Forgotten Honeymoon (9 page)

He grinned ruefully. “It was a lot simpler in
Reno. We just walked in, signed the papers, said a few words and it
was done.”

“Thank you for being such a good sport about
this. It means a lot to my family.”

He shrugged. “It was the right thing to
do.”

The words chilled her. She knew duty was
important to Lars. Her father often joked that he wished he could
clone him. “I’d make him be all my Vice Presidents,” he said.
“Because when something needs to be done, he gets it done.” That
was fine in the corporate setting, but how much of this wedding and
the decision to stay married was based on his doing the right
thing?

No. It wasn’t just the baby that was keeping
them together. He really liked her. He liked her enough to run off
for a whirlwind wedding. And whether it was love or lust, they’d
start there, and build a happy family together.

Her father stood and clinked his spoon on his
wine glass. “I have a little announcement to make.” He laughed.
“Okay, maybe not so little.” He beamed at his wife, then over at
Lars and Kelly. He waited until the room grew quiet. “By now you’ve
all met Lars, the young man who swept my daughter off her feet,
convincing her to dump one groom and marry him instead. I’d say
that makes him pretty darn persuasive. Maybe I should put him in
charge of Marketing.”

Kelly blushed and the crowd laughed.

Her father continued. “What you might not
know is that he’s my right hand man, Vice President of
Production.”

Lars sat very still with a serious expression
on his face.

Kelly whispered, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, yet.”

Kelly looked at her mother as if to ask,
“What’s going on?” and her mother shrugged and shook her head.

Her father said, “Over the past eight years,
Lars has proved again and again that he is a Rawlins man, first and
foremost. Now that he’s a member of the family, I’m giving him a
wedding present. I’m stepping down, and next week the Board of
Directors will vote him in as the new President and CEO.”

“No,” Lars and Kelly said it as if with one
breath.

“Speech, speech,” someone in the crowd said,
and soon everyone was clapping, urging him to speak.

Lars rose to his feet. He put his hands up to
quiet the crowd. “This is a bit of a shock.”

The crowd laughed.

“You deserve it, son,” Frank said loudly.
“Besides, I want to enjoy life. I’ll let you have all the
headaches.”

Lars looked at Kelly’s father. Were there
tears in Lars’ eyes? “I appreciate the trust you have in me, and
I’ll do my best to live up to it.” His voice faltered. He turned
and smiled at her. “But although this advancement makes me very
happy, you’ve already given me the greatest gift -- your daughter,
Kelly.”

The crowd clapped loudly. “Kiss her,” someone
yelled.

Lars leaned down for her, and kissed her.
Kelly closed her eyes, to savor the moment, but all she could think
was --
Lars is President of Rawlins Lighting. What am I going to
do now?

#

Kelly was very quiet during the reception.
She smiled and nodded, as needed, but Lars could tell that she was
thinking about something, worrying.

At the ceremony she’d said, “I do?” as if she
wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. Fortunately the minister
hadn’t questioned her further.

Lars swept her into his arms for another
waltz as the orchestra played. He liked dancing with Kelly. It gave
him the opportunity to put his arms around her and hold her close.
She rested her head against his chest and he breathed in the heady
scent of her, a combination of her floral perfume and warm scent of
her own skin. The satin of her gown rustled as he skillfully spun
her around. She was light in his arms, and fitted so perfectly.

Which gave him other ideas
. “How soon
can we get out of here?” he asked huskily.

She startled, looking up at him with a
troubled look in her green eyes. “We still have to cut the cake and
I have to throw the bouquet.”

Cool it, Henderson. Naturally she’s a
little skittish. Remember she’s still getting used to the idea of
being married to you.
The problem was, every time he kissed
her, he felt like throwing her over his shoulder and heading to the
nearest cave. He’d practically ravished her in her father’s office,
and since then he’d been extra careful to take things slowly.

He had another chance with Kelly and he
didn’t want to blow it this time by scaring her away.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured against her
hair, and bent down to kiss the side of her throat, below her ear.
A particularly favorite spot of hers, as he remembered.

