Page 105 of The Disputed Legacy

Reaching Saul, he noticed my worry.

“He’s sick, isn’t he?” he whispered as the officiant began to speak.

I nodded. “I think it’s the flu,” I whispered back.

He frowned, hating for our son to suffer. “Does he need fluids?”

“Not like an IV,” I replied. “But maybe we can…” I tilted my head to the officiant. “Tell him to make it snappy.”

I caught Ana’s attention as Saul cleared his throat. Holding my hands, he leaned toward the man one step above us.

Ana frowned, mouthing,what’s wrong?

I mouthed back that Oscar was sick.

Saul winced as the officiant stopped mid-sentence. “Can we just get to the end?”

“Theend? We just began.”

“But we didn’t,” I told Saul, who smiled.

He kissed me quickly.

“Wait,that’sat the end,” the officiant protested.

“We need to hurry,” Saul said as I looked over at Oscar. Nik, one of the groomsmen, waved at Oscar’s face. Damon furrowed his brow and set his hands on his shoulders to steady him.

“Oh, honey…” I frowned, hating for him to feel so ill. I couldn’t not be a mother and only act like a bride.

“The end,” Saul said, snapping his fingers. He leaned back to take the rings off the pillow Oscar held. “Hold on, buddy. We’ll get you to bed.”

“But, well…” the officiant was flustered.

I took the ring for Saul and cleared my throat. “You want to be mine?” I asked.

He nodded as I slipped the ring on. “I do.”

“Do you want to be mine?” he asked me, taking the wedding band he’d had made for me.

“I do,” I replied as he slipped it on my finger.

I grabbed the front of his tuxedo jacket as I pulled him close. At the same time, he looped his arm around me and hauled me to him. We kissed. Hard. It was sexy and sweet. But most of all, short.

“Mama?” Oscar said.

Saul darted down a step, snatching a baglike container that was hooked to the end of the pew to hold a big spread of flowers.

He dumped them out, turned toward Oscar, and put the container toward him just in time as I hurried over and blocked him from view of the crowd.

“You called it,” Saul joked.

I gave him a look, rubbing Oscar’s back.

“Oh, God…” Anastasia groaned, covering her face. “I wantedonewedding to remember…”

I laughed, shaking my head. I’d tried. But it wasn’t the wedding day or night that counted. It was the pair of people being joined in marriage. The relationship.

The love.