Reckless Mind (33 page)

“Hey,” he said quietly, and I said hey back. “I just wanted to tell you I'm really happy for you and Cole. And I got you something...you know, for the four something
’s.” Seriously? Even he knew about the something’s for a wedding, I guess I was a little uninformed. He got in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Hesitantly, he handed it to me. “I saw this at the store the other day, and I called Cole to make sure he was cool with it, but I thought it was kind of a perfect representation of the two of you. So, yeah,” he shrugged. “I hope you like it.”

I took the box and when I opened it my eyes filled with tears, it was absolutely beautiful. A platinum bracelet lay in the box. When I picked it up I noticed the bracelet was made of small diamond infinity symbols and in between each infinity was a blue sapphire. “My something blue,” I whispered. “Can you?” I handed him the bracelet raised my hand in front of him. “Brandon, I,” I didn't know what to say. It was too much for a gift, but it seemed like it was his way of telling me he did wish Cole and I our forever. Throwing my arms around his neck, he wrapped his arms around my waist telling me congratulations again. “Thank you.”

He shrugged, “It was nothing.” Brandon turned to walk away, but stopped and faced me again. “Having you as a friend, it means more to me than you will ever know. It's been a rough road, but I feel like we are in a good place, and I'm thankful, Kahlen. I've always been thankful for having you in my life.”

I hugged him again, feeling in my heart that we really had come full circle. We had what I always wanted with him, a friendship, and told him I was thankful we were able to get to this place too. He gave me a small wave as he headed in the direction of his apartment, and I headed to where the girls were waiting. “Bout time,” Emma said as I came in. “What did that asshat,” but she caught the look on my face, and stopped. “He actually did something right by you this time, didn't he?” She looked at her mom and they nodded at each other, smiles on their faces, knowing everything between Brandon and I was finally how it should be. I showed them the gorgeous bracelet Brandon gave me.

“Okay, okay, it's my turn,” Becca squeaked from over on the chair. “I wanted to give you your something borrowed.” She handed me a small bag, and I pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper. As I opened it my jaw dropped open. “Becca, oh my gosh.”

Inside the tissue paper sat a diamond encrusted hair comb. “I know you are wearing your hair in one of those gorgeous wavy knotted chignons and no veil, so I thought this would look pretty right at the top of the bun. I wore it for my sister's wedding last year, but thought you could borrow it for yours.” I hugged her tightly thanking her for doing that, and I asked her if she would put it in my hair tomorrow before I walked down the aisle.

“You know I picked the something new.” Emma said handing over her sleek long box covered in plain white wrapping paper and a brilliant silver feathered bow sitting on top. I eyed her carefully, knowing her something might jump out at me. As I lifted the top off the box there sat gorgeous lingerie, all white lace and see through. There was a corset, a thong, and a garter. “You wear the garter under your wedding dress and then at the reception Cole goes up under your dress and pulls that bitch off with his teeth!” She was so damn excited it was cute.

“Thank you, Emma. I think you'll also be getting a huge thank you from Cole too.” We both laughed as I hugged her tightly. Jules cleared her throat not wanting to wait any longer. She handed me a long velvety box. Opening the box slowly, my eyes landed on a gorgeous diamond tear drop necklace.

“This was what I wore on my wedding day, it has been passed down in my family for three generations now. When Emma wears it that will be the fourth, and she will keep it to give to her daughter someday.” Tears flowed freely down my face. I tried to object to wearing it before Emma, but she said she was the one that suggested it.

“I consider you my sister, Kahlen. We love you and we both want you to wear it tomorrow, it's your something old.” I went over to both Emma and Jules, thanking them over and over again. Not only for the necklace but for opening their home and their hearts to me, because never once did they judge me.

We sat up eating pizza and talking for a while, before we all headed over to Emma's parents' house to sleep for the night.

