Something Forever Read online

  Becky looked gorgeous. Her hair was down and her makeup complimented her dress. Luckily we had picked out the dress that was a similar style to mine so no one could tell she had a little belly, too. Becky and I had compared our belly size the other day and debated what the sex of her baby was going to be and who would have the biggest child.

  Max and I had bought Matthew and Becky matching sterling silver bracelets from Tiffany’s as a way to thank them for being our best man and maid of honor. It made me smile that she had it on.

  “Jenna. You look amazing,” Becky admired. “I can’t even tell you didn’t get any sleep last night.”

  “Thanks. You do, too. I love that lavender on you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Adrenaline is pumping through me so fast right now. I should be exhausted, but I’m not. I feel like I drank five cups of coffee. I feel like I forgot something.”

  “I’m sure everything is in order. You shouldn’t have to worry about a thing. The list of things to do has been completed.”

  Becky helped me put the veil on. I had something old, the veil from my mother-in-law. Something new was the bracelet my mom gave me during my bridal shower. Something blue was the garter I wore underneath the dress. And Becky’s pearl earrings were something borrowed.

  “There. Now you’re all set.”

  I jumped and my heart rate kicked up a notch when there was a soft knock. My mom walked in when Becky opened the door.

  After she gave Becky a hug and a kiss, she just stood there and stared at me. “Oh, Jenna.” Her lips trembled and tears wet her cheeks. “You look beautiful. Max won’t be able to keep his eyes off you. Not that he does anyway. I have to admit, at first, I thought he would be overbearing, but he turned out to be better than I had expected. Max loves you so much. You know how I can tell?”

  “How?”

  “It’s the way he looks at you. It’s full of genuine love, honor, and respect.”

  “Yes, I know. I’m very lucky.”

  “That you are.” Mom paused with an intake of breath. “Dad told me to hurry. He’s waiting where he was instructed to wait. Well, I’d better get going.” After a kiss on my cheek, Mom left.

  The sound of music made my heart thump faster. That song was Max’s cue to stand in front with Matthew. It was almost time. Suddenly, my muscles became tight and nervous, and my body was going haywire. Blood was pumping through me so fast that I could hardly breathe. All of those people out there were going to stare at me. What if I fell? What if I started crying? I was an emotional wreck.

  “Deep breaths, Jenna,” Becky reminded. “Inhale...exhale. There you go.”

  When the wedding coordinator appeared at the door with my dad and the photographer, I knew it was time. “Max and Matthew are at their position,” she said. “When you hear the harp that will be Becky’s cue. Then it will be your turn. But don’t worry. I’m here to guide you.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. “Thanks.”

  “You girls look beautiful,” Dad said proudly, giving Becky and I awkward hugs. The veil was in the way. “I can’t believe my little girl is getting married today. Just look at you.”

  I blushed and smiled. “And look at you, Dad. You’re so handsome in that tuxedo.”

  My dad’s cheeks turned red. “You think so? Mom liked it, too.” He gave me a nervous laugh. He was too cute acting all shy around me.

  The first harp rang.

  “Becky,” I squealed as my stomach dropped to the floor.

  Becky gave me a one last hug. After picking up both of our bouquets from the table, she handed me mine. Hers were a mixture of white orchids with purple roses, and mine were just plain white orchids.

  “You’ve got this,” Becky reminded me. “I need to walk down first. Keep your head up and smile. Don’t look at the audience. Keep your eyes on Max. I already know what you’re thinking. Hold onto your dad tightly. Take baby steps so you won’t fall flat on your face.” Then she turned and was out of my sight. Becky made me laugh. She knew exactly what I was thinking. She knew me too well.

  I snuck a peek to see Becky walk down the white runway. Rows and rows of white chairs filled with our family and friends were an overwhelming sight. My heart started hammering faster again...so fast that I was almost certain I was having an anxiety attack. Since the view was limited from where I was standing, I couldn’t see Max, but I could see how clear and beautiful the sky was with scattered white puffy clouds. Since it was late in the afternoon, the position of the sun gave a nice shade over us. The weather was perfect, not too cold and not too hot.

  “Time to go, Jenna,” my dad said, linking his arm around mine. “I’ve got you kiddo.”

  Max

  When the harpist played the “Wedding March”, my heart was filled with powerful bliss, pounding against my chest. It wasn’t that I was nervous about getting married, it was the anticipation of seeing Jenna in her wedding dress and finally making her Mrs. Knight. At any minute, I would see my Jenna walking to me. And...there she was with her dad. Just like a thief, she stole my heart and my breath. At that moment, I inhaled the most delicious air, so refreshing and refined. She looked like the perfect angel sent from above in all white. I knew she would look beautiful, but she’d exceeded my expectations. Taking tiny steps, ensuring she wouldn’t trip—because that was my Jenna—she looked like a vision of splendor.

  Jenna stared straight ahead and caught my eyes. Her smile was sweet and somewhat shy. She also seemed a bit scared. I didn’t blame her. Everyone was standing, staring at her with the “aww” and “oo” sounds. Finally, she was there. With glistening eyes, she swallowed and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from sobbing. I, too, found myself a little damp in the eyes, so I could only imagine how much she was holding back.

