Exactly a year later, the day after Christmas, I stood next to James in front of a minister, knowing exactly what I was doing. I knew James's heart, his soul, and I knew my own as well.
We weren't in Amelia's living room this time. James insisted that we celebrate our life in a bigger way. So we were in a ballroom beautifully decorated in a winter theme. Amelia stood next to James as his best person, holding a four-month-old Nicholas. Next to me stood Vivie, holding Hope. Other friends and family had gathered to celebrate with us, but the six of us were the foundation of this wonderful life James and I were building together. Vivie might not officially be family, but she was a sister to me.
When the minister pronounced us married again, I threw myself at James, wanting my kiss. He laughed and then kissed the breath out of me. We'd been legally married for a year, and it was a wonderful year, but this time, we’d done it right. The vows were real. The love was real.
After the ceremony, I was ready to start the honeymoon, but I knew it was required that we celebrate with our guests. As James and I mingled, every now and then, I would look over to Vivie, wondering how she was doing. Upon her return from New York several months ago, she'd thrown herself into her writing venture and now had several books to her credit, all of which seemed to be selling well.
About six weeks ago, she made a return trip to New York and stayed for nearly a month. When she returned, something had changed. The spark in her had dimmed. She had admitted to me that she’d finally given in and started seeing her ex again but that things hadn’t gone well. She didn't go into detail, and I had to respect her wishes if she didn’t want to talk about it.
Then last week, she withdrew even more, to the point that I wondered if she was going to come to the wedding. I was grateful that she was here, but as I watched her, I worried about her. She brought a date, but there was something off about him. He looked the part of a date with an expensive suit, but there was something inauthentic about him. Neither of them looked particularly happy to be together, and at the same time, I noted that wherever Vivie went, her date was close by. Not just like a normal date. It was like he refused to let her out of his sight. I wondered if she’d attracted another abusive boyfriend. God, I hoped not.
"Your husband is feeling abandoned." I turned to see James grinning at me.
"We can't have that." I looped my arms around his neck, and we danced slowly, despite the fact that an up-tempo song was playing.
"Do you know that man that Vivie is with?" I asked. Maybe Vivie had told her brother or Amelia about him, and Amelia had told James. I pushed down the hurt that Vivie hadn’t talked to me if that was indeed the situation.
James looked briefly over toward Vivie and her date. "I do."
I looked up at him. "You do?"
"Yes. He works for a security firm. He helped me and Amelia put my father in jail."
I frowned. "What's he doing here with Vivie?"
"Well, there are two possibilities that I can think of. The first is that Max also hired him, so maybe Vivie met him through Max.”
"What's the second option?"
"He's been hired to protect her."
I flinched. "She's in danger?"
James shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever it is, it’s hush-hush. Amelia hasn’t said anything to me." He tugged me close, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Whatever it is, she's in good hands. Do you think you can not worry about Vivie long enough to go on a honeymoon with me? Amelia and Max have the kids. And as far as I can tell, everybody is enjoying themselves. It seems like a perfect time for you and me to sneak away."
I pulled away, looking up into his handsome face. "I've been ready to go ever since the minister said to kiss the bride."
James let out a laugh. "Why didn't you say so?" He took my hand, tugging me toward the ballroom exit.
In a matter of minutes, we had zoomed up in an elevator and entered the hotel suite. Our clothes lay in our wake as we undressed and hurried toward the bedroom. James wasted no time covering my body with his, entering me in a single trust. Nestled inside me, he stilled for a moment, his gaze holding mine as if he’d stopped the world and there were only us two.
"I love you, Mrs. Dunsmore."
I'd been called Mrs. Dunsmore for the last year, but still, it was wonderful to hear him call me that.
"And here I thought it was just lust."
He grinned, grinding his hips against mine, sending delicious sensations through me. "That too." He leaned over, giving me a soft kiss. "Do you suppose we made the twins on our honeymoon last year?"
There was no way to know for sure, but I had thought so. "Probably." My eyes narrowed. "You're not thinking of making more babies right now, are you?"
He studied me for a moment. "Might be fun to have more kids. But maybe not right now."
I nodded. "I agree. We're only just getting the hang of having two babies."
He laughed. "Well, holding our own, but sometimes, I do feel outnumbered."
"At least it's getting easier."