When You Least Expect It (69 page)

“I don’t think our marriage will be legal if you’re drunk, Mandy.”  He frowned as she giggled loudly from the bathroom.   

                                                        ~~~

The limousine ride was unforgettable.   Blossom and Alex had arrived at the MGM and they all piled into the limo.  The girls’ were hanging out the window, and Alex had them open the sunroof so he could stand, yelling at the crowds of people they passed. 

Amanda sat there taking it all in, but feeling a bit sick to her stomach. 

“Honey, are you okay?”  Blossom stared at her cousin.  Amanda looked a bit pale to her. 

“I can’t do this,” she whispered.  “I’m scared to get married again, Blossom.”

Unfortunately, Ray overheard her.  He took Amanda’s hand.  “Then we don’t do this, Mandy.  If you marry me tonight, it has to be because you want to be with me, because you want to be my wife.  I don’t want to force you, nor do I want you to feel an ounce of reluctance.  Either you’re full hearted about this, or it shouldn’t happen.”  He held his breath.

Amanda stayed quiet for a moment, taking it all in.  She loved Ray; that she knew.  Was she always going to let her past rule her?  Yes, she’d been married twice before, but the men she had chosen had been less than acceptable.  Was she going to be able to give Ray her all?  There was so much baggage.  Although Randy had done some major damage to her self-esteem, Peter had damaged everything else.  Ray would have nothing left.  She was scared.

Ray could almost hear what she was thinking.  After two years of talking to this wounded woman on the phone every night for hours, he knew her almost as well as she knew herself.  “Whatever it takes to get this marriage going, we’ll do.  If we find there is too much baggage from our previous marriages, then we’ll go to counseling to figure out how to unpack it.  We’re going to do whatever it takes to make this work, Mandy.”  He kissed her hand.  “You just have to want it as much as I do.”

Amanda looked at Ray with tears in her eyes.  “I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything else.”

Ray’s heart resumed beating.  He may have seemed calm on the outside, but his body had shut down on the inside.  He’d been afraid the love of his life was going to chicken out.  “Then let’s go get married.” 

Blossom had been quietly listening to their exchange.  “Well, it’s a good thing, girl, because after that speech, if you hadn’t married him,
I
would have.”  She winked at Ray and smiled.  He had won her over.

They stopped to get their license and proceeded to the chapel.  The pictures on the wall of all the celebrities that had been married here captivated them.  Nikki asked her dad if their pictures were going to be on the wall.  He laughed.  “I doubt it.  We aren’t famous enough.”  He finished checking them in, and since he’d ordered the large packet with all the trimmings, he handed Amanda her bouquet.  It had lots of silk ribbon and beautiful white roses with baby’s breath. 

“Wow, I didn’t expect this.  It’s beautiful, Ray.”  She was amazed at the lengths Ray had gone to make their wedding special.  “Thank you.”  She pinned on his matching boutonniere.  “We look spectacular!” 

She looked around at her family and noticed her son was missing.  “Where’s Alex?”

“He said something about forgetting something in the limo.”

She stared at her cousin.  “You let him go?  I’m getting married in about five minutes.” 

The photographer came to get them.  “You can go into the chapel now.”

Amanda glared at her cousin.  “Find him!”

Blossom went out into the parking lot as the rest of the party filed in.  The chapel was beautiful.  There was maroon carpeting and flowers everywhere.  The wallpaper was exquisite with raised maroon and white flowers that were soft to the touch.  She loved it.   The pastor came up and introduced himself. 

“Hi, I’m Pastor Stone.”  He had a thick southern accent.  He took Amanda’s hand.  “This is your special day, so I want to run over how we’re going to do this, and if you have any objections, you just let me know.  Did you bring music?”

She looked at Ray.  They had not.

“We have music we can provide, then.  We’ll have your guests sit in the first rows, your attendants will wait for you in the front, and I’ll want both of you to walk up the aisle together, as you head towards your new life together.  How does that sound?”

Amanda squeaked out that it sounded wonderful.  She looked at Ray who had the biggest smile she’ ever seen.  Again, her eyes watered.  She was actually doing this.  Holy cow!

“Can we begin?”  The girls sat down.  “Where are your attendants?”

Amanda blushed.  “They ran out to the limo.  They should be here any second.”

Pastor Stone looked at his watch.  “We can wait a few minutes.  I’ll go prepare the music.”

She looked at Ray.  “Maybe I should go get them.”

Ray held her hand.  “No way.  I don’t want to have to wonder where
you
are.  We can wait.”

There was a bustling at the door, and Blossom and Alex came running in.  “We’re here, honey.  Did we miss it?”  Blossom was out of breath.

Amanda was about to give her a piece of her mind, when she noticed two more people in the room. 

“Hi Mom.”

She could only stare at her daughter.  She had come.  Amanda cried.

Elisa stepped up to her and hugged her.  “You’re going to mess up your make-up, Mom.”  She wiped her tears and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Pastor Stone came up to them.  “Attendants to the front please.” 

Alex was standing up for Ray, and although Blossom was supposed to be standing up for her, she took a seat, and Elisa stood up front with her brother.  Amanda couldn’t have been happier. 

Pastor Stone put his hand on Amanda’s shoulder.  “Are you ready?”

They looked at each other, smiled and nodded that they were ready.  They were more than ready to face their life together, not only with each other, but also with everyone who sat in this room, smiling broadly, waiting for their first steps.

“Then take hold of his arm.” Amanda looked up at Ray and smiled.  “Now hang on darlin’”, Pastor Stone drawled, “’cause it’s for life.” 

The End