by CL Rowell
“Uh, Geoff—”
“I know. Ignore it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Would you bring me something to drink when you come out? I requested that they stock the kitchen in anticipation of our arrival. There should be a twelve pack of Dr. Pepper chilling in the fridge.”
“Okay.” I open the refrigerator and spot the unopened box of sodas, a tray of sandwiches, another with sliced fruits, and a third with an assortment of cheeses and crackers—but it was the familiar eye-catchingly blue bottle of wine that caught my eye. Risata Moscato d'Asti…my favorite. He teased me about my cheap grocery store wine all the time, but he bought it for me anyway. I was touched.
“Did you get lost?”
Shivering in the chill air wafting out from the open door, I ripped open the cardboard packaging and grabbed two cans of soda. Deliberately swaying my hips like a runway model, I approached the Jacuzzi, naked as the day I was born. The look in his eyes was headier than any alcohol and I reveled in it.
“No, I didn’t get lost.” Handing him both cans, I joined him in the bubbling water, relaxing back and admiring the view—of him and the ocean. I smiled when he opened my soda for me. Such a gentleman. “Thank you, by the way.”
“For opening the can?”
“And for the wine.”
He blinked, his eyes wide and innocent. “Wine? What wine?”
“Uh huh,” I stuck my tongue out at him and changed the subject. “Why are you avoiding your mother’s calls?”
“Just one call—I avoided one call.”
“So, you’ll answer the phone if she calls again?”
“If it bothers you so much, why don’t you answer it?”
I laughed, “I think I’ll take that as a no.”
“If she’s calling, that means she’s been by the condo and realized I wasn’t there. Since my car is there, and she knows I wouldn’t grab an Uber or a taxi when I have a perfectly good car to get around in, she’s going to suspect something’s up—”
“Will your grandfather say anything?”
“No.”
“Does anyone else know where we are?”
He frowned and sat up. “No, but let’s go ahead and get our marriage license today. They’re open until four o’clock local time.”
“Why are you in a hurry all of a sudden? You said he wouldn’t tell her and no one else knows where we are. Were you fudging the truth on that?”
“No.”
“Then, what’s wrong?”
“Sometimes she just seems to know things. I swear, it’s uncanny. If she showed up at the door Thursday, in time for Thanksgiving, and somehow managed to figure out a way to stop us from eloping…” He stood up and grabbed a towel. “Let’s get dressed and go. I’m marrying you today and we’ll get to enjoy a five day and four-night honeymoon before we have to fly back.”
“Aren’t you being a little bit paranoid?” In the room behind us, his phone started to ring again. When it stopped, mine started up. Chill bumps played chase across my skin, making me shiver.
“I bet you a round of sex in the ocean that if you check your phone her number will pop up.”
“Not possible—she doesn’t have my phone number.”
He grinned, winking, “Does that mean you’re taking the bet?”
“Hell no,” I stood up and took the towel he handed me. “We are not having sex in the ocean.”
“Aww, come on…who’s going to see us?”
“The water is practically clear, so…anyone that happens to be looking?”
His phone trilled again. We both turned to look and then turned back to look at each other.
“Let’s hurry up and get dressed so we can do this.”
I nodded, “Okay.”
Feeling more than a little stupid, I scanned our surroundings as we slipped out of the hotel, not relaxing until we were in one of the hotel’s luxury loaner cars they provided for guests’ use. I caressed the soft leather interior of the exquisite BMW X3 as he navigated through the busy streets with the help of the provided GPS system. It took us longer to find a close by parking spot than it took for the trip from the hotel, but we finally got lucky and happened upon someone just as they were pulling away and got a spot right out front.
“Come on,” he held out his hand and we walked into the building side-by-side and hand-in-hand. Within minutes we were heading back out in search of an officiant.
“That was fast.” I giggled nervously as butterflies filled my stomach. “Wouldn’t it be ironic if we couldn’t find someone with an opening and couldn’t go through with it?”
