Sorry that it has been a while since I posted my last chapter. I hope you like this one.
Back on the road, Jem was just climbing back onto her seat. She had changed back into the 60's style white dress that came just above her knees. She kicked her shoes sitting on the floor to the side, so she could stretch her bare feet out and grinned back at the two primates playing black jack on the bed in the sleeper while BJ coached them from the driver's seat.
"What do you think?" Jem held up her hands like she was posing.
BJ looked over at her and chuckled. "I think you forgot something."
"And what would that be?" Jem wrinkled her brow, glancing down at her ensemble confusedly.
"Try shoes." He teased, smiling at her.
"I didn't forget them." She rolled her eyes. "I just didn't want to put them on quite yet."
"Well, as you said, something about dresses and heels are something to see in a truck." He said laughing.
Four hours later around ten o'clock that night and with four hours left to get back home, BJ pulled the truck over at a twenty-four hour wedding chapel. "I'll be right back." He climbed into the sleeper and pulled off his shirt, starting to change his clothes.
"BJ?" Jem interrupted him.
"Yeah?" BJ replied, grabbing his other shirt to change into.
"The curtain?" She blushed.
"Sorry." BJ winked at her and closed the curtain making sure it was thoroughly closed before continuing. A few minutes later he emerged looking quite dashing in a white button down shirt, black dress pants, a belt and a black tie. "You ready?" He asked Jem, fiddling with the tie at his throat.
"Yeah, I think so." She now looked unsure. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful. Always beautiful." He leaned forward to plant a kiss on her nose. "How about me?" He said pulling back and posing for her.
"Adorable." She teased as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Come on." BJ urged. "Oh, don't forget your shoes." He smiled and climbed out the truck while she put on her shoes. After she was completely dressed, she climbed into BJ's seat to take his hand helping her down.
"Come on you two." BJ yelled up at the truck, smiling at the two faces peering out at them. Bear and Baricza leaped at the same time, Bear jumping into BJ' arms and Baricza into Jem's. BJ lead the way and entered the church first, eager to get things going. "Hi, there." He said, reaching to shake the preacher's hand.
"Can I help you folks?" The kindly old preacher asked them, looking a little taken aback to see monkeys in the visitors' arms.
"Yeah, we'd like to get married." BJ said, not beating around the bush.
"You got a marriage license?" The preacher asked them, looking from the monkeys to the couple.
"Yeah, it's right here." BJ pulled it out of his shirt pocket and handed it over.
"So, you're Billie Joe McKay and this is Jemima Carolina Evigan?" The preacher asked them when he finished reading it.
"Is there a problem, sir?" BJ gestured to the paper.
"No." The preacher shook his head, but still looked a little wary at the couple standing before him. "Tell me, are you folks in any kind of trouble that would make you want to get married?" He looked over the top of his glasses at them.
"No, sir." BJ said smiling. "We just want to get married."
"Alright." The preacher agreed. "Follow me." He started walking toward the altar before he stopped short. "Oh, leave the monkeys." He told them, shaking his head at them, but smiling good naturedly. BJ and Jem set their bundles carefully on the carpet and followed the preacher down the aisle to the alter where he came to stand behind his podium. "Alright, take the young ladies hand." The preacher told BJ as he opened his Bible to the passage in 1st Corinthians about love. BJ took her hand caressing her with his eyes. "There are many people behind you so this is going to be the fast version." He looked over the top of his glasses at the couple. "Do you Billie Joe take this Jemima to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold her, to honor her, to treasure her, to be at her side in sorrow and joy, in the good times and the bad, to love and cherish her always?"
"I do. I promise you this from my heart for all the days of my life." BJ said, his jaw twitching slightly as he gazed into the love of his life's eyes.
The preacher then turned to Jemima and asked her, "Do you Jemima take this Billie Joe to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold him, to honor him, to treasure him, to be at his side in sorrow and joy, in the good times and the bad, to love and cherish him always?"
