The Sweetest Encounter Read online

  We hung out when I went to London on business last year. It was always great being around Poppy; she brought out the best in people. “What’s on your mind, darlin’? Everything okay?” I asked, looking over at her.

  “Don’t worry about me.” She smiled and poked me in the side. “It’s all about you. I am happy you found the one. You deserved someone upstanding. Better than the other chap. What a wanker.”

  I nodded in agreement. Things worked out for the best. If I didn’t catch Hank and Amber, my life would’ve been so much different today. I know eventually I would’ve ended up divorced. “Thank you, Poppy,” I said, smiling at her warmly. “You’ll find someone too. You’re beautiful and can get any man you want.”

  “Psst,” she said, hitting me on the arm. “All I’ve been attracting lately are wankers.”

  I laughed at her expression. She cracked me up. Love her. We chatted for a while and were interrupted when Franco came back with his family. The rest of them were staying at the Omni and Renaissance hotels in Fort Worth, as were the other out-of-town guests. I went to greet his folks and brought them on a tour of the ranch. They were in awe at the expansive estate and loved the horses. Franco’s younger brothers, Sean and Gino, went riding with my brothers right away. Natalia was over the moon to be in such grand surroundings, and Janique took her around the ranch on the go-carts. Everyone seemed to be settling in, gearing up for the rehearsal dinner tonight. Franco and I hadn’t had time alone since we got here, but it was okay because we had the rest of our lives to look forward to. I cannot wait to be his wife. Love him to pieces.

  ∞∞∞

  The next day, my bridesmaids and I got ready in my suite. The girls looked gorgeous in their Monique Lhuillier reverse halter tulle pink gowns, and the stylist arranged everyone’s gowns according to their body type. Mama and Aunt Dez were being cordial towards one another and helped me in my Ines Di Santo gown. It was between that or a Lazaro wedding dress, but everyone voted for this elegant gown.

  “Oh my God, Dallas,” my bridesmaids gushed when they saw me in the dress. “You look amazing. Wait until Franco sees you!” Natalia exclaimed, eyes popping out.

  “Dallas, you look phenomenal, and I am so happy that you’re going to be my daughter.” Mrs. Donnelly walked over towards me with tears in her eyes. “I have two daughters now.”

  Tears gathered in my eyes from her statement; I was touched that she welcomed me with open arms. “Thank you, Mrs. Donnelly.” I reached in for a hug. “I am so happy to be a part of your family. It’s an honor, and y’all welcomed me from the beginning.”

  “You can call me Mom now,” she said, laughing. “No more of this Mrs. Donnelly nonsense. It sounds too formal. Franco has been the happiest he’s ever been since meeting you.” She continued moving back, reaching to touch up my eye makeup. It was smudged a little from my tears. “He’s a lucky man to have a woman like you in his life. He knows what a gem he’s getting.”

  “He better!” I quipped, and everyone burst out laughing.

  “Honey, you look unbelievable,” Mama Mabel cut in, fixing my veil. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

  “Thanks, Mama Mabel, but I haven’t seen myself yet.” I stepped in front of the full-length mirror, gasping. My eyes stung with tears again. I looked like a queen. It was an embroidered lace and silk organza front-slit gown. The scalloped neckline showed peeks of my bosom, and the A-line skirt with the thigh-high slit revealed long legs. Thank God I lost twenty pounds to fit into this gorgeous creation. It was worth the three months of eating no carbs.

  “You ready, honey?” Mama said, spreading out the train of my veil. “Janique, where’s Dallas’s bouquet? Bring it over here, sweetheart.”

  “Dee, don’t forget to put on Dallas’s diamond necklace and matching earrings,” Mama Mabel said. “Sweetheart, you look so beautiful in that dress that we almost forgot your jewelry.”

  “I don’t think I need it,” I said, admiring myself in the mirror. “But I guess it’s my something new.” My something blue and borrowed was Mama’s garter, and my something old was Mama Mabel’s pearl and diamond bracelet.

