by S. E. Lund
I would never do anything to break that trust. Kate was my heart.
“She looks beautiful,” Ken whispered beside me, nudging me with his shoulder when he leaned closer. “Dazzling.”
“She is,” I murmured, my eyes lingering over her as she walked down the aisle with Ethan rolling beside her.
They arrived and Ethan offered Kate’s hand to me, and while it was a symbolic gesture, taken from far earlier when a man actually gave his daughter away as a possession, I knew that for Ethan, it meant he trusted me with his daughter’s heart.
“Here she is, son,” he said softly. “Do me proud.”
“I will, father,” I said, a choke in my throat. I gripped Kate’s hand in mine, squeezing to show her how happy I was. She glanced up in my eyes, and I saw tears there and so I squeezed again, smiling at her tender heart.
I love you, I mouthed. Forever.
I love you, she mouthed back. Always.
Then we turned to the officiant and were married.
Our photographer took us to a familiar spot in Central Park where many wedding parties went for their photographs. An ornate stone bridge crossed a small stream. The trees were covered in leaves of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Around us stood the tall apartment buildings in white and red brick, a striking contrast during the bright and sunny day, although the sun was quickly setting so we had to get the photos before the photographer lost the light.
Once the photographs were done, after we all stood together for a big group shot, we went directly to the Russian Tea Room despite the early hour. We had the entire fourth floor and the Hearth Room reserved, and so we had time for visiting, cocktails and then dinner. The harpist was already there when we arrived and was playing soft classical music, the children ran through the floor, exploring the nooks and crannies, and our families and friends sat at tables or at the small seating areas and visited.
Kate and I went around and spoke to everyone, our hands entwined, until it was time for our meal, which was delicious. My father would have loved it, had he been there.
We sat at one of the luxurious tables, decked out in crystal and glass, silver and white linens, the chandeliers overhead sparking in the candlelight, the Russian memorabilia surrounding us, including a huge Faberge egg as part of the centerpiece. I felt immense happiness at that moment. Kate sat beside me and spoke with Ken, while I spoke with Ken’s wife. Next to her was Michael, and Ethan sat across from us, with Elaine beside him. Heath and his wife sat beside them. The children had a table to themselves, and the rest of the guests sat at two other tables, including Cliff and his family, Colin and his family, Mrs. O’Riley and a few people from my father’s foundation and the Corporation. Michael sat with us as did Dave, who was alone without a date.
I watched him speak with Ethan and then with Ken. He’d admitted that he liked Kate, but he had never approached her properly, suggesting he didn’t really understand women very well, despite how much of a playboy he appeared on the surface. I suspected that he was actually very lonely and suddenly felt sorry for him. Despite his good looks and solid income, he was still single in his thirties and had no prospects. Maybe he was like me before I met Kate – keeping so damn busy that I didn’t have to think about my personal life and how empty it really was.
I took a sip of wine and listened to Kate speaking with Ken telling her about our shared past in college and then starting the band. I watched Ethan sitting across from me. Every now and then he leaned over to Elaine or to Dave but he seemed quite contemplative. I suppose seeing his baby girl married really drove home how he was passing the torch to a new generation. How disappointed he must have been over the stroke and having to pull out of the race for the House seat…
All the while, I held Kate’s hand and together, we each managed to eat with only one hand, me with my left and Kate with her right.
After dinner and after the speeches, with Ken giving a very heart-felt toast to the bride and groom, the staff cleared away a small area for dancing. We had a DJ play some music while people continued to visit. While Kate went over to chat with Christie and Heath, I went and had a chat with Michael about returning one day to teach another class and help out at the hospital.
Towards the end of the evening, after much vodka and wine, it was time for the bride and groom to dance the first dance. I took Kate’s hand and led her onto the center of the small dance floor and pulled her into my arms.
“Well, Mrs. Morgan,” I said, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I hope we do a better job than back in December last year, when we tripped and fell and you had to go to the hospital.”
