by J. L. Berg
“All right, let’s go get you married. It’s about damn time.”
The whole town came out to witness the wedding of Jake and Molly. Of course, the whole town pretty much came out for just about anything. But this particular event had been more than fifteen years in the making, and almost everyone felt like they had played some part in getting these two to this special day.
Even I got a little choked up, seeing Molly walk down the aisle in her mother’s lace gown, knowing everything they’d gone through to make it here.
I couldn’t help but glance over at Cora at that moment and every moment after.
This was what I wanted.
Looking around at all the people crammed in the inn once more after another rainy weekend, I chuckled under my breath. Well, maybe not exactly this.
But I wanted the happiness. The moment where our lives became one. When a family was born. I knew this—a wedding might be too soon for both of us—after all, we’d only just started dating, but I saw it on the brink of the horizon, like a lighthouse beacon calling me home.
“She’s a good match for you,” my mom said as we watched from the sidelines while Cora and Lizzie danced along with several other guests on the makeshift dance floor that had been set up in the parlor.
The original plan had been for a reception under the stars, but the early months of autumn were turning out to be soggy ones, and last-minute preparations to move everything indoors had had to be made.
Thank goodness for it, too, because as the sun set, lightning lit the sky, making me wonder just how bad it might still get. Here, in Ocracoke, we were no strangers to weather. I had many childhood memories of hunkering down to wait out a storm and even several evacuations. Jake and Molly were lucky, and the tropical storm that was supposed to barrel toward the coast had dissipated, and we were only experiencing the remnants.
Still, remnants or not, the sky was angry.
“Did you hear me, boy?” my mother said, leaning into me.
I shook my head, smiling. “I heard you, Mama. Thank you. I couldn’t agree more.”
“Now, this opinion is all just speculation, you see, since I still have not been formally introduced.”
I blew out a breath and turned. “You’ve met both Lizzie and Cora half a dozen times,” I protested. “You had an hour-long conversation over iced tea the other day at the party.”
She folded her arms in front of her, feigning a pout. “Yes, well”—she made a noise in the back of her throat—“that’s different, and you know it.”
I caved. “I’ll bring them over for Sunday dinner next week.”
She opened her mouth to argue, she and I both knowing that today was Saturday, and there was a perfectly good Sunday dinner happening tomorrow.
“I have a feeling, we’ll all need rest tomorrow,” I said, nodding in the direction of my brother, who was already zeroing in on one of the bridesmaids, an out-of-town cousin from Molly’s family.
“Oh, your brother hasn’t been showing up for ages,” she stated.
“If I’m going to introduce Cora and Lizzie to my family, I’d like to do it properly. Cora’s still upset I didn’t get to meet her brother when we visited a few weeks ago.”
“Speaking of her family, I thought I’d get a chance to meet her parents at the birthday party last week. I’m sorry they weren’t able to attend.”
I nodded. “Me, too, but it’s still too early in the semester for them to take off a few days. And you know how involved a trip here is. Besides, they’ve made arrangements to visit over Thanksgiving break—all of them. I’ve pretty much booked the entire inn for the occasion.”
“Oh, that will be lovely. I’ve always wanted a house full of people to cook for.”
I gave her a sideways glance. “You always have a house full of people to cook for,” I argued.
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. A house full of family. Grandchildren running around and daughters-in-law helping in the kitchen while the men watch football.”
I let out a laugh, taking a sip of the beer I’d been nursing for far too long. “That wasn’t sexist at all.”
“Stop sassing me boy. For so long, it’s just been us three. And that’s been fine. Great even,” she said, taking ahold of my hand. “But I want to see you two happy. Rooted. Growing.”
“Me, too, Mom,” I said, my eyes trained on Lizzie and Cora.
Both of them were beautiful tonight. So beautiful, it almost hurt to look at them. I swallowed deeply, unable to turn away.
“But?” my mom asked, sensing my hesitation.
