by JoAnn Ross
“You suspected right. So, since Mai’s entire family is essentially going to become Kylee’s family, Mrs. Harper, who’s officiating, planned a Hawaiian ceremony. A surprise for the both of them, which she hid from them during yesterday’s rehearsal. Mai’s family brought leis that have been stashed in Amanda Barrow’s cooler. She’s apparently the landscaper who created this garden and is also one of the attendants.”
“Oh.” Desiree’s right hand went over her heart. “That is so lovely. And thoughtful.”
“She seems like a lovely woman,” he agreed. “If we get married here, perhaps we ought to consider her. Unless you’d like to get married in the church I drove by on the way to Herons Landing. Or, like I said, back home in New Orleans.”
“This is my home now. But that doesn’t matter because you won’t be staying because we’re not getting married and I’m going to be the one to move into that space next to my bakery. So, since you’re wasting time, what aren’t you telling me?”
“There’s a song Honi, the cousin, sang for me, that would be perfect for the brides’ first dance. But they’re not doing that, so we thought it’d make a nice song for the exchange of leis.”
“I thought you said her cousin couldn’t sing.”
“He can’t. And, just so you won’t think I planned this, he swears the entire family is tone deaf. Since it’s a song for a guy, we thought he could play it on the ukulele while I sang it.”
“I’m still not getting the problem.”
“It’s a love song called ‘I’ll Weave a Lei of Stars for You.’”
“Oh, that sounds beautifully romantic.” Then she caught on to the possible problem. “You want to sing it to me.”
“Well, if there weren’t two of us, I suppose I could sing it by myself. But it would look a little odd and take away from the romanticism of the day if you suddenly either walked away, or just stood there not looking at me, while I sang it by myself.”
He watched as she ran both those scenarios through her mind. “You’re right. So obviously you’ll sing it to me.”
“It won’t bother you?”
“Not at all. Believe me, I’m impervious to your Cajun charms.”
“Ouch.” It was his turn to cover his heart. “Direct hit.”
“I’m sorry if that wounds your male ego. But you don’t have to worry about my delicate sensibilities. It won’t be any different than if we were two singers who’d never had a relationship.”
“But we did. For five years.” When he’d watched her become more and more unhappy touring with the band. “And that one night three years ago.”
Score one for him. He watched her eyes soften and knew that she was sharing the same memories of that twenty-four hours that had so often haunted both his waking moments and his dreams.
“Well,” she said finally, “I guess we should both just think of it this way... We’ll always have Paris.”
* * *
THEY DECIDED THAT Bastien would play from the list that Kylee and Mai had compiled as the guests gathered, while Desiree brought out the pastry trays and attached the Wonder Women to the base she’d already secured to the top tier of the cake with straw dowels before covering it with more buttercream frosting. She’d also volunteered to help the bridal party with any last-minute needs. Not that they seemed to need her help, since Brianna had everything running perfectly.
Caroline Harper, who would by this time next year be Brianna’s mother-in-law, reminded Desiree of a wood nymph in her flowing deep green dress with a moonstone on a black cord around her neck. Her streaked blond hair, cut in a smooth, jaw-length bob, was evidence she hadn’t gone completely New Agey during this lifestyle transformation that had had all of Honeymoon Harbor buzzing. Though she was wearing a crown of flowers around her head.
Her smile was warm as she greeted old friends and Mai’s family ceremony started. She and her husband had been traveling the country, but had returned to Honeymoon Harbor for this wedding.
One of Mai’s many cousins, who was wearing a beautiful white silk Aloha shirt with red flowers that was definitely superior to the cheaper ones sold in tourism shops, led everyone to their seats. Because of Kylee lacking an immediate family, there were no sides. There was only family and friends gathered together in this magical fairy garden Amanda Barrow had created for them.
After everyone was seated, Seth Harper rolled out the white runner that led from the second patio outside the master bedroom’s French doors to the arch covered with summer wisteria, under which the brides would exchange their vows.
