A July Bride

by Beth Wiseman

  She was far from sleep when Alex knocked on her door.

  “Come in.”

  Her brother walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. You were kinda quiet this evening.”

  Alyssa smiled. “I’m okay.”

  Alex glanced at the little collection of stuffed animals on the top of her dresser. “I think those will have to go when you get married.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know that, Alex.” She wasn’t sure if Alex was referring to the fact that she’d outgrown stuffed animals or remembering how Brendan had won all of those for her at the county fair year before last. Either way, she was a grown woman making grown-up choices, and the stuffed animals would eventually get packed away in the red suitcase under her bed along with her other keepsakes.

  “You can change your mind, you know.”

  Alyssa frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  Her brother ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “It’s never too late to go back to Brendan. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Wow. That’s a terrible thing to say, especially for someone who is supposed to be Dalton’s best friend.” But even as she spoke, she glanced at her phone. Still nothing from Brendan.

  So be it. In seven months she would marry Dalton. And Brendan would go on with his life.

  Alex stood up and headed toward the door. “Just be sure you’re doing the right thing,” he said over his shoulder. Alyssa sensed a heaviness in her brother’s heart, as if he thought she was ruining her life, making a huge mistake.

  It’s not a mistake.

  After the door closed behind Alex, she picked up her phone and deleted Brendan as a contact. Then she blocked his number, determined to go forward with her life. With Dalton. The way God intended.

  Alyssa stood next to her father in back of the church. Again. Everything felt eerily familiar, except that she had on a different wedding dress and the aisle looked much longer than the first time she’d been here. The pews were decorated with white bows and greenery, and even the guests seemed to be seated in almost the same spots. Sherry, thirty pounds thinner, was back in place as matron of honor, but this time Alex was best man and Monroe stood beaming in a pew near the front, holding his son. So many of the same players, with one significant exception.

  She’d chosen red roses for her bouquet this time. And once again she was a July bride, following in the footsteps of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

  Raelyn and Joshua performed their flower girl and ring bearer duties perfectly, even though their parents sat on different sides of the aisle this time.

  Alyssa’s father told her he loved her as she looped her arm through his. And when Mrs. St. Claire started to play the wedding march, Alyssa reached down to squeeze her father’s hand three times. He squeezed back. Then they took their first small step together toward Alyssa’s groom.

  Glenda Hightower had done Alyssa’s hair that morning, swept it into an updo that was both lovely and practical for a hundred-and-four degree day in La Grange, Texas. The church had air conditioning, of course. But someone must have forgotten to turn it on soon enough that morning, because Alyssa could feel beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead.

  Dalton in his white tails had never looked more handsome. Alyssa fought the memories as they assaulted her, doing her best to shove them behind her.

  Dalton would be a good husband, and any girl would be lucky and blessed to have him.

  Brendan stood outside the church peering through the glass door as Alyssa walked down the aisle alongside her father. He was surprised she hadn’t posted a guard or something to keep him out.

  He’d fantasized for months about how this would play out. All he had to do was rush into the church when Pastor Dean asked if there was any reason why this man and woman shouldn’t be joined in holy matrimony.

  “I object,” he would say. “Alyssa, you can’t marry Dalton. You have to marry me. I love you with all my heart. We belong together.”

  Then she would turn around, bring her hands to her chest, and call out to Brendan. “Thank goodness you came before I made a terrible mistake. I love you, too, Brendan!”

  She would run to him, and he would sweep her into his arms and carry her out of the church. Then they’d scurry into his old white truck and flee the scene.

  But as he watched her father lean over and kiss her on the cheek, his feet stayed rooted to the cement beneath them. He pressed his ear against the door, and after Mrs. St. Claire stopped playing the organ, he faintly heard Pastor Dean ask the question he’d been hearing in his mind every hour, waking and sleeping.

  Now was his chance. It would be dramatic, like out of a movie. Alyssa would be thrilled Brendan had saved the day. Saved her from making the biggest mistake of her life.

  Or would she?

  He couldn’t move as Pastor Dean scanned the attendees for any objection. As expected, no one had any problem with Alyssa and Dalton getting married. Why would they? Alyssa deserved a great guy like Dalton, and no one was going to ruin Alyssa’s perfect day for a second time. Not even Brendan.

  “Don’t do it, Alyssa. Don’t do it,” he whispered as he squeezed his eyes closed, willing her to feel how much he loved her. “Please, don’t do it.”

  They’d run into each other a few times since Christmas, but Brendan had respected the fact that Alyssa had never texted him back that day. He had tried to text her several times since then, with no response. But he was here just the same, praying that she wouldn’t go through with this wedding.

  Dalton didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone as beautiful as Alyssa in her wedding dress, standing before him, about to become his wife. He was a blessed man, and he would spend the rest of his life loving her. He would be faithful—he knew he could do it. He would never let her down.

  Visions of their wedding night swirled in his head. He’d waited a long time. The waiting was almost over.

  There’d been a scary moment after the rehearsal dinner the night before when she’d accidently called him Brendan. Luckily she’d made the slip while they were walking to his truck, so no one else had heard it. He could still recall the sting, but Alyssa had apologized profusely. She’d never done that before, so hopefully it wouldn’t happen again.

