Beyond the Tide

by Noelle Marchand

  “Amen,” Ian confirmed.

  A soft, hesitant smile crossed Clara’s lips. “Would y’all be open to having another wedding or at least a reception that your families could attend?”

  A shadow of pain entered Ian’s eyes, and Ava knew he was thinking about the complicated state of his. She rubbed her thumb comfortingly across his hand. “I don’t know about having another wedding. I think the one is St. Thomas might suffice, but a reception might be something we’d consider.”

  Ian nodded. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

  “Good,” Clara said with a smile. “We would love to celebrate with y’all.”

  Silence descended over the table as if no one knew quite what to say. Ever the politician, her father finally managed to come up with something. “This was not quite how I envisioned this dinner going, but I’m glad you were honest with us, Ava. Your mother and I will try to do a better job of… Well, of being more considerate of you. I know we get rather wrapped up in the world outside of our family, but this—you, your mother, and now Ian—are what truly matters. I just… Well, I need to do a better job of remembering that. I will do a better job.”

  “Me too,” Clara offered softly.

  Ava nodded her acceptance before offering a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll remind you.”

  Her dad laughed. “Well, Ian, what a nice little family drama you walked into.

  Ian gave him a rueful smile. “Oh, you have no idea, sir. Family drama is… Well, let’s just say I’m used to it.”

  “Actually, I do know,” her dad admitted with a carefree grin. “I had you investigated the first moment I saw that you’d noticed my daughter. I’m sure there isn’t much about you I don’t already know.”

  “Oh, Dad, you didn’t.”

  Clara shot Ava a guilty yet sympathetic smile. “You know he did.”

  Ava released Ian’s hand to brace her forehead on her fingers. “Oh. My. Word.”

  James grinned and shot Ian a look of respect. “Almost made it to the Olympics, did you?”

  Ava straightened in her chair. “What? You never told me that.”

  Ian gave her a self-depreciative smile. “That was back in college. You’ve seen my college swim team shirts.”

  “None of them said ‘Almost An Olympian.’”

  He shrugged. “Emphasis on ‘almost.’ I was too slow.”

  Her dad dragged the rest of the story out of Ian before telling a few embarrassing ones about Ava including how she’d gotten run off in a history museum when she was only four. Her parents had found her commandeering one of the docents’ tours. The conversation flowed onward as if everything had been settled.

  She couldn’t quite believe it. After all the pressure her parents had put on her over the years, all the worrying she’d done about the past, her many panic attacks… She’d nearly walked away from Ian forever because she hadn’t thought herself capable of getting to this moment right here.

  Yet her parents hadn’t disowned her. They hadn’t vowed to never speak to her again. They’d actually listened to her and been concerned about her. She knew that this was only the first step on the long road to a healthier relationship with her parents. Boundaries would have to be set and reinforced, but it was a good start. A great start.

  Eventually, James checked his watch. “Your mother and I should probably head out. I have a conference call that I need to attend. I already pushed it back for this dinner, so I don’t want to be late.”

  “Of course,” Ava said as they all stood. “I’m so glad that y’all were able to meet Ian.”

  “So are we,” James said as he reached out to shake Ian’s hand. “I guess I’ll be seeing more of you in the future?”

  Ian grinned. “It’s very likely.”

  Clara hugged them both. “Do keep me informed about the reception. I’d loved to be involved in whatever way you like.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Ava walked her parents to the door.

  A moment later, Ava closed the door behind them and rested her head on it. A relieved breath filtered through her lips. Ian placed a hand on her back. “You ok?”

  She turned to face him, leaning back against the door as she nodded. “That was the scariest, most freeing conversation I’ve ever had with my parents. Our prayer worked. I never expected them to react so well.”

  “It sure did.” He caught hold of her waist and guided her into a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

  Wrapping her arm around his neck, she hugged him back, then smiled up at him. “I’m proud of you too. Thank you for taking the lead while I got my sea legs.”

