Not What It Seems (Escape to Alaska Trilogy)

by Brenda Sinclair

  “I considered myself fit and strong, until I tangled with that young man. Built like a brick wall and strong as an ox. Exceptionally good at his job.” Theodore grasped his daughter’s hands. “Sweetheart, I could have ruined your day.”

  “Neither you nor anyone else could ever ruin this day.” Cassidy pecked his cheek. “I’m marrying the most wonderful man in the world.”

  “Well, I just popped by to check on the bride. If you insist on marrying that handsome fellow, I’m still prepared to walk you down the aisle.” Mr. Donahue wiped away an imaginary tear.

  “Should I change my mind?”

  “Not on your life. I’ve waited too long for this day. I’ll toss you over my shoulder and carry you down that aisle if I have to.” Her father kissed her on the cheek and hugged her close.

  “I believe you would.” Cassidy grinned and then walked her father to the elevator.

  After a minute, the elevator pinged, the door slid open, and Randy Rock stepped out.

  “Good morning, Mr. Donahue,” said Randy, smiling.

  “Good morning, Randy.” Theodore stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for his floor. “See you later, sweetheart,” he called as the door closed.

  “Hi, Cassidy.” Randy frowned and met her eyes. “Have you seen Clayton? He’s not in his room, and no one’s seen him all morning.”

  Chapter 21

  After Randy hurried away with a promise to locate Clayton, Cassidy endured the makeup artist’s fussing, under her mother’s direction, for almost an hour. And then, with Jeannie and her mother’s assistance, she slipped into her beautiful Carolina Herrera wedding gown: strapless with a sweetheart neckline, a hint of silver embroidery on the bodice, a silver sash to emphasize her tiny waist, and a flattering long slim skirt. Cassidy loved the dress, and it was perfect for an outdoor ceremony beside the ocean.

  After Katie, the hair stylist, settled the small, white lace veil in place, she disappeared out the door. And then Madeline hurried downstairs to locate her seat, and Jeannie rushed away to join the other attendants. Cassidy waited, alone, for the telephone call to summon her downstairs.

  The call never came.

  When someone knocked at the door, she suspected her father had arrived to escort her outside to the waiting groom and the ceremony. But Jeannie stood at the door and shattered Cassidy’s world with four little words: “The groom is missing.”

  Cassidy’s heart stopped for a second. Had she heard correctly? Clayton was missing? Not running late, not delayed by a business call. Missing. You couldn’t misplace a full grown man. How could the groom be missing?

  Unless, he intentionally up and left.

  “Clayton has changed his mind.” Cassidy pushed the veil back from her face. She slumped onto the bed and then the tears flowed like a torrential rainfall.

  Jeannie yanked several tissues out of the box on the bedside table and stuffed them into Cassidy’s hand. And then she patted the bride’s back. “That’s absolutely ridiculous. There must be a logical explanation.”

  “That stupid stunt Dad pulled last night has frightened Clayton off. He believes he’s marrying into a family of hooligans.” Cassidy dabbed at her eyes. She’d probably ruined the makeup artist’s hard work already.

  “Your father isn’t a hooligan. And he never mentioned which of them threw the first punch.” Jeannie rationalized. “Mr. Donahue and Mr. Edwards demonstrated a serious lack of judgment. But causing Clayton to have second thoughts about marrying you? Never.”

  Suddenly, Mr. Donahue appeared at the suite’s open door. “Has anyone found Clayton yet?”

  “No. All of the groomsmen attempted to locate him all morning. Randy confided they’re seconds away from calling the police.” Jeannie shook her head. “Something is seriously wrong here.”

  “I agree. That young man loves you so much, Cassidy, wild horses wouldn’t keep him away.” Mr. Donahue strode across the carpeted floor and grabbed the phone. “I’m calling 9-1-1. Clayton’s in trouble. Nothing else explains his absence.”

  While her father spoke with the emergency operator, more tears coursed down Cassidy’s cheeks. “The love of my life is leaving me at the altar. I should have suspected my happiness wouldn’t last. Nothing ever works out the way I plan it. Not my partnership, not my…”

  “Stop that!” shouted Jeannie. “There isn’t one reason why Clayton wouldn’t stand in front of that minister today. Something serious is preventing him from being here.”

