Wrapped in Lace (27 page)

I turned around, letting the warm water lap my body, to watch my husband on the phone. We’d gotten married right before sunset on New Year’s Day, just a few hours ago. He’d arranged the cake, photographer, flowers, legal papers, minister, even a dress. I was afraid to ask what this was costing him, but you only got married once. He’d even arranged to have the whole thing Skyped to our families back home. Given the look on Drew’s face right now, that might be the only thing saving his ass. I could hear his mother yelling all the way outside. I motioned for him to come to me, and his sexy smile covered his face. He said a quick goodbye and headed my way.

“Mrs. Landon, are you skinny dipping?” he asked and I nodded, slowly eyeing his abs. Nothing like a little ab candy to get a girl going. “Bad girl.”

“Only for you, Mr. Landon.”

He hopped in the pool and captured me in his arms, his hands stroking the curves of my body. “Thank you for saying yes.”

I held up my hand, looking at the wood and titanium band. I think I was still in shock myself, but in the best way. I knew it was impulsive and the craziest thing either of us had ever done, but it was also the most certain I’d ever been.

“When we get back, we can go buy you a diamond,” Drew said, twirling the ring on my finger.

“No,” I said, holding up his hand and exposing his matching wedding band. “I don’t want a diamond.”

“I want to get you a proper engagement ring. Just because we eloped doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about that.”

I knew I was smiling. I knew he hadn’t forgotten and that he’d get me anything I asked for. “I really don’t want one.”

“But. . . .”

“Maybe down the road,” I said, trying to appease him. I really just wanted to wear the band that matched his, so I decided to change the subject. He’d probably have a ring shipped to me in the morning anyway. “Your parents are pretty upset?”

“Aren’t your mom and granddad upset?”

“My mom was thrilled. She’s such a free spirit, so she was totally supportive. She was more concerned about how hot you were.” Drew laughed. “Granddad was cool, too. I think he was a little disappointed that he didn’t get to walk me down the aisle, but he tried not to let on.”

“Nana was cool about it, too, but Mom and Dad are pissed,” Drew said. “So I said that. . . .”

“You said what?”

“I said we’d have a little something in McAdenville in a few months.”

“A little reception? That does sound nice. I’m sure my mom would like that and. . . .”

“No,” Drew said, wrinkling his nose. “I said we’d get married again.”

I started laughing. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, Mom was crying, saying she missed her baby’s wedding. Dad was saying how inconsiderate this was. They both kept asking if you were pregnant.” Drew’s fingers went through his brown hair. “I panicked and said they could throw us a little wedding, so they could be there.”

“What did you say when they asked about me being pregnant?”

“I can’t lie to them.”

“Drew?”

“I said ‘not that I know of’,” he said, grinning at me.

“Quick thinking.”

“So, will you do it? Will you marry me again?”

I giggled. “This has got to be a record or something. How many times can one guy propose in twenty-four hours?” I shook my head at him. “Of course, I’ll marry you again.”

“At least you said yes quicker this time,” he teased me. My eyes looked out to the darkness surrounding us, hearing the waves crashing. “You need to know, don’t you?”

“Don’t you?”

“Piper, I Googled it. At most, we conceived seven days ago. It takes at least two weeks for those tests to work. It’s going to be negative now, even if you are pregnant. It’s too early.”

“I just feel like we have so many decisions to make, and we can’t make them without knowing.”

“Where to live?” he asked.

“When we have kids, it would be nice to be close to family, but I know your life, your business is in Raleigh. I’m worried about Granddaddy and my job. I can’t just quit in the middle of the year, but you can’t move your life quickly, so either way, we are going to be apart and I hate that and. . . .”

“Piper, I’m moving my business home to McAdenville. I’ll do it as quickly as I can. I don’t want to live apart, either.”

“You make it sound so easy, and I know it’s not. You have employees and contacts and a workshop and your house and. . . .”

He wrapped his arms around me. “And you. And you are in McAdenville.”

“What about Rob and Ellie?” I asked. I didn’t want Ellie trying to interfere in our lives.

“Rob and I are on better ground. Ellie is just Ellie.”

“I don’t want to have to deal with her.”

“I know. Believe me, I know. But we aren’t making this decision because of them. I’ve done that too long. We will live where we think it’s best for us and our family.” His finger grazed my belly.

“Ok,” I said sweetly. “You want me to be pregnant, don’t you?”

His smile warmed my heart. “Kinda.”

I slapped him playfully. “You are insane.”

“You don’t want to be? Even a little?” he asked.

“I’m not as scared as I was, but. . . .” I paused for a minute. “Maybe a little.”

“It’s nice to think about,” Drew said. “I’d like to have you all to myself for a few years, but the idea of you carrying my child. . . .” His eyes welled up. I couldn’t believe it. I’d never seen him cry, not even as kids. Not when he broke his arm riding bikes, or failed his algebra test. Never! “The idea just makes me happy.”

SPRING

DREW

Going at least
twenty miles over the speed limit, I flew past the welcome sign to McAdenville. I grinned because I couldn’t seem to get home fast enough. As much as it sucked to be away from Piper, I’d been traveling back and forth between Raleigh and McAdenville every week for the past few months, but this was the last time. I wasn’t leaving her again anytime soon.

I looked in my rearview mirror. Raleigh was a distant memory. It had been much easier than I thought to relocate my business to McAdenville. I would still have to do some traveling, but Piper would be coming with me as soon as school was out. The nursery collection had taken off, and Piper was leaving her teaching job to take over her namesake full-time. Thank God, I really needed her. She was way more patient with the indecision of pregnant females than I was, probably because, for a few weeks, she was convinced she was one.

