Southern Secrets (The Southern Series Book 2)

by Shelley Stringer

  I was filled with frustration and hurt, my pregnancy hormones running wild. I pulled the straps back up on my bra, and grabbed my sweater as I swung my legs back over the side of the bed.

  “Chandler,” he called softly.

  I walked across the bedroom, my arms across my middle.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He rose and crossed the room to me. Reaching out, he grasped my arm, turning me back to him as the tears spilled. “I was kidding. I’m so sorry… you know how much I love you. We’ve waited so long for this, and I agree, one more night will make it much more special. I was just a little frustrated, you had ME all revved up this time.” He brushed the tears from under my eyes, and pulled me back into his chest. “You’re right. We’ll wait, and tomorrow will be perfect.”

  I sighed, and wrapped my arms around him.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just still so emotional sometimes. I guess it’s the hormones again.”

  “Here, I know just what you need. You need to relax, and I love nothing more than touching you. How about a back rub?” He gazed down at me, pulling me back toward the bed. I lay back down slowly. He turned me over, gently unhooked my bra, and then squeezed lotion on my back. When he began to massage the lotion into my skin, I relaxed fully and moaned. “You knew I’d forgive you if you did this,” I mumbled into the pillow.

  “Well, I was hoping,” I could hear the grin in his voice. He leaned down and kissed my neck. He slowly kneaded the muscles up and down my back, working all of the stress and knots out. Before I knew it, I was sound asleep.

  The sun shone overhead, warming my face when I gazed up. It was early spring, flowers springing everywhere from the ground. The lush green grass was a carpet around the large tombs in the cemetery, and the moss swayed in the trees as if someone had draped it there to dress up the scene. I walked slowly between the headstones, reading the names when I passed each one. A large stone with a small angel beside it drew my attention; there were two tiny stones beside it--a mother and two infants. I shivered, holding my abdomen in my hands, my time nearing as my belly had grown to accommodate the two babies I carried. Turning to go back, I could hear giggles, and two little girls skipped into view, holding hands and singing, their curls swinging when they moved. They gazed up at me, and their eyes were dead, black circles in their faces…

  “NO!” I sat upright, drawing in a painful breath.

  “Sweetheart, what happened? Did he hurt you this time?” Banton pulled me to his side. “I’ve been watching you, but you seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Damn it, I’m sorry I didn’t wake you soon enough!”

  “No, it’s all right. He wasn’t in it, this time. It was just a strange dream, that’s all.” I drew in a relaxing breath, and then snuggled back into his side.

  He relaxed his hold on me. “Do you want to tell me about it?” he inquired, rubbing my arms.

  “Sure. It’s kind of silly. I hadn’t actually thought about it, until now. The day I met Mr. Jackson was the first time I walked in the cemetery down the road. I found the grave of a young woman, about twenty years old. She died giving birth during the Civil War.”

  “How do you know she died giving birth? Was it on the headstone?” he inquired, studying my face.

  “No. But there were two tiny graves beside her, her babies – twins. They died at the same time. I wondered about the father, if he died in the war, or if he was away when she had them…I hadn’t thought about it again until my dream today.”

  “And you dreamed about them?”

  “No. I was walking through the cemetery, and I was really pregnant. I stopped to look at the graves, and then I heard two little girls playing, and there they were. Only their eyes were black and lifeless,” I whispered the last part.

  “Andie, you have vivid dreams. I’m sorry; I know it probably shook you up. You know this has nothing to do with our babies, don’t you?” he asked, stroking the side of my face.

  “Of course.” I smiled at him. “I want to go back, though, and copy the names down. I want to do a little research. There’s just something about the story drawing me to it.”

  “Might be a good project for after the honeymoon. I’ll go with you, if you want. You might even work it into a writing project.”

  “You know me so well, don’t you?” I grinned back at him, leaning my head back for him to kiss me.

  “Great balls of fire, don’t you people ever give it a rest? You’ll be together for over a week, after tomorrow, I hope you get it all out of your system!” Everett stood in the bedroom doorway with his hands on his hips.