  ∞∞∞

  An hour later, my stomach fluttered as I stood beside Daddy. He would be walking me down the aisle in a few minutes. Beads of sweat popped up on my forehead. The ceremony was in the garden on the south side of the ranch. The sun was beaming, and there was not a cloud in the sky as I sniffed in the scent of the roses and other flowers that were in the garden. Vivian the wedding planner flew in thousands of roses for my wedding too. My bouquet was a lovely arrangement of rustic pink and yellow garden roses.

  The bridal party was getting ready to walk into the ceremony area now and the boys were handsome in their black tuxedos. Janique and Derrick were paired up; they were the maid of honor and best man. They would be walking down the aisle first, followed by Beth and Patrick, Poppy and Johnny, Maryann and Holden, and then Natalia and Holt Jr. I was eager to see Franco because we hadn't seen each other since our rehearsal dinner last night. He tried to sneak into my bedroom, but Mama Mabel shooed him away from the door.

  “Are you sure about this, sugaplum?” Daddy asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. He took my hands, squeezing them. “You don’t have to go through with this, you know.”

  “I’m sure, Daddy.” I glanced up at him. “I love him and cannot wait to be his wife. It feels right.”

  “Okay, honeybun.” He reached in for a tight squeeze, holding me close. “I know you love that boy. I want you to be happy, and I love you so much. You mean the world to me, darlin’. I remember when you were born, you were as tiny as a button, and now look at you. My baby girl is getting married. It’s hard for your old man to get used to another man being the most important person in your life.”

  Listening to him brought tears to my eyes, and I did my best not to let them escape. Mama and the girls warned me about ruining my perfectly made up face before I saw Franco. “Oh, Daddy,” I sniffled, fanning my face. “Please don’t make me cry. You will always be number one in my heart. I love you too.”

  He kissed me on the forehead and held me for a second. “Okay, sugaplum, let’s get you down that aisle before that boy comes looking for you.” He chuckled, tucking my arm through his as we stood under the big oak tree. It was a few yards away from the entrance to the ceremony space. “You ready?” he asked, glancing over at me again.

  I nodded, but I was a bundle of nerves. I inhaled deeply, letting out a whoosh of air, and gripped Daddy’s arm tightly when I heard “All of Me” by John Legend—the song we picked out for me to walk down the aisle to the man I loved. Tears sprung into my eyes as I held on to Daddy and walked out towards my man.

  Franco

  I stood underneath the wedding arch in the garden, waiting eagerly for my Dallas Cowboy. Derrick had just walked down the aisle with Janique, who winked at me. The rest of the bridal party came shortly thereafter. I glanced around the garden, taking the incredible scenery. This place looked surreal. Yellow and pink rose petals were strewn along the long, white carpet. The guests were seated on beautiful white chairs with strands of yellow, pink, and white roses running down the sides. I almost choked when Dallas told me everything cost over a million dollars. It was unreal that weddings cost this much.

  A few months back I was bitching about the forty grand my brother’s wedding cost, and here I was at my million-dollar nuptials. Then “All of Me,” the song Dallas and I picked out, came on, and everyone stood up. My heart was pounding hard, and my breath caught in my throat when I spotted her walking out with her dad. She is exquisite. Everyone gasped when they saw her walking down the aisle in the most beautiful wedding gown. It fit her perfectly, revealing those sexy long legs as she glided towards me. She looked like a dream come true. I realized tears were flowing down my cheeks. I, Franco Donnelly, was bawling like a baby watching Dallas floating down the aisle towards me. She finally got here, and her dad handed her over to me.

  “Baby,” I whis
pered, lifting the veil to see her gorgeous face. “You’re breathtaking. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too,” she said, sniffling as Janique took the huge pink and yellow bouquet out of her hands. “Yankee, you’re so handsome in that tux. You look like a movie star.”

  “Y’all ready to get married?” the minister cut in.

  “Yes,” I shouted, and everyone laughed as they sat back down. We had written our own vows, and the minister gestured for me to begin. “Dallas Cowboy, from the moment I spotted you at Nova, I knew that I was a goner. You took my breath away and I knew back then that I was going to make you mine. I never knew what love was until you. You’re my everything, and I cannot imagine life without you by my side.” Tears were flowing down our cheeks. I didn’t think that there was a dry eye in the house. “Dallas, I take you to be my wife before God and this witness. I promise to be true to you, to protect you all the days of my life until death part us, and even then, I will always be with you.”

