I DO NOT!
CHAPTER III: WEDDING BELLS.
Thanks to my awesome beta Gem and my friend Meral! A big hug for you girls!
Hope you enjoy this and please review.
Donna smiled and happily followed her man. A few minutes were enough to prove to her that, now on, life beside him would be a constant thrill. She suddenly stopped when she found out they were heading back into the church. What for?
"Where are we going? There´s no one in there."
"That is not exactly accurate."
She looked at him in confusion and he ushered her in. When empty, the little space looked ample and peaceful. Light floated in with the delicacy of an angel and painted the view with a subtle and delightful golden light. The ocean´s music reached them as the softest background melody and the itchy smell of salt rose as high as the hill on top of which they were standing.
"I never realized how beautiful this place is when it´s empty. It´s magical."
"It´s not half as beautiful as you are."
"I would be tempted to believe it if it wasn´t for the fact you love me."
But hearing it was still delightful.
"Yes, I do love you."
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him playfully. She jumped apart when someone cleared his throat. Donna saw the priest and took a deep breath, trying to sooth her heart, since it became a wild bird trying to escape her chest.
Sam smiled, not surprised at all, and took her hand.
"Come on, baby."
She looked from one man to another, astounded.
"But what… are we doing here?"
"We´re getting married. You said yes, it´s the next step, baby."
"Now? Are you serious?" She asked, releasing her hand in shock. Her heart wasn´t any calmer at all.
"Yes, of course I am…"
She sighed. "This is exactly why I said no at the beginning, Sam."
"What?"
"You´re rushing things. Don´t you think it´s too soon? Didn´t you stop to think I am not the woman you met all those years ago anymore?"
"I am not rushing things, Donna… I´m twenty years late here."
"No, you´re not. You made a promise, you had to fulfill it, whether you really loved me or not. I´m… happy you do love me, though."
She sat on the first bench and looked up at him.
"I love you, Donna. Believe it or not, you are still the woman I love."
"What if I´m a psycho? What if I´m a serial killer? What if I´m a nymphomaniac? You don´t know me at all."
"You´re not a psycho and you´re not a serial killer. You´re just a single mother who runs a Villa on the very same island you loved to come all those years ago. You´re living the dream we once had. You haven´t changed at all."
"And what about you? Haven´t you changed?"
"I have more money, I have two sons, I am divorced and I aged a bit. But my feelings for you didn´t change at all either."
"I´m not saying my feelings changed. My love for you…feels as good as new. But I just lost my daughter and you´re expecting me to..."
He sat next to her and grabbed her face.
"In the first place, you didn´t lost you daughter, woman. She will go on a trip with her fiancé and she will be back. She´s not dead."
"It´s easy for you to say."
"It´s not. I would love to get to know her better. I don´t want her to go either, but she´s a grown up woman now. We have to let her go. She will never forget the way back."
"Do you always have an answer for everything?"
He grinned. "Get used to it."
"Granted. As long as I´m allowed to always be right."
"That´s not fair."
"Fair it is."
"Fine."
"Yay!" She smiled, raising her arms in the air.
"The thing is, you don´t need to be right when we won´t fight."
"Oh, you are a lousy cheater."
"And in the second place, I don´t expect you to do anything you don´t want to."
"I know."
He smiled and stood up. "It´s up to you."
She stood up too and took his hands. "Take me now or lose me forever."
"Take you. I can´t live another day without you."
"Me either."
They looked to the other side of the church and found the priest dozing on a bench, with the bible still in his hands. Both lovebirds sighed.
"Shall we wake him?"
"I don´t have the heart to…"
"Back to the party?"
"Yes, I want to see Sophie."
The man suddenly shook his head and looked up at them.
"Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes, we are. Sorry for the delay."
"Pre-wedding jitters, everyone gets them. No need to be embarrassed. Come here." He said, walking to the front of the church.
The couple followed him and they took each other´s hands.
"Very well. Samuel Ethan Carmichael, do you take Donatella Mae Sheridan for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"Donatella Mae Sheridan, do you take Samuel Ethan Carmichael for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"
"Yes, I do."
"Very well, now you can say your vows."