She shuddered and momentarily lost count in
her steps. She tightened her grip on his shoulder. “Lars?” she
asked.

“Mmmm? You like this?”

“You know I do,” the words were the barest
whisper.

He looked at her sharply. “Do you remember
something?”

She nodded. “I remember dancing with
you.”

That fateful Friday night at the club. It had
been dark and noisy, with too many people, but he hadn’t cared
because she was dancing with him. “Do you remember anything
else?”

She frowned. “I wish I could remember more,”
she said quietly.

Lars wasn’t sure he wanted her to remember
any more. Friday and Saturday had been fine, but he didn’t want her
to relive Sunday, the day she left him. “Don’t worry,” he said,
holding her closer. “It doesn’t matter. We’re starting over,
remember?”

Her green eyes clouded with concern. “You’re
right.”

They managed to cut the cake and feed each
other without making a mess. Then it was time for her to throw the
bouquet. Lars stood off to one side, admiring the way her wedding
gown displayed her creamy shoulders and trim waist. It was
difficult to believe that she was pregnant, carrying his child.

A baby
. With hindsight, he wondered if
he’d subconsciously planned for this, by not using any birth
control during their honeymoon. Had he taken the risk with the wish
of cementing their relationship with a child?

If so, it hadn’t been the most admirable
tactic, but he wasn’t going to complain now. He was thrilled to
have a baby, thrilled that Kelly was willing to live with him.
I’ll make you happy. I’ll make you forget Nigel.

But Kelly was so young, only twenty-three.
Right now she was trying to do the right thing, but would she grow
to resent all the obligations of being a mother? His mother
had.

Would she become bored with him? He wasn’t
exciting like Nigel. He didn’t write songs. He worked eight to
five, and often took work home. He read, he worked out, and he took
online college classes to improve himself. He had a few friends,
but most of them were from work.

In contrast, Kelly was so warm and friendly,
nearly everyone liked her. She had dozens of friends and they
circled around her, every one of them wanting her attention. Nearly
every day she had a social event: She went to lunch, went shopping,
went out to dinner, watched movies, went dancing. And if she was
too busy to meet with friends, she called someone while she was
washing dishes or doing her laundry.

He was a loner and she was a social
butterfly. Could they find a happy medium?

He watched as Tiffany and the now-bald Brenda
helped arrange the skirt of her wedding dress for another
photo.

The three amigas
.

They had been inseparable in high school. He
suddenly remembered one time Frank had asked him to take Kelly her
soccer cleats for a practice game. She’d left them at home. As he
approached the soccer field, he noticed that the three fifteen year
old girls silenced and stared at him. He had handed Kelly her
cleats.

“Thanks, Lars,” she’d said with a nervous
smile, and he’d smiled back.

But then when he turned to go, all three of
them burst into muffled laughter. He heard one of them -- probably
Brenda -- say something about him being an errand boy and they all
laughed again.

He’d walked slowly back to his car, feeling
like a big, lumbering idiot.

But that was years ago, and somehow they’d
all grown up.

Kelly flung the bouquet over her shoulder
into a crowd of her giggling and squealing friends. “It’s mine,”
Brenda cried and held it up like a trophy. In the scuffle, she’d
lost the wreath from her shiny dome.

Kelly smiled across the crowd at him to share
her amusement.
I’m glad we did this
, he thought. He was glad
they’d gone through with the second ceremony and the reception.
He’d worried before that he’d cheated her out of the big
celebration she’d always wanted, but now they would have the
memories to cherish together.

“Lars?”

He turned to see his mother with her third
husband. She was expensively dressed in a rose colored lace dress
and pearls. She gave him a brief hug and kissed his cheek. “It’s
getting late; we’ve got to go,” she said. “Thank you so much for
inviting us. Kelly’s a lovely girl.”

“Thank you for coming,” Lars said stiffly. He
searched her eyes, hoping for a glimmer of warmth, but found only
politeness and obligation. He chastised himself for his foolishness
-- he should not expect what she could not give.

