Hitched: A Jack 'Em Up Wedding Read online

  Hitched

  A Jack ‘Em Up Wedding

  ~ ~

  Shauna Allen

  For my awesomesauce Shauna’s Angels Street Team.

  You ask and you shall receive . . . because you rock!

  ONE

  Jesse

  I flopped over with a stretch and a groan. Out of habit, I reached across the bed, but my hand met cool cotton sheet. My eyes popped open as I realized I was back in my own bed in Micah’s apartment. Alone.

  I’d spent every night with Rachel since I proposed six months ago, and frankly, I had to admit that I missed her every second we were apart. I’d found my other half, my true best friend, the woman who saved me, and I could not love her more.

  And today, she was going to become my wife.

  With a glance at the alarm clock, I rolled to a sitting position and quickly counted the hours until I could hold her again. Ten hours and thirteen minutes. Why did she have to abide by that whole groom not seeing the bride nonsense? Now that we had each other, bad luck was impossible as far as I was concerned. Besides, I’d already seen all of her there was to see.

  I grabbed my cell and powered it up while I yanked on some pajama pants. Once the phone was live, it dinged with several missed text messages. First, my mom, ever the organizer, letting me know she’d already verified all the details with the church, bakery, and florist for Rachel, and that she’d see me soon. I could just imagine her holding back the emotional Mom tears as she typed. I wasn’t the only one who’d waited a lifetime for this day.

  Next, my sister, Leta, pestering me again about shaving the beard I’d grown. Happy wedding! Word of advice Grizzly Adams: SHAVE! No girl wants to kiss all that hair on her wedding day . . .

  I grinned, knowing how much Rachel loved ‘all that hair’ tickling her most sensitive spots.

  Delete.

  The last three were from my girl.

  I luv u FIANCE . . . c u soon

  I’ll be the one in white

  Can’t wait 2 b ur wife . . . forever

  I checked the time she sent them. She was up early.

  I quickly punched out a reply. Luv u 2 . . . can’t wait to get that white dress off u

  Her answer was quick. Me either

  Where r u now? I typed.

  Almost to the church. Delilah’s driving so I have time to text my FIANCE ; )

  Wow. They must’ve left at the ass crack of dawn.

  Rachel had chosen a quaint little Texas hill country chapel that she said ‘spoke to her.’ After weeks of searching, we never found any churches in our tiny town that suited her, so we were driving nearly three hours away so she could have the wedding of her dreams. I was happy to do it. Anything for my girl.

  I needed to hear her voice, so instead of texting back, I dialed her number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Good morning.” Her voice took on the same soft, dreamy quality as when we were alone in bed. “How are you?”

  “Missing you.”

  “I miss you, too.”

  My heart clutched at her somber tone. “You all right?”

  “Yeah. Just excited. And nervous,” she admitted in a breathy rush.

  The black velvet box on my dresser that held her diamond encrusted wedding band taunted me. “Not getting cold feet on me, are you?”

  “Of course not. It’s just a big day, ya know? This is going to be the only wedding I ever have. I want it to be perfect.”

  “Baby, as long as you’re there and you say ‘I do,’ it’ll be perfect. There’s nothing else to worry about.”

  “Oh, I’ll be there.” Her next words were muffled by a blasting boom.

  “Rachel?” I jumped up, though I was helpless to do a thing.

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you okay? What was that?”

  “That was thunder . . . wow . . . Jesse, you should see the black clouds. We’re going through some rain now, but I think we’re gonna beat the worst of it. Oh, what if people can’t come because of the weather? You might want to get on the road soon.” Tears were bubbling in her voice at the thought of a storm ruining her day.

  “It’ll be fine. A little summer shower never hurt anything.”

  Delilah murmured something in the background and Rachel sighed. “Well, they do say rain on your wedding day is good luck.”

  “That’s right, darlin’. It is because I’m getting you. Just be careful and I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

  “Okay. You be careful, too. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  We hung up and I followed the scent of breakfast to the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks when I found Micah manning the stove, flipping bacon.

