by Kay Correll
He didn’t understand the whole bows on chairs and all the little wedding details, but he did know how to set up chairs. Bonus that it was with Zoe.
They set up chair after chair, laughing and talking as they worked on their chore. Zoe was so easy to talk to. Her laugh charmed him. Her sparkling eyes captivated him. And he was ridiculously happy to have her for his date to the wedding.
They finished the last chair and sank onto two of them in the front row.
“I thought this was going to be a small wedding,” he said.
“That’s what everyone tries for here on the island. But everyone knows everyone, and the weddings seem to grow larger than expected.”
“I get that. It does seem like everybody knows everybody here.”
Zoe grinned. “They do. And they know everything about everybody, too. Not many secrets here on the island.”
Mason stood as Charlotte walked up to them with a box full of bows. “I hope you’re not wanting me to help with those.”
Charlotte laughed. “No, I’ve got these.”
“Then I better go find my dad and get him started on getting ready.” He turned to Zoe. “I’ll see you after the ceremony?”
“Sure will.”
He walked away with the vision of Zoe’s smile and her twinkling eyes firmly etched in his mind. He was looking forward to this wedding. Way more than he’d expected. Now if only he could think of that perfect opening line for his speech.
He found his father in his room, staring at his clothes. “Do you think I made the right decision? Maybe we should wear suits.”
“Dad, we’ve been through this. You look snappy in your sports coat. Lillian said anything was fine with her.”
“I still think I should go with my gray suit.”
Mason rolled his eyes, then grinned. “Okay. Suits it is. Good thing I got them pressed, just in case. I’ll go change and be back in a few minutes.”
His dad nodded, looking distracted.
“You okay, Dad?”
“I’m fine. I’m just… well, I’m nervous.” His dad gave him a sheepish grin. “You’d think at my age that I wouldn’t be this nervous. I’m positive about my decision to marry Lil, it isn’t that. I’m just… there will be so many changes for us. Living together. Sharing a space. Trying to figure out our work situations. And I still need to make up my mind about returning to the CEO position at GJ Industries.”
Mason crossed back to his dad. “I don’t think now is the time to worry about the CEO job. And I’m sure you and Lillian will work out sharing The Nest. It’s all going to be fine.”
“I’ve been on my own for a lot of years.”
“And now you won’t be. You’ll have a wonderful woman by your side.” Here he was giving a pep talk to his dad. Never thought that would happen.
His dad gave him a grateful smile. “You’re right. Now you go get dressed, and I’ll put on my suit and we’ll do this wedding thing.”
Mason walked out the door and down the hall to his own room. Weddings were…interesting. They brought out a bit of strangeness in people.
Chapter 24
Robin went to The Nest to meet up with Lillian, Sara, and Charlotte. The others were already there when she arrived. Lillian had put on her wedding dress and was standing in front of the mirror.
“Oh, Lillian, you’re beautiful.” Robin rushed over and gave her a quick hug, careful not to muss the dress.
“The dress turned out great, didn’t it? Ruby did a fabulous job.” Charlotte looked over every inch of Lillian’s dress. “A very fabulous job. It’s just perfect.”
“I’m sure she’ll do just as good of a job on your wedding dress,” Sara said as she picked up a necklace and hooked it around Lillian’s neck. “There. Perfect.”
Charlotte looked over at Robin. “I told you that dress would look great on you, too. We did a good job picking it out.”
“You did a good job picking it out. I just bought the one you told me to.” She grinned at Charlotte.
“I’m so glad to have all you girls here. I’m glad you’re all back on Belle Island.” Lillian smiled.
“I’m glad to have them back, too,” Robin agreed.
Lillian turned to face them. “You know, I waited until later in life to find my perfect match. Gary is just… well, he’s perfect for me. And I’m so happy that Sara found Noah and Charlotte found Ben.” Lillian turned to Robin. “And you and Jay found each other, too. You just need to work through this… bump. You’re lucky to have found someone without waiting a lifetime like I did.”
“Lil’s right, you know. You and Jay… you’re perfect for each other. Have you talked to him?” Sara asked.
“We’ve both been busy with the wedding.”
“Don’t let too much time go by, dear, or it will get harder and harder to try and work things out.” Lillian gazed steadily at her. “Promise me that you’ll talk to him. Call it a little wedding present to me.”
How could she refuse a request like that? She nodded. “I’ll talk to him.” If only she knew what she was going to say to him. “Now, let’s finish getting Lillian ready.” And talk about something else besides her and Jay.
Lillian stood at the end of the aisle, ready to step forward so Gary would see her, nervous, which was silly. What was there to be nervous about? She was too old for that nonsense, right? A mature woman didn’t get nervous about things. Look at all she’d handled in her life. Why was she nervous now?
The aisle was beautifully lined with flowers in mason jars and teal bows on the chairs. Charlotte had done a wonderful job.
She took one more step and stood directly at the end of the aisle.
