The Billionaire’s Christmas Vows: A Jet City Billionaire Christmas Romance (12 page)

Jus pointed up the steps to the entrance of town hall. "It's covered up there. We have to make it quick. We have a plane waiting at the airport. We need to get out of here as soon as we say 'I do.'"

The parson's gaze followed where Jus pointed. He squinted in thought and nodded. "The airport, you say?"

The three of us nodded in unison.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news again, kids. But that semi that's blocking the road to the chapel?"

Uh-oh.
I had a bad feeling.

"Where it's placed, it's blocking the road back to the airport." Parson Brown hitched a thumb at our waiting SUV. "That car waiting for you?"

"Yes, sir," Jus said, evidently feeling the need to use Southern politeness with this Southern gentleman.

"He isn't going to be of any use to you. Not until they get that wreck cleared. Could be until tonight for that."

Dex swore beneath his breath. "Mom's going to kill me if I don't make it back for Christmas." Then he grinned like it would be a great stunt.

"And we have tickets to the ballet!" I said, as if that was the most important thing.

Parson Brown slapped Dex on the back, catching him by surprise so that he stumbled forward. The parson laughed. "No matter." He pointed to his horse. "Dasher can get you to the airport. He goes overland."

"Dasher?" Dex said. "Seriously?"

The parson laughed again. "What? He's fast!" He nodded to make his point. He looked at Dex. "Can you drive a team? Or rather, a horse-drawn sleigh?"

Dex grinned. "Can I handle a horse and drive a sleigh!"

"I believe that was a serious question." I gave my cousin the evil eye, hoping he wasn't joking this time.

"Yeah! Sure I can." Dex turned to me. "Remember that summer I spent at camp? Horses, no problem."

I wasn't so sure, but Parson Brown seemed to trust Dex.

"Good enough," the parson said. "Here's what I propose. Let your driver go. Then we all hop in the sleigh and I perform the marriage ceremony on our way to the airport while this guy drives." He nodded to Dex. "It's the quickest way to get you on your plane again."

The parson gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. If you're like most brides, you've probably planned a very nice ceremony. But this will be romantic in its way. It's the best I can do, given the circumstances."

The parson was a very kind, nice man.

Before we even answered, Dex was already climbing into the sleigh.

Jus looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded. "Not many people can say they were married in a one-horse open sleigh in the middle of the snowstorm of the century as they raced to the airport. As far as adventure goes, I defy anyone to top it."

"It loses points for believability, though, don't you think?" Dex said from the sleigh.

"Done!" Jus shook the parson's hand. "Jingle all the way!" He rushed off to pay the driver.

Parson Brown helped me into the sleigh and settled a lap blanket over me before giving Dex a quick driving lesson. By the time he finished, Jus was running back. He hopped over the side of the sleigh with a bound and settled in next to me.

"Very acrobatic," I whispered to him. "You'd make a great elf."

Jus grinned.

"All right, then!" The parson climbed into the front seat next to Dex and gave him quick directions. "Take a right at the first corner."

He pulled a small book of vows out of his pocket. "Okay, now. If it's all right with you two, we'll dispense with the opening remarks and the general charge to you about the solemnity of marriage and the covenant you're about to enter into. I assume you've discovered that by now. We'll skip right to the vows. You didn't write your own, did you?"

Jus and I looked at each other and shook our heads. It was a minor detail I'd overlooked in the stress of the season.

"The basic vows will be fine," I said. "Just as long as the marriage is legal, that's all we care about."

"All righty, then!" The parson clucked to his horse. "On, Dasher! Take us to the airport!" He nodded to Dex.

Dex snapped the reins. The sleigh jolted forward as Dasher plodded off.

"Dearly beloved," the parson began. "We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"

Dasher plodded along down the street. Dex turned the corner.

Parson Brown interrupted the ceremony to give Dex more directions. "Left at the stoplight."

"This would be easier if we used the GPS on my phone," Dex said, pulling it from his pocket as he handled the reins and brushed the snow out of his face. "I'll just punch the airport into my map app."

The parson shook his head. "You won't get directions for the way we're going. No streets for part of it. Most of the roads are closed, like I said. No, we're going to have to go over the river and through the woods."

