Jordyn's Army, page 7
“Let’s just say that I’m enjoying the idea of marrying my Prince Charming in front of everyone we know, and I have a pretty amazing dress I can’t wait for you to see.” I was beaming. I could feel it. The love I had for Jacob was all-consuming. While it seemed like we’d fallen into a routine of sorts, between work and moving in together, he lit a fire within me I hadn’t believe existed. He was protective from before we ever met, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I was the luckiest girl in the world.
Snow White was finally marrying her Prince Charming.
2
Jacbo
I headed to the hospital where I had two more shifts left before the wedding and vacation. It felt like an eternity, frankly, and it was making me irritable. There was something about this wedding. I had a need for it. It had become my greatest desire and I’m not even sure where that feeling came from. When I first met Jackie, I was a different guy. I'd just gotten over my divorce, and life merely consisted of shuffling between work and home. Wake up, work my shift, return home, repeat.
Outside of my usual workouts, I didn’t have much happening. Going through the motions and pretty unsure of my next move, but definitely sure it wasn’t meeting the love of my life. Who was in a coma at the time. I chuckled to myself on my walk to the hospital, thinking about how crazy it all was. Just over a year ago, I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the beautiful stranger in the emergency room, and now we were just a few short days away from being married.
When she woke up, it was love at first sight for me. Truth be told, looking back, it was probably love from the minute she rolled into the hospital. She had an energy about her I couldn't shake, and the fact that we called her Snow White before we knew her name made me want to be her Prince Charming.
I still worked nights and hated to be away from her, but every afternoon when I woke up, I took my coffee downstairs to her flower shop, Enchanted Flowers, and we spent a little time together before I went to work. I lived for the weekends with her. I never knew how happy I could be with someone. Certainly, I didn't think I’d ever marry again. Jackie didn’t care at all that I’d been married before, and when we talked about it, she said it was just a stepping stone on my journey to finding her. She always said things like that. She was full of romance, and it made me a more romantic man.
My shift by went uneventfully and when I checked in on Jackie, she hadn’t stayed too late in the flower shop, which made me feel better. I hated when she stayed late by herself. Ever since her poisoning, even though I didn’t know her then, I worried about her. It never sat right with me that an unusual pesticide would still be on fruit that came in a fruit basket, and we never found out where the basket came from.
When I got home early the next morning, Jackie was waiting up for me like usual and she seemed upset.
“What’s wrong, babe?” I could see by the distressed look on her face that something wasn’t right.
“Well, it’s... it’s nothing.” She turned away.
“It’s clearly not nothing. Talk to me?” I pulled her toward me, noticing tears forming in her eyes. “What happened? Are you okay?” On instinct, I started to look for medical signs that something might be wrong. Being a doctor didn't stop when I left the hospital.
“Oh, yes. I’m fine. I’m fine. But my dress…” She trailed off.
“Your dress?” I was so confused.
She nodded.
“What’s wrong with your dress? What dress?” Then it occurred to me. “Your wedding dress?”
She nodded and a small tear rolled down her cheek. “It’s gone.”
“What do you mean, it’s gone?” She wasn’t making any sense.
“My dress is gone.” She began to sniffle, trying to hold back the tears.
“Where did it go?” How does a dress go missing?
“Mrs. Fields says that someone came to pick it up for me, but I didn’t send anyone to pick it up. So, it’s gone.” She ran her hand through her beautiful black hair and started to pace.
“Wait, so someone stole your wedding dress?”
“I mean, she didn’t say that. She thought that I sent someone to pick it up. She was finishing up the last of the alterations and I was supposed to pick it up last night. That’s why I didn’t work late. But when I went to her shop, she was surprised to see me and said it was gone, and that my friend picked it up.”
“What friend?” I asked. None of what she was saying made any sense at all. I mean, who would steal a wedding dress?
“I have no idea. She didn’t even ask. She just assumed that I sent someone over to get it. I mean, someone took it on purpose. They told her that I sent them.” She stopped pacing and folded her arms across her chest. “Some woman stole my dress, but why would someone do that to me?”
“I don’t understand how something like this could happen. Did she recognize the person? Did she get a name?”
“No, Mrs. Fields had no idea who it was, but I mean, wedding dress theft isn’t exactly a common crime, so she didn’t assume anything was wrong. I can’t be mad at her about it, she thought she was doing the right thing.” Her frustration was evident, and I was flabbergasted by the whole thing. Our wedding was in four days. A missing wedding dress, while not a huge deal to me, was certainly a huge deal to my bride, and I couldn’t imagine it was easy to find another one this close to the big day. I didn’t say it out loud, but I was already trying to figure out how to solve this dilemma before it caused Jackie any more distress.
“Okay, well, I’m not entirely sure what to say because I’ve never heard of such a thing in my life. But what do you want to do about it?” I asked her, wanting her to take the lead on where we were going here.
“Well, I am aware that it’s just a dress,” she said.
“It’s not just a dress, baby.”
She sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. “It is just a dress. I’ll just have to get something else to wear for Saturday. That’s all. No big deal.”
