Elyssa tried to be speak, but her throat closed up.
And then it happened.
His lips touched hers. The soft caress of his mouth sent tingles from her lips all the way down her neck. Tender. Tentative. Teasing. Her lips responded of their own accord. She kissed him back, opening to him. He deepened the kiss, taking her, claiming her as his own. She reveled in the electric sensations overwhelming her entire being. Connection. The crowd of onlookers disappeared. The universe contracted until only she and Jaxon remained. So intense was the moment, she felt she was losing part of her soul. As his fingers tightened in her hair and he gave a small moan, she felt it… He was giving her a piece of himself.
His lips retreated, breaking contact. A small cry of despair escaped her lips. Why did it have to end? He rested his forehead against hers, his rapid breathing matching her own. Now she was aware of merry whooping from the onlookers. A glance to the side revealed a teary-eyed Molly, clapping her hands.
“Elyssa, do you understand now? Are you very clear about what I want?”
“Yes, but I’m not ready… I mean, it’s too soon… I mean—”
“Good—I’m glad we finally understand each other. Because I have a question for you.” He dropped to one knee.
A cheer broke out from the crowd.
Elyssa’s heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear the words that left his lips.
“Will you go out with me?”
Part 35: Follow Your Dreams
“I’M SORRY MS. ROSE. There’s nothing I can do about it. But I have these lovely carnations. I thought you’d be just as happy. But if you’d prefer to wait, the roses will be in tomorrow for sure.” The pinch-lipped woman had the nerve to appear imperious.
“But the wedding is today! In three hours! And those carnations are pink. I was supposed to have roses—red roses. I knew I should have done the flowers myself, instead of hiring another florist.” Elyssa felt her blood pressure rising. This was a bad sign. Maybe she should call off the wedding.
“Hey, Sis. What’s wrong? And why aren’t you in your wedding gown yet? The photographer’s waiting.” Scotty grabbed at her arm, but she shook him off.
“Look! They brought pink carnations, instead of red roses. I w
as supposed to have twenty dozen red roses.” Elyssa, turned to the florist, who stood with arms crossed and nose lifted high. “Just use the ranunculus. Throw those pink carnations away.”
“Oh, the ranunculus didn’t come either.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“Come on, Elyssa.” Sadie hooked an arm around her elbow, dragging her away. Elyssa hadn’t even noticed her standing with Scotty, dressed in workout clothes. “You’re way too tense. What you need is to go for a little run to de-stress.”
“I don’t want to go for a run right now. I don’t have time.” Elyssa stumbled along in her sandals as Sadie urged her into a gentle jog.
“Sure you do. There’s always time to exercise. You have to make it a priority.”
“I don’t want to get all sweaty before the wedding. I don’t have time to shower.”
“Sweat is the l’eau de parfum of a healthy life. Jaxon will understand. He owns a gym.” Sadie picked up the pace until Elyssa’s lungs were screaming for air.
Out of nowhere, a golden retriever appeared in their path. Elyssa’s attempt to dodge the dog only caused her to trip over her own feet, sending her sailing forward, tumbling end-over-end. When the world stopped its crazy revolutions, she found herself on her back, looking up into Sadie’s wide eyes.
“Wow, you almost took out that poor dog, but he seems to be okay.” Sadie’s cell phone rang, a loud obnoxious strain of the popular rap song, You A Foo’. “Hey Jaxon. Yeah, Elyssa’s right here. Okay, I’ll tell her.” She tucked her phone into her waist pack. “Jaxon’s going to be a little late, so we have plenty of time.”
“Late? How late?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe an hour or two. Here comes Scotty, maybe he knows more about it.”
Scotty extended a hand, hefting Elyssa to her feet. “Come on, Sis. You look terrible with those dark circles under your eyes. You need to go put on some make-up or something.”
“Scotty, do you know why Jaxon’s going to be late?” Elyssa ignored her brother’s remark, deciding he would pay later for his thoughtless comment.
“Yeah, he’s got to get his mountain bike out of the repair place. We’ve got a weekend trip planned after the wedding. He would've been on time, but the shop doesn’t open until eleven a.m. on Saturdays.”