I've Been Waiting Forever For This

 

Author's note: Clay owns himself and his own name. I only wrote the words to the story.

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Day Six - Wednesday, December 28

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Early morning at the Kirche homestead

 

Will rubbed his bleary eyes. "I don't care what you say. God ain't up this early."

"Is too," Kate retorted as she placed a hot cup of coffee in front of him. "He's already up working on this morning's sunrise so that you can watch it as we drive to Lincoln."

"You're full of it," he snorted.

Clay nailed Will in the arm with a mild jab. "Don't talk to my fiancé that way."

Will scowled. "You'd better watch your step, Aiken, or one of these days I'm going to hide all of your underwear in the freezer."

"Better not," Kate scolded the bodyguard as she sat down next to Clay. "That's supposed to increase fertility in males, and he's stud enough as it is." She gently squeezed his leg just above his knee.

Clay choked on his orange juice. Oh my... He coughed for several minutes before he was fully able to regain his breath. That was not the thing I needed to hear from her today, knowing what's on my grocery list of things to get in Lincoln...

"You all right, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," Clay squeaked with a vigorous nod as he looked into her concerned eyes. "Fine."

"I'd bet you serious Euros it was the stud line that did him in," Sarah told Kate in German and snickered, giving her a wink as Kate blushed lightly. "So Will and I will drive the rental SUV down there and you guys will follow in Andrew's minivan. Once we pick everyone up from the airport, we scatter to find what we need to buy yet before the wedding. Kim and Kate and I scatter to find Kate's wedding dress and all her wedding day delicates, you guys scatter to buy..." Sarah raised an impish eyebrow, suggesting that she knew EXACTLY what was on their list. "The things you still need to buy for that day."

Clay gave Sarah a disappointed look. "You said you're buying her wedding day delicates. If you can forgive my asking the question, which delicates, so I know which ones not to buy her?"

Sarah snickered again, this time at Kate's much deeper blush. "Don't buy her any this time around. Kim and I have things all planned out."

"Oh." Even though Clay was clearly embarrassed at the topic of discussion, it was also clear that he was disappointed that he wasn't getting in on that part of the action.

Saving both of them from further blushing, Sarah continued on a completely different track. "Which restaurant are we meeting at for dinner, and at what time?"

"Grisanti's," Kate answered immediately, "at five." She glanced over at Clay. "You have the address for the restaurant?"

Clay nodded. "I do, along with the addresses of several other places that we'll probably be going to." He smiled. "I like it when the cities have their phone directories online."

"Love the Yellow Pages," Sarah smirked.

Finished with breakfast, the couples cleaned up the kitchen. They quickly loaded an overnight bag each into their respective vehicles for the quick trip to Lincoln. Today they would pick up Kim and Ruben, tomorrow Clay's family, at the Lincoln Municipal Airport. In between the two pickups, shopping... Sarah held up her cell phone. "I know we'll try to stick together, but in case we get separated and need to call each other..."

Kate and Clay both held up their respective cell phones. "Who ya gonna call?" she quipped a la Ghostbusters style.

Clay chuckled as Will and Sarah climbed into the rental SUV, Sarah with Will's help. "Honey, we aren't bound by the same driving restrictions as they are. Do you want to drive, or do you want me to?"

"We can take turns," Kate offered. "Tell you what - why don't you start out, and about the halfway point we can switch? It's really confusing to find the Lincoln airport, and it might be easier if I just do it rather than trying to give you directions."

"You're almost as bad as Sarah," Clay teased.

Kate raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Maybe... but I'm twice as diplomatic."

"Only twice?"

Kate gaped at him in pretend shock. "Clayton Holmes Aiken... how dare you say such true things about my best friend."

Clay giggled at her. "I won't tell if you won't."

"Deal."

Clay held the passenger door for Kate to climb in before hurrying around to the driver's side. Once he was buckled up and had started the minivan, he smiled at Kate. "Fireplace jokes aside, any more burning topics we want or need to discuss while we drive?"

Kate laughed warmly as Clay started the drive down the road towards the Interstate. "Yeah, we did kinda dig ourselves a grave, didn't we?"

"I'm just glad that only those two saw and not our families."

Instantly Kate paled and grimaced. "No kidding..."

In the SUV Sarah closed her eyes for the proverbial few winks. She dozed for a while, tossing in the uncomfortable seat of the SUV as she dreamed...

At last Sarah woke. Stretching luxuriously, she smacked her lips. "That was a weird dream." Sarah glanced over at Will with an impish smile. "Are you guys going to go get Clay's stuff for the big night today?" she asked innocently.

Will blinked. "Um, I think that's on the list."

"Birth control too?"

Giving her a glance, Will raised his eyebrow. "Well, yeah, since they've told us they want to be 'safe' for a while."

Sarah giggled. "That should be interesting. I just dreamed about him trying to buy them. It felt like a real dream, too."

Will snorted. "Real dream? What's the difference between a real dream and a fake dream?"

Ignoring the remark, Sarah explained. "Sometimes I dream things that happen before they do. My money's on Clay getting recognized today when he goes to get his prophylactics. But not by any of his fans..." she said with a raised eyebrow.

Immediately Will shook his head. "If he gets recognized, it'll be his fans. Who else do we know around here..."

Sarah shrugged. "You'll see." She gave him an impish smile. "Have fun at Walgreen's."

"Walgreen's," Will mumbled. He snorted derisively and immediately changed the subject to music.

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At the Lincoln Municipal Airport

 

Kim and Ruben gathered their bags and prepared to leave the plane the two of them had chartered. "I still can't believe we're spending New Year's Eve in Nebraska," Ruben shook his head.

"It wouldn't be my first choice," Kim admitted with a laugh. "But that's where Kate is from, so here we are. Only Clay would get married on New Year's Eve in Nebraska."

Ruben chuckled warmly. "It just seems like yesterday Kate was in L.A. for a week with Clay."

"I know! Seven days in the city of angels..."

Smiling at Kim's choice of words, Ruben nodded once. "Y'know, I was thinking about that the other day. Your first single, 8th World Wonder, could tell their story."

Immediately the words to the song started playing in Kim's head. "Oh my gosh," she breathed, "it could. It really could." She slowly ran through the lyrics in her mind. "Seven days and seven nights of thunder... I think I fell in love with the 8th world wonder... It's only been a week, but it's coming over me. It's making me believe that you're the one for me." It may have been Kim's first chart-topper, but the lyrics could not have come any more true for Clay and Kate. Shaking her head with amazement, she walked towards the door of the plane. "Come on. I bet they're waiting for us outside."

The two friends descended the stairs with their bodyguards to the tarmac where two cars and their occupants waited for them. Immediately the cars spilled out their passengers, and Kim and Ruben met up with their friends. "It's good to see you guys again," Kate beamed as she hugged Kim and Ruben in turn.

"You too," Kim told her. She turned to Sarah, draped on her crutches. "Oh no..."

"Yeah," Sarah smirked. "Just a sprain."

"Thank goodness it's 'just' a sprain," Kim replied. "You would be off your feet even longer if it was broken or something."

Sarah shrugged. "I'll manage."

"I should probably give you guys a formal introduction," Kate quickly said, "especially since Ruben doesn't know Sarah at all." She moved in to make the introductions. "Kim, Ruben, this is my best friend and my maid of honor for Saturday, Sarah Daniels. Sarah, this is Kim Locke, Ruben Studdard, and their bodyguards George and Payton."

Kim grinned broadly as she carefully hugged Sarah. "I feel as if we've known each other forever! It's hard to believe we're just meeting for the first time."

"I know," Sarah replied.

Ruben extended his hand with a bashful smile. "Hi Sarah. I'm Ruben."

Sarah took the hand to shake gently. "You know what they say," she told him with a flirtatious wink. "Any friend of Kate and Clay's..."

"Well..." Kate grinned at the group. "We've got a long day ahead and only so many hours of usable daylight. Shall we?" She pointed at the vehicles before addressing them again. "Grisanti's at five..."

Clay grinned at her as Sarah, Kim, and George walked towards the minivan while the rest of the guys walked towards the SUV. "Grisanti's at five."

"Should I call ahead, or do you want to do that?"

"Let us," Clay told her as he walked towards the passenger door of the SUV. "Your list is longer."

Kate saluted him before assisting Sarah into the front seat of Andrew's minivan. Ruben watched with a smile on his face as Kate closed the door behind Sarah and ran around to climb into the driver's side. "Man, that Sarah's pretty."

Clay blinked with surprise at Ruben. Oh really? "She is, but don't be getting any ideas. Let's go." The two of them climbed into the SUV to join their bodyguards and drove off to complete their business.

Putting the minivan in gear, Kate followed behind the guys towards Lincoln proper. "Here we go, ladies..." she cast a wicked glance at Kim's bodyguard, "and George. Ready for Operation Matrimony!"

Sarah cast a wicked eyebrow at Kate. "You should have called it 'Operation Marry-me-off-before-we-jump-each-other-again'."

A brilliant red instantly flooded Kate's cheeks as Kim gaped. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that..." Kate muttered.

Kim continued to stare slack-jawed. "All right - there's a story. Tell me everything, before I have to pry it out of Clay myself."

"No," Kate quickly protested. "Sarah - no. Don't you dare."

"Aw..." Sarah pouted.

"Either you tell me," Kim threatened, "or I'm going to ask Clay later."

"What makes you think he's going to tell you?" Kate snorted.

"Because I have blackmail secrets."

Kate made a face as she continued the drive to one of the local bridal shops. "Only because I want a say in what you hear and how you hear it..." she began, giving Kim as little of the detail from Tuesday as she could manage and still satisfy both her and Sarah.

Finally they arrived at the first bridal shop. "You're right," Kim snickered after Kate's tale. "We do need to marry the two of you off fast."

"Yeah," Kate muttered. "If my brother notices... it's pretty bad."

Once inside the shop the three gals removed their shoes and placed them on mats near the door. They found Sarah a chair to sit on and removed their coats. Within moments Kate and Kim were hunting the racks for Kate's bridal gown. "How about this one?" Kim asked, showing her an off-the-shoulders dress.

Kate grimaced and shook her head. "Not in this weather."

"All right," Kim nodded as she placed it back on the rack. "Something with sleeves, then."