“Cora’s ex-husband scares me. His presence in their lives. I don’t know if I can handle him being around them. Every time I see him, I feel like I’m losing control.”
She tugged on my hand, her warm fingers still entwined with mine. I tore my gaze away from Cora and focused on my mother.
“Life is complicated, Dean. Relationships are complicated.”
I breathed out, “Yours wasn’t. With Dad.”
“No,” she agreed. “Everything about your father was easy. I met a man, and we fell in love, had a couple of kids, and settled into a very comfortable sort of life. Until one day, out of the blue, he died. Then, it got complicated. No one goes into a relationship, knowing it’s going to end badly, but you can’t go back and erase your past. Besides, why would you want to? Look where it got me,” she said with one last smile. “I can already hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet.” Her eyes darted to Cora once more as I rolled my eyes. “Be blessed in what God has given you, son. Everything else will find its place.”
My mom’s version of chill basically.
I took her advice, heading to join my ladies on the dance floor, when I saw Lizzie turn toward the front door and yell, “Daddy!”
Her excited, definitely outdoor voice was heard across the room, and as everyone pivoted around to face the direction she was looking, I caught sight of Blake, clearly embarrassed, doing his best to sneak out of the inn.
Cora and I along with Lizzie charging forward, arms wide, closed the distance to figure out what was going on. I looked back, hoping Molly and Jake hadn’t noticed. Thankfully, they hadn’t.
Actually, as my eyes scanned the room, I had no idea where they were. Considering the sexy come-hither eyes Molly had been giving him during dinner, I probably didn’t want to know.
“Look at my pretty dress, Daddy. It has sequins on it. Mommy called them sparkles, but they’re really not. It was made in China. Did you know that, in China, they—”
“What are you doing here?” Cora asked, placing a gentle hand on Lizzie’s shoulder.
For the first time since meeting the guy, he looked genuinely embarrassed and maybe a little drunk. “Lizzie left her rain jacket at the restaurant last night. I thought she might need it,” he said, holding it up for evidence. “I was just going to go drop it off by her door before heading off to the airport.”
“You’re leaving?” Cora said. “In this weather?”
He looked surprised. “Yes. Why?”
I lifted my arm, palm up toward the front door, the universal sign for duh. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the midst of a pretty bad storm.”
“Yeah, I did,” he shot back, a definite whiff of alcohol coming off his breath. “And I’ve flown in worse.”
“Maybe in a major airport, sure. But here? No way. Besides,” I said, pointing toward one of the tables in the corner, “isn’t that your pilot?”
I was taking a wild guess, but the guy I was motioning toward happened to be one of the best pilots in town. And Blake seemed like the-best-of-the-best kind of guy.
“Son of a bitch,” he swore.
“Guess he figured you’d make the same assumption as the rest of us. No one travels in this weather. It’s just the way it is.”
“So, what am I supposed to do? I left the key for my rental on the counter before I locked up.”
I turned to Cora and then Lizzie before letting out a frustrate
d breath.
Growth. It was all about growth, right?
“Go grab a drink, I guess. You’re not going anywhere until morning.”
Blake gave one last longing look toward the door before Lizzie grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the dance floor.
“Yay!” Lizzie exclaimed when he finally gave in. “Come dance with me, Daddy. I promise not to step on your feet. Well, maybe not promise, but I’ll try. You, too, Dean!”
I forced a laugh, hating the idea of Lizzie out on the dance floor with Blake. “You go on ahead. l’ll be out there in a bit.”
She didn’t waste a second, pulling a less-than-thrilled-looking Blake out onto the dance floor, while Cora wrapped her arms around my waist.
“That was more than generous. More than he deserved.”
“I told you I’d try. Besides, I couldn’t let the guy leave, trashed.”
“Thank you,” she said. “But, if it helps, I’ll go spit in his drink.”
I laughed, a real one this time, as my hands found hers and decided to do what I’d been waiting to do all night.
