First Class to Portland (18 page)

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Katy humphed and twisted to look at her friend.

"Janie, I'm fine. Really!"

"You're sure?"

"He didn't hurt me. Well, the rope wasn't comfortable,
and the pepper spray wasn't nice, but physically I'm fine. He would have raped
me, he tried, but he couldn't get it up. And then you rescued me and he's in
jail and Sarah, the ADA, says he will be for a long time. But we should not be
talking about this now. This is your day!"

Katy's mouth smiled but Janie could see her eyes were sad.
She felt incredibly guilty about leaving her for three weeks for their
honeymoon, but Katy would not hear of their plans being changed.
She is one
tough lady
, thought Janie.

There was a knock at the door and Katy answered it. Ray
stood at the door.

"Ray!" Janie ran to the door and hugged him.
"Thank you for agreeing to take me to the church," she smiled.

"I'm honored you would ask," he said. "Are
you ready to go?"

"I am so ready to be married," she squealed.
"Let's go!"

*****

Ray cautiously helped Janie into the backseat of Matt’s BMW.
Maureen wanted a Rolls Royce with ribbons all over it, but Janie had graciously
declined. Since her first visit to New York in April, Ray had driven her all
over the city, sometimes with Matt and sometimes without. She had gotten to
know Ray and loved to hear about his family. He had two daughters with his
ex-wife, and she had recently moved to Detroit with her new husband so he
rarely got to see his girls, but he Skyped with them as often as possible and
while Matt and Janie were on their honeymoon, he was going to visit them. She
loved to hear about his ‘mama’ and their big, lively family. He had even got a
couple of recipes from her for Janie to try. So when it came to how Janie would
get to St. Luke’s, there was no other choice for her. Ray!

Katy slid in next to her and away they went. Janie had never
seen Ray drive so carefully and when she asked him if they were going to get
above twenty miles per hour, Ray just laughed and said Mr. Lathem had
threatened his life if Janie didn’t get to the church safely.

They pulled up to the curb and there stood Adam and Tyler in
their suits and ties and boutonnieres and Janie grinned from ear to ear.

“You guys really clean up nice,” Katy joked with them as she
climbed from the car.

“Thanks,” blushed Tyler. “You look really nice too.”

Janie, with Ray’s help, climbed out of the car without her
train ever touching the pavement. Katy gently took it from him and handed her
the bouquet. There were white lilies and off-white roses and the same
forget-me-nots that were in her hair. Janie had chosen the color scheme of
ivory, champagne, and blue; the blue to match Matt’s eyes. Maureen had
questioned her choice, but after the trip to the florist, she was just as
excited as Janie was. Every detail meant something to her, down to the tiniest
flowers in her hair.

Adam and Tyler stood there looking at Janie, mouths open in
shock. They had always thought of her as just ‘mom’, but today they saw her as
the vibrant young woman that she was.

Adam leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful,
mom.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, choking up in the moment.

The boys helped her up the side steps and into the church.
Katy fixed her train and stood in front of her, clutching her hand in hers.

“I am so very happy for you,” she cried.

“Thank you Katy. I love you so much!”

“I love you too!” Katy turned and headed to the back of the
church to the center aisle.

The wedding planner said something into her headset and the
string quartet at the front of the church began playing as Katy slowly made her
way down the aisle towards Matt and Mark at the front. She looked at Mark as
she walked to him and he watched her. She thought she should be horrified every
time she saw him, after the way he had found her, but he had been so gentle
with her and in the few days since, he had been nothing but kind. She smiled
and he smiled back. A few more steps and she met him at the front of the church
where he gently took her hand and led her to her spot on the other side of the
aisle to wait for Janie. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it sweetly
and then returned to Matt’s side.

