Sunrise on Cedar Key

by Terri DuLong

  “It was our pleasure,” Chloe said.

  “Yeah, don’t go getting all mushy on us or we’ll all be boohooing.”

  “True,” I said. “We have to save that for the day of the wedding.”

  “Oh, no. Not allowed. It’ll ruin your makeup.”

  “Always thinking, Suellen.”

  We sat around and continued to talk and laugh until ten o’clock. I knew the evening I’d just spent was one I’d always remember.

  Chloe drove me home with the backseat and trunk of the car loaded with gifts. When we pulled up, Lucas came out to help.

  “You knew about this, didn’t you?” I said, going into his arms for a hug.

  “Of course I did. It was my job to get you out the door on time.”

  “Aha,” I said, reaching for a stack of gifts from the trunk. “No wonder you scooted me out so fast and passed on lovemaking.”

  Chloe laughed. “When he sees some of these racy items I doubt he’ll be passing on that.”

  “Really?” he said with interest. “Think I might get a sneak preview tonight?”

  “Not on your life,” I said, heading inside.

  45

  Driving to Tampa Airport with Lucas, I found myself feeling nervous about meeting his cousin. This would be my first time meeting any of Lucas’s family, so I guess that was natural. But I shouldn’t have been concerned. Jean-Paul was as sweet and friendly as Lucas was. And almost as handsome. The conversation driving back to Cedar Key was light and easy.

  When we hit the Number Four bridge bringing us onto the island, Jean-Paul let out an exclamation of awe.

  “This is so beautiful,” he said, his head going from side to side looking out the windows.

  Like Lucas, he had a wonderful French accent and his English was quite good.

  After he got settled at Lucas’s house, Jean-Paul joined us on the porch for a glass of wine. I saw a camera dangling from around his neck. Not one of the digital ones so common today but a bona fide 35mm Canon that actually required film. I was surprised anybody still used those.

  He accepted the wineglass that Lucas passed him and held it aloft. “I propose a toast to both of you. Many years of happiness, and I’m happy to be here to share your special time.”

  “Thank you,” I said before taking a sip. “So you like to take pictures?” I gestured toward the camera.

  Both men laughed. “You could say that,” Lucas told me. “Jean-Paul is a professional photographer. He had a gallery in Paris for many years before moving to the south of France.”

  “I didn’t know this. Well, you’ll certainly have an array of beautiful scenery to capture here on the island.”

  “Yes, I will enjoy that, but the main reason I brought my cameras and equipment was because I am to be your official photographer for the wedding.”

  I saw the smile on Lucas’s face and now understood this had been a secret between the two of them.

  “Oh, that’s great. Gee, and here I thought we’d just have photos that the guests took. That’s so kind of you, Jean-Paul. Thank you.”

  “It will be my pleasure to capture all of your memories for you.”

  After we finished our wine I gave Lucas a hug. “I have to meet Chloe at my place in about ten minutes, so I’d better get going.”

  “Oh, you will not stay for dinner with us?” Jean-Paul said.

  “Not tonight. My sister needs to talk with me about something. I’m sure it has to do with the wedding. And tomorrow evening you and Lucas are coming to my place for dinner so you can meet my aunt and my sister.”

  “I very much look forward to it,” he said, placing a kiss on both of my cheeks.

  Chloe was sitting in the garden knitting when I arrived.

  “Did Jean-Paul arrive okay?” she asked, placing a lilac-colored scarf in her bag.

  “Right on time.” I headed toward the stairs. “Come on up. He’s very nice. I can see why Lucas is so fond of him. Oh, and Lucas never told me, but he’s a professional photographer and will be taking all the photos for the wedding.”

  We walked into the kitchen, and I was greeted by Annie dancing in circles.

  “Hey, sweetie.” I bent down to give her a pat.

  “That’s really great. It’ll be nice to have official wedding photos rather than just random shots from the people attending.”

  “I know. That’s what I told them. Coffee, tea, wine? What would you like?” I went to the refrigerator and removed a tuna casserole, turned on the oven, and popped it in. “That’ll be ready in about an hour. You’re staying for supper, right?”

  “Yeah, and a glass of wine would be nice.”

  I uncorked a bottle of Pinot Grigio, filled two glasses, and passed one to my sister.

  “Let’s go in the living room and get comfy.”

  I kicked off my sandals and curled up on the sofa. Chloe joined me at the other end.

  “So what’s going on? Questions about the wedding? You still love your dress, right?”

  My sister laughed. “Yes, I still love my dress. No, it’s not about the wedding, Grace.” She took a sip of wine before placing it on the table. “It’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

  I noticed that she’d clasped her hands together and seemed anxious.

  “Remember when we were at the hotel back in May? I thought about telling you then, but I guess I wasn’t ready.”

  I nodded and wondered what this was all about.

  “Well, I think the time has come for me to finally confront some things from my past. I’ve given this a lot of thought, especially during the past year since I’ve come to Cedar Key.” She picked up the wineglass and took another sip. “I guess things happen that should probably be confronted at the time, but I wasn’t able to do that. Instead I managed to bury it, and I know now that was the wrong thing to do.”

