The Carpenter's Bride

by Elana Johnson

  “So here’s the main room,” he said. “Kitchen is right against the back wall there. Two-burner stove, fridge, microwave, small sink.”

  The space held one couch and had windows everywhere. The walls were stark white, and the place seemed filled with light.

  “Two bedrooms over here,” he said, indicating the doors. “And a bathroom in the back. There’s no laundry facility. If we get super dirty, we just hose off in the back yard.”

  “Cold,” Lisa said. She grabbed onto Cal’s arm with both of her hands and hugged it. “I love this place. Thanks for inviting me up here. I know this place is special for you.” She gazed at him while he looked around at this house he clearly loved.

  “It is,” he said. “And now we can start making our own memories here.” He faced her, a bright light in his eye that made Lisa’s pulse blip a little faster through her body. “All right, let’s bring in our food, and we can get down to the beach whenever you’re ready.”

  She worked side-by-side with him as they brought in their bags of groceries and a cooler. She hauled in her rolling suitcase and put it in the bedroom closest to the front door. They’d be out here for a few days, and when she got back to Getaway Bay, she’d only have a few days until Riley’s wedding.

  Everything was going to be perfect for her best friend, and Lisa hadn’t had so much fun planning a wedding in a very long time. Or maybe everything at work had seemed easier because she’d had Cal in her life all these months.

  She changed into her swimming suit and double-checked her beach bag for sunscreen. After donning her sun hat, she went into the main room and said, “Time for the beach.”

  Cal looked up from his phone, his eyes traveling the length of her body and back to her eyes. “I can see that.” He stood and came toward her, which meant he took two steps before he gathered her into his arms. “I love you.”

  Lisa smiled up at him, thrilled with how and when he chose to express his feelings. “I love you, too, Cal.” She snuggled into his chest. “I have been thinking, what with Riley getting married soon and all of that….”

  “Oh, yeah?” he prompted, obviously in no hurry to head out to the beach. In fact, he started to sway as if they were dancing right there in his tiny living room.

  “Yeah,” she said. “Do you see yourself getting married again?”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  Lisa’s pulse pranced through her chest at the same time a smile exploded onto her face. “No rush or anything, honestly. We just haven’t talked about it at all.”

  “No rush,” he echoed.

  Lisa straightened and looked into his eyes. “And one more hard question before we go to the beach. And you can take some time to think about it. I know you like time to think when I ask you hard questions.”

  “Depends on the question,” Cal said.

  She bent to pick up her beach bag. “This one’s about kids. I love Sierra to death. I’m fine if that’s all the family you want. Honestly, I am. But have you ever thought…do you think we’ll have kids together?”

  Cal blinked, and Lisa could see she had surprised him with the question. She waited, the silence between them comfortable now. There had been some months that had felt incredibly slow to Lisa. And some times where their relationship picked up steam overnight.

  She’d realized that not every day could be one lived with the gas pedal pressed all the way to the floor. In fact, the slower drive days were just as savory and some of her favorites.

  “I think…I would like more kids,” Cal said slowly.

  Lisa grinned at him, feeling playful and strong and sexy all at the same time. “You know what that means, don’t you, Cal?”

  “What?”

  “You better ask me to marry you—soon.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and headed for the back door. “And bring your muscles, because I’m not going to be able to help with the boat.”

  He laughed, following her. He did carry the boat down to the beach, and Lisa kept exclaiming about the flowers and the plants growing on either side of the path.

  “It really is the jungle here,” she said. And then she took a step, and the beach spread before her. “Oh, wow. I want to move here.”

  Cal just laughed and kept moving. He finally flipped the boat over and dropped it to the sand when he was on the wet, hard-packed part of the beach. “You can’t move here,” he said. “The commute is too long. And didn’t you hear the part about how the house has no laundry facilities?”

  Lisa dropped her beach bag and spread her arms wide, letting the energy of this untouched part of Getaway Bay flow through her. She sighed as she closed her eyes, this moment so surreal and so wonderful.