***

“Rise and shine, Kay.” It was the morning of my wedding, and I couldn't wait to see Cole. The morning went off without a hitch. We had a late breakfast, then headed to the salon to get our hair, makeup and nails done. Once we got to the house and property where Cole's dad, Travis, lived I started getting butterflies in my stomach. Emma got out first to be sure the guys were nowhere to be found yet. I told Cole not to be there for another forty five minutes so I would be able to walk around and make sure everything was set up exactly how I wanted it, but she checked to be sure.

The Westwood property was huge, but just in the back yard there was a beautiful white gazebo with a small creek running behind it and beautiful sweeping weeping willows making a half circle around the whole area. As I walked around the side of the house I closed my eyes and squeezed Emma's hand as she lead me where we needed to go.

“Oh my gosh, Kahlen, open your eyes.” I heard everyone's deep intake of breath as we stopped in front of what must have been the ceremony area. Opening my eyes slowly with my head to the ground, I raised my head taking in what I saw.

Directly in front of me was the ceremony area where the white gazebo sat, only it didn't look like just a white gazebo any longer. Since the wedding was going to be at twilight, I had sparkling lights hung on the gazebo, and hanging from different areas of the lights were white roses.

The willows were adorned with white circle paper lanterns that would be glowing in two hours when the ceremony started. Ribbons also hung from the branches with small cards tied to them giving our guests the opportunity to write wishes of wellbeing for Cole and I, and our marriage.

I still didn't know how Travis did it, but he was able to find rustic, white, pew seating to place in front of the gazebo for all the guests. The aisle I would walk down had more paper lanter
ns waiting to light my way to Cole. The end of each pew dripped with white rose bouquets, some of the same lights that could be seen hanging around the gazebo, and ribbons.

My throat felt thick, and I was trying my hardest to keep the tears at bay. This was so much more than I imagined it would be, more than I ever thought I deserved. Emma wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and Becca took my hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. These two girls were so special to me, and I was so lucky to have them standing up with me on my wedding day.

“Come on, Kay,” Becca said, motioning farther to the left and back where the reception area was having the final touches added to it. I knew the photographer was there, and I hoped she caught every single emotion that passed over my face throughout the entire day. This was something I would never forget, but I wanted Cole to know how I felt going into the ceremony, and I wanted our kids to see the well of happiness practically exploding from me.

The reception area took my breath away. Long tables, covered in white, sat horizontal one after the other. Above the tables, which sat between two huge oak trees, organza fabric panels were weaved, and from them hung more white paper lanterns, and lights I knew would twinkle once the stars came out.

Since the tables were long, there were two large center pieces sitting toward the ends of each table, while a smaller piece sat directly in the center. The large pieces were clear vases that had to be at least two feet high. White roses were floating in the water in the vase, and beautiful rose bouquets adorned the tops of the vases. As I came closer, I saw more lights were threaded through the flowers, and down through the vase, so when night came they would glow and simply be brilliant.

The small center pieces were all different. As I walked from table to table, I saw each one was a candid picture of Cole and I sitting on top of a small white rose bouquet, and that was on top of a small clear pedestal wrappe
d in the white organza. I tear up, I couldn't help it. The only images that came to mind any more were of Cole, and right now all these photos brought back happy, amazing times with him.

I turned and wrapped my arms around Emma and Becca, pulling them in for a hug. “I don't say it enough, and I'm sorry I don't, but I love you guys. Seriously, with all of my heart. I never knew what it felt like to have friends who believed in me, who cared enough about me to ask the hard questions, and who would stand by my side no matter what I was going through. Now I have both of you. Thank you for being here with me, for teaching me what friendship is really about, and for loving me.”

“Damn you, Kahlen,” Emma yelled as she went to grab a tissue from her pocket. “I told you I don't want to ruin my makeup, so knock all that sappy shit off.” I knew she was joking, that she secretly loved it when I told her how much she meant to me.