“No, it would be horrible.” He shuddered. “Don’t jinx us.”
Feeling bad, I searched online and found one. Unique as U Hawaiian Weddings. I pushed to call and put the phone to my ear.
“What are you doing?” I glanced at him and held up a finger requesting he wait.
“Unique as U, this is Leon, how may I help you?”
“You can tell me you have an opening to perform a wedding ceremony today.” I crossed my fingers.
“Today? Let me check, but I must warn you we stay pretty booked up. Hold, please.”
“Okay.” I peeked at Geoff, “I’m on hold.”
“But—” I heard the click and held up my finger again. “I’m going to bite that finger.”
I glared at him, “Shh!”
“Hello, are you still there?”
“I am,” I nodded.
“You’re in luck! We had a last-minute cancellation. In fact, if you haven’t picked out a spot for your ceremony, there’s a gorgeous flower-covered arch at Queen’s Beach near the zoo.”
“That sounds perfect. Can you provide witnesses, too?” I winced. “We’re kind of eloping and we didn’t bring anyone with us.”
“How romantic and exciting!” he exclaimed. “Fortunately, you don’t need witnesses to get married in Hawaii.”
“You don’t? That’s awesome.” I gave Geoff a happy thumbs up. “That sounds perfect. What time is the opening for?”
“Six o’clock.”
“Great! We’ll be there.”
“Names?”
“Geoff Blanxart and Juliet Palomas.”
“Wonderful! That’s all I need for now. Since they already paid the nonrefundable deposit, all you’ll need to bring is yourselves, your paperwork, and two hundred dollars.”
“See you then.” I hung up and turned to Geoff in a panic, “We have three hours to find a dress and a suit and show up at Queen’s Beach by the zoo ready to say our I do’s.”
“A dress? I would have sworn that someone who looked just like you told my mom she wanted to get married in pants. Must have been your doppelgänger, huh?” He winked.
“Must have been.” I bit my lip to stop its annoying quivering. “She probably didn’t like feeling like she was being railroaded either.”
“I don’t blame her a bit.” He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand before searching for a bridal boutique and a suit shop.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Geoff
∞∞∞
“How do I look?”
I glanced up and froze, literally. It felt as if my heart stopped pumping and my lungs seized up for several long seconds, and all I could do was stare. “Gorgeous,” I finally croaked out.
“Are you sure?” She twirled in front of a nearby mirror in the simple white lace and silk A-line gown. “It’s not too much?”
I cleared my throat. “It’s perfect. You look like a princess.”
She checked the tag, “It’s five hundred dollars—is that too much? I can find a cheaper—”
“Not necessary.” She had already been searching for over two hours, putting each one back for nit-picky reasons. The lace was stiff, or the drape was wrong, or it made her butt look huge. (Yes, really.) I rolled my eyes on that one. We were almost out of time, but it appeared she finally found one she liked. I didn’t care if it had taken every penny I had left, I woul
d have bought it for her. I scanned the room for the sales lady, “Ma’am, we’ll take that one and she’s going to wear it out of the store. Could you ring it up, please?”
I stepped up beside her and studied our reflections in the mirror. My silver tux was the perfect foil for her dress and the pictures would be stunning.
“We look good, don’t we?” She smiled, leaning into me.
“We do. Pictures had better be included. I want to show everyone how gorgeous you look in that gown.”
“It’s not me,” she insisted, shaking her head. “You just look really hot in that tux and it makes me look good in comparison.” She took note of my doubtful look and nodded, insisting, “It’s like the sun and the moon. Reflected light from the sun makes the moon glow.”
“Yeah, but I think you’ve mixed up which one of us is the sun and which one is the moon.” I wrapped my arms around her waist. “I’m clearly the one basking in your brilliant light, babe—not the other way around.”
“You two are so freaking sweet,” the sales lady giggled, handing me the receipt to sign. “Where are you getting married?”