At least she had come. His father had sent
his apologies and a generous check, wishing him well. A familiar
gesture. His father thought money took care of everything.

Lars looked over at Kelly’s parents who stood
by each other, holding hands.
That’s what I want. Thirty years
from now, I want to be holding Kelly’s hand, watching our son get
married.

If he was wise, and lucky, it could happen.
He walked over to Kelly and took her hand. “Let’s get out of here,”
he whispered.

#

Lars picked her up and carried her over the
threshold of the hotel room.

He carried her easily as if she didn’t weigh
a hundred and twenty pounds. Kelly held his neck tightly and
giggled nervously. “Is this necessary?”

He kicked the heavy door closed behind them.
“It’s supposed to bring good luck.”

They could use all the help they could
get.

“Where do you want me to put you down --,” he
asked, “on the bed?”

He’d rented the honeymoon suite. Through an
open door she could see a huge king-sized bed with satin sheets
turned down invitingly.

“No,” she gasped. She wasn’t ready for beds
yet. “This is fine.”

He set her down on the couch, and sat down
next to her. He was very close. He loosened his black bow tie.

Her fingers itched to do that for him.
“That’s -- ”
my job
, she almost said, but silenced instead.
It sounded too forward. He looked at her expectantly, but she just
shook her head.

You are such a prude. What are you going to
do when we get married -- lock yourself in the bathroom like the
proverbial virgin?

Although she knew she wasn’t a virgin, she
still felt like one.

He smiled at her. “That was some party.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “My mother certainly knows
how to throw a party.”
I sound like a parrot
, she thought
dismally.

“Do you want to take a shower?” he asked.

“No, go ahead. You can take yours first,” she
said, buying time, then realized belatedly that he was asking if
she wanted to take a shower with him. She felt her face flush with
embarrassment.

Lars laughed, a low rumble in his throat.
“Kelly, you’re shy,” he teased and ran his finger along her jaw
line.

Kelly turned her head and kissed the end of
his finger. “Is that such a surprise?” she asked.

“A little,” he said, inching closer. “But I
like it.”

Her eyes widened. She wished she could
remember more of her first honeymoon so that she’d feel more
competent now. He had her at a distinct disadvantage.

He kissed her leisurely. Her heart beat
rapidly. Could he hear it?

“Ah Kelly,” he said softly after a long
moment. “I’ve wanted to do that all evening.”

So had she, but she was still a little
nervous. He watched her, reading the hesitation in her eyes. He
knelt on the floor in front of her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Give me your foot. I know how you hate
shoes.”

She obediently put her foot forward. He
slipped her white satin pump off. “Now the other one,” he said.

Soon all her toes were free. “Thank you,” she
murmured.

He ran his hand slowly up the back of her
calf, making her knees go weak and sending a languid warmth
upwards. He leaned closer and asked, “What are you wearing, panty
hose or stockings?”

She gasped and pressed her knees together.
“Stockings, but I can undo them myself.”

“If you insist,” he said smoothly, and took
his hands out of from under her skirts. “We’ll take this as slowly
as you want.”

She was beginning to doubt that slow was what
she wanted. She wanted to make love fast and furiously, to get it
over with, to end the aching uncertainty inside her.

Then maybe she’d understand why she’d married
him. She still had so many questions.

“Turn around so I can tackle all those
buttons down your back,” he said reasonably. “I know you can’t
reach them.”

He sat next to her on the couch. She turned
so that her back was towards him. The heavy satin of her wedding
gown and the yards of netting in her slip rustled around them.

His fingers slowly unfastened each tiny
covered button. She felt his breath, warm and rhythmic on her skin.
“Lars?” she asked.

“Yes?”

He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder and
for a second she couldn’t remember her question. Then she said,
“About your becoming President of Rawlins. When did you know about
that?”

He reached up and started pulling the
hairpins from her hair, one by one. “Your father and I had talked
about it, but I didn’t expect him to resign so suddenly.” Her hair
fell down to her shoulders and he sighed, running his fingers
through it. “You have such beautiful hair, Kelly.”