Chapter 30

Kiera woke up on the morning of her wedding in an unfamiliar bed, having spent the night at Judy’s house while Roy bunked with Kyle. They’d both decided to stick to the tradition of not seeing each other the night before the wedding.

“Are you awake, Aunt Kiera?” Chrissy’s voice floated in from the doorway.

Kiera sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I’m awake, sweetheart.”

With a burst of energy, Chrissy ran over and jumped onto the bed.

“Mommy says you need to come down for breakfast before the hairdresser arrives. I’m getting my hair done too, and mommy says I can wear some of her perfume. She never lets me wear it.”

After breakfast, Kiera indulged in a relaxing bath. She found herself missing Kyle and hoping that he and Roy hadn’t overdone it with the drinks last night.

She was eager to stand at the altar with him, waiting for the moment they’d be pronounced husband and wife.

Three women arrived later to do their hair and makeup. Once they were all dolled up, it was time to slip into their dresses. Kiera was about to fasten her necklace when Judy walked in.

“Oh my, you look so beautiful.”

“Thank you. I’m a bit nervous and can’t seem to get this necklace on. Could you help me?”

“Turn around,” Judy said, taking the necklace from her. “I want you to know that I’ve never seen my brother this happy. I was starting to think he’d never find someone to love.

“You’re good for him, and I know you two will have a happy marriage. I’ve always wanted a sister, and now I have one.”

They were in the middle of a hug when Chrissy burst in, wearing her dress. “Mommy, look at me. Don’t I look pretty?”

“Oh, you sure do, baby girl.”

“Aunt Kiera, you look pretty too,” she said, giving her a hug.

Kiera knelt down to her level. “You are going to be the prettiest girl at the wedding. Are you ready to toss the petals when you walk down the aisle?”

“Yes. Can we go now?”

Judy laughed. “We should get ready to leave for the church. If we’re late, Kyle will have a nervous breakdown.”

Kyle and Roy arrived at the church and retreated to the back room to wait for the ceremony to start. Kyle paced back and forth until Roy stepped in to adjust his tie.

“Relax, man. It won’t be long now.”

Kyle took a deep breath. “So, any words of wisdom for a man about to get married?”

“Actually, I do. The recipe for a successful marriage is trust and forgiveness.

“But the most important thing is to really listen when your wife talks to you. Don’t just pretend to.

“If another woman comes on to you, don’t act on it. It might be tempting, but remember why you got married, and know you could lose the most important person in your life.”

“I would never cheat on Kiera.”

“I know that, but some women won’t care if you’re married. They’ll try to take what belongs to another. Just keep telling Kiera how much you love her, especially during her pregnancy.

“When the mood swings come, and they will, just be patient with her.” He gave him a light tap on his cheek. “It’s about to start. You ready to go out front now?”

“Damn straight I am,” he answered back, buttoning up his jacket.

The wedding music started playing, and the guys exchanged smiles when they saw Chrissy walking toward them.

Her face was glowing as she dropped a few rose petals on her way to them.

Then Roy gave Judy a big smile when he saw her. He thought she was even more beautiful today than the first day he had laid eyes on her.

Then Kiera made her entrance. Kyle couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wondered if it was all a dream as she walked toward him, their eyes locked.

He could feel his hands shaking, his heart pounding. She looked like an angel. Her beauty took his breath away.

The money he’d spent on this wedding was worth every penny, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat. When she reached him, he took her hands in his as she handed her bouquet of flowers to Judy.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, yearning to pull her into his arms.

***

As soon as she saw him standing at the front of the church, she wanted to cry. He looked so handsome in his suit, and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have found a man like him.

She loved him so much, and when she took his hands, she wasn’t sure if it was his or her hands that were shaking.

She stared into his eyes throughout the entire ceremony, and once the minister pronounced them husband and wife, she wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her in for a kiss.

They didn’t get much time to talk when they got outside, with everyone gathered around them, wishing them all the best.

Then they walked around the corner to the hall they’d booked for their dinner and reception. He held her hand, kept looking at her, smiling and telling her how much he loved her.

A four-course meal was served. Everyone kept tapping their glasses to get the couple to kiss, which they didn’t mind.

With the meal finished and the cake cut and served, it was time for the first dance.

He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, pulling her into his arms. “We haven’t had much time to talk, and I’ve been dying to tell you something.”

“What’s that?” she asked, looking up at him with so much love.

“First, I want to tell you how much I love this dress. You look stunning. I also want to tell you how much I love you and that I’m so glad I found you on that site.

“You’ve changed my life for the better. You are my whole life now. I promise to always love you, to give you the life you deserve.”

She started to tear up. “I love you too. And all I want is you, now and forever.” She lifted her head up and kissed him.

