"I'm glad. With that in mind, I think Payton and I have what it takes to build a good life together. I love her. When I look at her, I see the woman of my dreams and a wonderful step-mother to my child. I see my lover and my best friend. With that being said, I came here to ask for your blessing as I prepare to ask for her hand in marriage."
I'm not sure I could make out what Helen was saying. She was all choked up with emotion. Her arms flew open, and she welcomed me to the family with tears in her eyes. She sobbed tears of joy for what seemed like an eternity.
"Will, aren't you so happy? Come here, honey. Our Payton is getting married. And this time, he's a good catch!"
"It's about time our youngest finally got married." Will had his daughters mixed up.
"Honey, I'm talking about Payton, not Rebecca. Cole is going to ask Payton to marry him."
"Right. Isn't that nice? I'm so happy for you, Cole."
"Thank you, Sir." We gave each other a firm hug.
"I feel so relieved now that I have your blessing."
"Cole, did you ever doubt that you would have our blessing?" Helen said.
"No, but a man can never be too certain. I just wanted to make sure I went about this the right way."
"We appreciate the thought and consideration, but you have to know that I've been your biggest fan from day one. The first time I saw the two of you together at the Inn, I remember thinking you would make a good match. Will tried to get me to stay out of it, but that's just not in my DNA."
Will sniggled as he sat down and took the first bite out of his sandwich.
"Please eat, Cole. Clearly, William is helping himself already. There's no need for us to stand here and starve. I know you have to get back to work soon, but I'd hate for you to leave here hungry."
"Thanks, Helen."
I took a seat at the table with them and thought this was the perfect time to ask for some marital advice.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are the key ingredients that have helped you and Will to sustain a long and happy marriage?"
"Hmm,” she said while eating her fruit.
"It would have to be the fact that we were already best friends, strong communication, and knowing when to agree to disagree."
"Well said. Thankfully, I think we have the key ingredients you described. That, coupled with our love for Emmie, makes me feel pretty blessed."
"As you should. You all will make a beautiful family together. Do you already have an idea of what you want to do for the proposal?" she asked.
"I'm glad you mentioned it. I still have a few details that need to be ironed out, but I was hoping to elicit your help."
"Oooh, this is so exciting. What can I do?"
"Well, since the Fourth of July is coming up soon, I thought we could make this a family affair at my place. We can grill, enjoy the sunset, and the fireworks on the beach. This way, Payton will think we're just gathering and will have no idea about what's to come. What do you think?"
She jumped up and squeezed me. To me, it only made sense that those who were close to us would be involved. We're all very big on family.
She took her seat again.
"Everyone is going to love being a part of this,” Helen said.
"Perfect. If you can just make arrangements for Abby, Wyatt, the kids, and Rebecca to be at my house around two, that would be perfect. Rebecca can even bring a plus one if she'd like. I'll make sure there's plenty of food, and I'll tell Payton that we want to have you guys over for a cookout. How does that sound?"
"It's perfect. She won't suspect a thing."
"I knew you were the person to help pull this off, Helen."
"You bet. But aren't you under pressure time-wise? The fourth is just a couple of weeks away."
"I think I can do it. "
Will excused himself from the table. As he passed me by, he stopped and rested his hand on my shoulder.
"Good luck to you, son. You'll have to excuse me while I head back to my recliner."
Will was sticking to his routine just as Helen had promised. I was just so happy to know that he seemed please with the proposal. I knew this would mean the world to Payton.
"Thank you, Will."
I turned to Helen. "I guess this would be a good time for me to head back to work. I have a basement renovation waiting for my finishing touch."
"I'm sure it's going to be a beauty,” she said.
I was so thankful for my future in-laws. I confirmed a date for us to check-in regarding plans for the fourth. Afterward, I left feeling really good about things. The next task before me… planning the most romantic proposal that Payton has ever experienced and will never forget.
Payton
It was the morning of the fourth of July. I laid in bed, contemplating if I had made the right decision to close the store for the day. I don't know why I worried about it so much. My sales were doing well, and most families wouldn't be concerned about taking pictures today. My quiet thought time was interrupted by a knock on my bedroom door.
"Payton, it's me. Are you awake?" I thought it was funny that mom always asks me if I'm awake. If I wasn't, I guess that would be my cue to get up anyway.
"Come on in. Just lying here being lazy,” I said.
She entered sounding more energetic than usual and plopped down at the foot of the bed.
"Happy Fourth of July!"
"Somebody is bright-eyed and chipper this morning. Happy fourth to you too!"
"Well, there's a lot to be excited about. For one, you're actually home on a Saturday morning. That's unheard of."
"Funny you should mention it. I was just laying here questioning my decision to close for the day."
"I don't know why. Both you and Natalie deserve a day off. I could understand if you had a clothing store but come on, Payton. You need to take a long and hard look at your holidays for the remainder of the year as well."
"I will, Mom. So what's on your mind this morning? I know you didn't come in here just to wish me a happy fourth."
"No, I didn't. I was in the kitchen, getting the ingredients together for my strawberry shortcake. I thought it might be nice to make some to bring to Cole's this afternoon. What do you think?"