“Queen’s Beach.”
“That’s a pretty spot. The breeze feels great underneath the trees if the sun becomes too much, too.” She handed me a bag, “I put the clothes she was wearing earlier in here, so it’ll be easier to carry.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s no trouble. Aloha. Enjoy your stay.”
We found our way back toward the area where we agreed to meet the minister, found a reasonably close place to park and went in search of the arch. We found it without too much trouble, and both agreed it was a picturesque setting. Ten minutes shy of our agreed time a tall gentleman with a bit of a paunch and a petite woman of indeterminate age with a fancy camera strapped around her neck and a video camera slung over her shoulder approached from the road.
“Juliet and Geoff?”
“Yes, sir,” I nodded.
“Are you Leon?” Juliet asked.
“No, Leon is our assistant. He mans the desk and answers the phone.”
The woman stepped forward, extending her hand to each of us. “What he meant to say is that Leon is our right hand. He keeps us oriented, keeps track of cashflow and appointments, balances our books, makes sure our bills get paid, and even reminds us to eat at times. I’m Martha and this is my husband, Theo. He will perform the ceremony and I’ll take pictures and record the entire event for posterity. Thanks for choosing Unique as U Hawaiian Weddings for your special ceremony.”
“Thank you,” Juliet exclaimed. “I didn’t even think about catching it on video. That’s a wonderful idea! The parents might not take our decision to elope as hard now.”
“Your parents might not,” I agreed, knowing better than to get my hopes up. “Mom might disown me for a few years, though.”
“You really think so?” She chewed on her lip as concern for me filled her eyes. “I don’t want to cause problems for you. We can wait and—”
“Nope—we’re here, we’re dressed, we’re standing beneath a beautiful flower-bedecked arch on a gorgeous Hawaiian beach, and the minister and photographer are both waiting to begin. We. Are. Doing this. Okay?” I held out my hand.
“Okay.” She gripped my hand with a shaky smile.
“I just need two hundred dollars and your license, and we can begin.”
“Oh…yes…right.” I pulled two crisp hundreds out of my pocket as Juliet handed them the paperwork. “Here you go.”
“Need a receipt?” I shook my head and he rubbed his hands together. “Then, let’s get started.”
He posed us under the arch for a few photos. A recording of Elvis crooning the Hawaiian Wedding Song serenaded us as we moved fluidly through a selection of poses. He murmured a few words in Hawaiian, repeated them in English, we said our I do’s, and he pronounced us husband and wife. Afterwards, we knelt for our leis and I kissed her for the first time as my wife. My heart was overflowing and, judging by her expression, she was feeling the same way.
“Happy, wife?” I grinned at her, feeling like I was full of helium and walking on air.
“Very happy, husband.”
As I pulled her closer and gazed down into her ocean blue eyes with swirls of green a flash caught my attention. I glanced over.
“Sorry,” Martha blushed. “The unplanned shots are sometimes the best ones. The way you were looking at her—I couldn’t pass it up. Words can’t express…”
They promised a quick turnaround on our pictures and wedding video, and we were looking forward to checking them out when we got home. We headed back to the hotel in a daze.
As soon as we stepped back inside the room my phone rang. Still floating on a euphoric cloud of love, I answered without checking to see who was calling.
“Hello?”
“Well, it’s about time! I’ve been calling for hours. Where have you been?”
“Mom…hi. Umm, funny story—”
“I don’t have time for funny stories. If you want to see your grandfather before he passes, get your butt to the hospital. The doctors don’t think he has much time.”
“What?” I stumbled to a chair just in time before my legs gave out. “What happened?”
“He was involved in an accident on his way home.” I heard the catch in her voice. “Some guy in an eighteen-wheeler was driving distracted and ran a red light. They had to cut Daddy out of the car with the jaws of life—he’s lucky to be alive, Geoff, but he’s barely hanging on. How soon can you get here?”
