Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Ash pecked Skye’s cheek and flashed a not-so-innocent grin. “You definitely need to lay off the champagne. I’m officially cutting you off.”
She giggled, loving the way his lips glided against her skin. “I’m fine.”
In fact, she felt fabulous—a bit tipsy certainly but happily buzzed.
Ash had her forgetting about Spencer's betrayal with the long-legged bitch.
And, like Ash, she was tired of the no-sex clause.
When they made it back to the hotel room, she was going to peel him out of those jeans that were slung low in all the right places and show him a thing or two about payback.
A bored-looking city employee called out from behind the caged glass, “Next.”
Ben and Edna shuffled to the window, and Skye and Ash trailed behind them, supportive of their newly-to-be-wed-again friends.
“May I help you?” The woman with flame-red streaks between her ebony hair barely glanced at Ben. She looked down at the paperwork on her desk, filing the requests of the previous couple. A faded smiley face decorated her name tag that proclaimed her as Marge.
Edna’s voice warbled as she explained what they wanted, “We’re here for a marriage certificate. Ben and I want to renew our vows.” She cupped Ben’s cheek, the light of her love shining in her glistening eyes.
Marge took in Ben and Edna and then blinked when she saw Ash. “Hey, you look familiar.”
Ash rocked back on his heels and answered, “I have a familiar face.”
“Well,” Marge said with a sniff, “I need identification from the bride and groom for the marriage certificate.”
Ben fumbled, pulling his wallet out of his pants pocket, while Edna had her massive purse open, digging through its contents.
Ben clasped Edna’s hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Edna said with a tear forming in the corner of her eye.
Marge jabbed the eraser of her pencil against the glass. “Are you the witnesses?”
Marge looked to Skye and Ash. The clerk’s tone turned irritated as she rolled her eyes and held out her hand. “I need IDs.”
“Ours?” A confused expression crossed Ash’s face.
The woman nodded with a look of incredulity. “If you’re going to be a part of the ceremony, I need ID.”
Marge pulled out two sets of paperwork and marked them with her pencil. Meanwhile, Skye and Ash fished out their identifications, and along with Ben and Edna, they slid their passports through the window to a grumbly Marge.
Skye whispered to Ash, “What’s her problem?”
“Shh,” Ash said, “be nice.” He beamed a rock-star smile at Marge, who flipped through the stack of identification.
Her eyes widened when she looked at Ash’s ID.
“Oh, shit,” he said.
“What?”
“Didn’t think this through.” He discreetly nodded toward Marge and the shocked expression on her face.
“At least she recognized you,” Skye whispered with a slur. She poked him in the ribs.
Ash stepped to the window. “Um, Marge,” he said, using his ultra-sexy voice, “this is supposed to be a quiet weekend for me and my girl.” He smiled at Skye, and then turned back to Marge. “You know, no fuss?”
Skye gave a dorky half-wave to Marge.
Ash laid the charm on a little thick, pressing the tips of his fingers on the glass. “Can we keep this kind of…quiet?”
Marge stared at him with starstruck eyes.
She slid a piece of paper along with a ballpoint pen over to Ash.
“I can’t believe who’s standing at my window.
” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I promise not to say a word.” She brought her fingers to her lips and mimed zipping them, tossing away the key. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you, Marge. We’re here to support Ben and Edna.”
Marge moistened her lips. “Got that. Renewing vows and the wedding.” She pointed to the paper. “Can you sign an autograph for me?”
“I’d love to.” He graced Marge with another sparkling smile. “Now, is there any way to speed up this paperwork?”
Marge collected the forms. “Normally, I wouldn’t…but considering who you…” She laughed and then waved at the four of them. With a deep breath, she paused. “I’ll take care of everything. Give me a sec, and I’ll have all the forms filled out. No one will know you are here.”
Ben glanced at Ash. “You some kind of hotshot?”
Ash gave a sigh. “I sing a little.”
Skye snorted with Marge’s excited departure. “You know she’s probably texting her best buddies right now.”
Ash ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. That’s what has me worried. She texts a few friends, and then they text a few…” He gripped her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Ash pulled out his phone. A long expression tugged at his face as he texted. “I didn’t want the crazies barging in on our time. I just wanted you.”
“I want you, too.” Now that she’d said it, she couldn’t deny the truth even if she’d known him for only two days—three, if she counted the day they’d met. And how could she forget that toe-curling first kiss?
Ben wrapped his arm around Edna. “You two make a really great couple.”