Kyle made a point to share a few dances with Chrissy, complimenting her on how lovely she looked in her new dress and how well she performed her flower girl duties.

As the night wore on, Roy and Judy had already taken their daughter home. Kyle thought it was about time they did the same. Chrissy was beginning to show signs of fatigue, and they had an early flight to Italy the next day.

Once they were back in his suite, Kyle set the mood with some soft, romantic music. He pulled her into his arms and they swayed together, their bodies moving in perfect sync.

“You’ve made this day absolutely perfect,” she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. “The flowers, the church, everything... I felt like Cinderella. It was all so wonderful. Thank you for a night I’ll remember forever.”

“I can’t erase your past, but I can make your future brighter. I’m going to make sure you never hurt again.

“Now, let’s get you out of this dress. It’s time for us to make love as husband and wife.”

***

^FAST FORWARD TO ITALY^

She lay in his arms, admiring her wedding rings. “You have such amazing taste. Sometimes I wonder if this is all a dream.”

“It’s not a dream, sweetheart. I was thinking we could go sightseeing after breakfast, and then tonight we could go see the ballet.

“We have three weeks here, so we can take our time doing whatever you want. Now that you’re pregnant, I don’t want you overdoing it.”

During their second week in Italy, he took her to the opera. They had balcony seats. Halfway through the performance, she turned her head and spotted Steven and Pauline Driver in the next balcony.

She touched Kyle’s arm and leaned in to whisper, “That Steven guy is in the next balcony over.”

He looked over just as Steven glanced their way.

“Just our luck to run into him on our honeymoon. We’ll just ignore him, and if he tries to talk to you, he’ll find himself flat on his ass.”

They had hoped to avoid Steven after the show, but Pauline spotted them and called out, dragging Steven along with her.

“Kyle, it’s so nice to see you again. I can’t believe we’re all here again. And Miss Finn, it’s so lovely to see you again.”

Kyle took Kiera’s hand and held it up. “Actually it’s Mrs. Hicks now. We’re married.” He glanced at Steven and noticed the man was sweating and avoiding eye contact.

“Oh, that’s great news. Isn’t it, Steven?”

Steven cleared his throat, still not looking at them. “Yes, yes, just wonderful.”

Pauline gave them both a hug. “Let us take you out for a drink, and we can catch up.” She noticed Kiera’s baby bump and smiled. “Oh, you’re expecting. That’s wonderful.

“We also heard that you had been shot, and about those poor women. That was so horrible, but we are happy to see that you are okay.”

Kyle had always liked Pauline, and it was clear she still had no idea about her husband’s perverse activities.

He wanted to tell her, but he knew it wasn’t his place.

“We would love to join you, but we are on our honeymoon, and Kiera is tired. But it was lovely seeing you again. Take care.”

Without acknowledging Steven, he put his arm around her waist, and they left the building.

“Did you notice how Steven wouldn’t even look at us?” she asked as she got ready for bed that night.

“He was afraid to.”

“Why would he be afraid?”

“Because the last time I saw him I gave him a taste of what would happen if he ever so much as glanced in your direction.

“I don’t want to talk about him. Let’s just go to bed. I’m horny and want to be inside your hot pussy.”

“You’re terrible,” she said, laughing as he scooped her up and carried her to the bed.

After three incredible weeks in Italy, it was time to return home. They had a lot to do when they got back.

He had his business to attend to, and she had her online classes to catch up on, not to mention preparing for the baby’s arrival.

Once home, she collapsed onto their bed. “I’m so tired. All I want to do is sleep,” she said, yawning.

He had noticed that she had been getting tired a lot lately and was suffering from heartburn. It worried him, so he did some research and found out that it was normal for some women.

The information suggested that it could mean the baby would have a lot of hair when he or she was born. Still, he wanted a doctor to check her out.

He scheduled a doctor’s appointment for her two days after they got home. It was time for a scan, and they sat in the room waiting for the doctor to arrive.

“So you still want to wait and be surprised about the sex?” he asked, standing by her side and holding her hand.

“Yes,” she replied just as the doctor walked in and got started.

They watched the screen as he ran the wand over her stomach. “Well now. How did I miss this the first time?”

“Is something wrong?” Kyle asked, his face turning pale.

“That depends on you, I guess. But it appears as if you are having twins. This is a good surprise, right?”

“Twins,” she echoed. Looking at Kyle, they both broke into smiles.

Before they left the doctor’s office, he gave her something for the heartburn, since it was so severe that it had been making her sick. He also told her she needed to take it easy and get plenty of rest.

“Wow, just wait until we tell the others we’re having twins,” Kyle said, grinning from ear to ear.