Finding Infinity (17 page)

Chapter Seven

Colin

Another golf tournament is in the books. Colin McKinney’s annual charity golf tournament to raise awareness about organ donation, specifically in children, was another huge success. The who’s who of the entertainment and sporting world rubbed shoulders with a former president, and presidential hopeful Langford Jones.

* * * *

Trouble in CharCol paradise? Colin was photographed with his arm around model Lucinda Montally. The two were rumored to be a couple before his relationship with Sasha Stone. Sources are reporting that he also gave Lucinda extra help with her golf swing. Colin and Charlie did not stay long at the after party, leaving shortly after arriving. Pretty soon, we’re going to need a flow chart to keep up with Colin’s women.

Charlie and I’ve been up since six o’clock this morning, working like crazy to make sure that everything’s ready for the wedding. Brad is in a frenzy, and Jenny’s dyed her hair white for the occasion and is sipping a latte. Everyone should start arriving in about thirty minutes. My mom came over last night, not having any idea that she was preparing her son’s reception brunch, and premade a lot of the food. Charlie and her sisters helped a lot. I think, for the first time, my mom might have seen the benefits of Charlie and her huge family.

The last twelve days have been the longest days of my life. I went on
Jimmy Kimmel Live
, and I have to admit, it was actually kind of fun. Jimmy treated me well, made a few jokes at my expense, and they actually made me laugh. He kept Charlie out of it, so I was good. I told my side of the story about walking out of the Espy Awards. I basically said that I’m a public figure. It’s okay to make cracks about me, but Doctor Collins is off-limits. Family should be off-limits. I mean, it’s not Charlie’s fault that I live my life broadcasted on
ESPN Sports Center
. The audience applauded. I answered questions about the prescription painkiller abuse allegations. Apparently I did a good enough job, because it was the highest ratings that the show had enjoyed in its history. My sponsors are happy again. My team is pleased with me, and the media seems to have backed the fuck off.

According to Mark, I’ve picked up a whole legion of new female fans that find my actions “swoon worthy” (Mark’s words not mine). After the show aired, I called Mark, and thanked him for his sound advice and asked him to send me a bill for his time. He said that it was his pleasure, and we agreed to meet later in the month to discuss a working relationship again.

There was more media presence than usual at my golf tournament. Hopefully, my troubles have shed some light on my charity, that I hold near and dear to my heart. I invited the kid, Colton, who inspired this so many years ago, to join us as my honorary guest. He’s now twenty-one and was drinking a beer. His new heart is working great, and he’s a junior at Texas A&M. It doesn’t even seem like that many years have passed.

Charlie and I skipped out early on the golf tournament after-party last night. She teased me about leaving my own bachelor party early.
Why would I want to hang out with a bunch of ugly, smelly, guys when I could be deep inside my girl?
Instead, I teased her back.

“I’ve got to make sure that you aren’t a runaway bride.” That earned me a punch in the arm.

Right now, she’s in the bathroom with Brad getting dressed while I’ve, once again, been relegated to my now clean and organized study. I have to admit, it’s pretty nice not tripping over all the piles of stuff on the floor.

Brad handed me a pair of khaki shorts and a white linen shirt and told me to put them on. Total dress time for my wedding? About fifteen minutes, and that includes showering and shaving. Just one of the benefits of being a male.

Charlie promised me last night that I could see her before everyone arrived. It’s not like I’m a pussy, or anything, but I don’t want to get all emotional in front of everybody. I look down at my ring. I can’t fucking believe that today is the day I really get my girl.

As I’m sitting there, spinning it on my finger, I hear her clear her throat. I look up and see a fucking angel. My breath gets caught in my chest—or maybe it’s a knot—but, whatever it is, it prevents me from breathing.

She’s standing there in a white linen strapless sundress that comes just above her knees. Her caramel-colored hair is down, and in some sort of loose waves. She doesn’t have all that makeup and crap on her face like she did for the Espy Awards. She looks like Charlie, not the dolled up version of Charlie. Then, I notice that she’s wearing the diamond earrings that I gave her, and she has on her Rolex that matches mine. Her infinity necklace is lying just above her cleavage, and I’m suddenly jealous of a damn necklace.

