"b.i.t.c.h," Willa muttered.

"What did you say?" Lisa's eyes widened, while her husband began to look angry. Willa refused to look at Lucky to see his reaction.

"I said watch. Lucky's carpet is bunched up. I wouldn't want you to trip," Willa said, practically running outside, her steps loud on the gleaming, hardwood floor.

She floored her van as she drove home, pummeling her steering wheel in fury. Slamming the car in park, she went to her door, almost breaking the key off in the lock.

She still hadn't calmed down thirty minutes later when her doorbell rang.

"h.e.l.lo, Willa. How are you this afternoon?"

"Hi, Douglas. I'm fine. You?"

"Good." His smile slipped a notch when he saw her puffy eyes and the tissues in her hand.

Willa opened the door, taking a step back for him to enter.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" she asked, her bottom lip wobbling.

"No!" Douglas cleared his throat, lowering his voice. "I just stopped by to see if you still wanted me to build that deck for you. The weather is finally getting dry enough to work outside."

"Yes. Even if I don't live here, it will add value to the house."

"You're moving away? You shouldn't let a break-up run you out of Treepoint."

"What?" Willa gave a smothered sob. "I'm not leaving Treepoint. Lucky and I are engaged again. I was talking about the fact that we haven't decided yet if we'll be living in my house or the church."

"That's good news, isn't it?" he asked when her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes."

"I went ahead and made the invoice." Douglas was reaching behind his back when her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me."

"This will only take a min-"

Willa turned her back on Douglas, reaching for her cell phone on the entry table.

"h.e.l.lo? Knox?"

"Willa, have you seen Sissy?"

"No, I haven't seen her since this morning in Jamestown. I thought Killyama was taking her back to Texas."

"She snuck off the plane before it could take off."

"Oh." Willa hated to admit it, but she was glad the girl had been heading back to Texas.

"She's not in any trouble. Her uncle called and wanted me to check to make sure she was okay and to help her find a place to stay since she's so determined to be near Treepoint."

"I can make a list of her friends if you want."

"That would be a help. This time, I'll keep it in my files. It will save time. I'll be there in a minute."

"I'll be waiting." Willa disconnected the call, seeing Douglas's frustrated expression. "I need to take care of something for Knox. Can this wait until after he leaves?"

"That's okay. I can stop by another day. I'll go ahead and buy the materials, and you can reimburse me."

"I appreciate it."

Douglas left before she could offer him coffee again. Shrugging, Willa sat at the table, making out the list of names Knox wanted. It didn't take long since Sissy only had a handful of friends.

After Knox left, Willa took a shower, making sure she didn't get her hair wet. She took time pampering herself. She even lit her favorite scented candles and placed her waterproof speaker in the shower so she could listen to the music. She was listening to "Jar of Hearts," her face turned up to the spray of water after giving up on keeping her hair dry, when she saw movement at the door.

A startled scream was caught in her throat when she recognized it was Lucky standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened, and she covered her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with her arms.

"Did you forget we're having dinner tonight?"

"I'll be right out," Willa managed to croak out.

She stepped back against the shower stall when Lucky strode forward, sliding the gla.s.s door open.

"Why have you been crying?"

"Lucky! I'm naked!"

His eyes darkened. "I can see that. Why have you been crying?"

Willa turned her face away from him.

"Because of Lisa?"

Willa nodded her head, but Lucky wouldn't let her escape his eyes.

"Don't you dare let that b.i.t.c.h upset you. Your body is a gift from G.o.d." His eyes focused on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and her nipples peaked as if he was actually touching them.

Lucky unb.u.t.toned his shirt, and then she licked the water away from her lip as he took off his pants and shoes, stepping into the shower with her. Willa's eyes feasted on the sight of his body. It was a thing of muscular beauty, gleaming a golden hue as the water created rivulets while it fell.

Her eyes and fingertips investigated each tattoo from the top of his chest, reading 'Only G.o.d Can Judge Me,' to the inked guardian angel and cross that led down to his c.o.c.k where two roses weaved through the cross. His tattoos were fascinating and revealing, used to express his faith. She had to blink the water out of her eyes to see the ones on his c.o.c.k. Even his feet had tattoos, and Willa couldn't imagine the hours he had been under a needle to cover his body.

Lucky's hand took hers, laying it on his c.o.c.k and showing her how to glide her hand along its length.

"Do you know what I do every time I see you?"

"No." Willa gripped him harder.

He moved his hand to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "I thank G.o.d I'm a man." He began teasing her nipples with swipes of his tongue as her thumb slid over the crown of his c.o.c.k. "I think about what our wedding night is going to be like: how I'm going to sink my d.i.c.k into that tight p.u.s.s.y; how you're going to walk the next day, remembering me inside of you because I'm going to f.u.c.k you so hard you'll hurt." Lucky bit down on the tip of a nipple, releasing it after a brief second before lifting her other breast to his mouth.

As he sucked the nipple into his mouth again, she released cries of need, wanting to please him and wipe the memory of every woman from his mind.

