Fitting The Pieces (The Riverdale Series Book 3) (27 page)

           
“Thank you, Joe.” He whispered.

* * * * *

           
“The rings?” The priest prompted and
Luke quickly reached into his pocket and handed the rings over to the priest
for him to bless. Once the blessings of the rings, was complete he handed Sam’s
eternity band to Nick. He slipped the ring onto her finger and smiled up at
her.

           
“It is my understanding you’ve
chosen to say your own vows. Nick?”

           
Nick glanced at the priest for a
moment before his eyes found Sam’s. He swallowed against the lump in his throat
and found his voice.

           
“Samantha,” he started. She smiled
up at him. Never would she get tired of hearing her name come from his lips,
nor would he get tired of saying it. “I don’t remember when I fell in love with
you. I don’t remember when you stopped being Luke and Jake’s little sister and
started being my dream girl. I just am so grateful that it all happened. I took
the long road, but you were always there, right in front of me. I look at you
and I see the young girl I used to tease, and then I see the girl I fell in
love with. I see the girl who patiently waited for me to come to my senses. I
see the woman who is my future, the woman who owns my whole heart. I see my
wife, my partner for life. I see the mother of my daughter. You’re my destiny,
always have been. I love you, Samantha and I vow to show you just how much I do
all the days of my life. I vow to give you all of me, everything I am, because
you deserve nothing less. I’ll be with you through thick and thin, in sickness
and in health, in all the ways that matter, and when we are old and sitting
around with a house full of grandchildren, I’ll relive every beautiful memory
we create with them. I’ll tell them the greatest fairy tale of all, I’ll tell
them ours.” He lifted her hand and kissed the ring he had just placed on her
finger, sealing his promise.

           
Sam wiped at her eyes before she took
his platinum band from the priest. She slid it half way up his finger and
stared into Nick’s eyes. Her breath caught for a moment, realizing all her
dreams had come true.

           
“I ask myself why, a lot. Why did I
get everything I ever wanted? Why did God chose me out of everyone I know to
get my happily ever after? I don’t know why he did. I don’t know why he sent
you to me, but I will thank him every day for the rest of my life. You were my
first love and you will be my last. You were the first boy I ever loved and
you’ll be the man I spend forever with. I am so honored to be the woman you
share your life with, Nick. I promise you to be true and to be the one person
you can always count on. I will share all the joys of life with you and even
the sorrows and we’ll overcome any obstacles that come our way, together.” She
slid the band on the rest of the way before she lifted her eyes and smiled
brightly at him. “I’ll love you with all I am.”

* * * * *

           
“I now pronounce you husband and
wife.” The priest said slowly. Sam and Nick turned to him, Nick watched the
priest’s lips carefully, waiting for the words…give them to me, he silently
urged. The priest eyed Nick, watching as he took a step closer to Sam and then
he laughed. “You may now…”

           
Nick turned around mid-sentence and
cupped Sam’s face. His mouth came crashing down onto hers and he kissed his
bride. He kissed her with everything he had.

           
“Kiss the bride…” The Priest said
through his laughter. The applause sounded around the happy couple that was, in
the middle of a serious lip lock.

           
Cara felt a tug on the hem of her
dress and she looked down at Ava.

           
“Cara is that panty dropping?” She
asked, staring at Nick and Sam.

* * * * *

           
The tent was beautifully decorated
for the intimate beach reception. The tables were lined in beautiful silver and
lilac linens. Floating lilies were the centerpieces and the party lights lit
the dance floor. Nick and Sam were dancing to their wedding the song, The
Search is Over, by Survivor. Fitting, how their search really was over and all
along they were standing in front of one another. The lead singer went on to
sing about a girl he always knew, that he took for granted. He declared that
once he looked into her eyes, his search was over, that she was with him all
the time, much as Sam was there waiting for Nick.

           
Luke stood at the bar watching them
dance as he nursed a scotch. His nerves were getting the best of him and he was
trying desperately to convince himself that his sisters’ idea wasn’t
halfcocked.

           
“Shots! Shots! Shots!” Mallory
chanted beside him and Luke turned to see Phillip handing off another shot
glass to Joe.

           
“Dad, think maybe you should slow
down a bit, yeah?” Luke said placing his scotch on the bar.

           
Joe took the shot like a champ and
then slammed the empty shot glass down on the bar. He looked over at his son.
“Second hardest thing I ever had to do.” He stammered as he stumbled over to
Luke and grabbed the lapels of his suit. “You are going to give away that
little girl of yours one day and know my pain.”

           
Luke looked over his father’s
shoulder at Phillip and gave him a warning glance before turning to look at his
old man again. “Alright, I hear you. Just take it easy though, you still have
to dance with her.”

           
“Ah, shit.” Joe said as he let go of
his son. “I forgot about the dance. The dance is going to kill me.”

           
“I feel you on that too.” Luke said
and sighed heavily as Nick and Sam’s song came to a close. His big debut was
drawing near, and Luke was about to lose it. He grabbed the shots that were
placed in front of Mallory and Phillip and downed one at a time, praying that
would do the trick.

           
He ignored Mallory and Phillip’s
gaping stares and turned back around and scanned the room. The music changed to
a Doo-Wop medley of mixed songs. He watched his father make his way over to
Cara, who was sitting at a table next to his mother. Her chin was propped up by
her hands as she kept her elbows on the table. She was looking aimlessly onto
the dance floor, her head a million miles away.

           
She was gorgeous he thought as he
watched her head cock to the side in deep thought. Joe stood in front of her
and he watched her face light up as he offered her his hand. The sound of her
laughter reached his gut as she took his father’s hand and let him lead her to
the dance floor. The thoughts that saddened her beautiful face were a memory
as, Joe lead her to the crowded floor. Luke walked over to the table, they were
sitting at, but stopped mid stride when a hand closed around his arm. He turned
and looked at his smiling sister. Her veil was gone and she had bustled up her
dress making her more comfortable.