  It was Dallas’s turn to say her vows, and I could tell my girl was nervous. She was doing her best not to cry, and I squeezed her hand for encouragement.

  “Yankee, you made me believe in love again,” Dallas said, tearing up again. “Last year, I almost gave up on love, but when I met you, that changed. You are so unassuming and proud, and I know that you would do anything for me. Being in your presence makes me feel safe and secure. I love you so much. Words cannot describe the depth of my love for you, and that’s why I want to spend the rest of my life making a home for us. Franco, I take you to be my husband before God and this witness. I promise to be there in sickness and health, for richer and richer.” Everyone chuckled at that part. My baby was so amusing. “I’ll always be true to you and be the best wife until death parts us.”

  Tears streamed down my face as I listened to my soon-to be wife professing how much she loved me. It was hard to believe that I would get to spend the rest of my life with this amazing woman.

  “The rings, please,” the minister said after we finished saying our vows. Derrick stepped forward, handing me the platinum matching bands to Dallas’s engagement ring from Tiffany.

  The minister turned to me and said, “Repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed.”

  I repeated the words, and my hand was shaking as I held her soft hands and slid the band on her finger.

  The minister turn to my baby. “Dallas, repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed.”

  She recited the words and slid a wide platinum wedding band on my left hand. It fit perfectly, and I was happy to have it on my finger. I wouldn’t ever take it off.

  “By the power vested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  “I thought you would never say that,” I said, pulling my wife towards me. Yes, my wife. I dipped my head and captured her lips for the best kiss of my life.

  Chapter Thirty

  Dallas, three months later

  I was in the kitchen preparing dinner when my cell phone beeped. I glanced over to see my husband FaceTiming me. I clicked on the screen quickly. We did that a lot, especially when he worked weekends and overnight, now that he had an iPhone.

  “Hello, baby.” A big smile spread across his handsome face. “I’m running late but should be home in an hour.”

  “What?” My brows wrinkled and I pouted my lips. “Dinner is almost ready. I thought you would be here any minute.”

  “I know, sweetheart, but we had a small emergency. Sit tight, I’m on my way, I love you,” he said, making kissy faces.

  “Okay, hurry on up. I love you too.” I laughed out at his crazy expressions and ended the call.

  There went my dinner surprise. I could not believe he was still working hard as a firefighter, but that was my Yankee. I had to pinch myself sometimes because we had been married for three months already. It still seemed like a dream, and being married to him was incredible. He always made sure that I was safe whenever he was on duty by checking in constantly. I knew that he missed me too, but the insane hours and him not being home often were part of being married to a firefighter. I sighed and went back to cooking and thought about the past three months.

  Franco bought his folks a beautiful six-bedroom home in Great Neck, Long Island. They just moved in, and Mrs. Donnelly now had a custom chef’s kitchen. Everyone had their own bedrooms now, and Patrick had moved into Franco’s old apartment back in November.

  Janique had gotten used to being a millionaire and bought a four-bedroom brownstone in Brooklyn, and a brand-new Porsche SUV. She convinced Aunt Dez to sell the house in Queens to move in with her. I was shocked when she put the house on the market and moved to Brooklyn Heights, right before the holidays. When Janique inherited the money last year, Aunt Dez was actually overjoyed and thanked me for always thinking about them.

  Johnny and Sheila were still married, but they fought a lot; I knew Johnny was close to throwing in the towel. Sheila was still giving him hell for walking down the aisle with my friend Poppy. She threw a hissy fit when she saw how gorgeous Poppy was; the heifer almost made a scene on my wedding day because of it. It didn’t surprise me one bit, because Sheila was an insecure person. Franco was pissed and wanted to throw her out of the reception. It was chaotic, and Poppy, who was always upbeat, was mortified. She felt sorry Johnny was married to that “shrew,” as she called Sheila. I almost choked on my champagne from all the commotion. Thank the Lord everything turned out beautiful after that little mishap.

