“I say go ahead. She was the one who saw the potential in you. I see no reason why you shouldn’t let her know how much her interest in you means. I say go ahead.”
“I will. Thanks for your advice.”
“Anytime, anytime, sweetheart.”
* * *
Jane Dagleish was pleased to see Holly come into her office. Quickly rising from her desk, she offered her protégé a firm handshake.
“Holly! How wonderful to see you! You look well. How have you been?”
“I’m doing well, thanks.”
Her mentor waved her to a chair and returned to her seat behind the desk.
“Holly, I’m so glad to see you. You seem to be more mature, more grown-up than the fearful young aide that I called into my office a few years back.”
“A lot has gone on in my life since then. A whole lot,” Holly said, not intending to reveal all that had happened.
“But,” she continued, “I wanted to tell you how grateful I am to you for giving me a chance. And I wanted you to know that I have my degree in Geriatric Nursing.”
Jane Dagleish’s face lit up. “Holly, how wonderful!” she clapped her hands together and leaned forward towards Holly. “Would you believe it?The gods must have sent you!”
With raised eyebrows, Holly gave the excited woman a questioning look. What was she talking about?
“Would you believe that Prime Care has opened a special unit here for geriatric patients? They have started the units in some of the other centers in the country and it’s worked out well. How would you like to be the nurse manager at our unit here?”
“I . . . I really don’t know . . . haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m getting married next month.”
“Holly, congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. Branch and I are planning a small wedding at my stepmother’s home. Since I have no living relatives, we’re planning a simple ceremony with perhaps a justice of the peace.”
Holly stopped talking, upset by the tears that glistened in her mentor’s eyes. Now what had she said?
Jane Dagleish’s voice was so somber, so quiet that Holly instinctively steeled herself, fearing she might hear some untoward comment.
“Before I went into nursing, I worked as a secretary in a law office. I became a notary public as well as a justice of the peace. Would you and your fiancé allow me to participate in your wedding? It would be my deepest honor.”
Stunned, almost speechless, Holly swallowed hard.
“I’ll . . . I’ll have to ask Branch,” she stuttered.
* * *
“Three years old, Missy is really excited about being a flower girl in her sister’s wedding,” Elyse said to her husband. “Wouldn’t surprise me if she steals the show.”
Her husband nodded his head in agreement.
“She’s a little actress, that one! But to me, she’s a perfect little sweetheart, just works her way into your heart. You are lucky to have such a lovely child, Leese.” Then he amended his statement, “No, we are both lucky that she’s in our lives.”
“I know, Ace, and I love her more and more each day and I thank God for her. She’s such a delight.”
“She’s a manifestation of the love that you and her father shared. You were one brave, determined young woman to do what you did . . . bringing that love to life.”
She lay against him and he rubbed her back in circles to ease some of the strain of her large abdomen. Their son was due almost any day.
She twisted her head, looked into his concerned face.
“Ace, I had to have that baby! I was proud of the fact that at least Barry had really wanted me to have our child . . . and I knew, too, that no one else on this earth could give life and meaning to our love except me! And you know, in some way, Ace, I was so proud that I could do it, even though everyone thought I was delusional!”
She laughed, then turned over to face him. They had been resting on their king-sized bed.
“You know something, husband mine?”
“No, what?”
“If I had not had Missy, we might not be together on this glorious day,” she said, smiling at him.
“Oh, sweetheart, I believe Fate has a way of directing our lives. I will always remember that day when you came into my store. I saw a beautiful, elegantly dressed young woman who almost made my heart turn over in my chest. I could hardly breathe, and I knew at that moment that you were meant to be in my life, just knew it.”
“Guess I sensed something too, Ace. It wasn’t long after that when you came to the bookstore, shortly after Barry had died, that I was bold enough to ask you to hold me. Talk about being brazen!”
“You weren’t brazen at all, honey. You just needed to be comforted, and I’m extremely happy that I was able to provide you with what you needed at that time in your life.”
He caressed her extended abdomen and was rewarded by a sharp thrust against his hand. He pulled it away and said, “Leese, did you see that?”
“Not only saw your son kick you, I felt it, too!”
“He can’t wait to get here.”
“And his mother can’t wait, either.”
Moved by the reality of the life within her, Ace kissed her.
“I do hope that this will be an easy delivery for you, honey.”
“Oh, it will be, as long as you are by my side. That’s all I want.”
He reassured her. “Nothing will keep me away! By the way, how do you think Missy is going to react to her brother?”
“I think she’s going to be okay. She knows he’s coming, and I expect she’ll be as possessive of him as she is of Holly. She dotes on her ‘big sister,’ as she calls her. I hope they will always be close, despite the age difference.”
She lay quietly for a moment, slowly rubbing her abdomen as if to soothe the baby. When she spoke, Ace heard a reflective tone in her voice.
“Don’t you think it’s amazing, Ace, how much alike those two are? Both resemble Barry. Anyone can see that, although I certainly didn’t at first, but their personalities, ideas, thought processes are alike. Never ceases to amaze me.”
“It’s something to think about, that’s for sure.”