"Loooong sleeves," Kate emphasized. "It's cold out there."

Sarah smirked evilly. "Clay can keep you warm on Saturday," she purred.

Knowing exactly what Sarah was hinting at, Kate rolled her eyes as Kim laughed. "Oh, I'm not worried about his ability to keep me warm. But he shouldn't have to try so hard to get me there."

Kim held up another dress with long lace sleeves. "Is this more your style?"

"That's closer," Kate agreed as she grabbed for the price tag. Glancing at it, she shook her head. "On second thought, no..." Kate protested. "I'm not paying more for my dress than we are for the rest of the wedding."

Kim shook her head with amusement, remembering the last time she had gone dress shopping with Kate. The other woman had been extremely price-conscious even when they had found what was obviously the perfect dress for the premiere of Clay and Ruben's movie. Now it was her own wedding, and Kate didn't seem to have changed her habits any... She glanced at the price tags of the other gowns on the rack. They weren't much better. "Well, that takes care of the selections here at this place. Where are the other bridal shops in town?"

"There's J'Marie's on 48th and Normal, but she'll probably think that they're too pricey too..." Sarah ignored Kate as she made a face and stuck out her tongue. "There's a bridal outlet on North 27th, and if we strike out there, there's another bridal outlet in Wahoo... which isn't far from here."

"Wahoo?" Kim asked with surprise. "Wahoo, Nebraska... as in, the so-called home office for David Letterman's Top Ten list?"

"That's the one," Kate nodded. "Class B town - not even 10,000 people." She smirked. "Yet they have one of the better bridal dress stores in the state."

"So where's the home office in Wahoo?" Kim asked with morbid curiosity.

Kate snorted. "I don't think there really is one, but I don't know anyone from Wahoo well enough to ask them. There's a billboard outside of Wahoo that proclaims it the home office of The Late Show with David Letterman, but that's it."

Kim shook her head. "I've got to see this..."

Sarah and Kate exchanged an amused glance. "Wahoo, here we come..."

Roughly a half-hour later Kim snapped a photograph of the billboard outside of Wahoo. Quickly she returned to the car, and Kate easily negotiated the streets of Wahoo until she found the bridal outlet. After parking the car in front the three entered the store.

Immediately after they took off their shoes and found Sarah another chair to sit on, Kate walked over to the rack that held her size and started thumbing through. "Wait for me, girl!" Kim protested as she followed behind.

"I already know what I want," Kate chuckled. "This wedding's going to be in the middle of winter. I'd be crazy to wear anything less than a long-sleeved dress in this weather." She took a closer look at one of the dresses before flipping to the next one. "I'm also thinking about one with a high collar."

"You're going to leave everything to Clay's imagination, aren't you?" Kim teased.

"Of course," Kate responded. "He's got to have something to look forward to that night." When Kim laughed warmly, Kate smiled. "I've got a long enough neck I can pull off the high-collared stuff. That's one reason I wear so many turtlenecks in the winter."

"The other," Sarah snickered, "is the fact that you get cold because you have no body fat."

Kate shrugged. "They're practical and they look good. Can't ask much more from your wardrobe except versatility, easy maintenance, and a good price tag."

Sarah pulled at the sleeve of a dress on the rack. "How 'bout this one, Katydid?"

"Oo, I like!" Kate nodded as she took a closer look. "We can definitely try that one on."

A few more dresses were added to the collection, and the three women headed for one of the dressing rooms. Sarah and Kim helped put the first wedding dress over Kate's head, making sure she had her arms in the sleeves before Kim moved around to zip it up. "Better move your hair, hon," Kim told her, "so I don't get it caught in the zipper."

"Sure," Kate responded, making a quick ponytail with her hands and holding it to her head.

What is that? Kim frowned, noticing a sizable bruise just underneath her hairline on the back of her neck. Until Kate had moved her hair, she hadn't noticed it - Kate's long tresses had kept it from sight until now. "Kate, what did you do here?"

"Do?" Kate asked, puzzled. "Wha-what do you mean?"

Sarah's eyes widened at the bruise as she looked at it for the first time. "Oh my gosh! It's huge!"

"What's huge?"

Kim fingered the mark. "The bruise on the back of your neck."

"WHAT???"

Sarah dug into her purse until she found a hand mirror. "Take a look for yourself."

Kate turned so that her back faced the mirror, holding the hand mirror to get a better look. She blinked with surprise at seeing the large bruise. Now how did I - Kate's mind suddenly went back to Clay's attentions the other night in the barn. Oh my... I thought that felt awfully good. Kate clapped her hand over her shocked mouth. He's going to hear about this... "It's a big one, all right," she squeaked.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sarah snickered at Kate's reaction. When Kate cast a wary glance at her friend, Sarah giggled. "It's a love bruise, isn't it?" Kate moaned wearily and closed her eyes. "Wow - Monday night must have been real good."

Kim caught the reference to Monday's blizzard immediately. "You two better be careful. People tend to get really frisky during the winter..."

"Um, yeah," Kate frowned.

Sarah noticed Kate's somber mood. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked with concern.

"Sarah," Kim quickly protested. "Clay wouldn't do that to anyone. You don't know him the way I do - he's not like that."

"She's right," Kate replied. "He didn't hurt me. We had just had our first fight... and it was certainly the worst fight I've ever had with anybody."

Sarah shook her head. "I doubt that. I'm sure you've had worse fights with Andrew."

Kate winced. "I never slapped my brother."

"Oh." Sarah and Kim exchanged a look. "That must have been one heck of a fight..."

"Yeah." Kate blushed deeply. "And one heck of an apology we gave each other. You know what they say about fighting and making up - the bigger the fight, the sweeter the making-up."

"Well, if what I saw yesterday in front of the fireplace was any indication, I can only imagine how steamy things got on Monday." Sarah raised her eyebrow with an amused smile. "So just how many rules did the two of you break that night?"

Kate pinched her eyes shut, taking in a tortured breath. "All three," she croaked weakly.

"Oh my..." Sarah breathed. Steamy doesn't begin to describe their Monday night...

Kim's eyes widened. She had heard Clay talk about the three rules that they used to keep their relationship honorable. If even one rule had been encroached, the couple would have to be on their guard against their desires. The fact that all three had been broken told Kim that the two of them needed to get married on Saturday even if another blizzard trapped all of them at the house for weeks to come.

"And that," Kate declared with a shaky voice, "is why we have kept our distance from each other ever since. Sarah... we believe in waiting until marriage, and if we have to stop touching each other at all until Saturday in order to make sure that we give each other honor and respect then that's what we're going to do. We love each other so much that we're willing to do whatever it takes to keep this relationship good and pure and godly in His eyes. God would have us show each other love, honor and respect... and with His help we are going to do that. First, by keeping our distance. Second... by getting married as quickly as possible." Kate forced a weak smile as she glanced at her friends. "We need to hurry up and find me a dress and get us married this weekend no matter what." She made a face at her reflection staring back at her in the mirror. "But I don't think this is that dress..."

"Um, no," Sarah agreed with a frown. "That one doesn't flatter you. Next."

Kim helped Kate out of that dress as Sarah prepared the next one. Once the first dress was off, Kim and Sarah traded dresses and started the process again. Kim helped Kate into the dress with its long sleeves, and zipped up the back as Kate held her hair out of the way. "What do we think of this one?"

Kate gave her reflection a critical look. "Eeeehhhh... no. Still not right."

"Keep in mind, Katydid," Sarah chided as Kim helped Kate out of that one, "that we have today to find you a dress for Saturday. We pretty much have to find just the right dress today and it has to fit almost exactly... as few alterations as possible."

"I know that," Kate agreed as Kim took the third dress from Sarah. "Let's just hope that it's here in the dressing room and we don't have to go hunting too much longer."

Kim zipped up the third dress and stood back as Kate turned back to the mirror. "I like that one."

"Ooo..." Sarah breathed. "It looks like third time's the charm."

Kate considered the ecru-colored wedding gown thoughtfully. The satin dress had a fitted bodice and Basque waistline decorated with various laces, sequins, and beadwork. The wedding band neckline had an illusion yoke - something that Kate had mentioned would leave everything to Clay's imagination. The fitted Juliet sleeves were made of solid fabric, with the only beadwork being a line of pearl buttons starting at the edges of the sleeves and working its way up to about the halfway point of the forearms. The full ball gown skirt was also solid, with a bustle-ready chapel-length train measuring approximately three feet and covered with more lace, sequins, and beadwork to match the bodice. "You're absolutely right, Sarah - I think we've found it."

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Outside of a Lincoln Walgreen's

 

Clay nervously bit his lip as he stared at the door of the pharmacy. While it was true that he knew he needed to make this purchase before Saturday night, actually doing it was another matter entirely. He took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can do this..."

"Clay," Will chided. "You're a grown man who's getting married Saturday. It's your job."

"But what if I get recognized?" Clay asked. "They don't know you, Will. I can send you in with the money and - "

Will quickly shook his head. "No. Not in a million years no. You couldn't pay me enough to go in there and buy them for you."

"Then do it as a personal favor to me, Will. I'm desperate here. I really don't want to get Kate pregnant before Haiti."

"Clay, man... you're more than my employer. You're my friend." Will glanced over at him. "And as a friend, I'm telling you that you really need to do this yourself. Guys just don't buy these things for each other. It's just not right..."

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to convince Will for anything, Clay turned to Ruben next. "Ruben, ol' buddy..." he began, his eyes pleading.

"No way, man," Ruben told him. "You get them yourself."

"What? Are you afraid of getting recognized?"

Ruben shrugged. "Well... not really, man. It's more than that." Clay racked his brain for a moment to try and understand what Ruben was getting at. When Ruben saw that Clay was getting more confused by the second, he figured he would be better off spelling it out for him. "Dawg, I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea about me. I got a rep to protect. I would never use one of those things - if I'm gonna do it I would prefer to go 'au naturale' if ya know what I mean."

Clay smacked his forehead. Great... what a time for him to be protecting his manly image. "Are you trying to tell me that it's not a manly thing to use one of 'those things'? I'm trying to be responsible here..."

"If that's the case, then what kind are you getting?" Payton asked him.