Her work completed until it was time to cut her cake, Desiree went to stand beside Bastien. Although it had been years since they’d sung together, as he paused to smile down at her, it was as if time had spun backward and she was precisely in the place she was meant to be. Dangerous thinking, that, she reminded herself as an older man came forward to stand at the end of the runner.
Brianna’s attention to detail was demonstrated by Mai’s three brothers, who were accompanying Brianna, Chelsea Prescott, Honeymoon Harbor’s librarian, and Amanda Barrow down the aisle wearing Hawaiian shirts in the same colors as the dresses worn by the women they walked beside.
Brianna, maid of honor, had chosen a sapphire blue that brought out her blue eyes. Amanda had gone with a sunny yellow that worked with skin tanned from years of working outdoors, while Chelsea’s bright purple was a perfect choice for her copper-hued hair. They looked like beautiful flowers in this lush summer garden Amanda had created.
They walked up the aisle, carrying small bouquets of tulips in the colors of their gowns mixed with white, to “All You Need Is Love.”
It was such a positive song, one that was often requested at weddings, and one Desiree wished could be true. But she’d learned that love, while sometimes wonderful, could also be painful. And it wasn’t always enough. Still, when she got to the part about it being easy to be where you’re supposed to be, her voice faltered just a little. The guests didn’t notice, but she felt Bastien’s knowing glance, as if reinforcing the song’s message.
As they split when they reached Caroline, the men to the right, women to the left, there was a momentary pause, allowing for suspense as everyone waited for the brides.
Then an older man, who’d been introduced to Desiree last night at the rehearsal dinner as one of Mai’s uncles, stood at the end of the runner and lifted a conch shell, and blew a deeply rounded tone that spiraled over the garden and could probably be heard all over the harbor, announcing the arrival of the brides. Watching the bridal couple carefully, Desiree saw Mai’s gasp of surprise as she touched her cheek, as if wiping away a tear.
While they might have gone a bit old-school with Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” for the processional, there was nothing ordinary or expected about their gowns.
While getting dressed earlier, Desiree had been awed by Kylee’s beautiful black fitted strapless midi dress embroidered with oversize red, yellow and purple beaded flowers. Dottie and Doris, who’d come to help the women into their gowns, had told her they’d ordered the dress from a designer Kylee had met on a photography trip through Italy. The more flamboyant of the two, she was wearing a pair of red sequined low-top Converse tennis shoes.
According to Dottie, the more talkative of the elderly twin sisters, it was traditional for Japanese brides to wear white for the ceremony, then change to red for the reception. Wanting to be modern, while paying homage to all the women in her family who’d married in the traditional style, Mai had embraced both looks in a Western-style white strapless sheath gown, with a red sash embroidered with gold butterflies that fell down her back instead of a train. She’d chosen to wear simple white ballet-style flats. They were accompanied by Mai’s Japanese-Hawaiian father, who walked down the aisle with a bride on each arm. He kissed both their cheeks, then sat down next to his wife in the front row.
&n
bsp; “Greetings. And aloha,” Caroline said. “We’re gathered here today to celebrate the love of Kylee and Mai as they exchange vows in this very special union of marriage. Before we begin, I’d like to ask all the family and friends here today to take the hand of the person next to you and unite with us with one heart as we close our eyes and picture those who could not be here with us today. The Hawaiians have gifted us with the lovely knowledge that when the breeze stirs in a wedding, as it’s doing lightly at this very moment in this garden, it’s the presence of their ohana, or family, who are physically absent but are surrounding the brides at this moment with their love, support and blessing.”
As she felt her eyes moisten at the thought of her mother and grandmother, Desiree was glad Jolene had brought along that big waterproof mascara tube, especially when Bastien’s fingers lightly brushed the back of her hand. The touch was as quick and light as a butterfly’s wings, but it struck like a gilded arrow straight to the center of her carefully guarded heart.
