by Jenna Brandt
As soon as Pastor Gordon said the words, she knew he was right. She used what happened with Tinley to push Ethan away to keep from getting hurt again.
“Thank you, Pastor Gordon, I appreciate you talking with me. You’ve really helped,” Nicole said, standing up.
“Will I see you at church on Sunday?” he asked with a hopeful tone.
She nodded. “I think it’s time I make things right, not only with God, but with Ethan too.”
“I think that sounds like a good plan, and you should invite that husband of yours to come with you.”
Chapter 8
Ethan changed the code to the gate and sent a message to Tinley telling her in no uncertain terms to leave them alone. He told her if she stepped foot back on his property or anywhere near him or Nicole again, he would call the police. He then blocked her number.
Once he was done, he called Nicole, but it went straight to voicemail. He hated the fact she was ignoring him, and even more so that he had hurt her. He said as much in the voicemail, along with him begging her to give him a second chance.
When she didn’t call him back, he decided he needed to figure out a way to prove to Nicole that it wasn’t just business, that he cared about her, and only her.
Ethan made several phone calls, pulling in all his favors, and reaching out to all his contacts in social media and the press. Within two hours, he was able to set up a half a dozen interviews with reporters, which would be featured on multiple platforms and websites. The location: the lighthouse. He wanted the world to see it so everyone would know why it was so important, and hopefully share it enough to make it reach the right people. After another two hours passed, Ethan had managed to do all the interviews, though he was exhausted from the process.
He arrived home, but rather than going to rest, he went straight to the guesthouse. He knocked on the door, hoping that while he was out, Nicole had returned home.
She answered the door, wearing a pretty plum top and a pair of jeans. He had to force himself to stay on topic with her looking so pretty.
“Can we talk? I have something I need to show you,” Ethan said, hoping she wouldn’t object.
She nodded, then stepped back to let him inside.
They made their way over to the couch and both took a seat. He handed her his tablet, then directed, “Please click the play button.”
Nicole did as he requested, and a moment later, a reporter came on, saying, “Today, I have the distinct privilege of interviewing Ethan Winthrop. Despite what most of you think, this isn’t your average interview where he spends his time making excuses. He’s candid about what happened with Tinley, he explains his new relationship with Nicole, and how the whole story revolved around the lighthouse right behind me.”
“What is this?” Nicole asked with confusion.
“Just keep watching.”
The video went on for another fifteen minutes, discussing all of what the reporter promised, but the biggest focus—per Ethan’s requirement to do the interview in the first place—was the lighthouse, and why it was important to Angel Island and the last living Hutton.
By the end of the video, tears filled Nicole’s eyes as she looked over at Ethan. “I can’t believe you did this for me, for the lighthouse.”
“It’s not the only interview,” Ethan revealed. “I did five more with other large news outlets. All of them have gone viral, and there’s thousands of people pouring in support.”
Ethan reached over and clicked a second window on the tablet. A crowd funding page with the banner, Save the Angel Island Lighthouse, appeared on the screen. “I set this up so people could donate directly to save the lighthouse. You’ve already reached the goal you needed.”
“Why did you do all this? Are you trying to tell me it’s over and you figure this is the easiest way to get rid of me quickly?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I thought this would make it obvious, but in case it doesn’t, let me say it plain and clear. I’m in love with you, Nicole. I would have said it in the interviews, but I wanted to say it to you before anyone else.” Reaching out, he took her hands in his own, then looked directly into her eyes. “I love you, Nicole, and I hope you’ll stay in our marriage because you want to, not because you think you have to for the money. Doing this frees you to make your own decisions about me. I’m hoping you’ll want to help me make our marriage real. I think we can have an amazing future together, but you have to want it too.”
Nicole’s body was trembling as tears slipped down her cheeks. “Oh, I do want it. I love you, too, Ethan. I came back here to tell you that, but you were gone. When I left earlier today, I went to the church and talked with the pastor there. He helped me see that I was scared, and it was causing me to push you away to keep from getting hurt again. He also helped me realize that there is no guarantee we will not get hurt. Life doesn’t work that way, but sometimes, somethings are worth the risk. Loving you, Ethan, is worth the risk.”