"I think about how soft your skin is, how you're sweeter than those cupcakes you make, and how you can't stand to hurt anyone's feelings, even at the cost of your own. You're beautiful soul shines from your eyes and makes me hard as a rock."

His hand covering hers tightened until Willa was afraid she was hurting him. Then she saw that he was shuddering while his other hand braced him against the wall of the shower, and then he came in her hand.

Afterward, Willa self-consciously dried off in front of Lucky who refused to leave and give her privacy.

"You might as well get used to me seeing you naked."

"I won't ever get used to that." Willa turned to leave then spun around in shock when she felt the snap of a towel on her b.u.t.tock. She glanced back over her shoulder to see him smiling at her innocently.

She giggled. She hadn't seen this playful side of Lucky, and it made her fall in love with him even more.

"Be careful. Those expensive shoes of yours are getting wet."

When he turned to use his foot to scoot the shoes onto the bathroom rug, Willa returned the small bite of pain to his own b.u.t.t. Lucky's shocked gaze turned back to her.

"Stop!" Willa giggled. Once she saw he was going to get retribution, she immediately sobered. "I'm sorry."

"You don't seem very sorry." Lucky shook his head, still advancing on her.

"I am." Instead of trying to run away, Willa ran into his arms, kissing his cheek and lips. "I'm sorry."

Lucky's hand went to her hair, tugging until she stared up at him. "I love you, siren."

"I love you, Lucky."

Chapter 23.

"You look beautiful," Beth told Willa as she straightened the veil down her back.

Willa felt beautiful when she stared at herself in the full-length mirror in Lucky's guest bedroom.

"Thank you both for being my bridesmaids."

Willa gave each of them a small jewelry box, and Lily and Beth both opened them to find exquisite pearl bracelets that Willa had chosen because the meaning behind them touched her soul.

It was said that they were made from angels pa.s.sing through the clouds in Heaven. They meant love, and Willa wanted Beth and Lily to know how much they meant to her.

"I wanted to thank you for my dress." Willa straightened her shoulders, staring at the women who had tried to be her friends over the years. "Both of my parents are dead. I was an only child, I used to beg my mother for a sister or brother. I accepted the dress because, if I had a sister, I would buy her one. I'm not explaining it right." Willa tried to make another attempt, but Lily caught her hand.

"That's why we bought it, because we felt like your sisters, too."

Beth nodded at her sister's words, and then they hugged each other. Lily was the first to break away.

"It's almost time." Lily handed Willa her red rose bouquet, pushing her toward the door.

"We have fifteen more minutes before I have to be downstairs." Willa tried to pull back.

"I told Lucky that I would bring you to the side door."

"It's bad luck to see the groom before the ceremony," Willa protested.

"He'll be careful. Come on. We're losing time," Lily encouraged.

Beth picked up the bottom of her dress and veil as she followed Lily's pale rose figure down the steps. She opened the side door that was an extra exit from the entry of the church.

"Stand here." Lily positioned her next to it, facing sideways.

After Lily opened the other door and held out Willa's hand, Lucky's hand grasped hers from the other side. It was the most romantic touch Willa could have ever dreamed of. She could see no part of his body, only feel the loving clasp of his hand from the other side of the door.

"Will you pray with me, Willa?"

"Yes." Tears clogged her throat as she lowered her head.

"Dear Father, thank You for this beautiful day, fulfilling Willa's and my desire to join our two souls together with Your holy blessing. Hand in hand, we come before You, giving our hearts to You, and in return, we trust our faith to guide us through the journey You have set forth for us.

"Make our marriage as flexible as this cord I wrap around our wrists so that our love will continue to grow through the years. Make our marriage as strong as the diamond I placed on her hand. I promise to give Willa a smile for every smile, a kiss for every kiss, to hurt every time she hurts until our bond is as unbreakable as our devotion to You. Amen."

Willa almost went around the door to Lucky. Placing her free hand on the door, she felt his love coming through as though she could actually touch him.

"Amen," she whispered back.

"I love you, Willa. I've never felt luckier than I do at this moment."

Her hand tightened in his. "This isn't luck; this is a blessing from G.o.d. When He created you, He created a man who serves Him, a man who brings joy to my heart and a love that I will always cherish. Today, I give to you all that I am: body, heart, and soul."

In the background, they heard the cellist begin to play.

"You have to go. The ceremony is beginning."

"I'll be waiting." Lucky released her hand.

She heard him walking away to the side of the church that would put him at the front of the podium.

Willa turned back to Lily and Beth who were standing by the door that led into the chapel. Both were wearing their pearl bracelets as she was wearing the same one around her own wrist.

The saleswoman who had "helped" her and Lucky previously at the jewelry store had glowered at her angrily when she had asked for someone else to wait on her. Willa didn't feel guilty giving the commission to someone else for the expensive bracelets while the saleswoman had stood, watching enviously.

"Are you ready?" Beth asked with tears of happiness that were mirrored in Willa's own eyes.

"I'm ready." Willa smoothed down her dress for the final time.