“The traditional Hawaiian lei signifies love and respect,” Caroline said as she continued the ceremony. “Like a wedding ring, it’s an unbroken circle that represents your eternal commitment and devotion to one another. Just as the beauty of each individual flower isn’t lost when it becomes part of the lei, but enhanced by the strength of its bond, so will to you, Kylee and Mai, remain unique individuals, enhanced by the strength of your bond.”
“May the lei of life you weave together as husband and wife be as beautiful and fragrant as these two you give to each other here today,” Caroline said as Mai and Kylee exchanged leis. Singing the song he’d learned from Mai’s cousin, Bastien looked deep into Desiree’s eyes and when he got to the part about always greeting her with a kiss each time she wore her lei of stars, she knew that she wasn’t alone in remembering all those kisses they’d shared.
The blessing of the rings involved dipping them in a Koa wood bowl filled with water from the Pacific Ocean, meant to represent the cleansing of past relationships to a new beginning. As Caroline explained Ho’oponopono signified a reconciliation, a letting-go, Desiree felt Bastien glance down at her, but she steadfastly kept her eyes on the couple.
While Kylee poured water from the harbor and Mai poured the water her family had brought from the ocean outside their home into a wooden bowl, Mai’s cousin came forward with his ukulele to play the “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” As Bastien and Desiree sang the lyrics, she couldn’t help noticing they were, as they’d once been both onstage and off, in perfect harmony.
Kylee spoke her vows first. “My darling Mai, when I went to France to take photos for my book of World War Two American soldiers’ cemeteries, I never expected to find my best friend and the love of my life. As a family, with our daughter, Clara, we will create a home filled with laughter and compassion. I promise to respect you and cherish you as an individual, a partner and an equal, knowing that we do not complete, but complement each other. May we have many adventures and grow old together.” She took Mai’s hand in hers, and said, “I give you this ring as I give you myself, with love and affection. Wear it in peace always.”
A collective sigh rippled through the guests as she slipped the ring on Mai’s extended finger. The open love shining in her gaze as she looked into Mai’s eyes reminded Desiree of the way she’d once looked at Bastien.
And then it was Mai’s turn. “Dearest Kylee, when I took my grandmother to visit my grandfather’s grave in France, I never expected to find my best friend and the love of my life. I promise to laugh with you, cry with you and grow with you. I promise to share my whole heart with you and Clara and love you loyally as long as I shall live.” She slipped the ring onto Kylee’s extended finger. “I give you this ring as I give you myself, with love and affection. Wear it in peace always.”
At that moment the breeze blowing in from the water picked up, stirring the air as it sighed in the tops of the tall fir trees and set the garden’s flowers to swaying.
Caroline returned the wooden bowl to a small table draped in white linen. “Dearest Kylee and Mai, as you embark upon this wonderful shared life, I ask that you remember this special day in your beautiful garden with joy and thanksgiving. May your love and understanding grow throughout the years. May yours always be a shared adventure, rich with moments of serenity as well as excitement. May your home be like a peaceful island where the pressures of the world can be sorted out, brought into focus and healed. And may you love to live, and live to love.
“To all present, I invite you to remain after the ceremony, for the christening of the couple’s beautiful daughter, Clara, who has brought such joy into all the lives of those who’ve met her.
“And now, with the blessings of everyone who is present here today, and by the power vested in me by the State of Washington, it is my pleasure to pronounce you legally married. You may kiss your bride.”
As the conch shell sounded and the brides shared their wedding kiss, the guests stood and applauded. All stayed standing as Mai’s mother, Tamami, walked down the runner in a pink kimono embroidered with white lotus flowers, carrying a baby girl whose white christening dress, Desiree had learned as the women dressed, was the same one Mai had worn.
The christening was brief but meaningful, and it was impossible not to see the love and wonder in both Kylee’s and Mai’s eyes as they gazed at their adopted baby girl. This time, when Bastien looked down at Desiree and smiled, she smiled back. It was impossible to keep a closed and guarded heart when she was surrounded by so much joy and love.