  When Pastor Dean asked if anyone objected to them getting married, Dalton held his breath. He knew it only happened in movies, but he halfway expected Brendan to come rushing through the doors to stop the wedding. Pastor Dean did seem to be waiting an unusually long time for someone to object. Did the pastor expect such an outburst too? But all was quiet, and Dalton tried to keep such thoughts from his mind. He was about to marry Alyssa, and he was the happiest man in the world.

  But then he noticed Alyssa’s lip trembling, the sweat beading on her forehead, the tears forming in her eyes. She’s not going to go through with it.

  As they faced each other, Dalton stared into her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. The eyes he wanted to wake up to for the rest of his life. He whispered, knowing Pastor Dean would hear, but he didn’t care. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled as she nodded. “Just nervous.”

  Dalton knew that was normal. He was nervous too. He reached for both of her hands, and finally it was time.

  “Do you, Dalton . . .”

  Alyssa eased one of her hands from his and dabbed at her forehead, but she was too late to catch the trails of water that started running down the sides of her face. It seemed odd that she’d be so warm in the cool sanctuary. Dalton had made sure the air conditioner had been running since early morning.

  Maybe it’s the dress. He tried to stay focused on Pastor Dean so he wouldn’t miss his cue, but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes from Alyssa’s. And it was impossible not to see the fear in her expression. The girl never could hide what she was feeling.

  Alyssa felt like she was standing under a faucet. Being a jilted bride had been awful
. But if she didn’t get control of her nerves soon, she would be forever dubbed as something equally unflattering. Sweaty bride came to mind.

  And it wasn’t just the perspiration. Her heart was beating way too fast, and all she could see was Brendan’s face. But she had to trust that this was God’s plan for her.

  “Do you, Dalton, take this woman to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect her for as long as you both shall live?”

  Alyssa swallowed hard. This was it. She waited. Then she waited some more.

  Dalton?

  Alyssa was sure you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was waiting for Dalton to say the two magic words. But Alyssa wasn’t even sure he was breathing as he stared at her. Finally he spoke.

  “I can’t do this,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  Alyssa held her breath, and she planned to hold it until she passed out and died. There was no way this was happening again. No way, no way, no way.

  “I’ll always be number two. I can’t live with that. I love you enough to . . .” Dalton paused as tears welled in the corners of his eyes. “. . . to let you go.”

  Alyssa couldn’t say a word. She hadn’t passed out, and she hadn’t died. But why did the men in her life have to wait for this exact moment to reveal their true feelings? She didn’t cry as she lifted her dress and ran down the aisle toward the back of the church.

  Instead relief washed over her, and she might have kept running to the county line if she hadn’t run right into Brendan.

  “I’ve got the truck running,” he said, breathless, as he scooped her up in his arms. He tripped twice and almost dropped her, but eventually they were in the truck and speeding away.

  Alyssa didn’t look back.

  Alyssa wiggled her toes in the sand and breathed in the saltiness of the warm breeze on Galveston Island. She’d chosen a flowing white dress that hung just below her knees, with a scooped back and dainty straps. Instead of a fancy updo, she’d chosen to leave her dark curls loose, pinned up on one side with a single white rose. As the sun set against a blue sky, a pink horizon was the backdrop for this special gathering.

  “You look beautiful.” Brendan stood across from her in white slacks and a loose white shirt. He, too, was barefoot. And the perspiration that dotted both their foreheads was due to the July weather, nothing more.

  “Thank you.”

  Pastor Dean, both sets of parents, and Sherry and Monroe stood with them on the beach as they prepared to read their vows to each other. They had left little Monroe with Sherry’s mother back in La Grange, and it warmed Alyssa’s heart to see Sherry and Monroe holding hands and smiling.

  Brendan’s father sat with his arm around his mother, and Alyssa smiled when she saw him kiss her gently as she leaned into his side. Though Nina’s hair had started to grow back from the chemo treatments, it was still thin and wispy. But Alyssa had heard Brendan’s father earlier in the day tell Nina how beautiful she was, and Brendan had said his parents had been gifted with some sort of awakening throughout the course of his mother’s illness. Sitting to their right was Brendan’s brother, Craig, and his wife. Brendan’s father had reached out to them, and their presence seemed to make the sun shine bigger and brighter on this blessed day.

  Alyssa knew that she and Brendan would hurt each other. It was part of life, part of loving someone. But she trusted him, and she knew that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  Pastor Dean started the ceremony, and when he asked, “Who gives this woman to this man,” her father answered, “Her mother and I. Again.” Everyone laughed, and Alyssa found herself beaming. This casual and comfortable atmosphere suited her and Brendan perfectly. She had spent so much time dreaming about her perfect formal wedding. But now that she was here, she knew this was exactly the wedding she was meant to have.

  Brendan slid a simple gold band on Alyssa’s finger and intertwined his hand with hers as he read the vows he had written.

