Page 27 of The Wedding Toast (The Hamiltons #10)

After breakfast on Friday morning, Jacob caught Becca’s hand and tugged her away from the kitchen. She laughed softly as she followed him into his study and looped her arms around his neck when he closed the door behind them.

“What are you up to?” she asked.

He leaned down to press his lips to hers. “I wanted to steal you away for a minute before the day gets too busy.”

She tightened her arms around him. “I know, I feel like I won’t really get to see you now until it’s all over.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I hope that I’ll get to see you standing up front tomorrow afternoon – we have an appointment under the arch that I hope you plan to keep.”

She slapped the back of his head gently. “Of course I do. You know what I mean, though. Even then, we’ll be standing up in front of everyone. I won’t get you to myself – alone – until …”

His gray eyes seemed to shine as he rested his forehead against hers. “Until we’re married. Until you’re my wife.” He chuckled. “Can you believe that I’ve been practicing saying it?”

“Saying what?”

“Introducing you to people.” She loved that he looked a little bashful as he stepped back, held his hand out, and said, “Hi, I’m Jacob, and this is my wife, Becca.”

Tears stung behind her eyes and her hand came up to cover her mouth. “Aww! I love it!”

“I love you.” He wrapped his arms around her again and held her close to his chest.

She clung to him and breathed him in. “I love you more.”

He kissed the top of her head. “We don’t have the time to get into that argument right now, but I love you more.”

She laughed. “You’re right. And we’ll have two weeks of honeymoon to discuss it.”

He squeezed her butt. “That sounds like a challenge I’ll be happy to accept – spending two weeks with nothing else to do but prove how much I love you.”

A shiver ran down her spine. “I like the sound of that.” Her smile faded. “Are you sure you won’t get bored though? I mean, have you ever taken a two-week vacation before? It’s not exactly …”

“Becca.”

She laughed. “Oh – bossy. I love it when you talk like that.” She’d always loved the way he used that stern tone – he only did it when he was trying to look out for her, or to make her stop and think about what she was saying.

“Not bossy. But you don’t honestly believe that I’ll get bored on our honeymoon, do you?”

“I don’t. I plan to make sure you don’t.” She waggled her eyebrows at him. “And even if you find you need a project to work on, we need to get good at married-people sex.”

He laughed. “You’re right, but I don’t think we’ll need a set schedule to practice or anything – I think that will come naturally.” He frowned when his phone beeped.

“You should probably take it. You’re meeting the guys again this morning, aren’t you?”

“I am.” He checked his phone. “It’s Bentley. He’s going to head straight over to the cottage to leave his bag.”

“Are you meeting them over there?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m going to meet them there and we’re heading to the garage.”

“It’s okay. I’ve given up trying to guess whatever this big secret is. I’ll find out tomorrow, won’t I?”

“Not until tomorrow night.”

“Oh!”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s not something personal.” His smile turned to a frown. “I wouldn’t have all the guys helping me with it if it were.”

“Phew!” She swiped her fingers across her brow in mock relief. “You had me worried for a second there.”

He kissed her forehead. “You should know better. I’d never make you uncomfortable like that.”

“I know. You should go. I’ll go and find Callie.”

“Hannah said that Ava feels much better about things since Callie had a chat with her.”

Becca smiled. “She does. Callie’s awesome.”

“She is – tell her I said thanks. I’d better run. I’ll see you back here later.”

She stole another quick peck. “It might not be until this evening – today’s going to get crazy, but we need to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.” She laughed. “And then you need to make sure your bag’s packed for the night.”

He gave her a dark look. “It already is. I’ll take it over to the cottage with me. And tell Callie that as much as I appreciate her staying with you tonight, I’m still not thrilled that she gets to spend the night with you, and I don’t.”

Becca laughed. “It was your choice – you were the one who wanted to go with the tradition of not seeing each other till we meet at the altar … well, under the arch. Oh. Don’t panic if you see me near the garage in a little while.

Callie and I are going to collect Zia from Alara and bring her to Hannah’s with us.

I think she and Ava will have fun together. ”

“Okay. I’ll look out for you – or let me know when you’re on your way down there.” He curled his fingers around the nape of her neck and gave her one of his soul-searing kisses before pulling back with a smile. “I’ll steal another one of those if I can catch you.”

After he left the study, Becca stood there for a few moments, fingers pressed to her lips as she marveled at what a wonderful man he was – and how much she loved him.

