There was a knock and Camille opened the front door and smiled at Mani.
He was wearing a tuxedo with a boutonnière of belladonna and lily. Mani was one of Valeria’s favorite people in the world. She went to hug him and felt the amazing luxuriousness of the silk on her skin. It was the first time she had seen Mani in a tux. She smiled at how handsome he looked.
“I was hoping to walk you down the aisle, if you’d like.”
The emotion welled up inside of her. Mani would be at their wedding! He had been forced to avoid their previously planned wedding due to the council. Now, not only was Alex’s closest friend here, he was going to walk her down the aisle.
“I would love that!” she gushed.
Mani held a special place in her heart; the man who lived in Alex’s original family home, who’d lost his own symbolon, his wife, nearly 500 years before. Yet he still spoke to her every day of his life. Valeria hoped he would again know love. He had so much to offer.
Camille brushed Valeria’s cheek as the music began.
“Val, you look gorgeous! Mani, make sure you pace her to the music. When you hear the next song, count to ten, then you’re on!” Camille said before carefully going down the stairs and then disappearing behind the blue hydrangea.
Mani smiled. “You look stunning.”
“You look very dashing yourself.” She hugged Mani with excitement as the music changed to her cue, a stirring instrumental.
“I believe it’s time I take you to your husband.”
Stepping out the front door, Valeria and Mani walked down the steps, around the corner to the side of the house, and under the ginkgo tree that originally made her fall in love with Morgana. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Everyone was standing already and she saw friends from New York and Trento but, at that moment, she was looking for only one face.
They turned up the aisle and, at last, she found his eyes—glowing with love and joy, looking so very handsome. The rest of the walk she floated on the dream that was now a reality. She was almost aware of Caleb standing next to Alex. She saw Alex’s hand reach out for her and she took it—finally with him. She was aware that Lars was conducting the ceremony, but she didn’t hear a word of it. All she truly saw was the face of the man she loved more than life, looking at her with adoration, his eyes rimmed with tears, as were hers, his face glowing with love. Alex began their vows:
“In your eyes, I have found my home.
In your heart, I have found my love.
In your soul, I have found my own.”
It was only a breath later when Lars pronounced them husband and wife. Alex pulled her into his arms. As his hand brushed her face, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed his wife tenderly and lovingly…and a bit longer than reasonable in public.
Alex and Valeria Morgan walked down the aisle. There was an open horse carriage in the driveway and an absence of vehicles—which Valeria didn’t notice—and they rode up the magical, wooded path to the main house. Camille rode behind them with the wedding party and, as they arrived at the main house, she led the newlyweds into a private room off from the kitchen. She handed them both glasses of champagne with strawberries, which they almost acknowledged.
“All right, you two have five minutes and then a couple shots with the photographer before the reception. Okay?” Neither Alex nor Valeria responded. They gazed into each other’s eyes with so much love, Camille felt uncomfortable. “
Well…okay?
” she asked impatiently.
Alex nodded. “Okay,” he said, softly, his attention never leaving his bride. “Camille, will you please close the door?”
The door closed and they were alone as husband and wife. Alex pulled Valeria into his arms. “I have never seen anyone so beautiful in all of my existence.” His eyes lit with emotion and his mouth came down on hers with more love and passion than ever before.
She felt her knees weaken as her heart rose to her throat, and Alex drew her in even closer. “
Ohhh!” she said breathlessly, in little more than a whisper. Her fingers traced the side of his face. “Where have you been hiding that kiss?”
Alex’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “I’ve been saving that for my wife.” His lips moved along her jaw line and an intense flash of heat moved straight to her stomach. Suddenly, she felt a sizzle of energy between them and she wondered how she would make it through the reception. His face filled with emotion and he stared at her in utter amazement. “
You are finally my wife!
” he said.
Valeria stroked his face. “And
you
are my husband…any chance we can skip the reception?”
They both laughed, and shook their heads. Then a knock came at the door and their private moment ended.
The bride and groom joined the crowd to cheers and applause. They sat at their table as the caterers served Steak Diane prepared tableside, with Caesar salad, grilled asparagus, and potatoes. Valeria honestly couldn’t eat more than a few bites.
“Were you gonna ignore me all night?” She heard the heavy New York accent that was unmistakably Weege! Ken stood with her, his large hands in the pockets of his ill-fitting baby blue suit.
Weege and Valeria hugged. When Alex started to shake her hand, Weege grabbed him and gave him a bear hug.
“What a surprise!” Weege gushed to Valeria. “You disappear a month ago after going off with Paolo…
who I intend
to have a few words with tonight. I’ve been calling him and couldn’t get a return call. I thought he’d kidnapped you or something. I was ready to call the FBI!”
“She was! She was calling ’
em. But I said, ‘Hon, they’re just having a good old time—let ’em be!’ Ain’t that what I told you, Weege?” Kenny said.
Weege nodded in annoyance. “And then, only two days ago, Alex called and the next thing I know, we’re flying on a
private
jet to an unknown destination!” Weege turned to Alex. “I do typically need more than two days notice with my busy social calendar.”
Alex nodded.
“My apologies.”
“
Ahh, it’s okay. I mean, you got the shop closed for the three days so we could be here. Mackenzie had no choice! He had to say yes!”
Valeria glanced at Alex and he winked.
“So, this is the guy you were so crazy about!” Weege gushed and then, turning to Alex, she shoved her thumb into his chest. “See, you thought you could do better? Well there is none better than Val!” Weege admonished.
Alex smiled.
“Agreed!”
Valeria rolled her eyes at Weege, who made the assumption that Alex had dumped her a few months before, rather than what had actually occurred—they were torn apart by the law of immortals and had their lives threatened.
“Thanks for letting us keep Charlie for now!”