Gary looked up and saw her. A look of wonder—and did she see a hint of tears—filled his eyes. He held her gaze with his own. Suddenly she was no longer nervous.
“I’m ready,” she said to Sara.
“I wish Mom were here to see this. She’d be so happy for you. I’m so happy for you.” Sara squeezed her hand.
“I’m sure she is here with me. She wouldn’t miss it.” Lillian looked up at the sky and saw a blue heron slowly glide by with steady strokes of its wings. She smiled. Yes, Leah was here with her.
She took Sara’s arm and they walked down to the arbor, aunt and niece, two women who’d been extremely lucky to find love this year. Her heart swelled with happiness. For herself. For Sara. Well, probably for everyone today.
Gary extended his hand when she reached him, and she clasped his hand in hers. Connecting them. Ready for what the future would bring.
The actual ceremony passed in a blur. All she knew was Gary was right by her side, her hand in his.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
“You bet.” Gary grinned and leaned down to give her a good, long kiss. Then another. The guests laughed and clapped.
Joy bubbled through her and her heart sang with happiness. A blissful contentment settled around her.
She walked back down the aisle again, this time with Gary at her side, as he would be for the rest of their lives. Her husband. When they got to the end of the aisle, Gary leaned close to her.
“I will never forget this day, or how I feel right now at this very moment.”
She would never forget it either. She didn’t need the wedding photos to remind her. It was engraved in her memory forever. The perfect day. Marrying the perfect man for her.
“I love you,” she whispered back, and he smiled.
Chapter 25
Zoe wandered around the reception, catching up with old friends from town, but keeping an eye out for Mason. He finally came up to her—without his suit coat on—after he’d given his toast. “Hey, you.”
“Hi. You did a great job with your speech.”
“You think? I was nervous about it.”
“Great opening line and you didn’t look nervous.”
“Good. I faked it well, then.” He gave her one of his now-familiar impish grins. “Do you want to dance?”
“I d
o.”
He held out his hand and she took it and followed him to the dance floor where a spirited oldie rock song was playing. It finished right as they got to the floor and a slow love song came on.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and took her hand in his as he pulled her close and started to sway to the music. She danced near to him, slowly, feeling the heat of him, and she swore she could hear his heart beating even though there was still space between them.
Until there wasn’t.
He pulled her closer and she rested her head against this shoulder, lost in the music, lost in the moment. Ignoring the thumping of her own heart. Her racing pulse. The flutter in her stomach. Yes, ignoring all of that.
This was ridiculous. She’d just met him. And really, he lived about as far away as he could from her in the U.S. unless he decided to move to Alaska.
But her traitorous heart continued to pound, and she cursed her luck. She was fully aware she was falling for this man. And that was a ridiculous thing to do. A dangerous thing to do. Dangerous to her heart. He was leaving in a few days. He’d be in Washington, and she’d be in Florida.
But, even though it was silly, she pushed the reasons aside and decided to just enjoy the moment. And, boy, was she enjoying the moment.
Jay looked around the kitchen, making sure everything was put away. It was late, and he’d have to be back early in the morning. But the wedding had been great. The food had been good if he did say so himself. He’d outdone himself trying to make Lillian proud, and she’d complimented the food multiple times.
He’d seen Robin a few times, chatting with guests, making sure everyone was taken care of. And she’d sat with Sara and Charlotte for a good long time later in the evening. Those women. Quite a threesome. He couldn’t imagine having lifelong friends like that. He was even a bit jealous of what they had. But his life hadn’t been conducive to making friends. First, his mother had dragged him around from state to state, then dumped him on his grandmother’s doorstep like some kind of extraneous baggage. But those years with his grandmother had been some of the best of his life.
The familiar sadness seeped through him at the thought of her. The if-onlys. If only she were still alive. If only she could see him now, see that he’d made a name for himself, at least on the island.
Though, he had seen people staring at him tonight. The rumor mill had already been running strong, that much was obvious. The old Jay would have just pulled up stakes and moved on. But he wasn’t going to leave Lillian. So he ignored the stares and went about his own business. Things were different now, but he owed Lillian so much. He’d stay and be her chef and do his best to ignore the talk and the stares.
He’d hoped that Robin would drop in and make sure everything had gone well tonight, or maybe even compliment the food. But, no. No Robin.
He hung up his apron and walked out, locking the door behind him, adjusting to his new normal of walking home alone.
Chapter 26
Lillian woke up the next morning with Gary by her side. It was unfamiliar, and yet comforting. The sun streamed in the windows as if contradicting the weatherman’s forecast of the coming storm.
“Morning.” Gary’s rumbly voice welcomed her.
She smiled at him. “Morning.”
“How does it feel being a married woman?”
“It feels nice.” She sat up in bed and stretched.
Gary reached over to his night table and picked up an envelope. “Here, this is for you.” He sat up next to her.
“What is it?”
“Open it.”
She opened it and read the card and the note he’d written. “We’re going to an island in the Caribbean?”
