Dreaming in Dairyland (3 page)

*****

It was after two in the morning when Bob got home from work, thrilled to finally be off.  It was all he could do not to call Cissie just to make sure she was still alive.  He hoped Lachele had stayed out from behind the steering wheel, because that woman scared him.   There was no telling what that crazy woman would do next. 

As he undressed for bed, he imagined what it would be like the following night, seeing Cissie lying in bed waiting for him.  He imagined her in a white silk nightgown, her hair spilling over her shoulders.  Nothing in life would please him more. 

He closed his eyes, pulling the covers over him.  In less than twelve hours, he'd be standing at the front of the church, watching the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen walk down the aisle toward him.  He was the luckiest man alive.  He didn't know what he'd done to deserve her, but he hoped no one ever realized she was too good for him.

Chapter Two

Cissie paced back and forth in the bride's room at the back of the church.  "Is he here?" she asked Lachele.  She was already dressed in her wedding dress, and instead of acting like a typical nervous bride, she was impatient.  They could start without the last of the guests as long as the groom was there.  She didn't care who missed the wedding.  The only people that really mattered to her were already there.

"Yes, Samara is out there talking to him, trying to keep him calm."

"I want to see him!" Cissie demanded, reaching for the doorknob.  Why did he need to be kept calm?  Was he thinking of leaving?

Lachele leaned against the door, preventing Cissie from opening it.  "No.  You know the rules.  You'll see him when you're walking down the aisle and not a moment sooner."

Cissie frowned.  "We should have set the wedding for earlier.  I want to see him."  She stared down Lachele, determined to get the woman to talk.  "You can at least tell me his name.  It's not like that's going to reveal anything."  She had to know something.  She was ready to get down on her knees to get the older woman to throw her a bone.

Lachele met Cissie's stare with a level look.  "You may be taller than me, but I will take you down if you touch this door again."

Cindy stood back watching them, ready to jump between the two high strung women.  "We don't need a knock down drag out fight between the matchmaker and the bride right before the wedding."  She put her hand on Cissie's arm.  "You need to go sit down and play a game on your phone.  Crush some candy or something!"  She turned to Lachele.  "Do not antagonize her.  She's a little bit psycho about getting married, but I've never met a woman who wasn't!"

Lachele sighed.  "I understand, but she's not seeing the groom yet.  She agreed to my rules, and she's going to follow them."

Cissie retreated to the corner and pulled out her phone, muttering under her breath.  What would it hurt to see him?  She'd be walking down the aisle in fifteen minutes!  She took deep breaths trying to calm down, but all she could think about was walking down the aisle to a man with no face.  And what if he was blond?  She couldn't remember if she'd told Lachele not to find her a blond.

There was a knock at the door, and Cissie's parents rushed in.  Cissie's dad looked nervous, but her mother had an extremely calm look on her face.  Her dad walked to Cissie.  "Anything I need to know before I take over for the week?"

Cissie shrugged.  "Not really.  Everything's the same as it always is.  Well, that's not true.  I have a new kid cooking in the kitchen.  He's got the hots for Ashley, one of my bartenders.  She's ten years older than him and definitely not interested.  Keep an eye on him."  She hated passing off troubles to her dad, but she knew he could take care of it.  She also knew he needed a distraction to keep him from worrying about her married to a virtual stranger.

He nodded.  "Will do."  Looking his daughter up and down, he said, "You're just as beautiful as your mom was on her wedding day."

Cissie smiled.  "Thanks, Dad."

"I wish you were covered a bit more, but I guess that's the style these days."

Cissie laughed.  Her dress was perfectly modest.  It was strapless, but there was no boobage hanging out.  He should be pleased instead of complaining.  "It is the style.  You want me to look good for my husband, right?"

He shook his head emphatically.  "No, I don't want you to look good for him.  He might get ideas about my baby girl!"

"You do know we're getting married, right?  He's supposed to get ideas!"  If the man didn't get ideas, she was going to be sorely disappointed.

His eyes narrowed.  "Not about my baby, he's not!"  He shook his head.  "Any grandkids need to either be immaculately conceived or adopted.  That's my final offer."

