by Jerry Cole
“You can’t go to your wedding looking like a scullery maid,” Rhea insisted. “These flowers give you class.”
Kori calmed down. “Okay, whatever you like.” She then turned to Ness. “Since Papa’s not here, will you escort me down the aisle?”
“I’d be honored,” he said taking her hand.
“But for now, I need to finish getting ready.”
Ness nodded. “Of course. I’ll wait for you outside.”
“No, we’re being driven over. You and Darren walk on. We’ll meet you there.”
“That’s fine.” Ness left what had been their father’s room. Kori and two of the sisters still lived in the family home, but Dorkas had moved in with her new boyfriend.
Ness found Darren outside in the courtyard, sitting on the wall and staring out at the sea. Ness went up behind Darren and put his arms around his shoulders.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Better than okay.”
“We’ve got to go to the church soon. Want to walk over? I feel like stretching my legs. Kori and the sisters are being driven over.”
“A walk sounds fine.”
Darren picked up his coat and slung it over his arm. It was warm, and even in just a shirt and tie, he was beginning to look uncomfortable, Ness noticed. Ness was wearing a dark suit.
“Aren’t you too warm?” Darren asked, glancing over.
“I’m used to it,” Ness said.
Ness took Darren’s arm and they started strolling toward the church. As they passed the corner where the man had propositioned Ness on that fateful night after the club—not all that long ago—Ness had to smile. He’d never shared that experience with Darren and decided it was his own private moment.
As they approached the church, the guests were gathering and the groom was waiting at the door with the bride’s bouquet. The church was not very large, and Ness was wondering if everyone would fit inside. The entrance to the church was decorated with a number of ribbons fluttering in the breeze. Bouquets of flowers were hung around the entrance and inside along the few rows of pews.
Ness greeted the doctor-groom. He turned to Darren. “I’m escorting Kori since Papa’s not here. You go on in—bride’s family first two rows on the left.”
Darren took Ness’ hand briefly, then went inside.
Ness waited with the doctor for Kori to arrive, which she did shortly. Ness escorted her out of the car while the bridesmaids and the groom handed Kori the bouquet and went in.
“Are you ready, darling sister?” Ness asked.
She smiled nervously. “I am.”
Ness led her down the aisle to the chanting of the priest. The guests, in a traditional blessing to ward off the evil eye, dry spat at the bride. The ceremony was traditional and simple. And Kori looked regal as she accepted the doctor as her husband.
The reception was to be held at the doctor’s house—and Kori’s new home. The guests trailed over from the church to the comfortable sprawling house up the hill from the town center.
Music could be heard coming from the house even before it was reached. Ness and Darren followed the group of guests. As they approached, dancing had already started and, as they danced, a number of the male dancers grabbed plates from stacks on a nearby table and smashed them in the center of the dancing circle.
Darren had not seen this before and asked Ness, “What are they doing?”
“Just celebrating. It marks a special occasion.”
“That must get expensive,” Darren said.
“They use plates made just for breaking. They are not that expensive, and you have to admit, it’s impressive and catches your attention. Opa!” Ness exclaimed as he grabbed Darren’s hand and led him to the dancing circle.
The food, the drink, and the dancing continued far into the evening. But Ness could see that Darren was exhausted. Not only the rigors of the wedding but jetlag seemed to contribute to Darren’s flagging energy.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go,” Ness suggested.
“Oh Ness, it’s your sister’s wedding, how can you leave now?”
“We’ll see her tomorrow. I’ve arranged a special family dinner at the house in her honor.”
“That’s nice. And I have to admit, I am about to collapse.”
Ness took Darren’s hand and led him to the bride and groom, who were having money pinned to their clothing, a tradition for weddings.
Ness shook hands with the doctor and congratulated him in Greek. He leaned in to his sister and said, “All the very best congratulations and future happiness, darling sister. But we must go now. We’ll see you at the family gathering tomorrow.”