Adam and Tyler appeared at the back of the church with their
mother between them. Matt looked up and audibly gasped as he saw his bride for
the first time since Thursday evening. And then that big toothy grin appeared
that Janie adored and their eyes locked on one another and they were lost. The
quartet stopped and everyone stood and turned to get a peak of the bride.
Maureen was at the front on one side and her mom, Patty on the other side of
the aisle with Matt between them. He was beaming and she felt like a princess
that actually got the fairy tale ending. Her heart was overflowing for love for
the man who stood waiting for her.  She wanted to run to him, but restraint and
her shoes wouldn’t allow it. She grinned to herself at the thought of running
down the aisle and tripping before she got to him. She giggled and Adam asked
her if she was okay.

“Perfect!” she said.

Her favorite piece of classical music began, Pachelbel’s
Canon in D, and she took one step and then another and she became completely
overcome with emotion as she walked to Matt. By the time she got to him a tear
had fallen to her cheek. He stepped to her and wiped it away with his thumb.

“Happy tears?” he asked.

“Very, very happy tears,” she smiled.

“You take my breath away,” he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

Janie turned to each of her boys and kissed them on the
cheek and they went and sat next to their grandmother. Janie gave her bouquet
to Katy and took Matt’s hand and Father Todd began.

It was a traditional wedding ceremony, although Matt had
insisted the word “obey” was removed. “We are equals,” he had told her.

When Father Todd asked for the rings, Katy gave Janie Matt’s
and Mark handed Matt Janie’s. They were matching white gold bands with a simple
inscription inside each one. ‘Forever’. They slipped the rings on each other and
Father Todd pronounced them husband and wife. Matt took her ever so gently into
his arms and placed the sweetest, most loving kiss on her lips and Janie’s
knees buckled. He held her to him and whispered into her ear, “My sweet Janie.
My sweet wife, Janie!”

As they turned to their family and friends, Katy and Mark were
the first to hug them both and Janie took back her bouquet. They got two steps
before Maureen jumped up and grabbed them both, tears streaming down her face.
Matt chuckled and Janie hugged her, then her mother who had also joined them.

Peter came next and then Tyler and Adam and they all walked
together, as everyone congratulated them on their way down the aisle as husband
and wife.

*****

After signing the marriage certificate and taking hundreds
and hundreds of pictures inside and outside the church, Matt and Janie slid
into the back of the BMW and Ray drove them back to the Ritz for the reception.

Everyone was gathered waiting for their arrival and they
received a standing ovation as they entered the room. They made their way to
the head table and sat in their assigned places, Katy and Mark on either side
of them. 

Dinner was served in three courses. Dessert would follow
once the dancing started and after the cake had been cut. Matt had to admit
that the poached Pacific Northwest salmon was actually pretty good.

As the last of the plates were being cleared, Peter stood
and thanked everyone for their support on the happy couple’s special day and he
officially welcomed Janie to the Lathem family, even though, Peter said, it had
felt like she had been a part of their family since the day they met her.

It’s true
, Janie thought. The brothers teased her
just they like everyone else and Peter had not been shy about asking her to get
him a drink or two, or even to make him a sandwich. Janie smiled at her new
father-in-law and thanked him for his kind words.

Next up was Katy. She was to give a short speech and Mark
had told her it was fine if she would prefer not to, but she insisted she could
go through with it.

She stood with a glass of champagne in her hand, the bruises
still visible on her wrists, and was short and sweet.

“Janie has been my best friend since high school,” she
began. “And I have watched her the past few months and can say without question
that Matt has made her as happy as I have ever seen her. I am so pleased that
she has found someone to love her as much as she deserves.”

All the guests raised their glasses and toasted the couple.
Katy squeezed Janie’s hand as she sat back down and their attention was turned
to Mark.

“I had a whole speech planned with embarrassing stories
about Matt and I fully planned on humiliating him tonight.” Everyone laughed
and Mark continued. “But this past week has made me rethink that speech,” he
said as he looked over at Matt and Janie and then at Katy. “This week I saw
exactly how much my brother loves this woman, what he would risk for her. And
it just doesn’t seem appropriate to make fun of him anymore. I have looked up
to him all my life. I cannot remember a time when I didn’t think he was the
coolest brother ever. And I am so very happy that Janie stumbled into his life
and forced him to realize that he deserves to be with somebody sweet and kind
and giving and just absolutely perfect. And that person is my new
sister-in-law, Janie.”