           
“You’re next big brother.” She said
with a grin. Nick wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist.

           
“What?” Nick asked and looked at
Luke. “You’ve been holding out on me?”

           
Sam elbowed Nick and giggled. “Nick,
I meant his dance.” She looked at Luke. “You’re not going to back out are you?”

           
Luke looked over at Cara, her eyes
found his and she winked at him while she let Joe spin her around the dance
floor. She smiled at him, and that was all the courage he needed. The shots
helped, he wasn’t going to lie, but her smile sealed the deal. He looked back
at his sister. “I’m not going to back out.”

           
“I can’t wait to see what you got.” Sam
said encouragingly and Luke rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath and gripped
the back of the chair for a moment before he looked out onto the floor. Joe and
Cara had a crowd around them as they danced. It was nice to see Cara enjoying
herself. Luke shrugged his jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair
that he had a death grip on. He took a deep breath before he loosened the knot
in his tie. The music bled from the Doo-Wop to a slow song, Joe and Cara
continued to dance, swaying to the beat. Luke glanced over at Sam and she eyed
him, letting him know the song after this would be his and Cara’s. He reached
behind him, cupping the back of his neck, wondering why the fuck he agreed to
any of this in the first place.

           
He strode across the dance floor and
tapped his father on the shoulder. He met Cara’s gaze as Joe looked over his
shoulder.

           
“Mind if I cut in, Pop?” Luke asked,
keeping his eyes steady on Cara’s.

           
Joe studied his son for a moment
before he smiled. He looked at Cara. “I suppose it was only a matter of time,
before someone else wanted to dance with this beautiful lady.” He winked at
Cara and she kissed his cheek. Joe patted his son as he walked off the dance
floor. Cara wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck and stared up at him.

           
“If you’re going to dance with me,
you’re going to have to touch me.” She said with a hint of amusement. She
watched something flash in his eyes before he wrapped his arms around her and
let them lay on the small of her back.

           
“Are you having a good time?” Luke said
in a strangled tone, desperately fighting the urge to move his hands up and
down her back. The silk dress she wore acted like a second skin, molding to her
flesh, rounding all her curves.

           
“Yes of course I am. I love
weddings.” She lied with a smile on her face. Luke nodded slowly and looked
around the dance floor, noticing people, some of them family some of them
friends, watching them, probably wondering what the fuck he was doing.

           
She surprised him by leaning her
head against his shoulder as they swayed to the slow tempo of the music. He
glanced down and suppressed the urge to press his lips to the top of her head.
Instead, he let his hand travel up the smooth silk that covered her back, and
then back down to rest right above the swell of her ass. Christ, he wanted her.
He needed her. Like, yesterday.

           
“Did I tell you how beautiful you
look tonight?” He whispered against her hair, forcing himself not to kiss her.

           
“At the altar you did.” She
whispered.

           
“You’re beautiful.” He repeated and
then lifted his gaze to see Sam staring at them, along with his parents. He
tore his eyes from them as the music died down. Cara lifted her head from his
shoulder as she unraveled her arms from around his neck. He licked his lips in
anticipation before his hands took hold of her hips.

           
“Where you going?” He said gruffly.

           
She looked up at him, sure she heard
him wrong. “What?”

           
“Dance with me.” He repeated and
held out his hand to her.

           
She laughed. “Luke, you don’t
dance.”

           
“You’re right, I don’t.” He held her
gaze, giving her his best charming smile.

           
“Dance with me Spunky.”

           
“But…” She stopped, curiosity
getting the best of her, she placed her hand in his. “You don’t have to dance
with me, Luke.” He ignored her and listened for it, waited for it. The beat
started, the music making those who danced, instantly want to. Bailando. That
was the name, Luke remembered. The Spanish flirty music that filtered the tent,
and she wanted to dance. She looked at Luke. It wasn’t a slow song, poor guy,
he’d do anything to make her smile.

           
She looked around and noticed they
were alone on the dance floor. All eyes were on them. She could feel them. She
stood still for a moment and just watched him. He placed one hand on her hip,
his fingers digging in. His eyes were directly on hers as he took one of her
hands, bringing it around his neck. She couldn’t tear her eyes from his,
noticing that there was something lurking in the depths of those dark brown
eyes, something she had never seen before. He took her free hand in his and
nudged her feet apart with his.

           
Suddenly she didn’t know what to do
with herself. She had been dancing for years. She took her lead from Jake each
and every time. They hadn’t been a couple when they went dancing either, it was
just something they did and they did it well. She felt Luke’s leg slide between
hers. She tried her best to focus, to listen to the music and willed her feet
to move, but it was Luke who moved first. He gripped her hip tighter and then
blew her hair away from her ear as he dipped his head.

           
“Can’t do it all by myself, Spunky.”
He whispered huskily. “Move those hips of yours. Show me what they can do…” Oh
my God! Cara felt her cheeks redden and then she was spun under his arm and
forced to abide by his demand. Her hips sashayed from side to side as she
closed in on him. He moved fluidly, his feet gliding around the wooden floor
effortlessly. It was natural or so it seemed to her. He brought her closer and
she tried to focus on the words of the song, finding it damn near impossible.
Enrique Inglesias was singing that he couldn’t wait any longer. And by the
looks of it, neither could Luke. He spun her under their arms, once, twice,
three times before bringing her body close to his. His hips rotated and he
thrust them into hers. He was all hard lines and the hardest part of him was
pressed against her thigh.