Kate pulled back, a huge smile on her face. “I think that was one of the few times you failed to manhandle me, Dr. Morgan.”
“I manhandled you, but not the way I intended.” I smiled down at her and we danced slowly, our arms around each other, eyes locked.
We kissed, and that elicited a round of applause from the onlookers. I glanced over and saw Ethan sitting on the sidelines in his wheelchair, and I felt a pang of sadness for him that he wouldn’t be able to dance with his daughter on her wedding night. At least he got to walk her down the aisle.
“Your dad looks sad sitting there watching us,” I said softly. Kate glanced over.
“Oh, he does,” she whispered. “I didn’t think of that.” She turned to me and bit her lip. “You go and get Elaine out here and when the song ends, I’ll ask the DJ to put on something happy. I’ll go and make him dance with me.”
Kate pulled out of my arms and I did exactly that. I went to the side of the dance floor and held my hand out to Elaine, who laughed and took it, following me to the middle of the dance floor. Meanwhile, Kate went to the DJ and spoke with him, holding her long skirt up as she did.
“What’s Kate doing?” Elaine asked as we danced around the small space.
“Going to ask the DJ to play something faster on so she can coax Ethan out onto the dance floor since they can’t slow dance.”
Elaine raised her eyebrows. “Of course,” she said. “He won’t want to miss a dance with Kate. I hadn’t even thought of it because we didn’t plan on a full reception with a band. The DJ was a total last minute idea on your part.”
I nodded. “I know, but I wanted to make sure Kate had the full wedding experience, even if on a smaller, more intimate scale.”
Elaine and I both watched as Kate went back to her father and bent down to speak to him, her face by his ear. He smiled and nodded and she took his hand and led him out onto the small dance floor. Then, the two of them danced, with Kate holding her dress up and dancing by herself and Ethan rolling his wheelchair back and forth, left and right, a huge smile on his face. It was a completely heartwarming moment and I think that everyone fought tears as they watched.
Ethan had come through such a long difficult journey after the stroke and now there he was, doing his best to dance with his beloved daughter at her wedding.
Elaine stood and watched them, her hands covering her mouth, tears in her eyes. I took her hand and we continued to dance, doing the jive, and I was glad I took dance in Phys Ed in high school. Soon, other couples joined in and even the children danced, everyone enjoying the music.
After about six dances, Kate and I went back to the table and sat together, watching the party going on around us. As we watched, Elaine and Ethan danced and people clapped for them. I was impressed with Ethan’s spirit.
I turned to Kate. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”
She glanced at her watch and smiled. “It’s nearly eleven. Aren’t the happy couple expected to leave early? I spoke with Elaine and she said she and Ken would take care of closing things up.”
I kissed Kate’s knuckles. “Sounds good to me. Maybe we should have one last dance and then the DJ can announce we’re leaving. What do you think?”
She nodded. “You go and talk to him. I’ll go and tell Elaine we’re leaving and wait for you on the dance floor.”
I left her and wen
t to the DJ, asking him to announce our departure after the next dance and he was happy to comply. Then I found my bride and pulled her into my arms for one last dance on our wedding night.
“Well, Ms. Bennet aka Mrs. Morgan,” I said once she was in my arms, her arms around my neck. “How was your wedding day so far?”
“Perfect,” Kate said and smiled up at me. “I feel fantastic and can’t wait to get on the plane tomorrow for our trip to Nassau. I really want to enjoy my time there with you since I didn’t get to the last time.”
“I know,” I said and squeezed her. “I went with such high hopes last time, thinking I could win you over if I could get you alone. I almost did.”
“You did,” she said and straightened my tie. “I was helpless against your charms. It was Dawn who intervened and it was my desire to protect you from harm that ruined things.”
I leaned down and kissed her. “You are a very honorable woman, but as we know, she was all bark and no bite.”
