Chapter Eighteen

Six days

Rafael

“Are you nervous, hermano?” Pedro asks making me smile.

“No, brother. I’m glad you’re here.”

He gives me a look. “I mean getting married. You haven’t known her long. Mamma moved here, Télia is moving this weekend and Miguel bought that old wreck of a building. That’s a lot in a short amount of time. What if you get transferred again?” It comes out as if it’s a catastrophe.

I roll my eyes. “Cassidy has been mine from the minute I saw her. I didn’t know it then, but I do now. If you can convince Ma to move in with you, go for it. I didn’t ask her to move. Télia moving is good. She needs us to watch out for her. Me and Miguel can do that now. I’m not getting transferred because I’m not re-signing. I like this job and I’m staying here. The FBI Director said he’d give me a five-year contract guaranteeing my place here.”

I watch his face change to surprise. “You’re quitting Delta?”

“He’s retiring, I am too. I’m staying with the FBI,” Miguel says walking in. “Hermano, they’re waiting.”

I hug him. “Let’s go.”

He laughs slapping my back. “The golden girls are in rare form tonight. They jumped with Ma. I’m so fucking glad we didn’t go.”

I laugh thinking I am too. “Mamma jumped?” Pedro asks. He’s a year younger than Miguel, but still calls her Mamma.

“Skydiving. ”

“You let her jump out of a plane!” He starts telling us she’d be better off with him in Spanish and Miguel rolls his eyes at me.

We let him talk until he’s finished. “Take her home with you and Melody. The kids love her.” Miguel keeps walking and I know he’s pissed. They’ve always been at odds. Pedro is more like my mother than anyone else. He hated when Miguel enlisted and tried to talk him out of it.

I stop, pulling on Miguel’s arm. “Hermano, today I get married to the woman I’ve been waiting for my whole life. I want that with you being happy standing by my side. Ma sees Pedro for two weeks a year. He doesn’t know what she’s like. Let it go and stand with me without being pissed. Mi vida won’t understand why you’re angry.”

His face clears and he smiles. “Yeah. Sorry, Rafael. He pushes my buttons, but you’re right. He doesn’t know and Cassidy deserves this to be perfect. Let’s go get you married, hermano.”

“Since she deserves this to be perfect, don’t let me hold you up.” Pedro pouts against the wall. I roll my eyes and Miguel laughs pulling me to the backyard.

The tent has a million lights shining from the ropes. Cassidy will love it. We take our places and I watch the people coming in. The teams sit right in front with the family. I see Parker and people from the office mixed in and think it’s nice, then wonder if the men orchestrated it that way. When Télia comes out, I smile. She’s beautiful in her pretty blue dress and bright smile. She kisses my cheek and stands on the other side watching the doors. Donna and Harper come out together and I’m stunned. Harper is beautiful all dressed up. I watch my men seeing mouths fall open and laugh.

“I can’t wait to see who she dances with,” Miguel says.

I don’t answer seeing Cassidy at the door. Sal is standing next to her. She’s glowing as she walks forward shining those eyes just for me. She really is in a dress made for dancing, but it’s a beautiful dress reminding me of all her dresses with something on them that draws your eye to her delectable body. I take her hand from Sal hearing him tell her it is an honor.

She never looks away from me. We say our vows and slide rings on watching each other the whole time. She whispers as the judge is talking. “Take me to heaven and protect me in your arms while we fly, Rafael.”

I laugh. She said it all in perfect French.

“You’re too smart for my own good,mi hermosa esposa,mi vida.”

I kiss my beautiful wife, my life, to cheers. “I love you, Cassidy Saber.”

She shows me that love right back in her eyes. “I love you too, my husband Rafael Saber. Let’s get a drink.”

Nothing about her is predictable. I’m glad she changed that in me so I can keep up. “Anything you want, mi vida. Why didn’t you tell me you knew French?”

Harper laughs. “My dorky sister speaks French and Portuguese fluently. She knew some Spanish too but is learning more now I bet.”Cassidy nods hugging her.

We shake hands and hug people as we’re walking toward the bar. Miguel hands us glasses and Cassidy hugs him. “You’re my favorite,” she tells him making me laugh.

He kisses her cheek. “You haven’t met Pedro yet, but you won’t change your mind.”

Télia laughs hugging me. “Cocky bastard, but he’s right.” She hugs Cassidy. “You’re beautiful and I’m so happy you’re now my sister.”

Harper hits her arm. “You said Melody was your sister- in-law .”

I look around hoping this doesn’t turn into a fucking fight but see Pedro and Melody talking to my mother on the other side of the tent. “Did you meet the woman? She whines constantly. Pedro is perfect for her,” Télia says and Miguel laughs nodding.

I pull Cassidy away from them. “Where are we sitting, Mrs. Saber?”

Those beautiful eyes shine on me. “Anywhere we want.”

I shake my head sitting down and pull her to my lap. “I love this and you, beautiful.”

“I wore gloss so you can kiss me whenever you want.”

I kiss her, so she knows I want.

The golden girls show up hitting my shoulder and I groan. I’m glad we’re sitting and Cassidy is on my lap. Those hands aren’t getting any closer to my body parts. With kisses to my cheek and my mother kissing Cassidy I watch her tears fall as my mother tells her she’s Ma Saber from now on.

Donna pushes them away and wipes Cassidy’s eyes. “You’re perfect.”

I agree but don’t say it. Cassidy holds Donna’s hands. “Go dance, eat, drink do something that makes you smile at my wedding. There’s a guy taking pictures of happy and I want you in them. I don’t want perfect, I want happy.”

I kiss my smart-girl thinking she’s perfect and makes me happy.

* * *

Carrying my tired wife up to the bedroom, my hand hits the glass and the door opens making her giggle. “We’re safe tonight.” She shines her eyes on me.

“Every night and day. It scans the palm and cleans itself.” I kiss her head when she laughs. Her special day went just like she wanted it to. “I know you wanted all gifts to be donated to your charities, but I have a special one for you. My life, like my heart, are yours, mi vida.” I put her down by the bookshelf and hold her face watching her eyes. “Every place I ever went, every country I visited, I always looked for one thing that I thought would be special. A treasure for my house that I could look back on and remember where I was. A memory that made it a happy place no matter what the job was. You don’t know it, mi vida, but you have always been with me. My very first job was in France. I met you there, mi amor.” I turn the knob, then her body so she’s facing the bookshelves. Taking her hand, I watch her face. “There is a happy memory here from everywhere I went. The life no one else has seen or knows about.”

She walks in and I try to stay in front of her to see all her reactions. “Hidden treasures. Harper was wrong,” she whispers. Her hand goes to her mouth and tears fall. “Mine too.”

“Ours, Cassidy. Our hidden treasures.”

I turn her to the pictures. “Oh, my God. It’s perfect.”

I smile watching her hand caress the frame. “It was meant to be, mi vida.” Holding her from behind, I look at the pictures side by side. “That was my first special memory from France. I couldn’t believe you brought me the match to it.”

“My wedding day was perfect after all,” she whispers.

Knocking on the door causes her to jump. I hear Miguel yelling at the golden girls to leave us the fuck alone and remember the windows are open. I hit the button on the wall and the shelves slide in place.

“Now it’s perfect.”

She giggles and I kiss her loving that sound.

Mi vida, mi amor.