“I’ve got it from here,” Robert told Elvis as soon as we made it to him. He took my hand in his, guiding us closer to the second Elvis impersonator, who would be reciting our vows.
“We are here today, to join this man and this woman …” the officiant began.
I didn’t hear much of what he said. The only thing I was aware of was the promise in Robert’s eyes as he stared at me, my hands in his.
“I understand the groom has a few words he’d like to say.”
I looked to the officiant and then to Robert. “I didn’t know we were supposed to write out our own vows,” I whispered as if there was a room full of people who could overhear.
“We weren’t but I had something I wanted to add.”
I stood upright, inhaling deeply as Robert squeezed both of my hands in his. “Deborah, from the first time we kissed I knew you were going to be my wife. There was no amount of time, doubt, or distance that ever made me waver in that knowledge. What I understood then, and am thankful for now, is that we needed those five years apart. I needed to grow into a better man for you. A man you would be proud to call your husband. I have taken that time to grow up, to understand who and what matters to me most. And I promise you that no one and nothing will ever come before you and our future children. This I vow to you on this day and forever more.”
“Robert,” I whispered his name, barely able to get it out through all of the emotion swelling in my body. I blinked a few times, to prevent the tears from falling. I was at a loss for words. I hadn’t been prepared to say any vows of my own.
“You don’t need to say anything, princess.” Reaching up, he wiped away a tear from under my eyes. “Just say I do.”
I nodded. “I do.”
A heart-stopping smile covered his face. Elvis said a few more words that I couldn’t make out because my emotions were running all over the place. I hardly remembered Robert slipping the wedding band around my ring finger. But I clearly recalled the kiss he planted on my lips once Elvis finally pronounced us husband and wife.
He kissed me with every bit of passion that was contained in his body, and I gave as much as I got.
“No backing out now,” he said when he finally pulled away.
“I would never dream of it.”
“Good.” He lifted our clasped hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to mine just before we proceeded to walk down the aisle for the first time as man and wife. I let out a round of laughter when Elvis number one began tossing rice at us as we passed through the doors of the chapel.
We were official.
That smiling, laughing couple had no idea that back home, there was more than one figure plotting against our demise.
Chapter Seventeen
Present
Tyler
“You never told me that that fucking Elvis tried to get you to run away,” my father stated sharply from the head of the table.
The entire family, including all of the grandchildren, were seated in the dining area of my parents’ home, Townsend Manor. The same place they’d run away from, the night of their engagement party.
“He was just making sure I really wanted to get married,” my mother soothed, taking my father’s hand in hers.
“Wait a minute,” I spoke up, all eyes turning to me.
Before I could even say anything, my father groaned loudly.
“I told you he was going to pick up on it,” my mother told him.
I lifted an eyebrow, looking between my parents. “You gave me … us,” I corrected, taking Destiny’s hand in mine, placing them on the dark wood of the table, “shit for eloping on a yacht when you two ran off and got married in Vegas? By an Elvis Presley impersonator, no less? You always told us you’d both gotten married here at Townsend Manor.”
“We did,” my mother quickly responded.
“A year after our Vegas wedding,” my father clarified.
“So your anniversary dateisn’tSeptember 19th, 1979.”
