Capturing Hearts - Faleena Hopkins Page 0,13
sideways smiles to each other. When we finally get to the vows, the priest asks us to face one another. I look up at Brendan, so handsome, smiling at me in his tux. He reaches out, touches my protruding belly and whispers to it, “You get to be here for this, Jacob.” That’s when the first tear escapes down my cheek.
“Annie and Brendan have their own vows they’d like to share with us today,” the priest announces to the room.
Into my lover’s eyes, I smile. “Brendan, I vow to be yours and only yours. I vow to tell you I love you, even when we argue. I vow to make space for you to be the man you are, and to be a part of your team, to hold my space proudly beside you. Us against the world. I vow to be loyal to you in words and action. To support you as you grow and change through the years. I vow to love you until death do us part, and even way after that!”
He smiles at my addition, but then gets very serious, looking into my eyes with earnestness and presence. “Annie, I vow to be yours and only yours. I vow to tell you I love you even when we argue. I vow to spend my days making you smile until your cheeks hurt. I vow to stick by you as the years pass and as we grow old. I vow to be loyal to you in words and actions. I vow to hear your take on life, treasure your opinion and contribution as you always treasure mine. And Annabelle, O’Brien soon-to-be Clark, I vow to love you until death do us part and way the fuck after that, too.”
I laugh, tears blurring my vision. “Don’t swear in front of the baby.”
He grins. The priest chuckles and asks, “Do we have the rings?”
Mark steps forward and presents them to us. We both take each other’s ring. Brendan slides mine slowly onto my finger as I stare into his proud eyes. “With this ring, I’m yours.”
I take his and slide it on his finger. “With this ring, I’m yours.”
The priest declares, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Then he adds, quickly, “Again.”
Everyone applauds as Brendan grabs me and kisses me in a way that would have made past generations blush. He finishes with a dip, holding me firmly under my back as I laugh and receive a million tiny kisses all over my face.
He stands me up and takes my hand to face everyone.
They all go nuts. Nicole, who I’ve come to love, cheers louder than everyone else and I throw a grin her way and mouth, you’re next. Her eyes go round and she shakes her head really quickly.
“Ready?” Brendan asks me.
“Yep!” He guides pregnant me down the steps and brings my hand to his lips as we pass by our applauding friends and family. “I trapped you, Freckles. You’re mine now”
We head for the limo Mark and Bobby have covered with whipped cream and beer cans. In soap, it says, Another One Bites The Dust. As Brendan opens the door for me, people are running out behind us, throwing birdseed. I climb in, carefully, and gaze up at him, outlined above me by sunlight. “No, Brendan Clark. I trapped you. Aren’t I the sly one?”
“What are you going to do with me now that you’ve got me, Mrs. Clark?”
I shrug, and adjust my dress around my ankles, dragging the long train into the car and tucking it near my ankles. “Well, Mr. Clark, I guess I’ll just have to love you forever.”
“I guess you will,” he grins and closes the door, bowing to the audience standing outside the church. “We’ll see you at the reception!” They applaud as he runs over and jumps in the other side of the limo.
The driver asks through the open divider. “We’re going to reception hall first. I’ll make myself scarce until you call. But, after that, where are you headed?”
“After that?” Brendan kisses me with no signs of stopping. I laugh and peek over to see the driver smile and close the divider.
I respond to his kiss, joy filling my heart. “Where are we headed after that?”
He puts his hand on my belly, rubbing it as he whispers against my lips, “To a life now worth living.”
Chapter Fifteen
Brendan
Married a few months. Wife: not happy.
My wife looks up at me with a disapproving frown. “It’s too