“Uhh, I have to check outgoing flights—I don’t know—” I rubbed my face, surprised to feel moisture. I was crying. “We’ll get there as fast as we can.”
“Flights? Where are you?”
“Hawaii.”
“Hawaii?” I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. Why are you in Hawaii?”
“I’ll explain when we see you. Hug Grandpa for me.”
“Geoff?” Juliet’s voice barely reached me. “What’s wrong?”
“Grandpa was in an accident.” I covered my face with both hands, letting my phone fall into my lap. “A truck driver ran a light. The doctors don’t think he’s going to make it.”
Something heavy crashed to the floor, and in an instant, she was kneeling in front of me, still in her dress. “What can I do to help?”
“We have to go back—I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
“I’m on it.” She stood up, taking her warmth with her, and I shivered in the warm breeze blowing through the open balcony door. An unknown time later I felt something hard and cold against my palm. “Drink that. You’re in shock and it’ll help.”
I took a sip. Whiskey on ice. I took a bigger drink and coughed—but it helped. I scanned the room, looking for my new bride, and found her at the dining table hunched over her iPad.
“Find anything?”
She glanced up. “Two seats on a flight with a layover in Dallas. It leaves in two hours, the layover is an hour and fifteen minutes, and we can be in Shreveport by eight in the morning. It’s the best deal I could find.”
“Other than scoring a couple of tickets in a transporter, it’s perfect.” I drained the glass. “Thank you. I’m sorry we have to cut our honeymoon sho—”
“Don’t you dare apologize!” She narrowed her eyes at me as her full lips disappeared in an angry slash. “It wasn’t like you planned this. Shit happens. Besides, I love your grandfather, too. Given the choice, I’d much rather be there. Hawaii isn’t going anywhere.”
“Hopefully Grandpa isn’t either—” I groaned as soon as I heard the words leave my mouth and saw her mortified expression. “Gah! That didn’t come out right. It’s the alcohol on a mostly empty stomach—but you know what I mean, don’t you?”
“I do.” But her smile was weak, and I still felt like an ass.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Juliet
∞∞∞
Hawai
i isn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t believe I said that. I wanted to kick myself in the ass for my goof. Luckily, I was too busy packing and checking to make sure we had everything to dwell on it. When we went down to check out, the night manager was extremely understanding and sympathetic. He personally took us to the airport and asked us to call when we were ready to resume our honeymoon. Everything went seamlessly at the airport, too. We checked in with no problems, our flight left on time and we slept for the majority of the flight. The only issue was when we got to Dallas. He wanted to rent a car and drive to Shreveport.
“Geoff—”
“What?”
“We only have an hour layover and the flight from here to Shreveport will take another hour.”
“I know—”
“And it’ll take an extra hour to drive it.”
“But—”
I cradled his face in my hands. “Baby, if we stick to the schedule, we’ll arrive an hour earlier than driving—”
“But we’ll still have to fight for a taxi or arrange for an Uber—”
“No,” I shook my head, “no, we won’t, because I arranged for transportation to the hospital when I was arranging our flight. We’ll have a ride to the hospital as soon as we arrive.”
“You thought of everything.”
My lips curled up into a happy smile and I shrugged, “I learned from the best—and it was on your card so don’t praise me too much. Now, let’s go find something to eat and then locate our gate.”
As I’d promised, we were on the ground within two hours. I watched his face as we exited out the front and a limo driver was waiting with a sign.
“You reserved a limo?”
I shrugged, “I told you I learned from the best. When I wasn’t absolutely sure we’d be able to get a taxi or an Uber easily—being Thanksgiving Day and all—I reserved a car for us so we could go straight from the airport to the hospital.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
My cheeks warmed. “Well, it has been a few hours since the last time.”
He texted his mother enroute to LSU to get his grandfather’s location and we headed straight up to the ICU area upon arrival.
