Sunny's Love

chapter Thirteen



The last week of July was upon them. Their mothers had arrived in Florida. The introductions had been made and the entire household was in a tizzy with last minute details.

The night before the wedding they all attended the rehearsal then Chase took them all to dinner afterward.

“I’d like to make a toast to the happy couple.” Dr. Rose stood and held his glass up. “May the two of you find the happiness that I’ve enjoyed with my wife of forty-five years.” Everyone raised his or her glass. Chase leaned over to kiss his fiancé and they all clapped.

When the evening had come to an end, he looked at Sunny and said, “I believe I’ll take my lady home. She needs her beauty sleep. After all, she has a big day and night ahead of her tomorrow.”

Everyone good-naturedly teased them as Sunny blushed appropriately.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s go. Goodbye everyone. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Sunny waved as Chase swept her away.

“Goodbye, behave you two. We’ll make sure the kiddos get to bed soon,” Chase’s mother said as they left.

Once they were in the car, he leaned over to kiss her.

“Chase, no one is watching. You don’t have to do that.”

“Maybe I wanted to. It was a wonderful evening, didn’t you think so?”

“Yes, it was. I enjoyed it.”

“I’ll get you home so you can get your beauty sleep. I wouldn’t want my bride to be tired on her wedding day.”

“Where are we going on our honeymoon?” she asked.

“Ah…ah…ah…that’s a surprise. I told you, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.”

“You act as though this is a real wedding, Chase.”

“Sunny, this is a real wedding. You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?”

“No, of course not, but you almost make me believe we’re a real couple.”

“Do you want to be a real couple? Are you ready for that, Sunny?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. Are you?”

He thought for a minute and answered slowly, “Sunny, I’m ready whenever you are. I’m going to leave that decision up to you. I told you I wouldn’t rush you and I won’t. When you’re ready to come to my bed, I’ll be waiting there for you.”

“Let’s see how things go on our trip. I just don’t know how easy it will be, once we’re actually married, to pretend all the time. If we’re married and the whole world thinks we’re a normal, happily married, newlywed couple, then why shouldn’t we be just that? A normal, married couple,” she replied thoughtfully.”

“Sunny, I’d like nothing more than to take you to bed tomorrow night. I’ve told you I care about you. I never could have suggested this arrangement to you if I didn’t. It’s your decision to make. You’ll know when the time is right. But, if you really are seriously thinking about it, maybe we should discuss birth control. You surely aren’t ready for a baby yet, are you?”

“I’m on the pill.”

“You’re what?” He nearly ran off the road, clearly not expecting to hear that.

“I never went off them after Scott and I broke up.”

“I see. I guess it’s a green light whenever you say the word.”

“Chase, this is crazy. We’re about to be married, and listen to us, discussing whether or not we’re going to sleep together on our wedding night. I’ll bet not too many couples have that discussion the night before their wedding.”

“But we’re not an ordinary couple. Sunny, I said I wouldn’t rush you because I didn’t want to screw things up for us. I want everything to be perfect. As I told you, we’re in this for the long haul.”

“You needn’t worry about that. I don’t take commitment lightly and I told you I agreed to your terms. We’ll be married forever, Chase.”

When they arrived at the house, he walked around to her side of the car and helped her out. They walked silently up the stairs. When they reached her bedroom door, he hesitated for just a moment. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her passionately, no holds barred. He’d held himself in check until tonight, only giving her light kisses, occasionally.

Sunny responded to the kiss, unleashing her own passion, which she had kept hidden from him in the months she’d known him. As he pulled her closer, it was obvious to her that he was aroused.

When the kiss ended he said, “I guess we have our answer, baby.”

“Yes, I guess we do. Goodnight, Chase. I’ll see you at the altar.” She blew him a kiss and went into her room, closing the door quietly.

She walked into the bathroom and quickly prepared for bed. As she lay alone in her bed, she thought about the conversation they’d just had and the kiss they’d shared.

The next morning, she was up early. Chase had been given strict orders to stay out of sight. “It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride on her wedding day,” his mother had told him as Alma, Alice, and Sunny’s mother agreed.

George and John were in charge of the groom and ring bearer. They whisked the two of them to John and Alice’s quarters early that morning. After they were out of sight, Alice knocked on Sunny’s door.

When Sunny opened it to let her in, the woman carried a breakfast tray into the room. “I brought your breakfast in to you. Marty and Alma are breakfasting with little Ali downstairs but we thought you might want some time to yourself, before we have to start bustling around here.”

“How thoughtful, Alice. How would I have gotten this all done so quickly, without all of you?”

“We’re glad to be a part of your special day, honey. The men are gone and your mother should be arriving any minute now. So eat up, we’ll get everything together and get you to the church to get ready soon. We want you to be beautiful for your groom.”