“Charlie! How is he?” Charlie was Valeria’s sweet King Charles spaniel that Alex had given to her via Paolo during their separation.
“We was gonna bring him,” Kenny said. “But your friend Camille, she said she wasn’t having no fuzzy mop jumping up and ruining your day.”
“Let us know when you want him back. We’d keep him in a heartbeat, but he is yours and well…well, Kenny and I decided we needed our own,” Weege said.
“Your own dog?” Valeria asked.
“No, our own family,” Weege said, cryptically.
Stunned, Valeria suddenly understood. “You…you are…you and Kenny?”
“Yup…she’s knocked up,” Kenny said proudly. “Everyone said she was too old but—”
Weege lowered her brows and elbowed Kenny.
“
Heeeeyyyy!” he said, as a button popped off his ruffled shirt exposing a hairy belly. “Damn, babe—ya did it again! Looks like I need another safety pin!”
“I’m only thirty-nine,” Weege said, although Valeria distinctly recalled celebrating Weege’s thirty-ninth birthday several years before. “Besides, I read somewhere that it’s the new twenty-five!”
“Oh, my God, Weege! Congratulations!” Valeria hugged them both.
Alex excused himself to say hello to a business associate. Weege continued, pointing toward Alex. “He must be filthy rich! And such a nice guy! Don’t understand all the cloak and dagger stuff—guess he wanted to surprise you. But the bus without windows was a bit much even if he is a
bazillionaire. Now I see why you bought those contact lenses. His and her eye color—must be a European thing. Wonder if it’ll catch on in the states. Do you think Ken and I should try it?” Before Valeria could think of a response, Weege continued, “Nah. Neither of us has an eye color I’d duplicate. But your eyes do look real good with all that jewelry you got on.”
Weege was unaware that Valeria’s eyes had returned to their original color after her ‘accident’ the previous year. They had been close friends until she had met Alex and the family. But there was little personal information that Valeria had ever purposely exchanged with Weege. Still, she loved her friend and was pleased to see her.
The band picked up the pace and Kenny smiled. “That’s our song, babe!”
“Well, I guess it is now! Keep in touch, will
ya?”
“I’ll try.” Valeria squeezed Weege’s hands. “Things are pretty crazy right now.”
“Oh, yeah, with Alex’s business and all…married to a billionaire…understand.”
Valeria wanted to correct her, but again, there was no way she could explain what was going on without violating Weege’s sense of reality.
“Go, dance with Kenny!”
The stars seemed to brighten. Lars and Ava were doing a great jitterbug. Camille was dancing with a very old man who ran a patisserie shop in Trento. Tavish had grabbed Sherry, a schoolteacher from town, and was dragging the poor girl across the dance floor. Then he did a 180 and switched to her mother, Pamela, as they began to dance an elaborate Tango. Caleb was dancing in boxes with Marling, the photographer. Even Mani was dancing and heavily engaged in conversation with her chiropractor from Manhattan, Dr. Lesli—how did Alex find
her?
Valeria saw Pauline in a white chef’s coat. She was Alex’s source for leather-bound books—and evidently a great caterer. When Pauline took a few moments, at Camille’s insistence, to dance with her husband,
Silvio, Valeria brushed her shoulder. Pauline turned in surprise and gave her a hug.
“I’m so pleased that you’re here!
And by the way...fantastic food!” Valeria said.
Pauline smiled sweetly. “I wouldn’t miss it!”
There were several of the previous interns whom she had worked over the years, Dawn, April, Kristin and Cindy dancing in the middle of the dance floor. At another table were Marv, Laura, Amanda and Misti, who had managed some of her larger floral accounts.
As she glanced up, she caught sight of Paolo and instinctively frowned, and then realized that was rude.
“Paolo, hello.”
“Hello, Bella—though bella fails to do you justice today.”
“Paolo, please,” she interrupted.
“I do not wish to offend you. I witnessed your vows to Alex,” his eyes drifted to the heavens and he seemed near tears. “I know that you love him. I know that I have interfered with that.”
“Thank you for the gown.”
He shrugged without making eye contact.
“Paolo, it was…” she swallowed and her eyes filled with tears. “It is the most beautiful wedding gown I could have ever imagined. Thank you.”
Shrugging, he looked away. “It was something I could do for you.” He glanced momentarily at her. “Did Alex tell you everything? About helping you? Did he tell you everything, bella?”
“Yes, Paolo. He told me everything. And thank you for what you did.”
“Then why are you still angry with me? You thought you could marry me the last night I saw you. And then I did what I must to save your life, and now it seems as if you hate me.”
“Paolo,” she touched his shoulder, “we all did what we had to do. Yes, I would have married you to keep Alex and my family safe.” She shrugged. “Perhaps we could have been reasonably happy. Yes, I think we could have been
reasonably
happy. But always there, between us, would be my deep love for Alex. And
always
there would be your violation of my need for him. There is no marriage that could survive that.”
“Perhaps.”
Paolo hung his head. “I still—”
“No, Paolo. Not now,” she interrupted.
“Yes…you are right.” He turned from her and shoved his hands in his pockets. Valeria glanced over and noticed that Alex had been watching their conversation closely while dancing with Camille.
The music lowered and they heard the tapping of champagne glasses for a toast. Alex returned to her side.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“Wonderful,” she whispered in his ear.
He took her hand and led her to their seats as Caleb stood looking slightly nervous in front of the crowd; everyone quieted.
“Hi.
I’m the best man and I’m supposed to say something nice. But…well, umm...I’m just a kid, and so I thought Lars or Mani should talk instead of me. But, umm, they told me that the best man is supposed to talk and that I should just talk about Alex. So, umm, sorry if this is lame.” Caleb fidgeted and cleared his throat. “I’ve known Alex…well, a long time, and he’s always been kinda like a dad to me.