Cissie grinned, getting to her feet and hugging her dad.  "You know, I do know how to take care of myself."  And she didn't really want kids right off anyway, so she didn't argue with him about his grandkids.

"I know you do."  He sighed.  "I just hate the idea of my baby marrying some man I don't know."

"I'll be fine.  Lachele made a good choice for Cindy.  I'm sure she did just as good for me."

Lachele stood up and walked over.  "I'll tell you, Mr. Rivers, I ran extra tests on this one.  He's been forced through four more tests than any other man I set up.  I just wanted to make sure he was the right man for our Cissie.  She's too special to get the wrong man."

Cissie frowned.  "You ran more tests than you did on Trey?"  Now why on earth would she do that?

Lachele nodded.  "I did.  I had to be sure."

"Was there something you were worried about?"  Cissie had no idea why her man would need more tests than any other, but it didn't sound good.

"His profession worried me a little.  That's all."

"And what
is
his profession?"

Lachele laughed softly.  "I believe it's time for you to walk down the aisle."  She took Cindy by the arm.  "You're first!"

"I'm marrying him in five minutes.  You can tell me his profession!"  Cissie couldn't believe how difficult Lachele was being.

Lachele just waved over her shoulder as she left with her mother and Cindy. 

Cissie looked at her dad.  "Sometimes that woman makes me crazy!"

Her dad grinned.  "I can see why!  Is she always like that?"

Cissie nodded.  "Pretty much!"  She took his arm.  "Thanks for giving me away, even though you have reservations.  It means the world to me that you and Mom are here for this."  She'd have married regardless, but she didn't tell him that.  She knew whomever Lachele had chosen would be the perfect man for her.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek.  "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

As they walked out of the room to stand at the back of the church, she waited for the butterflies in her stomach, but they just didn't come.  No, she was excited about her marriage, and she wasn't ashamed of it.

They stepped through the doors at the back of the church. As her eyes zeroed in on her groom, she blinked.  He looked so familiar to her, but she just couldn't place him.  How on earth did she know the man?

He was tall, dark, and handsome.  Exactly what she was looking for.  Her eyes swept down his body and back up.  Oh yeah.  She could jump his bones.  No doubt about it.  The man was hot, and he was about to be all hers.

*****

Bob's eyes locked onto Cissie as she floated into the sanctuary on her father's arm. His heart almost stopped.  He'd never seen her hair down before, because she always had it in a ponytail, which made sense, because she was always serving food.  Her usual wear for the bowling alley was a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt, but there she was, looking like she'd just stepped out of the pages of a bridal magazine.  He swallowed hard.  He only hoped he could get his vows out.

Her father placed her hand in his, and Bob realized he was shaking.  Cissie must have noticed too, because she leaned close to him and whispered, "Don't be so nervous.  I won't bite until we know each other a little better."

To his embarrassment, Bob felt a blush spreading across his cheeks.  What did this woman do to him that he could blush?  Before he started going to the bowling alley to see her sing, he hadn't blushed since high school when he was caught making out with one of the cheerleaders under the bleachers during a football game.  And he'd only blushed then, because he was caught by his algebra teacher, who he had a crush on.  Of course, he was supposed to be on the field at the time.

The preacher started speaking then, and he forced himself to concentrate, saying a silent prayer that he wouldn't stammer over his vows.  Thankfully, he wasn't asked to repeat anything, and he managed, "I do." 

Cissie's voice rang out clear and strong when she said, "I do."

And then the preacher invited him to kiss his bride.  He turned to her fully, catching her waist with one hand and pulling her close.  He lowered his head toward hers, and just as his lips were about to touch hers, she whispered, "It's our first kiss.  Make me feel it in my toes."

Bob grinned.  This was the woman he needed for so many reasons.  He lowered his head to hers, his heart feeling like it would pound out of his chest.  He felt her lips part beneath his, and he took advantage, sweeping his tongue in to mate with hers.  He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and carry her out of the church and take her home with him, but he couldn't.  Her family and friends were watching, and he would do what he was supposed to do.

