Seven Months later...
His knee bounced nervously as he looked around and back down the row he was sitting in. Normally being alone at a function didn’t bother him, he was used to being the center of attention, hell that’s how he made his living. But today, this crowd was just a little different than what he was used to. The men outnumbered the women today by at least two to one and he was feeling more and more like a piece of meat with every minute that passed. He didn’t even see Cilla; hadn’t seen her since she left him that morning with her dress in one hand and her make-up bag in the other.
He looked around again. The outside patio area was tastefully decorated with flowers in pots and baskets and tiny white lights woven through the trees and shrubs. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for an outside affair. Mother Nature had sent a sky as blue as his eyes and she had dressed the trees in their autumn best gold, crimson and russet for this special day. The seventy-five chairs that dotted the terrace told him that it was going to be a small, intimate affair and this little Inn inConnecticut
The shuffling of chairs at the end of the row had him turning. “It’s about time you got here.” He smiled and shook his friend’s hand. “Where the hell have you been?”
Richie smiled and shook Jon’s hand. “Sorry man. Got held up at ma’s.”
Jon extended his hand past Richie to the woman who trailed behind. “Hey Jennie. Don’t you look beautiful.”
She let go of Richie’s hand to take his and leaned in to buss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“How’s Abby?”
Jennie smiled, looking more relieved, more at peace today than at other time since Jon had met her. She gripped Richie’s hand again as she spoke. “She’s in remission and loving spending time with Ava and Grandma Joan.”
Jon grinned, a wave of relief rushed through him. He and Cilla and been waiting and wondering about Abby’s prognosis. He couldn’t wait to tell Cilla. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Jennie smile up at Richie and then back at Jon. “The best I’ve heard in months, except for you and Cilla.”
Jon smiled widely. “You’re both coming, right?”
Richie nodded, “you know we wouldn’t miss it man.”
The music started and they turned to face the doors leading from theInn to the terrace. Jon craned his head around looking for a glimpse of her. She stepped into the doorway and he couldn’t breathe. She was stunning. Her dress was a deep crimson, the color of the leaves on the trees. It draped slightly in the front and fit close, hugging her slender form from breast to ankle. The slit up the right gave him a teasing glimpse of a creamy leg and a sexy stiletto heel. He dragged his gaze to her face. He couldn’t help but smile as he raised his camera.
She was absolutely radiant today. There was no more surgical mask covering half her face to protect her from any little germ that could have had her sick in an instant; the dark shadows that had haunted her eyes for months were gone. Her hair had started to grow back. It was still as short as a boy’s, even shorter than his, but it was hers and it was still the pretty deep chocolate that it had been a year before.
As she drew closer to him he unconsciously held out his hand. He just needed that little bit of contact, just her fingers, something. Her hand drifted lightly over his, a slight squeeze of his fingers and she was moving past him. He watched her walk away, his eyes nearly dropping to the ground; the back of her dress dipped low, to the top of the curling scrollwork of her tattoo. He groaned quietly, there was no way she was able to wear a bra in that dress. He looked up at her and she smiled slyly at him before turning and waiting for her friend and his groom. He shook his head, she knew what she was doing and he prayed for the strength to get through the day.
He turned his attention back to the make-shift altar and watched as her best friend married the man of his dreams. The ceremony was as quirky and refined as the two men who were now joined in matrimony forever.
In just two short months, on an island that boasted sun and sand even in the winter, that would be him and Cilla.
The crowd worked their way back inside, congratulating the men on their nuptials and Jon sought out his girl. She was at the bar, her back to him as she waited for her drink. He slid his fingertips up the creamy expanse of her back, scraping his short nails lightly across her nape. “Hey Beautiful.”
She turned, a smile wreathing her face. “Hey yourself handsome.”
He smiled back at her and tugged her close, “you look amazing Sweets.”
She tilted her head up, pressing her lips lightly to his, “thank you. Sid did a great job with the dress, don’t you think?”
Jon nodded, as his fingers trailed up and down her spine, “yeah, but I don’t think it would look half as good on him as it does on you.” That got him the laugh he was looking for. “I have some news.”
“What?”
He told her about Abby and watched as tears gathered and sparkled on her lashes. “I’m so happy to hear that. I need to find Jennie and talk to her.” She started to twist away but he didn’t let go.
“Just a minute Sweets.”
She turned her eyes back to his. “What is it?”
He held her gaze. He hadn’t seen her all day. He wanted just a minute or two before she had to be off doing her best girl duties for Sid. He just needed to be with her even if it was only for a fleeting moment. “Dance with me. This is our song.”
She cocked her head and listened, a soft smile playing across her lips. Someone had queued up Frank Sinatra and it was indeed the song they had first danced to on a different terrace, more than a year before. She let herself be swept into his strong arms as they swayed in a lazy circle in their little corner of the bar.