I took her by the hand, and we danced until we forgot all about complications. Until all there was left was us and infinite possibilities.
The night grew late, and many of the guests had left. I sat back at one of the tables, watching my two best friends slow-dancing, laughing and smiling like they were the two happiest people on the planet.
No doubt they might just be.
Cora was once again on the dance floor with Lizzie, who refused to go to bed, holding out as long as she could. Cora, knowing she’d fail miserably with a house full of people, gave in and decided a few extra dances with her daughter never hurt anyone.
Sitting there, watching them, I couldn’t agree more.
“Got everything wrapped up in a nice little package, now don’t you? And record timing, too. What? A month? Or has this been going on longer than that? Are you the reason she moved down to this crappy town?”
I turned to see Blake basically falling into the seat next to me. He smelled like a bourbon distillery. I guessed my invitation for a drink hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“What?” I said.
“The thing you have going on with my wife.” He paused. “Excuse me, my ex-wife.”
I shook my head, feeling a mixture of anger and embarrassment for the guy. “Not really any of your business, is it?”
“Nope,” he said, staring down at his empty glass. “Not anymore. Not since she left me. She was always so difficult, you see.”
“Difficult?” The word made my blood boil.
“Yeah,.At first, I loved it. Growing up, no one ever defied me. Everyone did what I’d asked. Nannies, tutors. Hell, I even got my professors to change a few poor grades in college with sheer determination. But Cora? She was so different. So real. She had a genuineness about her, and I found it so interesting. Captivating really. I kept trying to force her to fit into my world, but try as I might, she didn’t. God, she’d make me so angry.”
“And so, you hit her?” I seethed.
His eyes flashed. “I never said I was perfect. Besides, looks like it all worked out in the end. For you at least.”
“For me?”
“Sure, you get to be the hero. Swoop in and steal my place.”
“Steal your place? No one is stealing anything here, Blake. You gave up everything the minute you struck your wife,” I said, my voice lowered. “This,” I said, “them”—I motioned toward Cora and Lizzie—“they could have still been yours if you had just realized you already had everything you wanted and stopped acting like a pathetic, spoiled little bitch. That woman is amazing. Just the way she is. She doesn’t need to be changed or molded into someone else. She’s already perfect.”
His eyes settled on Cora for a brief second before coming back to me. I saw a flash of pain and then something else. Malice. If there was one thing I’d learned from Cora, it was that, when Blake was hurting, he lashed out.
And that look in his eyes confirmed one thing. Blake had just put on his fighting gloves.
His eyes slowly lingered down toward my left arm to the prosthetic hand peeking out of my suit jacket. “Figures she’d pick someone like you.”
I stood up, the sound of my chair scraping against the wood floor grabbing the attention of several people around me. I knew I shouldn’t react, but part of me couldn’t help it. I’d been a ticking time bomb since this guy showed up, and that daring look in his eyes was like dangling a carrot in front of a starved horse.
I couldn’t resist.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Clearly pleased with himself, he rose to the occasion. “Well, I suppose it means, for starters, you’re weak. Crippled.” He reached out and flicked my prosthesis for effect. “If I was scared and alone, starving for attention, and ran into you? Well, I just might fall in love with you, too. I’m assuming you have some sort of sad, sappy story to go along with this piece of plastic on your arm? Something that really gets the girls’ juices going. How many times have you used it?”
My body was humming with raw, untapped anger as he rambled on, smiling nonetheless. I could see what he was doing as he was doing it.
Egging me on.
But it was as if my body and my brain disconnected, and my body took the helm of the ship.
“How long exactly did it take my overly emotional ex-wife to jump in bed with you? A day? She’s a real fire pistol, too, isn’t she? And that mouth of hers? Really hoovers the thing right in there.”
“Dean?” My brother had taken notice and ditched his bridesmaid to try to step in.
“Go, Taylor,” I said. “Just go.”