  “Alyssa, our love is a gift to cherish without fear, no matter the hurts that will come. With you I feel renewed and alive. It’s like a swim in the ocean after taking a dive, crisp and refreshing. But it’s so much more than that. It’s the sound of my heart as it goes pitter-pat.”

  Alyssa smiled as she blinked back tears.

  “My feelings for you are pure as a new baby’s soul, and once I was lost, but I now have a goal. To be the best person I can be while loving you for all eternity.” Brendan looked up with tears in his eyes. “I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for as long as we both live.”

  Sherry let out a tiny laugh. “Good luck topping that, Alyssa.”

  Alyssa smiled as everyone chuckled, knowing they were right. It was the perfect moment. The perfect wedding. She unfolded the piece of paper in her hand and read.

  “My dear Brendan, God gives us the free will to choose whom we will spend our lives with, but sometimes we step off of His intended path. I’m thankful to Him for guiding us back to each other.” She paused and swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. “You are my soul mate, my best friend, and the love of my life. I promise I will love, cherish, and honor you until death do us part.”

  Pastor Dean closed his Bible. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  Sherry threw both hands in the air and jumped. “Thank goodness!”

  Brendan smiled before he moved closer and cupped Alyssa’s cheeks in his hands.

  They’d gone full circle, but one thing remained the same. A wonderful shiver ran through her as her husband’s lips met hers. A wild swirl of passion sent her pulse pounding in her chest and made her go weak in the knees.

  Life is good.

  1. If Alyssa had married Brendan the first time, what life experiences would both she and Brendan have missed out on that ultimately gave them insight as to what a good marriage can be?

  2. How much do the relationships around us influence our own marriages and/or relationships?

  3. What if Alyssa had married Dalton? Do you think she would have held him in second place, as Dalton had feared? Or did they have a foundation in place that had room for them to grow as a couple? Or does true, real love—like Alyssa had with Brendan—never die?

  4. Sherry chose to forgive Monroe. Not an easy task in that situation. Would you be able to rise above infidelity and forgive? If not, why? God forgives us. Shouldn’t we follow His lead?

  5. Brendan’s parents changed during his mother’s cancer treatments. Do you think this happens sometimes when a couple is faced with a life-threatening disease? Was this a wake-up call? Or do you think alcoholism is a pattern that isn’t easily cured—and that Brendan’s parents will eventually slip back into their cycle without professional help?

  6. Dalton cheated on Pamela? Once a cheater, always a cheater? Or do you think that Pamela’s lack of emotional intimacy justified him seeking out other women? He wasn’t married to Pamela, but committed to her. Do you think that Dalton would have eventually cheated on Alyssa?

  An Excerpt from An August Bride

  Kelsey Wilcox hated weddings.

  But, she loved her cousin. Loved her enough to endure a weekend of wedding torture.

  Leave it to Tiff, though, to drag out the agony, opting for two days of wedding “fun”, starting with this fancy rehearsal party, complete with music and dancing. And romance.

  Fun—like a toothache.

  Kelsey tugged at her gold sequined dress and struggled to readjust her attitude—the floor-length dress wasn’t helping. She’d found it on the seventy-five-percent-off rack, refusing to pay more for something she’d never wear again. The thing itched, weighed a good ten to fifteen pounds and was totally not Kelsey.

  But Tiff had loved it.

  So, here Kelsey stood feeling like a total fake.

  Come on, Kels, attitude adjustment, remember.

  Right. Kelsey fixed her gaze on the vivid orange sun beginning to lower over the sparkling blue Corpus Christi Bay. She loved balmy Aug
ust evenings.

  Loved walking barefoot across the beach, the touch of the fading sun on her skin and the soothing sensations of warm sugar sand sifting through her toes. She drew on that now—needing every ounce of calm she could find before heading into the wedding party.

  Good girl—calm, relaxed. Better, much better.

  Her fingers tightened around the strappy heels dangling from her fingertips. “You can do this, Kels. For Tiff,” she said aloud to the seagulls playing on the breeze without a care in the world.

  Determined, she hoisted the tail of her dress out of the sand, forced down the lingering jitters and struggled to let the perfection of the setting settle more securely around her. This incredible beach had always been her haven. Her place of refuge. Tiff had understood this. She shared Kelsey’s love of the beach just as much. Her hope had been that this destination wedding, here where Kelsey had started her new life a couple of years ago would help Kelsey. Even on Tiff’s special weekend, she’d been thinking of Kelsey’s feelings. . . .

  It was all the more reason for Kelsey to force a smile and be supportive. And she really was happy for her cousin. Steven Lucas was a great guy. Unlike—

  Nope, you are not going there.

  Only fifty yards or so down the beach now that stretched out between her bungalow and the hotel, she paused and studied the very new addition to the Corpus skyline. Like the boardwalk that housed her bistro and several gift shops, the Castle Hotel was only few years old. It had been created to be a destination-wedding showplace. With its white gleaming walls and endless glass windows and stairways that flowed down to the sand, the Castle Hotel had succeeded. It was almost impossible to see where the white stairs ended and the white sand began. Looking at it, Kelsey half expected to see Cinderella and her prince embracing on the landing.