Breaking Through (Atlanta #3) (38 page)

When Cassie finished with the toys, she looked around and smiled.

"This is beautiful, Jen," Cassie smiled warmly. "Sophie is so lucky to get you as a mom."

"Thanks, Cass. I'm so happy," she said sincerely. "I hope we get to keep her."

The whole time they were getting the room and the rest of the house ready, Jenna couldn't help but think about her wedding. She couldn't wait for the simple ceremony. Much like Scott and Cassie's wedding, the only people in attendance would be their tight circle of friends…with the addition Sophie. Jenna would have preferred to wait for her parents' return from Africa, but for Sophie she'd put that aside.
 

Luke and Jenna planned to hold the ceremony in their new backyard the day after they closed on the house. The wedding would represent a fresh start in their home together, surrounded by love and the living vision of their future. Their wedding would be on a Thursday afternoon during a scheduled visitation day so Sophie could be there, too. Everyone shifted their work schedules around in anticipation of the happy afternoon.
 

Scott, Marcus, and Luke even spent the next weekend building a swing set for Sophie and a small garage/shed for Luke's Harley beside the house. Erin, Cassie, and Jenna spent the time getting the interior put together.
 

Neither Luke nor Jenna could believe only two weeks from Luke's big win, they would be living at the cottage, married, and ready for Sophie if the courts allowed them to officially be a family.

When Thursday, June 11 finally arrived, Jenna woke up in a state of pure bliss. This was her wedding day. To keep at least one wedding tradition intact, Luke stayed at his old apartment for the night so Jenna wouldn't see him before the ceremony. She gave herself the extended home-spa treatment in her new bathroom all morning; Luke was bringing Sophie to their new house for the first time that afternoon in time for the ceremony.

With everyone pitching in, the day was laced with happy smiles from all of them.
 

"Look at you, Jenna," Erin said with such a genuine smile less than a half-hour before the ceremony. "You are beautiful. Luke's a lucky guy."

Jenna beamed. "I feel pretty lucky, too."

Cassie nodded in the background, putting finishing touches on Jenna's upsweep.
 

"You ready?" Cassie asked, smiling at Jenna's jeans for the ceremony. "You and Luke are a perfect match."

Jenna nodded with a wide smile. "Yes we are…and I'm
so
ready."

"Ok, I'm going to check on the guys," Cassie beamed.
 

Jenna smiled back, then smiled even wider when she remembered her conversation with Luke about the ceremony. She had asked if they should write their own vows, and Luke made a shocked laughing noise. Jenna giggled at the sound.

"Jenna," he shook his head with an ornery smile. "You know words aren't my thing. If I tried to
say
my own vows…I'd probably throw you down and
show
you instead. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be appropriate, especially with Sophie watching."

Jenna smiled again at the memory. Erin was finishing her own makeup when Cassie came in and smiled as widely as she ever had. "He's all set for you, Jenna…and he's grinning like an idiot."

"Is Sophie grinning too?" Jenna asked with a warm smile.

"Absolutely. She is so freakin' cute out there, Jenna. She's got a little pink baby-doll shirt with leggings and little flowered shoes. She's been trying out the new swing set. She told the guys they did a good job on it," Cassie said with a smile.

"I can't wait to see either of them," Jenna grinned with sparkling eyes.

"This is so great," Erin clapped to herself. "Ok, let's go!"

Erin and Cassie left Jenna in the house and went to take their place in the wedding party. Finally, Scott came in the back door to walk her down the grassy aisle. Like a good friend, Scott had offered to stand in and give her away. She took his arm with warm appreciation and took a step outside where she was greeted by a half-circle of smiling faces. Her eyes met Luke's first, of course, and she saw his burning intensity gazing straight into her. Sophie rested at his side held up lightly by his strong arm.
 

"Hi Jenna!" Sophie called across the yard as Scott walked Jenna down. Jenna and Sophie both smiled so wide when their eyes met each other.
 

"Hi Sophie," Jenna grinned as everyone chuckled.
 

"Daddy said he's going to kiss you again," she said with a wrinkled nose. More laughter resounded.

"Oh, good," Jenna said with a smile. "I like it when he does that."