Hunh? "What do you mean, what kind am I getting? There's not that much difference between them, is there?"

At Clay's wide-eyed look and equally innocent response, Payton elaborated. "My friend, there are lots of different varieties to choose from..." Payton gave Clay much more detail than he wanted to hear at that moment, grinning slightly as Clay's ears turned darker red with every passing moment.

Did I miss something growing up in the South? I can't be this clueless... or am I? "Will," Clay pleaded, "are you sure I can't pay you to - "

"No."

"Send you on a great vacation to - "

"NO!! What part of the word don't you understand, the 'N' or the 'O'?"

This line of argument and buck-passing went on for several more minutes, making the men sound more and more like high-school boys by the moment. Payton chuckled silently as he watch the 'boys' fight over who would complete this otherwise simple task. "Time out, guys. Okay. Look, Clay - you just need to get a grip. This isn't hard. Just go in there, make your selection and pay for it. Done. Over. Finished. It ain't brain surgery!"

Finally Clay faced the pharmacy again. Okay, fine, he fumed. I don't care if I do get recognized. It's my life and my marriage... and I'm not going to let my worries about getting caught by some of my fans stop me from doing what needs to be done. It's time to do the responsible thing. Taking a deep breath, he unbuckled his seat belt. "All right, gentlemen. I am a grown man, 27 years old, and I'm getting married on Saturday. I can do this."

"Go for it, dude," Ruben grinned as Clay exited the SUV. "You're doin' it for Kate."

For Kate... gotta remember I'm doing this for Kate... I'm doing the responsible thing... Clay continued inhaling and exhaling the deep breaths, each one visible on the crisp winter air as he walked towards the front door of the store. I can do it I can do it I can -

"Clay! Yoo-hoo!" a high-pitched female voice called out.

Clay halted in his tracks at hearing the somehow familiar voice. Oh no. Who... Slowly he turned around to see the two elderly spinster sisters, Edna and Edith, from Kate's church. Immediately he remembered that Kate had said that they were the biggest gossips in the church... and here he was getting ready to make a purchase that could potentially embarrass them both. "Hi," he squeaked.

"Clay," Edna began, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "It's good to see you again. What are you doing here? And where's Kate?"

What do I tell them? Clay groaned under his breath. "They're shopping," he supplied honestly.

"Without you? Shame on them!" Edith winked. "What are they shopping for?"

Aaaaauggghhh... He couldn't tell them that Kate and the others were dress shopping... especially considering what kind of dress they were hunting for. Then there was that other errand the women were going on... he wasn't going to admit that one for love nor money. Clay shrugged. "One never knows with women," he told them, hoping that would be vague enough and still be able to satisfy them.

Fortunately they seemed to understand. "With all the after-Christmas sales, who can blame them?" Edith smiled up at him. "Well, Clay, tell us. What are you doing here? You obviously have a few errands of your own."

Clay flushed brightly. There was no way he was letting these two see him making his purchase. Either they would assume Clay and Kate were having a pre-marital relationship and would tell the entire church about it... or else they would somehow figure out the two of them were getting married already and would still tell the entire church about it. The responsible thing... is to protect Kate's reputation. "Oh, I'm just picking up some supplies I need for the rest of my stay here... but I think I left my wallet in the car. Would you ladies excuse me?"

"Of course, Clay," Edith replied as he slipped by them. "Hope to talk to you again soon."

As soon as the two women walked into the store, Clay hastened back to the SUV. No way no way unh-unh forget it I'm not doing it... Climbing back into the passenger seat of the SUV, Clay pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. I'm never going to live this one down. But he knew he would rather face the ribbing from the three of these guys than give fuel to a potential rumor that might possibly damage Kate's honorable reputation.

Just as Clay had anticipated, Will snickered and poked Clay in the ribs. "You weren't in there long enough to actually buy them. What, you chicken out?"

"It's not that simple..." Clay groaned weakly.

"What's not that simple?" Ruben chuckled. "You walk in there, you pick them out, and you walk up to the counter and pay for them. What could be easier than that?"

"If it's that simple," Clay growled, "then you go in there and do it."

Ruben quickly refused. "No way, man. It's not my wedding."

"You were gonna do it," Payton told him. "Why'd you change your mind?"

Clay flushed. "I got recognized," he mumbled.

Ruben shook his head. "Clay... your fans are gonna have to recognize that you have your own life. If you get married and all that, they're gonna have to accept it."

"These weren't my fans," Clay replied. "They were Kate's friends from her church."

Will glanced back at the door of the pharmacy. "I thought I recognized those two little old ladies who went in there. That's right, they came up to you and Kate on Christmas Eve." Will chuckled under his breath. "Never thought I'd see the day you were afraid of two old ladies..."

"It's not that simple!" Clay growled again. When Will kept laughing, Clay scowled. If it worked for Andrew... "Fine, Smartypants. If you're not afraid of two little old ladies, then you go in there and do it."

"No way, man..." Will shook his head, still chuckling. "It's not my problem."

"Come on, Will." Clay eyed him suspiciously. "Are you worried about what Sarah's going to think about you for buying them?"

"Hey," Will snarled, the annoyance evident in his voice. "Leave Sarah out of this."

"Oh, alright." Payton sighed. "Since I'm a married guy and I won't get recognized in there, I'll go do it for ya." Taking the cash from Clay, he nudged him on the shoulder. "What kind do you want?"

I don't even want to think about it. Clay closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. "Surprise me."

Ruben grinned wickedly and gave Payton a sly nod. Payton nodded back, taking additional money from Ruben's hand. Slipping out of the car, the bodyguard walked into the pharmacy. Between ten and fifteen minutes later Payton returned, handing Clay a medium-sized paper bag. "There you go."

I'm afraid to look. Clay gingerly opened up the bag and peeked in. After looking at the contents of the bag, he groaned audibly. Blushing deeply as the other three laughed, Clay hid his face in his hands. I did tell him to surprise me, didn't I?

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At the bridal dress outlet in Wahoo

 

Kate took the receipt for the dress from the woman at the front counter as Kim helped her with the dress itself. "So now that we've got my dress taken care of," she said, turning to Sarah and Kim, "we can look for some for you."

Sarah smirked slyly. "Katydid, Kimberley and I knew about this in advance. We've been conspiring and picked them out and ordered them a long time ago. Mine's in the closet back at the farm."

"What?" Kate frowned, her bottom lip sticking out in a half-pout. "You mean I don't get to help you find them?

Kim grinned warmly at her. "If you really want to help us, you can tell us the best place in town to buy you lingerie."

Kate gave the matter a few minutes of thought. "That would be either Vickie's or Von Maur."

Instantly recognizing the familiar nickname for Victoria's Secret, Sarah nodded. "What about Priscilla's?" she asked.

Kate glanced at Sarah. "Priscilla's?" She shook her head, quickly ready to tease her best friend. "Sorry, I'm not buying from a place whose nickname would be Prissy's."

Somehow Sarah had anticipated Kate's remark. She snickered. "Well, their stuff certainly isn't Prissy!" she purred.

Kate's eyebrow slowly crept skyward at Sarah's smug smirk. "It's not?"

A deeply amused laugh came forth from Sarah. "You dear, sweet, sheltered girl. Priscilla's is downtown. They have all sorts of interesting - ahem - novelties."

As Kate gaped with shock, Kim's eyes widened. "Oooh, let's check it out!"

Blushing deeply, Kate shook her head vigorously. "No. We're still novices at this. No toys, please."

"Awww...." Sarah pouted.

Kim winked at her. "We're teasing you, hon."

Immediately Kate heaved a relieved sigh. "Good thing..."

Kim turned back to Sarah. "So I guess we're ready for Vickie's..."

Sarah snapped her fingers in playful regret. "Aw, shucks. Vickie's it is then."

Kate snorted. "Don't sound so disappointed."

George groaned as they returned to the minivan with Kate's wedding dress in hand. "Just the thing I wanted to do on a Wednesday afternoon..."

The four of them drove from Wahoo to Southpointe Pavilions, the outdoor mall complex where one of the two Victoria's Secret stores in Lincoln was housed. They parked the minivan and entered the store. Kim gave George an amused glance as the bodyguard tried unsuccessfully to find the middle ground between doing his job to protect her and disappearing into the woodwork "We need to find you things to go with your dress, and we need to find you wedding night lingerie," she reminded Kate as the door swung closed behind them.

"Let's start with the things for the wedding night," Kate suggested. "I would rather get everything at one place, and if I can't find what I want here then I would rather keep looking..." She gave a subtle jerk of her head indicating Von Maur, the department store housed in the same building as Victoria's Secret.

The three women searched the racks, finding a variety of different nighttime apparel. It quickly became obvious that their styles were on opposite ends of the spectrum - Sarah selected racier items like brightly-colored lacy teddies while Kate preferred the more romantic approach of knee-length or longer satin gowns. They finally cobbled together a handful of selections (including a few items that Kim called "compromise selections") and sent Kate into one of the dressing rooms. After giving Kate a few minutes to try on the first one, a bright red gown trimmed with something reminiscent of fur, Sarah called through the door. "Well, how does it look?"

"Well..." she offered tentatively, "I'm sure Clay would like it... but it's not me."

Sarah handed Kate a few other items over door. "Try these?" she asked.

Immediately Kate passed the more suggestive items back. "Heck no!"

Sighing as she took the items and handed them to Kim, Sarah shrugged. "Oh well. Can't tell Clay I didn't try..."

Kate snorted. "You're trying, all right. Very trying."

Kim laughed warmly as she hung the items on the reject rack. "No adventure for Kate..."

"Yet," Kate quickly added.

The conversation prompted a memory of the dream Sarah had on the drive to Lincoln. Oh, that's right. She sighed again. "Speaking of trying... we need to stop at Osco on the way to dinner."

"Sure!" Kate responded. "What for?"

Sarah shook her head vaguely at the reference, forgetting Kate couldn't see her. "A dream thing... gotta pick something up for Clay. He tried, but it didn't happen - he got recognized. Payton went in for him, but - well - what he got isn't quite you guys' style..."

Kate paused for several minutes before speaking again. "Please say you're not talking about what I think you're talking about..."

"Am."

A light groan came from Kate's dressing room. "Oh boy."