"Are you talking about the one where you make the whipped cream and biscuits from scratch?"
"That's the one!" she said.
"My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Let me know if you need help. I could use a few pointers for making summer desserts."
"Wonderful. But first we have to start with breakfast. How about I whip up some scrambled eggs and bacon? Maybe even pancakes if you'd like?"
"Mom, you sure know how to spoil me. What will I ever do when I finally move out of here and find my own place?"
"You'll take all of my recipes with you and carry on the tradition plus add to it and create some of your own,” she said.
"True."
"You and dad don't know how grateful I am for the extra time I've had here with you. It really helped me while getting the business on its feet. I wouldn't have saved a penny if I did it any other way."
"I remember those days. We were practically broke for the first couple of years after opening the Inn. Somehow we managed to hang in there."
"Do you miss the Inn?" I asked Mom.
"I do. Our livelihood existed at the Inn. I miss the friendships and day to day things that would keep us on our toes. Now it seems like we've very quickly fallen into a routine at home. I'm thankful, but it doesn't look anything like our original retirement plans,” mom said.
"Maybe that's something I can help you work on. I know it frightened you the day dad got lost, but he made it home safe. You can't let that scare you into staying home all the time."
"I guess you're right."
"You know what we should do for fun?" I said.
"What?"
"We should go visit the Inn and see what they've done with the place. I bet it will bring back nice memories."
"Either that or all the cha
nges they've made will make me cry."
"Oh, come on, Mom. This isn't like you at all. At least give it a try."
"I will. In the meantime, we have a fun afternoon to prepare for. Time to get up and get on the good foot!"
She marched out of the room chanting, “Left, left, left, right, left. I'll see you in the kitchen in ten minutes."
When the door closed, I buried myself back under the covers. The Lord knows he didn't gift me with the ability to be an early morning person.
Later that afternoon, I drove mom and dad over to Cole's house. I was impressed with how well he decorated the beach house to give it a patriotic feel. I thought surely he had help from Alice and Emmie because the place looked spectacular.
When we arrived, we walked around back to find everyone mingling and talking.
"Here they are." Alice was the first to greet us with Emmie following closely behind.
"Hi, Alice. Happy Fourth of July,” I said.
"Same to you, Payton. Don't you look pretty."
"Thank you. It's going to be a challenge to keep this all-white sundress free from barbecue sauce."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage just fine."
She went on to say hello to my parents and find a cool spot for my dad to sit.
"Emmie, look at you all color-coordinated red, white, and blue from head to toe."
She wore the cutest bathing suit top with color-coordinated shorts. All of the kids were in their swimwear and looked like they were ready to hit the beach.
"My tongue is color coordinated too. See." She stuck out her tongue to show me the evidence of red and blue popsicles. My niece and nephew did the same.
"I used to love eating the Firecracker popsicles when I was a little girl. I hope you saved one for me."
"We did. There's extra in the freezer."
Cole came over and welcomed me with a kiss and brushed my hair into place with his fingers. I always loved it when he showed affection.
"Eww, gross,” the kids said in total disgust.
"Hey, you say that now, but I bet you'll change your tune when you're my age," Cole said.
We kissed one more time before sneaking a peek at my mother's strawberry shortcake.
"Mmm, what do we have here?"
Mom was quick to answer as she secured the dish, "It's my signature strawberry shortcake. I made plenty for everyone to enjoy after dinner."
"She doesn't play around with her desserts, Cole. She usually has to keep a close watch, so dessert doesn't disappear before dinner is served,” Rebecca warned.
"That's because we have two dessert thieves in our midst," Abby said.
"Who…me?" I pointed to myself, pretending not to know what she was talking about.
"Yes, you and Rebecca. It never fails. Mom puts the dessert out on the table for everyone to enjoy, and these two go back for seconds and thirds. Before you know it, it's all gone, and they're standing around blaming each other."
"I plead the fifth," Rebecca said.
"Okay, Miss Lawyer A.K.A dessert thief," I said.
Just as we were teasing each other and having fun, I heard a knocking sound on the deck.
"Hello, everybody!" Ethan said.
My mouth opened at the site of Ethan, walking over to give Rebecca a hug. I hadn't seen him in ages. He looked good in his docker shorts and beach sandals. She was always a sucker for the preppy type, and Ethan definitely fit the bill.
"That's her old high school sweetheart," I whispered to Cole.
Cole didn't really know the history behind Ethan and Rebecca. I'd have to fill him in on the whole story later on.
Ethan walked around and said hello to all of the family. Dad couldn't remember him but played along as best as he could. My mother just about cried. In her heart of hearts, Ethan was supposed to become a future son in law after their college graduation.
"Payton, I understand congratulations are in order." He headed towards me with his arms wide open. Before I could clarify what he was talking about, Rebecca started clearing her throat so loud I almost forgot my trend of thought.
"Are you alright?" I asked her.
"Oh, I'm fine. Something must've gone down the wrong pipe." She gave Ethan a funny look.
