Chapter 3

"Stop fidgeting." Silas admonished in a stage whisper.

"Was this necessary?" Harvey hissed back, tugging at his bow tie. "You have me wearing a damn suit."

"You are in the house of the Lord, have some respect."

"Where the hell is this woman? I want this over and done with." Blatantly ignoring the admonition, he passed a hand over his hair, which had been brushed and secured by a rubber back, and the ponytail reached the middle of his back. The navy tux had been rented because there was no way he would be owning something like this.

"She is here."

"Then why isn't she standing beside me to get on with this farce?" He growled.

"Is it too much to ask for a better attitude?" Silas almost bit his tongue off as his brother threw him a look that could have pulverized rocks. "You agreed to do this- "

"That was before I realized it would look like the real deal. Is the ring also a fake?"

"It's on loan from mother, and it's a family heirloom."

Harvey turned to look at him in shock. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Making this ceremony as real as possible. I want this to be perfect."

"Now listen- "

"Shh." He was hushed as the organist started playing the wedding march. Turning automatically to look at the arched doorway of the entrance, he glanced at his dad briefly before looking at the woman clinging to his arm and carrying a huge bouquet.

He remembered her now – how could he not? He had pretended a lack of interest when he first saw her at the floral shop, but he was male enough to realize that she had exquisite bone structure, and her complexion was flawless- a cross between rich coffee and very light cream.

Her hair – he frowned at the pixie cut that somehow highlighted her cheekbones and pointed chin. She was also all eyes, and he also recollected that she had refused to look at him.

However, he had been insulting and impatient in getting out of the suffocating smell of too many flowers. Her ice blue dress was form-fitting, revealing gentle curves and a surprisingly complete pair of breasts. They would make a good team if his brother only dared to ask her out.

"Please be seated," Silas quietly told the few people in the large main room of the chapel.

Bending a reassuring smile on Kendra, he began. "We are gathered here in the sight of these people to bind this couple together in holy matrimony. If anyone here thinks these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold their peace."

For one wild second, Kendra wanted to shout that this was wrong! Lifting her head from the bouquet she was holding, her eyes connected with watchful silver ones that sent prickles of awareness and fear skittering along her spine.

Tearing her eyes away from his, she concentrated on Silas, her lips curving in a proud smile as he began the ceremony after the brief pause.

Harvey shifted restlessly as his brother went on about the sanctity of marriage and the first marriage between someone called Adam and Eve and how a man should take care of his wife and love her the way Christ loves the church.

All the talk about the Bible and the love between a man and his wife was making him decidedly leery, and that was before he turned his head and caught sight of his mother dabbing at her eyes.

"Great." He muttered under his breath, unaware that he earned a sharp glance from his fake bride.

"The rings, please."

An eager usher rushed forward with both rings and placed them into Silas' hand.

He started stretching his hand out when he realized his brother was closing his eyes and offering a blessing.

"Harvey Antonio Blackwood, do you take Kendra Alexis Sinclair as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, to be there for her until you take your last breath?"

Harvey hesitated briefly, more than a little shaken by the heartfelt vow.

"Harvey? Take her hand."

"Ah, yes, of course." Turning to face the petite woman, he nodded and drew her hands into his.

"You are supposed to say, ‘I do'."

"I do."

"Your turn now, Kendra." Silas smiled at her warmly. "Do you promise to take this man, Harvey Antonio Blackwood, as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in sickness and good health, to love and to cherish, to obey and to support as long as you both shall live?"

Harvey felt the tremors in her fingers and the slight look of fear on her face.

Acting on pure instinct, he squeezed her hand reassuringly, which caused her to give him a startled look.

"Kendra?" Silas' calm voice jarred her back to his face.

"I do."

He beamed at her and had them exchange rings. "Now, by the power given to me by this state, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

"No. I- "

Before she could finish, he was pulling her into his arms and pecking her on the lips. "There, over and done with." Looking at his brother, he lifted a brow. "All done?"

"Except for the signing."

"We never talked about signing any damn thing."

"It's the final thing, and you can go and do whatever you have on ice."

"Work and then a date."

"I was thinking we could all go and have dinner-" Silas stuttered to a stop at the look Harvey gave him. "That's a no then."

"I am revising my opinion of your level of intelligence. Let's get this over and done with."

*****

Tugging off the tie and dumping the suit, Harvey changed into his usual comfortable wear of faded denim and a thick cream t-shirt. He had taken the day off and wondered if he should change his mind and go on-site.

But suddenly, a feeling of restlessness had come over him at the chapel. His parents had stopped him to talk about a real wedding one day and told him how smart he looked in a suit, which had made him more than eager to change.

Grabbing a case of beer from the fridge, he took a six-pack and brought it into the small living area. Turning on the electric heat, he sat in front of the unit. Twisting off the cap, he chugged the liquid, his expression contemplative.