Kim blinked at the veiled conversation between the two friends - she was never going to follow this train of thought without a road map. "I'm lost, girls. Would you fill in the blanks?"

"Birth control," Kate supplied.

Kim nodded. Somehow she had suspected that was the topic of choice. "I got that, but how do you know about this, Sarah? They're out getting it now."

Kate handed another rejected item over the door of the dressing room. "Remember my hunch about the rainstorm? Sarah gets them too - only they're more detailed versions in the form of dreams."

Kim took it and hung it up on the rack. "Dreams like the one you said you had that morning?"

"Yeah," Kate agreed. "Only most of hers are dreams. And she dreams often, she dreams very detailed stuff, and she's usually very accurate."

Sarah raised her eyebrow at them with a light scowl. "Okay, you two. You can stop talking about me like I'm a specimen. I'm right here."

Immediately Kate imitated the Australian accent of the Crocodile Hunter to tease Sarah. "Notice here that we have the rarest of them all, a genuine Sarah Daniels... until now, only found in the wild. Crikey!"

Casting a dirty look towards dressing room, Sarah otherwise ignored Kate's impishness. "The long and short of it is, Clay's having a hard time (no pun intended) getting the goods."

Kate squawked with embarrassment. "Sarah! I did not need that image in my head right now!"

Sarah grinned wickedly as Kim snickered. "You'll get over it. Anyway, Payton got you, well, some interesting ones. I just think we need to stop and get something more realistic for you guys."

Heaving a relieved sigh, Kate agreed. "Good idea." There was a lengthy pause before Kate passed another piece of nightwear over the dressing room door. "Part of me wants to know what Payton got... but part of me just doesn't wanna..."

Kim shrugged thoughtfully. "Maybe you two could keep those for later down the road."

Kate neither accepted nor dismissed that idea. "I'll see what he got, first."

Sarah quickly broke in. "And before you ask, yes, I'll go get them. Someone might recognize Kimberley here," she nodded at Kim, "and - well - you're recognizable yourself, Katydid dearie.”

A deafening silence reigned before Kate asked "Me?" her voice disbelieving. "I can't be that recognizable..."

Exchanging a knowing look with Kim, Sarah rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

Exiting the dressing room, Kate hung the remainder of the lingerie on the reject rack with a sigh. "You know, I don't think we're gonna find anything that's my style here. Let's try Von Maur next door."

Sarah frowned at her as the three wandered out of the dressing rooms towards the cash register, joining up with George along the way. "Kathryn Joy Kirche," she scolded, "you're telling me there's nothing here you like?"

Kate heaved a sheepish shrug as the clerk's eyes widened with shock at her. "Not really. I want something more... well, um... subdued. Not something that screams 'sexy beast'. Something that softly breathes romance and beckons 'come hither'." Mimicking the best soap opera bedroom eyes, Kate gestured dramatically with her hands to prove her point.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "'Come hither'? Oh my gosh, Kate..."

"You mean we aren't done?" George groaned. "Spare me..."

With a less-than-delicate snort Sarah moved towards the counter on her crutches, carrying several pairs of brightly-patterned underwear in her hand. "Good grief. Let me pay for these and then we can go."

The clerk, a young college-age woman, shrieked as Kate walked up to lean on the counter beside Sarah. "Did I hear her right, you're Kate Kirche? You're Clay's girlfriend?"

Kate leaned her chin on her hand with annoyance. By no means did she want to deny being connected with Clay, but under the circumstances she couldn't afford to admit the truth either. "Do I look like the same woman to you?"

The girl continued to flutter anxiously with eyes wide as she glimpsed Kate's bejeweled left hand. "Ohmigosh! Is that an engagement ring on your hand?" She pointed at Kate's ring, and Kate knew she had been caught out. "Ohmigosh, you're not his girlfriend, you're his fiancé!"

Eager to cover for the rumor factor that was bound to explode, Sarah forcefully interrupted. "Hey, we're here for me - remember me, the paying customer? I need these for right now. And um - " she snatched at a brightly-colored piece laying on a nearby display, " - one of these. My guy is going to love it. Thanks for helping me find it, Katydid."

Kate blinked with surprise, but recovered quickly. "Anytime."

The clerk glanced back and forth between the two women in confusion. "Weren't you the one in the dressing room?" she asked Kate.

Um... how do I get out of this one? Kate shrugged with a warm expression on her face. "Dreaming and looking forward to the day I do marry him..." she suggested honestly.

Sarah winked at the clerk. "Yeah, I talked her into it. I'm bad, I know..."

Kim, on the other hand, was getting impatient with tiptoeing around the subject. She pointed to Sarah's things. "We'd better get going, if we're going to meet the others."

The young clerk's eyes bulged as she noticed Kim for the first time. "Ohmigosh! Kim Locke!! Can I have your autograph? Please?" Happy to take the girl's attention off of Kate, Kim agreed to give her the autograph once she had finished ringing up Sarah's purchases.

No sooner were they out of Victoria's Secret and walking down the sidewalk to Von Maur when Sarah started giggling. "And you thought you weren't recognizable! Hope you appreciated the way I covered."

Kate shrugged again. "Okay, I got recognized - but only because you said my name."

Sarah looked contrite. "Sorry about the name thing. But it just came out of my mouth - as it often does."

Nodding, Kate considered her through half-closed eyes. "We'll forgive you - this time." Unexpectedly Kate grinned. "So I definitely appreciate you covering, since you're the one who started it. I'd hate to have to squelch that Internet rumor..."

Kim grunted. "It's going to be bad enough as it is. She saw your ring."

"Yeah..." Kate agreed, knowing that within hours the news would be all over the Internet.

Sarah stopped on the sidewalk, holding up her bag thoughtfully. "I wonder what I got back there, anyway." She opened her bag to pull a Christmas-red satin teddy with black lace trim. "Oh my, this is nice. Hope I at least grabbed my size."

Kate gaped for a moment as George gave a low whistle. "You're keeping it??" she squeaked.

Sarah stuck her tongue out at Kate. "Anyway, at least Kim was with us at Vickie's. She took the attention off you. Sorry about that, Kim."

Kim shrugged nonchalantly as the four of them moved on. "You get used to it."

Kate gave a sympathetic sigh. "I am sorry you had to go through that."

Quickly Kim shook her head. "Better my autograph than that clerk asking too many more questions about your status with Clay."

It didn't take Kate long to decide for herself that Kim was absolutely right. "Very true... especially considering Saturday..." Kate shook her head sharply. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the fame thing any more than Clay has."

"He's learned how to cope with it," Kim responded, "and you will too."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The parking lot of Wal-Mart

 

Ruben and Will each peeked over one of Clay's shoulders at the list he held in his hands. "All right," Will told Clay, "you have the birth control. Now we need to work the rest of the way down that list."

"Some of these things," Clay pointed to a few lines, "we can't do until Saturday."

"We'll have to wait until Saturday to get the flowers and the ice," Ruben agreed, "and the food."

Will smirked at the food items on Clay's list, mostly fresh fruit. "Strawberries, grapes, food coloring, vanilla pudding, whipped cream - just what are you two planning on doing Saturday night?" he joked.

Giving Will an elbow, Clay scowled at him. "Hey now, we'll be married. Anything goes once we say those vows to each other."

"I know. I'm just kidding you, man." Will pointed at the list. "What's the food coloring for?"

Clay blushed deeply as he remembered a phone conversation he and Kate had shared about some of the things they had done and enjoyed as children. One of Kate's favorite childhood activities had been playing with finger paints, and she had told Clay that once they had their own children she would probably make finger paints for them out of vanilla pudding and food coloring. She reasoned that since little kids put EVERYTHING in their mouths anyway, it wouldn't take much extra effort on their part to make sure the things they had around the house were safe to put in their children's mouths. Unfortunately Clay's mind had quickly gone into the gutter at the idea of edible finger paint, and the conversation had shifted from innocent childhood activities to their most secret adult fantasies. It had been a rather enlightening conversation, all told. However, Clay had made sure to remember her idea for use in their marriage. "Uhhhhh..." he began with embarrassment.

"Never mind - I think I can figure it out." Will made a thoughtful noise with his mouth as he considered the list. "We can get that stuff back in Kearney sometime Friday afternoon so that it's fresh. And the flowers we can get on Friday, too."

Clay nodded. "But today we'll get what we can, Friday we'll get the rest, and Saturday morning we'll set as much up as possible. The hotel has a CD player, extra bedding and extra pillows available. They're providing the ice, too." He smiled at the others. "I've already made arrangements with one of their people to help me finish setting up the room before we arrive. All I have to do is give them a call, and they'll put the Martinelli's on ice and light all the candles and such."

"You said you already had your CDs." Will pointed again to the items on the list. "Looks like we need to get the candles and the Martinelli's."

"The candles and the Martinelli's," Clay agreed, placing the list in his pocket. Martinelli's, a bottled bubbly apple cider, was the closest the two of them would ever get to champagne. Kate's inability to drink alcohol assured them of that. Clay also planned to fill their hotel room with scented candles to help set the mood for romance. While Kate's favorite scents included florals and fruits, Clay had decided that vanilla might be a better option. Not only was it more common, it would be less likely to annoy him - too much floral scent was in Clay's opinion just, well, too much. Too bad they don't make candles that smell like Krispy Kremes, Clay thought. Since they didn't, today he was looking for as many simple vanilla-scented candles as he could find - preferably in jars or candleholders with steep sides to make them a bit safer to burn in their room. He had heard of guys drawing their new wives rose petal-filled bubble baths for them to share, but the mere idea of a bathtub made Clay shudder... so that idea was out. "Let's go."

The four men entered the store and grabbed a shopping cart to carry everything Clay needed. Quickly they found the place where they could find the Martinelli's, grabbing two bottles just to be prepared. From there they wandered over to the aisle where the candles were stocked, and soon the four were looking for vanilla candles and candleholders that fit them.

"What kind of music are you playing Saturday night?" Will asked as he placed a sizable handful of small jar candles in the cart.

"A couple of different things," Clay shrugged. "Kate and I both like a lot of different pop ballads and other things, but she says that the best 'mood' music can't have any words in a language that she can understand. She says that if she is able to understand the words, then she'll be thinking about what they mean. And I'd rather have her thinking about our time together than about the meaning behind the words of the songs." Clay grinned wryly. "So I've picked a lot of Yanni and light jazz and saxophone music, which I know that both of us like."