“We are. A small island. We’ll have part of it all to ourselves. I have a private jet waiting for us. We’ll be gone for two glorious weeks. Just you and me. Well, there’s a chef there and some help, but they’ll come in and then disappear. I can’t wait.”
She glanced over at her open suitcase in the corner. He’d said to pack for warm weather, and she had. She just hadn’t known it would be this… special. This… exceptional. He’d gone to so much trouble to figure out every little detail.
“We can leave whenever you’re ready. I thought maybe we’d go to the dining room and get some breakfast, then head out.”
“That sounds nice.” And it did. But she was worried about leaving the inn for two weeks. Especially with the storm coming. But he’d gone to so much trouble to set this all up, so she smiled at him. “Very nice.”
They got ready and headed to the dining room. She paused when they got to the lobby. “I need to stop by my office for just one thing. Can I meet you in the dining room?”
“Sure thing. Don’t be long. And don’t let Robin see you. You’re not supposed to be working.” He kissed her and headed to the dining room.
She slipped into her office and turned on the computer. A quick search of the weather showed they were now definitely predicting the storm to become a hurricane. It was still supposed to hit north, but now the uncertainty of the exact area it would hit had grown. It could actually hit Belle Island directly. Worry coursed through her. She couldn’t leave the inn with the storm coming. But she couldn’t disappoint Gary and just cancel their honeymoon.
She looked up to see Robin and Gary standing in the doorway.
“You’re not supposed to be working.” Robin scowled.
“I was just… checking the weather,” she said guiltily.
Robin sighed. “I saw the change. But you never know. Hurricanes are unpredictable. You two should get out of here while the weather is still nice enough to fly.”
Gary stepped into the room. “Lillian?”
She looked at him, unable to say the words.
He came around to her side of the desk, took her hands, and helped her stand. “So, I guess we’re going to postpone the honeymoon, huh?”
“What?” She looked directly at him.
“Lil, it’s obvious you’re worried about the inn. I don’t blame you. I understand you not wanting to leave with the storm coming.”
“But, you made all these special plans.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “And I’ll make them again. Later. After the storm.”
She clasped both his hands in hers. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Looks like we have a lot of work ahead getting ready for the storm. You just put me to work.”
Her heart filled with gratitude for this man who knew her so well and was willing to give up so much. She reached up and touched his cheek. “Thank you. I do love you.”
He winked at her. “That’s a good thing because I heard a rumor that you just married me.”
Chapter 27
Zoe sat across from Mason at breakfast in the dining room. She’d had such a good time last night and had been pleased when he’d asked her to have breakfast with him and spend the day at the beach. She could still almost feel his arms around her like when they were dancing. It had been a magical night. And lasted until two in the morning when he’d finally walked her up to her room.
As long as she had this crush on him, she might as well enjoy the day. It was only a little crush, though. He fascinated her. She loved his impossibly impish grin and the one dimple it highlighted. She loved talking to him. Laughing with him. And time just seemed to sweep by when she was with him.
Too bad today would be their last day together. He was heading out to Seattle tomorrow and she was heading back to Orlando.
Mason ordered waffles, bacon, and a side of hash browns. She ordered one of Jay’s cinnamon rolls and coffee. Lots of coffee. She wasn’t used to only a few hours of sleep, but it didn’t seem to bother Mason. He was chipper and alert this morning.
Mason wolfed his breakfast down like he hadn’t had plate after plate of food at the reception. And he had. She’d seen him. How did men eat like that and stay in such incredible shape? Mason was in good shape. He must work out at the gym or something.
She
should think about joining a gym. She no longer had the beach for her long beach walks, and she didn’t really get much exercise now. There, that was decided. She’d join a gym.
“What you thinking about?” Mason asked.
She looked at him trying to figure out what words to say so she didn’t sound like an unfit sloth. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking about things that need to be done when I get back home.”
“Yes, my flight leaves early tomorrow. Have to get back and put out the brushfires that came up while I was here.”
Lillian and Gary walked up to them, hand in hand. “Morning, son. Zoe.”
“Morning.” They both said in unison and she smiled.
“You two off soon?” Mason asked.
“About that.” Gary paused, smiled at Lillian, then turned back to Mason. “I appreciate all your help with the surprise, but it appears that we’re not going to go on a honeymoon right now.”
“You’re not?” Mason frowned.
“With the storm coming, it seems like a better idea to stay here. It looks like there’s a possibility it might hit nearer to Belle Island now. And Lillian would just worry about the inn if we left. I promised her we’d reschedule it for later.”
Lillian’s eyes softened as she looked at Gary. “And your father is a very understanding man.”
Zoe watched the looks between Lillian and Gary. So much love. So much understanding and compromise. She wanted that with someone. Sometime, she wanted that.
“Anyway, since the jet is fueled and ready, I thought you could just take it back to Seattle today. Get out before the storm. No need to wait for your commercial flight tomorrow. The jet needs to be back in Seattle this next week anyway.”
“I… uh…” Mason looked at her.