He knew what was expected of him and had known it for years. He was the heir to a fortune, and even though he was not blood, he was legally a Blackwood; nothing would change that. He had insisted on seeing it in a binding legal document. He owed the people who had gone out of their way to show him love to produce an heir.

Only, with his history, he was not sure he would be a good father. His parents had been stupid, irresponsible teenagers who had decided to play sex games and reaped the consequences. Because of that, whenever he was with a woman, he made sure to carry his condoms with him. No surprise for him.

He leaned back against the cushions and reflected on how many women had come at him. The Blackwood name had much pull.

Some of them had been turned off because he was not crashing up at the ‘big house' and not taking his ‘rightful' place in the company. A few had tried to talk him into making that decision, much to their detriment. He did not answer to anyone or care enough about the women he had been with to change his mind.

Closing his eyes, he recalled the ceremony with a twist of his lips. The girl—Kendra—had wanted to walk away. He had sensed it, seen it on her beautiful face. There had been a look of fear there. He had felt something, too—that they were doing something wrong.

That's what you get for stepping inside that church, he thought wryly. Well, it was over, and his brother could not come asking for another favor for a very long time.

*****

"You are going back to the shop." Silas had insisted on taking her to lunch in appreciation for her sacrifice.

"I have to." She told him with a laugh. "I am so proud of you."

He beamed at that. "We are not supposed to allow pride in, but I must say that it went very well. I will put everything in my report to show the bishop I am ready."

She still had on the outfit she had worn for her fake wedding. Pushing away the shrimp cocktail, she propped her chin on her palm and gave him a curious look.

"What is it?"

"Just wondering."

"About?"

"If you ever regret your decision."

"Of becoming a man of the cloth?" He shook his head as he reached for his drink. "No," he told her with a beatific smile.

"Ever since I was a child, I knew there was something different about me. I grew up trailing behind my brother and being fascinated by the fact that he was a renegade. I was proud that others followed him around. And that no one dared to mess with me because of him.

By the time I started kindergarten when I was three, he was almost eleven years old, and already at the private school, my parents had chosen for him. By graduating, he had earned himself a fearless leader reputation."

A smile touched Silas' mouth. "He excelled at everything. He was a gifted athlete, a straight-A student, and the most popular kid there. So, when I got there, it was a breeze because he paved the way."

"You love him."

"I idolized him at one point.' He corrected wryly. "But I discovered he had flaws and insecurities like everyone else. He does not believe in God and refuses to attend services. When I told him I wanted to take it up as a vocation, he supported me even though he did not understand. He is fiercely loyal and would do anything for family."

His hazel eyes wandered over her face. "But he is tough and blunt to the point of being rude."

"He makes me nervous," she admitted.

"He makes most people nervous," Silas assured her.

*****

She had given back the ring with some reluctance. Kendra had to admit that it had looked good on her finger. She did not know much about stones but knew it had been a costly ring.

She had come back to the shop and rushed upstairs to change into jeans and the store shirt. The shop was generally busy, and surprisingly so, considering the cold weather. She had gone straight to work, not giving herself time to think about the ceremony and its beauty. Of course, she had dreams of getting married.

It was difficult to comprehend that she was a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, but she had been brought up in a sheltered home with parents who had been strict regarding sexuality. Her mother had quietly but firmly encouraged her to wait for the right person.

"Honey, I waited for your father and never regretted that decision. I want you to hold out for that man who will love you with God's love.

I am hoping it will be someone spiritual. You are such a sweet and wonderful human being, and I am praying for the best for you. We want you to wait for a man who will respect your decision to wait until he puts a ring on your finger."

Of course, she had taken it to heart; even in college, she had not been really tempted. After her parents' accident, she had been too overwrought to think of getting involved, and even after the years had passed, there was still an emptiness inside her that refused to be filled.

She wanted a church wedding with all the frills: a beautiful white dress with a veil covering her face and many flowers. After all, she was a florist, so it was fitting that she would want the chapel decorated with all sorts.

The only hitch was that her parents would never be there to see her pledge her life to the man she loved. But they would be looking down at her from heaven. That had to be enough.

Shaking off the morbid feeling and discontent, she approached the customer, waiting for help selecting a bouquet.

*****

"Darling, if I didn't know any better, I would think your interest waned." Marcia pouted as she picked up her wine.

"But you do know better." He told her lightly.

He had been somewhat excited about getting out and coming to the restaurant for the date, but the restlessness had returned as soon as they finished the main course. Damn, Silas and his stupid favor.

"You are distracted."

"I am afraid so." He smiled at her lazily, eyes wandering over the lushness of breasts partially exposed because of the deep vee of her dress. He enjoyed her; they had been seeing each other for two months. The sex was passionate enough, and he especially liked the fact that she did not expect him to take her home to meet the family.