"Wrong holiday," I whispered to Jus. "That's a Thanksgiving song."

Jus grinned and hummed few bars.

Parson Brown ignored us and kept talking to Dex. "Once we get out of town, it gets tricky. I'll have to take over. Let's get these vows said in a hurry!"

He returned his attention to us. "Where was I? Oh, yes. Justin, repeat after me: I, state your name, take you, Kayla Marie Lucas Green, to be my lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, all the days of our lives."

Jus took my hands in his. As he looked into my eyes and repeated the vows, my heart sang. I blinked back tears. And snowflakes got in my eyes, sticking in my false lashes. But I had never been happier. Jus spoke the words with such passion and intensity. His voice was so deep and full of emotion. I choked up. Then it was my turn.

"I, Kayla Marie Lucas Green, take you, Justin Arnold Green, to be my lawfully wedded husband—"

"Take another left, young man," Parson Brown said to Dex. He nodded to me. "Sorry! Don't want to take a wrong turn and end up in a snowdrift. Continue…to have and to hold…"

I repeated the vows, with all my heart and soul in my eyes and voice. "To have and to hold—"

"Left, left, left!" the parson yelled.

"Sorry!" Dex laughed. "Dasher has a mind of his own."

Course corrected, I continued with my vows, finishing with "…all the days of our lives."

"Rings?" Parson Brown said.

Jus held up his cold, red left hand with his ring. I pulled my glove off and held up my hand, flashing my ring.

"Wearing them," I said. "Should we take them off and exchange them again?"

He nodded. "Hand them to each other. That'll work. Careful not to drop them. Fingers get numb fast in this cold." He watched while we took them off and handed them to each other. "Good, good. Justin, repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

Jus slid the ring on my finger.

"Kayla, your turn." The parson was obviously distracted.

I looked in Justin's eyes and slid the ring easily on his cold finger. Too easily. If we didn't watch it, our rings would fall off.

I looked in his eyes and said the words I'd been dreaming of: "With this ring, I thee wed."

The parson squinted. The snow was falling faster and harder, turning the world whiter, obscuring the path, and decreasing visibility. Parson Brown was issuing more directions and keeping a tight eye on where Dex was taking us. Snowdrifts began popping up out of nowhere, obscuring any landmarks there might have been.

Parson Brown turned back to us with half an ear. "Now, by the power vested in me by the State of New York, and God, I pronounce you man and wife." He turned over his shoulder to make sure we were still on course.

Jus perched on the edge of our seat, waiting for every groom's favorite part of the ceremony.

"You may kiss the bride," Parson Brown said, almost as an afterthought.

Jus took my face gently in his hands. I parted my lips and closed my eyes. Parson Brown took the reins from Dex just as my lips met my real, true, genuine, lawfully wedded husband's.

"Merry Christmas," I whispered to Jus. "I love you."

"This is where we go over the river!" the parson yelled above the joyful jingling of bells. "There's a covered wooden bridge just ahead. On the other side, we cut through the woods. Get out the license and everyone sign!" He pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it to Jus.

"Giddyup!" Parson Brown yelled to the horse. "To the tip of the bridge, to the end of the wall, dash away, dash away, dash away all!"

The sleigh sped up, gliding over the snow. The bells jingled loudly as first Jus signed, protecting the license as much as he could from the wet snow. I signed. Dex signed, protecting the license with his tux jacket. He took the reins again while Parson Brown signed and handed a commemorative marriage certificate around for everyone to once again sign.

"You'll get the real, legal marriage certificate in the mail in six to eight weeks," the parson said as we entered the covered bridge and shook the snow temporarily off.

He folded the real license and gave it a shake in the air. "I'll file this first thing on the Friday, the 26th." He slid it into his inside coat breast pocket. And we were out of the cover and into the snow again.

"Into the woods, into the woods!" the parson said. "This is where it gets tricky. And fun. Hang on!"

And then we were, literally, dashing through the woods.

Jus leaned in and whispered to me, "Did we just get married by a snowman?"

"I think we did!" I was so happy, I started laughing.

Jus joined me.

Dex shook his head. "I get it. Laughing as we go. You guys are crazy." But he grinned.

