Lucas unbuckled his pants and moved my panties to the side. He entered me hard and quick, drawing me closer as he started to move. I pulled on Lucas’s hair as his mouth covered mine. Who knew being married would be such a turn on for both of us? I hoped we had another fifty years of this to look forward to.
It was difficult not to make any noise. When we finished, we were breathing heavy and clutching onto each other so tightly I was sure we’d go back into the reception with bruises.
I glanced up at Lucas and ran my fingers through his hair.
“Did I ever tell you how much I loved being claimed?” Lucas chuckled and kissed my forehead.
“You’re in luck, I plan to claim you every single chance I get—Mrs. Hunter.” He went in for another kiss, and I shook my head.
“No more ‘Mrs. Hunter.’ You and I won’t leave this room for the rest of the night—and we have a party going on, remember?” Lucas narrowed his eyes and backed away to pull up his pants when we heard the door jiggle.
“Ah, the door was stuck. Jess, you can get changed in—oh my God! Seriously? You guys couldn’t wait?” Daina took in the sight of my dress up to my waist and Lucas’s pants around his knees and her mouth fell open so wide it almost touched the floor.
“And you can’t knock on a locked door? Jesus, Daina!” Lucas yelled back. I gave him credit; it was hard to be indignant with your pants half off, but he was doing a great job.
“I’ll let you two get dressed—” Daina collapsed into giggles, and I heard Jessica ask her what was going on as she shut the door. I dropped my face into my hands. I had no idea how I would face them for the rest of the night.
“Hey.” Lucas pulled my hands from my face and placed my arms around his neck. “Don’t you dare be embarrassed! My nosey cousin will get over it.” Lucas shrugged and gave me a soft peck on my lips.
Lucas finished buckling his pants and grabbed his jacket. He pulled me by the waist and gave me a passionate kiss.
“I love you. So much. Let’s finish this party so we can start the rest of our lives together.”
“I love you, too. Sounds good to me! Let me …” I motioned with my hand to the bathroom in the corner.
Lucas nodded and kissed my forehead. “Don’t take too long, wife.” He smacked me on the ass and sauntered out the door.
I looked at myself in the mirror. Other than the flush in my cheeks, I didn’t look too disheveled. I cleaned myself up and smoothed down my dress—hoping the wrinkles weren’t too noticeable. I fixed my makeup along with a couple of hairpins that were out of place and marched back outside. I tried my best to not be embarrassed about getting caught. We’d look back on today with nothing but good memories.
I went back out to our little reception and mingled with some of my friends and family. I looked over at the dance floor and found Lucas dancing with Bella. She yawned in his arms as he held her. Frank Sinatra was singing “The Way You Look Tonight” as Bella giggled at Lucas. I couldn’t tell what he was saying to her.
I never got to do the “father-daughter” dance at any event and had always felt cheated. Looking at Lucas and Bella together healed me. She would finally have the right kind of dad—one who spoiled her, worried when she was sick and scared the crap out of any guy who tried to take her out. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have his blood or his last name. She had his heart.
At the end of the song, Lucas pointed to his cheek, and she gave him a kiss. He carried her back over to my mother as the beginning of John Legend’s “You and I” started to play.
Lucas spotted me across the room and held out his hand. I marched over to my husband on the dance floor, and he pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest as we swayed to the music. When he sangyou’re all minein my ear, I laughed and flung my arms around his neck.
I still felt at times that it was all a dream. I never knew what happiness felt like, or if it was even in the cards for me, until Lucas. He was more than just a crush or the man of my dreams. He was the other half of my soul, my Superman who would always rescue me—even from myself. I looked into my husband’s eye and realized why I’d never felt whole before. He completed me in every way possible.
“I love you, Lucas.” I held on even tighter, tears slipping down my face once again.
He smiled and gave me a soft kiss.
“I love you, too, Sam.Alwaysyou.”
Epilogue
Lucas
Three years later
I usually did a good job—witha few exceptions—of putting on a poker face when I was freaked out, but this time I couldn’t fake it. I stood behind the sheet in the delivery room, holding Sam’s hand and reassuring us both that everything was fine and an emergency C-section was really no big deal. But sweat poured down my face from beneath my scrubs.
Nothing about Joseph Kellan Hunter’s entrance into this world had been easy. After two years of trying to get pregnant and then one month of bed rest for Sam, we couldn’t wait for it to be over and have him with us. Now that the moment was here, I was scared out of my mind for both of them.
Things were momentarily quiet until a screaming baby broke the silence. Hearing the sound of my baby’s strong cry was the best moment of my life, other than falling in love and marrying his mother.
Sam nudged me to go make sure he was okay. I watched as they cleaned him up—trying my best to ignore what he was covered in—weighed him, took his footprint, and spread some kind of ointment over his eyes. The nurse wrapped him up in a blanket and handed him to me. My son’s eyes were wide open, and he looked at right at me—like he knew me. He relaxed in my arms and seemed to be saying, “Hi, Daddy.” I saw Sam’s lips, my dad’s eyes, and my sister’s chin. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to speak to my son for the first time.