  The four hundred and fifty guests were blown away by the reception space, and they dined on the best steaks in Texas and seafood from Louisiana. The cake was a seven-tier rich vanilla and chocolate buttercream confection. Franco’s groom’s cake was shaped like a firetruck, and it blew him away. The honeymoon was unbelievable, and we spent three weeks sailing on a yacht around the Caribbean and parts of Mexico.

  “Honey, I’m home,” Franco called out, breaking me out of my thoughts of the past. “Where are you?” I could hear him walking towards the kitchen.

  “You’re here!” I squealed, rushing into his arms when he entered the room. “I thought you were going to be late.”

  “I wanted to surprise you, baby.” He grinned at me. “I was parking the truck when I called you.”

  “You sneak!” I poked him in the side but was happy he was home. “You had me going.”

  “I know.” He bent down to capture my lips in a heated kiss. “Umm, I missed you so much, baby. I hate these long shifts now.”

  “I missed you too.” I squeezed him tightly, wrapping my arms around his hard body. “It’s our three-month anniversary, so I cooked you something special.”

  “Damn, what’s going to happen on our one-year anniversary?” he said, lifting his brows. “I’m afraid to ask, but I love it when you surprise me. I am going to take a quick shower and get out of these clothes. I didn’t have time to change; I just wanted to get home to my wife. My wife—love saying that.”

  “You smell good to me.” I sniffed him then stepped out of his arms. He had that manly scent I loved so much clinging to him with a hint of smoke. “Don’t take too long. I’m famished.”

  He nodded and left the room, and I walked out to the closed-in balcony to place the food on the table. I made lasagna—his mom gave me the recipe—and for dessert, I ordered cannoli and tiramisu from his favorite Italian bakery in Brooklyn. I opened the wine and poured some into his glass and water in mine. My tummy was a bundle of nerves as I waited for him to get back. My cell phone buzzed, and I reached to answer when I saw Beth's face popping up on the screen.

  “Hey, Beth,” I answered, a little perplexed that she would be calling me now. She knew I would be surprising Franco for dinner tonight. “What’s going on, girl?”

  “Dallas, I am sorry to interrupt your dinner,” she said, sounding frantic on the other end. “Is Franco there yet?”

  “Yes, but what’s going on, suga?” I asked, feeling concerned by the tone of her v
oice.

  “It’s Patrick,” she said, sounding emotional. “Can you tell Franco to call him after your dinner? We got into a big fight and he stormed out. I tried calling him, but it just goes to voicemail.”

  “What?” I was horrified. “Did you break up with him?”

  “I had to do it, Dallas.” She was sobbing on the other end. “You know how I’ve been feeling. I had to break it off. You know how I feel about Cole. It was unfair to keep a relationship going that wasn’t working. He took it hard. I didn’t want to hurt him, Dallas. I feel so bad.”

  “Calm down, honey. It will be okay.” I felt bad for her and Patrick. Damn it. I warned Cole to give her some time, but he just couldn’t stay away. “Don’t blame yourself too much. That’s the way things have to be. You tried. I’ll have Franco check on him after dinner. I’ll call you back later, suga, and don’t worry too much.”

  “Thanks, Dallas, for being a good friend,” she said, sniffling. “I am sorry to intrude on your time with Franco. I just needed to talk to someone. See you on Monday, and I hope you’re feeling better.”

  “Okay, honey. You know I’m here for you,” I said, trying to make her feel better about the situation. “I will call you later.” I hung up the phone just as my Yankee walked back into the room.

  “What’s going on, baby?” he asked, glancing at my face. “You look upset?”

  “I’m okay.” I bit my lip, chewing on the bottom. “It was Beth. She and Patrick got into it and he walked out on her. She’s worried about him and wants you to call him. Let’s eat first, though. I’m starving, and you must be too.”

  “What?” he said, brows creasing. “Did she say why he stormed out? They’ve been arguing a lot lately. They’re turning into Johnny and Sheila.”