Elyse went on, “Just the other day, Ace, I was telling Missy that she had to be more gentle and patient with Sebastian. The poor old fellow is lowing down. I told her that she couldn’t play rough with him anymore. Know what she did?”
‘What did she do?”
“Looked at me, as solemn as a judge, snapped off a salute to me and said, ‘Yes, ma’am, understood, ma’am.’
I was so shocked I didn’t know what to say. You know I’ve seen Holly make that gesture, and God knows how many times their father would respond to me that way!”
“They are his daughters, and carry some of his genes. It’s the only explanation there is.”
“You’re probably right.” She turned over on the bed. “What’s the time?” she asked.
He checked his watch.
“We’ve got plenty of time. It’s one now and the wedding is not until five this afternoon. I’m glad that Holly and Branch decided to have their wedding here in our home, that there’s a bond between us. Your Aunt Ginny said that she will be here at three to set things up in the living room. You need to rest yourself, honey.”
“But . . .”
“No buts. You will have enough to do, being the hostess. You stay calm and collected. Can I get you anything?”
“No, thanks, hon, I’m fine. Glad that my folks are taking charge of Missy. I expect they will be here at three, too, along with my aunt.”
Ace got up from the bed. Although he and Elyse had been married for almost three years, still Ace wondered about her past history with her late husband. He walked slowly down the stairs into the kitchen at the rear of the house which looked over the backyard. He saw the sandbox, the toys, the jungle gym he had erected for his stepdaughter. His thoughts tumbled back to the unforgettable morning that Elyse came to him
. He had slept poorly the night before, rebuffed by her hesitancy in accepting his proposal of marriage. Had he been too blunt with her, telling her he wanted a total commitment from her? Had he made a mistake, pushed her into a corner with his harsh promise never to propose to her again? His thoughts turned to that eventful early morning that changed his life.
When Elyse had called, his heart almost skipped a beat and he feared that perhaps something had happened to Missy.
He had been at the door to greet her when she came to the shop. Breathless, pale, she seemed bone-weary, as if she had just completed a marathon race. She almost fell into his arms.
“I had to come, Ace, had to,” she sobbed.
He had wanted to reach out, hold her close, but because he had challenged her the night before with his ultimatum, he needed to be sure she was truly committed. When she blurted out, “Ace, I . . . know. Oh, Ace, will you marry me, please?”
He remembered that he remained silent, wanting to hold her, looking for any sign of reluctance in her face. He had to be sure.
“Barry?” he dared to ask. He saw the tears in her eyes and she shook her head at him. She’d answered, “I will always honor his memory, and love the child he gave me. He will always, always have a place in my heart because he was the anchor in my life. But now, now,” she spoke softly, “that world has changed. My life has changed, and Ace, it’s you I need to be in my life . . . to be the man I trust, rely on. That’s why I came back this morning. Ace, I cannot go on in this life without you. I love you.”
As he stood in his kitchen, preparing the tea, placing crackers on a small plate, and setting two mugs on a tray, the past three years now appeared like the turnings of a kaleidoscope of events, changing, meshing, evolving to bring him to where he was standing at the moment. He was in his own home, his own kitchen, his own beloved wife resting upstairs, the birth of their child imminent.
Today his mind was at ease. Barry Marshall was at rest. Elyse had chosen to follow her heart, filled with love for Ace and the family they were about to become.
He took the tray up to her.
“If you have this cup of tea I brought to you, you’ll have plenty of time to empty your bladder before the wedding. I know you don’t want to have to be rushing to the bathroom.”
She looked up at him.
“My dear husband, I think you know me better than I know myself. This is a great idea.”
She pushed herself back against the headboard. Her husband helped her by placing two pillows behind her shoulders.
“How’s that?”
“Perfect, Ace, couldn’t be better.”
They drank their tea in companionable silence. Finally Ace spoke his voice thoughtful and solemn as if he had something weighing on his mind.
Elyse heard the tension in his voice.
“I’m very proud of you, honey, the way you’ve handled everything, deeding the land on the south shore to Holly and Branch. What a generous gesture on your part. What a wonderful wedding gift to them.”
“Well, Ace, they both deserve it. Both of them have worked hard, finished their education, and I know it’s what Holly’s father would have wanted for her. He would have been proud of her. You know, when he was killed in Iraq, I truly believed my life was over. But then you came, and from that first day when you held me in your arms, the tiny hope that you put in my heart, well, you gave me my life back.”
“Couldn’t do anything else. I love you, and always will.”
“And I’m happier than I have any right to be, all due to you, Ace.”
Then she went on to say something else to him.
“I have to tell you, Ace, that I’m real pleased that Holly has come to terms about her father. She was so bitter about the whole situation. She told me that it was her patient, Mr. Harkins, who helped her. He’s giving her away, you know.”
Ace nodded. “I know, and I think it’s wonderful that he means so much to her.”
“I think so, too. Anyway, she said he helped her understand why her father acted as he did. She said she realized, too, that she was not the same person now that she was at eighteen. That her life experiences have made changes in her, have made her the woman she is now. And then, Ace, she said something else that really floored me.”