  “Andie, can’t you get our key back from him?” Banton asked, his lips against my neck.

  “No way, Banton-babe. I have a nursery to decorate and my Bebe to check on. You’ll pry it from my cold, dead hands. Now, come on, sister. We’ve got a spa appointment, manicures and pedicures, facial…Kiss lover boy one last time, because you won’t see him again until three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.” Everett pointed his finger at us, waving it back and forth.

  I sighed, and leaned over to give Banton one last kiss. As I pulled away, he smirked and muttered, “You girls have fun, now.”

  “Oh, we will,” Everett quipped over his shoulder, dragging me out the door and down the stairs.

  Constance, Brie, and Laurilee waited at the bottom of the stairs.

  “I swear I’ve had to do this three times already today. You lovers are just exasperating!”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, glancing at the girls.

  “Well, Constance had Ty in an extremely compromising position in his car out front, Brie and John were christening his room one last time, and poor Laurilee and Dan had been passed off to the living room sofa. What is it about this house?” Everett threw his hands in the air as everyone laughed.

  “Well, stick around long enough…” I glanced up at him, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Don’t hold your breath. My type has yet to surface.”

  I sighed--yet another vague answer about his sexuality.

  * * *

  At seven p.m., the five bridesmaids, the bride, and her fairy-godmother Everett emerged from the spa--exfoliated, polished, moisturized, buffed and glazed to perfection. Claudia and Julia met us there, and even Ava Grace had her toenails painted to match ours. Everett took us all to an elegant tea room for a light dinner, and then we all went home early for our beauty sleep. After we dropped Brie at her apartment, Everett chatted with Laurilee and me the rest of the way home.

  “So, Bebe, what did the doctor say? Do you and Banton have the green light to consummate these nuptials?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes, nosey, the doctor said everything is fine.” I smiled at him, and there must have been a twinkle in my eye.

  “What? There is something you aren’t telling me. What!” He pulled into the drive and put the car in park.

  “Well, I love you enough to let you in on this one before John.” I grinned even bigger, and then looked down at my hands.

  “Oh, Sweet Mary, what is it? What?” He was dancing in his seat now.

  “Chandler, what now?” Laurilee was getting impatient with me too.

  “Twins. Banton and I are expecting twins.” I glanced back up into their stunned faces.

  “Well, slap me with a garter and call me Fannie, you just light my world! I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe it! When you two do something, you do it big, don’t you?” Everett pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. “This puts a whole new spin on the nursery, on the shower, Oh I can’t wait!”

  “How on earth are you going to manage twins? I can’t believe it!” Laurilee exclaimed, hugging my neck.

  “You’re the only two who know, besides Banton and the doctors, so not a word, all right? We’ll tell everyone else after the honeymoon.”

  “And I was wondering what I would do with my time after the wedding, now I have a whole new project!” Everett was glowing.

  Walking into the house, Everett put his arm
around my waist and kissed the top of my head.

  “What would I do without you, Ev?” I asked him, tears gathering in my eyes.

  “Well, now, I just don’t know. But I do know life was pretty boring before I met you. Now every day, I feel as if I have a family to take care of, and oh, the drama…”

  “I’m going to miss all this when we go back to Texas. Everett, will you plan our wedding too?” Laurilee asked, stepping into the entry.

  “Of course. I’ve already been tagging wedding dresses for you on my i-phone. We’ll talk, when we get these two on their way tomorrow.”

  “Hey, I was beginning to think you girls weren’t coming back,” Banton began, trotting down the staircase.

  “NO, NO, NO…You can’t see the bride before the wedding!” Everett blocked my view and held his arms out so Banton couldn’t see me. “Now, back upstairs, and stay in your room. Neither one of you are allowed out of your rooms without checking with me first. Now, scoot!”