  “I was happy to do it.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe I almost broke up with you because I was afraid to have that conversation.”

  He gave her a skeptical look. “You weren’t really going to break up with me.”

  “You say that, but I was honestly trying—”

  “Half-heartedly trying,” he corrected. “And no way was I going to let you go that easily. Speaking of… How soon are you moving in with me?”

  “I don’t know. “She pretended to consider it carefully. “Is tomorrow too soon?”

  He grinned. “Not soon enough. We don’t have to stay in Corpus Christi forever, you know, if there’s somewhere else you’d rather live, some other city.”

  She rested her cheek on his chest. “I just want to be with you. The rest we can figure out in time.”

  “You’re really ok with that?”

  She nodded. “I meant what I said. Let’s trust God. Give Him some room to move, some time to reveal what he wants, then whatever that is, let’s do that.”

  “I’m all for it.” He pulled back slightly to look down at her. “You know, I think I could get behind the idea of another wedding.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, what we had in St. John was perfect, and that would definitely be our anniversary date, but you would get to wear another beautiful dress. Your dad could walk you down the aisle. I wouldn’t be worried about whether you were going to say yes. We could have a reception afterward. Plus, it would give us an excuse to have a second, more extended honeymoon.”

  She laughed. “In that case, I’m in. As long as you don’t mind marrying me again.”

  He captured her gaze and grinned. “Anytime. Any place. Just say the word.”

  Epilogue

  Ava spun in a circle, allowing the lace skirt of her princess cut wedding gown to twirl out around her. Her hips moved circumspectly to the music that seeped in from the terrace of her grandmother’s estate in California. With the eyes of her amused wedding party watching, she stopped abruptly and pointed to Ian.

  They’d agreed that their first dance at the reception would be their first dance ever. That hadn’t stopped her from challenging him to a dance off while they waited to enter the reception as husband and wife. As long as they didn’t dance at the same time or in each other’s arms, they weren’t technically dancing together, right?

  Ian had finally given in and joined in her game—by showcasing one horrible dance move after another. This time he repeatedly jerked his neck one way. His arm jutted out in the opposite direction as he snapped his fingers without a single regard to the beat.

  Ava grimaced. Laurel, Ava’s maid-of-honor, lifted her eyebrows in what seemed to be alarm. Ava’s two younger cousins, who served as bridesmaids, did their best to smother their laughter. Meanwhile, Scott nodded in approval and subtly tried to copy the move as if he was learning from the master.

  Brian winced, whispering, “Wow.”

  Justin, Ian’s best man, smirked and offered a slow clap. “Nice.”

  Ian finished his conniption, then pointed at Ava. She gave him a lengthy once-over, taking in everything from his perfectly coifed hair to his tailored tuxedo and perfectly shined shoes. Finally, she met his gaze again to say, “You worry me.”

  He gave her a look of confusion tinged with hurt. He was kiddin
g. He had to be. Yet, she found herself stepping forward, taking his hands in hers, and pressing a circumspect kiss on his lips to show she hadn’t meant it. He pulled her into a hug. She relaxed into him until his toe started tapping. She immediately pulled away, warning, “Ian, you promised.”

  “Right. Too similar to dancing. Sorry.” He clumsily stepped from one foot to the other and clapped ridiculously off beat. “Let’s get this party started.”

  “Oh, my word,” she murmured beneath the laughter of their friends.

  The wedding planner slipped inside from the garden door. “We’re ready for your entrances, guys.”

  Two-by-two, the wedding party entered the reception with some sort of silly dance move until it was finally Ava and Ian’s turn. They walked out hand in hand while their family and friends cheered. Ava and Ian abruptly stopped in the middle of the dance floor. Ava hit a silly, high-fashion pose while Ian did the same.

  Cameras flashed. Two of the cameras belonged to the photographers they’d hired to capture the wedding. Another was held by a photographer from the magazine they’d given exclusive rights to photograph the wedding in an effort to stave off paparazzi. Finally, Ava joined the wedding party at the table.