Sunny’s eyes were shining as she hugged her housekeeper and friend. “Thank you, Alice.”

She picked at her breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast and drank two cups of coffee, too nervous to do the delicious meal justice.

When she’d finished, she carried the tray downstairs. Her mother was there and soon it was a mad rush to get everything loaded into the car and to the church. They arrived in plenty of time. Sunny began to get ready with the help of her mother.

She’d chosen a simple white sheath style dress. It was backless and had a lace shawl which matched her short veil. Her mother had loaned her a pair of pearl earrings for her something borrowed, her garter was blue, and Marty had given her a set of pearls that had been a gift from Chase’s father for her something old. Now all she needed was something new. That was supplied by Ali who, along with Brice, had bought her a pearl bracelet.

“Oh, sweetie, I love it. I’ll cherish it always.”

“Grandma Marty helped us pick it out,” the little girl told her proudly.

“Well, thank you, Grandma Marty.” She hugged her future mother-in-law.

Her own mother had tears in her eyes as she hugged her. “You look ravishing, darling. Your dad would have been proud to have walked you down the aisle.”

“I know he would have, Mom,” she replied with tears in her own eyes.

“Okay, you two, dry up the waterworks. We don’t want to have to re-do the bride’s make-up.” Alma laughed as she teased the two Drake women.

All too soon, it was time for the ceremony to begin.

Alice walked up the aisle first, then little Ali followed her, dropping rose petals from a tiny basket as she made her way up the aisle to take her place beside Alice.

Brice followed, proudly carrying the two wedding bands on a pillow.

The time had come. Dr Rose took her arm. “Are you ready, dear?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She smiled at him and as the music began to play, he escorted her down the aisle to meet her groom.

Sunny smiled at Chase, as he stood at the altar with John, Reverend Key and Brice. He watched as she approached and when she took her place next to him, they turned to face the minister. Chase winked at her, flashing a smile much like the one she’d been so taken with the night they’d met in Dr. Rose’s office. Sunny’s heart melted all over again and her tummy was doing strange somersaults. I’m actually doing this, she thought as Chase took her hand in his.

The ceremony was brief, but beautiful, and when they had been pronounced man and wife, her groom took her in his arms and kissed her. Sunny thought she would melt on the spot as heat spread throughout her body at his touch. When he released her, he smiled knowingly.

The reception was in the church basement where Alma had prepared a scrumptious feast for all of them. After the meal had been eaten and the cake had been cut, there was much well-wishing, along with hugs and kisses. They told the children to behave for Grandma Marty, who was staying to help Alice with them while Sunny and Chase were away.

Finally, the newlyweds were on their way home to change and pick up their luggage.

“I think it went well,” Chase said as they pulled out of the church parking lot.

“It did, the kids looked so sweet.”

“So did their new mama.”

“Their mama, that has a nice ring to it.”

“Here we are. You’re packed, right?” he asked as they pulled into the driveway.

“Well, your mother packed for me, since I didn’t know where we’re going.” She laughed as she looked up at him.

“You’ll find out soon enough, sweet thing.”

He walked into her bedroom with her. “Do you need help with a zipper or anything?” He attempted to unzip her dress for her.

“That would be great. I had help dressing. I wondered how I would get out of this thing.”

“Oh, getting out of it will be no problem, believe me.” He expertly unzipped the dress and turned her around to face him. “Mrs. Dupont, I believe all you have to do is step out of it now.” He kissed her then, a kiss as passionate as his kiss had been the night before. Her heart was beating so hard, she thought it might pop out of her chest. She put her arms around his neck and gave in to the sensations he stirred inside her. He slid her wedding gown down and gently caressed her bare back. Forcing himself to pull away from her, he said in a low, husky voice, “Sunny, we need to get out of here. We have hotel reservations. But, we’ll continue this, once we get to where we’re going.”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“For tonight, Miami, you’ll find out the rest in due time. Now get changed, baby, we have a long drive. We can pick up where we left off later.” He grinned seductively before kissing her again.

“If you don’t stop doing that, we aren’t going to get out of here anytime soon, husband dear.”

“Okay, okay, I’m going to get changed. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can begin the honeymoon.”

Within a half hour’s time, they had changed, loaded the car, and were on their way to Miami to spend their first night together as husband and wife. Sunny looked over at her husband and smiled.

“Happy?” he asked as he reached for her hand.

“I am. Are you?”

“Yes, Sunny, I’m happy, for the first time in a long time. I think we’ve made the right decision, even if it did start out as a business arrangement. I have the feeling we’re going to fall into married life quite nicely.”

She yawned. “I’m sorry. I guess the day was tiring.”

“Why don’t you take a nap? I’m not tired. I’ll be all right driving.”

“You don’t mind?”

“No, sweetheart, I don’t mind.”

He called me sweetheart and no one is listening.