“I don’t kiss Tate the way I kiss you,” she countered.
“No, you don’t, but you were also a virgin when we married.”
“It doesn’t matter Jordan. I don’t want anyone but you.”
“I hoped that when I saw the plans you’d made for our house, asked me if I wanted to start our own branch of the family, and especially when you told me that you didn’t want to go anywhere that it meant you loved me. Then you said you loved our family and I started telling myself that no matter how big our connection was it was them you were sticking around for, not just me.”
“They’re the icing on the cake Jordan, but you…you’re my heart. I can’t imagine living or being without you. I did choose you Jordan. When I told Tate about your offer, he said I was crazy and made one of his own.”
“He did?” Jordan asked in confusion. She’d never said a word about it and that wasn’t like her.
“He offered to leave town with me, to help me get as far from everyone and everything about this place, to go and play pool with me wherever I needed or wanted to for cash to survive. It had been my suggestion to do that a few months before I met you but he refused to go, but I said no to him and yes to you,” she told him hoping he’d see that even though she couldn’t choose which one of them she could live without she could choose which one to live with, stay beside for always.
“Mel, you chose me over Tate and a career as a pool shark?” he asked taking her hands in his twining their fingers together.
“I did Jordan. We could have run; it would have been simple to do it. Arthur would have made sure we were okay, but he wouldn’t have forced us to go back, but I couldn’t leave you. You had a hold on me even that that not even Tate could break and I don’t want him or anyone else to ever even try.”
Jordan closed his eyes trying to tame down his desire to make love to her to show her how much her words thrilled him. When he reopened them, he knew it was going to be a losing battle and despite Caleb’s instructions to let her rest, he gathered her into his arms and proved his love for her and her to him.
She laid in his arms, her head resting on his chest, and smiled afterwards. His hands stroked her back up and down and she fought against the need to sleep. She didn’t want to lose this feeling, didn’t want it to be a dream.
“Mel…”
“Hmm?” She sighed contently as her eyes fluttered shut.
“Will you marry me?” he asked and her eyes popped open.
She leaned back in order to see his face, confusion evident in her eyes. “Jordan we already are married.”
“I know and as much as I loved our first wedding, I want to say our vows again knowing this time that we both mean them completely and then I want to take you on that honeymoon that’s almost six years overdue.”
“When?” she asked with a smile.
“Our anniversary sounds about right,” he suggested.
“That’s in three days. Jordan! You know your parents will kill us if we don’t tell them this time,” she said in shock.
“Then it’s a good thing we have ten million in cash sitting downstairs in the safe, isn’t it?” he stated with a grin.
“You’re serious? You want us to do it all, a dress, our family, friends, a cake all of it in three days?”
“I don’t think Revered Smith will mind letting us use the church if we give them a very generous donation.”
“The church?”
“I want to do it completely right this time, you in the huge puffy dress, your father walking you down the aisle, and a wedding night like no other baby.”
“I don’t think we can pull it off but why not?” she said with a nod as she kissed him.
Three days later she stood in a dress, not huge and puffy like Jordan said but it suited her perfectly. The simplicity of it was magnified by the delicate lace and beading but mostly by her smile as she laughed at Tate.
“Really, man of honor?” he asked adjusting the collar.
“Absolutely,” she stated with a nod before he headed up the aisle with Nicole who was her matron of honor.
“Ready?” Dwight asked holding out his arm.
“We’re already married Dad,” she said with a laugh. “No tears,” she added seeing the slight sparkle of them in his eyes.