She nodded. “Still, I’d done some research on how risky it was for professionals in the lifestyle, and I didn’t want to be the cause of any damage to your career.”
“And the restraining order? That didn’t help convince you to leave?”
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I knew that I could trust you and that you wouldn’t do anything to harm me, but I knew Dawn could do something to harm you.”
We danced for a moment in silence, both of us thinking back to that time almost a year ago.
“She forced things,” I said. “She forced me to confront how I felt about you. I had to ask myself if I wanted to push back and try to prevent what we had from ending before it even started. I was completely taken in by your little performance, pretending to be bored with an older man like me. Then I spoke with Elaine and realized you were being noble. Ethan invited me to come over New Year’s Eve, and the rest is history.”
“It is,” Kate said and smiled. “We’ve been through a lot. Liam, Kurt, Africa, Sam…”
“Sefton,” I added, wanting to quickly deflect any thoughts from Sam.
“Yes, Sefton,” she said. “Even though any threat from him was all in his own mind.”
I shook my head. “No, I saw him as a threat, too.”
“You didn’t need to. I thought he was an arrogant bastard. You nearly breaking his nose in the elevator was something though.” She giggled and tightened her arms around my neck.
“We weathered all the storms,” I said and kissed her nose.
“We did.” Then she yawned.
“We’ll go after this song is done,” I said. When the music stopped, the DJ announced that we would be leaving and everyone crowded around us.
I wanted to say something before we left.
“Thank you to everyone who came and shared our special night,” I said as we stood in front of the guests. “We’ll be in Nassau for a week, enjoying the sun and surf. We’ll try to think of you, but we might be too busy, so I can't promise anything…”
Kate squeezed me and then we left to a chorus of goodbyes and best of lucks and a couple of wolf whistles, which I assumed came from Colin or Cliff.
On our way out, Kate kissed her father and Elaine goodnight and I shook hands and thanked Ken, said goodbye to Michael, and said my own goodbyes to Ethan and Elaine.
Then we left to start the rest of our lives together.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kate
Five weeks later…
What possible Christmas gift could you buy a man like Drake? He had enough wealth to buy a small country, although you’d never know it from the rather ordinary lifestyle he adopted. I thought he was worth millions, but it was far more. He never told me exactly how much until we signed a pre-nup, and then I had no choice but to look at the legal papers and calculations. Even for me, who had grown up around old money, it was a huge amount. The corporation was doing exceptionally well.
As a result, we could have lived anywhere in Manhattan – a new apartment, the most expensive penthouse with a view of Central Park, but Drake wanted to move in to the 8th Avenue apartment and make it our own. Drake sold his apartment in Chelsea, and I gave up my tiny one-bedroom in Harlem and slowly, over the next couple of weeks after we returned from our honeymoon in Nassau, we got the place in shape. We hired professional cleaners, donated most of the old furniture to a local charity, gave the place a fresh coat of paint and updated the kitchen with new appliances and a nice granite countertop on the island, but that was about it.
Although not huge, the apartment was big enough for now. Drake wanted to combine it with the apartment below us and make it a two story. I was happy to be with Drake wherever we chose to live but 8th Avenue was special. Not only did we start our relationship there, it also had such sentimental value for Drake. I liked to see him sitting in the huge overstuffed chair by the sound system, listening to his music mixes while reading over files or keeping up on the latest surgical developments in the medical journals. Sometimes, I’d stand in the kitchen and watch him sitting there and think of how lucky I was that I wore those high heels over a year earlier and that I took a chance and contacted ‘Mistress Lara’, despite my fears. I had begun to doubt if I’d ever find someone I could love passionately and completely. Then I met Drake.
That sunny Sunday afternoon in November, I leaned against the dining room table and watched Drake sorting through a box of Liam’s things. Dressed in a white cable knit sweater and faded jeans, he looked especially handsome. His hair had grown longer, and fell into his blue eyes and down the back of his neck. My heart did a little flip flop when he glanced up and saw me watching him and smiled.