I refocused my attention on Ethan. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
"Ethan was congratulating you on opening up your new store. I told him all about it,” Rebecca answered.
"Ohhhh, the store. Yes, of course. Thank you. How have you been, Ethan?"
"I've been well. My time in California was pretty nice, but as they say, there's no place like home."
"Well, I'm so glad you're back. It's really good to see you. Allow me to introduce you to Cole."
Cole shook Ethan's hand.
"Cole, nice to meet you. Thanks for extending an invitation."
"Likewise, I'm glad to have you."
Alice tapped her glass with a fork to get everyone's attention.
"Welcome, everyone. Although this is officially my son's gathering, he called upon me to help in the catering department."
Everyone laughed. I think by now, it was common knowledge that Cole couldn't cook.
"I did elicit a little help from him. And by help, I mean that he turned on the grill and set up the ice bucket."
Wyatt shouted, "Come on, man, you can do better than that. At least put the meat on the grill."
Again there was more laughter.
"You tell him, Wyatt." Mom teased.
"But seriously, there's corn on the cob, potato salad, and plenty of food from the grill for everyone. And don't forget to leave room for Helen's strawberry shortcake when you're done. Please dig in and enjoy!"
It felt so good to spend the day with the family. We all ate and laughed and then ate and laughed some more. We took the kids down to the shore and let them play until their hearts were content. I even took a few photos to capture the occasion and add to my family album.
Around sunset, Cole came to the kitchen to make an announcement.
"Alright, everyone. Every year it's a tradition that Emmie and I have a front-row seat on the beach to see the spectacular fireworks. This year we've planned something extra special that you don't want to miss."
"Payton, if you will join me, I have a front-row seat planned especially for you."
I took his hand and followed his lead. The family followed behind us. On the beach, we entered a path of tiki torches that were beautifully lit.
"Cole, this is so pretty."
"I'm glad you like it. There's more at the end of the path,” he said.
I looked behind me to see everyone following a few feet behind. Several of them had cameras in hand recording Cole and me. He started to speak.
"It wasn't long ago that I walked into the Inn at Pelican Beach. I can close my eyes and see you standing at the front desk just like it was yesterday. You were so beautiful then, and you're even more beautiful to me now."
He stopped at the end of the path where there was a bed of red roses in the shape of a heart.
I could feel the tears immediately start running down my face. He took me by the hand and helped me step inside the heart with him.
"As time progressed, we grew in friendship, you welcomed Emmie into your heart, and then we fell in love. I didn't think I could fall in love again. You showed me that I was wrong. I created this heart that we're standing in as a symbol to demonstrate that you will forever have a place inside my heart. With that being said, there's one more symbol that I want to show you."
Cole put his arm around me and pointed up to the sky as the fireworks began. An array of colors started falling from the sky. Then just as big as ever the words formed in bold red letters ‘Payton Will You Marry Me?’ As the colors continued to burst forth, Cole got down on one knee.
"Payton, will you give me the honor of becoming my wife?" He presented me with a sparkling diamond ring.
I felt a big lump in my throat that made it difficult to speak. Somehow I still managed to belt out th
e word yes loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!"
He placed the ring on my finger and planted a kiss that gave me butterflies. We held each other for what seemed like forever while the fireworks continued to light up the sky.
The family cheered and whistled like a bunch of hooligans in the background. Cole signaled for them to join us.
"She said yes!!"
The cameras flashed, and the videos continued to record.
"She said yes!!" He repeated.
I hugged mom and dad and continued right on down the line exchanging tears along with hugs and kisses.
"I can't believe y'all knew about this and didn't say a word."
"Mr. Ethan almost blew the secret," Emmie said.
"He sure did, but we cleaned it up just in time." Rebecca agreed.
I don't know how I managed to go through the whole day without suspecting anything, but Cole pulled it off. There was no way I would be able to sleep tonight, but I didn't care. Tonight was absolutely the best night of my life.
Epilogue: Payton
January 1st had come and gone so quickly I hardly could believe it. Cole and I decided on a July wedding, but with six months left, we still hadn't made up our minds about a venue. Today I was meeting Rebecca and Abby for lunch so they could help me wrap my head around a few wedding plans.
"I need your help. I thought surely I'd be done with all the wedding planning by now, and the rest of the planning would be a cakewalk. Instead, I'm really starting to stress out."
"What on earth do you have to stress out about? You are marrying the most easy-going guy in the world. Cole doesn't care where you guys get married. And it's not like this is your first rodeo. You've done this before. You got this,” Abby said.
"Then why is it starting to feel so complicated? We can't seem to settle on a venue to save our lives. We visited at least eight places and even considered traveling as far as Naples. No matter where we visited, there was either something wrong with the dates, the venue itself, or the food."
Abby and I dug right into our food when it was served. I noticed Rebecca hadn't touched hers and seemed rather distant.
"Well, maybe it's time for you guys to brainstorm and start thinking out of the box. For example, does it have to be a traditional venue type of wedding?" Abby said.
Sunsets At Pelican Beach (Pelican Beach Book 2) Page 10