Chapter 16

She was getting married! Today was her wedding day. She was marrying the man she loved and no matter what the weather was going to be, it would be perfect.

Standing in front of the gilded full-length mirror, Ellie passed her hand over the incredibly rich lace of her dazzling white gown. She had chosen to wear the traditional color for specific reasons. This was the beginning of her life with Axel, and she liked to think that their love was from somewhere pure and spiritual.

The dress was couture and very expensive. It was a Romano's original of course and the design was one she had produced by herself.

She had sat with Monique Romano and her team and told them her desire. Not too fussy and not too simple – and the end result was eye-catching and sexy and so ‘her'. Monique had remarked on it with a smile.

It was made entirely of lace and had thin straps crisscrossing at the back, with tiny pearl buttons meeting at the cinched in waist and going all the way down to where the lace was applied to a thin wispy material that drifted to the floor.

Gloves covered her arms, all the way to her elbows. A stunning diamond necklace, a gift from her fiancé, was around her throat, the stones matching the earrings dangling from her lobes.

Her short, permed hair was artlessly styled, the top a mass of wavy curls, with the sides and back brushed to perfection. Her makeup was flawless and her eyes glistening with happiness.

"I don't need to ask how you are feeling." Leonard Logan came up behind her, a bemused look on his craggily attractive face. He was wearing a dark blue tux with a sprig of red roses pinned to the lapel.

The wedding was being held at River Glades and everyone had been invited to the reception. Her mother had complained bitterly about that and had tried to persuade her to have it somewhere else. "That man owns some of the most beautiful locations in the world. Why is he insisting on having the wedding in that tiny town?"

"I am the one who suggested it. Both his mother and sister reside there, and they have a beautiful house and garden that's perfect for the ceremony. We are having something intimate, right in the arbor, surrounded by all her beautiful flowers and afterwards, it will be open to the residents. The decision is final."

She had grudgingly accepted. Ellie had also been shocked to find out that her parents were now back together.

"I told you that I am a patient man, and good things come to those who wait." Her dad had told her with an impish smile.

"Aren't you afraid she is going to hurt you again?"

He had shrugged, the smile never leaving his lips. "It's all part of life, sweetie. You have entered the grown-up game of giving your heart to someone and you are going to discover that it will not always be a walk in the park.

That young man is going to hurt you without even realizing it. Something he says, or forgets to do, a ghost from his past, little or big things will pop up and you are going to have to find a way to deal with it.

You are going to hurt him too, but the thing to remember is that you love each other and as long as that is the case, everything else is inconsequential."

Turning away from the mirror, she went into his arms. "Oh daddy, I cannot believe it's possible to be so happy."

He held her in a tight embrace, so emotional, he could scarcely keep from crying. "He had better not hurt you." He whispered gruffly. Putting her away from him, he studied her glowing face and shook his head. "You are even more beautiful than your mother and that's saying a lot."

"Thank you, daddy." She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"There is something I have to tell you."

A frown touched her brow, and he shook his head. "It's good news darling." Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed it gently. "Your mother and I were married two days ago."

"What?"

He laughed at the dazed expression on her face. "We decided that there was no point putting it off. I asked and she said yes, and we flew to Vegas and tied the knot in a gaudy chapel where an Elvis Presley impersonator did the honors."

His grin widened. "We didn't want to upstage your big moment and decided we were much too old to be dancing around."

"You got married without me in attendance?"

"You had too much to deal with. I still don't see why this wedding has to be so rushed." He grumbled. It had been rushed. She was surprised she was not suffering from whiplash.

As soon as Axel decided that he wanted to marry her, he had started the ball rolling and apparently, when her fiancé decided on doing something, it was done with alacrity. His mother, sister and very capable assistant took over everything and she was caught in the middle of it.

"How do you feel about three weeks from now?" He had asked her that night when he told her for the first time that he loved her.

"That's not possible."

"Anything is possible as long as you have the resources, and I am not willing to wait."

He had been true to his word and within three weeks the wedding had been planned. The publicity their getting together had generated went through the roof, but his PR department and his assistant had taken that in hand.

She had encountered his ex at one of the many functions they attended. It had been at the Elite Club where he was a member, and it had been awkward at first. But he had proven to her that he was completely over her.

Later that night, he had assured her that she had nothing to worry about. "I see only you."

*****

"I am happy, daddy and if you are with mother, then I am also happy for you." She murmured sincerely, linking her hand through his arm.

He stopped her before they left the room. "She wants to make amends for what she did in the past. I am asking you to give her a chance to do so."

Staring up at him, she was moved by the quiet intensity on his face.

"You are the most amazing father a girl could ever wish for and a wonderful individual."

"You are stealing my line," he told her gruffly. Pulling her against him, he kissed her cheeks fondly. "Now let's get you hitched."

*****

A bower of incredible colors. If she were authoring this story, that is how she would have named it. Caitlin and Cathy as well as the team of gardeners they had hired had done a spectacular job with the place.

River Glades had been alerted to the celebrity type wedding taking place in their own small town and the excitement had started as soon as it was known they were a couple.

