Lucy put the final touches on Samantha's hair as Francesca added lip gloss to her already lined and colored lips.
"Fran, I hope you used waterproof makeup. You know we are all going to cry buckets. We're women. It's what we do." Lucy smirked at her friends. Samantha had been weepy for days. Lucy had her own ideas about that, but she kept it to herself.
"Now you know I am not the crying type, Lucy." Francesca replied.
"Yeah, right. Tell that to someone who hasn't been to the last five weddings with you for the club. The minute you have a seat, the waterworks start. Today will be especially bad because Samantha is a close friend of ours." Lucy snarked back.
"Guys, please. This is not helping. I'm so nervous that I think I'm gonna puke." Samantha said, fanning herself.
"No you're not. That's the baby making you nauseous." Francesca said distractedly.
"Baby! What baby! Isabella doesn't make me nervous, or nauseous. Fran, what are you talking about?" Samantha looked from one woman to another, and instantly noticed the closed off look that was on Lucy's face.
"Uh huh. I'm sorry, Sam. I wasn't supposed to say anything. You were supposed to figure it out yourself." Francesca said.
Samantha sat there quietly, doing math. Then as she did that, she realized that she and Drake had not used any contraceptives, at all. In the two months that they had been intimate, they had been careless about using protection. Both figured that it just wouldn't happen. On her side, because in all of the years that she and Mack had been married, she had only gotten pregnant once. Drake said that he had always been careful, but was sure that there had been a number of times that he had been careless, but no babies.
Samantha felt tears well up as she began to put two and two together. Her moodiness and the crying at the drop of a hat, the increased appetite, wanting to sleep more. It all made perfect sense. She felt an enormous smile overtake her face as she realized what was going on. She was pregnant. With Drake's baby. She wanted to shout. She wanted to cry. She wanted to run and tell Drake. Drake.How was he going to handle the news that he was going to be a daddy? Again. They had already started adoption proceedings for Isabella. Now, they were going to have another. Samantha did some more quick math and realized that she was just about six weeks along. Right after her injury. She remembered that night.
Drake had made it so special for her. The doctor had released her for sexual activity. "But take it easy on that shoulder, Sam. Don't undo all of my good work." Dr. Harrington had smirked when he had told her that.
Drake had fixed them dinner. He had out done himself. He had grilled salmon to perfection, along with asparagus and roasted sweet potato with cinnamon butter. For dessert, he had gone by her favorite Italian restaurant and bought several servings of tiramisu. He had plied her with wine and food. Then he had played soft music and they had danced on his deck. As they danced, he had slowly undressed her, kissing everywhere he uncovered, before lifting her and gently placing her in the hot tub. While in there, they had made love. Drake had merely lifted her and set her in his lap and lowered her onto himself. It had been one of the most beautiful lovemaking sessions she could ever recall.
Suddenly aware of someone snapping their fingers in her face, Samantha looked up at her two best friends and smiled. "I can't wait to tell him. I know just the time, too."
"Give it up, Chica. When?" Francesca demanded, laughing.
"Tonight, when we reach our hotel in the Caribbean." Samantha imagined Drake's surprise as she told him the news. Then, a thought hit her. "What if he doesn't want anymore? What am I going to do?" Samantha wailed.
"Dry your eyes. Woman! That man is so in love with you, if you told him, you were having triplets, he would smile and nod and twirl you around in his arms. He loves you, Samantha. He wants more kids, but he figured that you couldn't have any. Especially after losing the baby when Mack died." Lucy held her friends hands and then hugged her. "I'm so happy for you! Just to see his reaction, I would love to be a fly on the wall when you tell him."
"Alright ladies. Time to get a move on. It's almost that time." Just then, a knock sounded on the door and Francesca opened it to reveal her and Lucy's husband's. Since Samantha couldn't decide who she wanted to walk her down the aisle, the men settled it for her. They were both going to walk her down, one on each side of her.
"Milady, your escorts are here." Bill and Vulcan both bowed in a very courtly manner and each extended their elbows for her to link her arms through. Down the hall and steps, down another hall. They stopped just before the doorway to the backyard. Vulcan looked down at the woman who had captured his friend's heart and smiled. Bill looked at her and said, "Last chance, Samantha. Once the doors open, you can't back out."
"Back out! Are you out of your mind! Hurry up! My destiny is out there. My man and our daughter are waiting on me!" Samantha said, excitedly.
Vulcan nodded to someone and the doors opened and the wedding march began as they began to walk down the aisle.
So many people were present. She saw many police uniforms, men in suits that could only be FBI. She saw more than one Senator and Congressman. There was no shortage of celebrities and persons of note. Samantha would have been intimidated if she had been paying attention to them. Her eyes, however, were on the man at the end of the aisle, waiting on her with the biggest smile on his face. Her vision narrowed down until all she could see was Drake. He was wearing his vest over a black silk shirt and dark blue jeans and brand new biker boots. Her dress had been a surprise. It was a corset style with a floor length skirt with a side slit almost to her hip. What set the dress off was that it was leather. White leather. She had worked with the dressmaker to incorporate an actual corset and bra into the dress to make it as uncomplicated as possible. That is, until she turned around. The dress laced up from her lower back up to the top of the dress, just below her shoulder blades. On her feet were white patent leather and gold chain heels. They gave her an added boost to her height.