  When she looked at Cal again, he just stood there watching her. “But there’s you, baby,” she said. “And you definitely seem like the type of man who knows how to wash clothes by hand.” She tiptoed her fingers up his chest and curled both hands around his neck.

  She leaned her forehead against his, pure joy moving through her. Contentment. Neither of them said anything. They didn’t need to.

  This memory would be with her forever, and she just wanted to bask in it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cal rowed himself and Lisa out to the reef and taught her how to put her pole over the side. “I can’t believe you’ve lived here your whole life and have never been fishing,” he said, smiling at her.

  “Oh, well, I mean, I’ve been.”

  “You said you hadn’t.” He looked at her as he baited his hook.

  “I meant in many years. Or as an adult. My dad took us when we were little.” She held her pole like she expected it to grow wings and fly away. “And I liked catching the fish, but I didn’t want to clean them. Dad said once that the next fish we caught, we’d have to gut it. I stopped going after that.” She shrugged one shoulder and smiled. “Not one for guts, I guess.”

  “I guess not,” Cal said. “Cleaning the fish isn’t my favorite thing either. I don’t normally catch a whole lot anyway.” He set his pole and leaned back with a sigh. “It’s more about the experience. The time on the water. In the boat.”

  “I love the boat,” she said.

  “I made this one,” Cal said. “It’s father-approved.” A sense of pride filled Cal. These past several months had been so…cleansing for him. He loved working with his hands, and he’d decided he didn’t want his father’s legacy to fade into oblivion. So in addition to being there for Sierra, maintaining his construction business, and advancing his relationship with Lisa, he’d started learning how to build fishing boats from his father. The work had been rewarding in a way Cal hadn’t anticipated, and his father had just gotten another order for a boat that Cal would be building solo.

  “Christmas with your mom,” he said next, because he had something else to ask Lisa and he couldn’t quite get the words in the right order.

  “Yes,” she said. “The sisters. Everyone.” She looked at him, though it was hard to tell with the sun hat and sunglasses covering her eyes. “And we’re having a nice dinner at your house, with just Sierra on Christmas Eve.”

  “Yes,” he said. “And we can go see my brothers and parents the day after.” He was tired just thinking about all the visiting. But Lisa and Sierra got along great, and they could carry a conversation if he didn’t feel like talking.

  “And then on the twenty-seventh, we can come here and enjoy the silence.” She grinned at him, and Cal was grateful she knew him well enough to know he’d need a day of detoxing after all the holidays. “But you’re okay to come to Riley’s wedding with me, right?”

  “Of course.” He cleared his throat. “And speaking of weddings….” He reached down and unzipped a pocket in his backpack. “How do you feel about starting to plan our wedding?” He pulled out a black box and cracked the lid, the sunlight glinting on the diamond ring inside.

  “Oh, my word,” Lisa said, her voice mostly made of air.

  “I love you, Lisa,” Cal said. “I want you to be
able to come home to me and Sierra after a long day of wedding planning. I want to come home to you. Will you marry me?”

  She laughed, quickly cutting off the sound as she covered her mouth with her hand. She nodded, and Cal smiled. “You gotta say it, sweetheart.”

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He tipped forward and kissed her, a sloppy one because she was still giggling. “Oh, my goodness,” she kept saying as he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Cal, this is a beautiful ring.” She held her hand out and stared at it. “I love you.”

  He kissed her again, holding her close to him. “Sierra helped me pick it out.”

  “I love it.” She beamed at him. “I can’t believe this. I wasn’t expecting….” She laughed again. “When were you thinking?”

  “That’s up to you,” he said. “I just need you to show up, but I’m guessing you have a file somewhere in your office with all the things you want for your dream wedding.”

  “I do not,” she said, but she immediately shook her head. “Wait. I totally do.” She laughed again, and Cal joined in this time. “I want to get married in the summer. I’ve always wanted that. Maybe July or August? That gives me seven or eight months.”

