“I knew it!”
Natalie jerked awake, her head spinning left and right as her blurry vision cleared and she wiped the bit of drool hastily from her mouth. “What? What happened?” She was on the couch in the living room with imprints of a laptop on her legs. Her head shot to the right to see her sister holding it, scrolling through the messages. “Shit! Give that back!”
Lana chortled as she held it out of reach. “My, my, looks like you two got along famously.”
“Through an internet chat box,” Natalie pointed out, still trying to make a grab for the laptop without breaking it. “Come on, Lana.”
“Not until you say it.”
“Say what?”
“That I was right and you are dying for some interaction of the male persuasion.” Lana slid the laptop across the counter. “No one stays up until four in the morning unless they really like the person they’re talking to.”
Natalie thought of arguing, but it was pointless. Talking with Vincent last night had opened a part of herself she’d locked away since the accident and the fallout from it. What was even more astounding, she remembered every single piece of that conversation in vivid detail. None of it was fuzzy or a blur. She could even recall exactly what Vincent’s face looked like without having to think too hard.
“Fine, you were right,” she admitted, and Lana shrieked in delight. “But that doesn’t mean he’s going to want me as his wife.”
The laptop dinged as a new e-mail popped up and Lana opened it. “Are you sure about that?”
Natalie leaned down to read the message: Congratulations. You have been selected by Vincent Cunningham to be his wife, nuptials to take place this coming Saturday, May 12th. Do you accept this offer? Signed contract and other important documents to follow.
“Holy shit,” she whispered and sank onto one of the barstools. “Holy shit, Lana.”
“What? This is a good thing, right?”
Her mouth fell open but only strangled sounds escaped. He liked her enough to ask her to be his wife. No dating needed, not actually meeting and seeing if they liked each other, nothing. “I think I’m going to hyperventilate.”
Lana rubbed her back and rolled her eyes. “Stop being so overdramatic. This is a good thing.”
“Until he finds out the truth, remember?” she shot back hotly. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Yes, you can, because I’m not letting you sink into that deep, dark hole of depression and cease being my fiery ass sister,” Lana snapped. Natalie stared at her in wide-eyed amazement. Lana was the calm one—eccentric and bouncy yes, but she rarely lost her temper. Her nostrils flared and she planted her hands on her hips. “You are going to do this because it’s the only way you’re going to remember what it’s like to be out there instead of tucked away in your little bubble.”
Natalie’s hand slid across the counter to the cursor pad on the laptop. Not giving herself another second to think, she hit accept. “If this goes badly, you and your lawyer friends better get me out of it.”
Lana grinned and hugged her so hard Natalie couldn’t breathe. “Enough with the negativity. Let’s find you a wedding dress!”
“Oh, goodie,” Natalie groaned. Married. She would be married in a week. “Uh…hey, sis? Can we not tell Mom and Dad about this? At least not until we see what happens?”
“Deal. You always used to tell Mom you’d rather elope, anyway.”
“Yes. Yes, I did. Isn’t that what’s happening this weekend? It’s not going to be some huge production, is it?” she asked, panicking.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you send a message to your future husband and ask? I’ll get my purse—and please throw on something besides a ratty sweatshirt and holey denim shorts.”
Natalie mocked her sister as she walked away then frowned. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at the office right now? Dealing with your big kid job?” She had to finish grading her students’ final before she was officially free for the summer. She couldn’t imagine her sister would suddenly take off the whole summer, too.
“You told Vincent you, meaning me, were on sabbatical, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Well, my wedding is this fall and you know how much my bosses love me,” she said, poking her head out of her bedroom door and batting her eyelashes.
“You actually are taking the summer off? How the hell are you going to keep your job?”
“Like I said, they love me. I started there when I was twenty, remember?”
Natalie grumbled as she typed the message about her fears of a big wedding to Vincent and hit send. “Cars. Shit, Lana! What about cars?’
“You’ll have to get over it, sunshine!”
“Get over it, right. Thanks for the advice that every single psychologist in the city gave me!” she hollered through the apartment before turning and walking into her bedroom. She tore through her closet, imagining her first time in a car with Vincent, watching him freak out as she screamed like a madwoman. Get ahold of yourself! You’re not that bad, she scolded as she pulled out a pair of jeans and a knit shirt. You just get extremely pale and shake uncontrollably, and sometimes you vomit. “Ugh, this is going to be terrible.”
“You ready yet?”
“Just give me one damn minute,” she yelled to Lana as she shoved her legs into her jeans. “Well, you’ve survived one wreck in your life. Why not go for a second?” Dressed and her hair pulled back in a messy bun, she found her purse and met Lana at the door. “Let’s do this, I guess.”
Lana bounced up and down like a kid instead of a twenty-six-year-old woman. “Good, because we’re shopping for my dress today too!”