I stand up, and walk to her, as I drink her in. I’m trying to take mental photographs so I’ll never forget this moment and how she looks. This is real, and she is mine. No pretending.

The best and most poetic words that I can think to say to her are, “Wow! You look like a fucking dream.”

She giggles, her precious little laugh, and says, “You aren’t half bad yourself, handsome.” Her eyes dance as they linger a beat too long on my groin. “So, how did you get away with shorts for our wedding?” she teases.

“Because I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive,” I reply as I pull her to me. She smells like Charlie, which is the best smell ever. I place a kiss on her shoulder, not wanting to break the moment, but I know that our guests will be here shortly. “Let’s do this, baby.”

“I’ve never been more ready in my life,” she reassures me, and kisses my cheek. I take her hand, not wanting to lose her touch, and lead her into the foyer.

Brad greets us, dressed all in black. “What’s with the costume, Johnny Cash?” I quip.

Brad gives me a stupid look. “I’m the officiate, and as the officiate, I think I should stand out.”

“Fair enough,” I reply. Brad went online and got his marriage license through the American Fellowship Church. I checked, and re-checked. Yes. It’s legal. Brad actually does have the authority to marry us. God, help my marriage.

My mom and dad are the first to arrive. Our all-white appearance doesn’t even make them pause. Mom’s too busy rushing to my kitchen to get the bacon and sausages started. Next to arrive is Charlie’s mom and three oldest sisters. Once again, they aren’t tipped off by our dress. Charlie’s mom needs to get her famous Coca-Cola chocolate cake in the oven so it can start baking while her sisters are walking around, checking out my house.

This is how the rest of the arrivals go. I note to Charlie that our friends and family are fucking clueless. She just laughs, and gives me a knowing look.

Charlie’s dad and step-mom are the last to arrive. Charlie had to tell them about the surprise wedding so they would come. Carmen gives her a big hug, and makes her way into the living room with the rest of our guests. Charlie asks her dad to wait for her in our bedroom.

Charlie was pleasantly surprised that her dad took the news of the wedding so well. I had been prepared to make another trip to Houston to discuss it with him, if he’d been ugly to her. Fortunately, my trip wasn’t needed.

Jamie, my security guy, pulls me aside, and reassures me that the extra security that we’ve hired is in place, and so far, it doesn’t look like the media has been tipped off.

I clear my throat and get everyone’s attention. Most everyone here has been to my brunch before expect for Charlie’s family and friends. Our guests show limited interest in what I’m about to say expecting me to tell them that brunch is ready.

“So, I figured it out last night,” I begin, once our guests are quiet. “This is my seventh annual brunch and domino tournament. However, this is Caroline’s first,” I say, giving her my half smile that I know that she loves. She’s standing next to me, and I reach down and grab her hand. “I thought, ‘How can I make this more special for her? You know, memorable.’ And I think that I came up with the perfect idea. This might be our seventh annual brunch, but it’s also our first—and only—wedding day.”

I look down at my girl. She blushes a beautiful shade of pink while a collective gasp passes over our guests. “If you would please make your way outside, it’s time for me to make Doctor Collins my wife.”

My poor mother stares helplessly at the frying pan. “What about my bacon?”

I smirk. “I’m sure you can move it off the stove while you attend my wedding.”

Our guests scream and holler, and yell congratulations. The air becomes charged with happy energy. I love it. It’s such a stark contrast to my first wedding. Everyone is casually dressed, and excited to be there. I can tell from the way they’re rushing and pushing to get outside. Unlike at my first wedding, I’m getting high fives and fist bumps. Charlie’s right. This is fucking perfect.

Soon, the house has emptied, and through the glass doors I can see Jenny directing everyone where to stand, and making an aisle for Charlie to walk down.

It’s the just the two of us.
Alone.
“Are you ready to be my wife?”

I can’t even believe that I asked the question. I mentally kick myself. I’ve certainly given her enough reasons to say no.

“The answer is yes, and will always be yes.” She smiles at me, a huge toothy grin, that makes me feel all warm inside.

