Chasing Castles (Finding Focus #2) (35 page)

“Alright, alright. Damn, Tucker, I’m beginnin’ to wonder if this is your way of flirtin’ with me. You seem very preoccupied with my ass.”

“Shut the fuck up, Landry. Finish your drink so you can finish getting dressed. The quicker you get hitched, the quicker I can score at your reception.”

I finish my drink and hand the glass back to Tucker. Father Damon would be pissed to know Tucker brought booze into the church but, then again, he probably wouldn’t be too surprised.

“Tucker, I bet you twenty dollars the only person you haven’t hooked up with at our reception, besides family members, is Old Lady Johnson.”

“Challenge accepted. I always did love the way she played the organ at church.”

“You are one sick fuck, man. Hand me my bow tie, would ya?”

He tosses my tie, and I wrap it around my neck before slipping on my vest.

“So, how’s your leg doin’?” he asks.

“It’s good. The cut is still there, but the doctor says it’s healin’ well. The bruises are startin’ to fade, too. I had to get my pants tailored a little on the loose side, though, so the fabric wouldn’t get caught on the bandage.”

“Aww, shit, man. I don’t want to hear that.” Tucker cringes before finishing his drink.

The last step to me being dressed for the ceremony is putting my jacket on, but I won’t do that until it’s time to walk to the altar with Father Damon. Now, we just have to sit here until we’re told the ceremony is about to begin.

After a few minutes, Micah walks in.

“Hey, man, you nervous?” he asks.

“Hell, no. I’m ready to get this show on the road and make Cami my wife. How much longer until the girls get here?”

“Just a few more minutes, I think. Mama went over to make sure they were runnin’ on time.”

Moments later, Father Damon knocks on the door.

“Are you gentlemen ready to take your places?”

“Is Cami here?” I don’t even try to hide the excitement in my voice.

“Not yet,” Father Damon answers, “but she should be any minute now.”

As we all walk to the small room in the back of the sanctuary, I try not to worry about why Cami isn’t here yet. I mean, it’s not that she’s
late,
she’s just not on time. I’m sure she just needs some extra help with her dress or hair or something.

Fifteen more minutes pass before my dad’s pocket starts buzzing. I watch him as he takes his cell phone out and reads the incoming text. When he’s finished, he looks up at me with an expression I can’t name. Is he sad? Worried? Angry? All I can decipher is that he doesn’t look happy, and that doesn’t make me feel any better.

“What is it? Is Cami okay?” I ask, my voice full of desperation.

My dad takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out. “Son, we might have a problem on our hands.”

Camille

Present

TODAY IS THE DAY. THE
day I’m marrying my best friend. The day I finally catch my ultimate castle—Deacon Samuel Landry.

Taking a deep breath, I look at myself one more time in the mirror of my childhood bedroom. I wanted to get ready here at home. I don’t know why, but sitting at the same spot I got dressed in my entire life feels right. Plus, being here makes me feel closer to my mama, and I need that today. I always miss her more on important days, and I know today would’ve been a day she would’ve loved to see. I often wonder if she had any thoughts of who I’d eventually marry.

I think she’d be happy about me marrying Deacon. She loved him. And she loved me. So, I think she would’ve loved the two of us together.

I kiss the heart-shaped locket and lay it back against my chest. I think she’d love this dress, too. It’s simple. I always thought I’d pick something worthy of a princess, but when I went to pick out a dress, this is the one that called to me. It reminds me of the one my mama wore the day she married my daddy. Maybe that’s why I picked it. It’s lacy and elegant, but understated. And it makes me feel beautiful.

“You ready?” Annie asks, sticking her head in the bedroom door.

“So ready,” I tell her reflection in the mirror as she walks up beside me and squeezes my shoulders.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re gonna make my baby so happy.”

“I hope so.”

“No hopin’ to it. You already do. And Sam and I are just glad we finally get to claim you legally.”

We both laugh a little and try not to cry. I’m not going to cry today. It’s the best day of my life, besides the day I had Carter. There’s no need for tears.

Nothing could ruin this day.

As long as I’m Mrs. Deacon Landry by the end of it, that’s all that matters.

“Gorgeous,” Stacey says, fluffing my veil as I walk into the hallway.

“Oh, honey,” is all Kay can muster with her white hankie held to her face. Kay is a crier. And she’s a sucker for a good romance.

“Come on, guys,” I say, like a coach to his team before a big game. “The goal is for me to make it to the church on time and with all of my makeup still intact.”

Everyone smiles and nods as we begin to make our way to the front door.

“Just wait until your daddy sees you,” Kay says from behind me.

“Kay,” I warn, not needing to think about that just yet.

“Oh,” I hear Annie say as she steps out onto the front porch and Stacey freezes in front of me.

“What?”

When I glance around Stacey, I see a sleek silver sports car parked in the driveway, and for a split-second, I wonder if I’m supposed to ride to the church in it. Maybe the place we rented the limo from got confused. But then I see
him
.

“Tristan?” I ask, confusion and shock making me practically trip over my floor-length dress.

“Camille.” His voice is even, but unsure.

“What are you doin’ here?”

“I—” he starts, but pauses, letting out a hard laugh and running a hand nervously through his hair. “I don’t know.”

I can hear the honesty in his voice and see it in his eyes when he finally allows himself to make eye contact with me.

