Chapter 14

March 3rd, 7.30am

"Samantha, Samantha!" Hannah and Katie were both bouncing on Samantha's bed with such enthusiasm Samantha had visions of them going through the floor.

"Ok guys, stop, I'll get motion sickness!" They flopped down, exhausted.

Samantha's mother Ellen came into the room, rubbing her eyes. She sat down on the end of the bed and smiled.

"So, I take it by the commotion that we're all up now?" Samantha laughed. The girls had got in the day before and he and Samantha had decided that Jack would stay with Danny and that her mom would stay with her and help her get the girls ready.

"Ok girls go wash your faces and then we'll have breakfast ok?" Samantha got up and walked over to the window nervously. Looking at her mother she said,

"Have you looked out yet? Is it raining?"

"The sun is shining there isn't a cloud in the sky sweetie." Her mother said reassuringly.

Samantha let out a grateful sigh. She opened the blinds and looked out; her mother came over and put her arm around her.

"You know, I never thought I'd see this day come. I'm so happy for you honey and so very proud too. It's not every woman that would take on someone else's kids the way you have, but they adore you."

Samantha smiled, "I adore them too."

"Come on, we'd better get them ready."

Samantha put her dress on alone. She heard her mother helping the girls. As she walked to the mirror she almost gasped at how she looked. She usually wasn't the sort of person to get all excited over wedding dresses but she fell in love with this one as soon as she saw it.

It was ivory. It floated at her ankles, was fitted at the waist and had little pearl drops in a swirling pattern around the bodice. The bodice itself (which was giving her a whole lotta cleavage she noticed) had only one wide strap on her right side. Up the back of the bodice were delicate buttons. Underneath the dress, of course, was the underwear that Jack had bought her at Christmas. She smiled to herself.

She had her hair half up (the way Jack liked it) and only some light, natural make-up on.

Her mother knocked softly on the door and almost fainted when she saw her daughter fully dressed in her wedding clothes.

"You look so beautiful!" She was crying.

"Mom, don't cry because then I'll start ok? Are the girls ready?" She nodded and they came running in.

"Samantha you look really pretty." Katie said as Samantha twirled around for her. The girls had chosen pale blue dresses to wear the day before.

"Thank you sweetheart, you both look great. But there's something missing." She frowned and produced two small boxes for them.

"Go ahead, open them."

A few weeks ago they had gone to get their wedding rings and Samantha had noticed these two necklaces and instantly knew they were what she had been looking for.

One was a silver star on a chain and the other was a silver heart on a chain. The star was for Katie, Jack's nickname for her. The heart was for Hannah; she had seen Hilary Duff with a necklace just like it and had begged Jack to find her one too.

"Wow!" They both exclaimed as they opened the boxes.

"Do you like them? Here Hannah, I'll help you put it on, Mom, you help Katie."

As she bent down in front of her to put her necklace on, Hannah put her arms around Samantha's neck and gave her a hug. Samantha was shocked as she hugged her back. Their relationship although good had never been to the point of affection like this. She had always held a little back from Samantha.

"I'm sorry if I was mean to you."

"Oh honey you were never mean to me. I just want you to know that I've never tried to take your mom's place. I just wanted us to be friends. I hope you both know how very much I love you."

Katie came over and hugged her too. Ellen beamed with pride. Now Samantha really was going to cry.

The doorbell rand and startled them all.

"Car service for Spade."

"Let's go you guys; I don't want anybody to run off with your daddy!"

Samantha and her mother hugged warmly before they left.

"Good luck baby."

"Thank you mom, for everything."

"God damn!" Jack exclaimed in despair.

Danny came into the room just in time to see a cufflink roll onto the floor in front of him. He sighed, picked it up and walked over to Jack offering it back to him.

Jack shook his head and held out his wrist.

"You do it, I'm all thumbs. I barely got the other one on."

Danny laughed and obliged. He was amused to see Jack so nervous, but then, he would be too if he was marrying Samantha Spade.

"You're gonna have a heart attack pops."

"Very funny."

Danny finished and got serious.

"Come on Jack, you're gonna be fine. This is it man, the day you've been waiting for."

He sighed and put his hands on Jack's shoulders.

"You're going to marry Samantha and have some good looking kids."

Jack smiled and hugged Danny. As he pulled back he looked at Danny and said,

"Gee, you're not my little boy anymore Danny."

They both laughed and Jack relaxed a little. As they drove the short distance to the garden he focused on what she would look like.

Soon they were all assembled in a small half circle around the fountain. There was Vivian, Reggie and Marcus, Martin and his girlfriend of a few months, Amy, Danny and his date and finally Jack's father Frank. They waited for Samantha and the car pulled up.

Her mother got out first, followed by the girls. They were met with a chorus of aah's because of how cute they looked. Jack smiled as they took their places and gave them a wink which they both returned. Then he heard gasps as Samantha got out of the car.

His knees went weak when he saw her. She looked beautiful, with the sun shining on her like she was an angel. She smiled at him as she stood next to him. He raised his eyebrows and gave her a low wolf-whistle. She laughed.

"Are we ready to begin?" The justice of the peace asked.

The ceremony was mostly a blur for them both. A prelude to what they were waiting for. They exchanged rings and then it arrived.

"So, by the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife." She turned to Jack. "You may kiss the bride."

He'd been waiting for that. He grabbed her theatrically and dipped her into a kiss like he was Clark Gable. She laughed and returned his kiss enthusiastically as his actions met with rapturous applause from their guests.