A Legacy for Bryan

by Marlene Bierworth

  “Ah, that’s the reason for all the lights I see going up everywhere?”

  “I love the atmosphere multiple light creates, especially when intermingled with flowers and shrubs. I’ve had visions of my wedding, strings of lights making up the background for everything—illuminating gazeboes for privacy and cheek-to-cheek dancing. The gourmet feast will be held in the dining tent and after the meal, the room will be transformed into a dance hall with a live band entertaining. We’ll need one-hundred chairs for the closest of our friends and relatives and a green carpet running all the way to the beach where you will be waiting for me under a regal archway to say our vows as the sun sets behind us.”

  He grinned. “You’ve been thinking about this day for a while, haven’t you?”

  “All my life, it seems.” She laughed. “I was blessed with the heart of a sleeping beauty who has waited a long time for her Prince Charming.”

  “All about God’s timing, right?”

  “I can see that you and I are going to get along fine, Bryan Charter. We think alike.”

  “You wouldn’t have said that four months ago,” Bryan said.

  “You’re probably right.” She dragged him to a private alcove and turned to face him. “This is where it will all happen. Do you like it?”

  “Who wouldn’t? It’s a piece of paradise right in your back yard.”

  “Complete with the perfect sunset view and a gentle breeze that kisses the sand while its granules pepper your cheek.”

  “That might not sound so romantic to your guests while dressed in all their finery.”

  “Phooey—anyone who knows me has been to this place and will come prepared for whatever the evening has to throw at us.”

  “What if it rains?”

  “Bite your tongue.” She sighed. “But if that should happen, there is a plan B. The bride—that would be me, in case you’re in doubt—will descend upon the guests via the exclusive staircase in her childhood home, follow the green carpet which will be speckled with red rose petals that the train of my wedding gown will sweep under me for safekeeping as I pass by on the way to meet my husband-to-be in the grand foyer. It will be decorated with flowers and archways, and the wedding march will play softly, like a lullaby, as I enter my happy-ever-after.”

  “That’s quite the vision of loveliness,” Bryan said. “Either way, I will be there, dressed in a tux I can’t afford and thanking God for every miracle he has given me these past months…especially for a lifetime with you.”

  “Don’t you know that the bride’s family always pays for the wedding, so you will have your tux, my dear. Do you have a close friend that will stand up with you? I only have one maid of honor. Keeping it simple.”

  “To be honest, there is no one in my past I would call a true friend. That’s a sad confession for a twenty-six-year-old man to make.”

  “Can I pick one for you?” she asked.

  “That’s a rather unusual request. Do I know him?”

  “Not yet, but he attends the same church in town that we do, and it might be someone your father met when he came calling on your stepmother. I think you might like him.”

  “You got that funny glint in your eye again,” Bryan said. “Get the feeling you know something that I don’t know.”

  She couldn’t lie, so she slathered it with a touch of mystery. “This reading-of-the-will business is very secretive,” she said grinning, “but I’m praying you will be pleased with the final outcome.”

  “Two months from now, right? When I’m declared officially disinherited, and the world will know what a failure I’ve been.”

  “Never a failure in my eyes,” she said as she slipped into his arms. “Just a work in progress, as we all are.”

  The day before the big day, Bryan’s half-brother texted and agreed to meet Katelyn. She was nervous to leave the introductions this late in the game, only twenty hours before she would walk down the aisle, knowing this could all backfire in her face. To her, the news Frank Bennis had shared at their last encounter concerning the illegitimate child Bryan Charter III had fathered, did not come as a shock. She’d been told of his carefree ways with women in the past, but to discover that the lost boy actually attended her home church in South Carolina was, indeed, exciting, and she could not resist the temptation to have him at the wedding. That he would stand up with Bryan had come as a spontaneous plus to her way of thinking. She only hoped the groom would feel the same way.