I knew it was a big deal, and she was trying not to be upset about it. You could see it in her eyes. I kneeled down beside her and took her hands in mine. “Baby, we’ll just get you a new dress. Whatever it takes. I know how much you loved this one, but all that means is that the new one you find will be the one. The dress you’re supposed to have.”
“I know you’re right,” she said with a smile.
“You know that I’d marry you at the courthouse in a t-shirt and jeans, right?” I asked her.
“I don’t think your mother would like that very much.” She started to giggle, which lightened my heart.
“Well, good thing I’m not marrying her. I’m marrying you. And in case I haven’t mentioned it before, your happiness is all that matters to me.” I stood up, pulling her with me into an embrace.
“Thank you, Jacob. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I replied as she squeezed me tight. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
“Of course it is. I’m marrying my best friend in four days. Everything is perfect.”
I kissed her softly, tasting the strawberry lip balm she always wore. Those sweet lips were home, and as the kiss deepened, I pulled her closer.
“Why don’t you come back to bed with me for a little while. Then you can go find a new dress when your aunt gets here,” I suggested.
“Why Mr. McIntyre, I do believe I will accept your offer.” She giggled, and I chased her to the bedroom.
Once Jackie left to knock a few more wedding tasks off her list, I stayed in bed, but I couldn’t sleep. It didn’t make any sense to me why someone would steal Jackie’s wedding dress. Besides the fact that people loved Jackie, she didn’t have any enemies that we knew of, so someone was just being heartless and mean. Trying to steal her joy. Between that and her poisoning, there were now two things Jackie had been the victim of and I couldn’t shake the bad feeling it brought. I was worried about her, and while that might have seemed needless, I considered it might not be a coincidence. In any event, I was glad her aunt was coming back into town the next day and she wouldn’t be alone. With any luck, she’d find a new dress, and the rest of the week would be uneventful.
3
Jaqueline
I could tell Jacob was angrier than I was about the dress. It was quite clear from the protruding vein in his forehead and his reddish face that he was trying to quell his anger, his protective nature taking over. Sure, I was upset, but I was more shocked than anything. And poor old Mrs. Fields had no idea what was going on. Thankfully, Aunt Lydia was arriving, and she’d know just what to do and where we could get a new dress quickly.
Lydia had left me the flower shop when she retired and it had been the greatest gift of my life. Working with flowers made me happy. The aromas, the colors, all the different shapes and sizes of flowers—there was always one that made someone happy. For me, they all made me happy, but I couldn’t wait to see hundreds of champagne roses show up the next day. But for now, it was time to pick my aunt up and to let her know about the dress.
As usual, in the mostly annual visit from Lydia, she arrived in full regalia. Looking almost like a peacock with her bright blue hat, massive sunglasses, and flowing garments—all various shades of fuschia and turquoise—she threw her arms out wide to greet me.
“My darling Jaqueline! How are you, dear?” she asked with a dramatic flair, as if there were an audience. I suppose there was, as she certainly attracted attention.
“Aunt Lydia, it’s so wonderful to see you.” I hugged her quickly in return, before grabbing her bags and tossing them in my car. “How was your flight?”
“It was dreadful. Bumpy as an old cobblestone street in Marrakesh, but what can you do? It’s just wind, they say.” She fanned herself as she got settled into the front seat and I did the same. It had gotten quite warm, and I was thankful we’d chosen an indoor venue to get married for this very reason.
“Well, I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said as we pulled away from the airport.
“Oh, enough about flights, dear. Tell me, are you all ready for the big day with Prince Charming?” She chuckled, and I noticed she’d picked up a bit of an accent in her travels, although I couldn’t place it.
“I am ready. I can’t wait, actually.” I grinned, my full bride-to-be excitement kicking in again. Then I remembered. “Oh, but there was one snafu, and we need to get a new wedding dress today.” I blurted it out as if it was the most common errand in the world to run.
Lydia gasped. “What?” She clutched her neck in shock, which was so dramatic it made me laugh.
“There was a situation, and I guess my dress is missing. So, I need a new one,” I said. “I thought we could go dress shopping now, and then grab some lunch before getting settled back at the apartment?”
“I’m sorry, dear, but I’m going to need you to explain. How does a wedding dress go missing three days before one’s wedding?”
The question was valid, and I didn’t want to tell her it had been stolen. Because that is definitely what happened. It wasn’t an accident they took my dress. But, I never lied to my aunt, and I wasn’t about to start then. “Well, it seems that someone stole it. They told my seamstress that they were sent to pick it up for me, which they were not, and they took it.” I shrugged my shoulders. I’d already accepted what happened and was ready to problem solve, not wallow.
“That is downright Machiavellian!” she exclaimed. “Why on earth would someone do that?”
“I have no idea, but at this point, I need something to wear this weekend.”
“Well, I know someone in the city. Let me make a call and we’ll get this taken care of at once!”
Lydia pulled out her cell phone and explained the situation to whomever it was on the other end of the line. Then, she listened and small talked with them before letting them know we’d be over soon. She slid her phone back inside of her giant turquoise bag, and shifted her body toward me.