“Taylor? This your brother Lizzie was telling me about? The other fisherman? The one who actually fishes? Hey, what are the chances you could get me to shore tonight, buddy?”
“No,” I barked. “No one is taking you anywhere in this weather, Blake. I told you that. Besides,” I said, pulling out the set of keys I’d taken away hours ago, “Taylor has the night off. Don’t you, brother?”
“Right,” he said, his eyes darting between Blake and me before he stepped back to join his bridesmaid.
“Man, you guys on this island are a bunch of pussies when it comes to weather,” he said. “But at least you have plenty of it. Pussy, I mean. Maybe I’ll just go find some of my own. Your brother looks like he found a good one. I think I spotted a bridesmaid earlier who looked promising—a pretty blonde with a funny name. Minnie or Mickie?”
Millie, Molly’s younger sister.
My stomach heaved, and my fists clenched.
“You have yourself a good night,” he said. “Well, who am I kidding? Of course you’ll have a good night. You’ll be burying yourself over and over in my ex-wife, and as we both know—”
I hit him.
I hit him so hard, he flew back into the table, shattering glasses and breaking chairs. It was like one of those slow-motion scenes from a movie. Only there was no slow motion, and the blood wasn’t fake.
For as drunk as he was, it didn’t take him long to pop back up and take a shot at me. Thankfully, there must not have been much roughhousing or boxing classes in finishing school because the guy punched like a toddler. Still, he managed to get a few shots in.
“Son of a bitch!” he roared before someone—Jake, I realized—grabbed him from behind to separate us.
My brother tried to do the same for me, but I shrugged him off.
“I’m fine!” I hollered, taking my first look around. “I’m fine.”
There were flower petals everywhere as glass littered the floor. The remaining wedding guests were all huddled together, looking shocked and scared.
I scanned the room, finding the two most important guests.
Cora and Lizzie.
They both stood in a corner, clinging to each other, staring at me with disbelief in their eyes.
Disbelief and disappointment.
“Okay!” Jake announced. “
Show’s over. Let’s get this cleaned up. I’m gonna grab some ice.”
I gave him a look of apology, and he just shook his head, waving it off as he headed for the kitchen.
As I walked off in the direction of Cora, I knew her forgiveness wouldn’t come nearly as easy. I watched as she whispered in Lizzie’s ear, sending her toward the kitchen after Jake.
“Cora,” I said, barely able to make eye contact.
“I can’t do this,” she said.
“You can’t do what?”
“This,” she said. “Any of this. I can’t go through life like this with the two of you at each other’s throats in front of Lizzie all the time.”
A frustrated breath escaped my lips. “I know. I’m sorry. He egged me on, and I shouldn’t have let him.”
“Stop,” she said. “It doesn’t even matter.” A tear ran down her cheek. “And I can’t believe I have to do this. But you’re making me choose between the two of you. You’re making me choose between the man I love and the father of my child.”
“Please, no,” I begged, pulling her into the hall for privacy. “I’m not making you choose anything. I can do this. I can.”
She let out a strangled laugh. “You just proved that you clearly can’t, Dean. You just clobbered him at your best friend’s wedding. Lizzie has one father. And I need him to be a bright light in her eyes, not the horrible monster that he became to me. So, I’ll fight for that, and if that means walking away from this, from what we have, I’ll do it. For her, I’ll do anything. Even if it means giving up my own happiness.”
“Has anyone seen my keys?” Taylor’s voice resonated through the house at the same time I heard Jake call out, “Where did he go?”
Cora and I must have sensed it.
Something was up.
We both turned toward the parlor, and I found Jake with a small med kit and ice and a bewildered-looking Taylor.
“Where did who go?” I asked.
“Blake,” Jake said. “I set him down at this table before I went to the kitchen, and he’s gone.”
“And so are my keys,” Taylor said, pointing to where I’d set his keys down right before Blake and I went to blows.
