An Officer but No Gentleman(102)

Was she drunk? Charlie’s upbringing contrasted harshly to theirs. He wouldn’t have put it past her to have gotten his sister drunk; not understanding it was something young women did not do. Did she get sick on her dress causing the delay?

As Jayne approached, Jaxon stepped towards her and took her hands. He leaned in to kiss her cheek as an excuse to get close enough to see if he could smell liquor on her. He could not detect any odor.

“Are you all right?” he whispered in her ear and pulled back to see her eyes.

The look on her face told him she was surprised to find he had noticed anything amiss.

Jayne smiled and nodded and moved to her position opposite her brothers.

Jaxon retreated back to his place next to Daniel and elbowed him lightly. When he had his attention, he nodded towards Jayne. Daniel looked past him and frowned when he saw her eyes.

The music changed and the congregation of family, friends and crew rose to their feet as Charlie began her walk down the aisle on Morty’s arm. Morty wore his white dress uniform as did nearly every sailor there. It made him look even more muscled than usual.

Jaxon had been annoyed when his mother insisted if Morty was her cousin, he should give her away. He either needed to admit the lie or let Morty act as her father. But there was also a side of him that liked the symbolism of him yielding his hold on her.

But when they came through the doors at the back of the worship hall, he barely noticed the brute next to his bride. His eyes fixed on Charlie. He didn’t think she could possibly look more beautiful than she always did, but he was wrong. The joy in her face radiated through the gossamer veil. He smiled widely.

“Who gives this woman?” the preacher said, bringing Jaxon out of his reverie.

“Her crew and I,” Morty said eliciting a few chuckles.

Morty outstretched his hand to Jaxon. “I hope you know how fortunate you are to have this woman’s love,” he said quietly.

“I do. And I intend to show her how much I love her every day for the rest of our lives.”

When Jaxon released his hand, Morty lifted Charlie’s hand from his arm and placed it on Jaxon’s.

As Morty took his seat next to Mabel, Jaxon and Charlie turned to Reverend Fyfe and began their vows.

Jaxon could tell Charlie was surprised when Daniel produced a ring. She may have forgotten about the ring, but he had not. She watched as he slid the ring onto her finger and stared at it while Reverend Fyfe spoke the vows first. When she looked up there were tears in her eyes.

“With this ring….” Jaxon’s voice cracked and Charlie covered his hand with her right hand and smile.

Jaxon cleared his throat and finished then Charlie said hers, their eyes never leaving each other.

Moments later, Reverend Fyfe pronounced them husband and wife, telling Jaxon he could kiss the bride.

Jax lifted the veil and leaned down to plant a chaste kiss on her lips, but Charlie wrapped one arm around his neck and kissed him passionately. There were some chuckles from his crew and more than one of her crewmembers cleared their throats, but it was Grace and Sloane saying Ew that made Charlie relax her hold on Jax’s neck.

As they walked down the aisle to the church’s vestibule, Jaxon leaned towards her.

“What’s the matter with Jayne?” he whispered.

Charlie’s hand flew to her mouth as her breath caught. “She insisted we not postpone the wedding.”

Jaxon glanced behind them to make sure Jayne and Daniel followed. As soon as they were out of the sanctuary, Jaxon sought out a place where they could talk privately.

“In here,” he said to Jayne and Daniel as he led Charlie into the preacher’s study.

“Daniel,” Charlie said. “Maybe you should go get your mother, too.”

“No, not Mama,” Jayne protested.

Jaxon nodded his head toward the door and Daniel hurried to find their matriarch.

“I take it Jayne didn’t tear her dress?” Jaxon said frowning in earnest.

“No…” Charlie started, but Jayne interrupted.

“Millie tried to shoot Charlie.”

“Millie? Oh, God.”

“I tried to wrest the pistol from her and it went off and Jayne got shot,” Charlie explained.

“I got winged in the wing,” Jayne said still feeling the effects of the laudanum.

“She’s made that same joke half a dozen times already.”

“You should have seen Charlie. It all happened so fast, Millie didn’t know what happened.”

“But you’re all right?” Jax asked Jayne.

“Nothing a dozen stitches and a little laudanum couldn’t take care of.”

Jayne smiled widely at Jax.

“No more laudanum.” Jaxon scowled at Jayne and watched as her grin turned crooked as if she wanted him to know his glower did not work on her.