  So, with nervousness nipping at her heels, Katelyn slipped away to meet Jayson, and after scanning the patrons in the fifties-coffee-shop, she recognized him immediately. It wasn’t because she knew what he looked like, for her church was massive, and she was not in attendance on a regular basis, but he had the same dark eyes and hair as his birth-father and Bryan. A sudden recognition hit her, as she recalled the connection she’d felt when the man had passed her on the lower deck of the Sea Winder.

  She reached out her hand, “Jayson?”

  He scampered to his feet. “Katelyn Simms—so nice to meet you. I’ve heard your name mentioned in mission services and the work you do in Kenya countless times. It’s nice to finally see the lady in person.”

  “Not to mention that we will soon be family,” she said soaring headlong into the heart of the matter. “How do you feel about that?”

  They both sat, and the waitress came to refill his cup and start a new one for Katelyn. “Anything else I can get you two?”

  “Maybe a couple of those apple fritters,” Jayson said. “Haven’t had my sugar fix yet today. How about you, Katelyn? You look like the bran muffin type.”

  She laughed. “As a matter of fact, I love muffins of any kind, but today I feel like stepping out of the box and indulging with your sugary donut craze.” Katelyn nodded to the waitress,” Only one, please,” and then lifted her cup to sip a bit of courage.

  When they were alone again, Jayson said, “In answer to your question, none of it has registered yet, which makes me a tad bit fearful of facing the famous party-animal, Bryan Charter the Fourth.”

  “He’s not all that bad. Not since he found the Lord. Believe me, I would not marry a party-animal. It’s true that he created quite the reputation for himself, but he’s had a rough go of it, and his relationship with his father wasn’t so great at the end, or any time, come to think of it.”

  “We’re in good company, then. I never met my birthfather and the man I called Dad died a few years back. Mom says the money’s rolled in monthly from the Charter estate to help support the old man’s mistake. It’s not a good feeling to know you were a mistake, nothing more than a stolen moment between two drunk people.”

  “I suppose not,” Katelyn said, “but you seem to have survived it to adulthood, and you’re a Christian, too, so that only goes to prove you were never a mistake. God had his hand on you the entire time.”

  “Maybe…you just met me, remember?”

  “Are you coming to the wedding?” she asked.

  “Attending the wedding of the great missionary Katelyn Simms is one thing, but your invitation to stand beside a stranger, who is long lost kin, is quite another.”

  “I’m sorry, I should have asked you first before I mentioned it to Bryan, but when my future husband admitted he did not have any suitable friends to invite to his wedding, it saddened me. You seemed vaguely familiar when I passed you by on the yacht at the reading of the will, so when I was there the second time, Mr. Bennis filled in the blanks about the sticky-situation of the skeleton in the family closet.”

  “I don’t think I’m the only mistake Bryan Charter III birthed,” Jayson said.

  Katelyn groaned. “Let’s deal with one surprise at a time. When you lived so close, I grabbed the opportunity thinking that you might want to meet the new family.”

  “I can’t just walk into a new family that easily. My mother considers her old flame having intervened in my life at this particular moment in time, as an answer to her prayers, but I’m not sold. The old man c
an’t ignore me my entire life and then buy me off after he’s dead. Besides, his conditions are absurd.”

  “Ah, yes, I know about conditions firsthand,” Katelyn laughed. “Will you come as a guest and just look on then?”

  He emptied the contents of his cup and picked up his apple fritter after it had been delivered. “But I’ll do you one better, sister—I’ve got my overnight bag packed, and I’ll stand beside your man, but not as his brother. You can say I’m a friend from the church who supports your mission endeavors.”

  “Do you?”

  “Sure, I give to missions every month, and I’ve looked at your table of collectables, but you wouldn’t remember me. The congregation swarms you every time you visit, and all the faces must look the same after awhile. You do a good work. Congratulations.”

  “I appreciate the church’s backing and I love my home congregation,” Katelyn said. “And now Bryan assists the foundation in Nairobi. We’ve just returned from three months of ministry and will be going back in October.”

