Chapter 31
Everyone piled out of the Escalade and there AJ and Francesca stood on the porch ready to greet them. Liiani asked Francesca to show Collette to the den she approached and asked to speak to him in private for a moment. They entered his bedroom where her dress hung in its garment bag on the back of his closet door.
Giving her a big grin he told her, "I promise that I didn't take even one peek at your dress."
"I trust that you didn't, but that wasn't what was on my mind."
"Tell me Darlin'." He encouraged her.
"This morning Collette had a bout of morning sickness when I made coffee," she paused for just a moment before continuing, "and then so did I when Vince made bacon."
She could see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to process what she had just told him, then he asked, "Akaliiani, are we pregnant?"
"We?" she questioned.
"Yes, Darlin'. Whatever it is we go through it together, so are we expecting?
Blushing a bit she just nodded, with her eyes on the floor.
A moment later she was lifted into his arms and he was spinning her around the room, "Oh Akaliiani, that is fantastic!"
Her eyes flew up to his, "Really?!"
"Of course!" Then he hesitated, "Unless you don't think so? Are you not happy about this Akaliiani?"
"I am, I was just worried that you would be upset because we weren't married yet."
"Oh my love, you have just given me the most blessed gift in the world! I love you so much!"
"AJ, I'm so glad that you are happy about this!"
"Happy?! Akaliiani I am over the moon! Other than the day you said you would marry me this is the best day of my life!" he assured her.
Feeling better about things now, she felt she could tease him a bit, "What about the day Francesca was born?!"
Hugging her close he told her, "That was a pretty good day too, but it was quite a while ago. This is a whole new life for us."
Grinning she gave him a hug and said, "I should start getting dressed now, you should too."
"Okay, I love you," he told her and gave a kiss and, then he bent down and kissed her tummy too.
Akaliiani couldn't stop smiling as she opened the garment bag, just as Nicci came in, "I just wanted to see if you needed anything?"
"Yes, could you zip up the back of my dress as soon as I get it on?" Akaliiani asked. She stood there in her mother's dress, it was a simple white lace sheath that hugged her curves. The scooped neckline was a perfect frame for the necklace AJ had given her, a simple gold chain with a heart shaped charm on it.
"Oh sure!" Nicci smiled as she came into the room and closed the door behind her.
Once Nicci was done Akaliiani encouraged her to go out in the backyard where all the guests were gathering. AJ had hidden the bridal bouquets in his bathroom just as Akaliiani had asked him to do. She picked them up and delivered them to Mac and Collette. It was only then that the two of them discovered that it was to be a triple wedding. They were both thrilled at the discovery and quickly made a plan to how they would handle things.
The three men in their dress uniforms who were standing to the left of Chaplin Turner did not look out of place. The guests sitting in the rental white chairs simply thought that AJ as the groom was up there with his best man and a grooms man. They had no idea that instead they were looking at three grooms. In actual fact two of the three up there didn't know it either.
It wasn't until there was no bridesmaid or maid of honor coming down the aisle, but instead Akaliiani on her father's arm that they began to wonder what was going on. When she reached AJ's side Gerald took his seat and the four up front turned once again to look back towards the house. Out of the patio doors came bride number two. There were gasps of surprise from all of the guests when Mac walked down the aisle in her ecru wedding dress. Trevor reached out to take her hand and the couple moved to stand to the left of Akaliiani.
To be continued…..