Matt and Janie gazed into each other’s eyes and smiled.

“So tonight, I raise my glass to two people who I am so glad
found each other. I raise my glass to Matt and Janie. Congratulations!”

Cheers and applause erupted and Janie blushed at Mark’s kind
words. Matt shook his brother’s hand and then stood, quieting everyone as he
began to speak.

“I know that I am not on the list of speeches, but, as many
of you will attest, it was a huge surprise for all of you to receive an
invitation to a wedding listing me as the groom.”

Chuckles were heard through the room.

“But a few months ago, the beautiful woman seated next to
me, literally stumbled into me at an airport and my life drastically changed in
that moment. I actually tried to keep her at arm’s length, stupid I know, but
my heart knew what it wanted and I am so grateful that she has chosen to be my
wife. I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making sure she does not
ever regret that decision.” He turned to look at Janie and said, “I love you
forever.”

Another tear escaped down Janie’s cheek and Matt kissed it
from her as the guests stood and cheered. The music started and Janie
immediately recognized the song Matt had chosen for their first dance. He
escorted her to the middle of the dance floor and pulled her close as he
started to move them to the music. The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the
room as the music played, and as husband and wife they shared their first
dance.

Their bodies moved as one and Janie closed her eyes, her
cheek on Matt’s neck, his cheek resting in her hair, their bodies touching from
the top of their heads all the way down to their feet.

Matt began singing softly, “You give the strength to me, a
strength I never had. I was a mess you see, I’d lost the plot so bad.”

“You’re going to make me cry,” Janie whispered.

“You dragged me up and out, out of the darkest place.
There’s not a single doubt when I see your face,” he continued, as a very happy
tear rolled down her cheek.

Out of the corner of his eye, Matt watched Mark escort Katy
to the dance floor.
There’s something there,
he smiled.
I hope they
can rescue each other.

Other couples slowly joined them and the song came to a
close far too soon.

*****

The cake was cut, more pictures were taken, more champagne
drunk, and more dancing done. It was time to take his bride upstairs and Matt
wasn’t going to wait any longer. The women gathered for the bouquet toss and
Janie steadied herself, took a deep breath and threw it high above her head.
She heard the commotion and turned to see Katy holding the bouquet. Janie
laughed at the horrified look on her friend’s face and hurried to congratulate
her.

“Oh, no!” Katy said as Janie came and stood by her side.
“Throw it again!”

“I can’t do that!” Janie said.

Matt stood next to Mark as he impatiently waited for his
wife to say goodbye to Katy.

“Janie is really worried about her,” Matt said.

“I know,” replied Mark. “So am I.”

“Well, we all have to go back to Portland in a few weeks for
the depositions. I think that’s what the prosecutor said.”

“Yeah,” said Mark. “I’ve offered to fly back to Portland
with her and make sure she gets settled at home and stuff. I would guess it’s
probably gonna be hard for her, you know?”

Matt hugged his brother. “You’re a good man,” he said.

Katy and Janie joined them by the door.

“You call me if you need anything,” said Janie to her
friend.

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled.

“And she has my number too,” added Mark. “I am available day
and night.”

The rest of the family joined them and Matt and Janie said
their goodbyes and Matt pulled her through the doors, ready to get his wife
upstairs.

“Let’s go Mrs. Lathem,” he grinned.

Janie giggled.

*****

The elevator stopped on the sixteenth floor and the door
opened. Matt started to walk out, but Janie tugged at his arm and said her
suite was on the thirtieth floor.

“I know where your suite is but we aren’t staying there
tonight.” He tugged right back and she stumbled out of the elevator and had to
hurry to keep up with him. He stopped outside the door and pulled the key card
from his jacket pocket. “I thought we could start our married life the way we
started before,” he said as he opened the door.