Then the brides, followed by the grandmother and daughter, walked down the aisle to “From This Moment On” as the guests showered them with white rose petals.
Her heart feeling so much lighter, Desiree began flirting with the harmony, which had Bastien winking at her, the way he would those times onstage, when their eyes would meet, and it would feel as if they were the only two people in the world. Once again, time spun backward, to that first Christmas they’d met, when this Cajun sax player had stolen her heart.
Oh, yes, Desiree admitted, she could feel herself falling all over again. And even as her wary head warned her she could be in trouble, her newly emboldened heart didn’t care.
CHAPTER SIX
THE RECEPTION WAS BUFFET-STYLE, catered by Luca’s Kitchen, and with Desiree’s bakery providing not just the cake but various pastries and cookies. Bastien played his sax and Desiree sang for the gathered guests while they ate.
Brianna was finally breathing a sigh of relief at how well everything had gone when Kylee, who’d changed into more casual attire, came up to her.
“That was amazing,” she said, throwing her arms around Brianna. “Thank you for providing memories for a lifetime.”
“It was truly my pleasure,” she said. “Although I’ll admit Mai’s family made it easy. Once Caroline came up with the idea to make her feel more at home, they’d arranged for so much of the ceremony. Including bringing the leis, bowl and conch shell.”
“It made Mai cry a bit. In a good way... I was glad to see Aiden here,” Kylee said. “I haven’t seen him since he returned to Washington.”
“I wasn’t certain he’d show up,” Brianna admitted. “He’s hidden away like a hermit at the coast house. But I played the Catholic guilt card and pointed out how important it was for him to get out with people again. Also, quite honestly, Seth has been worried about him.”
It had been painful for Brianna to watch Aiden suffering and Seth worrying about not being able to get through to his best friend.
“It had to have been hard on him, having his partner killed. Not to mention being shot himself.” Kylee glanced over to where Aiden was standing across the lawn, talking with his older brother Quinn. His expression was nowhere near as happy as the rest of the guests.
“It was also good to see Jolene again, and thank goodness she used that waterproof mascara, because I got so emotional during t
he wedding, I was on the verge of weeping like the willow Amanda planted in our front yard. And speaking of Jolene, would you have ever guessed someone from Honeymoon Harbor would end up on the cover of People for dating a movie star?”
“I’m happy for her,” Brianna confided. Jolene had been the subject of bullying through middle school, and up until she’d suddenly dropped out of high school at sixteen.
“Me, too. So, what’s going on between her and your brother?”
“Which brother?”
“Aiden.”
“I had no idea anything was going on.” Brianna’s gaze turned toward Jolene, who was currently amusing Clara with funny faces. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been watching them. They’ve stayed on the outskirts of the crowd the entire reception, seeming to make sure they’re on opposite ends of the yard. If she moves, he moves. And vice versa. It doesn’t seem accidental and I’m definitely picking up vibes.”
“I haven’t a clue. Although Jolene would come over for the occasional sleepover during middle school, before she suddenly dropped out of high school, I never noticed Aiden paying any attention to her.”
“Well, he sure is now.”
“They both live in Los Angeles. She told me they hadn’t run into each other, but maybe their paths have crossed in the past few years and she didn’t want to talk about it for some reason.”
Before Kylee could comment, one of the young women hired to keep the tables cleared and the buffet table looking tidy came over to ask Brianna a question and the subject was forgotten.
* * *
BASTIEN WENT INTO the kitchen, in search of Luca Salvadore, who was taking a fresh antipasto platter from the refrigerator.
“Hey, man,” Luca said, “that was some wicked-cool music you two pulled off at the last minute. I was surprised Desiree sang. She’s never mentioned a word about singing to anyone in town that I know of. And believe me, if she had, it would’ve been in bold print on the town’s Facebook page.”