  “Good for him.”

  Had she detected a chip the size of a boulder on his shoulder?

  “Well, this bride has a lot to do today, so I suggest we head out to the Manor,” Katelyn said. “You’ll know my parents, of course, so it will make your story sound plausible.”

  “Deceiving your man on the eve of his wedding,” Jayson said with a hint of deviousness that Katelyn did not like, but it was already too late; the wheels were in motion.

  Until death do us part.

  Chapter 14

  The introductions went smoothly, and the family carried the weight of the conversation, allowing Bryan the luxury of sitting back to study his designated best man. It was his own fault. He should have dragged one of his buddies to witness his vows, but he knew too well that would have ended in a disaster. Too much alcohol found its way to such an event, and no one he hung with would have handled that availability well.

  “Bryan, are you listening?” Katelyn asked.

  “Sorry. Vegged out there for a minute.”

  “Jayson says he plays guitar in the band at church. Didn’t you tell me once you’d had lessons?”

  “I did. Four years of hammering the notes into my head,” Bryan said. “It wasn’t until after I’d quit formal training that I found my groove and learned to enjoy playing the instrument.”

  “What kind of music do you like?” Jayson asked.

  “You’d probably like me to say Christian, but to be honest, haven’t heard much in that genre.”

  “I didn’t ask with the intention of your appeasing me with an answer I might want to hear,” Jayson said. “What do you play?”

  “Country, mostly. Some pop tunes, and occasionally I drift back to my classical training. It’s not half-bad now that it’s not being forced on me.”

  “I can relate to that,” Jayson said with a chuckle. “I like to do things in my own time, my own way, and for some reason, it tends to rub a lot of folks the wrong way.”

  “We have a music room, boys,” Mr. Simms said. “I’m sure there’s a couple of guitars in there.”

  “Mighty kind of you, sir,” Jayson said. “Since I didn’t have time to plan a bachelor party for the groom, maybe a quiet evening at home might be a better choice before your daughter whisks him back into the jungle.”

  “It’s not as bad as you think,” Bryan said. “The Natives are quite interesting if one has an open mind.”

  Katelyn laughed. “That comment coming from a man with only two excursions into the bushland under his belt. I went easy on him the first time around. Look out when we get back.”

  “Bring it on, woman,” Bryan said, assurance welling up inside him.

  “I think Katelyn has found her match in Bryan,” Mrs. Simms said. “He seems just as eager to board that plane and disappear on the other side of the world as she is.”

  “Maybe we’re too civilized for them,” Jayson said.

  “Exactly what I would have said a few months ago,” Bryan said. “Have you ever been on a mission trip?”

  “Me? My mother has held me close to home. Did my stint at university, thanks to my father,” he said, casting a glance in Katelyn’s direction, “working daytime in a luxury office on Main Street and in the dredges, providing cut-rate doctoring to the down and outers at night, while mom continues to cook my supper and make my bed.”

  “That’s very noble,” Mrs. Simms said. “And you’ve never found your Miss Right?”

  “Figure she’ll drop into my lap when the time’s right. I don’t keep tabs on conquests like some other fellas.”

  Jayson didn’t look at his half-brother, and Katelyn wondered what his peeve was. Bryan didn’t seem bothered by it, so she let the comment die in a pile of silence where it belonged.

  “I hate to be a party crasher, but Cindy will be here any minute, and we girls have plans for the evening.” Katelyn stood and kissed Bryan on the cheek. “Will you show the boys to the music room, father when you’re finished here?”

  “Your mother and I have some last-minute details to work out with the caterers, so come on fellas. Maybe I have the time for a tune or two. Not too bad on the piano, if I do say so myself.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Mrs. Simms said. “It’s been a while since you’ve had some boys to play with. When you’re finished, why don’t you go shoot some pool? Have some fun for a change, and don’t give us girls another thought. This is Bryan’s last night as a bachelor, after all, and he needs to see it out in top form with good company.”