  I thought back to Beau and my miscarriage. I thought I had faced my situation, but it wasn’t until I saw Beau again and all of it came out into the open that I felt it was truly behind me. I had a feeling my sister was attempting to do the same thing.

  “There was a party,” she said. “A frat party at college. I went with a few other girls, and as usually happens, everyone was drinking. When I was ready to leave, the girls I’d gone with had hooked up with guys and wanted to stay. Another fellow overheard our conversation and offered to give me a ride back to the dorm.”

  She let out a deep breath, and for a second I wasn’t sure she was going to continue with her story.

  “What happened, Chloe?” I asked softly. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I knew the ending.

  “He gave me the ride but not to my dorm. Instead we drove to the woods on the outskirts of campus. He started kissing me, and when I kept telling him no, he got angry. And when I began screaming for help ... he became violent. He dragged me out of the car ... I felt myself being thrown to the ground and ...”

  Tears flowed down Chloe’s face as I jumped up and pulled her into my arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” I soothed.

  But she pushed me away and swiped at her tears. “No, it’s not okay. It’s never been okay. I was raped that night. I had never been with a guy ... and I was raped. And I’ve never told anybody until just now.”

  “Oh, my God,” I said, pulling her back into my arms. This time Chloe accepted my embrace as she continued to sob.

  She allowed me to comfort her, and after a few minutes she leaned back and reached for a tissue from the table.

  “Twenty-eight years,” she whispered. “Twenty-eight years I’ve carried that night in here.” She punched her chest with her fist.

  As if by osmosis, I felt my sister’s pain along with her anger, humiliation, and guilt.

  “You didn’t report it, did you?”

  She shook her head as a fresh flood of tears fell.

  “Oh, Chloe. You did nothing wrong.” I reached out to hold her hand.

  “I know that now. Finally I know that. But I took the ride...
. I didn’t even know him, but I figured he was at the party and a fellow student. I never saw him again. I wonder now if he only crashed the party.”

  “You never told Mom and Dad or Aunt Maude either, did you?”

  Again she shook her head.

  “Parker?” I asked, but already knew the answer.

  “That’s how humiliated I felt—I never even told my husband when we were married.” She blew her nose and then took a sip of wine. “I had some bruises on my face, so I lied to everyone and said I’d tripped and fallen on the walk home from the party. Nobody ever suspected anything different. But I was different—from that moment on, I was different. I felt dirty and used and ... unworthy. Unworthy of anything or anyone. When I met Parker two years later, I felt like I was being given a second chance. A chance to redeem myself for what had happened. I threw myself into the role of the perfect wife and mother ... but it was always there. That night was always there on the fringes of my soul. And over the years I allowed the anger and the helplessness to consume me—until it almost destroyed me.”

  “And you never went for any counseling either?”

  “No. It wasn’t until you and I reconciled and you told me about having closure after seeing Beau again that I began thinking about my own past. I felt maybe it was time for me to try and get that same closure. And then, ironically, I happened to see an article in the paper about RAINN. It’s the rape, abuse, and incest national network and the nation’s largest anti–sexual violence organization. So I called them, and I felt safe talking to somebody over the phone. They have a hotline with volunteers, and I’ve also been talking to them on their online site. I think eventually ... I will see a counselor, but they felt it was important that I share this with somebody that I trusted. They said that in the sharing, the healing comes.”

  I pulled my sister into a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you chose to share it with me, Chloe. And the healing will come. I’m certain it will. I love you, sis.”

  “I love you, too—for always.”

  46

  The next few weeks flew by. Chloe and I hadn’t discussed her story again, and I had a feeling she had chosen not to share it with Aunt Maude. After learning what my sister had endured and then kept hidden inside for so many years, it made me realize even more that all human behavior can be explained. But sometimes we never know a person’s story. This made me extra grateful that my sister had chosen to finally share hers.

  My wedding was now only three days away. Eli and Treva were arriving that afternoon, and a family dinner was planned for the evening.

  I rolled over in bed and noticed it was beginning to get light outside. No misty visions appeared. I’d never know for sure if what I thought I’d seen had been real, but I liked to think maybe it had been my mother. It gave me a warm feeling that perhaps she’d reached out to me from the beyond, but it made me wistful that she wouldn’t be present to share my special day. My eyes strayed to the gown hanging from my closet door, and I smiled. Possibly she would be with me—in ways I couldn’t understand.

  Annie jumped up on the bed and began licking my face.

  “Yeah, guess it’s time to start our day,” I told her.

  After showering and getting dressed, I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out to the garden with Annie at my heels. I found Aunt Maude cutting some of her flowers and placing them in a basket.

  “I bet those are for the dinner table tonight.”

  “They are,” she said, turning around with a smile.

  “What can I do to help with the preparations?”

  “I think everything’s in order. But I was hoping you could check and see if we have any more inquiries for bookings for the knitting retreats.”

  “Sure. I’ll do that this morning. You’re not happy having them only once a month, are you?”

  My aunt laughed. “Well, probably not, but you know me. I just like to be kept busy.”

  “Like you’re not busy enough?”