“Of course we are.” Natalie followed her sister out and locked the door behind her.
Vincent looked up from his computer when Billy strolled in, grinning brightly as he clapped his hands. “Bravo. Look at you, big man.”
“Can you close the door if you’re going to act like an idiot?”
“Don’t tell me I embarrass you.”
“You’ve always embarrassed me,” Vincent murmured. “I’m merely too nice to tell you that.”
Billy closed the door and leaned against it. “I’m going to stand here waiting patiently until I hear those three little words. Words that I have never heard come from the mouth of Vincent Cunningham.”
Vincent huffed as he stared at his friend, a single eyebrow arched. “You were right.”
“Those three words that—wait, what?” Billy asked surprised.
“You were right, and I’m not sure how I can thank you. Lana is amazing, and I met her because of you.” He strode to his friend and held out his hand. “Thank you, Billy, really.”
Billy shook his hand and winked. “You are very well welcome, Congressman Cunningham.”
Vincent’s chest swelled with a strange sense of pride at those words. “Not yet, but soon. With this woman by my side, I might manage to keep myself in check through all your political mumbo jumbo crap. I can’t imagine my Dad going through all that shit without Mom.”
“And now you’ll have a wife equally as grand. The wedding takes place this Saturday, correct? Where do you want to have it and how many people? I know it’ll be difficult to get into some places, but with the right amount, we could make it work.”
“Actually,” Vincent said as he held up his hand to stop Billy’s ramblings, “she asked if we could simply elope this Saturday. Her, me, and a witness.”
Billy tapped his chin. “She really doesn’t want a big wedding?”
“Nope, and honestly, I’m okay with that. I feel like it’s going to be hard enough convincing everyone that I’ve had a fiancée this whole time and she didn’t magically pop out of the ground.”
“I have that covered.” Vincent brows both shot up this time. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s my job to make sure every aspect of your life is covered. You’ve been with Lana Jenkins for a few years now and you finally popped the question. You’re both so in love you didn’t want to wait to get married so you decided to have a nice, simple ceremony because being together was more important than wasting thousands of dollars on one day.” Billy nodded firmly when he finished. “Of course, it will be more extensive than that, but I’ll have to actually meet this woman and ask her some questions.”
“You’re insane. Is this what you do in your free time? Come up with contingencies and stories?”
“Eh, some people go golfing. I ensure my friend and favorite client has his ass covered.”
“Well, I don’t get to meet her until Saturday, so you won’t get to meet her until then either.”
Billy’s head bobbed, then he shook it, looking confused. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t trust anyone else to be my witness and not blabber about the whole situation, so I’m asking you to be my best man and witness. Will you accept? Because if I have to drag my mother there and listen to her prattle on and on the entire ceremony about finally finding a woman I can wed and bed to give her grandkids, I won’t forgive you so easily.”
Billy’s eyes teared up, and he hastened to wipe them away and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ll be your witness. Thanks, Vinnie.”
Vincent patted him on the shoulder. “It’s not that big a deal.”
“My best friend and future Congressman is finally getting married and he actually seems happy about it. It’s a big deal.”
“Oh? And what about you, Mr. Charmer? When are you finally going to settle down with the woman of your dreams?”
“Eh, if this works well for you, I might decide to do the same.”
Vincent sat down with him at the small conference table in his office as they went over the game plan for Saturday. Lana would arrive at the courthouse an hour before the ceremony, but Vincent wouldn’t get to see her until she walked into the room to get married. His hands already shook with anticipation of seeing her in person, speaking with her, and what could possibly come later if they hit it off well enough. Sex was a very personal thing, and though they would be husband and wife, he would not push this woman to consummate their marriage the first night if she wasn’t comfortable. There was a chance he wouldn’t be either.
“What about a reception with everyone afterwards? Like the week after, once you two have a chance to get to know each other better?” Billy asked, setting up lists on his tablet and preparing to schedule such an event. “We could set it that Saturday. The convention center downtown looks wide open still.”
“I assume you’re going to tell me it would be good press to have a reception open to guests and certain reporters?” Vincent murmured.
“Yes, but if you don’t think she’s up for it…”
“No, no… if you think I should do it, then I will. I’m sure she’ll be fine with it.” He actually had no idea if she would be or not, but having their lives out in the open for the world to see was all part of being married to a politician. He’d left nothing out as far as those details went, of how much work would be involved with this campaign and her part in it. “Do it in the evening and make sure you get a good band. I don’t want it to be boring if it’s supposed to be our wedding reception.”
Billy grinned. “You got it, boss. Now, how about a tux for this Saturday?”
“I have one, but it’s old.”
“And you need a ring.”
“Shit, I didn’t even think about that.”
Billy laughed as he stood and tucked the tablet in his briefcase. “Then I think we need to go shopping. Shall we?” Billy offered his arm and Vincent gave him a friendly shove towards the door to his office.