"No James Taylor?"

Clay gave Will an impish eye. "Not for our first time. We're sticking with instrumental stuff."

"Sarah said on the way up here that she likes saxophone music," Will agreed. "Something about jazz that just sounds right."

Ruben and Payton each carried a handful of candles from farther down the aisle. "This enough?"

"I hope so," Clay agreed as they added their wares to the growing collection, studying the cart about a fourth full of vanilla-scented candles and two bottles of Martinelli's. "Can you guys think of anything else I might need?"

"You got the stuff for the motel room..." Will began. "You need anything for the wedding itself?"

Clay bit his lip in thought. "The restaurants for Friday and Saturday are doing all the decoration and cleanup for us, so we don't have to worry about that. They're taking care of all the food..." What else what else what else... "I already arranged the flowers last Saturday - one of the local shops is taking care of flowers for the altar and Kate's bouquet and all the flowers for our families and everything."

Ruben nodded. "You're on the ball, man."

"There won't be any music for the reception, so I'm not worrying about that. Pastor Sullivan and I have already talked about the music for the ceremony, including the song I want to sing for Kate."

Payton leaned on a nearby display. "What are you singing?"

Clay smiled. "Something one of my fans sent me a while back. She sent it to a dozen different music publishers before someone finally bought the song. But the woman told me that I had the right to use it at my own wedding free of charge, as a gift. It's a really good song." He shrugged. "I passed her address on to a couple different recording studios that I thought might be able to help her music find some exposure."

"She ever figure it out?"

Quickly Clay shook his head. "I doubt it. She's just happy that her music is finally getting used. But I'm singing that, and another one of her friends from church is singing something too." Clay gave the matter some more thought. "We're not using any fancy candles - just the ones that the church uses."

"You're not doing a unity candle?" Ruben asked.

"We are - once I buy one." Clay indicated the racks of candles. "A nice one, not one like these." Pushing the cart down the aisle, he led the group towards the checkout counter. "We should get these things and find a store where they carry wedding supplies. That way I can get the unity candle and a garter to throw."

"Garter?" Payton snorted. "That's something the bride's supposed to get."

Clay shook his head. "She wants nothing to do with the idea of me taking a garter off her leg at the reception. It's something to do with where the garter tradition came from - apparently there was some sort of lecherous tradition involving garters. Because of that, she wants nothing to do with them." Clay knew that between the story he had heard from Kate and her bad experience in Germany, the whole matter was not "just a tradition" for her - it was a matter of her comfort, and he wasn't about to push the issue. He shrugged. "So I'm not making her wear one, and I obviously won't be taking one off her leg. But nothing's stopping me from carrying one in my pocket to throw after she throws her bouquet."

After hearing the tail end of Kate's question-and-answer period in her classroom, Will suspected it was more than that. "Bet she appreciates that."

Clay finished purchasing his supplies, and the four of them left the store with their wares. From there Will drove them to a nearby card, party, and paper goods outlet store where he was certain they could find a garter and a unity candle. Clay and the others walked over to the wedding supply section and started scanning for the two items.

Ruben pointed at a small section of garters. "Here they are, man. What color do you want?"

"Light purple," Clay told him. "Our colors are light purple and silver. Sarah picked them out - she said those are two of Kate's favorite colors." Ruben grabbed the top lavender garter and handed it to Clay. "Now I need a candle..." Moving down the aisle, Clay glanced over the selection of unity candles until he found one with a suitable verse on the front. Cradling it in the crook of his arm, he grabbed two matching tapers before turning towards the checkout counter.

"Hold on there, slick," Will tapped Clay's shoulder. "Give me the stuff - they'll recognize you for sure. And we don't want to deal with the rumors that would start after someone saw Clay Aiken buying wedding candles."

"All right," Clay nodded and started to hand the candles to Will.

Ruben grinned mischievously. "Clay man, let me."

Clay's eyes widened. "But you'll be recognized."

"Yeah." A twinkle lit the singer's eyes. "Everyone thinks me and Kim are an item anyway. Why not fuel the rumor a little, get a bit of publicity on the message boards, and take the heat off you long enough that you can get married in peace?"

Instantly Clay started giggling - that was the best plan he had heard all day. "I love it," he told Ruben, handing him the candles before digging in his wallet for the cash to pay for them. Clay and Will went out to the SUV while Ruben and Payton went up to the front counter to purchase Clay's candles and garter. Within ten minutes Ruben and Payton returned to the SUV with the change and a sack with Clay's supplies. "Did you have fun?" Clay asked.

"Yeah - the clerk at the counter recognized me and asked for my autograph." The same twinkle lit Ruben's eyes. "She asked whose wedding the stuff was for and I didn't tell her anything at all." Enjoying the mischief of the moment, the four men laughed at Ruben's little prank. "What else, or does that cover what we have to get done today?"

"Not quite," Clay admitted. "I have the things we need for the wedding itself and the night after... but I still want to buy a few gifts for Kate."

Ruben, Payton and Will nodded to each other. "Jewelry store," they agreed.

Clay gave a thoughtful shrug, knowing that wasn't quite going to cut it with Kate. "Only if I found just the right thing. Actually, I have a lot of little things in mind to give her, but thanks to something Sarah said yesterday after all the sleigh rides I know exactly what I want to give her for a big gift."

Will searched his memory for a clue to what Sarah had said that would have given Clay an idea. "What?" he asked Clay, stumped at last.

A determined smile crossed Clay's face. "She's getting her honeymoon - and I know exactly where we're going to go."

"Where?" the guys all asked. "Vegas?"

Clay snorted. Hadn't he said on Christmas morning that the two of them wanted nothing to do with Vegas? Oh, that's right, Clay recalled, none of these guys were there for that conversation. In answer to the question, he shook his head. "A little place just off the coast of Florida called Amelia Island," Clay told them. "It's big enough that I should be able to put up and deal with the fact that it's an island. But we can find a travel agent here in Lincoln and book a suite at a nice little bed and breakfast. I think she'd like that."

"Dude," Ruben grinned. "You're such a romantic. Kate's gonna love it."

"That's my hope," Clay nodded. "Meanwhile I want to find her some other gifts. Let's find that jewelry store the three of you suggested."

After finding a nearby parking garage for the SUV, the four men walked to the Sartor Hamann jewelry store downtown. Within moments after entering a suited salesman joined them, and Clay started looking through the jewelry for what he wanted for Kate. "I'm looking for some special pieces for my lady," he told the salesman, "for a gathering we're attending on New Year's Eve. What do you have in the way of cross necklaces?" The salesman showed Clay his selections, and after studying them Clay chose a golden cross necklace with one large central diamond and several smaller diamonds at key points of the arms and feet. Having picked out a suitable necklace, Clay moved on to the counter that held earrings. But what would go with her wedding dress? "If she has a fancy dress she's wearing for this occasion, what would you recommend?"

"That depends on the dress," the salesman replied. "For most of your cocktail dresses one can never go wrong with simple solitaire studs, or even pearls. Some women prefer more elaborate earrings. Do you know the color and style of her dress?"

"White," Clay informed the salesman, "and I have no clue. I haven't seen it."

The salesman nodded knowingly. "Ah - the feminine mystique."

So that's it... Clay thought to himself. "Something like that." He tapped the counter. "We probably shouldn't go too fancy or she'll hate it. I know my Kate, she doesn't like things that aren't practical. She wouldn't want me to get something she'll never wear again. What, of all your selections here, would you give a woman that she just might use again on the day of her wedding?"

"You cannot go wrong," the salesman told him as he moved behind the counter, "with solitaire diamond earrings or single pearl earrings. They are understated enough that they will go with anything." He pulled out a pair of carat diamond studs and a pair of pearl earrings about the same size, setting them side by side for comparison.

Clay studied the two pairs of earrings, thoughtfully chewing on his lower lip. If I were Kate... He turned to the others. "Guys, which ones would you pick for her?" When all three of them shrugged, Clay scowled. I guess I'm on my own for this one. Better safe than sorry, I guess. "Fine - I'll take both of them," he answered.

"Wise choice," the salesman told him and moved to box up Clay's purchases.

However, Clay wasn't so sure - he was positive that Kate was going to accuse him of trying to spoil her again, which was not completely untrue. She's going to have my head...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At Von Maur

 

Sarah smiled at George as he held the door for the three of them. "Well, here we are - Von Maur. Let's see if there's something here that you find appealing."

Kim glanced appreciatively around the tastefully decorated department store. "Nice store..."

Kate nodded as they passed through the children's department on the way to the lingerie department. The Midwest department store franchise, originating in Davenport, Iowa, was definitely an upscale department store... often with prices to match. "It is. But the first place I usually go is the sale racks."

Firmly shaking her head, Kim made her opinion obvious. "Not today, you're not."

Sarah agreed immediately. "You're getting the good stuff today."

"Okay, okay..." Kate acquiesced at their hands. "Clay deserves it, at least."

Kim shook her head again. "None of that - you deserve it too."

Kate made a face at Kim's words as they entered the lingerie department of the store. "I don't know about that. But I definitely want to knock his socks off, and the cheap racks probably aren't the place to look for something to do that."

Sarah pulled an item from a nearby rack as one of the well-dressed sales associates, an "average" sized thirty-something lady with a pretty face, walked over to them. "Well... this would do it." Sarah handed Kate a short baby doll nightie.

A deep blush covered Kate's face as she pushed it away. Their different tastes in delicates were going to clash at this store too. "It'd knock his socks off, but I've never been a fan of the baby dolls..."

The soft-spoken sales associate laughed. "Me neither!" she offered with sincerity. "Unless you have a thick down comforter, they just don't keep you warm enough. I take it you're looking for something for a special occasion?"

Smiling at the friendly and unassuming lady, Kim nodded pleasantly. Maybe we can take a chance trusting her with the truth. "We're trying to find some nice things for her wedding on Saturday."

"Only Kate doesn't like the more adventurous lingerie," Sarah teased.

As Kate blushed, the associate laughed again. "I don't blame you. That doesn't seem like it would fit you at all."