  He spun when he heard me enter. “Hey.”

  “What are you doing?” I eyed the food skeptically. Micah ate nothing but granola and flax seed and berries and shit. I couldn’t recollect the last time I’d seen him indulge in something greasy or fatty or tasty.

  “I’m making my buddy a hearty breakfast on his wedding day. Is that a crime?”

  I ambled over and snagged a slice of bacon from the paper plate. “Not at all. I’m honored you’d deign to clog your arteries on my behalf.”

  His smirk was as greasy as my breakfast. “Ha. Ha. How do you want your eggs?”

  “Any way other than in one of your disgusting health shakes.”

  He ignored my jab and began scrambling a half dozen eggs (yolks and all, holy shit) with milk. “Scrambled it is.”

  I grabbed some OJ and sat to watch this morning miracle unfold. A few minutes later, he dished up two heaping plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, hashed browns, and toast. I was in Heaven. “Thanks, man.”

  “Welcome.” He sat across from me and we dug in. “You sure you’re good to drive by yourself today?” he asked around bites.

  “Yeah. I need my car to get Rachel to the B&B tonight then to the airport in the morning. We have an early flight.” Plus, I was looking forward to the time alone to think on the drive. I’d come a long way these past few years—from an ex-con full of bitterness and self-loathing, to a redeemed man, my heart overflowing with love. And my Rachel was a big reason for that.

  “Okay. If you’re sure.” He stood and picked up our dishes, waving me off to wash them himself. “I’m leaving in an hour to pick up that monstrosity of a van your sister rented and gathering up the rest of the troops.”

  Micah had reluctantly agreed to drive my entire family to save time and gas since the girls would already be gone, Blake and Trace driving separately with the kids. Thank God for great friends.

  I thanked him again and made my way back to my room. After one more glance at Rachel’s ring, I hit the shower. Only nine hours and twenty-nine minutes to go.

  TWO

  Rachel

  Only a few hours left until I was finally Mrs. Jesse Joyner.

  I. Could. Not. Wait.

  As Delilah navigated the car through the pelting rain, I stared out the window and thanked my sweet, lucky stars. Not only was I thrilled with my new job as a family law attorney and child advocate, I had wonderful friends, a fantastic new family, including a vivacious half-sister I’d only met this year, and . . . the cherry and sprinkles on the cake . . . I was also marrying the man of my dreams.

  Jesse and I had been through the ringer together. Secrets and pain and enough hurt to suffocate even the strongest of relationships only served to bind us together. The boy I’d crushed on since high school was now the man I could not picture my life without. He was my rock. My soul mate. My everything. For better or worse, he was stuck with me now.

  “Everything all right with Jesse?” Delilah’s cousin, Jewel, asked from the
backseat.

  I shifted and met my friend’s deep green eyes. “Yes. I just can’t wait to see him. I’ve waited forever for today and I can’t shake this horrible feeling that something’s going to ruin it.”

  She leaned forward and touched my shoulder with a sympathetic hand. “Nothing is going to ruin it. You and Jesse are meant to be. It’s going to be perfect.”

  “I hope so.”

  Delilah’s reassuring best friend smile quelled my nerves an inch. “I know so. Quit worrying.” She focused back on the road as a fresh sheet of rain slammed down on us.

  My phone chirped with an incoming text and I scrambled to read it, wishing and hoping for Jesse.

  Leta’s message lit my screen. U sure u want 2 marry my brother? It’s not 2 late

  God, I loved his snarky sister. More than sure

  OK then . . . luv u soon-to-be-sis : )

  Luv u 2

  We drove on toward the hill country and the rain eventually began to subside, but my nagging sense of foreboding did not. I would not be reassured until I saw Jesse at the end of that aisle.

  ~ ~

  The church was as beautiful as I remembered. Maybe more so since I was going to marry Jesse there tonight. With weathered white siding and stained glass windows, its steeple pointing like a beacon toward the heavens, it was quaint and understated. Perfect for us.

