Cherished by Kelly Elliott
“And do you want to spend the rest of your life with him and only him?”
“Yes!” I said, not even having to think about it.
She smiled bigger. “Then, you have nothing to be scared of because I asked him the very same questions, and I do believe you both answered back in record-breaking time. He loves you so much, Jessie. And I know you love him. The moment you see each other, I promise your nerves are going to disappear, and nothing but love will replace them.”
I pulled Melody into my arms and hugged her as tight as I could. “Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done and for welcoming me into your family with open arms.”
She pulled back slightly. “Oh, Jessie, thank you. Thank you for making my son the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Thank you for my beautiful granddaughter in the other room, who already has her grandpa wrapped around his finger. Thank you for loving my son like you do. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter if I had planned it myself.”
I dabbed at the tears in my eyes.
Ellie came running over with tissues and makeup in her hands. “Don’t cry! Your makeup!”
The Wedding
“Scott, take a deep breath, dude. I can practically hear your heart beating,” Lark whispered.
It was finally here. The moment I’d been dreaming of since I could remember. I was marrying the girl of my dreams, the only girl I’d ever truly loved.
“I’m fine,” I said.
Gunner leaned over and laughed. “If you keep rocking back and forth, we’re all going to get motion sickness.”
I looked over at him and smiled. I had been rocking back and forth, and if I dug my fingers into my hands any more, they were going to start bleeding.
“Were you this nervous?” I asked no one in particular.
They all answered, “Yes,” with the exception of Lark, who laughed.
I laughed and shook my head. I looked down the line at my friends. These guys were more than friends. They were like brothers to me. It wasn’t lost on me how all the female guests were looking us up and down. We each had on black tuxes with silver vests and silver ties. Jessie had insisted we all wear our cowboy boots, and not one of us had argued with her. It had been decided that we would be allowed to change into jeans and just keep the white shirts, vests, and ties on for the reception.
Then, the music began playing, and I instantly felt sick. Then, Lark put his hand on my shoulder.
He squeezed it and said, “Scott, the moment you see her, it will all go away. Every fear will vanish when she smiles at you, dude.”
I nodded my head, knowing he was right. “I just want to make her happy, Lark. I just want her to know how much I love her.”
He slapped my back lightly. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I see the way y’all look at each other, Scott. Just speak from your heart.”
The first couple down the aisle was Alex and Luke. They were walking together, holding hands, and it was probably the cutest damn thing I’d ever seen.
I glanced at Lark, who had a smile from ear to ear.
“My god, if that isn’t the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered.
I chuckled since I had just thought the same thing.
“Stick around for a while, Lark. There’s something in our water if you want one,” Gunner said.
Lark’s smile never faltered. He didn’t even make a smart-ass comment about how happy he was being single.
Alex immediately walked up to Gunner and hugged him, but Luke pulled her away to where he had been told they needed to stand. I had a feeling that Alex was going to have a very hard time dating when she got older with Gunner, Jeff, and Luke to watch over her.
Then, Amanda started down the aisle, followed by Heather, Ari, and then Ellie. They looked breathtaking. I smiled at each of them as they walked up and winked at me.
Damn, I love those girls like sisters.
Then, Azurdee appeared, and I heard Lark let out a gasp next to me. One quick look at him told me everything I’d already known. He was head over heels for her. During the few times they had been together out at our place, it was obvious that they both liked each other, but Lark was being a stubborn ass about it.
Then, the wedding march began playing. I closed my eyes and prayed to God that I wouldn’t cry. If I did, Jeff would never let me live it down.
As I opened my eyes, I saw her. It felt like all the air had been sucked from my body as our eyes met. I looked her up and down, and I was pretty sure I felt my knees wobble. I felt like I was about to pass out when she smiled that big beautiful smile of hers. I smiled back, and it was like a million sensations traveled through my body.
I never took my eyes off of her as she made her way closer to me on her father’s arm. She was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers that matched all the flowers on the tables and the flowers that the girls were carrying. Jessie’s bouquet was bigger and wrapped in silver silk with a runner.
Right before she got to me, she stopped and turned toward my mother, who stood up. She was holding Lauren, who was sleeping like the little angel she was. My mother handed something to Jessie and then kissed her on the cheek. Jessie leaned down and kissed Lauren before turning back toward me and walking up.
The pastor took a step forward and smiled. “We are gathered here today in the presence of God and Scott and Jessica’s family and friends, so that they may be united in holy matrimony. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
Drake wiped a tear from his eye. “I do.” He placed Jessie’s hand in mine and looked at me as he said, “I’m giving you my life. I’m trusting you to love her, take care of her, and never hurt her.”
I smiled as I reached out and shook Drake’s hand. “I promise you, I’ll spend the rest of my life loving her and taking care of her. She’s my everything.”
He gave me a weak smile and turned to Jessie. He wiped a tear from her cheek and gave her a kiss. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and all I could think of was that I would be doing the same with my Lauren one day.