Their courtship had started at the local haunts. Dinners at the restaurants, drinks at the local bars. A stroll through the now renovated park and several visits to the museum and art galleries.

Their pictures had appeared in the local newspaper, with the writer making glowing comments about their love story which had started in River Glades and was now culminating in a wedding ceremony.

The gazebo was set in the middle of the garden. A river ran through the middle of the immaculately landscaped grounds. The weather had cooperated and was in fact unseasonably warm for the month of October. To ward off the chill, Ellie had donned a fitted cashmere jacket over her dress.

The wedding itself was small and intimate. Several people from his company, including his assistant, a few friends from his club and her two best friends as well as the editor of the magazine where she worked.

"I am guessing you have me to thank." Marge said teasingly. "If I hadn't assigned you the article, this wouldn't be happening."

Ellie would like to think it would have happened without her intervention but had remained silent.

"Ready, sweetheart?" Her father placed his large, callused hand over hers and squeezed gently.

"Ever since I met him."

Axel felt his breath backing up in his throat as he caught his first glimpse of her walking towards him. He had been denied her presence last night because his mother insisted on her staying here instead of spending the night at his place.

The bachelor party held at the Irish pub had held little interest to him and he had to force himself to participate in the activities his soon to be father-in-law had planned. All he could think about was her and the fact that he could not wait to make her completely his.

Now she was walking towards him, a smile wreathing her exquisite face. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he found himself wondering if she was real. He was also wondering how he could have been so foolish to stay away from her.

She had changed his life drastically. She was coming to him willingly to be his wife and was also carrying his seed. His chest felt as if was going to burst through his chest with the weight of his happiness.

Impatient to get it over and done with, he walked towards her, meeting her halfway and taking her hand in his, expression indescribable. It was if they were the only two people in the entire garden surrounded by the beauty of nature.

The scent of flowers blooming, the sound of the river flowing – even the squirrels and rabbits scampering around were the perfect ambiance for their union. Drawing her into his arms, he gave into the desire to prove that she was real by kissing her softly on the lips. "I adore you." He whispered.

The few families and friends would report later that the bride had tears in her eyes as the groom stared at her in complete love and total commitment.

*****

"Happy, my love?" Axel asked huskily. The ceremony was over, and they had both changed out of their wedding fineries. A professional had been hired to take pictures of the bridal party, but her dad had insisted on making his own memories. Armed with a camera he had purchased in one of the gift shops, he snapped away happily.

"I want my own album." He told her while they were dancing. "I intend to have them developed so that I could show everyone at the retirement home."

She had been further surprised when he told her that her mother had given up her place and moved in with him.

Lifting her face to the man who had minutes ago became her husband, she smiled dazedly. "I think I need to be pinched. I wore down your resistance and reluctance to marry me."

He sent her an amused indulgent look, his eyes roving over her exquisite face. She had changed into a green wool dress that clung to her slender curves and looked great against her complexion.

The diamonds he had gifted her with sparkled around her slender throat and her lobes. She was also wearing the magnificent diamond princess cut diamonds he placed on her finger. She was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever met. And she belonged to him.

"I would hardly call it reluctant. More like cautious. But I am happy that I got over my – shall we call it ‘fear' of getting hitched?"

She laughed softly, her fingers twining around his neck. "So am I." He was so tall, she thought whimsically as she gazed at his attractive face. Her husband was not handsome in the traditional way, he had too much character stamped on his features.

But his amber eyes were beautiful and intense. She had also discovered to her amazement that his lashes were thick and long. Not that he would welcome a comment like that. His mouth was sculpted and sensual, something she had discovered firsthand.

"Something wrong with my face?"

She jolted at the amused sound of his deep voice.

"Everything is right with it." Loosening her hands, she used it to cup his beloved face. "I am besotted by this face."

"Good." He whispered thickly. "It so happens that the feeling is completely mutual."

*****

"What do you think?" Leaning against the doorjamb in a deceptively casual manner, he watched his bride wandering around the room, which he had redecorated.

They had discussed living arrangements before they left for their three weeklong honeymoon where he had jetted her to all the places he had houses. Now they were back in River Glades. During their absence, he had ordered the contractors to work nonstop so the place could be ready for their return.

Ellie had been awestruck by the changes and that was before they entered the wide marble foyer. He had scooped her up in his arms and bounded upstairs as if she weighed nothing more than a few pounds.

She had put on some weight because her husband insisted on them dining at a different fabulously extravagant restaurant every night. And her pregnancy was going great.

Aside from her breasts feeling a little sensitive, she couldn't believe she was carrying his baby. She was almost two months pregnant, and the dreaded nausea was not plaguing her. Her doctor warned her that it might appear later in the pregnancy.

"Darling?" He was getting more anxious as the silence continued. His wife was from the city and had been a city girl all her life, but he wanted his children brought up in River Glades. His mother and sister had been so grateful they had cried when he told them the decision.

But the most important thing to him was making sure his wife was happy here. She had given up her job at the magazine and wanted to concentrate on building a home for them. His mother had roped her into becoming a part of the many organizations she was in charge of.

"You didn't have to change a thing."