A flush heated Skye’s face.
Marge returned with the paperwork. She slid it halfway under the counter and then collected the fee from Ben.
Her eyes devoured Ash. “You need to sign here and here.”
Everyone signed the papers.
Then, Marge waved them to a set of double doors.
“The justice of the peace has to make it official, but I already had the papers signed. You won’t have to come back and stand in line again.
” She winked at Ash. “But you need the official ceremony to make it legal. The marriage certificate will be mailed in six to eight weeks.”
Ben tilted Edna’s chin and kissed her. Skye’s stomach clenched as she watched how in love the older couple was. She was not envious of their bond but more hopeful about one day having even a slice of the magic they shared.
“The justice is waiting. I told her you wanted to keep things quiet.” She put her fingers to her lips. “She thinks it’s so romantic. Down that hall, second door on the left.”
Ash clutched his cell phone in his hand, head bowed, while he followed Ben down the hall. He chewed at his lower lip.
“What’s up?” Skye asked.
“I texted my manager, but I don’t know if we can get security here fast enough.”
She cocked her head. “What do you mean, security?”
“Let’s just hope Marge’s job keeps her too busy to keep up with her social media updates. If she lets it slip that I’m here, the paparazzi will descend on us. You have no idea what that’s like.”
They followed Ben and Edna into the justice of the peace’s chambers, coming to a stop before the woman’s mahogany desk.
“It’ll be fine,” Skye said softly. “We’re almost done. We finish this, drop them off, go back to the hotel…”
“You don’t understand. We need to leave.”
Ben cleared his throat.
Skye looked up. Their conversation was holding up the festivities. “Sorry.”
A woman in a business suit sat behind the massive desk. In her late forties, she had her hair swept back in an elegant and immaculate French twist. She stood and came around the desk, hand extended in greeting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said to Ash. “My son is a huge fan.”
Ash smiled and inclined his head. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”
She looked uncertain. “I know it’s unprofessional to ask, but he would kill me if he knew I’d met you and hadn’t asked. Would you mind?” She held out a pad of paper.
“What’s your son’s name?”
“Adam. He’s sixteen.”
Skye was happy to see Ash taking the time to write the woman’s son a lengthy note.
“Does it matter where we stand?” Skye asked.
The woman shook her head. “Not really.”
Ben and Edna stood in front of the desk. Ash went to Ben’s side, and Skye stood beside Edna. The justice of the peace gave them a strange look but said nothing.
“What now?” Ash asked.
She looked between the four of them. “My part is a formality. I just need to make sure the parties do indeed wish to be married. Is this so?”
Ben and Edna nodded.
Skye spoke up, “I’m sure Ben and Edna want to say their vows, right?”
Ben did more than that. He bent to one knee, adoration and the purest love radiating from his face. “Edna, I never proposed to you in the right way, so I’m fixing that now.”
Skye joined Ash, nudging him to remind him to snap those photos for Ben and Edna’s children and grandchildren.
Ben wobbled, and his knee popped loudly into the silence.
Edna’s hand shook, and her eyes misted as he slid a diamond anniversary band over her ring finger to nestle beside her wedding ring.
She accepted his proposal with a whispered, “Yes,” and a flutter of her hand over her heart.
Ash helped Ben to his feet, and then Ben and Edna exchanged vows, fifty years to the day from when they had eloped.
When they were finished, the justice of the peace turned to Skye and Ash. “Do either of you want to say anything?”
Skye glanced at Ash. “Yes. I’m really honored to be here.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.
Ash gripped her hand. “Yes. Me, too.”
The woman looked back to Ben and Edna. “Well then, it’s official. You’re married.”
Edna clapped her hands. “This is so exciting.”
Ash snapped a photo of Ben laying a smooch on Edna’s lips.
Once the ceremony was over, Ash hurried their party to the limo. Less than an hour later, they dropped the newly re-wed couple at their car parked near the Niagara Falls observation deck.
Ben shook Ash’s hand and had him sign autographs for his grandchildren saying, while he had no idea what band Ash played for, he was certain his grandchildren would, and there was no way he would return home without proof.
Ash indulged the couple, tossing an arm around Ben’s shoulder and even gently dipping Edna to kiss her cheek.
Skye snapped several pictures before they were able to say their good-byes. Watching the easy grace with which Edna and Ben moved warmed her heart. After fifty years, love still held them deeply in its grasp.
On the ride back to the hotel, Skye’s alcoholic buzz slowly wore off, and her thoughts turned to her future.