Kim nodded with agreement. "This strikes me as more your style, Kate..." She grabbed a long flannel nightgown from a nearby rack and teasingly handed it to Kate.

Kate scowled playfully as the others laughed. "I'm not that bad!" She fingered the flannel thoughtfully. "Although this is kind of nice - I might get this in addition to whatever else we find."

Chuckling, Kim shook her head. "I doubt you're going to need it out in California."

"True," Kate admitted, "but I will until I move out there in June."

"What would you say your style is?" the associate asked politely.

Smiling to herself, Kate turned to the sales associate. She doesn't seem to recognize us at all. Feeling confident that they were safe in her hands, Kate chose to trust her for help and guidance finding what she needed for the wedding on Saturday. "We're getting things to go under the dress as well as something suitable for the wedding night." She raised her eyebrow hopefully, gauging the lady's eyes for her reaction. "Maybe you can help me find what I want for that night. I don't go for the cutesy or sexy things... they're not me. I'm more of a long-and-flowing or romantic person."

The associate nodded thoughtfully, going through some of the department's inventory in her own mind. "I think I know what you mean. Well, we can find you some things that are both romantic and sexy. It is possible to do both."

Kate snorted. "Not for me, it isn't."

"I doubt your fiancé feels that way, or he wouldn't still be with you." The lady smiled gently as Kate blushed. "My name's Amy, by the way."

"Kate," she pointed to herself before turning to the others, "and my friends Sarah and Kim. The token man over there is George."

Amy laughed again. "Nice to meet you ladies. Actually, I think I remember seeing two of you on TV - you were on that one singing show," she nodded at Kim before turning back to Kate, "and you... you were on Regis and Kelly with that really popular guy from the same show."

Oh - she does recognize us. "Uh... yeah. I'm his fiancé..."

"Congratulations," Amy smiled sincerely. "Your fiancé seems really nice. I hope things work out for the two of you," she offered.

"I hope they do too," Kate said quietly.

Amy indicated the racks around her. "Let's see if we can't find your wedding night lingerie first."

Sarah pulled a satin gown from one of the racks. "Aha!" she proclaimed. "Now this I think you actually might like." She handed it to Kate.

Kate nodded with approval at the mint and lavender gown. "Nice..."

The four women continued to search the racks as George stayed nearby, clearly wishing he was anywhere but there. Before long they had selected a handful of things for Kate to try on, and the women walked back to the fitting rooms.

After about twenty minutes Amy led the other three back out on the floor. "Okay, so we've found some nice things," she agreed, "but nothing that strikes you as the right thing to wear on Saturday night. Why don't we keep looking to see what we can find?"

Tired of looking at lingerie, George made a face and groaned. Turning to the closest rack, he grabbed a very shear satin gown and shoved it in front of Kate. "Here, he's gonna like this."

Kate whistled at the gown, gently pulling it from George's hands. "Oh, perfect!" she cooed. "This just might be Saturday night, right here."

George sighed with satisfaction. "Now, can we get out of here?"

Quickly Kate shook her head. "Not just yet. First, I need to grab it in my size. Then we need to make sure it fits..." After trying on the sheer gown and a few other selections, Kate returned to the floor with a triumphant smile. "Okay, we have Saturday night's gown and several other really nice ones."

That was all George wanted to hear. "Now can we get out of here?" he pleaded.

With a gently scolding manner, Kate shook her finger at him. "Ah-ah-ah... I still have to buy the stuff that goes underneath the dress..."

George groaned and covered his face with one hand. "Women..."

Amy indicated center court with her hand. "There are couches over there in the middle of the store if you really don't want to hang around."

With a scowl, George shook his head. "I gotta watch these guys and make sure nothing happens."

"That's dedication to your job," Amy told him appreciatively. "Staying close to your charges when you rather wouldn't."

"I have to keep an eye on these guys," George agreed, "to keep them out of trouble."

Kate gave George a wicked grin. "Ooo... he's a spy for the other team."

George made a face at Kate. "You know what I mean."

Kim chided Kate at her attempt to tease. "Kate, you're awful. He's just doing his job, and I appreciate it. After what happened at Vickie's, you can't say you're not glad he's here."

"No, I can't," Kate admitted. "Believe me, George, your services are definitely appreciated."

Pleased to receive a few heartfelt accolades from the women, George grinned just a little. "You can thank me by getting what you need and getting me out of this lace swamp."

The four women laughed warmly and moved to find the rest of Kate's supplies. With Amy's well-informed help, Kate selected two pairs of simple, solid-colored cream hosiery before grabbing a basic pair of white satin underwear.

Noticing her selection, Kim couldn't resist teasing Kate. "Nothing more exciting than that?"

Kate gave her a knowing look. "You guys know it won't stay on me long enough for him to notice whether it's fancy or not."

Sarah raised an impish eyebrow. "That's probably true enough. With the way you two have been acting lately, I'll be surprised if you even get into the nightie."

"Hey now..." Kate protested.

Amy smiled at Sarah. "They a little frisky?" In answer to Amy's question, Kim lifted Kate's hair and pointed to the hickey on the back of her neck as Kate blushed. "Oh my. I'm not even sure I want to know how it got back there in the first place."

Kate's blush grew deeper. "Uhhhh... no, you don't."

Once Amy helped Kate find a white bra that was both strapless and padded, the women knew they were done finding the items on their list. Sarah glanced at her watch. "Okay then, we're gonna be late if we don't hurry. We still have to stop at Osco's."

"Sure," Kate nodded as the women followed Amy to the cash register. "Let me pay for these and we can get out of here."

George heaved an audible sigh of relief. "Praise the Lord."

Amy rang up their purchases (which Sarah and Kim had insisted on buying, much to Kate's annoyance) and carefully wrapped them in tissue before bagging them. After a few more friendly greetings from Amy, the three women went on their way with George following close behind. The group climbed into the minivan and drove north towards Osco.

Kate parked as close to the door as she could as Sarah prepared to head inside. "Be right back," Sarah told her.

"You sure you got this?" Kate asked her with concern on her face. "Do you want me to go with you, or would you rather I did it?"

Sarah quickly shook her head. "I've got it. You've got to protect your rep... and Clay's."

Heaving a sigh, Kate relented. "All right, Sarah, if you insist. But don't think that I don't appreciate it. Do you want me to go with?"

"Just help me out of the van," Sarah suggested. "Otherwise I've got it. It'll be easier if I go alone."

Kate sighed. "Okay." George quickly hopped out of the passenger door of the minivan with Sarah's crutches, assisting her out and down to the ground. Approximately ten minutes later Sarah returned carrying a bag in her teeth. With George's help, she climbed back into the minivan. "You really don't think they got it done, hunh?" Kate asked.

Sarah shook her head with uncanny certainty. "Nope. I know what Payton bought. Trust me, you won't find them useful. Fun maybe, but not for your first time."

Kate gave her a sideways glance. "For the more experienced couple, eh?"

"Definitely for the more experienced," Sarah agreed.

Kim snorted. "Remember Payton has six kids..."

Ah yes... Kate nodded. "Mmm, true. Just where did they drag him to buy this stuff?" she asked out of morbid curiosity.

"Walgreen's," Sarah told her. "They have 'fun' stuff there too." With a wink she held up the paper sack. "These are more up your alley."

Kate reached over for the bag. "Basic is good."

Sarah held it away from her. "Uh-uh. I'll just give these to Clay."

With a blink Kate stared at her. "What? Why can't I see what's in there?"

"You mean you don't trust me?" Sarah asked with mock innocence.

"Mostly I do," Kate told her, "but with the way you've been teasing me lately..."

George held out his hand for the bag. "Lemmee see." Peeking into the bag, he nodded. "Just trust her, she got basic."

Kim raised a teasing eyebrow. "And how would you know?"

Kate stuck out her bottom lip and pretended to pout. "I'll be seeing them in three days anyway."

Sarah shrugged unrelentingly. "Yeah, but I know you. If we show them to you, you'll get all embarrassed thinking about the fact that soon you'll be using them." As a light pink started to creep over Kate's face, Sarah nodded. "That's exactly what I mean. And then you'll think about using them, and then the hornies will start up again. And then we'll have a mess of Kate and Clay on our hands, so you're better off not looking."

Kate's blush deepened. "Thank... you." She grumbled underneath her breath. "I think..."

Kim wrinkled her nose at Sarah's choice of words. "That was a picture I didn't need to think about..."

"And the queen of blunt reigns again..." Kate drawled.

"Who me?" Sarah smiled impishly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A nearby travel agency

 

Clay shook the hand of the travel agent behind the desk. "Nice to meet you."

"Good to meet you too, Mr. Aiken." The middle-aged lady indicated the chairs across from her, and Clay sat down with Will next to him. "What can I do for you today?"

"I would like to make arrangements for a weeklong trip at Amelia Island in Florida," Clay told her. "I would prefer to find a suite in a nice bed and breakfast there."

"All right..." The woman started typing away on her computer, digging up the basic information. "King or queen size bed?"

"King, if possible," Clay nodded. "For someone my height, that's an offer too good to pass up."

The woman gave him a slight sly smile and a knowing nod. "Right. Do you need a jacuzzi?"

Immediately Clay blanched. "Heavens no... Maybe a smaller tub would be all right, but if you can find something that has a separate shower..."

The agent scratched down a few more notes on a sheet of paper. "Fireplace?"

I bet Kate would like that. We already have one for Saturday night. "Please."

"Ground floor, or something with a balcony?"

Clay smiled slightly. "A balcony would be nice."

Typing her notes into the computer, the agent scanned her data. "We have several things available, Mr. Aiken. We have one called the Queen Anne, one called the Kate - "

"Kate??" Clay asked with amazement. "Are you serious?" When the agent nodded, Clay gaped in shock. That is just too perfect... Immediately he continued. "If it has all the things we just talked about, book it. I want that room."

"For what dates?" she asked, bringing out a calendar for Clay's perusal.

Within a short while Clay had made the arrangements for a weeklong stay in a charming bed and breakfast style of inn - in a suite that carried the name of his soon-to-be wife! He walked out of the travel agency in a daze, not even noticing the snickers and chuckles of the others. "Did you guys hear that? We're staying in 'Kate's room'. It's named after my fiancé!"