  “Perfect,” Cal said. “Whatever you want, sweetheart. Maybe not when school is on.”

  “So before school,” Lisa said, looking out over the ocean. “I can do that.”

  “Will you dance with me at our wedding?” he asked. Their eyes met, and Lisa nodded slowly.

  “Yes,” she said. “Dancing should definitely be part of our wedding.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lisa could not believe her wedding day had arrived. She’d spent so many long years wondering if she’d ever be the bride and not the wedding planner—and today was that day.

  “Sweetie,” her mother said, opening her bedroom door. “Oh, good, you’re awake. It’s time to start getting ready. Ash will be here in an hour with the dress. Riley’s just texted to say she’s on her way, and Shannon said she’d be here by nine.”

  “I’m up.” Lisa smiled at her mother. She showered and heard voices down the hall in her kitchen. Dressed in her undergarments and a fluffy white robe she’d bought just for this day, she padded down the hall to find Riley and Shannon sipping coffee with her mother.

  “There she is,” Shannon said, jumping to her feet. “Our bride.” She hugged Lisa, who embraced her back.

  “Thank you so much,” Lisa said. “Now I know how brides feel about us.” She hugged Riley too, who held her extra tight for an extra long time. When she pulled away, they were both a little teary, and Lisa hadn’t expected to feel anything but happiness.

  “I love you guys,” she said. “It’s been so great being your friend. And thank you for being my friend.”

  “Love you,” Riley said, wiping her eyes. “And now I’m going to need someone to redo my makeup.”

  “Better start on that,” Shannon said. “Carole will be here in fifteen minutes, and then Ash will want to do a final fitting on the dress.” Her phone chimed, and she reached for it. “I’m heading down to the beach, where Charlotte is setting up the altar.” She flashed a smile at Riley and Lisa. “I’ll see you down there. No later than eleven-thirty, right?”

  “Right,” Riley said, and she was extremely anal about weddings starting on time. “I’ll make sure she’s there on time.” She opened her makeup kit, and Lisa sat down at the table. Her mother put a cup of coffee in front of her, and Riley turned on some calming music before she started sweeping the makeup brush across Lisa’s face.

  Lisa kept her emotions tightly contained so she wouldn’t ruin her best friend’s work, and she hugged Carole when she arrived. She started drying Lisa’s hair into perfectly straight locks, and then she pulled it all to the top of Lisa’s head to create an elegant topknot.

  Ash arrived, and Lisa stepped into the dress she’d had designed. It fit perfectly, but Ash wasn’t satisfied with a seam in the back. She ran out to her car to grab her portable sewing machine and set up shop at the other end of the table.

  Carole added jewels and ribbons to Lisa’s hair—Lisa’s version of a veil—while Ash sewed and Riley finished with the final touches on Lisa’s makeup.

  She finally stepped into the dress and the shoes and everything was in place.

  “Oh, Grandma’s earrings,” her mother said, opening the small drawer beside Lisa’s refrigerator. She put them on for Lisa and pulled her into another tight hug. “You’re beautiful. Cal is so lucky.”

  Lisa felt like the lucky one, but she just nodded. “Okay, get me to the beach,” she said, eyeing the clock. “We don’t have much time.”

  The temperature at the end of July on the beach was brutal, but Lisa had ordered fans and misters to keep the area for guests cool. People had already arrived, some in their seats, some walking through the sand to the large, white tent that had been set up for the ceremony. Cal had carved the altar out of one of the trees surrounding the cabin up by Lightning Point, and Lisa had ordered the roses and tulips she’d wanted for so long. They’d cover the top, where a candle would burn.

  Not a real one, as Lisa had plenty of experience with the ocean breezes ruining her best laid plans. She’d switched to using tall, beautiful candles that had fake flames, and they were just as amazing as the real thing.

  “We’re getting pictures of everything, right?” she asked Riley as she caught a glimpse of the huge yellow bows on the backs of the chairs, who nodded.