A few hours later, Vincent changed back into his clothes after being fitted for a snazzy black tux, and Billy put a rush order on it so they would have it by Saturday morning.
“The ring is next,” Billy mumbled. “Do we need to get you a ring, or will she bring one?”
“I think I should get one. I don’t want her to have to pay for a ring,” he said as he stepped out of the changing room. “Lead the way.”
They left the tux shop and walked a few doors down to a jewelry store where they had to be buzzed inside. Vincent listened while Billy told the woman behind the counter what they were looking for as he peered into the glass cases of rings. He’d only talked to Lana once, and he was expected to pick a ring out for her? He only knew her likes from what he’d read on her profile, but that wasn’t nearly enough to figure out what ring was best suited to her. Did she even like diamonds?
“What were you looking for as far as style, sir?” the woman asked as she sidled over to him. “Princess cut, perhaps? Or something a little more unique?”
Vincent blew out an aggravated breath, his palms sweating. What if he picked the wrong ring? “Could we do something a little different as far as me picking a simple ring today and coming back for a new one in a week or so?”
The woman’s brow wrinkled. “You’re saying you want a place holder ring?”
“Yes, can we do that? I’ll pay for it in full, of course. I’m not asking to return it, but my situation is a bit unique. We’re eloping, you see,” he whispered as he leaned closer. “I’m sort of surprising her with a weekend getaway, something she’s always wanted.” It was as close to the truth as Vincent could get, but the woman’s bright smile told him she bought it.
“That is very sweet of you, and you want her to be able to pick out her ring afterwards?”
“Yes. She has very unique tastes. I told her she would have the chance to pick out her own ring. If I do it now, though, it’ll ruin the surprise. Can you help me?”
“Of course, sir,” the woman said. “Give me one moment to pull some selections for you. Will you need a ring for yourself as well?”
“Yes, if it’s no trouble.” The woman walked away, and Billy leaned on the glass case. “What are you smirking about?”
“You are definitely a politician in the making. Lying so smoothly already.”
“I don’t have a choice. I can’t exactly tell her about my current situation—unless you want to clean up the mess?” Vincent asked with a crooked grin, and Billy’s smile fell. “That’s what I thought.”
“No, you’re right, it’s the smart thing to do.”
Vincent walked around the small shop while the woman drew out several different rings. His eyes were drawn to a case of white gold bands with sapphires and fiery rubies staring back at him. If he were to pick a ring for his future wife, it would be one of those, a stone with character. A stone that would fit on the hand of a woman who had a great sense of humor and, he hoped, a continuing understanding of who he was as a person. The woman called him over, and he picked out a simple white gold band with a solitary diamond on it for Lana. For his own ring, he picked out a dark band made of tungsten with a darker band of white gold running around it.
“Very good, sir. I’ll ring this up and you’ll be ready to go.”
The woman measured his finger for his size and said a rush order was available, but he hadn’t a clue what size Lana’s finger was. She assured him they could resize it when he returned for the other ring.
As he walked out of the store with a receipt in his pocket for wedding rings, his stomach fluttered and his heart raced. “I think I need a drink.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m just nervous as hell. I’m getting married this weekend,” he whispered.
“Yes, you are, and you know what that means?” Billy asked, but Vincent shook his head. “Bachelor party…brought to you by yours truly.”
“I don’t think I’m in the mood for a bachelor party,” he cringed. “If I’m going to do this, I’m going to start it out right. No strippers, Billy. Drinks only, and only with you. We’re keeping this quiet, remember?”
“All right then, a fine night of whiskey. How does that sound?”
Vincent agreed. A drink now would help soothe his nerves and prepare him for a night with his mother and her date, Todd, again. At least Lana had a good sense of humor. Any other woman might sit one night with his mother and her boyfriend and leave the room screaming. Doris certainly wasn’t holding back any longer. Vincent wanted her to be happy, but hearing about her latest adventures in bed with men Vincent had known since childhood was not how he intended to spend his evenings at her house.
A few more days, and he would be a married man. Vincent wondered if Lana was as nervous as he was, but there was no turning back now. He’d agreed to this and would see it through, even if it ended in divorce at the end of twelve weeks. An image of his parents, much younger and dancing on a rooftop, came to mind. Could Lana be that woman, willing to dance as if no one was watching and make love until the sun came up with a man she hardly knew?
“Vinnie, you coming?”
“Yeah, I’m coming,” he hollered and rushed to the curb where Billy waited beside his truck. “I hope this marriage pays off.”
“It will, trust me. Past elections show those who get married and have happy little families are seen as family men, men who care about family issues and being there when times get tough for those voters. It’ll work out perfectly, you’ll see.”
Vincent pulled away from the curb. “Then let’s go have a toast to my impending victory.”