More smiles played around Sophie's even wrinklier nose. Scott lead her directly to Luke's side. With so much love in her heart, Jenna stood beside Luke with Sophie between them. Scott kissed her cheek and walked to stand with Cassie.
 

Standing surrounded by her closest friends, and being held by both Luke and Sophie, Jenna had never in her life felt more love than she did that moment.
 

Luke couldn't believe he was standing amongst an amazing group of people, all who were genuine, loving, giving friends. His beautiful angel was smiling at him with a look of total love in her eyes. In her arms was his smiling daughter who seemed to love his angel as much as he did. Barely able to speak, Luke managed to get through his vows. With shining eyes, Jenna made her promises right back.
 

When they were done, Luke looked expectantly toward the minister, waiting for permission to kiss his bride. The minister however, kept going with the ceremony. Luke had no idea what was going on until Jenna set Sophie down and kneeled beside her.

"Sophie, with this necklace I promise to be the best mommy to you I can. I'll tuck you in at night and hold you in the morning. I'll draw pictures with you and put bandaids on your boo-boos. I'll love you like a real mom. I'll never
replace
your real mom, but I promise you'll always know how much I love you."

Sophie smiled and let Jenna clasp the little crystal heart pendent around her neck. "Ok," Sophie smiled as she hugged her. "I love you, Jenna."

"I love you, too. You can call me Mommy J if you want to," Jenna smiled as she hugged the little girl.

"Ok, Mommy J. Daddy, did you hear that? I have another mommy!" she beamed.

Luke couldn't help the tears forcing their way out from behind his eyelids. His beautiful angel and his precious little girl promised their love, too. His world was complete.
 

"I heard," he choked out as he picked up his daughter. "We're both pretty lucky."

The minister finally announced Luke and Jenna as husband and wife, and then the three of them as the Baylor family. Happy tears and clapping surrounded them as he kissed Jenna with deep emotion.
 

"Told you, Mommy J! Daddy kissed you!" Sophie said while stuck in the double-embrace. Everyone applauded and went into the house for appetizers and drinks to celebrate together. Cassie spent all her time at the little reception showing Sophie through the cottage and telling her stories about decorating the house with crazy things.
 

"And over there, I had an old water spigot I used as a purse hook," Cassie pointed while smiling.

"That's weird, Cassie," Sophie told her matter-of-factly.

"Yep, it is," she smiled. "And you can call me Auntie Cass, ok?"

"Ok," Sophie smiled. "Can I see my room? Mommy J said I have my own room!"

"Of course!" Cassie grinned. "Want Uncle Scott to come look, too?"

Sophie beamed and nodded and went to grab Scott's hand. She dragged him into her little room and pointed out every single detail down to the scuff mark on the side of her bookcase. After the grand tour, she insisted Scott read her a book.
 

"This is good practice for you," Cassie teased.
 

Scott grinned a happy dimple at Cassie as Jenna came in to see them sitting together on the floor of Sophie's room. Luke followed Jenna in, too, and watched all of this unfold in front of him. All he needed was official word from the judge, and his home would be this happy all the time.

After another hour of relaxed joy, Luke had to return Sophie to Miranda's house. He hadn't told her ahead of time about the wedding because he didn't want Miranda to taint Sophie's view of the day. But he needed to tell her now. He was dreading it. Jenna walked up to him with a sympathetic smile.
 

"I'll go with you," she said through adoring and understanding eyes.

Luke pulled her in for another intense hug. "I love you," he whispered.
 

After more hugs and happiness, Jenna and Luke left the cottage with the rest of their friends. Jenna helped Sophie into the back of Luke's car and settled herself in for the ride, prepping herself internally for what would undoubtedly be an ugly scene.
 

"Mommy J?"

"What, Sophie?"

"I like the Minnie Mouse pillow on my bed."

"Good! I picked that out just for you. Did you like the rest of your room?"

"Uh huh! Uncle Scott read me a story about chickens. It wasn't a very good story but I didn't tell him that. He was trying really hard to make it good anyways. His bok-bok-boks were funny."

Jenna giggled. "You are such a sweetheart. Uncle Scott liked reading to you. He told me so himself. Did you know he's going to be a daddy? Auntie Cass is pregnant."