When he lifted his head, her eyes were filled with passion.  "Okay?" he asked, thankful he got the word out.

She nodded, staring into his eyes, before putting her hands behind his head and pulling him down for another kiss much to the amusement of the congregation.  When their lips finally parted, she whispered, "Very okay."

Turning to face everyone, she heard the pastor say, "I'd like to present Mr. and Mrs. Robert Anderson."

She leaned to him and whispered, "If we run for it, we can have a minute or two alone before anyone notices we're gone."  And she desperately wanted that minute or two so they could talk and maybe kiss.  She really wanted more kissing more than anything.

He chuckled, gripping her hand tightly, as he began sprinting through the church to the bride's room at the back.  Cissie locked the door and walked toward him, grabbing him for another kiss. 

Bob pulled her fully against him, kissing her like he'd wanted to kiss her in front of everyone.  He pulled her hips flush with his and moved against her.  Cissie pulled away from him, and for a moment he was worried he'd gone too far, but then she grinned at him.  "You feeling frisky already?  This is a good sign." 

She pulled him over to two chairs and sat in one.  "So your name is Robert?"

He nodded.  "Bob."  That had come out fine.  Bob was thrilled.  Maybe if he kept his answers succinct he wouldn't stammer in front of her.  He felt like his brain turned to mush as soon as she looked at him.

"Bob, huh?  I like that.  Do you know that Bob spelled backwards is Bob?"  She suppressed her giggle.  Bob had always seemed like a funny name to her, though she wasn't sure why.

He raised an eyebrow before nodding.  What kind of question was that?  Everyone knew Bob spelled backwards was still Bob. 

"Too bad my name isn't Anna.  Then we'd both have names that would be the same forward as backward.  Of course, then I'd feel like a character from
Frozen
, and I'm not about to share my sandwich with you."

Bob hadn't seen
Frozen
, but he'd heard the song.  "No?" he asked.  He'd share anything with her.

She shook her head, pulling his head down again.  His taste was intoxicating.  She hoped he was planning on driving wherever they were going, because with all the kissing they'd done, she wasn't sure she was up to it.  Her knees were weak.  "I took a week off work.  Where are we spending the night?" She couldn't think of anything but being with him.  That had to be a good sign, right?

Bob swallowed hard.  "My home."  He was getting words out better than he'd thought he would.  He just wished his palms would quit sweating and he wasn't shaking so much.

"Where is home?  Please tell me you're close."  She knew she was being forward, but she didn't care.  She was ready for her wedding night.  She'd stayed a virgin, but just barely.  She liked kissing and always had.  In that way she and Cindy were very different.  Cindy had felt like it was a sin to kiss, but Cissie had considered kissing her due when she'd gone out on dates.  She'd always stopped before she'd had sex, though. 

He nodded, his eyes on hers.  "Shady Hills."  He said naming a town that was very close.

"Oh, man!  You're our football rival."  She shook her head.  "Please tell me you didn't go to high school there!"  How could she be married to a rival? 

He shook his head.  "Chicago."

"We can go to football games and cheer for the Blevins Beavers then.  Good.  I was worried for a minute there."  She grinned.  "We'd just better never watch the Bears play against the Packers."

He grinned, cupping a hand over her cheek.  He loved her hair down.  She looked so different than she did at the bowling alley, but she was just as beautiful as ever.  "Sure."

She turned her head and kissed his fingers.  "We need to go to the reception.  My dad is going to give you the third degree, I'm sure, but you can ignore him if you want."   She looked at him, loving his brown eyes. "What do you do for a living anyway?"

"I'm a deputy sheriff."

Her eyes grew wide.  "Wait a minute!  That's why I recognize you.  You pulled Lachele over for stupid driving last night!"  She giggled a little, wondering if he'd realized his future bride was in the truck.

He nodded.  "Reckless."

"Well, her reckless driving was stupid.  And that's why she told me my future husband wouldn't mind me drooling over the hot cop that pulled her over, and then laughed like a loon!"  She was so thankful to understand that.  He really wasn't gay! 

"Hot cop?" he asked with a grin.  He liked the idea that she'd been attracted to him the night before.