“And to you, both, infinite happiness and prosperity,” Darren said, as he pinned a five-hundred-Euro note on Kori’s dress.
She took his hand. “Thank you, Darren. And thank you for the extravagant wedding present. A dishwasher. How thoughtful.”
Darren wasn’t sure if she was grateful or being sarcastic.
Ness turned and led Darren toward the door. At the side, there was a table with small packets of sugared almonds, a traditional gift to the wedding guests.
“Here,” Ness said, as he handed a packet to Darren.
“Oh, and these are?”
“Jordon almonds. You put them under your pillow, and then you’ll dream of the person you will marry.”
Darren looked askance at Ness. “Don’t you dare…”
Ness laughed. “We’ve never discussed it. But now that it’s legal in the U.S., any thoughts?”
“Wouldn’t say yes, wouldn’t say no. But for me, it’s what’s in our hearts that count.”
“But wouldn’t you like to dance at our wedding?”
“I would dance with you anytime you like—wedding or not.”
Their car was waiting for them in the town square. Darren collapsed in the back seat, put his head on Ness’ shoulder, and was soon dozing.
Back at the hotel, they undressed silently and crawled into the comfortable bed, snuggling in close together. And before drifting off to sleep, Ness reached over to grab his pants, which were hanging over the back of a chair. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the packet of almonds, and without disturbing Darren, slipped them then under his pillow before falling asleep to dream about whom he might marry.
*fin*
If you're interested in hearing about my future works, join the Jerry Cole Reader Club! Subscribers will get all the books shown here & more! You'll hear about my latest releases as well as get access to exclusive content & offers (e.g., discounted & free books!). No spam, I promise! Membership is free. No obligation to buy anything & unsubscribe anytime. You will receive your free eBooks immediately after subscribing, sent via email.
Click Here to Download Your Free eBooks!
Download these books & more for free today!
Authors Note
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I hope you have enjoyed reading this book as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Are you a fan of my work? Here are several other ways you can support me without spending a penny. Authors wouldn't be anywhere without readers like you, so your support REALLY means a lot & keeps me going.
>> Click Here to Leave a Review (Amazon.com) <<
>> Click Here to Leave a Review (Amazon UK) <<
>> Click Here to Leave a Review (Amazon Canada) <<
>> Click Here to Leave a Review (Amazon Australia) <<
Please consider leaving a review. It would take just a few moments & mean the world to me to hear your opinion. Reviews can be left on Amazon &/or Goodreads. You can use the links above to leave a review for the book you just read. You can also support other reviewers of my books. Under Amazon book reviews you’ll see "Was this review helpful to you?". Click "Yes" for reviews you agree with & "No" for reviews you disagree with. Goodreads has a similar feature, where you can “Like” reviews.
Join my reader club. Free books (including several exclusives), updates on my latest r
eleases & discounts on eBooks at launch. This is also your chance to connect with me on a more personal level.
Follow me on Amazon. Visit my Amazon page & click the orange “+Follow” button (located on the left side of the page).
Connect with me on Facebook. Visit & like my facebook page. Like &/or comment on my posts. Sharing my posts, especially new book launch posts is also very helpful.
Tell your friend & family about my books. A personal recommendation is one of the best compliments you can give me. Spread news of my new book releases on your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs, etc.). Amazon has share buttons right on the book page (on the right hand side, below “Add to Wish List”).
Host a book reading party. Share your favorite (or my latest) book with your family & friends, the host can read it out loud or everyone can take turns with different chapters.
Request local bookstores carry my books. Let book store managers know they can order them through Ingram (book distributor).
Help point out technical issues. Did you notice a grammatical or formatting issue? I have an editor & a small team of proof-readers who help, but occasionally small issues sneak through. If you spot anything, let me know: [email protected]
Books by Jerry Cole
It is recommended to visit the authors website for an up to date list of book releases. http://www.jerrycoleauthor.com