  Pastor Sharp met us at the door and unlocked it to let us inside. “Did you get caught in the rain?” Smiling brown eyes met mine as a stormy gust of wind rustled his thinning hair.

  “We sure did.”

  We all stepped inside after him and he closed the heavy wooden door. I let my eyes adjust to the quiet light in the sanctuary.

  “Well,” he said with a warm smile, “the weatherman says it should be all clear by tonight.”

  I stifled a shiver. “I hope so.”

  “Come on.” Delilah linked her arm with mine. “Let’s go start getting beautiful.”

  “You know the way to the dressing areas?” The pastor’s voice was melodious and soothing.

  “We do. Thank you.”

  He took his leave for his office to go do whatever pastors did, and we began hauling boxes and bags and all kinds of female necessities into the back of the cozy church.

  Once we were snuggled inside our area, Delilah pulled out her small ice chest. “Refreshments, ladies?”

  Before I could say yes, she had out orange juice, champagne, all sorts of fruits, and croissants. She mixed up Mimosas and offered me the first red Solo cup. “A toast. To my bestie, my sister from another mister . . . here’s to a lifetime of happiness with your new husband.”

  “Hear, hear.”

  The three of us bumped plastic and sipped, smiling at each other over the rims of our cups. This was really happening.

  “Okay.” Jewel set aside her drink. “What first? Hair? Makeup? Nails?”

  “Uh . . .”

  Delilah’s Cheshire Cat smile grew as she studied me. “You sit back and relax. We’ve got this.”

  I knew arguing would be hopeless, and to be honest, I could really use a little pampering, so I sat down like a good girl and let them go to town. Jewel started on my hands while Delilah pulled out all her makeup and hair paraphernalia.

  As polish and mousse were applied, I relaxed back in my seat and studied the view outside our window. The vibrant green of the hills was softened by the rain, but it was no less beautiful. I closed my eyes and tried to think happy thoughts. Today was going to be the best day of my life and I wanted to savor every moment of it.

  “So, the Bahamas, huh?” Jewel murmured as she focused on my fingernails.

  “Yes. I can’t wait for some sun and surf and room service.”

  “And don’t forget the honeymoon sex,” Delilah piped up behind me as she scrunched and tamed my wild red curls.

  “There is that,” I admitted. God knows, there was that. Just thinking about Jesse naked, bathed in tropical sunlight, had me feeling needy. My man was delicious.

  Jewel peered up, obviously ignoring our sex talk. “I’d love to go there someday. Take lots of pictures for me, okay?”

  “I will,” I promised, reaching for a strawberry with my free hand. “We do have some fun stuff planned.” I glanced back at Delilah. “Besides the sex.”

  Her eyes twinkled as she fought a smile. “It is the best part. Just sayin’.”

  “Did you even have a honeymoon?” Jewel asked her.

  Valid point. Delilah married her high school sweetheart, Blake, fresh out of high school and they’d flirted with poverty in those early years.

  “Not really,” she admitted. “A weekend in San Antonio at a cheap hotel, but we had fun. Plus, Blake did take me to Tahoe before Molly was born and we made up for lost time.”

  God. My friend was as sickeningly in love as I was. It was great. “You probably conceived Molly on that trip.” I smirked in Jewel’s direction as she glanced up with a grin.

  “No, we did—” Delilah’s nose wrinkled in thought. “You know what? We might have.”

  I closed my eyes as she returned to fussing with my hair. We didn’t talk about the several miscarriages she’d suffered before finally giving birth to her beautiful daughter.

  “Are you gonna try and get pregnant soon?”

  My eyes flew open at Delilah’s innocent question. Of course she knew how much I wanted a family . . . how worried I was it might be difficult with my endometriosis.

  She rounded my chair and faced me as the room became silent. “I’m sorry, Rach. I didn’t mean—”

  “No. It’s not that. We just haven’t really talked about it.”

  “You haven’t talked about kids?” Jewel asked, her hand still wrapped around mine, nail polish forgotten.