  * * *

  Two hours later, I lay in the darkness of my room, reflecting on the past few months. Everett had scolded me several times from the air mattress in the floor to be quiet and get my beauty sleep. I could tell there would be no sleeping for me tonight. My mind just wouldn’t shut off, reliving the memories of Constance and me playing with our Barbie’s in my bedroom floor, dressing them up in wedding gowns, and playing house with our Ken dolls in the Barbie townhouse. I then flashed forward a few years to Laurilee and me riding around in her mustang in high school. She’d declared she was going to marry Dan, and she was going to have fifteen babies, just like Queen Victoria. Laurilee was an only child too.

  I’d never been able to envision who I would marry. I’d even told my dad once when I was twelve that I was never getting married, and I would never leave home.

  He’d laughed and replied, “Puddin’ Pie, you’ll find some hairy-legged boy who will just take your breath away, and you’ll never look back at your poor old dad. You’ll play house in your own house, and have your own babies, and mom and I will visit and leave our teeth in a glass on your bathroom sink like maw maw does…”

  “Ew, Dad!” I’d exclaimed, and he laughed…

  And then the tears began to flow. I’d tried so hard not to think about my parents tonight, how much I missed them, and wanted to share the moment with them. My chest ached with my longing to see them.

  “All right, Miss Thing, did I hear a sniffle?” Everett asked through the dark.

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t have it. I just won’t have you with swollen eyes tomorrow!”

  There was a crack in the door, just enough to let a sliver of light in from the hallway. Laurilee popped her head around the door.

  “Are you awake?” she whispered.

  “What do you think? How long have you known me?” I answered back.

  She shut the door, sprinted over to the bed, and crawled under the covers with me. Wrapping her arms around me, she whispered, “This reminds me of the night before final routines at drill team camp. I could never sleep then, either.”

  “Yeah, me either. I think I’m more nervous now, though.”

  “I told Dan I could sleep with him anytime. He asked me if I loved you more than him, and I told him no, just longer, that’s all.” She smiled at me in the moonlight, and I put my head over on her shoulder.

  “Ladies, sleep, or I’m going to separate you!” Everett threatened.

  “Goodnight Everett!” we said in unison, both of us giggling.

  Chapter Two

  “Get up! GET UP! GET UP! It’s my big runway debut, and I can’t wait to knock everyone dead in that dress!” Constance came bursting into my bedroom with a tray of lattes.

  I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “What time is it?”

  Laurilee groaned, and put a pillow over her head.

  “It’s nine-thirty. The hairdresser will be at the church at eleven and we have to have our makeup on before. Let’s go, beauties!”

  “Where’s Everett?” I asked, pulling on a pair of jeans.

  “He’s downstairs, herding the guys out of the house. Now, move! I promised Everett I’d have you going before he came back upstairs.” She came around the bed, handed me a latte, and kissed me. “Come on, sleepyhead, you too!” Constance handed Laurilee her latté and kissed her on the cheek too.

  “Is she always this bossy?” Laurilee asked, climbing out of bed.

  “Yeah, she puts you in the shade,” I rolled my eyes, tying my hair in a knot on the back of my head.

  As we all left the foyer, I paused, turning to lock the door. The scent of gardenias enveloped me. I finally felt my parents were there, for the white mist of my mother’s spirit sent me on my way to the church.

  * * *

  Three hours later, five beautiful bridesmaids, a precious flower girl, two hovering mothers, and one nervous bride sat in a quaint little parlor of the church.

  “Sweet Bebe, it’s time. Let’s get your dress on, before the photographer comes in here.” Everett was flitting around, taking care of last minute details.

  He and Philippe held the strapless dress down at the floor so I could step in to it. Everett zipped it up the back, and I turned to look in the floor-length mirror. The satin hugged my frame in hour-glass fashion. The antique cocoa-tinted lace wrapped my ribcage down past my abdomen, with a hint of the same lace peeking out from around the train that swirled out from around the sides at the bottom. The hairdresser had curled my hair in soft ringlets and then pulled the mass up on top of my head, to let it cascade down my back.

  I turned to look at my bridesmaids. They were all crying. “Oh, come on, don’t do this to me!” I exclaimed. Laurilee came over to hug me.

  “That dress, now I know what it reminds me of!” Claudia declared. “It resembles something Audrey Hepburn wore in Sabrina.”