  After the pastor said a few words, Jenna’s father gave me Jenna’s hand, and then everyone took their seats. With a nod from the pastor to confirm we were ready, he began, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Maxwell Knight, and this woman, Jenna Mefferd, in matrimony.”

  After those words, everything else seemed to be a blur as I gazed deeply into Jenna’s eyes. She looked so content. I was more than happy to be able to put that huge angelic smile on her face. Now it was time to exchange our vows. We had told the pastor that we would make our own.

  Jenna handed her bouquet to Becky, then we both faced each other with our hands together in front. With a big intake of breath, and setting my eyes on her, I began, “My dearest Jenna. Where do I start telling you how much you mean to me? It’s been a long journey in a short amount of time. When I first met you, I knew you were the one. It hit me so hard, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t breathe. But everything fell into place. What I did and said came naturally, because that is how I feel when I’m with you, like I’m home. I feel so blessed to have found you. Many search their whole life for their soul mate, but I found you when least expected. Every second, every minute, every moment, you are on my mind. My heart beats only for you, babe. My life was like a blank canvas, but you painted it with your love. You...made me a perfect painting. I promise, from this day forward, in front of all these witnesses, and under the heavenly sky, that I will honor, respect, and take care of you and our future family with my life. You are everything to me. You are my something great, forever.”

  Jenna’s lips quivered and she gazed down for a moment. When she looked back at me, a teardrop came down from the corner of her eye. Blinking rapidly, I could see her effort in holding her tears at bay. I quickly wiped them with a smile and held her hands again. From my peripheral vision, I could see Jenna’s mom and my mom in tears.

  Jenna took a deep breath before she started, “My dearest Max. You came into my life like a true Knight. You made me see what real love is. You made me understand that I deserved better. You’ve shown me that I was worth fighting for. I’m beautiful when I’m around you. You bring out the best in me. The once insecure girl is gone. I’ve become more confident and wiser bec
ause of you. Ever since I met you, you lifted me up and never let me touch the ground. That is how you make me feel. I promise, from this day forward, that I will be the wife you deserve, because you have no idea how much you mean to me. I can’t put it into words. I will honor, respect, and show you every day how much I love you. You are everything to me. You are my something great, forever.”

  Tears streamed down Jenna’s cheeks, and before I had a chance to wipe them, Becky handled her some Kleenex. She was crying, too. I wanted the pastor to hurry. It took every ounce of my energy to stop myself from kissing Jenna right now. If I could, I would have carried her back to our hotel room, stripped her naked, and made sweet, passionate love to my wife.

  After we exchanged our rings, the pastor spoke again. We were near the end. “We have come together in this place and heard the willingness of Maxwell and Jenna to be joined in marriage. They have come of their own free will and in our hearing have made a covenant of faithfulness. They have given and received rings as their seal of the promises. By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Carefully wrapping my arms around Jenna, I tilted her body just enough to make a show and gave her a kiss everyone would talk about. The sound of clapping and the wolf whistles blew like crazy. After I helped Jenna steady, I guided her arm through mine and we headed down the aisle. What an amazing experience.

  Chapter 31

  Jenna

  Relief washed over me when the wedding was over. I cried, but I was able to maintain enough control not to sob like crazy. What an amazing opportunity for Max and I to show our love in front of our family and friends. As we proceeded down the long, white aisle, I noticed what a fabulous job our wedding coordinator had done with her staff.

  The tower Max and I had stood under in front was draped in lavender material that looked like curtains. Long, grand vases were set on either side, filled with the most beautiful colors of flowers I had ever seen. They looked so perfect that I would have thought they were fake, but I knew they weren’t. White lace and small bouquets of flowers hung from one chair to the next in the center aisle. I was so busy making sure I wouldn’t trip and locking my eyes on Max that I hadn’t enjoyed the beauty of this set until now.

  Our reception area was set outside of the restaurant called Amaya, on the deck adjacent to the area where we had exchanged vows. The tables were set up with white linens. On the center of each table was a vase of uniquely decorated purple, pink, and white flowers. Each place setting included a party favor filled with Godiva truffles in a silver paper box with purple and white ribbon. Everything was color coordinated to the tee, and I had to give big thanks to my mother-in-law.

  Clink, clink, clink. Matthew hit his wine glass with a fork, standing up. The mic was right next to our table, so it was easy access for him. “Welcome everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, shame on you.”

  The crowd laughed.

  “Just kidding,” Matthew chuckled. “My name is Matthew Knight, the younger brother of the groom. I’d like to make a toast, but not the kind you would eat.”

  The crowd laughed again.

  “You can tell from my jokes that I’m the jokester of the family, and the better looking one. Just kidding again,” Matthew said, chuckling. “Okay, but seriously. I’m not going to bore you with what a great guy Max is, because all the wonderful stories you hear about him are true. And I’m not going to bore you with what a great brother he is, because everybody knows he is.

  “I want to share a story that will touch your heart and is why we are here. When Max was in high school and I had no idea what falling in love was, I asked my brother what love meant. He said that he wasn’t sure, but when he knew, he would let me know. Time passed, and I asked him again in college. He said he didn’t know. To which I would say, ‘With all of the women you’ve dated, you don’t know?’ He simply said he would let me know.

