Page 1 of Killer Honeymoon
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” Royce said firmly. He pointed at the garage door with his right arm and rotated the left in wide circles like a third base coach waving a player home. “We’re going to be late to our own wedding rehearsal. This is not how I want to start my relationship with my mother-in-law.”
Sawyer snorted and rolled his eyes, but he headed toward the door. “Please. Like you could do any wrong in my mother’s eyes.”
Royce’s heart swelled, but it wasn’t enough to lessen his rising panic. “I plan to keep it that way.”
Sawyer huffed out a sigh and reached for the door handle. “We’ll arrive with a minimum of twenty minutes to spare. And you only have yourself to blame for our potential tardiness. You know better than to put your hands on me unless you plan to use them.”
Royce held said hands up in surrender. “You’re the one who paraded around here buck-ass naked. You know I can’t resist you. And fifteen minutes early means late in—” Their ringing doorbell cut Royce off midsentence. “Evangeline time,” he finished on a whisper. “Now what?”
Sawyer quirked a brow. “We see who it is and politely send them on their way.”
Royce checked his watch. “Yeah, okay. If I get rid of them now, we’ll still arrive eighteen minutes early.” He briskly headed toward the foyer, hoping it was somebody selling something he could easily reject.
“You don’t earn extra points for every minute we arrive early,” Sawyer called out.
Royce had reached the door and didn’t bother to respond. He’d share his rebuttal with Sawyer on the drive to their wedding venue. He rehearsed an abrasive greeting, but the thought fled as soon as he swung the door open and found Imelda Ruiz, Sawyer’s former mother-in-law, standing on the porch. She wore an ivory dress with tiny pink and yellow flowers all over it. The colors complemented her warm skin tone and black hair. Her expression and smile were guarded, and it set off little alarm bells in Royce’s brain.
“I’m probably the last person you expected to see the day before your wedding,” Imelda said softly.
“It’s a pleasant surprise,” Royce replied, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter.
Imelda looked at him hesitantly. “Did I catch you at a bad time?” A hint of hopefulness lingered in her voice, making Royce even more curious. Did she wish he’d send her away?
“Not at all,” Royce lied. “Sawyer is in—”
“I’m right here,” Sawyer said, stepping up behind him. “Won’t you come in?”
Imelda’s smile brightened, and she nodded before entering their home. She hugged them both, then dropped her arms and stood back. “I won’t stay long. I just wanted to stop by to give you something.”
Royce assumed it was a wedding gift, and his heart fell. They’d personally delivered her invitation as soon as Evangeline had finalized them. Imelda had seemed so grateful they’d included her, but maybe it was too much.
“I’ll be at the wedding tomorrow, but this delivery is…” Imelda’s words trailed off, and her gaze seemed to lose focus for a few moments before she pulled herself together. She took a deep breath and tried again. “This is a promise I made to Vic, and I’ve debated whether to honor it. I’ve volleyed back and forth between yes and no so much this week that I’ve made myself dizzy.” She cupped Sawyer’s cheek first, then Royce’s, before lowering her hand to the buttery yellow purse hanging from a gold chain on her shoulder. “The last thing I wanted to do was dim your happiness for even a second, so I’d decided not to fulfill the promise I made to Vic. He visited me in a dream last night and said, ‘Mama, how could you think I’d do or say anything to hurt Sawyer and his man? I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.’” Imelda’s eyes filled with tears. “So here I am. A promise is a promise after all.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out two envelopes. One was addressed to Sawyer and the other to Lucky Bastard. She gripped them tightly in her hands instead of offering them to Sawyer and Royce.
“I’d recognize that handwriting anywhere,” Sawyer said, a gentle smile curving his lips. “When did Vic write these?”
Imelda swallowed hard, and the brimming tears spilled down her cheeks. Royce pulled her in for a tight hug and whispered that she’d done the right thing. Imelda nodded against his chest and allowed Royce to comfort her for a few moments before she eased back.
“Soon after his diagnosis,” she told Sawyer. “Vic accepted his fate much sooner than we did. He’d devoted all his extra energy to ensuring his parents and husband would be okay.”
“Selfless,” Royce said.
Imelda nodded. “Maddeningly so at times.” She took a shaky breath and extended the envelopes to Royce and Sawyer, who accepted them immediately. “Promise kept,” she whispered toward the heavens before meeting their gazes. Imelda’s smile came easier, and her spirit seemed lighter as if an enormous weight had been lifted from her thin shoulders. “There’s no pressure from me to read the letters now or ever, okay?”
Royce and Sawyer nodded.
“I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Imelda kissed both their cheeks before leaving.
They stared at the letters in their hands for a few moments before locking eyes.
Sawyer swallowed hard and said, “Should we read them now?”
Royce shook his head. “We’ll be late.” He held out his empty hand to Sawyer. “Trust me?”
Sawyer placed his letter on Royce’s open palm. “Always.”
Royce carefully folded the envelopes and put them into his pocket for safekeeping. Then he pressed his lips to Sawyer’s for a brief kiss. “I know the perfect spot and time. We’ll read Vic’s letters together.”