Page 40 of Come Back to Me
One week later
Iam looking in the mirror at a person I do not recognize, maybe because Alex has put way too much eye make-up on me.
“I look like a raccoon, Alex!”
“No, you don’t! You look like you are wearing a smoky eye and it’s gorgeous, if I do say so myself.”
“Alright, but when people think I am a hooker tonight, I will kill you.”
“Calm down, everyone will know that you are Cole’s hooker, so no worries.”
I laugh because tonight my mother is throwing a huge party downtown, for Cole and I to announce our marriage and to celebrate my progression. Talk about timing.
After the team grabs Carter, they make him a deal he can’t refuse. He can confess and admit he was of sound mind, and go to jail by the shore, or they can make him disappear. I don’t ask if the threat is real.
Thankfully, Carter is taken into custody by the police and admits his guilt. I am free from him and tonight is the night we start our lives, unhidden.
Cole peeks his head into the room with his eyes closed. “Everyone decent?”
“That depends. Is personality included?” I laugh, looking over at Alex. “Bitch,”she mouths.
Cole comes up behind me and looks in the mirror. “You look spectacular, I mean it. You will easily be the most beautiful woman in the room.” Alex snorts, and we both turn our heads to look at her.
“Sorry, I’ll just take my ugly self into the other room.” She gets up to leave us alone.
“Okay,” Cole says. I slap his arm and he laughs. He turns me around. “Are you ready, Mrs. Parker?” I turn around, looking in the mirror at my gorgeous ivory gown, my hair tucked to one side. I feel elegant, like a 1940’s movie star, and I am about to announce to all of our friends and family that we are married.I am so ready for this moment.
My mother has spared no expense, renting the most enviable venue overlooking the city. The ballroom itself is expansive, hosting a twelve-piece band and covered from floor to ceiling with pink roses and candlelight. She has managed to create a room that is both spectacular and cozy at the same time. It could not be a better setting for tonight’s plan.
I walk in and take in the room with awe and appreciation. “It’s beautiful, Mom. Perfect, really!”
“Well it’s not every day your only daughter gets married. Or remembers being married!” She is obviously thrilled, joy emitting from her like heat from the sun. I laugh with her and she takes me around the room to show me all the details. We spend some time talking about the menu and the events of the evening; then Richard clears his throat and says, “Dearest, people will be arriving. We should make ourselves available to greet them.” My mother squeezes my hand and walks toward her husband, to join him greeting guests.
“We should join them, Cole.” I look over at him, taking a call a few steps away. I make my way over only to make out, “Shut it down, now. I won’t hear any excuses. It doesn’t happen tonight.”
Sounds like business to me. “No business tonight,” I say, putting my hands on his chest. He ends the call and nods yes, leaning in to kiss the tip of my nose.
“What did you say before, love?” Cole purrs against my neck.
“I said we should join my mother and Richard, to greet the guests.”Mmmm, his lips are very distracting.
“I have a better idea.” He takes my hand, pulling me into a dark hallway. We kiss languidly, savoring each other. I love the way he tastes, like peppermint. I want to protest going any further, but frankly I would much rather do this than say hello to fifty of Mom and Richard’s friends! And yet, this evening is for us and Mom is so happy, we can’t be gone now. It’s wrong.
Just as I’m trying to get myself to pull away from his magnetic embrace, Cole steps back and runs the back of his hand down my cheek.
“Amelia, I love you. I don’t know how to express to you how elated and insanely stoked I am that you came back to me, that we are us again. Our love came back even before your memory returned, and now those gaps are filled in so it is all truly perfect again… but there is still something you are missing.”
Missing? No way.. There can’t be, I remember. everything now.“Cole, I remember everything about us. What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t say it was a memory, I just said you are missing something.” He pulls his hand out of his pocket and I see the glimmer of something sparkly. I melt. It’s my ring, the ring he gave me the first time he proposed. Cole takes my hand and slips the ring on my finger, pausing to look at me. “Will you… be mine again?”
“Yes!” I squeal as he pushes it on the rest of the way. “Now it’s official, Parker. There is no getting rid of me ever again.”
“Good. That’s all I want, is you, forever.” I push up on my tiptoes to kiss him and he lifts me off the ground, kissing me deeper. When he puts me down we hear the band playing as people’s voices echo from the main room.
“We should get out there, babe.”
“Yes, I’m glad you agree, you horn dog! I would rather be naughty with you right here or anywhere, but we need to be gracious. Mom went to a lot of trouble for this evening; it means a lot to her. I’m going to run to the ladies room and I will meet you in there.”