  Mr. Donahue hung up the phone and rushed to Cassidy’s side. “Sweetheart, this meltdown is a total waste of time. Clayton Edwards couldn’t love you more. He’d lay down his life for you. He’d trade every one of his gazillion dollars for you.”

  “Thank you, Dad. I’m sorry.” Cassidy smiled weakly, blew her nose.

  “The 9-1-1 operator recalled the name Edwards, something about a minor vehicle accident. The key word here, Cassidy, is minor. And it could be someone else. The woman’s going to investigate and report back to me.” Her father patted Cassidy’s hand and wrapped his arm around her bare, trembling shoulders.

  Patricia and Sheila Graham charged into the room through the open door, the full skirts on their bridesmaid’s dresses tangling about their legs in their haste. “Where’s Cassidy?”

  Jeannie pointed to the bride seated on the bed. “Clayton’s gone missing, and Mr. Donahue called the police.”

  Patricia pointed in the direction they’d just come. “Clayton’s here. We just encountered him in the elevator.”

  “What!” shouted Jeannie.

  “Clayton’s here?” Cassidy leapt off the bed. “Is he all right?”

  “He looked okay, a bit preoccupied, a little disheveled. Just charged out of the elevator at his floor and mumbled something about getting into his tux before it was too late.” Sheila shrugged her shoulders.

  “Jeannie, help me fix my makeup.” Cassidy turned toward her father who was heading out the door. “Please go to Clayton’s room and check on him.”

  “Exactly where I was going.” Theodore waved to his daughter.

  Cassidy and Jeannie jumped, startled by the telephone’s sudden ringing.

  “Wait, Dad, maybe it’s the 9-1-1 operator. What will I tell her?” asked Cassidy, shouting through the open door.

  “Tell her the lost is found,” shouted Theodore, disappearing from sight on his way to the elevator.

  “Hello.” Cassidy almost whispered, afraid of what she’d hear from the operator. But a familiar male voice responded instead.

  “I hear I’ve been listed as AWOL.”

  “Clayton, is that you?” Cassidy burst into tears.

  “Whoa, sweetheart. Don’t cry. I’m fine.” Clayton cleared his throat. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”

  “Worried me? You frightened me half to death! And then you ticked me off when I thought you’d left me standing at the altar. Or ocean. Or wherever I’m supposed to be standing right now.”

  “I’m here now, sweetheart, and your father just arrived to help me get dressed.”

  “Clayton, where in hell were you?” demanded Cassidy.

  ****

  The wedding by the ocean progressed without a hitch, once the groom showed up.

  The ceremony started an hour later than planned. But the Wedding Services Manager had taken the initiative and distributed chilled bottles of water to the parched guests sitting in their chairs and speculating on the reason for the delay.

  Cassidy and her father stood, knees shaking a tad, waiting for the male attendants to step into place and the bride’s attendants to work their way down the flower-strewn runner toward the outdoor altar.

  Suddenly, the Wedding Manager appeared at Cassidy’s side. “Congratulations on your nuptials and thank you for being so easy-going and such a pleasure to work with.”

  “Thank you for seeing to every little detail for me. I appreciate all your hard work. But there won’t be any opportunity for further business. This marriage is forever.” Cass
idy smiled, and the wedding planner hurried over to her reserved seat.

  The intoxicating scent of hundreds of flowers—plumerias, orchids, roses, and pikake—hung in the air. Cassidy noticed a lei of orchids bedecked every guest’s neck.

  “Ready, honey?” asked her father.

  She nodded and they started down the outdoor equivalent of an aisle. As Cassidy walked with her father toward Clayton, standing under an enormous arch of plumerias and ferns, her eyes welled with tears. Perhaps Fate had arranged for one happy ending in her life after all.

  During the ceremony a warm autumn breeze played with the minister’s prayer book, causing him to lose his place once. And halfway through the exchange of vows a small white dog dashed between the legs of the seated guests. A young local boy about ten-years-old grabbed his pet and whispered an apology. Fascinated by the goings-on, he stood with the toy poodle in his arms and observed the remainder of the proceedings.

