Chapter 13 Sydney
Sydney
The wedding ceremony was beautiful and even though there were some hiccups earlier in the day with the missing baker and pastor, my feisty ladies and Mason all came to the rescue and saved the day. Kris and Sarah are officially husband and wife now, and both look so happy that they are glowing.
Emily was able to get the entire dining room decorated for the reception with twinkling lights and it looks beautiful, as do the photographs of the happy couple with the snowy mountain background. Their pictures are going to be a beautiful memory to have for years to come.
Mason did great as the officiant. He was poised, funny, and kept both of them on track, even when Sarah forgot what she was supposed to repeat because she was crying.
Seeing him up there did funny things to my insides, but I didn’t have time to think about it.
But now… watching him on the dance floor with Gladys as he tries to keep her from pinching his ass…
yeah. I’ve got time to acknowledge that there’s still something there. At least for me.
Is it one sided? Is it just me thinking like this? Was last night just a wham bam thank you ma’am thing for him? For me? And what about the fact that we live twenty-five hundred miles away from each other and I have a life and a thriving business back home?
But what if this is our last chance together? What if this is meant to be and the universe is telling us to get our heads out of our asses? What if we try again and it works?
I’ve got a lot of ‘what ifs’ running around in my head and a whole lot of non-answers.
“When’s it going to be your turn to walk down the aisle?” Betty asks me as she takes a sip of champagne.
I smile at her with my practiced smile. I get this question at almost every single wedding I orchestrate. “Oh, I’m only here for the happy couple. Not for myself.”
“That’s not what I asked, Sydney. You two obviously have a lot of chemistry and if Gladys doesn’t traumatize him for life with her wandering hands, I think you two should try again.”
I look at her with a skeptical look. “I don’t know about that, Betty. A lot of water has flowed under that bridge.”
“So, blow up the damn bridge. You know,” she puts her hand on her hip, “I’ve always hated that saying.
‘Water under the bridge’ So, get a damn boat or blow the damn thing to smithereens, for god sake.
Build a new bridge or find a new river. Whatever.
Just don’t let an opportunity pass you by because let me tell you” she points to me, “… you’re gonna make it to my age faster than you ever thought possible and you definitely don’t want to be sitting around thinking I should have done this, or I should have said that.
Or that I should have tried one more time…
just in case. Trust me. You don’t want that. ”
I can hear some regret in her voice, but she doesn’t elaborate. I nod at her, “I’ll think about it.”
“Think all you want but life can pass you by as you’re sitting around ‘thinking’. Remember that.”
Someone calls Betty over and she hands me her empty champagne glass. “Have fun,” I call after her as she walks away giving me a lot to think about. She’s not wrong, the last ten years have flown by. What will the next fifty feel like? It sounds like a long time, but what if it’s not?
The cake has been cut, the last dance has been danced, and the happy couple have left the party to start their new life in the honeymoon suite. I watch as the friends and family start to leave the reception and retire to their rooms. It’s getting late and tomorrow is Christmas Day.
Chef Franco, Emily, and Mason have done a great job helping to make sure this wedding happened – even with all the problems with the snow.
But that’s what happens when you plan a wedding in the middle of winter in the mountains.
I can definitely say that this was a first for me.
All my weddings are usually on the sandy beaches of Florida.
It’s where most people want to be during the winter.
As I pull the last of the tablecloths off the tables, I can feel the energy shift in the room.
I turn around and see Mason standing next to me with his hands in his pockets.
He looked so fucking amazing in his suit and tie earlier, but now he’s got the tie loose, no jacket, and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I could eat him.
“Hey.” I say as I ball up the tablecloth.
He doesn’t say anything, but just stares at me. Maybe he didn’t hear me.
“Thank you for coming to the rescue today. I don’t know what I what I would have done without you.” I smile at him, and he smirks at me. “Why are you staring at me like that? What’s wrong with you?”
He holds out his hand and I instinctively take it. I love how my skin lights on fire every time he touches me. “Where are we going?” I toss the balled-up tablecloth back on the table as he pulls me out of the dining room and into the common area by the fire.
All the lights are dimmed to let the Christmas tree sparkle. It’s really a warm and inviting place. Like a Norman Rockwell painting.
Standing in front of the tree, Mason pulls me into his arms, and I go willingly.
I wrap my arms around his waist as he pulls me close.
I can’t help but wonder if something has changed between us.
It almost feels like he’s saying goodbye but I’m afraid to ask.
I just don’t want to know. Not right now.
I’d prefer to just stand here in his arms and just enjoy his embrace, his touch.
We both watch the lights on the Christmas tree twinkle and listen to the fire crack and pop as it keeps the room warm. With my head on his chest, I can hear the rhythm of his heartbeat and with each beat I grow more and more nervous over what this moment means. He’s saying goodbye.
It makes sense. I’m leaving tomorrow. With an early flight, I will be long gone before breakfast and probably won’t see him before I go. Years ago, I was mad at him for not talking to me about joining the Marines and so we never got a proper goodbye. This is his.
Mason pulls me away from his chest and looks into my eyes with his beautiful blue eyes. The lights from the Christmas tree dance in reflection. He lowers his lips to mine and I gladly kiss him back. No one has ever kissed me like he does with the softest and most addictive lips.
I pull back from his kisses, “I’m going to miss you.” I whisper.
“Stay.”
“What?” He didn’t really just ask me that, did he?
“Don’t go. I know I have no right to ask you to move your entire life, but I don’t want you to go. I can’t lose you again, Sydney. I can’t. Stay here. With me. Please.”