Emma had been through quite a bit her senior year in high school, which I found out shortly after coming back from the trial in Vegas. I was upset she didn't tell me at first, but when I stopped and thought about everything I was dealing with when I first met Emma, it made sense. I knew she valued friendship, honest, real friendship as much as I did. I think that's why we were so protective over each other, we just wanted to see the other person happy.

Jules yelled over to us that we needed to get in the house because it was almost an hour until the wedding and Cole would be showing up soon, as well as the guests for cocktails before the ceremony started. So we made our way to a spare bedroom on the second floor of the house, and began putting our dresses on.

It felt like five minutes passed when Jules knocked on the door and told me it was time. As we all walked downstairs, we waited by the back door that lead directly to the aisle covered in white rose petals leading to the gazebo. And to Cole.

As the music started, I took a few steps back. Becca would go out first, then Emma. The guys were already waiting down by Cole. I felt a hand touch my elbow, and I turned to see Dan, Emma's dad, standing there next to me.

“Life is full of wonder, Kahlen. It can bring a girl half way across the United States into my life to save my son.” As he took my hand in his, I saw the emotion pool in his eyes. “You gave my daughter unconditional friendship, and you gave my wife and I our children back. In the process we also gained something else, Jules and I.”

As the music changed to Canon in D by Pachelbel, Dan leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “We got another daughter. Kahlen, would you do me the honor of letting me walk you down the aisle?” A single tear escaped me as I hugged him tightly telling him I would be proud to have him walk me down.

He opened the door, and we began walking over the white petals laying in front of us. I took in all the people and immedi
ately got nervous, but under his breath Dan told me to find Cole. To think about the life we were starting together, and to never let my eyes waiver from Cole's the entire way down the aisle.

And so I found Cole
standing at the alter, his eyes locked on mine, and we both inhaled. I felt it, and I know he did too. He looked gorgeous in his simple black suit and tie, and I watched the way his eyes looked me over the closer I got to him. Cole put his hand up to his mouth to clear his throat, when Dan and I stopped at the gazebo stairs, and I saw tears in his eyes.

When Dan gave Cole my hand, he held on to me with everything he had, looking deep in my eyes, I know he saw all the love and acceptance there that I found in his. He mouthed, '
I love you'
, to me as we turned to face the pastor.

The ceremony seemed to move quickly, and before I knew it the pastor had us face each other, rings in hand, and we pledged ourselves to one another before God, our family, and our friends. I'll never forget how much love I saw in Cole's eyes in that moment. That moment, him and I together in that moment, was perfection.

When the time came, he kissed me like no one was watching. He was gentle as his hand cupped the back of my neck slowly bringing my lips to his. I parted my lips for him, and his tongue slid into my mouth sensuously, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Cole pulled away slowly, placing three gentle kisses on my lips, then he turned us to face all the people who came to support us.

As we were announced to the crowed as Mr. and Mrs. Westwood, all of the guests released butterflies, and it was beautiful. Cole threaded our fingers together as we walked down the aisle to thank our guests before moving to the reception.

***

Cole wanted to check into a nice hotel for the wedding night, but I begged him for the last week to just let us go back to our place. We leave for our honeymoon tomorrow afternoon to spend a week in Italy, and I wanted to just be at home before the trip. Yesterday he finally agreed. We stood outside the door as he unlocked it, and when he opened the door he picked me up to carry me inside.

What he walked into was a smaller version of our wedding. White organza was woven and hanging from the exposed beams in the ceiling, along with white paper lanterns and the twinkling lights. There were bouquets of roses placed in different areas, along with more lanterns sitting around the apartment. Rose petals covered the floor, making a path that lead to the bedroom.

“Cole, oh my
gosh. When did you have time to do this?” I had a huge smile on my face, and immediately took his face in my hands and kissed him. He told me that one of the wives of a guy who worked in the shop came over and got everything ready for him earlier today. “I love it, thank you so much, baby.”