Jessie and I turned and both took a few steps closer to the pastor.
I looked at Jessie. “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful in my entire life. You take my breath away.”
She let out a small sob and tried to hold the tears back. “I love you,” she whispered.
I used my thumbs to wipe away her tears. “I love you, too.”
We decided to say our own vows, and I had been panicking the whole night and morning about it. I knew what I wanted to say, but the moment it was my turn to talk, I just stood there, frozen. I couldn’t open my mouth until Lark gave me a nudge from behind.
Jessie smiled, and I knew exactly what I wanted to say. I smiled and shook my head as I gently squeezed her hands in mine.
“The very moment I knew I loved you, I ran away from you. I was nothing but a scared and stupid boy fighting his feelings. The moment you showed up in my world again, I knew I would never run away from you ever. I knew I would fight every day for the rest of my life to show you how much I loved you, how much I needed you.
“Every morning when I wake up and look at you, I realize how much I love you more with each passing day. When you walk into a room, I swear it feels like I can’t breathe from just the sight of you. When you smile at me, I feel your love pouring out, and I thank God that he blessed me with that love.
“The day you said yes to me, I thought that was the happiest day of my life, but I was so wrong. The day our daughter was born, I just knew that was the happiest day of my life. But I was wrong again.
“Today, standing here in front of you, knowing that you’re about to become my wife and that I get to wake up every day to your beautiful smile for the rest of my life…today is the happiest day of my life because I know it’s me and you, forever and always. Without you, I’d be nothing, Jessie. You’re my entire world. My reason for being is to love you, protect you, and make you feel nothing but…cherished,” I vowed, my voice cracking
Jessie was smiling at me as tears rolled down her cheeks in what looked like one endless stream.
She wiped the tears away and gave my hands a quick squeeze. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out before she began talking.
The Wedding
I knew my hands were shaking, and I was still trying to recover from what Scott had just said to me. When his voice had cracked, it had been my breaking point, and I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer.
Now, it was my turn to try and express to him how much he meant to me, how he made me feel every day of our lives.
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Scott, since the first day you ever smiled at me, I knew my heart would always belong to you. Then, you kissed me, and I really knew I was yours. The road we traveled to get to where we are today was not an easy one. We both took a few wrong turns and had some pretty big hills to climb, but we did it. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You are the air that I breathe, the light in my darkness, and the hope of my future. I never in my life imagined that you could make me as happy as you have or make me feel as loved as you do. I love you, and I’ll always love you with every ounce of my being. Thank you for loving me and never giving up on our love.”
I reached up and lightly brushed the tear away that was slowly moving down his cheek.
Everyone let out an, “Aww…”
Scott grabbed my hand and kissed my wrist. “I love you to the moon and back, baby.”
I laughed. “I love you to the moon and back and then to the moon and back again.”
“One-upper,” he whispered.
Everyone laughed.
When the pastor said it was time to kiss the bride, I couldn’t wait to feel his lips on mine. I would never get tired of him kissing me. I longed for his touch twenty-four hours a day.
The kiss was sweet yet passionate.
Before he pulled away, he whispered against my lips, “You look breathtaking in that dress, baby, but damn, I can’t wait to get you out of it.”
I moved my lips to his ear. “Neither can I. Wait till you see what I have underneath the dress.”
He pulled back and looked at me. His eyes became filled with nothing but passion. I had to bite down on my lip to distract myself from the aching pulse between my legs.
The pastor pulled us both out of our trance by announcing us as husband and wife. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Scott Reynolds.”
As we began walking down the aisle, we both stopped and kissed Melody and Scott, Senior. Then, we walked over to my father, Dew, and Aaron. I kissed each of them. I was still upset that my brothers hadn’t wanted to be a part of the wedding party, but I understood their reasons. They had known Scott wanted his friends, and they hadn’t wanted us to have a huge wedding party. I smiled and punched Dewey in the arm. I quickly smiled and said hello to his new girlfriend, Rachael.
As we walked down the aisle, I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking on cloud nine. I never thought the birth of my child could ever be topped, but I did believe this day just tied for first place.
As the night went on, kids ran around on nothing but sugar highs. Games were played, new memories were made, and lots of dancing happened. One by one, the kids crashed throughout the house in beds, sofas, and portable cribs.
I’d never laughed so hard in my life, and being surrounded by our family and friends just made it all the more special. Melody had a blast playing hostess, and Jenny kept everything moving along.
When it came time for the bride-and-groom dance, I started shaking. Scott had left it up to me to pick the song, and I couldn’t pick just one. I had narrowed it down to Mark Wills’s “I Do” and Kenny Chesney’s “Me and You.” I had been stressing about it for two weeks until Ellie and I had gone out for a ride one morning.
She had said, “Play each song by yourself with no one around. Whichever song moves you the most is the right song.”