  Aunt Sue took my hands in hers, and then turned my hand over. “Here, your pearl earrings from Everett and Philippe are your something new. I want to give you your something old and blue.” She held out a delicate hand-crochet lace garter with tiny blue ribbon laced into it. “It was your Great-Grandmother’s, made from the lace of her own wedding dress. Your mother and I both wore it on our wedding days.” She smiled at me, kneeling to slide it on my leg.

  “And here is your something borrowed.” Mrs. Elaine came forward and wound a delicate pearl bracelet around my wrist. “Matt gave this to me on our wedding day. I want you to wear it now.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she kissed my cheek.

  The photographer slipped into the room with us, and the camera came alive, the flash going wild in the background.

  “Come on ladies, it’s time,” Everett said.

  * * *

  The violin music changed tempo from Ava Maria, to Pachelbel’s Cannon in D. Everett leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I love you with all my heart, Bebe. Be happy. And now, it’s time. Go!”

  Uncle Lon patted my hand wound around his forearm. I looked at him, and his eyes were already red, his cheeks tear-stained. I glanced up to see the doors to the small chapel open, and cascades of red roses, paper-whites and calla lilies seemed to drape from every corner and high point in the church. Ava Grace tripped along down the aisle, tossing handfuls of red petals. Everyone laughed at her intensity, for no spot was left uncovered.

  My bridesmaids made a gorgeous portrait in their dark red gowns, but they were nothing compared to the handsome Navy SEALs, their tanned faces gleaming against their dress uniforms. Banton towered above them all, except for his dad. From this distance, I could see the depth of emotion in his eyes, fixed on me while I slowly made my way to him. As he gazed at me he began to smile, the dimple peeking out from the corner of his lips. Moisture began to gather in my eyes. I almost couldn’t breathe, he was so handsome.

  I began to shake…I was afraid he would vanish and I would wake up.

  Aunt Sue rose as we passed their pew, taking my other arm when we reached the minister.

  “Who gives
this woman in marriage?” The minister asked the traditional question.

  “We do, in trust by her Mother and Father,” Uncle Lon answered, in a broken voice. My uncle took my hand and placed it in Banton’s.

  The traditional ceremony continued, and all I could focus on was Banton’s eyes. When it came time for me to say “I do,” he had to nudge me, and everyone snickered. We both bowed our heads to kneel at the altar, and he had to reach down and shake Ava Grace; she’d leaned her head over on the satin bench and had fallen asleep. While the minister prayed over our union, I said my own silent prayer. I’d never felt closer to God than at this moment, and I thanked him for sending me my soul mate, and for giving me a love most girls only dream about.

  Before I knew it, the minister was pronouncing us Mr. and Mrs. Banton Matthew Gastaneau III, his voice drowned out by the applause.

  “You may now kiss your bride,” the minister said to Banton.

  He took me in his arms and kissed me the most passionately he’d ever kissed me. Taking my face in his hands, his lips molded to mine. Possessing me as his tongue claimed mine, he coaxed it into a dance that had my entire body shaking.

  He knew better than to kiss me so fervently, and at a time when I was already nervous. My world began to swirl, and he had to tighten his grip to steady me. “Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself,” he whispered in my ear, while he flashed me the dimple.

  “Wets eat cake, come on, Unca Banin!” Ava Grace tugged on the back of Banton’s uniform, and then raced back up the aisle. The congregation laughed again, delighting in her beating Banton and me out of the church.

  Fairy tales couldn’t compare to the vision our reception created. Thousands of twinkle lights were strung in the trees, everything draped in ferns, Christmas greenery and roses. The room containing the parquet dance floor was covered with a ceiling made of twinkle lights, pulled up to the center of the room forming a huge tent. Vines of red and white petals draped between the lights, and a huge ball of rose buds and frosted snow crystals hung down from the center. The small orchestra began to play as we entered, and a few guests were gathered to welcome us. More pictures were taken, and then Banton pulled me onto the dance floor for the traditional bride and groom’s first dance. He held me closely as the orchestra played When I said I do.