Fatal Series 00 - Fatal Destiny

ready.”
    Sam placed her hand on her dad’s shoulder. “I’m with you, Skippy.”
    “Let’s go then.”
    When they moved into the doorway, Sam took a deep breath and finally dared to look at Nick. Her throat closed at the sight of him. Tall, handsome and sinfully sexy in a sharp black tuxedo that emphasized his broad shoulders and muscular build. The orchid on his lapel matched her bouquet. Despite the sleepless night, he appeared happy and relaxed and maybe just a tad bit nervous. In fact, he looked so good standing with Graham, Harry, Andy and Scotty that Sam deduced he had no idea his mother was in attendance.
    And there was no chance of him noticing now because he never took his eyes off her as she moved with her father down the aisle.
     
    Nick told himself to keep breathing. Just a dress . Right. He’d never seen her looking more beautiful. That wasn’t even a good enough word. Breathtaking was more like it. And happy. Her pale blue eyes were bright with excitement, and she positively glowed as she and Skip came toward him. Everyone else in the crowded church faded away, and there was only her.
    When they reached the front, Nick stepped forward to squeeze Skip’s right hand.
    “Take good care of her,” Skip said so softly that only Nick could hear him.
    “Always,” Nick said.
    Sam bent to kiss her father’s cheek. “Love you.”
    “Love you too, baby girl. Go be happy now.”
    Celia stood to help Skip get his chair settled next to the front row. Across the aisle, the kids in the wedding party sat with Nick’s father, his stepmother Stacy and Laine O’Connor.
    Nick held out his hand to Sam, feasting his eyes on his stunning bride. “That’s the best you could do?”
    She threw her head back and laughed, and it was all he could do to resist the urge to lean in and kiss the spot on her neck that drove her wild. Instead, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and escorted her to the altar.
    Nick tried to pay attention to the ceremony, but truthfully, he wanted it over with. When he thought about the crazy, wild ride they’d taken to get to this day, he just wanted to hear the words “husband and wife.” He tuned back into the proceedings to hear Celia read the passage from the Book of Ruth that he’d chosen. “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”
    Angela read from the Book of the Corinthians. “Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, hopes all things. Love never ends.”
    He and Sam lit candles, and the pastor spoke to them about love and fidelity and the importance of working every day to make their marriage successful. The pastor led them through the recitation of the traditional vows to love, honor and cherish each other that they’d wanted included in the ceremony.
    Finally, he had them turn to each other and join hands.
    Sam passed her bouquet to Tracy and reached for his hands, linking their fingers.
    The pastor gestured to him. “Nick?”
    He squeezed her hands and tried to forget that more than a hundred people were watching them. “This day was six years in the making.” Nick hoped he could get through this without embarrassing himself. “From the first instant I ever laid eyes on you, Samantha, I knew you were the one for me. It took far longer to get here than it should have, but all that matters is that we’re finally here. Since I already promised all the most important things, I thought I’d throw in a few things that I know are important to you.”
    Sam’s smile warmed his heart and gave him the courage to continue.
    “So I promise to be a little less freakishly neat—”
    That drew a laugh from his bride.
    “—and slightly less obsessed with your safety.” He paused for another laugh from her. “You’re not supposed to find all of this funny.”
    Sam tried—and failed—to wipe the grin from her face.
    “I promise not to let my phone ring more than twice, to do my best not to constantly clean up after you and to let you be you—even when you drive me crazy.” He stepped closer and leaned his forehead against hers. “I promise I’ll always love you and put you and our family first in my life because there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than with you.”
    Sam looked up at him with bottomless eyes full of tears.
    “That works out rather well,” she said, “since there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you. I had the same