Nope, I’m not crying. Not as he looks lovingly into my eyes, the big faker.
‘For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health.’
I’m not crying.
Absolutely not as he squeezes my hand.
Not as he smiles the kind of smile I’ve never seen on him.
‘To love, honour, and cherish.’
Nope, definitely not crying.
I think it’s just raining. Yes—indoors.
‘From this day forward...’
For the next few months.
Yep, that’ll do it. Waterworks be gone!
It’s then that I notice the ring. It looks so tiny and so shiny as he picks it up from the lectern. And before I can sayI doordon’t, he’s sliding it onto my finger, and I’m looking down at it in bedazzlement.
‘By the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York...’
Oh my God. I just got married.
I think I’m going to throw up.
Chapter 20
BECKETT
‘He was right about the restrooms.’
Olivia looks sheepish in the extreme as she appears in the hall. I jump up from my seat, and in a few long strides, I’m in front of her.
‘Are you okay?’ Does she have jet lag? Is she ill? Or does she just feel sick at the thought of being tied to me?
‘Yeah.’ She nods, a hank of hair falling across her face. I find myself sliding it from her cheek with my index finger to curl it around her ear. Apparently, that also makes her feel ill by her expression, so I drop my hands to my side.
‘I wasn’t ill. I didn’t vomit,’ she qualifies unnecessarily. ‘I don’t know what came over me. First with the crying and then rushing out of the chapel.’
‘You aren’t the first to succumb to its pastel charms, according to our friendly officiant.’ His name already long forgotten. The analogy of the organ grinder and the monkey springs to mind. ‘Besides, it’s not every day you hitch yourself to one of Satan’s relations.’ This, at least, gets her to smile. ‘Before I drag you to meet dear old Uncle S, I believe there’s some paperwork to sign.’
Outside once again with our wedding license tucked into my jacket pocket, I’m out of sorts and at a complete loss of what to do next. It’s a feeling I’m unfamiliar with. A feeling I don’t appreciate.
‘Have you eaten at all?’ I turn to Olivia who still looks quite wan.
‘On the plane, maybe? Oh! I had some fruit back at the hotel.’
Damn. ‘That wasn’t very sensible, was it?’ I find myself snapping.
‘Excuse me, but between meeting your lawyer and getting ready for our wedding, what was I supposed to do? Order roast beef and Yorkshire pudding to go?’
‘I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant—’
‘I know what you meant,’ she sniffs, her nose quite pink. ‘I think you’ll find the word you’re looking for starts with ansand ends in ay.’