  When the minister asked Clayton if he took this woman to be his wife, he smiled and answered, “After the day I’ve had, you bet I do.” Everyone laughed, and the guests’ extended delay in the heat was forgotten.

  While Clayton and Cassidy and their witnesses signed the marriage papers, a local singer crooned the beautiful Hawaiian Wedding Song. Three hula dancers appeared, wearing sleeveless white dresses, flowered headpieces, colorful leis, and greenery at their wrists and hips. The stunning young ladies interpreted the traditional message of love with graceful hand movements and sensual, swaying hips. The guests sat in silence, spellbound by the magical performance.

  When the minister presented Clayton and Cassidy as Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, the guests cheered wildly. Clayton kissed the bride amidst raucous whistling from the groomsmen who quickly formed a line to kiss the bride, too.

  Everyone escaped the heat, retiring to the air-conditioned banquet room and the wedding feast—no other term seemed as fitting. The guests groaned after the meal, relaxed in their chairs, and enjoyed humorous speeches by the groom, best man and father-of-the-bride.

  Part way through the evening, Clayton and Cassidy slipped away to change their clothes and don more comfortable island party wear to dance the night away. Clayton kissed his bride during the elevator ride. When they reached the bridal suite, he swept her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold.

  “I thought the groom carried the bride across the threshold of her new home? Are we moving in?” Cassidy laughed.

  “Just practicing.” Clayton set her on her feet and kissed her again.

  “As much as I love this dress, I can’t wait to shed it in favor of my sundress.” Cassidy turned toward Clayton. “Help me out of my dress, please.”

  “We’ll discard this all right. Are you certain you immediately require that sundress?” Clayton grinned.

  “Mr. Edwards, you randy character.” Cassidy revived her southern drawl. “Whatever will the old aunties think if we delay returning to our party?”

  “To hell with the old aunties. We’ll leave it to the old uncles to explain it.” Clayton nibbled on her neck.

  “You’ll have plenty of time for the honeymoon.” Cassidy hung the gown in the closet and pulled her white lace sundress off the hanger.

  “Did I mention how beautiful you looked today?” Clayton wrestled out of his tux, hung it in the closet, and donned khaki trousers and a tan leaf-patterned Hawaiian shirt.

  “Only a dozen times.” Cassidy slipped into a silky floral print sundress and white sandals, touched up her lipstick, and then carefully removed her veil. “I’m leaving the flowers in my hair. I love how Katie styled it.”

  “You look spectacular in that dress, too.” Clayton slipped into his sandals.

  Cassidy stood before Clayton, reached for his hands. “Okay. I’ve waited long enough. Please explain where you’ve been all day. And is that small scratch on your chin from shaving or were you actually in a car accident?”

  “Come sit with me on the loveseat for a few minutes, and I’ll explain everything.” Clayton poured them each a glass of complimentary champagne chilling in the ice stand by the king-sized bed.

  “Thank you,” said Cassidy, as her new husband handed the flute to her.

  “To Mr. and Mrs. Edwards.” Clayton clinked glasses with her and sipped. “Delicious.”

  “You’re stalling.”

  Clayton flopped down beside his wife, wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “This story should start with ‘now don’t get mad’. However, I suppose it’s too late for that. I heard from Jeannie how devastated you were when you believed I’d left you at the altar.”

  “Jeannie possesses a big mouth,” muttered Cassidy, blushing.

  “I’m sorry, but you wouldn’t believe…”

  “Quit stalling. Just tell me.” Cassidy smacked his arm. “I won’t be mad. I promise.”

  “It all started when I realized I’d left your wedding band back home in Anchorage on the kitchen table at my log house.” Clayton grimaced.

  “What!” shouted Cassidy, meeting his eyes.

  “I know. I should have told you, but I’d hoped you’d never learn about this.” Clayton sipped his champagne. “I called the manager of Precious Gems and ordered him out to my acreage. I even divulged the five-digit security code to my house. See how much I love you?”

