Wide Spaces (A Wide Awake Novella, Book 2) (10 page)

Diet Coke destroys tooth enamel as much as meth and crack cocaine.

Mason

I
danced with every person in that room but Emma. They were hell bent on getting their dances in. I danced with Isabella and all the ladies who claimed to be this person or that—an aunt, an acquaintance, a family friend.

When I danced with Mamm
a in her wheelchair, she stayed lucid through it and I was happy. I had learned to grab those moments and make them count instead of spending all my time wishing for things that wouldn't come. She smiled and laughed as we danced to
Fools Rush In
. She sang the words and I felt lighter and lighter, if not more anxious to take my bride away.

When I looked up and found Emma
watching us, a hand on her father's arm, I jolted with anxiety at first because she was crying. But when her eyes drifted to Mamma's, I knew there was nothing to be alarmed about. My wife was just being sentimental.

My wife.

And then I had just…had enough. The cake was done, the bouquet had been tossed, and I announced that I was going to dance with my wife and then we were going on our honeymoon.

The garter belt toss did not take place. Number one, there weren't that many single guys there anyway, and number two, I had bought it for her. Me. And I wanted that little blue scrap of material to be for my eyes only.

Just knowing it was there under her dress, like a little secret between her and me, drove me mad ever since I saw her come down the stairs.

I realized I hadn't even had the chance to tell her how beautiful she was yet. So I thanked Mom for the dance and took her back to her table before setting my eyes on the prize and making my way to her. She laughed at something her dad an
d his colleague said, but I couldn't help myself as I pressed my lips to the back of her neck in a quick swipe before telling them I was stealing her away.

She didn't even look back at them, just let me tow her. When we reached the middle of the dining room floor and had it all to ourselves, I was glad that the lights were down, because I
had
to press her against me, take all of her that I could.

Our temples rested against each other's and my hand on
her lower back pressed her hips to mine. I kissed her cheek and asked, "Are you happy?"

She didn't lift her head, but I felt her smile against my cheek. "What kind of question is that?"

"The only one that matters right now."

"I'm so…" she pressed her lips to the skin under my ear, "incredibly happy."

"That's good. That's all I want. You know that, right?"

"That's why I love you so much."

"I'll never get tired of hearing you say that." I did lean back this time, even as our hips swayed, and I looked at her gorgeous eyes. "I haven't had the chance to tell you how beautiful you look yet. But, Em…you are. Beautiful and then some."

"Thanks," she whispered. "So are you."

I smiled. "You mean devilishly handsome."

She smiled back, but it was
sincere. "No. I mean…beautiful. But you aren't in seven-hundred dollar heels that are killing your feet."

I felt my eyes bulge. "High heels?" She nodded. I lowered my voice. "Let me see." She obliged me, stopping our dance to lift the bot
tom of her dress just barely, showing me the ankle-view side of her white, sparkly heels. I groaned a little, thinking about that ankle attached to that leg and those heels. I chuckled against her temple.

She grinned. "You have a little
thing
about legs, don't you?"

"
I will forever be a
legs man
."

I couldn't stop caressing her face. My thumb made love to that cheek, and I leaned in close and relished in her every feel, every touch, every sigh. Eventually, I'd had enough. I couldn't stand it another second. I pulled back an
d it must have been on my face that my limit had been reached. Or maybe she was just as ready as I was. I wanted her alone, all to myself.

We both dressed in our jeans quickly, her in her room and I was in her brother's. She came down the stairs again with everyone cooing and fawning all over the teary mother and the bride as she prepared to leave with her husband.

After putting our boots on and zipping up Emma's big black coat over her yellow v-neck sweater, I took her hand and led her through the doorway into the bright white of the snowy driveway. We said goodbye to our parents and waved to everyone else as they watched us go. A few of the guests were staying at the B&B also, including my friends Rob and Patrice, since they were in no position to drive home to the next town. It was almost dark, but the streetlights and snow made it seem like it was glowing.

We were assaulted by bird
seed and cheers. Emma squealed and giggled as I tried to shield her. I tucked her quickly into her side of my truck—my big, rugged truck that was decorated with ribbons and cans. I climbed in and drove the short distance to the B&B. There was no checking in to do. They got our bags that I had packed earlier from the back seat and took them up to the room. I said we had one small errand to run and we'd be back. They looked curious, but said they'd leave the door unlocked for us.

I took Em to
the house instead. I went around to her side and pulled her from the high seat into my arms. She didn't ask why we were there or what we were doing. She let me lead her and knew that I had a plan. It was one of the many reasons I loved her—that she trusted me with abandon.

I towed her to the porch and leaned into her smiling face, kissing her lips before lifting her into my arms. She giggled as I pushed the door open and set her feet inside the threshold. "Welcome home
, Emma Wright."

She smiled, biting into her lip. "Thank you. And what are we going to do now?"

I pulled her face up with my finger under her chin while hooking my arm around the small of her waist.