  “I asked him again after we started working with our parents. The answer was the same, until Jenna walked into his life. He spotted her at a restaurant and hadn’t officially met her yet. Max called me that day. And do you know what he said?” Matthew paused. “Max told me that when he saw Jenna, his heart thumped so hard that it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. And when she left, his heart had stopped beating. The reason why Max says his heart only beats for Jenna? Because it’s true.”

  At that moment, my heart expanded with bliss. Max said that to Matthew? If I’d only known how he felt, I could have saved us a lot of heartaches. Max squeezed my shoulder. His arms were wrapped behind me. When I gazed into his eyes, he pressed his lips on mine softly and tenderly, as if to confirm Matthew’s words.

  Matthew gazed directly at us. “Let’s raise our glasses and toast this amazing couple, who couldn’t be more perfect for each other.” He waited to see more glasses up in the air. “To Max and Jenna, may you have a fruitful life together with a minivan full of kids. And may your heart thump hard for each other for the rest of your lives. Here is to something forever.”

  Clink, clink, clink. The sound of glasses echoed in the air. Max’s parents, my parents, Matthew, and Becky all toasted their glasses. It was easier since we all sat at the same round table. Then Becky stood up.

  “Hello, my name is Becky Miller. I’m the maid of honor. The instant I met Jenna, I knew she was special. And I knew at that moment we would become best friends for life. Her innocence and genuine heart were what stood out for me, and I had to make her my friend. Just like Matthew, I’m not going to bore you with stories of what a great person Jenna is, because she is. I want to share a story that will touch your heart. Jenna was always the safe one. She hardly took any risks, but when she met Max, her whole world became a huge mess. She couldn’t breathe. They were soul mates destined to be, because no matter how hard Jenna tried to stay away from Max, she couldn’t.

  “I remember telling Jenna that if she didn’t take a leap of faith with Max that she would never know. After finally making her decision, she told me whatever happened, she would be okay. You see, Jenna always prepared for the worst. A part of her was expecting something to go wrong, but their love for each other was too strong.”

  When Becky took a moment to catch her breath, Max kissed me on the cheek. “So,” Becky continued, “Max...you are simply Jenna’s air. You make her world spin. To Jenna and Max. Love you both very much.”

  Clink, clink, clink. Matthew started hitting his glass, then the rest followed.

  “I’m going to make your world spin, babe,” Max said as the clinking of glass rang louder and louder. What was he doing? He helped me up, tilted my body, and gave me a passionate kiss.

  The wolf whistles echoed, indicating everyone was satisfied with that kiss.

  After dinner, we had the father-daughter dance and mother-son dance, then Max and I slow danced together while the harpist played. The cake was delicious and many pictures were taken. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Just as the reception ended, the sun started to set, jetting out the most beautiful colors of pink and purple. Never had I seen such colors in the sky. And never had I seen and felt so much love and support as I did that day.

  “Mrs. Jenna Knight. Let me do the honors.” Max opened the door, swooped me up in his arms, and carried me over the threshold.

  “We did it. I can’t believe it’s over,” I said, feeling my back touch the bed. Max dropped next to me.

  “Yes, we did. It’s official. Tomorrow, we’ll be heading to Paris, then Rome. By the time we come back from our honeymoon, we’ll be able to sleep in our new home.”

  “Really?” I turned on my side to him.

  “I forgot to tell you. The movers are moving everything out of my apartment to our new home. Matthew is going to direct them.”

  “You’re so lucky you have Matthew.”

  Max kissed the back of my hand. “Yes, I am.” Max caressed my cheek and looked lovingly into my eyes. �
��I’m so happy, babe.”

  “Me, too,” I said sincerely. “I can’t believe I’m Mrs. Knight. It’s going to be hard to get used to.”

  “I understand. You’ve been Jenna Mefferd for so long. Thanks for taking my last name.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s all or nothing.”

  “Good, because it’s all for me.” Max’s eyes turned dark and greedy. I knew that look too well. My body had already started to tingle. “I love you, Jenna Knight,” Max said, unzipping the back of my dress. Then he carefully took off my veil and undid my hair. Max hovered over me. “I’m going to show you all night just how much.” His hot breath rushed down my neck, then lower to my shoulder. His kisses traveled downward as he tugged my dress down, exposing my strapless lacy bra. “Beautiful,” I heard him mumble against the base of my breast.

  I drowned in pleasure when Max circled his tongue around my nipple. “Oh...Max,” I murmured softly. He didn’t stop there, he continued to glide his tongue down the middle as my skin was exposed. When he got to the base of my stomach, he rubbed and kissed my belly as if he was kissing our baby. His touch was different in that area.

  Max had undressed me past my waist, and now the dress was on the floor. With the dress out of the way, Max took his time and kissed his way up my white stockings, to the garter, and to my lacey white G-string. When I heard a low growl, I knew Max liked what I was wearing.

  But oh God! He was playing with my clit with his tongue. The sensation shot up to my core, expanding fast and hard. He was filling me up and I wanted more.