“I was in a gallery last week, and I saw some of your work,” he says. “It was . . . different, but the same. It made me think of you and wonder . . . I just had to come and see for myself. I needed to know what happened to you,” he says, his hand dropping to his side. “I’ve missed you.”

That confession makes my shock and confusion turn to anger. He’s missed me? After all this time? Now? He chooses now to find me and say he’s missed me?

“What?” I ask, trying to make sense of what’s happening right now.

I feel Stacey’s hand on my arm, and I hear Annie’s grunt of disapproval.

“We were great together,” he starts again, taking a step up on the porch.

“What?” I ask again, this time, my voice sounds a bit manic.

He takes another step toward me.

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No, you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to show up here.” I stomp my foot on the wooden porch, and the sound travels over the fields and causes a few birds to take flight. “This is my house. This is my wedding day. And you,” I say, pointing as I take a step toward him, years of anger boiling inside me, “you don’t get to ruin this for me. You lost that right when you wanted to get rid of
my
baby. We weren’t great together. We were toxic. You were toxic. I was blind, but that’s the past.
You’re
the past, and you can leave.
Now
.”

His face changes from soft and reminiscent to hard. He was always good at schooling his features, but he’s failing miserably right now.

I guess the mention of
the baby
is a little too much for him to handle. I’m also guessing he’s wondering about Carter about right now, and I’m daring him with my death stare to ask. I want him to. This is long overdue.

“Go ahead,” I taunt as I feel a hand on my back, someone letting me know they’re by my side. “Ask me.”

“What?” He looks confused for a second before realization dawns on him. “The . . . the baby?”

“Is a boy and he’s wonderful. The best thing that ever happened to me apart from the man I’m getting’ ready to marry. So, I guess I should say thank you. Thank you for giving me something I didn’t even know I wanted or needed, and thank you for makin’ it so easy to let you go. We were never gonna make it anyway.”

“I have a son?” he asks, his brows furrowing at the thought.

“No,” I say, with a harsh laugh as I bite my lip and shake my head. “No, you don’t.”

We stand there for a moment before Annie speaks up. “Now, if you’ll excuse us. We have a wedding to get to, and we’re late.” The piss and vinegar in her tone are evident, and I believe she shoulder checks Tristan on her way by. “Oh,” she says, turning around to face him. “If you ever step foot on this property or come near my daughter-in-law again, you’ll be sorry. My husband happens to be one of the best lawyers this side of the Mississippi, and he’d love nothing more than to take you to the cleaners.”

When I pass by Tristan, I look him square in the eyes. I want him to know that he didn’t get any part of me and he never will. I don’t know what possessed him to show up here today of all days, but I hope this is the last time I ever see his face.

As we pull away, I glance back just in time to see Tristan slide into the sleek sports car. My blood is still pumping feverishly through my veins, and the death grip I’ve had on my bouquet is making my hand ache. For a minute, I let him get to me. I let these last minutes overshadow the complete happiness I felt before I walked onto that porch.

“Hey.” Annie touches my hand and makes me look at her. “Forget about that. Don’t let him ruin this day. He doesn’t get to do that.”

I nod, taking a deep breath.

“What an asshole,” Stacey mutters beside me.

“I’d like to kick his ass,” Kay adds.

I glance up to see a scowl on her face, and it makes me laugh, like a full on belly laugh, because I can’t imagine Kay hurting a fly. And all of this feels like an episode out of the Twilight Zone.

“We’re goin’ to get married,” Annie reminds me.

“Yeah,” I reply, nodding my head and clearing my mind of all of the mess I left behind.

“And we’re runnin’ a little late,” Kay chimes in, looking at her watch. “Gonna need you to step on it, Tom.” She leans forward yelling into the front seat.

Tom must get the message because the car lurches forward, and we all hold onto each other for dear life.

When we finally pull up in front of the familiar white church, I take a deep breath and then smile as I see my daddy jog over and open the door.

“Hey, baby. Finally decide to show up for your own weddin’?” He peeks into the car at the rest of the ladies and gives Kay a wink.

“We had a little delay,” Annie says, fixing my dress as I step out and take my daddy’s hand. “But we’re here now.”

“Cue the music,” someone whisper-yells as I walk through the doors.

Stacey gives me a smile and a brief hug as she passes by me and begins her quick ascent up the aisle.

My dad pats my hand. “Nervous?”

“Nope.”

“You got ants in your pants?”

“No,” I laugh, trying to see into the church. “I just need to get to Deacon.”

“Well, let’s go,” he says, and we start walking.

Everyone in the congregation is standing, and I can tell from the glances and whispers that they were wondering where I was. Maybe they thought I was a runaway bride? I laugh to myself at that thought. No way in hell. There’s only one way I’m running, and it’s straight toward the man staring down the aisle at me.

Deacon’s big dimples are on display, and a tear is sliding down his cheek.

When we finally make it to the front, he clears his throat and rubs roughly at his eyes before taking my hand from my daddy.

“You okay?” he asks as his expression goes from adoring to concerned.

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you wait.” I don’t want to even think about anything but promising forever to Deacon. When I smile up at him, he smiles my favorite smile back at me.

“Would’ve waited forever for you.”

“I love you,” I whisper, wanting to hurry and get to the kissing part because I need to kiss him so damn bad right now.

“I love you,” he replies.