“This is a very nefarious act, Jacqueline. Do you have any idea who might have done this?” She had a serious and hushed tone.
“I honestly don’t. In fact, I can’t even imagine why someone would do such a thing. Especially not to us.” I’d already racked my brain about it all night and into the morning.
“Well, we must be cautious. But in the meantime, we’ll head over to Jullian’s Boutique on the West side of town. He owes me a favor, and we’ll have you a gorgeous couture wedding gown in no time.”
“Thank you, Aunt Lydia, I knew you’d know where we could go. I would’ve just gone to the mall or something and picked a dress out off a rack, you know.” I laughed, knowing this would disturb her.
She groaned dramatically. “Well, thank God you have me. Because no niece of mine—especially not my only and my most favorite niece—will be walking down the aisle in a department store dress off a rack. I mean, really, darling.” She huffed, and settled herself in for the short trip to the West side of town.
By midafternoon, we had not only bought a brand new, one-of-a-kind wedding gown fit for a princess, Lydia had also ensured we take it with us that day. It didn’t need alterations, it was practically meant for me, so she had the shop owner wrap it up for us against their wishes. Her friend, Coco, gave us explicit instructions on how to handle the garment and huffed an awful lot, but eventually we left, dress in hand, to head back to our apartment.
Once the dress was safely hidden in the guest room closet where Jacob couldn’t see it, Lydia and I sat down to have some tea.
“So, tell me, niece, how is that handsome devil of a fiancé?” She grinned. Lydia was eccentric and eclectic—the perfect mix for a favorite aunt.
I could feel my face redden a bit. I always gushed about him. “He’s wonderful. You’ll see him in the morning when he comes home from work. He’s got two shifts left, unfortunately.”
“That Jacob is a hard worker,” she said. “If it weren’t for him, we might have lost you.”
“I think about that all the time, you know.” I considered our unusual meeting how fate must have stepped in to bring us together. “I feel extraordinarily lucky that we found each other when we did. For more reasons than one.”
I chuckled. He definitely saved my life and when we first started dating, several people assumed it was for that reason alone that I adored him so much. But anyone who met Jacob was immediately enamored by him. Lydia had come to visit shortly after my recovery and met him then.
“He is equally lucky to have a flower such as yourself in his life. But I suspect he knows that.” She winked at me and took a sip of her tea. “So, tell me about the flowers for the wedding. Will they be arriving for us to work with tomorrow?”
The prospect of working with the roses the next day made me downright giddy. Adding to that, Lydia helping me put the arrangements together was a dream come true. After all, it was originally her flower shop, and I’d learned everything I knew about flowers from her. “Champagne roses,” was all I said.
Lydia set her teacup down and clasped her hands together. “Lovely! The perfect vintage bloom for a fairy tale wedding.”
4
Jacob
My shift couldn’t end soon enough. It seemed like the gods were against me as every out-of-control, over-the-edge, lunatic showed up to the emergency room tonight. I couldn’t find anyone to cover for me those last two shifts, so I had to take them. Thankfully, my good relationship with the nurses kept me sane. My partner-in-crime, Ruth, was on shift with me as well to keep me sane.
I couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling I had about Jackie’s dress being stolen, but she felt it wasn’t a crime worth reporting to the police. She’s a nicer person than I am, and it’s one of the reasons I fell in love with her because I would have called in a private investigator to track down the dress thief. The whole thing just didn’t make sense, and I couldn’t help but think something else was on the horizon. That we still had two more days to get through without incident before we officially got hitched.
Then my thoughts turned to how lucky I felt to be marrying my best friend. I’d never wanted children until I met Jackie. From the moment she woke up from her coma, I knew she was the one. She’d be the mother of my children, my partner for life. Until I experienced it myself, I always thought it was bullshit when people say that the right person will come along, and then I’d know. It sounds ridiculous. But it’s true. I knew before she ever woke up that she was special. And now here we were, about to be married. I felt my chest puff up with pride, and a grin spread across my face.
“Hey loverboy, you thinking about Snow White and the big day?” Ruth interrupted my daydreaming.
I chuckled. “I was, how did you know?”
“Couldn’t possibly be that ridiculous grin you have on your face.” She smiled. Ruth loved to tease me, but she also loved Jackie as much as I did. When I wasn’t able to visit her when she was sick, Ruth kept tabs on her condition and let me know how she was doing. She even spent some time with Jackie as well, so they had a bond all their own.
“Can’t help it, Ruth,” I replied.
“I think about the night she wound up in our care often. She’s lucky to be alive, thanks to you.”
“I’m the lucky one,” I said. “I was miserable and lonely before she came along.”
“Well, that’s the damn truth. Even with every hot nurse in the hospital hot on your tail,” she joked.
She was kidding, sort of. I had been a hot commodity when my divorce from my first wife went through, but there were never any sparks or real connection with anyone. Not until I saw Jackie. Before she ever spoke to me, she had become important to me. Funny how those things work out. Like it was meant to be.
“Did I tell you what happened to Jackie’s wedding dress?” I asked.
“No! Did something happen to it?” she asked worriedly.
