a laugh, looking back at April’s shining eyes. “Please, make me this woman’s husband and pronto.” She giggled and I felt that burst of pride in my chest.

This was all I needed in life. She was all I needed.