Can’t he see how happy I am?
Blue’s mom and sister come in from New York for the wedding, and I instantly like them both. Blue’s sister told him it was never his fault that their little sister had died, and that she didn’t want him to carry that burden any longer.
After their long talk, I can see Blue’s demeanor change. It’s like the weight of it is gone from his shoulders, and nothing could make me happier.
After the ceremony, Rio and Shelby throw us a party at their house on the hill—the one that used to belong to my father before he sold it to Rio.
The irony of it is not missed on anyone.
My mother doesn’t come, but my sister and her husband do, as well as Carmen, Marcella, and Ramona. And that’s enough for me.
We dance until I’m exhausted, and although I can’t partake of the champagne or wine, I still have the best time.
I laugh when Blue sits me in a chair and removes my garter, his brothers all hooting and hollering and diving to catch it when he throws it toward them.
My girlfriends jump for my bouquet and, fittingly, Carmen catches it. She even dances with the brother who caught the garter, and Blue and I both laugh to watch the mismatched couple.
We cut the cake, and Blue is a gentleman and doesn’t shove it in my face.
Soon, it’s time for us to leave, and the partygoers chase us to Blue’s truck, pelting us with rice.
He drives us to the Plaza Hotel in El Paso for our wedding night. The place is a gorgeous five-star hotel, and I’m speechless at how beautiful the property is. We have a late dinner and drinks on the rooftop bar. Just pineapple juice for me, of course.
The sky above is filled with stars, and I feel like I’m living a dream.
When we retire to our room, I change into a fancy nightgown that Carmen gave me as a gift.
When I walk out of the bathroom, Blue’s eyes sweep over me and heat with desire.
The nightgown doesn’t last long. Blue pulls it off me almost immediately, then his hungry eyes devour me. “Maybe I should keep you naked in this hotel room for our entire honeymoon.”
I giggle.
He drops to his knees and wraps his arms around my thighs, then stares up at me. “I’m devoted to you, Luisa. Don’t everdoubt that. Not for one second. You’re my everything. My heart. My very life. Without you, my life would go to hell.”
My eyes tear at his sweet confession, and I cup his face, stroking his hair.
“I love you, Blue.”
He presses a kiss to my stomach. I’m just starting to show.
“I’ll love you like no other, little one. I can’t wait for you to arrive.”
Blue stands, scoops me up and carries me to the big king bed with the expensive sheets and makes sweet, tender love to me. It’s nothing about sex, and all about love and showing me how much he worships me.
Afterward, we fall asleep, exhausted from the long day.
Blue only lets me sleep for a few hours before he wakes me up and carries me to the bathroom. There he’s lit a dozen candles, ones he must have had the hotel bring him especially for this reason. Rose petals float in the steaming water.
“My baby is a romantic,” I whisper.
“You deserve to be treated like a queen. My queen.”
He lowers me into the water and climbs in behind me. He soaps my body, and we talk and whisper about our hopes for the future.
The sky lightens through the window when he lifts me from the bath, towels me dry, and wraps me in a thick hotel robe.
“Come on, let's watch the sunrise.”