"Dawg," Ruben laughed, his nose wrinkling with warmth at Clay's wide-eyed amazement, "I don't think they named it after your Kate."

"Maybe," Clay admitted, opening his materials back up. "But wait until I tell Kate that I'm going to take her on a honeymoon that has her name written all over it!"

Will glanced at his watch. "Man, I hate to burst your happy bubble, but we'd better call and make those reservations. I don't care what else you have left to do... with eight people we'd better call ahead."

"Good idea." No sooner than they rescued the SUV from the parking garage, Clay dialed the restaurant. "Yeah," he said pleasantly, "I'd like to make a reservation for eight people for five o'clock this evening. Name? Um... put them under the name Clay Parker. Thanks."

Ruben chuckled at Clay's chosen mystery name as Clay ended his call. "S'matter? Don't want people to know that we're coming?" he teased.

"No."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Andrew's minivan, leaving Osco's

 

The four of them drove the rest of the way to Grisanti's, parking right beside the SUV that held the guys. Clay and the others immediately stepped out of the SUV. "Hey ladies, what took so long?"

"These." With a coy, teasing look on her face, Sarah beckoned Clay over. "Hey, stud... got something for ya."

Clay peeked in the bag that Sarah handed him. Sighing with relief, he showed its contents to Payton. "See... this is what you should have bought. This says 'beginners'..." He glanced back at Sarah. "How did you think to get these, anyway? You knew we were going to be handling that."

Will cast a glance at Sarah. "Yeah... how did you know?" he asked with conviction in his voice.

Sarah shrugged vaguely. "Kate has feelings, I have dreams."

Kate smirked at Will. "Another one of those things that makes you think we might be twins."

Ignoring Kate's remark, Sarah turned to Ruben's bodyguard. "By the way... Payton, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Payton blinked at her. "What?"

Happy to play along with Sarah's little joke, Clay nodded at him. "Yes. Payton, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Sarah continued. "Getting them those... Payton, what were you thinking? They'll be lucky to figure out what to do with half of what you bought them..."

Glaring at her best friend, Kate raised an eyebrow. "Who says we won't figure it out? Well, just maybe not right away..."

Clay gaped in shock at Kate's reaction. "Oh my gosh..." Suddenly he grabbed Kate around her waist, causing her to squawk with surprise. "Forget about Saturday - where's a JP?"

Sarah rolled her eyes at Clay's goofiness. "Don't forget your family's coming tomorrow... I think they'd be thrilled to discover you couldn't wait one more day for them before eloping."

"I suppose that means we'd better stick to Saturday..." Clay pouted.

Kate nodded with a sigh. "Especially since I found my dress."

Clay's eyes widened eagerly. "Oo! Can I see?"

"Yep. Saturday."

Clay scowled at the three women. "What is it with women and dresses? You wouldn't let me see your dress for the premiere until that night. Now you won't let me see your wedding dress until Saturday. It's not like you're in them!"

"Precisely," Kate nodded.

Clay opened his mouth to protest, stopping suddenly to think about that for a minute.

"And what is it," Sarah began, "about men that something as simple and benign as the purchase a common prophylactic device could render four grown and rational men as useless as a high school senior on prom night? The male of the species continues to infuriate and amaze me."

Exchanging sheepish glances with Ruben and the two bodyguards, Clay mumbled something about needing to stash the bag in the car. He quickly placed it with the other purchases and returned to the group, taking Kate's hand as the eight of them walked into the restaurant. Once inside, he walked up to the seating host. "Clay Parker, party of eight," he told the host.

"Parker?" the young woman asked with wide eyes. "But your name is Aiken."

Clay rolled his eyes. "Like I'm going to call in a reservation for Clay Aiken and expect privacy..."

The host led them back to their table before Ruben and Payton escaped to find the restroom. Meanwhile the six of them remaining quickly found their seats at the table. Kate grinned wickedly at Clay. "And the answer is no, you're not seeing the rest of our purchases either."

Clay frowned at her, knowing that they had also been lingerie shopping. "Why not?"

Sarah snickered. "Give it up, studly. It's bad luck to see the dress before the wedding. And even if luck has no basis, we're covering the bases."

Kim smirked at Sarah. "Say that three times fast..."

Giving her an amused glance, Sarah continued. "And it would be even worse if you were to see the other purchases we made. Definitely unlucky - or at least uncomfortable - for three more days."

Pulling Kate close, Clay purred in her ear. "So I'm not seeing the rest of it until you're wearing it on Saturday?" he asked suggestively.

Blushing lightly, Kate shook her head. "Not until Saturday. I mean, you'll like it... but it's not as exciting as what Sarah bought."

Will's eyes grew to the size of half-dollars. "You bought something? Do tell."

Immediately Sarah flushed. "KATE!!"

Kate winced. "Sorry..."

Hoping to recover the dignity of both women, Kim explained. "There's a story."

"No kidding..." George snorted.

With an embarrassed giggle, Kate grinned at Sarah. "Now this is a switch - usually I'm the one getting embarrassed because you've said something."

Clay and Will, on the other hand, hardly noticed what Kate had said as they cried outrage with overlapping sentiments. "No fair! You saw what they got?"

George nodded slyly at Clay. "Trust me, Clay - you'll like what she got."

Kate scowled irately and crossed her arms. "I told you he was a spy."

"You saw it," Clay protested at George, "but I still have to wait until Saturday. This isn't fair at all."

"The reason he saw it is because he's the one who found it for me," Kate told him, not realizing how bad it sounded.

Clay's eyes widened. "Oh really?"

Suddenly Kate's jaw dropped. "No-no-no-no-no! It's not like that!" she insisted. "He just grabbed the first thing he saw and begged me to like it so that we could get him out of that - what did you call it, lace swamp?" George snorted as Kate continued. "Luckily for him it was exactly what I wanted to find to drive you crazy." She poked him in the side.

Clay scowled mildly at her - somehow he had known that Kate didn't mean it the way it sounded to him. "But he still saw it!" Clay complained.

"He only saw it on the hanger, hon - he didn't see it on me."

"Still..." Clay pouted.

Kate gave him a naughty glance. "But you'll get to see it on me..."

"In three more days..." Clay sighed dreamily as he took her hand and gave it a light kiss.

Will nudged George. "But Sarah bought something?"

"Yeah," George nodded. "Real nice."

Grinning eagerly, Will gave him a wink. "Thanks, man. Just what I wanted to know." Immediately he turned to Sarah. "Now, can I see it?"

Hoping to rescue her blushing best friend, Kate quickly broke in. "Hey - to be fair to Sarah, it was a true> impulse purchase."

Unfortunately for Sarah, Will took Kate's statement the wrong way. "So I give you impulses?"

Kate smacked her forehead as Sarah's blush deepened. "That's not what I meant."

Will continued. "What kind of impulses do I give you?"

Unsure how to bail Sarah out of the mess she had created, Kate turned to Sarah herself. "Sarah... you want to help me pull my foot out of my mouth and explain?"

Sarah herself was at a loss over what to say. "Um, ah... that is to say... well..."

Kim hung her head and groaned with exasperation at the other two women. "Oh good grief, I'll tell the story. Kate got recognized, so Sarah had to pretend we were shopping for her lingerie and she didn't look at what she grabbed. End of story."

Clay blinked at Kate. "You got recognized?"

Rolling her eyes, Kate snorted. "Yeah. Imagine that."

"So did I."

Kate shrugged at him. "That's normal for you. You're the celebrity. Where did you get recognized?"

His ears bright red, Clay ducked his head with embarrassment. "Walgreen's... as I was trying to buy the... you know..."

Ouch. Kate winced. "You were seen there by your fans?"

Sarah shook her head firmly. "No - your fans."

Kate blinked with confusion at Sarah. "Hunh?"

"Your two church grandmas," Sarah explained.

Kate's eyes widened in horror at the mere idea. "Edith and Edna???"

Clay gaped at Sarah. "H-H-How..." he began.

Kate jerked a thumb at Sarah. "She has the same 'gift' that runs in my family... hers come chiefly in the form of dreams."

"Oh my..." Clay breathed in shock.

George cast a wary glance at Sarah. "You know, it's kinda freaky that you know that and you weren't even there."

Sarah gave a flirty shrug and a smile. "What can I say, I dream in detail."

"You dream about the future!" Clay exclaimed.

"Sometimes," Sarah added. "Only I can't change it, I just know it."

"But if those two were there, well, it's no wonder you didn't buy the... you know."

Clay nodded. "With what you told me about them, I just... couldn't do it..." he trailed off.

With a grateful twinkle in her eye, Kate gazed up at Clay. "Hon, if that's the reason you didn't follow through on your purchase... then I say, 'thank you' for looking out for our honor. Those two would have told everyone in no time at all." Leaning over to Clay, she kissed him warmly on the cheek.

Clay flushed with pleasure at earning this tidbit of affection - and Kate's continued respect - the hard way. "So how'd you get recognized?"

Kate glanced over at her best friend. "Sarah said my name. Chick at the front counter started going all fangirly. And she saw my ring..."

Oh no. Clay winced at the news Kate shared. "Which means half of America is about to find out we're engaged..."

"So I covered," Sarah added, "brought her attention back to me and made it look like we were shopping for me."

"Good thinking," Clay nodded with approval.

Kate smirked at Sarah. "Which is when she grabbed Random Item A. Hence the term 'impulse purchase' - completely random to cover my derriere."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her. "Interesting choice of phrase, considering it doesn't cover any part of a derriere."

Clay gaped in shock. "Oh my..."

Breaking into giggles, Kate shrugged. "I told you it was a random purchase!"

Will pouted at the knowledge that the story involved him less than he had hoped. "Awww... I want to see what you bought."

Kate raised an eyebrow at him, but was careful to keep her tone of voice light. "Put a ring on her finger, Will. I guarantee you'll see it then."

Completely speechless, Will stammered for several minutes while scrambling for a response.

Sarah frowned lightly at Kate. "Kathryn Joy soon-to-be Aiken... One does not make a decision like that after knowing someone less than a week."

"Precisely," Kate replied with a nod.

Will glanced at Kate unsurely. "Precisely what?"

Keeping a smile on her face, Kate gave Will a pointed look. "That's not a decision to make in less than a week of knowing someone... which means you might see it eventually... but she probably won't show it to you today."

