“Thank you,” I smiled.

“You don’t mind?” I asked.

“It would be an absolute honor,” he crooned in his charming English accent.

“Thanks, Charlie,” I said hugging him.

“Your Callum is a nervous wreck,” he said, his eyes crinkling in laughter.

“What?” I said, holding him at a distance to see his face.

“He is. He’s beside himself. Pacing back and forth downstairs. I’ve just left him. I made him take a shot of whiskey to calm his nerves. I don’t think it worked. He’s too geared up.”

Oh no! He’s having second thoughts! Charlie noticed my beginning panic and put a stop to it.

“Not you too!” He laughed. “Stop worrying, miss. This is meant to be.” He said it with such conviction I almost fainted. Were we? I was starting to believe we were.

Tom started to play Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring softly on his guitar and I could hear the crowd settle down. I began to hyperventilate a little but Charlie just grabbed my hand firmly and squeezed, wrapping it around his left arm.

“Enjoy this, Harper,” he told me and I felt my heart rate calm to a normal level at his words.

Someone knocked lightly on the door and that was our cue. The door opened and I grabbed my bouquet as we began to walk out. Cherry was there and kissed my cheek before fixing my slight train then walking up the sides to sit up front next to the other girls. Charlie and I walked to the middle of the rooftop and turned right to head down the makeshift aisle.

And it hit me all at once.

Fifty white garden chairs flanked the middle of the aisle. Along the row of chairs at the center were incredible swooping garlands of peonies, ranunculus, miniature roses, and antique roses. The garland was fastened to the top corners of the chairs with exquisite bands of feathered butterflies. Scattered on the dark stonework, were thousands of antique rose petals. Balls of white pomanders seemed to float at different heights around the outside of the chairs, held up by iron stakes.

Charlie gently lead me down the aisle, the fragrance of the flowers assaulting me with euphoria. I couldn’t help but smile as my eyes followed to the judge, standing beneath a simple chuppah. Hundreds of thin branches were tied to four large wooden posts. Woven within the thin branches were bunched, beautiful light pink flower bouquets. The canopy was a thin draping satin tied at the four corners, a foot beneath the tops of the posts. It dipped slightly in the middle almost reaching the judge’s head and swayed lightly in the wind. It looked sweet and intimate, like a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tom had outdone himself. One of the girls must have gone to Chinatown and bought every white paper umbrella they had because each woman there held one to shield themselves from the sun. It was a feast for the eyes. A picture of elegance. A delicate piece of art.

Every chair was filled and many had to stand to the side. I was surprised to know that I knew most of these people. They were people who touched my life every day. I had no idea Callum and I were so loved.

I quickly moved my gaze to drink in Callum, standing strong and sure by the judge. He wore black, a suit similar to Tom’s, vintage nineteen-sixties, a thin black tie. He looked astonishingly handsome. I tried to tell myself that he wasn’t really mine but, for the moment, I just wanted to pretend.

When he saw me, his eyes widened, sending a private charge through my entire body. I locked eyes with him and he became the only one on that entire rooftop and I knew, despite the fact it was probably the dumbest thing I’d ever do, that I would be making a promise to a God I didn’t think really existed until that moment. It was a private arrangement between Him and I.

Callum

Watching Harper come down the aisle left me gasping for air. She was devastating. I never imagined a woman could look as beautiful as she did in that moment. I had to stop myself from wanting to tear down the aisle and grab her just to be that much closer to her that much sooner. I wanted to beg her to be mine in the most real sense. I wanted her as my wife. No more pretending, no more deception. I wanted honesty and she was it.

I knew I would be promising my God to love and honor her regardless of what she wanted. I vowed to make her fall in love with me like I loved her or die trying. It was extreme. I knew it but I didn’t care. I knew what I wanted and I wanted her.

Charlie brought Harper to me, unwrapped her arm from his and gave me her hand. I felt an instant calming relief when her warm hand fit inside mine. I gathered her hand and wrapped it around my own arm before turning us towards the judge. I never took my eyes from her nor did she take hers from mine. We stood at each other’s mercy but we refused to turn away. We simply couldn’t.

The judge began to speak and though I listened, nothing quite absorbed until he spoke my name and asked me to repeat after him.

With my eyes still on hers, I vowed myself to Harper. “I, Callum Philip Tate, take you, Harper Lily Bailey, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, from this day forward until death do us part.” I promise this in God’s name. Then, I placed Harper’s gifted ring on her slender finger.

Harper sucked in a sharp breath, overcome and swayed slightly. I held her tightly to me and waited for her to repeat the words.

Harper

“I, Harper Lily Bailey, take you, Callum Philip Tate, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part.” I promise this in God’s name. Then, I placed Callum’s ring on his strong hand.