I pull her to me and give her one final kiss as Charlie Collins, before she’s officially my wife. The next time my lips touch hers, she’ll be Charlie McKinney. I feel her body against me. I can’t believe that we’re doing this, and that this wonderful woman is mine. For the last eight years of my life, every single female I met was compared to her. Now, I have the real thing. Her.
Mine
. Forever.

Charlie stands on her tiptoes as she pulls me closer to her, so she can whisper in my ear. “I’ll see you at the end of the aisle, handsome. By the way, I didn’t start my new pack of pills this month.”

What did she just say?
Did I just hear her correctly? I stand there, openmouthed, like a damned fool. For once in my life, I don’t have a response. My chest fills with shock. And love. My dick registers what she just said. Holy fuck! She’s ready to give me a child. My heart swells, and I don’t quite think I’m breathing normally.

I watch her turn around and walk toward the bedroom. She looks back over her shoulder and sees the shock written on my face, so she does a little shoulder shrug and kicks her right leg up behind her.

I do a quick calculation in my head. I think her period was two weeks ago, or three. Hell, I don’t know. She could already be pregnant. My girl could already be carrying my baby.

I take a deep breath, and try to gather my swirl of emotions. I give myself a pep talk.
You are a professional quarterback. Get over her news, and get outside so you can marry her
.

Instead, I double over and take deep breaths, like I’d just done one of her torture runs.
A baby. She’s ready to be a mom. Our baby. A life that is half of her and half of me
—
made together, with our love.
I don’t know how long I stay stooped over, trying to recover from her news, but it’s a while. I’ve got to pull my shit together enough to walk outside and marry her, but all I really want to do is follow her into our bedroom and make love to her, over and over again.

I stand back up when Brad walks into the living room, and shakes me out of my thoughts. Damn, that girl gets me every time. “You ready, groom? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ve never been more okay in my life.” Now I just have to get all of these assholes out of my house.

“I’m not going to give you some stupid lecture about how I’m going to kill you if you hurt my best doctor friend, because, let’s face facts. You outweigh me by one hundred pounds of pure-hunking-beef. However, I love her. Like she’s my sister. As long as you’re good to her, you and I’ll be cool. You make her cry, and I’ll sick Jenny on you,” Brad declares, so seriously that it’s almost laughable.

I pat him on the shoulder. “Brad, I’ve waited ten years to get her down the aisle. There’s nothing in my life that I’ve wanted as much as this woman. I love her enough to give her the forever that she deserves. Charlie’s my infinity.”

With that Charlie’s assistant/minister and I walk into my backyard.

* * * *

I’ve stood in this position before, except it was in a church. I was in a tuxedo in front of five hundred or so of my closest friends and family, meaning I didn’t really know about four hundred of them. Today I’m in shorts, in our backyard next to our pool, with about sixty of the people that I actually give a damn about gathered around. Last time, there was an orchestra. This time, I’ve made a playlist on iTunes, and the music is being pumped in through our outdoor speakers. Jenny is in charge of it.

Last time, I had to imagine that the girl standing at the end of the aisle was Charlie. Now, I don’t have to pretend at all. I see my true love, my soul mate, my reason for taking a breath, standing next to her dickhead father, waiting to walk down our homemade aisle to marry me.

Who has two thumbs, and is the luckiest motherfucker on the planet? This guy.

Charlie wanted “Bless The Broken Road” by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to be the song that she walked down the aisle to. I argued for the Rascal Flats version, until she made me shut up and listen to the original recording of the song. Once again, my girl was right. It actually gave me chill bumps. Thank God it’s no longer my ringtone, because I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to listen to it again without getting a little dust in my eyes.

She wanted the first part of the song to play. Then, she said that she wanted to walk down the aisle to the second verse. Not traditional, but what about this wedding or, hell, our relationship is? Now, as I’m listening to the first verse play and hearing the chorus, I know that she was right again.

My eyes lock on hers as she walks towards me, on her dad’s arm. She’s carrying some daisies and sunflowers that Brad picked up at the grocery store on his way to our house this morning. I fucking almost lose my shit when Jeff Hanna starts singing “I think about the years I spent just passing through / I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you”