  “You’d trust Gerald with you life. Don’t give me that baloney.”

  “True. Anyway, Gerald retrieved the ring, packaged it up, and sent it UPS.” Clayton set his glass down and started playing with the gold wedding band on her hand. The package missed the first flight, so that delayed the ring’s arrival by a day. No problem, the shipment could still arrive this morning by ten a.m.”

  “So what went wrong?”

  “Nothing, with the flight. I picked the package up at the airport at 10:30 and flagged down a cab intending to return to the hotel. Then all hell broke loose.”

  “Your accident involved the taxi?”

  “A couple of teenagers ploughed into the driver’s side of the cab ten minutes after we left the airport.” Clayton winced. “The cab rolled at least three times. Thankfully, the driver and I were wearing our seatbelts, but I thought the cab driver was dead. I couldn’t open the back doors, so I climbed into the front seat. He was breathing weakly. So I called 9-1-1 on my cell and started CPR.”

  “There wasn’t anyone else around.”

  “Lots of people stopped, but no one could manage to open any of the doors.”

  “Go on.” Cassidy finished her champagne.

  Clayton retrieved the bottle of champagne and refilled their glasses. “The ambulance finally arrived, firemen pried open the doors, and they rushed us to the hospital. My little scratch required some antibiotic cream, but the driver’s spleen had ruptured and he required emergency surgery. His wife arrived, totally hysterical. I sat with her during the surgery, until the doctor announced the cabbie survived the procedure and remained in stable condition. I arranged for his wife’s brother to meet her at the hospital and drive her home.”

  “You are such a Good Samaritan.” Cassidy kissed her hero’s cheek.

  “Thank you. When I finally glanced at my watch, it was ten after two. So, I had the doctor start my heart again,” joked Clayton, grinning. “I raced outside. Already ten minutes late for my own wedding, I almost dragged a pregnant woman out of the cab when she arrived, and ordered the driver to break land speed records to the Hyatt Regency.”

  “And during all this time, it never occurred to you to telephone someone at the hotel?”

  “Actually, no.” Clayton finished his champagne. “Too preoccupied keeping a taxi driver alive and then calming his hysterical wife.”

  “And Dad considered his story one for the grandkids.”

  “Your father has a story, too?”

  “Don’t ask.”

  Epilogue

  Cassidy could still hear the doctor’s words this afternoon. Mrs. Edwards, fantastic news. You’re pregnant.

  What a wonderful early Ch
ristmas present!

  Undoubtedly, the sweetest words she’d ever heard. And that surprised her. If anyone had told her seven months ago that by December she would be happily married with a baby on the way, she would have had them committed.

  Of course, they planned on being married at least a year before starting a family. Mother Nature had other plans, however. She conceived during their month-long European honeymoon.

  Clayton had been beside himself with excitement when she’d returned home with the news. And her father would call a national holiday when he learned about his first grandchild’s pending arrival. Cassidy wanted a carbon copy of Clayton; she could not believe it was possible to love another human being so much. She couldn’t be happier.

  “Aren’t you sleeping, honey?” Clayton turned on the bedside lamp and then propped himself up on one elbow.

  “I can’t believe how happy I am. Within the past seven months, I’ve quit my career as a corporate attorney, moved half way across the country, met my Mr. Right, married him in the wedding of my dreams, and now I’m expecting our baby. So much for the corporate career life I believed meant the world to me.”

  “I’ve no objection to you working.”

  “Forget it. I’m going to enjoy every minute of this pregnancy and motherhood, and I have no intention of working. Unless you count decorating the nursery.”

  “Don’t overdo it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the child isn’t due for another seven months.”

  “I’m leaning towards yellow. Very unisex.”

  “Forget it, pink or blue. And as soon as we learn the baby’s sex, I can start buying the appropriate sports equipment.”

  “You can start buying diapers and a crib and a stroller and a high chair and…”

  “Let’s get some sleep first. Having babies is very tiring.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “Not a bit. I’m extremely happy. But I’ve so much time to make up for. Do you realize how many years I spent distrusting people’s intentions? Until I’ve met you, I never noticed how many people do things for others with no ulterior motives involved.”