“Jake, I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. All I can do is prove to you that I’ll never leave your side again,” she says with conviction in her tone.
“I know, Rissa. I wasn’t telling you that to upset you. I know you’re mine, now and forever,” I lean down and kiss her with everything that I have. I deepen the kiss, taking her as much as I can, tasting her flavor, feeling the depth of her need, and wanting to consume every inch of her.
We break apart, breathless, and my phone takes that moment to ring. Elijah is still asleep in his carrier and I could have had another hour with Larissa and I naked between the sheets, yet I know with everything going on, I have no choice but to answer it.
“I gotta take this, Baby. I’ll be right back,” I give her one last peck and walk outside to answer the ringing phone.
“Hey, Mom,”
“Hi, Jake. I’ll make this quick. Her dress is hanging in the closet with all the essentials she’ll need. Your suit and Elijah’s are hanging in the spare room closet. Mack will have the boat ready for you three to board at six o’clock,” she says with a hushed tone.
“Thanks, Mom. I couldn’t have done it without you,” I tell her.
“Anything for you. If I don’t get off the phone though, I’ll be a blubbering mess. Love you,” she says, and I don’t get to respond because the phone is clicked off. I look down at my phone with a laugh. Our relationship wasn’t always a good one, but every day it seems to be getting stronger and stronger.
I walk back into the cabin and see Larissa looking out at the back deck and into the woods that surround it.
“Hey, baby. Turn around for a minute. I want to tell you something.” It’s now or never. It would be hard to get her to the main house without getting dressed for her own wedding.
Larissa
I hear the stress in Jake’s voice, and it makes me think the worst, “Is everything okay?”
“What? Of course, it is. I did something you may hate me for. I’m praying you don’t. I wanted to do this for you, well, for us.” He’s looking deep into my eyes.
“You’d never do something I’d hate, Jake. You don’t have that in you,” I respond.
“I hope you’re right,” he tells me as he takes my hand in his and leads me to the master bedroom.
We walk in and I see a dress, and it’s not just any dress either. It’s a wedding dress and it’s hanging up in the window. The sun is filtering through and it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s cream in color, A-line cut, with off cuffs that sweep off both shoulders. The lace beading and chiffon material are exactly what I was looking at when Katrina brought over gobs of magazines, asking me questions about what I would want my dress to look like.
I turn around looking at Jake and asking, “Did you do this? For me, for us?”
“I did it for both of us. You said you didn’t want a wedding. I couldn’t let you not have something. Plus, I want you to become my wife. Today,” he tells me.
“Wait, what? How am I supposed to do that?” I ask him.
“Everything’s already done. Mom and Mack helped. We’re going to the main house where everything is set up. They’ll be waiting for us. You get ready, while I get Eli and myself ready. I love you, Larissa,” he tells me with a kiss to my forehead as he turns to leave, shutting the door behind him.
I’m still in shock as I go over to the wedding dress and glide my fingers down the material.
Today’s the day I’m becoming Mrs. Price. I can’t believe it. I fall back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, as I take in everything Jake has done for me, well for us. I’m one lucky girl.
I get up and go about getting ready, unsure of what all I have to work with, but knowing I have to start with a shower.
When I walk into the bathroom and see everything is set up for me — toiletries, make-up, and all the hair products I’ll need — I go to task. This has Katrina all over it. I’ll be thanking her for a long time to come.
I shower, making sure I shave everything, then go about washing my hair, and then step out to start on the rest. It doesn’t take me very long to moisturize and then blow dry my hair.
I stop the blow dryer to listen for Eli and Jake, but all I hear is silence. I continue on my task of curling my hair and applying my makeup, keeping it light and simple. I was gifted with a fairly nice complexion and I’m not into wearing a thick layer of makeup for no reason.