Jemima replied while never taking her eyes off of BJ, "I do." And then, "I promise you this from my heart for all the days of my life."
"By the power invested in me by God and the state of Arizona, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Do you have rings?" He asked the couple.
"She's already wearing it sir." BJ replied rubbing Jem's ring finger with his thumb.
"You may kiss the bride." He told them, closing his Bible softly.
BJ caressed Jemima's face softly before claiming her lips with his in their first kiss as husband and wife as Bear and Baricza scampered down the aisle clapping and chattering cheerfully. When they parted, the preacher shook BJ's hand and while escorting them back down the aisle informed them, "If you go talk to the secretary she'll get your certificate in order."
"Thank you sir." BJ wrapped an arm around his wife and followed the preacher to the secretary's office.
"No problem, boy. Have a nice night." The preacher smiled and prayed that their union would be blessed.
They squared everything away with the secretary, grabbed the "kids" and headed out to the truck, basking in newly wedded bliss. BJ drove half an hour before pulling over beside a creek. Stopping the truck, he pulled Jem into his arms and kissed her unabashedly. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested after a few minutes.
"Alright." Jem agreed as he took her hand to help her down from the truck.
"Stay there you two." BJ commanded as the chimps made to climb down. "We'll be right back." He shut the door on the little chimps, looking forward to time alone with his new bride. As they neared the water, BJ drew her into his arms and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. When he released her she cuddled against him for a minute before edging a little nearer to the water. Her ankle turned sideways on a rock and she stumbled, but BJ being as close to his new bride as he was quickly steadied her, and bringing her back to his side asked if she was alright.
"I will be just as soon as I ditch these shoes." She replied starting disgustedly at her feet making BJ chuckle.
"Well take them off." He suggested, kneeling down to help her.\
"Maybe." Jem agreed, starting to lean down herself to take them off. She stopped abruptly and looked up. "Wait a minute, anytime I get near water, I either get tossed in or pushed."
"Tell you what, I'll stand near the water." He stood and went around to her other side. "Better?"
"Yeah." Jem said leaning against him to finish removing her shoes.
"How about we go swimming?" BJ asked her once his bride was barefooted.
"In what?" She asked him incredulously. "Neither of us have on anything that we can swim in."
"I wouldn't say that." He said waggling his eyebrows at her.
"What do you mean?" Jemima asked narrowing her eyes at him with her hands on her hips, pretty sure she knew what he meant.
"There's always skinny dipping?" He asked her winking and nodding at her.
It was so comical she fought to keep from laughing and tried for a stern voice. "Nope. I draw the line there."
"Why?" BJ asked her, walking slowly over to her with a teasing glimmer in his eyes. "You used to." He told her, poking her in her sides as soon as she was within reaching distance.
"Come on, we were barely 5." She said brushing his hands away.
"I know." BJ sing songed, gently pulling on her arm, coaxing her closer to the water.
"How about you swim the way you want to and I'll put a suit on." She suggested, trying to tug her arm away.
"Alright." He conceded, a playful pout on his adorable face. "Don't be long." He added, stripping his button down off as he watched her walk back to the truck.
She wasn't long, looking as forward to a playful romp in the water as her husband, and within minutes was changed into her orange bikini. She headed back to the water and noticed a trail of clothing on the way to the edge. She gave a little sigh of relief though when she realized she hadn't seen his underwear.
She eased into the water slowly, letting her body adjust to the temperature and then swam toward her husband who proceeded to wrap his arms around his wife and promptly dunk her under the water. She came up giggling and slung her hair out of her face with a graceful arc of her head.
"Thanks." She told him wryly, spitting water.
"No problem." BJ told her grinning widely.
"You're gonna get it now, Blue Jeans." She told BJ, glaring at him playfully, pulling her arm back preparing to start a splash war.
"Don't count on it, Love." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. Her arms came around his neck and she found his lips. It wasn't long before the newlyweds were ready to get out of the water and start their wedding night.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.