He was mine.
“Find anything interesting?” I said, drying my hands on a paper towel after rolling out pastry for a curry pie I was making. Drake had been putting off going through Liam’s personal possessions for weeks, as if it was too painful to consider, but now he was down to the last box.
He exhaled loudly. “A lot of old designs he was working on before the company took off. I didn’t realize he was such an inventor. He was always trying to improve surgical implements. He had these old notebooks, and wrote about what parts of a surgical procedure could be automated and what required a surgeon’s judgment. It obsessed him. I had no idea…”
I glanced over his shoulder at the intricate drawings. “He was really skilled.”
Drake nodded. “I wish I’d known him better. He was so busy; I was so busy. We hardly saw each other except once or twice a year at Christmas or in the summer.”
“You didn’t talk on the phone?”
“He wasn’t big on talking. He tended to want to do things – tinker with his car, fiddle with his designs. He was pretty closed.”
I sat down on the side of the chair beside him. “I wish I’d known him.”
He smiled. “He would have been very chivalrous and charming at first but he would have closed up eventually. He was too self-contained.” Drake said nothing for a moment, staring off into the distance as if remembering. “Don’t let me ever get like that. If I ever seem distant, unconnected, or closed off, tell me, okay?”
He turned to me, his blue eyes dark under a frown.
“Of course,” I said.
“Seriously, Kate. I don’t want to fuck up again. Don’t ever hesitate to tell me if I do something to upset you.”
I nodded, and put my arm around him, leaning my head against his shoulder.
“It’s sad you didn’t get a chance to visit his grave in Africa when we were there. I feel bad about pulling you away before your term was up and before you had the chance to go to Ethiopia like you wanted.”
He closed the box. “We’ll go one of these years. Maybe when you’re finished with your thesis.”
“Whenever you want.”
He leaned over and kissed me. Then, he pulled me into his arms and we sat nestled together and listened to the Beatles, a mix of their hits from the 60s. One of my favorite songs came on – one that had so
much meaning to me. “And I Love Her”.
“This is my favorite.”
“I know,” he said and squeezed me.
“I want to come and listen to Mersey some night when you’re playing it.”
“We’re playing new material now, but I’ll see what I can do.”
I smiled. That was a huge thing for Drake – letting me in to his life so completely that I had an open invitation to go to hear them play. I hadn’t gone yet, wanting to leave it as his “time with the guys” thing, but I had gone with him for Sunday dinner.
Now, with Thanksgiving fast approaching, I was already wondering what I could get Drake for Christmas. He had everything he could want. He lacked nothing – nothing except his father.
It was then, as we sat in the living room sorting through Liam’s things, that I decided I’d buy us plane tickets to Ethiopia, hire a guide to take us to the Bale Mountains where Liam’s plane crashed and then the Harenna Forest where Liam’s ashes had been buried. It wasn’t too far from there to Kenya, and the Loisaba Lodge north of Nairobi. We could stay in the lodge for a week and sleep under the stars.
Drake had talked about a trip to a warm climate in February and was going to arrange his schedule so that we could go for two weeks. I wasn’t taking any classes and was focused on writing my thesis and doing research, so I could take time off with no problem.
So I had one gift out of the way. We promised to only buy two gifts for each other. It wasn’t that we couldn’t afford to buy more but I wanted the gifts to be personal and special – not just spending money for its own sake. Now, I had to figure out what else to get the man who had everything. Not quite as easy a task as I first thought.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Drake
Out of the blue, late in the afternoon while I was at the hospital, a colleague I hadn’t spoken with for at least several months called me, his name showing up on my cell. I was sitting in my office, poring over patient files and pulled out my cell from my pocket, thinking it might be Kate but it was Jim Kerrigan, an oncologist who helped with Liam’s treatment earlier in the year.