Sarah's scowl grew. "Lay off the preaching, Kate. Some people don't require the wedding ring."

Kate's smile turned gentle as she looked at Sarah. "I wasn't talking to you when I said that."

"And I can make my own decisions about who sees what when."

For a moment Kate paused in thought. Slowly she nodded. "I have been properly chastised. My apologies, Sarah. I still believe what I believe, I know why I said what I just did, but I still shouldn't have put it quite that way."

Will added his own thoughts. "Yeah, Princess. She's just looking out for your best interests."

"And you - " Sarah pointed at Will, " - you can stay out of this discussion."

Kate's eyes sparked. "Well, then that - "

Instantly Clay recognized the look in his fiancé's eyes that told him she was about to say something that she would undoubtedly regret later. He clapped his hand over Kate's mouth. "Oh no, you don't."

At that moment Ruben and Payton returned to the table. Ruben sat, glancing at the somber expressions and his Idol buddy holding his hand over his fiancé's mouth. "So what'd I miss?" he asked.

Kim muttered under her breath. "World War Three..."

"Can we just order?" Sarah grumbled.

Clay nodded. "Good idea." He shot Kate a warning look before releasing her mouth.

After the group took a few moments to examine their menus, their waiter arrived. He took their drink orders before starting again with Kim and circling the table until he got to Clay and Kate. "And what would you like?"

"The manicotti marinara," Kate informed him.

"Soup or salad?"

"Salad," Kate said. "And since we're going to need a couple of bowls of salad for this group, would you make sure that one bowl has no mushrooms in it?"

"No mushrooms?" the waiter asked, making sure he heard her correctly.

"Not a mushroom in it," Kate nodded.

Clay eyed Kate with amusement. "Honey, it's not a big deal. I can pick them out."

Kate glared at Clay. "Maybe next week, when you're back in California, you can pick the mushrooms out of your salad all you want. But not this week, while you have me around." She turned back to the server with a steady eye. "Not a single mushroom."

The waiter nodded. "No mushrooms in the salad."

Clay snickered. It looks like she's back to taking care of me, he mused. As long as I get to return the favor to her...

Once their meals came, the group ate with amiable chat - save for Will, who ate in watchful silence. When the main course was finished, a couple of them chose to order dessert. Kate and Sarah agreed to split a tiramisu, much to Clay's dismay. "Sure," he groaned as the server placed it between the two women. "Just torture me with that..."

"I never said you couldn't have dessert," Kate told him, "just don't order anything with mint or chocolate - and for Pete's sake, DON'T order the tiramisu!"

"Why not?"

"Hello?" Kim pointed to the dish. "Chocolate and coffee. Pain on a plate."

Kate sympathetically squeezed his hand. "We can always stop at Baskin-Robbins and get you some ice cream - as long as you promise no chocolate and no mint."

Clay shook his head. "Don't worry - this is the last week I want an unscheduled hospital visit."

Finally everyone finished their food and they prepared to go to the motel close to the airport where they had reserved several rooms. As they all stood to return to the vehicles, Ruben made a request. "Hey, ya'll mind if I switch into the van with ya? That SUV is on the cramped side."

Sarah nodded. "Sure, Ruben." She gave him a wink and a flirty smile. "The more the merrier."

Clay agreed as well. "We can put some of the luggage into the SUV to make room for you."

Ruben held out his hand to Clay for the SUV keys. "Kate, if you give us the keys, me and Payton'll move the bags."

Kate started digging for the keys for Andrew's minivan in her purse. When she couldn't find them right away, she nodded to Ruben. "Go ahead on out there and get started. Once I find the keys, I'll be out there to help you guys."

"Naw," Ruben told her, "that's what the guys are for. You sit back."

Kim hurried after Ruben and Payton. "I'm coming too. Those are my bags!"

Clay nodded after them. "You can all go. Will and I will take care of the bill."

Kate met his eye - she knew that if she left now, she'd never get the chance to pay her part of the bill. "You sure?"

Waving her off, Clay nodded. "Sure. Better go with them since you have the only keys here."

Leave it to Clay to think of that angle. Kate pointed her finger at him in warning. "We can sort the bill all out later." Breaking into a quicker stride, Kate hurried after them. "No one peeks at my dress."

Catching her before she followed the others, Will grabbed Sarah's arm. "You, Princess, are coming with me in the SUV. Clay, you can go with your girl. We have things to talk about."

Clay smirked to himself, convinced in his own mind that they would be sneaking a few minutes of 'alone time' before rejoining the rest of them at the hotel. "All right." His smile faded a moment later when he caught the annoyed spark in Sarah's eye. He glanced at Will, noting the serious set in his bodyguard's jaw. Uh oh - this is no make-out break. Biting his lip, he finished paying the bill.

The three of them walked out to the vehicles just as Ruben and Payton finished moving to the SUV what was needed to make room for Ruben and Payton in the minivan. Kate climbed into the driver's side of the minivan as the passenger door of the minivan slid shut. She closed the door behind her and buckled up, blinking with surprise when she saw that her front seat passenger was Clay instead of Sarah. "Hon, I'm not going to complain that it's you riding shotgun, but where's Sarah?"

Nodding towards the SUV, Clay told her. "She went with Will in the other car. He thought I might enjoy some time with my favorite woman and suggested I come with you in the van." He cast a glance towards the back. "Here where we'll have chaperones."

Kate snickered. "Way too many chaperones..."

Clay giggled. "Better for us... but I'm not sure it's so good for them." Biting his lip, Clay slowly shook his head. "I should have known Will was upset. He was a little too quiet at dinner."

Wincing, Kate glanced at him as she started up the minivan. "Really? You think they're going to have another fight?"

Heaving a deep sigh, Clay gave the matter a bit of thought. "Well... look at their past history. Until they can figure out a way to get things out better, then it wouldn't surprise me in the least."

Kate turned from the parking lot onto 'O' Street. "Hey... even we've had our disagreements."

"But so far only the one real fight," Clay quickly put in.

"Which surprises me," Kate stated, "considering that we're both hot-heads."

Clay snorted derisively. "We're cool-headed compared to those two."

Slowly Kate nodded. "True... true... Sarah has a lot of baggage she carries around. It's a lot to sort through when she's angry."

"And we don't have any baggage?"

Kate sighed. "Oh, we have our baggage... but we've always had someone in our lives who was a positive and loving influence. Sarah had only herself well into her high school years."

Clay winced. "That explains a lot."

"Hey guys!" Ruben called out. "You're not talkin' loud enough for us to hear. C'mon, be fair!"

Giving Kate an impish glance that suggested he was going to tease Ruben, Clay spoke louder. "We've come up with the perfect place for Payton's purchases. We're sneaking it into your luggage tonight."

Ruben made a face. "Why would I need those? You're gonna need them worse than I am."

Clay shook his head firmly. "Not those, I'm not. Maybe you can give them to Payton. He obviously needs them more with six kids in the house."

Payton quickly spoke in his own defense. "Hey, the wife and I know how to use them. We actually wanted all of those kids - at the time."

Kate snickered and raised her eyebrow. "Cheaper by the dozen?"

Payton snorted in reply. "More like Animal House..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, in the SUV

 

Following the others down the street, Will waited until he had calmed down enough to speak. Careful to keep his eye on the road, he glanced at Sarah. "Okay Princess... What exactly was that all about? 'You stay out of this.' Seems to me that you were the one butting in."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but she was talking about me. And whether or not I let you see my lingerie or anything else is up to me, not her."

"She was doin' her preachin' thing at me though, and not you." Will frowned. "Don't you think I can stick up for myself?"

"I'm sure you can," Sarah told him. "But she wasn't just directing her comments at you, ya know. She throws commentary like that around all the time. She may have been using your comment to start off from, but she was preaching at both of us."

Shrugging helplessly, Will continued. "And how exactly was I supposed to know that, Sarah? Am I supposed to be a mind reader?"

Sarah heaved a huffy sigh. "I know you're not a mind reader. And even though you might be able to let it go rolling off your back, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because she does it all the time," Sarah complained. "She doesn't stop unless someone interrupts her. She goes on and on, assuming she can tell the rest of the world that they have to wait until they're married for sex."

Will glanced over at her, speaking softly enough so that Sarah had to listen carefully to hear him clearly. "Maybe it's not the rest of the world she's telling, maybe it's the people she cares about. Maybe she just wants the best for you, and she thinks that way is the best. Maybe she just wanted to make sure I'd treat you 'the best'."

Immediately Sarah crossed her arms. "Still, it should be my decision to tell you that you have to wait until you put a ring on my finger or not. Not hers." She frowned slightly. "I think I was more angry with that than anything. It felt like she was the one butting into my life. I also didn't really want you to get into an argument with her defending yourself. You don't know her well enough, and it could cause problems. I, on the other hand, do."

Pulling to a stop at the red light, Will paused. He turned to her to study her eyes. "Is that your way of saying, 'I'm sorry'?"

Slowly Sarah nodded. "Yeah, it is. I'm sorry, Will. Can you forgive me?"

Will smiled. "Yes, Princess. I can. Thank you for the reason you wanted to protect me, even if I don't think I needed it." Taking the opportunity that the light provided, he leaned over to kiss her softly - until the light turned green and the horn behind them started honking loudly. "I guess we'd better get going," Will said sheepishly, setting the SUV in motion again.

"I guess," Sarah snickered. "Either that or find a secluded park somewhere..."

Will chuckled warmly. "Naw, I think everybody'd notice if we didn't get there right away. Don't forget we have all the luggage!"

Sarah's eyes turned impish. "But oh, that would be such a fun prank to play!" She put a gentle hand on Will's arm. "Wait until you hear about some of the pranks I have to play on Kate and Clay for this weekend..." she purred.

"This I gotta hear."

For the rest of their drive to the hotel, Sarah shared her plans with Will. By the time they had arrived, Will was laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks. "Oooohhhh, Princess. This weekend is gonna be a lot of fun with you around."

"Ya know ya love me," Sarah grinned.

She couldn't be any closer to the truth, Will thought to himself.

 

Go to the next day, Day 7 (December 29)

Go to yesterday, Day 5 (December 27)

 

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