"It was too masculine." He continued to watch her, his anxiety mounting as she continued her journey around the spacious room. He had instructed the designer to add some colors because he knew she would like that. "Say something."

"I love you." She turned to face him then and he felt a jolt at the tears brightening her beautiful eyes. "I love you so much that I have a hard time finding the words. You make me so damn happy. I-" He had moved swiftly to stand in front of her and she went straight into his arms.

Scooping her up, he strode towards the oversized bed with the pink, blue and green quilt spread over it that was a gift from his mother. Holding her close to him and rocking her as if she was the most precious person to him, he waited until her tears abated.

"Better?"

She nodded; her face buried against his chest. "Hormones." She mumbled. She had been having these crying jags ever since her pregnancy. She would be laughing and then right after that, she would just burst into tears.

"Hmm." Shifting slightly, he tilted her chin up and used the pad of his thumb to wipe the tears away. "I take it that you are in approval?" He nodded to encompass the room. Love seats, with comfortable padded cushions had been added. The closet which had been huge to begin with, had been extended with revolving racks and shelves.

She was a clothes horse, but her husband's order from Romano's had made her own closet at her former home seemed paltry. The man had provided for her so that she would never have need of anything.

He was attentive to every aspect of her life and insisted that she talk about her day at the end of it. The lovemaking was fiery and fierce and at times so overwhelming, it took minutes for them to recover.

"I love it. Everything. "She relaxed in his arms. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was her husband.

Tilting her head, she stared at him. "I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Your corporate office is several hundred miles away from here."

"That's not a question." He teased.

"Are you planning on commuting?"

His brows lifted. "Ever heard of working remotely? I have a full-fledged office set up two doors from here and my assistant is more than capable of working from here. I also have an excellent managerial staff."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Here is where I want to be darling." He told her soberly. "This is home, and I was waiting for you to call it yours as well." He peered at her. "I want complete honesty."

"Always." She said earnestly.

"Are you happy living here? Is there some small part of you that is dissatisfied?"

Instead of taking umbrage, she took her time answering. He had confided in her what had transpired between him and Serena. "She pretended that she would be contented living here. She had me fooled and from that time, I have been second guessing myself and my ability to read people. In the past that had never been an issue."

Cupping his face between her hands, she traced the outline of his stubborn chin with gentle fingers. "I have lived in the city all my life. I thrived there, I love the theater and the bright lights." Her lips trembled slightly.

"But then I met this utterly irascible and difficult man and fell headlong in love with him and even if we had to live in a shack in a deep rural area, that's where I would be. Ask me why?"

He had to swallow the golf ball size lump in his throat. "Why?" He whispered hoarsely.

"Because home is not a place." Her eyes brightened with tears. "Home is wherever you are. The four walls do not matter. It's not due to geography. It is you, Axel Lakeside. You are my home and that's the reason why I will always be happy wherever we are."

He stared at her in silent for a moment, before crushing her lips with his. For a very long time, neither of them was able to think.

*****

"He is perfect." Caitlin could barely contain herself as she stared down at her grandson. He had come into the world three days ago on a blisteringly hot day in the middle of June, making his presence heard by his loud and angry cry as soon as he was delivered.

His anxious papa had wanted to fly her to Chicago or New York where there were hospitals with better equipment, more experienced and longer practicing doctors with long string of the alphabet behind their names, but his wife had put her feet down.

"The hospital here is small and more intimate. The doctors might not be famous, but they care. I am staying right here." He had reluctantly agreed and anxiously monitored her every movement. He accompanied her to every doctor's visit, had employed a full-time housekeeper and if he had to take trips, he would have her traveling with him.

When she reached her third trimester, the travel had to be curtailed on advice by the doctor because her blood pressure was cause for worry and her ankles were swollen. Partly because she refused to cut down on her walks, especially when the weather turned warm.

They had their first big fight right after she told him that she was taking her walk and there was nothing wrong with communing with nature.

"It's good for the baby." She had argued.

"Not going five miles while you are so heavily pregnant." He had thundered. "What the hell are you trying to prove?"

He had stormed out of the house and stayed away for hours, not answering her calls. When he came back that night, she had lashed out at him about his disappearing act. After a long conversation, she had agreed to take it easy, and he had apologized for leaving.

"Andrew Leonard…" Her father had been so honored by the gesture, he had almost cried. He and his wife had flown in for the birth and were planning on spending a few weeks to get to know their grandson. Ellie and her mother still had a strained relationship, but it was getting better.

"Why don't we leave our son in their capable hands while we go for a walk?" Her husband suggested.

"I would love that." Smiling at him, she placed her hand in his. They were spending the night at his mother's place, much to her and Cathy's delight.

Leaving the group of people fawning over their son, they made their way through the maze where the last vestiges of winter had disappeared, and flowers and trees were verdant and blossoming with incredible life.

Leading her to the gazebo where they had exchanged their vows, he settled her on his lap, his hands wrapped around her waist.

"Thank you." He whispered hoarsely against her neck. "For showing me that there is happiness within my grasp. I love you darling, with all my heart and always will."

"You are welcome." Leaning into him, she gave herself up to incredibly warmth of his deep and abiding love.

The end…