  The evening went off well. Bryan was surprised how much fun he could have with two strangers and no booze. The last part never ceased to amaze him—he’d been totally delivered from even the desire to drink and party. That had been the one sustaining factor as he’d worked through this journey. If that had been the only grace God had bestowed upon him, it would have been enough but no, the blessings kept coming. He was having a hard time containing it all inside the puny person he’d been all those years. Now, he saw himself as his Creator did, and it felt so good to be whole. Even losing the money couldn’t phase him, and he prayed that the Lord would at least see it go somewhere useful in His hurting world.

  The next day dawned bright and sunny, and he knew Katelyn would be ecstatic that she could have her outdoor wedding. He watched from his window as the trucks arrived, the tents were erected, and the beach scene was created. He caught a glimpse of the love of his life, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail, jean shorts, and a t-shirt, flitting here and there, giving last-minute instructions. The workers seemed to have a handle on it without her help, but they tolerated the anxious bride anyway.

  Finally, her mother appeared to drag her away from the beach. Bryan knew there were hair, nail, and makeup appointments all morning, and the prized gown and seamstress would be arriving in the early afternoon to ensure the bride arrived at her wedding ceremony looking perfect. Katelyn could wear a sack, and he’d be just as happy—as long as her last name was Charter by the end of the day.

  Jayson kept him company through most of the day. They drove into town, and Bryan was treated to a shopping spree at a music store, where he purchased a small guitar to bring to Nairobi for Jerrod. It would be fun to teach the African boy how to play the instrument. The Maasai certainly had music in their blood. At the sports depot, Bryan discovered that Jayson was an avid fisherman and rifleman. When he suggested that Jayson visit Kenya, the man’s eyes grew cold, and the subject was dropped immediately.

  It was at lunch, when his companion ordered an entire bottle of wine and two glasses, that the feeling of his being tested by Jayson was clinched.

  “I don’t drink anymore but thank you just the same.”

  Jayson looked dubious. “How does one just quit the lifestyle you’ve lived for so many years?”

  “Not through my own power, that’s for sure,” Bryan said, happy to share his miracle. “God’s keeping power is all that sustains me. That, and the fact, that I don’t think
I could slap Him in the face by turning back to my former lifestyle. Love has a strange hold on a man.”

  “And what of your love for Katelyn? Are you not afraid of slapping her in the face after all she’s done for you?”

  “Ah, so that’s where this is headed,” Bryan said. “You think I will disappoint or perhaps even throw our marriage to the wind just so I can return to my old lifestyle?”

  “The thought did cross my mind.”

  “The sign of a good friend indeed,” Bryan said, grateful this had been the reason for Jayson ’s underlying resistance. “Well, rest easy—I will never take Katelyn for granted one minute of our married life, and I’d certainly never trade her in for the lonely past I knew without her. She’s a keeper.”

  “I’m sure the church will be glad to know that.”

  “Maybe, before we head back, we can arrange a time to speak to the congregation. I can give my testimony of what the Lord has done, and Katelyn can talk about our work in Kenya.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll talk to the pastor while you’re honeymooning. By the way, where are you going?”

  “Is that necessary information for the groomsman?”

  The men laughed, and Bryan relaxed. He was thrilled with Katelyn’s choice for a best man. Jayson was all right, and Bryan wished there was more time to build a friendship with the man. Maybe there would be when they’d returned from the cozy little cottage they’d rented in the hills of Virginia. The cottage was off the grid and completely private, and he couldn’t wait to have her all to himself for two entire weeks.

  Bryan stood and watched the guests being ushered to their seats, which were cloaked with blue coverings and positioned in a u-shape that went around the grand archway at the front. They stood in perfect rows of ten deep and six wide on each side of the green walkway down the center. He knew a scant few of them—his guests only took up the first two rows to the right. Waves lapped against the shore—it was like music to his ears.