  Dinner was served, and Ava and Ian ate quickly before making the rounds to each table. They visited with Ava’s extended family and a few long-time Emerson family friends. They talked with the production crew of Treasure Hunters. They introduced each other to some of their old friends from school days and joked around with their new mutual friends from Pirate’s Plunder.

  The Holden family including Emily, who had maintained a polite distance since that fateful day on the Emily Jane, sat at a table with Ava’s parents and Ian’s dad. JP Sinclair seemed to have been awed into near silence by finding himself at the same table as the Texas Governor, especially since the man was also one of the front runners in the presidential race. JP’s date and steady girlfriend seemed a bit more at ease though still slightly nervous.

  Ava had been counting on her parents’ skill at diplomacy to keep the peace. She was relieved to find that they’d taken their job seriously and were excelling at it as usual. Having greeted everyone at the table, Ava and Ian were ready to make a safe retreat when Clara unexpectedly gave her daughter a quick hug and whispered, “Everything is turning out beautifully, Ava, just as you planned.”

  Caught by surprise, Ava searched her mother’s face and found only sincerity staring back. A smile lifted Ava lips. “Thank you, Mom. You were a huge help.”

  Clara smiled. “I’m just glad that we get to share this with you. Now, don’t worry about anything else. The wedding planner you hired is one of the best. Just enjoy the rest of your night.”

  “You too.” She gave Clara a quick hug, then took Ian’s hand as he led her back to their table. She covertly asked, “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”

  His lips quirked into a smile. “Scariest table by far, but we managed it.”

  She laughed. “We sure did.”

  They took their seats just as the emcee announced that it was time for toasts. Thankfully, with everyone’s attention diverted elsewhere, Ava was able to sneak a few more bites of dinner as the members of the wedding party took their turns in the spotlight. Laurel went first followed by the Ava’s younger cousins, 24-year-old Autumn and 17-year-old Joy. Finally, it was Justin’s turn.

  Ian met her gaze nervously and took her hand in his while Justin took the mic. The best man looked perfectly at ease. “I know a lot of y’all might be surprised that Ian chose me as his best man. In fact, I think he was surprised that he chose me as his best man.”

  Justin shot a quick grin to Ian while their guest laughed. Her husband offered a nod and a shrug in agreement before returning Justin’s grin. Once the laughter died down, Justin continued, “Truth be told, when I look back over the years, there’s one guy that I’ve always looked up to, one guy I’ve always known I could count on, one guy that always watched out for me—besides my dad and Jesus, I mean. That man is Ian Sinclair.”

  Ian couldn’t quite hide his surprised smile.

  Justin must have been counting on that because he turned to Ian again. “I know that may come as a shock, but it really shouldn’t. I think deep down we’ve always known that all the times we’ve butted heads and all the times I acted like I didn’t want you around and all the times we joked around and all the times we had each other’s back, we were just brothers doing what brothers do.”

  Ian eyebrows lifted slightly, then he ducked his head to gather his emotions. Ava couldn’t help but smile as she gave his hand a comforting squeeze. He glanced up to meet Justin’s gaze and nodded in agreement.

  “Ava,” Justin began, and she straightened in her chair at finding his gaze on her. “I’ve known Ian for most of my life. I’ve never seen him this happy, secure, confident… loved. Thank you for bringing so much light and laughter in his life.”

  Ian draped his arm over her shoulders and whispered in her ear, “He’s right.”

  She smiled up at Ian as Justin finished his toast, “Ava and Ian, I wish you every happiness as you continue your new life together.”

  As the guests applauded, Ava mouthed to Justin, “Thank you!”

  Brian took the microphone next. He looked at them and grinned. Pumping his fist, he exclaimed, “Yes!”