I turned to Jus. "I love you. Merry Christmas, husband."

Jus brushed the snow off his beard. "I love you, too, wife. You can't imagine how much."

The bells jingled. The snow fell. And I was wrapped in the arms of the man I loved, and was now, finally,
legally
married to.

Jus texted our pilot that we were on our way.

Parson Brown delivered us to the front of the terminal. We wished him merry Christmas and a safe trip back. Jus pressed a generous payment into his hands.

Just as Jus grabbed my hand, ready to race to the plane, a group of high school girls came out of the terminal. I was holding my bouquet.

As Jus pulled me past them, I called out to them, "Catch!" I tossed them my bouquet.

One of them leaped in front of the others and caught it. I got a quick glimpse of her showing it to her friends and laughing before Jus pulled me around a corner.

We raced through the terminal to our gate. Our flight attendant greeted us. Two large coolers and a snow shovel sat at the foot of the stairs up to the plane.

I pointed to them, confused. "What are those for?"

"A white Christmas for Seattle." Jus turned to my cousin. "Dex, get the lids off. Let's start shoveling."

Jus handed me up the stairs.

"Welcome aboard. Watch your step," the new flight attendant warned me as she took my arm. "My name's Jamie. I'll be taking care of you for the flight to Seattle."

"Kayla," I said.

At the top of the step, I brushed the snow off myself and paused to look back at Jus and Dex. They were having a snowball fight.
Guys.

The pilot greeted me. "The plane's de-iced and ready for takeoff as soon as we load that snow and secure it in the cargo hold."

Jus caught me watching, flashed an apologetic grin, and started shoveling at lightning speed.

J
ustin

"Buckle up for takeoff." Our flight attendant smiled.

She hadn't been on the flight out. I'd hired her for the flight back. I wanted special service to pamper Kay on the way home. Dinner was going to be late tonight in Seattle. I'd ordered a special inflight meal for us, too. Which should have been delivered while we were getting married.

I sat next to Kay, holding her hand, watching the snow fly past our window as we taxied down the runway. I couldn't stop smiling. This was the happiest Christmas ever.

I relaxed when our wheels left earth and we were finally airborne.

Our flight attendant, Jamie, unbuckled. "You can move about the cabin now."

Dex fired up the fake fireplace. "Time for some refreshments." He rubbed his hands together.

Jamie came over and leaned down to speak to me. "I'm sorry, sir. The meal and cake you ordered weren't able to be delivered because of the storm."

I nodded. "Thank you. Don't worry about it."

"We
were
able to get some nice commercial meals from the airport food services," Jamie said. "But no cake. Really sorry."

I looked at Kay and held my hands palm up.

She laughed. The snow had melted in her hair and taken the curl out. The tiara sparkled in the fake firelight. But at least that was the only thing that was fake now. Her cheeks were rosy and her hands red as she warmed them. She had never looked more beautiful.

"No cake? What do you mean no cake?" Dex jumped to his feet.

Jamie looked alarmed. "I'm sorry—"

Dex went to the kitchenette and pulled his fruitcake from the fridge. "What do you call this!" His eyes shone with triumph.

"Inedible," I said.

"Oh, no!" Kay laughed. "Irreconcilable differences already! I
like
fruitcake."

I rolled my eyes. "That's because you're pregnant. Have your weird food cravings started again? Would you like a pickle with that?"

Dex shook his head at us and pulled out a knife. "I'll just cut us each a nice, thin slice." He paused with the knife poised over the cake. "You know in Britain, fruitcakes are wedding cakes." He spoke casually, like he was just being his usual know-it-all self. But he raised one eyebrow significantly.

"Thank God we're not British!" I shuddered for effect. "What's next? Figgy pudding?"

"A fruitcake makes a
lovely
wedding cake." Kay's eyes sparkled with affection for her cousin. "Most of them are frosted, though, aren't they?"

"That's just…disgusting," I said.

Dex ignored me and held the knife out to Kay. "Why don't you two do the honors?"

Kay took my hand, pulled me to my feet, and dragged me over to the cake. "Enough bah, humbug! Come on, Jus. It's Christmas Eve. For me?"