  “Aiden’s been here for an hour,” she said. “He’ll have all the detail shots, and he’ll get everything during the ceremony.” She led Lisa into the staging building, only a dozen or so yards from the outdoor ceremony. Riley brushed something invisible from Lisa’s shoulder, pushing the thin strap back into place. “You’re beautiful, and this is going to be the best wedding of the year.”

  Lisa nodded, and Riley added, “I have to go check on a couple of things. You stay here.”

  Lisa was familiar with this part of the wedding. She’d wait in this room until it was time to begin. Then Cal’s daughter would walk her down the aisle, where her future husband and love of her life waited.

  And then…she’d be Mrs. Cal Lewiston.

  Finally.

  Lisa’s tears gathered in her eyes again, but she blinked them back. She wasn’t going to worry about who hadn’t come—her father. She wasn’t going to wish for things she didn’t have, because she had so much. So, so much.

  “Ready?” Riley asked, and Lisa spun toward her. Time had passed in a blink, and Lisa nodded. Sierra stepped passed Riley, and she looked absolutely radiant in the pale pink dress that mirrored Lisa’s. Well, as closely as it could, as Lisa had had her dress designed, and they’d had to buy Sierra’s from a shop.

  But the two dresses had the same ruffled fabric over the bodice and down the stomach, and they both laced in the back until a zipper took over near the waistline.

  “You’re beautiful,” Lisa said, taking Sierra into her arms. “Thank you so much for giving me your father.”

  “Thank you for taking him,” Sierra said, squeezing Lisa tight.

  She pulled back and held Sierra by the shoulders. “I love having you as a daughter.”

  Sierra smiled and nodded, her eyes glassy. “You’re going to be a good mother.”

  “We’re all going to be late,” Riley said. “And the cake is melting.”

  “Okay.” Lisa took a big breath and linked her arm through Riley’s. “We’re ready.” They left the staging building, and someone behind the scenes changed the music. Everyone stood and turned toward her and Sierra, whose step faltered.

  Lisa kept them moving, her goal singular—the man at the end of the aisle, waiting by the custom altar he’d built for them. He smiled at her and Sierra as they continued to step toward him, and he first hugged Sierra when they arrived.

  “Love you,” he whispered, and she went to sit beside one of her uncles. He took Lisa’s hand and grinn
ed at her. “And wow. Look at you.”

  Lisa felt loved and cherished, and she beamed right back at him. “And you, Mister Lewiston. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a tie.”

  He chuckled, shook his head, and turned toward the altar. Lisa admired it, running her fingertips along the edge of the wood peeking out from beneath the flowers. She met Cal’s eye again, and then they looked at the pastor together.

  Together, just like Lisa wanted to do everything with this man. Raise a teenager. Have a baby. Build a home.

  Together.

  When it was her turn to say I do, she did in a loud voice, and she kissed Cal with everything she had. They turned to the clapping crowd and lifted their joined hands, and Lisa took the first step of the rest of her life with the man she loved.

  Together.

  I’m so happy for Lisa and Cal! They got their second chance. - and a beach wedding! Leave a review now!

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  There’s another bride coming to Getaway Bay! Read on to meet Dierdre - a consultant at Your Tidal Forever - and Wyatt in THE POLICE CHIEF’S BRIDE!

  Wyatt Gardner sat in his police cruiser, watching person after person walk down the sidewalk in front of him. Most of them were women, and they were dressed nicely, with wedges and pumps and skirts, so he knew they were going to the September Sandy Singles event.

  That was why he’d driven from the police station to the community center, too. He just couldn’t quite get himself to get out of the car. Yet.

  But he was going to get out. He was going to go in. He was going to put himself out there again. Try to find someone that he could spend the rest of his life with. He was only forty-four years old. He had a lot of life to live yet.

  With Jennifer out of the house completely now, married and living her best life, Wyatt had plenty of time and money to move on. Plus, he really wanted to do the same thing his daughter had done. Find someone to love as completely as she had.