Nor did she dwell on how much money he had and who he was. She was a commercial model and would leave town in a few weeks. He was going to take her back to his place and try and lose himself in her beautiful body. But he was not in the mood. Damn, Silas, he mentally cursed his brother for his lack of attention.

"Is it work?"

"I wish." Picking up the bottle of wine, he poured some more into both glasses. "Where are you headed to this time?"

"The Bahamas and then Costa Rica." She gave him a blinding smile. "I have never been. Have you?"

"Yes." He murmured without embellishing. As part of his growing up, that had been a requirement. According to their parents, he and Silas traveled the world to experience diverse cultures.

"You traveled quite a bit, haven't you?"

"A bit." What he hated most was talking about himself, and he quickly diverted the conversation and asked about her assignment. That did the trick. For the next hour, he had her talking about the upcoming trip.

*****

Silas sat behind his desk and closed his Bible slowly after making the place he had been focusing on. He was pleased with the day's result. At first, he was nervous about everything, but it went off without a hitch. He must thank Harvey again for going above and beyond and sacrificing.

He would get his favorite scotch or a new pair of boxing gloves. Picking up his pen, he tapped it on the desk and recalled how Harvey had taught him to fight.

"People will give you hell and think you are a pushover. You have to learn to defend yourself."

Pushing away from the desk, he wandered over to the window. Night had descended quickly, and the sky looked gray, indicating rain. Lunch had been delightful, and he was happy; he had persuaded Kendra to dine with him.

He should have asked her out, but he feared rejection. He had focused so much on his calling that he had not made time for the opposite sex. He was not a virgin, of course, because with a brother like Harvey, which would not have been allowed.

But ever since he had decided to become a minister of religion, he had stayed away from that sort of thing. Harvey had given him that look that told him he was out of his mind, but he had ignored it.

"Getting laid is as natural as breathing. If that is not a regular part of life, something tends to happen to the body."

"Something like what?"

"How the hell should I know? I am not the one not getting any."

"It's called abstaining." He had pointed out, grinning at the look he got from Harvey.

"You even have a fancy name to justify not getting any. Something is wrong with you." He was twenty-four and still very young. One day, he hoped to get married, possibly to Kendra. It does not matter that she was four years his senior.

She was beautiful, well-spoken, and very compassionate. The members loved her, and she was very good with the children. They all listened to her when she told her stories.

And he had seen the hesitant look on her face when asked to repeat the vows. He could not blame her; Harvey could be very intimidating. But she had done very well and had come through for him.

Returning to his desk, he picked up his report and made a few adjustments.

*****

Putting away the dossier he had been studying, Gregory watched as his wife brushed her hair slowly, a faraway look on her lovely face. He knew her and knew that look that had been there when she was in the chapel. She was longing for grandchildren and to see her sons get married.

The ceremony had stirred things up for her again. Pushing himself out of the easy chair, he went to stand behind her and took the brush away.

"Oh." Her eyes focused on his in the mirror as he started to run the brush through the thick strands. "I was thinking of holding the fall benefit at the club."

"And for all the years we have been married, you have not lied to me." He reminded her gently.

A guilty blush stained her cheeks, and he marveled that she could still behave like an innocent person at her age. "I apologize."

"No need." Putting the brush away, he sat on the vanity stool beside her. "It will happen eventually."

"I know, darling. It's just that they looked so good together." There was a wistful note in her voice.

"Harvey and Kendra?" He gave her a doubtful look. "I was thinking more about Silas and her."

"No." Julia shook her head. "Harvey needs someone like her. She is good and kind and has a certain innocence about her that would suit him very well."

"I am not certain I would agree with that. Harvey can be very overwhelming."

"And protective." She reminded him with an indulgent smile. "And when he finds someone and allows himself to let his guard down, he will love unconditionally."

"She looked terrified of him."

"He can be larger than life." She leaned into him, and his arms came around her immediately. "I want him to be happy, to find someone who will love him enough to take a chance on him. Someone patient and willing to go the extra mile to see that he is happy."

Gregory stroked her back. "And I know how strong your prayers are, so I have no doubt it will happen."

*****

Pitching the half-smoked cigar into the brushes, Harvey shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his expression glowering. He was back from his date and had told a very hopeful Marcia that he was not in the mood and would ask for a rain check.

The passion was no longer there – and it was not something he could force, even if he wanted to. He was going to have to tell her it was over.

What the hell was going on with him? He wondered as he paced the length of the space between his home and the stream. Ever since that damn ceremony, he felt different, as if something was not quite right in his life, which was ridiculous, of course, because his life was good.

He had people who loved him and did not have to dig around for scraps. Maybe a trip to the club would do the trick. He worked hard, and it was time for a break. The fall benefit was coming up, and even though he hated dressing up and mixing with people from his society, it would be a distraction and just what he needed.