  Ava laughed. Brian shook his head and pointed at them. “From those first few days on the Intrepid, I knew that the two of you had something special. You strengthen each other. You challenge each other. You encourage each other. Spiritually, this is a match made in heaven. I am so glad you guys recognized it for what it was. I may have won Pirate’s Plunder, but I think the two of you found the real treasure. And, I’m sorry, but I have to say it… I told y’all so.”

  Ian admitted, “You did. Got to hand it to you.”

  Brian laughed. “May God richly bless your union. May he give you grace, joy, and peace throughout your lives. And, when the seas get rough, may you weather the storm together under the guidance of the great Navigator. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Ava and Ian echoed along with the rest of the guests.

  Scott stepped forward, and Ava immediately tensed. He was pretty much the only loose cannon in the wedding party as far as she was concerned. She’d warned him not to say anything crazy, but that might have been like waving a red flag in front of a bull. She was surprised when he took on a professional tone and demeanor. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Scott Haines with your wedding forecast.”

  The crowd chuckled, but his professionalism didn’t waver. “Tonight, we’re enjoying clear skies with a high of 72 degrees and a low 59. That’s about all I have to offer you guests, the rest of this will probably only be understood by the happy couple.”

  “Oh, boy,” Ava whispered.

  “Ian,” Scott said as he turned to her groom. “I’m assuming the answer was ‘hot.’”

  Ian let out a surprised laugh. “Yeah, it was.”

  “Ava…”

  She lifted an inquiring brow.

  He simply gave a small bow. “You’re welcome.”

  Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “You’re still the worst.”

  Scott winked at them both before handing the microphone back to the DJ. The DJ said, “Ladies and gentleman, next up is the bride and groom’s first dance.”

  Nervousness suddenly filled her. Maybe they should have practiced or choreographed something. Suddenly this all seemed too public. Their first dance ever, and it would be in front of pretty much everyone who mattered in their lives, not to mention the whole world once the magazine’s photographer sent out his photos. Ian offered his hand. “Ready?”

  She held back a grimace. “Whose bright idea was this, anyway?”

  “Yours.” He said with amusement lighting his eyes.

  “Oh. Right.” She placed her hand in his. “Well, here goes… everything.”

  Ian d
idn’t seem the least bit nervous as he led her to the center of the dance floor. Somehow the lights in the garden lowered until the crowd of their friends and family seemed to disappear into the night. Ava still couldn’t seem to forget that everyone was watching them—including Emily, and this was Ian’s first dance since the fateful night of the accident.

  No one could know that for certain, though. Unless they looked like they’d never dance together before… which they hadn’t. The music started. Ian pulled her into a closed hold, and they slow danced around the floor. Nothing fancy. Romantic and sweet, it got the job done.

  As the last strains of the song they’d chosen began to fade, the bright, complex notes of flute filled the air. Ava blinked in confusion as the garden lights began to raise again, and a flutist emerged from the crowd. The hollow sound of claves and the sultry tones of a trumpet joined in to provide a rhythm as those musicians came to stand at the edge of the dance floor. Laughing, Ava asked, “What is happening?”

  Ian grinned. “Remember the band that played at The Hideaway in St. John?”

  “No way! You brought them here?” she asked as a guitarist, bass player, and bongo player set up on the dance floor as well.

  “I figured I owed you another first dance.” He spun her under his arm and dipped her backwards. Easing her upright, he asked, “Do you think you’re ready for this?”

  She laughed, then stole a quick kiss before meeting his gaze. “So ready!”

  Dear Reader

  Never have characters taken me by the throat and demanded that I tell their story quite as forcefully as these modern-day pirates. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know them and seeing their story play out with all of its twists, turns, and adventures.

  Their book is my first foray into the world of independent publishing. I hope you enjoyed the journey. If you did, please let me (and the rest of the world) know by writing a review.

  Keep up with my latest news and book releases by visiting my website or finding me on social media. You can also send a note to author@noellemarchand.com. I’d love to hear from you!