  “Oh, I don’t mean the Garden Club or the Women’s Club ... I like to be involved with activities that make me feel ... well, useful. The knitting retreats bring women together in a different way than community organizations do.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I understand. Well, I wouldn’t worry. Somehow you always end up finding something that accomplishes a feeling of satisfaction.”

  “Chloe called me last night. I guess there’s been a delay in her new tenant coming here.”

  “Oh, right. Berkley was due to arrive this month. What happened?”

  “She has some things to tend to up in Salem before she can leave permanently, so she told Chloe she’ll be here before Christmas.”

  “I think that’ll be good for Chloe. She has me and Suellen, but she needs a friend of her own. She and Berkley hit it off really well, so I think they have a friendship developing there.”

  “I agree. Has she mentioned anything about Cameron to you? Are they still seeing each other?”

  “They are, but he’s back out in California visiting his daughter. Apparently she’s just gone through a pretty nasty divorce. And he’s out there for about a month to support her and his granddaughter. Chloe isn’t ready for a serious relationship right now anyway.”

  “I’m very grateful she realizes this, but it’s nice she has a male companion in her life.”

  “From the way she’s been gushing over Jean-Paul, she might end up with two male companions.”

  My aunt laughed. “Well good for her. He seems very nice.”

  I looked around the dining room table at the seven of us and smiled. Chloe was seated between Eli and Jean-Paul and was positively beaming. From the moment she’d walked into my aunt’s kitchen with her son and daughter-in-law, I not only saw, but felt, the joy she radiated. It reminded me of Monica whenever I saw her with the triplets.

  I glanced at my nephew and felt a sense of pride. Not only extremely handsome, he had a winning personality and made me instantly feel like I hadn’t been absent from his life for so many years. His new wife sat beside him, and I smiled. I could tell that Chloe adored her, and it was easy to see why. Outgoing and friendly, she was a welcome addition to our family. Her looks had an almost exotic quality with her long dark hair and dark eyes. I had no doubt that Chloe had immediately considered Treva the daughter she’d never had.

  Conversation buzzed around the table, and I felt Lucas’s hand reach for mine. “Happy?” he whispered as he leaned over and placed a kiss on my cheek.

  “Very much so,” I told him.

  “So what do you think of our little island so far?” I heard my aunt ask Eli.

  “From what I’ve seen, I like it a lot. Very quiet and laid-back.”

  “I have to agree,” Treva said. “Compared to Manhattan, this really is paradise. Do you ever have any crime here? It seems like such a safe place to live.”

  My aunt laughed. “Oh, it is. We have some typical small-town minor offenses. But nothing major.”

  “Yeah, not like the big city,” Treva said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m always looking over my shoulder for the next mugger.”

  “Right.” I buttered one of my aunt’s biscuits. “I’ve never lived in a large city like New York, but I think I’d be pretty nervous. And after living here for over ten years, I guess I’m spoiled.”

  “It’s all what we get used to,” my aunt said. “I want to propose a toast.” She held up her glass of wine. “I hope all of you know how delighted I am that we’ve all come together to celebrate Grace and Lucas’s wedding. It’s times like this that makes family even more important. So here’s to family and here’s to love.”

  We all clinked glasses, and I caught the wink and smile my aunt directed toward me. And you’ve always been the glue holding us together, I thought, as I returned her smile.

  When I awoke on the morning of my wedding, I knew the wedding gods were shining down on me. It had poured rain for the past two days, and despite everybody trying to calm me down I had visions of my garden wedding being a
washout. But I looked out my bedroom window to see a brilliant sun turning the garden into a golden glow. A white canvas cover suspended by four poles hung above the neatly arranged chairs. Huge ceramic pots of bright yellow hibiscus created a center aisle, and at the end was a white archway into which a purple passion vine had been woven. Off to the right, empty banquet tables sat waiting for the food that caterers would deliver. And on the left, tables and chairs were set up beneath a white silk billowy tent where the guests would dine. I let out a deep breath. Everything looked in order. The company that Aunt Maude had hired had been true to their word. They had arrived very early and like magic had turned the garden into a romantic setting.

  I turned at a knock on my door to see Suellen enter with a mug of coffee in her hand.

  “Good morning, bride to be. Since it’s eight-thirty, I guess you slept well?”

  “God, is it that time already? Yeah, I did. Once I fell asleep. I tossed and turned for hours. I was scared to death it wouldn’t stop raining. Did you see the garden?” I asked, pointing out the window. “It’s incredible.”

  Suellen passed me the mug and pulled aside the curtain. “It certainly is. I got up at seven and they were already out there setting up.”

  “I’m glad you spent the night here,” I told her.

  “Well, somebody had to keep you from going over the edge. I’m glad to see you’re less stressed this morning. Now it’s time to just relax and enjoy your special day.”

  “Oh, Annie. I have to take her out. Where is she?”

  “Already done. I took her for a walk about an hour ago. I snuck in here and got her so you could sleep. She’s in the other room.”

  “Thanks. Gee, I’m beginning to see that being a bride for the day has some perks. Well, besides the obvious.”

  “Oh, you have no idea. Wait till your sister gets here.” Suellen looked at her watch. “Which should be within the hour.”