"What I've wanted to do for weeks now," I said low. She shivered and her smile showed nervousness, but happiness, too. I felt bad for teasing her…almost. I
turned from our embrace, grabbing a sleeping bag and a thick blanket. She raised a curious brow but followed when I ticked my head.

I
brushed off most of the snow and laid the sleeping bag down over the picnic table. Then beckoned her to me as I lay down. We snuggled under the blanket, our booted feet touching. She was turned toward me with my arm around her, but could still look up into the dark sky that was only illuminated by the stars.

The same stars that I poured my heart out to Emma
under, to anyone, for the very first time. Though I fought it then, I still knew that my life would never be the same.

I wanted to make love to her, of course I did, but as our first act as a married couple, I wanted to go back to the beginning. The start of a real
us
that was tangible and not just wishful thinking and hoping, but a reality that had scared the hell out of me.

"I don't know what t
he stars' names are," I began and loved how she watched me, so enraptured. "I don't know the constellations or what they mean. I know this—that when I brought you out here that day, I hadn't intended on telling you everything. I figured when I told you what happened that night and how my friend died and my mom…how I thought it was all my fault, that you'd think I was a lost cause. I thought I could piss you off and you'd leave forever."

She shook her head
, her lips lifting wistfully. "No, you didn't get rid of me that day."

"Or any day after that." The snow had stopped and I shooed a snowflake from the hair that was rebelling against her skullcap. "I barely heard the preacher t
oday because of everything that has happened this week and all the weeks since I've met you. It consumed my thoughts. I've made so many mistakes and I never developed the ability to let things roll off my back. I'll work on it, I promise."

She nodded. "I know you
."

"I promise to always tell you
everything
. And I promise to hang my towel up after a shower."

She seemed to see where this was going. "I promise to ask before jumping to conclusions."

"I promise that I'll put my shoes away and you'll never trip on them coming in the door."

She smiled and a tear escaped the corner of her eye. Anyone would laugh that she was crying over my shoes, but she wasn't. God, I loved her so much right then for
getting
me. For getting us. I loved her for getting the way I needed to lay my heart out there for her so she could see all the wide spaces that were yet to be filled, but would be, even now as she told me the ways she wanted to love me.

"I promise that I won't ever make you choose between your mom and me. I know you're a package deal and I wouldn't have it any other way."

I huffed a sigh and gripped her thigh under the blanket to pull her closer. "I promise that I'll support you, no matter what you choose to do after school."

She wiggled one of her legs between mine, shifting her hips closer.
"I promise that I'll understand when you have to leave for Milo, and I know you two will reconcile one day."

I gulped.
Seeing Milo tonight had thrown me. One, I didn't know how he even knew about the wedding, and two, why would he come if he hated me? It gave me hope inside my chest that I thought was long gone. "I promise that no matter what happens in this life, I'll always love you. Always."

She closed her eyes, sniffling, and smiled. "I promise I won't
park behind you in the driveway so you can't get out."

"I'll always call if I'm going to be late."

"I won't forget the hot chocolate from the grocery store."

I grinned and tightened my grip on her. "I'll tell you how much I love you every…single…" I kissed the tip of her freezing cold nose. "Day."

"I'll only ever let you tattoo me."

My chest rumbled at
that and I growled something along the lines of,
That's right you will
. "I'll rub your calf muscles anytime you need me to."

"I
promise I won't tell anyone how ticklish you are."

I
smirked. "I'll always remember what an empty theater and a
Bonanza
marathon does to you."

"
I also won't spill the beans that you're a closet guitarist."

"Hardly." I smiled. "I promise to help you fill your list with everything you've ever wanted to do."

She put her gloved palm on my cheek. "I'll never regret…anything. Ever."

"I'll never lie to you."

"I'll never leave angry."

"I won't ever take you for granted."

"I won't…" She did the smile-cry again. "I won't ever forget. You or this or us." She took a deep breath as I felt those words punch into my guts. "I won't ever forget you," she said again, softer.

That was it, the breaking point. I leaned up and over her and kissed her softly.
We'd never really talked about it before, but several other people have asked what I would do if Emma remembered everything. I always told them that it wasn't likely, but if it did happen…I didn't know how she would process it all.

With her arms wrapped around my neck, she reiterated. "I mean it. I'll never forget you. Even if my memories came back," she shook her head violently looking up at me, "I'd still remember you and love you. That won't ever go away."

"Even if it did, I wouldn't let you go without a fight," I told her and hovered there, just out of reach of her lips.

She smiled and pulled her fingers through my belt loops. "Promise?"

"Hell yeah, baby. I love you," I groaned those words into the skin of her neck.

"I love you.
I'm so glad you wanted to marry me even though I'm unfixable," she said breathlessly.

I
shook my head. "You made loving you so easy."

I kissed her mouth over and over again. It was s
o quiet out there, our noises sounded so loud and erotic. I leaned back a little on my elbows to gain some control. "You're not upset about not getting the big fancy church wedding, are you? The doves? The ice sculpture?"