  “Well, yeah, but only in passing. Not exactly what you talk about when you’re planning your wedding.”

  “Oh.” Delilah moved back to my hair. “No big deal. You have plenty of time.”

  I sure hoped so. But today that didn’t matter. Today was all about the vows that would start our family.

  THREE

  Jesse

  I loaded up my suit, overnight bag, and suitcase into my 1970 Charger, then made one last sweep of the apartment to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything.

  Ring? I patted my pocket. Check.

  Honeymoon tickets? In my overnight bag. Check.

  My surprise gift for Rachel, check . . . not that I could go anywhere without it.

  I was set.

  The scent of rain filled the humid August air, and in the distance, storm clouds rumbled. Rachel had texted that they’d reached the church safely and were currently elbow-deep in girly beauty stuff. I wrote back to let her know I was on my way and took off.

  About forty minutes in, those black clouds and soft, pattering rain had given way to a torrential downpour that I could hardly see my way through, even with the vicious swipes of my wiper blades on high. Anxiety riding my veins, I pulled over beneath an overpass and called Blake.

  “Hey, dude,” he answered cheerfully, his baby chortling in the background.

  “Hey. You on your way to the church yet?”

  “Yeah. We’re just hitting Austin.”

  “Heard from Trace and Micah?”

  He murmured something to Molly then answered, “Yeah. Micah’s actually behind me with the entire posse and Trace left a little while ago. No need to worry.”

  “Did you guys get caught in this rain?”

  “Just a little shower. It’s clear skies now.”

  “Really?” I watched as the sheets of rain began to mix with pea-sized hail in front of me.

  “Yeah. You getting the tail end of it?”

  “I guess. It’s pretty bad. I had to pull over.”

  He whistled between his teeth. “Shit, dude. Be careful . . . You . . .” His words became garbled as the call was lost.

  “Damn it.” I tried calling him back, but there was no service. Same result on the second and third try. It wa
s no use. I was on my own.

  A booming crack of thunder shook the car as I shot off a text to Rachel just in case she could receive it. Hey babe . . . stuck in rain. Will get there when I can . . . don’t start without me xxx

  The message failed.

  With a groan, I laid my head back on the seat and waited. And waited. And waited. I had to get back on the road or risk being late. When the rain slowed from absolutely blinding to just a little scary, I started off again at a crawl.

  It didn’t let up a bit as I crept through a couple of small towns, and I couldn’t see an end in sight. I forced myself to ignore the time ticking by and simply focus on getting to my woman in one piece.

  Just one hundred miles to go.

  Ninety-eight.

  Ninety . . .

  A violent jerk shook the car, then everything began to vibrate, rattling my teeth.

  “Fuck!” I hit the brakes and rolled to the shoulder of the highway, gravel pellets pinging on the undercarriage. I gritted my teeth and prayed no eighteen-wheelers rumbled by to run my ass over in the rain.

  Orienting myself, I took a deep breath. The gauges were all reading fine, no engine trouble. I checked my rearview mirror, but couldn’t see anything I’d hit. What the hell?

  Yanking up the hood on my sweatshirt, I leapt out to check over the car. Cold rain pelted me from every direction and I was soaked to the bone in three seconds flat.

  And speaking of flat . . .

  My front driver’s side tire was annihilated. I must’ve hit a massive pothole or something because it was toast.

  Cursing under my breath, I ran to the rear and popped the trunk to grab my spare and jack, thankful it wasn’t the engine. I could change a tire in my sleep and be back on my way.

  Sloshing through mud and rainwater, I hunched over, positioned the jack, and started pumping. It lifted about two inches then dropped the car back down with a thud. I tried again. No go. About ready to sell my soul, I tried a third time. Nothing.

  Fruitlessly swiping the rainwater from my face, I slammed back into the car to think. I checked my phone again. Still dead. Stifling my rising panic, I thought this through. No phone, no jack, no hope. I checked my watch. Six hours and twelve minutes to get there.