Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
VOW
Gordain
From the plane, Ella and I journeyed directly to East Clark Avenue in downtown Las Vegas to pick up our marriage licence.
Despite the early hour, the heat rose from the road while we waited for the office to open.
Ella swayed on her feet, the effect of going without solid sleep for so long apparent.
“Why is it I’m a dead woman and you look like your normal self?” She balled her long curls into a tie at the back of her head then stretched out her arms in a yawn.
“Practice from being in the RAF. Your body learns to catch sleep when you can and keep going when you can’t.” I eyed the tattoo on her neck, visible with her low t-shirt. “You’re beautiful.”
The office door opened, and a woman beamed at us—her first customers. Ella explained our need, and she ushered us inside. Ella had my ID so I zoned out, picturing the hearing that would be happening back in England tomorrow. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t make it back in time.
Maybe it didn’t matter.
The RAF was in my past—I was increasingly sure. Not that working for Sky’s the Limit was my future, but I couldn’t go back to being a serviceman.
If Ella had meant what she’d implied, with us staying married, that meant putting work into our relationship. Not disappearing for months on end.
I needed a new start. Honesty in all things.
I had an idea where that new career might be.
Callum had mentioned that Mack’s helicopter training school had finally gone onto the market.
With a bank loan, I could maybe take over ownership.
Steal a couple of good pilots to take with me and add a sideline of private hire.
There were one or two pilots who I knew were qualified trainers, just treading water in our company, waiting for the right job to come along.
Where better than the Highlands? Flights over gorgeous, sprawling mountain ranges, practicing landing in glens.
Excitement had my stomach muscles taut. I’d be able to join the mountain rescue—at the controls of the heli this time.
I eyed Ella. It would mean I’d be a short flight from Belvedere.
Then again, married couples shouldn’t live apart.
“There you go! All done. There are chapels all around, so take your pick. Happy wedding day!” the woman chirped.
Ella led me back outside.
“I just had a moment of realising how insane this is.” She slipped her hand into mine, and we walked the short distance to Las Vegas Boulevard, taking in the too-bright day, the tourists with huge, trundling suitcases, the hustle of a city in the morning.
“We’re in a city in the desert about to get married.
This afternoon, we’ll be back in Manhattan. How crazy is that?”
“Insane.” I grinned at her. We had no time here at all, needing to get back on a plane to New York City. But married. Married!
We hit the main strip. Enormous buildings with mismatched architecture rose around us, traffic roaring by.
“First one we find?” Ella asked.
“Aye. Let’s do this thing.”
We strode on until we found a sign advertising weddings inside.
“Guess this will do,” Ella murmured.
It would, but I stopped her outside the door, moving us into the shade. “Just one thing. Can I ask something of you?”
“You haven’t asked a single thing. Not this whole time.
” She gave a short laugh and shook her head.
“You’ve got on and off planes, sat around while I’ve had meetings.
Held me up. You’re even carrying my bag.
” She pointed at my shoulder where I held our luggage.
“So yes, G. You can ask anything and, if I can, I’ll give it to you. ”
I lifted her chin and laid a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Honesty. From this moment on. Honesty and complete openness. About everything.”
Because wedding vows had specific words, and we couldn’t say them if we didn’t mean them. She wouldn’t, I knew it. Despite sleep deprivation, we had to go into this with our eyes open. She’d spoken of it not ending, which had my heart squeeze with hope.
I was about to marry the woman I loved.
“Deal,” Ella said. “I wouldn’t want anything different.”
We entered the chapel hand in hand and ordered one on-the-spot wedding.