That evening, I’d asked Scott for a few minutes alone. I’d grabbed my iPod and made my way to the main barn right behind the house. I’d sat there and listened to both songs, and one of them had clearly spoken to me. Every word in it had screamed Scott and me.
I closed my eyes and prayed that he would agree with the song choice. As we made our way to the dance floor, Dewey and Aaron each took turns saying a little something. It mostly consisted of threatening poor Scott with bodily harm if he ever hurt Lauren or me.
Scott had taken it like a trooper, but as he took me in his arms, he said, “Jesus H. Christ…I don’t know who to be more scared of—your father or your brothers.”
I laughed as I kissed him quickly on the lips.
The DJ announced we were about to dance our first dance as a married couple.
I looked into Scott’s eyes and smiled. “I love you, Scott,” I said with a shaky voice.
He placed his hand on the side of my face and brushed his thumb across my cheek. I leaned my head into his hand and closed my eyes. He slowly moved his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me to him for a kiss.
Kenny Chesney’s “Me and You” began playing, and I felt him smile against my lips.
He barely pulled away. “How did you know?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “How did I know, what?”
“The first time I ever heard this song, I thought of you. I thought if we ever got married, this would be our song. I used to have dreams of dancing with you to this song.”
I sucked in a breath of air and began crying as I buried my head into his chest. The way he was running his hand up and down my back while softly singing the words to me only caused me to cry harder.
Any doubts and bad memories I ever had about our relationship completely melted away with every word he sang to me. I had no doubt in my mind that this man would always love and be faithful to both Lauren and me with everything he had.
I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and smiled. “Scott, I’ve never in my life felt so incredibly loved and cherished. Thank you for making this one of the happiest days of my life.”
The smile that spread across his face caused me to smile.
“Baby, I plan on making you feel that way every day for the rest of your life.”
I placed my hand on the side of his face as he brought his lips down to mine.
Right before he kissed me, I said, “Sounds like a good plan.”
The Honeymoon
“Baby, we have to go.” I tried to pull Jessie away from my mother and Lauren.
“I don’t know. Scott, she’s only three months old! I can’t leave her,” Jessie said with pleading eyes.
“Baby, she’s almost four months old, and yes, you can. She’s in good hands. We are only going to be a few hours away. I promise you, my mother has done this before.”
My mother let out a chuckle and winked at me. “Jessie, you wouldn’t let the boy take you to Hawaii because you said it was too far away. South Padre Island is only a few hours away, and I promise you, I will take extra special care of her.”
Jessie nodded her head and kissed Lauren on the forehead. She turned to Azurdee and gave her a hug.
After kissing Azurdee on the cheek, Jessie said, “Thank you so much for staying at the house while we’re gone. I didn’t have the heart to board the new kitten we just got.”
Azurdee rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh…that’s why Lark is staying there, too?”
I let out a laugh. “He’s only staying for the night, but y’all have the whole house to yourselves.” I winked at her.
The blush that crossed her face was the cutest thing ever.
“Go on back outside, and enjoy the party, Azurdee. I love you, and thank you for everything. It was a beautiful wedding,” Jessie said with one last hug.
“Y’all be careful driving down, and text me when you get there,” Azurdee said.
Jessie and I both nodded.
“Will do. Go
Azurdee smiled. “Yeah, the only ones left are Brad and Amanda with Taylor and Maegan.”
Jessie and Azurdee hugged yet again, and after this time, Azurdee turned and headed back outside.
I took Jessie’s hand and began pulling her through the house and out to my truck.
“Bye, Mom. Take good care of my baby girl,” I called over my shoulder.
“Oh! Mom, remember to make sure to turn on her little music player when you put her down. She loves to go to sleep to music. Oh! And be sure to turn on her Pooh night-light. She sometimes will fight her afternoon nap, but don’t pick her up! She will only cry for like two minutes, and then she’s out.”
I heard my mother laughing.
“Jessie…I have watched this child before, you know. Go enjoy your honeymoon!” she called out.
I opened the door and practically lifted Jessie up into the truck. I quickly shut it and ran around to the other side. I jumped in, started the truck, and took off down my driveway faster than I’d ever had before.
“Damn, why are you driving so fast?” Jessie asked.
I glanced at her quickly. “For fear of you being tempted to jump out of the truck and run back.”
She giggled and shook her head. When she reached for my hand, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body.
This would never get old.
“So…where are we going?” she asked.
I squeezed her hand. “The Four Seasons.”
She made a little squeak sound. “On Town Lake?”
“Yep,” I said as I popped my P.
“God, I just can’t wait to get out of this dress. I wish you would have just taken it off at home, so I could be comfy.”
I laughed as I brought her hand up and kissed the back of it. “If I had done that, we’d still be at home, and I’d be making passionate love to you, not caring who heard your screams of pleasure.”
“Screams of pleasure? You’re pretty sure about yourself, huh?”