He couldn’t stop looking at her. She had fought a fight that seemed impossible to win, one he wouldn’t want to fight himself, but she had done it and won. Now it was time to move on, look ahead to their future and making their sweetest dreams come true.
His knee bounced nervously as he looked around and back down the row he was sitting in. Normally being alone at a function didn’t bother him, he was used to being the center of attention, hell that’s how he made his living. But today, this crowd was just a little different than what he was used to. The men outnumbered the women today by at least two to one and he was feeling more and more like a piece of meat with every minute that passed. He didn’t even see Cilla; hadn’t seen her since she left him that morning with her dress in one hand and her make-up bag in the other.
He looked around again. The outside patio area was tastefully decorated with flowers in pots and baskets and tiny white lights woven through the trees and shrubs. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for an outside affair. Mother Nature had sent a sky as blue as his eyes and she had dressed the trees in their autumn best gold, crimson and russet for this special day. The seventy-five chairs that dotted the terrace told him that it was going to be a small, intimate affair and this little Inn in
The shuffling of chairs at the end of the row had him turning. “It’s about time you got here.” He smiled and shook his friend’s hand. “Where the hell have you been?”
Richie smiled and shook Jon’s hand. “Sorry man. Got held up at ma’s.”
Jon extended his hand past Richie to the woman who trailed behind. “Hey Jennie. Don’t you look beautiful.”
She let go of Richie’s hand to take his and leaned in to buss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“How’s Abby?”
Jennie smiled, looking more relieved, more at peace today than at other time since Jon had met her. She gripped Richie’s hand again as she spoke. “She’s in remission and loving spending time with Ava and Grandma Joan.”
Jon grinned, a wave of relief rushed through him. He and Cilla and been waiting and wondering about Abby’s prognosis. He couldn’t wait to tell Cilla. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Jennie smile up at Richie and then back at Jon. “The best I’ve heard in months, except for you and Cilla.”
Jon smiled widely. “You’re both coming, right?”
Richie nodded, “you know we wouldn’t miss it man.”
The music started and they turned to face the doors leading from the
She was absolutely radiant today. There was no more surgical mask covering half her face to protect her from any little germ that could have had her sick in an instant; the dark shadows that had haunted her eyes for months were gone. Her hair had started to grow back. It was still as short as a boy’s, even shorter than his, but it was hers and it was still the pretty deep chocolate that it had been a year before.
As she drew closer to him he unconsciously held out his hand. He just needed that little bit of contact, just her fingers, something. Her hand drifted lightly over his, a slight squeeze of his fingers and she was moving past him. He watched her walk away, his eyes nearly dropping to the ground; the back of her dress dipped low, to the top of the curling scrollwork of her tattoo. He groaned quietly, there was no way she was able to wear a bra in that dress. He looked up at her and she smiled slyly at him before turning and waiting for her friend and his groom. He shook his head, she knew what she was doing and he prayed for the strength to get through the day.
He turned his attention back to the make-shift altar and watched as her best friend married the man of his dreams. The ceremony was as quirky and refined as the two men who were now joined in matrimony forever.
In just two short months, on an island that boasted sun and sand even in the winter, that would be him and Cilla.
The crowd worked their way back inside, congratulating the men on their nuptials and Jon sought out his girl. She was at the bar, her back to him as she waited for her drink. He slid his fingertips up the creamy expanse of her back, scraping his short nails lightly across her nape. “Hey Beautiful.”
She turned, a smile wreathing her face. “Hey yourself handsome.”
He smiled back at her and tugged her close, “you look amazing Sweets.”
She tilted her head up, pressing her lips lightly to his, “thank you. Sid did a great job with the dress, don’t you think?”
Jon nodded, as his fingers trailed up and down her spine, “yeah, but I don’t think it would look half as good on him as it does on you.” That got him the laugh he was looking for. “I have some news.”
“What?”
He told her about Abby and watched as tears gathered and sparkled on her lashes. “I’m so happy to hear that. I need to find Jennie and talk to her.” She started to twist away but he didn’t let go.
“Just a minute Sweets.”
She turned her eyes back to his. “What is it?”
He held her gaze. He hadn’t seen her all day. He wanted just a minute or two before she had to be off doing her best girl duties for Sid. He just needed to be with her even if it was only for a fleeting moment. “Dance with me. This is our song.”
She cocked her head and listened, a soft smile playing across her lips. Someone had queued up Frank Sinatra and it was indeed the song they had first danced to on a different terrace, more than a year before. She let herself be swept into his strong arms as they swayed in a lazy circle in their little corner of the bar.
He couldn’t stop looking at her. She had fought a fight that seemed impossible to win, one he wouldn’t want to fight himself, but she had done it and won. Now it was time to move on, look ahead to their future and making their sweetest dreams come true.
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