"I love you" PJ gazed down into Maggie's tear filled eyes, his heart beating nineteen to the dozen. He was alternating between being quite convinced this was all a dream, and being gloriously aware that the woman upon whom his heart and soul depended was marrying him this very second.
"You do?" she whispered with a smile, her hands tightening around his for a moment.
"I do," he whispered back, not knowing where he found the strength not to pull her into his arms and shower her with kisses. "I love you. And I want the world to know how much I love you, so hurry up and marry me already!" and he couldn't help it, he had to kiss her, just had to.
Father Ray Connelly smiled at them, harrumphing slightly to bring them back to the present. He loved doing weddings, loved seeing the emotions that overcame the couple in front of him. Happiness and love shone from them, and was reflected in the smiles of the congregation. Turning, he faced the bride.
"Your turn Maggie"
"I, Margaret Ann Doyle, take you, Patrick Joseph Hasham to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."
Gently, almost reverently Maggie placed the ring on PJ's finger, just as he had placed the simple white gold band on hers only moments before.
"PJ and Maggie, by openly and honestly accepting your love and these rings, you have, in front of God and those gathered before us, accepted each as husband and wife, and as such, I welcome you." Turning slightly, Ray faced both PJ and Maggie, and the congregation seated in the warm sunshine. "May I present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. PJ and Maggie Hasham! You may now kiss – "
PJ had beaten him to it, his kiss igniting a passion and a fierce love in his new wife. The emotions they shared were evident to everyone, but none more so than in each other. Within his arms, Maggie knew only happiness, contentment and desire. Kissing him back, she allowed herself to truly believe in happily ever after, because she now knew it really did exist. PJ placed a feather light trail of kisses along her lips, one hand wrapped around her waist, the other gently resting on the back of her head. The love he felt for this woman – for his wife! – was growing by the second, and it was all he could do not to sweep her up in his arms and to make a run for it.
Finally, the need for oxygen – that and Nick's wolf-whistle (cut short by an elbow to the ribs from Zoe) – caused them to surface. Blushing madly, Maggie tucked her head into PJ's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. PJ dropped another kiss on the top of her head, a huge smile gracing his face as he did so.
"Love you Mags"
Maggie looked up, captivated by his blue eyes as usual. Today though, today they were glowing more than usual. Today the love he felt for her shone out for all to see.
"I love you too PJ," she whispered back.
Ray grinned at them both. "Once again, ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. PJ and Maggie Hasham!"
A round of applause followed them as they made their way down the aisle, followed by the bridesmaids and the rest of the wedding party. Congratulations were offered and received, and the happiness was heartfelt.
Nick, having surprised Zoe with a rather fervent kiss, came over and wrapped his arms around Maggie.
"Well done Doyley. You got him. You'll be able to sort him out, to knock him into shape. Good girl. And as for you – " Nick reached over and shook PJ's hand, "Congratulations mate. You've got one of the best here. You look after her."
"Oh, I will" PJ said, pulling Maggie tight in against him. "I am never letting you go, Mrs. Hasham, you're stuck with me for life now."
"Just as well as I love you then," Maggie grinned back at him, "Or that might be a really scary idea!"
"Scary? I'll show you scary!" PJ's grin deepened, his fingers tracing a pattern over her back, causing her to shiver in anticipation, as his head dipped to place a trail of hot kisses along her collarbone. Maggie turned, her body attuned to his, her hands exploring and tantalising.
"Hasham!" Tom's voice boomed into the moment, and Dash, Nick and Ben laughed as the newly married couple sprung apart as if caught doing something wrong. They had been rather involved in the moment, and PJ carefully stood behind his wife, grinning as he wrapped his arms around her and stepped up behind her, the close proximity of his body revealing to her – and only her – exactly how much he had been involved in the moment.
"For goodness sake, you two, anyone would think you'd just got married or something!" Tom laughed, placing a fatherly kiss on Maggie's cheek and offering his hand to PJ.
'Ice blocks, ice blocks, paperwork, ice blocks' PJ whispered to himself as he stepped around his wife to shake hands with Tom.
"Hmm?" Tom asked, seeing PJ muttering.
"Nothing Boss, just thinking about Mags" PJ smiled, finally comfortable.
"I bet you were," grinned Dash, and was rewarded with a glare from both Maggie and PJ. Laughing, she grabbed hold of Adam's hand, and dragged him over to where a waiter stood patiently with a celebratory tray of drinks. Behind them, Tom groaned.
"You see what you've started now, don't you. My whole station will be married off before I know it! Ben, please don't tell me that you and Elly – "
Ben wisely kept quiet. He'd been seeing Elly for a while now, and while she wasn't Maggie, he was beginning to think that wasn't such a bad thing after all. Emma, however, wasn't keeping quiet.
"Daddy really likes Elly, and I think they should get married. I've designed my dress, and I know what flowers they could have, and - "
"Emma!" Ben was mortified, but on the other hand, intrigued. Nick and Zoe, along with a snoozing James followed on, gently herding well-wishers away from the newlyweds, giving them a moment alone.
"Maggie," PJ said, smiling down at her. "We're married. You're my wife!" his smile was full of adoration, wonder and love. "You and me Mags, we're married!"
"I know! It doesn't seem real, does it, but it is, PJ, it is. You and I – we did it. We got married. I love you PJ, I love you so much. I'm so happy, I don't think I've ever been happier." She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him, the kiss deepening by the second. Finally, breathlessly, they broke apart.
"Do we have to go to the reception Mags?" PJ asked, his blue eyes flashing with desire, "Couldn't we just disappear?"
Maggie glanced over at her friends and family in the distance, wanting nothing more than to do as PJ asked, and to disappear with PJ to the honeymoon suite and not be seen for days. Her heart and body craved this man, craved his touch, his love, his adoration.
"We, ah – "
"Don't even think about it," Pat Doyle said, appearing from nowhere. "There'll be plenty of time for that later"
PJ had never really believed in spontaneous combustion until now. There was nothing like your new father-in-law coming across you and your new wife almost ravishing each other on the spot. Maggie, her face red with embarrassment, took a deep breath.
"Think about what Dad?"
"Maggie!" PJ blushed "Shut up Doyley!"
Pat grinned. "Way too easy."
"Stop it Pat," a familiar voice said, and Maggie's grin widened as she turned to see who it was.
"Carol!"
"Hello Maggie. Congratulations, you two." Carol leaned over and placed a kiss on Maggie's cheek, and squeezed PJ's arm. "It's good to see you both so happy. Tim sends his best, by the way. He's sorry he couldn't be here, but like I said, he sends his best." She smiled. "Now, Pat, leave them alone, and you two, you'd better make your way to the reception. The faster you get that over with, the faster you can get going!" she winked.
"I see nothing, I hear nothing. Come on you, you're a bad influence" Pat said with a grin as Carol took Maggie's arm and led her over towards the car. "Oh, and Hasham? You make my little girl happy, you hear me? You make her happy or – "
"No need for an 'or' Pat. I love Maggie, you know that. She's my whole life, always have been and always will be. Now, if you don't mind, I want to hold my wife." PJ said, and set off after Maggie and Carol, catching them up and wrapping an arm around Maggie.