"The vows I take will be forever, I'll love you all my life. There's no part way, no holding back, once we are man and wife. The choice is made, and now I swim in a far different sea, the shores of which are bright green hills raised up for you and me. Our love is like a mountainside awash in lovely flowers: It is our home, our solid rock, where all bright things are ours. You are the light that keeps me going, Donna, the only longing of my heart. I can´t promise you eternal happiness, but I can promise you eternal love, to honour and cherish you until my very last day."
He smiled and slid the ring in her finger. She smiled back and breathed deeply to help a sob. She was afraid that, when she spoke, her voice would break.
"I cannot promise you a life of sunshine; I cannot promise riches, wealth, or gold; I cannot promise you an easy pathway that leads away from change or growing old. But I can promise all my heart's devotion; a smile to chase away your tears of sorrow; a love that's ever true and ever growing; a hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow. From this day forward, you won´t walk alone, my heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home. You have been all this years the… only thing that kept me wishing on a wishing star, baby. I love you, Sam. So much. And I´m so happy you´re back. Oh, God, you made me cry. You are so mean."
Finally, she sniffled and gulped to hide her faltered voice.
"I hope, baby, for those to be tears of joy."
"And they are." She whispered, sliding the ring into his finger too.
"I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Before he had a chance to kiss her, Donna jumped on Sam and wrapped her arms around his neck, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. He responded wrapping his own arms around her waist and pulling her closer, before deepening the kiss. The poor priest was watching with discomfort painted in his face. They broke apart when the lack of air forced them to. Donna stroked his cheek, staring lovingly into his ocean blue eyes and pecked his lips.
"Can you die of happiness?"
"Right now, Mrs. Carmichael, I think you can."
"I love the way it sounds."
The newlyweds thanked the priest and headed slowly back to the party. They walked hand in hand and stopped occasionally to steal a kiss from one another. There really wasn´t any rush to reach the noisy and crowded party. It was a time for themselves.
"Thank you. For everything. We have been married only half an hour and you´re already amazing. I must be the luckiest woman in the world."
"Indeed, you are."
"Aren´t we cocky?" She giggled.
Putting his arms around her slim waist again, she pulled her closer.
"If you don´t stop, Donna, I´ll have to kiss you again. Because your lips are so sweet and tempting."
"Oh, really? I am daring you to."
His lips met hers forcefully and she welcomed him with a soft moan. They didn´t try to hold a passion they knew was too strong to contain and their tongues started a forceful fight which they thoroughly enjoyed. It was the start of a very long road together.
"Was that enough punishment, baby? Or do you need more?"
"Oh, God, Sam. Of course I want you. But I… haven´t done this for a very long while and I´m afraid if you don´t stop now I´ll ask you to take me right here, because I want you to take me again so badly. But… it´s not such a good idea."
He smirked and started trailing kisses down her neck, feeling her squirm and her skin flame up under every cotton-soft touch. She purred and tilted her head back.
"We can always head to the beach."
"You know, you´re killing me."
"Only because I want this as badly as you do."
"They will come looking for us, you know." She sighed.
"I don´t care. You are mine, woman, and no one can take that away from me."
He leaned to kiss her again, but before he could do so, the screeching of her phone interrupted them.
"Mom, where are you? I´m worried."
"You don´t have to worry baby, I´m with Sam. I told you."
"That´s exactly what haves me worried, mother."
"What do you mean, young lady?"
"Never mind. Will you please hurry? We´re waiting for you to serve dinner."
"We´re on our way, princess. I love you."
"Great. Love you too."
She put the phone down and looked up at him apologetically.
"See? I told you, sweetheart."
"It's okay. I understand. You need to see her before she leaves."
"I do, but I promise we will get back to it later."
"I can bet my fortune it´s going to be a very long night."
"You get it, stud." She blushed and giggled. "Now I remember you said I wasn´t a psycho and I wasn´t a serial killer."
"Yes, I know you are not any of that."
She smirked. "But what if I am a nymphomaniac? I can be one."
"Would it really be that bad?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked.
Whit a confident grin, she slowly slid a hand behind him and pinched his buttock, making him jolt in surprise and herself burst out laughing.
"I don´t know, you tell me."
THE END.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story. It really means a lot. Mwahs and hugs!