It turned out that Piper wasn’t pregnant. I’d held her while she cried, waiting for those results, and I held her while she cried after we found out she wasn’t pregnant. When I asked her why she was crying, she’d said she wasn’t ready to be a mother just yet, but she realized that she wanted to have my baby someday. Had to say, that brought a tear to my eye. I wanted her to have my babies someday, too.

I pulled in front of the old Harlow place, now my place—my home with Piper. I hopped out of my truck and headed to the workshop in the back—our workshop, the new home to Landon Designs and
The Piper Collection
. I was hoping Piper was inside waiting for me, then my phone dinged.

Piper: Don’t be late to our wedding!

My mom and dad almost killed me when they found out we eloped, so they were throwing us a “proper” wedding this weekend. I figured why the hell not; it only meant I could take Piper on another honeymoon.

Me: Where are you?

Piper: Granddaddy’s. You aren’t supposed to see the bride on her wedding day.

Me: We’re already married, plus I haven’t seen you all week.

Piper: In that case, I believe we are both due for multiple screaming orgasms.

God, I loved her so much. She was the perfect blend of sweet and sexy. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her.

Piper: I left my wedding gift to you in the office.

Damn
, I didn’t get her a wedding gift, and I didn’t have time now. I wanted to buy her a diamond this time around, but she refused to tell me what she even liked, insisting my grandparents’ bands meant more to her than any diamond ever could. I hate it when women do that—say they don’t want a gift then buy you one. Now, I felt like an asshole. I walked through the workshop to my little office in the back. There was an easel set up with a sheet over it. I flicked on the light, smiling. She must have made me a painting. I started for the sheet when my phone rang. “Hey, I’m just about to lift the sheet,” I answered the phone.

“I’m nervous,” Piper said softly. “I took it myself and well. . . . I’m. . . .”

“I figured it was a painting.”

“No, it’s a photograph. Maybe don’t look at it,” she said.

There was no way I couldn’t look at it, especially now. I held the phone with one hand and slipped the sheet down with my other. “Holy shit!”

“Drew, I told you not to look,” Piper scolded me.

I stared at the image, a black and white photograph of Piper sitting on the edge of our bed. Her back was to the camera, her head to the side so I could just see her profile. The picture was lit from the front, creating beautiful shadows across her body—her naked body. She was only wearing a white lace thong with nothing else covering her, but a thin wedding veil trimmed in lace—exposing her beautiful back and the curve of her hips and waist. It was tastefully sexy, but I knew this was for my eyes only.

“Drew, please say something,” Piper said quietly.

I’d forgotten I was holding the phone. “I’m. . . . I don’t know. . . .” I couldn’t seem to catch my breath, to find any words. She always took my breath away. “It’s you. Wrapped in lace.”

*

I watched as
her granddaddy took her hand, but I couldn’t quite see her yet. My mom was blocking my view as she fussed over Piper’s veil. Our second wedding was taking place under the old Magnolia tree in her granddad’s yard, where it all began over ten years ago—the site of our first kiss, and, ironically enough, also our second kiss. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

My mom stepped away, and I got my first look at her. Piper was wearing the veil she photographed herself in. I saw her cheeks flush. She was a “bad girl,” and she was all mine. She loved to tease me like this. Our time apart each week was spent sending sexy messages, heightening our passion for each other.

She walked towards me on a beautiful spring afternoon with only a handful of guests observing—her mom, my parents, Nana, Davis, Sabrina and Matt, and a few other friends. As a token of peace, we’d invited Rob, Ellie, Jack, and the twins, knowing that would mean a lot to my parents, but Rob had come alone with the kids. Piper and I didn’t care either way. This day, in fact, all our days, were focused on us.

She walked down the aisle, and I could tell by the heat in her eyes that she knew exactly what she was doing to me wearing that veil at our ceremony. I had to remind myself to look at her dress. It was a simple, white lace slip dress, but it might as well have been a sack. I was only seeing her naked in the veil. My eyes finally landed on hers, and I smiled.

I took her hand from her granddaddy and whispered, “My bad girl.”

CHRISTMAS DAY
3 YEARS LATER

DREW

“One, two, three,
four. Push, sweetheart, push. Five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten.” I wiped her forehead as she tried to catch her breath.

“I can’t do it, Drew. I can’t do it,” Piper cried out.

I kissed her forehead, damp from sweat, then held her cheeks in my hands. She’d been pushing for almost two hours. I think everyone in the room was having their doubts about whether or not Piper could push our baby out, but I’d kill the first person who said so.

“You’re doing great. Just a few more.”

I didn’t bother to look at the nurse or doctor for confirmation. I didn’t really want to know if we had another two hours of this. I hated seeing my wife, my Piper, in pain. It was killing me. After twenty-two hours of labor, Piper informed me we were never doing this again, and at this point, that was totally fine with me. She was exhausted, emotional, hurting, and I was helpless to do a damn thing about it, except feed her ice chips and count her through the contractions.

“A few more,” she said, nodding her head a little. “I can do a few more.”

God, she was a trooper. I’d have demanded a C-section five minutes in. I looked over at her monitor. “Here comes another one. Ready?” The nurse got one leg, and I got the other, trying to help force the baby out. I started the damn counting again, watching Piper’s face turning red. Damn her for not taking the drugs.

At this point, I just wanted my wife out of pain, but Piper had insisted we do everything natural. Little did she know, Nana hid a flask of bourbon in her purse. Every time I went to give the family an update, she’d sneak me a swig. I was a bartender’s son. What can you expect? And what Piper didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

The doctor said something about the baby crowning, asking if I wanted to look.
Hell, no
hardly seemed appropriate, so I just shook my head. I kept my eyes on Piper’s face. She was watching the whole thing through some mirrors they had at the foot of the bed. I thought that was the craziest idea she’d ever come up with, but she managed to convince the hospital to let her do it.