~ ~ ~

Jacob enjoyed the feel of the sun on his back as he walked down to the garage with the others.

Even though part of him wished that he’d get to spend tonight with Becca, he was looking forward to his night with the guys.

When Bentley had asked if he wanted to spend the night at his place, he’d declined, not wanting to be that far away from Becca.

So, Slade had stepped up and suggested that a few of them could stay at his and Willow’s cottage right here on the estate.

Jacob grinned at Xander. He understood why his brother had wanted to find a place for just him and Tori to stay while they were here, but he was glad that he was going to join them all at the cottage.

His brother smiled at him. “And Becca really has no idea what you’ve done?”

“Not a clue.”

Slade laughed. “She’s gonna love it, you know.”

“I hope so.”

As they approached the garage, he smiled when he saw Alara.

It looked as though the arch was complete – all except the flowers.

He’d been a little uneasy at first when she insisted that she wouldn’t place them until tomorrow morning.

But both Chuck and Walt had reassured him that it would be better that way.

He chuckled when he saw Zia come running from the trees, a cornflower blue ribbon trailing behind her on the breeze. His stride faltered when he saw someone chasing her.

Xander laughed. “Have you seen Reaves?”

Jacob looked again and was surprised to see that Reaves was the one chasing her.

“I thought he didn’t like kids.”

“So did he,” said Slade. “Until he met Zia.”

“I can’t blame him. She’s a real little character, isn’t she?” said Xander.

“She is,” Jacob agreed, giving his brother a puzzled look. “You know her too?”

Xander nodded. “I met her when Tori and I came over to see Slade and Willow yesterday.”

“Did she give you a name?” asked Bentley. “I’m feeling a little left out. It seems that she’s named everyone around here.”

Xander grinned. “She did, and I am proud to announce that I am the dragon from another land.”

Jacob laughed. “That figures.” Xander and Slade had always been close. They were alike in many ways, so if Slade was the growly dragon who guarded the estate, it didn’t surprise him that Xander would also be a dragon.

Slade punched Bentley’s arm. “We’ll have to get her to name you while we’re here.”

Zia ran all the way past her mother, who looked up and frowned as the girl came to greet them. She stopped in front of them and rubbed her hand over her eyes before blinking up at Jacob and bowing with a flourish.

“Hello, King Cornflower.”

Bentley chuckled beside him.

“Why hello, Miss Zia. How are you today?”

“I am very well, thank you.” She looked at the others. “Hello, growly dragon. Hello, other dragon.”

Slade and Xander both chuckled.

She turned to Bentley. “You’re King Cornflower’s best friend, aren’t you?”

Bentley nodded. “I am.”

“And you have another state.”

Jacob smiled at his friend. He assumed the girl meant estate. She’d probably heard people talking about the DuPont estate.

“I do,” Bentley confirmed.

The girl tilted her head to the side. “You’re the one who likes the other blue flowers.”

Bentley looked a little taken aback, but Jacob figured she’d heard people discussing how he’d incorporated bluebells when he proposed to Alyssa in a different but similar way to how Jacob had used cornflowers.

“That’s right,” Bentley nodded slowly. “Just as Becca loves cornflowers, my lady loves bluebells.”

Zia pondered that for a moment. “Then you’re King Bluebell,” she announced, “and your lady is Queen Bluebell.”

Bentley exchanged a glance with Jacob and nodded. “I guess we are.”

“You don’t need to guess,” Zia told him. “It’s decided.”

The others laughed.

As Reaves came to join them, looking a little sheepish, he opened his mouth to speak, but Zia beat him to it.

“This is Prince Daddy.”

Jacob smirked. Xander and Slade laughed out loud.

Zia scowled at them. “Why is that funny?”

Slade looked apologetic as he crouched down so that he could speak to her at eye level. “It’s not funny,” he explained. “We weren’t laughing at you.” He glanced up at Reaves. “Or at him. I just wondered why these two are kings, but Reaves is only a prince.”

Zia scowled at him and surprised Jacob when she went to take hold of Reaves’s hand.

“He’s not only a prince, he is a prince.

And he’s my prince. They are kings because they already have their flowers and their ladies.

He’s Prince Daddy because he’s not a daddy yet, but when he is, he’ll be the king of all the daddies. ”

She nodded solemnly, as if the subject were closed.

Reaves just shrugged at them.

“I didn’t think you’d be here this early,” said Jacob. He’d been hoping to let Reaves off the hook by moving the conversation along, but it seemed that he’d embarrassed him.