When they reached Drake, each man took one of Samantha's hands and placed it in their friend's. When the preacher asked who gives her to this man, they both said I do. In Samantha's eyes, it was beautiful. Then, the rest of the ceremony was lost to her as she was caught up in her husband. He had to nudge her gently to repeat her vows and say "I Do." Some laughed, but those who knew the couple well, just smiled and nodded knowingly.
"You may kiss your bride."
"Thank God. I thought we would never get here!" Drake bent and plundered Samantha's mouth until Bill and Vulcan cleared their throats. Loudly.
"What? She officially mine now. Let me enjoy it for a minute." And kissed her some more. So much so that her head was spinning by the time he raised his and released her lips.
"Oh my....." She said as she fanned herself. Behind her the preacher also cleared his throat. Drake turned to him and nodded.
"Ladies and gentlemen, all in attendance; please join me in welcoming the new couple to their married life." He began to gently clap. The crowd clapped loudly and the men roared their approval.
"Food! Let's eat, drink and be merry. Sam and I want our family and guests to enjoy themselves. There is a large buffet with Mexican food, my girl's favorite, There will be a band starting up in about twenty minutes. Then after everyone has been given a chance to eat, Sam and I will cut our cake. Enjoy!"
Drake walked his new wife over to the buffet table and fixed their plates. After he had escorted her to their personal table, he turned to go get their drinks, when he heard his two friends behind him.
"Oh no you don't. This is your day. Yours and Sam's. Let us, you club, friends and family, serve you. The women would never forgive us, if we didn't serve you." Bill laughed as he and Vulcan walked over to the table that held all different types of drinks. No one had wanted champagne, so instead, it had been replaced with sangria. Tequila was available by request, but the guests were limited to three shots. However, mixed drink flowed freely. Returning to the wedding table, Bill and Vulcan each handled the couple a glass of sangria. When Lucy came up, she handed Samantha a mango margarita, for which Sam was very grateful.
Before either realized where the time had gone, it was time to cut the cake. That provided some hilarious and wonderful pictures for their album. Cake was smeared and mouths were stuffed.
Before too long it was time to go to the airport for their flight. After changing, Drake put their luggage in the back of Sam's Jeep and as they pulled out, they were met by several police cars with lights flashing. Sam and Drake grinned at each other when they realized that they were getting a full police escort.
The airport was, thankfully, not very busy and they passed through security and baggage check rapidly, before boarding the flight. The flight was not too long, but with all of the excitement, Sam was tired and slept. She woke hours later to Drake gently shaking her, her head resting on her husband's shoulder. She smiled.
"What's the smile for, my love?" Drake asked.
"I just realized that I can call you my husband for real now. Not future husband. Not potential husband. But husband." Sam felt tears prick her eyes. "I love you, Drake." Reaching up, she kissed him quickly before standing up to get her purse from the overhead compartment.
After going through baggage check, security, and customs, Drake and Sam exited the airport and flagged down a cab for the trip to the hotel.
Later, the two were laying together in the giant tub in their hotel bathroom, when Samantha's stomach growled. She blushed a deep red while Drake just laughed. Getting out of the tub, Drake helped his lady out and then proceeded to dry her off. Tickling, licking, tasting. "Rmmmmm."
"Oh my god! That's embarrassing." Samantha buried her face in Drake's chest as he laughed. "Come on, baby. I'll order us room service. What do you want to drink?"
After she answered him, he went to order room service while she got dressed. Just as Drake was coming out of the bedroom of their suite, a knock sounded on the door. Drake let the waiter in, signed the bill and quickly ushered the man out again. Samantha chuckled as she watched him in action.
"What? I want my woman to myself. And why are you wearing clothes?" He asked.
"Why are you? I'm not sitting here eating in the nude while you sit there fully dressed and ogle me. Not happening, buddy." Her words were said with a smirk, because they both know that she would if he asked.
Sometime later, after eating, they were laying in bed. Drake's arms were wrapped around her securely. She hated to speak, because she knew that what she had to say could potentially shatter that sense of security.
"Drake?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"I need to tell you something, and I'm not sure how you're going to react." That got his attention. Drake sat up quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders to turn her to look at him.
"You're not sick are you? Is something wrong?" Drake couldn't possibly imagine what was wrong. She loved him, of that he had no doubt. Were there complications from her injury.
"Drake stop. I can see the wheel turning. Stop that. I am just wanting to tell you some news and I am not sure how you're going to take it." Samantha swallowed hard.
"Baby, there is nothing that you can't tell me. You know that. Don't you?" Drake kissed her on the forehead as he tried to reassure her.
"I've been hiding something from you for the last week or so. I've been tired, hungry all the time, moody. It seems I cry all the time." Samantha drew a shaky breath.
"Baby, are you telling me that we can't have children because you are in menopause? If you are that's ok. I wanted more children with you, but if we can't, I'm ok with that." Drake had unknowingly given her the answer that she was seeking without even giving him the news.
"I'm pregnant." It came out in a rush and Drake wasn't sure that he had heard her correctly.
"What did you say, sweetheart? You said it so fast I couldn't understand you. Did you say you're pregnant?"Samantha had her head buried in Drake's chest and just nodded. "But, baby, that's wonderful. I knew there was a chance, but I didn't expect it so soon."
Samantha felt her breath leave her lungs in a rush as she raised a tear streaked face to her husband. Raising her arms, she wrapped them around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.