Callum

My heartfelt lighter than it ever had. In the back of my mind, I knew my parents, her parents, should have been there but such was life and we don’t always get what we want, do we? But then again, sometimes we do.

Judge Ryder had us turn to face him but we were still so unable to keep from staring at the other.

“By the powers vested in me, by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You make kiss your bride, Callum” he said happily with red puffy cheeks.

This was it. My lips had just pledged an oath to her and to my God and it needed sealing.

My first kiss with Harper and it was as husband and wife. I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and faced a stunning Harper. Her face was full of emotion, her cheeks flushed, her lips moist, her eyes bright. Both our chests were heaving with labored breaths. I had anticipated this more than anything since I’d met her. Her lips beckoned mine.

I slowly ran my fingers through her curls, sliding them off her bare shoulders and watched as the clean spirals bounced before resting on her back. I brushed her bangs back before cupping my hands on either side of her face, holding her jaw and moved achingly slowly toward her beautiful mouth. I watched her glinting eyes until the last possible second, wanting to drink in every single thing she was feeling.

Her breath was sweet and warm and I could feel her panting slightly as I moved closer and closer. This was real, no longer a flirtation. Today we would be closing the gap.

I captured her mouth severely at first and my knees almost buckled beneath me. I closed my eyes in drunken ecstasy, softening immediately, savoring every taste, every sweet flavor she possessed. I sunk into her body, running my hand to the back of her neck, sliding it slowly down her back, gripping her waist and bringing her tightly into me. She had to have felt my desperation for her but I didn’t care. She silently answered a plea of desperation of her own when her hands squeezed tighter around my shoulders and I moaned lightly at the pleasure of it.

Her body leaned back and I hovered over her, holding her body close to mine with the same hand at her waist. Her hands fisted into my collar in a mad attempt to bring me as close as possible. A slight slip of her tongue met mine and I visibly shivered in happiness.

We were forced to break the kiss when the judge cleared his throat, reminding us we weren’t alone. We both stood, dazed and consumed by the other. I was snapped back to reality by furious clapping and shouting. I smiled at Harper and she smiled back, her eyes brilliant in the setting sun.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Callum Tate!” The judge roared over the crowd only making them shout louder.

Harper and I ran down the middle aisle as our guests threw handfuls of dried lavender over our heads, the scent was incredible and I knew I’d never forget all the overwhelming sensations that presented themselves to me that day.

Chapter Eleven

When We First Met

Harper

We ran into the little glass greenhouse as our guests continued to roar.

“We did it,” he said, exasperated, leaning against the door and laughing.

“I know!” I squealed.

He grabbed me to him and hugged me mercilessly, kissing my neck and swinging me around in a circle. He placed me back onto the ground and we stood there, staring, daring the other to do it again. I almost did but a knock came at the door and we were greeted by Charlie and Cherry.

We exchanged hugs and laughed, Cherry and I wiping tears from our eyes.

“Good job,” Charlie said to both of us. “I’m very proud of you.”

“That kiss!” Cherry said, fanning herself, making us both blush. “Come on,” she said, grabbing our hands and leading us to the ‘reception area’.

Off to the vast side of the rooftop, eight rectangular tables formed a giant ‘L’ around a makeshift dance floor. Soft music pumped through the speakers and we joined the rest of our guests with appropriate ‘thank you for coming’s’.

Judge Ryder came up to us to sign our license and the photographer caught the moment on film making me feel so conflicted inside I felt sick. We thanked him, encouraged him to stay but he said he and Karol needed to get home.

The tables were breathtaking, earthy arrangements that matched my bouquet and the flowers used in the ceremony lined the centers, leaving no gaps between. Large pillar candles were lit inside antique lanterns nestled within the generous arrangements. The tables were set with the plain white china I knew belonged to The Bowery when they used to serve dinners fifty years ago. It was all so dazzling it made me dizzy. Champagne flutes sparkled in the candlelight, begging for their drink.

Callum squeezed my hand in disbelief and we silently made it our mission to find Tom.

He was hovering near Kelly and not so subtly watching her. When he saw us coming, he straightened up and bounded our way.

“What do you think?” He asked non-chalantly.

I hugged him tightly around his neck, kissing his cheek. I was openly crying and told him out right how I felt. “I am speechless Tom. This is magazine worthy. I just cannot tell you what this means to me. You have given us the greatest gift in your generosity. Thank you so much.” I sucked in a breath at the emotion.

He pulled me from him to look at my face. “Thank you, Harper but I did have help. All the ladies at the market chipped their time in for free when they heard about what I was going to do for the both of you. The flowers were free, darlin’. Courtesy of the market.”

“I’ll be sure to come down and thank them,” I said.