Sophie gasped a loud noise of shock and excitement. "I love babies!"

Jenna noticed how quiet Luke was the entire drive. He obviously was brooding about the confrontation that awaited them, so she reached her hand over and squeezed his. She looked at him with a pointed stare to knock him out of his negative thinking.
 

When he finally made eye contact, he smiled gently and nodded his head. He mouthed the word
sorry
and then got in on the conversation.

"Hey little girl," he started, "what was your favorite part about our new house?"

"I like my room the best. And I like the table cause I think Mommy J will let me color there," she said simply.

"Of course I will. We are going to have a lot of fun every time you come over," Jenna smiled. She so desperately wanted to amend that statement to "a lot of fun
at our house
," but she couldn't promise her yet. Not until after the court hearing June 23. She couldn't wait for them to be a family, and she knew Luke was even more anxious than she.
 

"Ok, Sophie, we're back home for you. Go in and find your grandma so Mommy J and I can talk to your mom," Luke said warmly, trying very hard to hide the tension underlying this entire visit. What a contrast to the open happiness they'd all been sharing only an hour ago.

"Ok. Bye Daddy! I liked your wedding. Bye Mommy J," Sophie said with a hug as Jenna got her out of the car. Her little legs scampered into the door as Miranda walked out looking mussed.
 

"WEDDING?!" she nearly shouted on the front porch.

Jenna watched as Luke took a deep breath. "Yes, Miranda, our wedding. You knew this was coming. Jenna and I got married this afternoon in the backyard of our new house. I came here to let you know. Just like before, I'd prefer you know what's going on in Sophie's life from me rather than from a lawyer."

Miranda's angry, bitchy eyes did their best to bore straight into Jenna's brain. Jenna didn't flinch. Nothing could put a dent in her happiness. Jenna's goal, no matter how nasty Miranda got, was to keep things calm and rational, for herself, for Luke, and most importantly, for Sophie.

"Miranda," Jenna started calmly, "I promise I'll never try to replace you. I
have
never and I
will
never say a negative word about you to Sophie, no matter how poorly you've treated Luke."

"You bitch! You stole Luke from me and now you've got Sophie calling you mommy?!" Miranda was shaking as she spoke.

Luke physically stepped between Miranda and Jenna. Jenna was secretly relieved because being struck by Miranda seemed a distinct possibility based on the anger behind her eyes.

"Miranda, you can't change this. If you want to rescue your relationship with Sophie, pull your shit together. Don't blame Jenna for any of this."

Miranda moved from anger to desperation in a split second. Her head dropped to Luke's chest and her hands grabbed around his shoulders. Jenna's stomach turned. "Why are you doing this to me?" Miranda cried in anguish.

Luke's body visibly stiffened and he made no attempt to comfort Miranda.

"One last time, Miranda.
This isn't about you.
It's not even about me. Sophie is our daughter, and if you'd open your selfish eyes for two seconds you'd see what's really going on. We have a beautiful life ready for Sophie," he said in a forced-calm voice. "And you are a drunken mess. If you won't do the right thing, then we'll see you in court on the twenty-third."

Miranda tried to cling to him.

He stopped and calmly pushed her away. "Don't ever touch me again."

Luke turned away, shaking, and Jenna followed closely with her arm around Luke's waist.
 

"Text Marcus," he gritted as he steered in the direction of the gym.
 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Luke blew through his aggression quickly at the gym while Jenna and Erin sat in Bill's office to talk. He hated the need to vent his rage on his wedding day, but shit happens whenever. At least he knew how to deal with his anger. After a quick shower, a thank-you to Marcus and Erin, and a short apology to Jenna, Luke was ready to get home and celebrate with his new wife.

When he pulled up in front of the house, he stopped the car and sat quietly for a moment. Jenna waited patiently for him to find his words. What a beautiful angel.

"Jenna, what you did today — all of it. I just…God, I just love you so much," he said, trying hard to convey what words probably couldn't. "When you gave Sophie that necklace, and then defended me to Miranda, and then let me blow off at the gym…I don't know how you do it…you're…you're everything."