“What was that, hon?”
“She said that her father must have been a very special person for me to take on the monumental responsibility of having his child. ‘I could never have done that,’ she said to me.
“I told her then that was the father I wanted her to know, not the confused eighteen-year-old.”
Ace offered her another cracker, which she refused by shaking her head no.
She picked up her tea cup, looked at him over the rim as she took a sip. She waited for his response.
He was standing at the foot of their bed, holding the tray. She looked at him, aware of how much this man meant to her. He had come into her life at the very nadir of her life, when she had almost lost the will to go on. His beryl-green eyes looked into her face. Tall, stalwart, gentle, perceptive, she reveled in the certain knowledge of what he had brought her. He had given her all of himself, his support, his tender care, his concern for her well-being, his loyalty, his creativity, his patience, his . . . love.
Ace said nothing at first. Then he placed the tray on top of the dresser. He walked over to the bed, took the tea cup from Elyse, placed it on the nightstand beside the bed and sat beside her. He took her face into his hands.
“Elyse, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I am honored and privileged to have you as my wife, my lover, my life partner. I didn’t think it was possible, but I love you more and more each day. I want you to know how much I admire the way you have battled against the odds life put in your path. Girl,” his voice softened, “you’re some kinda strong momma, and I defy anybody to say anything different.”
When he kissed her, Elyse felt tears stinging behind her closed eyelids. Her husband’s lips were soft and gentle as they molded and caressed her tender mouth.
He lowered her back onto her pillow.
“Rest, honey, you have a big afternoon ahead of you. I’ll come back up and help you when it’s time for the wedding. How’s that?”
“You’re so good to me, Ace.”
“Only doing what I’m ‘sposed to do, my dear. Now you rest.”
“Aye, aye,” she said as she touched two fingers of her right hand to her forehead in a military salute.
With a broad smile, he clicked his heels, returning the gesture, and left the room.
Elyse turned over on her left side, tucked her hands under her cheek and sighed deeply. Even the baby seemed to have quieted down. She was happy, everything had come full circle. She drifted off to sleep, content at last.
Chapter 35
Ace hired the same trio that were at his wedding to Elyse to play at Holly and Branch’s wedding and reception. He also took charge of making their family room into a small chapel. He moved most of the furniture to the garage and arranged white folding chairs facing a small chest of drawers covered with a sparkling gold lamé cloth. On the chest was a gold cross, with two slim white candles in crystal holders on either side.
A profusion of flowers, asters, chrysanthemums, large vases of waxy green leaves with white daisies, spires of blue delphiniums and birds of paradise warmed the room and made it festive and pleasant.
Silver sconces on the walls cast soft, glowing lights that lent a quiet ambiance for the five o’clock ceremony. Large bronze vats of waxy green foliage stood on either side of the door that led into the room.
Guests began arriving at a quarter to five, mainly Elyse’s family, close friends of the couple, and Branch’s father.
Elyse was escorted to her seat in the front row as stepmother of the bride. Then the ceremony began.
Little Missy, dressed in a pink dress, wearing white Mary Jane’s, her dark curls bouncing on her shoulders, entered to the music of the trio. As the flower girl, she smiled
broadly as she scattered rose petals from her little basket.
Holly’s friend from Prime Care, Leola, was her matron of honor, and Leola’s two pre-teen daughters, Pearl and Diamond, served as junior bridesmaids. Both were thrilled to be in the wedding party.
“Now, mind,” their mother, Leola, had warned them. “There will be no cuttin’ the fool, or you’ll have to deal with me!”
“Yes, ma’am,” both answered in unison.
Branch came in, took his place beside his best man Ace as the musicians began the traditional wedding march.
As Holly entered with Mr. Harkins as her escort, Branch gasped and his eyes filled with tears. Ace touched his shoulder. “Steady man, steady,” he said. He, too, was struck by the bride’s beauty.
She wore a slim, white sheath of silk moiré that clung to her slender body. From her bare shoulders to her white satin sandals she was stunning. On her head she wore a moiré silk caplet with seed pearls and a chin-length veil that fell around her face.
Her proud escort, Mr. Harkins, nodded to the guests as he accompanied the young bride, He was not using his cane, but held his left hand firmly over her arm.
When they reached Jane Dagleish, who was wearing a black robe and a pearl necklace, she asked, “Who gives this woman in holy matrimony?”
Mr. Harkins announced in a firm, clear voice, “I, Alexander Harkins, am proud and privileged to have the honor of giving this bride to her intended.” Then he handed Holly over to Branch. The two men shook hands and the old man took his seat.
The guests chuckled softly, and more amusement came forth when Missy, who was standing near the junior bridesmaids, piped up, “And she’s my big sister, too!”
Smiling down on the child, Holly instinctively drew her to her side and the justice of the peace began the ceremony.
From her seat in the front row, Elyse listened to the words being spoken that would unite her dead husband’s daughter to her bridegroom. She saw Barry’s resemblance in each of his children and in her mind she thought, Barry, you did keep your promise and you’ve given me a wonderful family.
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