She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips, showing him that she loved him as much as he loved her. The kiss was tender, filled with love, and made Ethan feel like he was finally home.
Ethan leaned back for a moment and smiled. “I think I owe that pastor of yours a big thank you.”
“You can tell him on Sunday. He invited you to come to church with me.”
“I guess it’s the least I can do, considering how he saved my marriage and all,” Ethan stated with a chuckle.
“He sure did, with God’s help,” she whispered, before letting Ethan pull her back into his embrace.
As he held his wife in his arms, immense gratitude filled his heart. Ethan was grateful that his wife wasn’t leaving him, grateful that he had found the love of his life, and grateful he never had to let her go again.
Two days later, Nicole cashed out the crowd funding account and took the check to the mayor. As she handed it over to him, a sense of completion filled her heart. Not of pride, since it hadn’t been her doing that got the funding, but gratefulness that the lighthouse was finally safe for future generations to enjoy.
“I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think you would be able to get the money. I thought it was a lost cause,” the mayor confessed as he sat behind his large mahogany desk. “You’ve surprised me, Nicole, and I’m not often surprised by people.”
“I appreciate you saying that, but I have to give credit where it’s due. Ethan made this happen. He was the one who set up the crowd funding page and got the media involved, even though it wasn’t the most comfortable situation for him.”
“You’re lucky, you know that? Not many people have someone who will fight for them the way he did for you. To have someone care about what’s important to you means everything. You should hold onto that husband of yours.”
Nicole realized the mayor was right. Ethan was a good man, the type of man she could see herself spending the rest of her life with. They worked well together, and she could be happy with him.
“So, what’s the next step for the lighthouse?” the mayor inquired.
“I need to find an architect who is willing to restore the property, and do it in a way that keeps with historical accuracy.”
“We don’t have anyone like that on the island,” the mayor pointed out.
“I know, but Ethan said his family has some connections. I’m sure it will take some time, but it will be worth it.”
“Anything worth having, is worth waiting for.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Nicole stood from her chair and exited the mayor’s office. She couldn’t wait to get home to tell Ethan that the lighthouse ownership had been safely transferred into the trust set up to maintain it.
When she arrived at the house, an unfamiliar car sat in the driveway. As she passed by the luxurious sedan, she could tell it was an expensive rental from the airport. Who was visiting them?
As she entered the front door, she could hear the familiar voices of Ethan’s parents.
“
You shouldn’t have ambushed me like this,” she heard Ethan say from the living room. “We could have easily talked about this over the phone.”
Nicole froze in place, not sure if she wanted to interrupt their conversation.
“We knew you would just put us off,” his mother countered. “If we didn’t come here, we knew you wouldn’t come home.”
“We’ve seen your interviews, and it’s seemed to have done the job of setting the record straight,” his father explained. “You don’t have to hide out here on the island anymore.”
“I’m not hiding, not anymore. Even with you coming here, I’m not coming back to Boston. I’ve decided to stay here on Angel Island.”
“Because of that woman,” his father stated with a steely voice.
“Yes, because of my wife, Nicole,” Ethan corrected. “This is her home, and now it’s become mine. I have no intention of living anywhere else.”
“Don’t do this, Ethan,” his mother pleaded. “What type of marriage can you have if it started out with you both pretending?”
“We were pretending to be married, but we weren’t pretending about who we were while doing it. I know who Nicole is, she knows who I am, and we love each other for it.”
“I don’t believe that’s possible. I think you’ve convinced yourself of that, just like you did with the last several girlfriends you’ve had.”
“If you come home, I can fix you up with a girl in Boston. One from the same social circles as us,” his mother offered. “She’ll understand our life much better than Nicole can.”
“I love Nicole because she’s not from our social circles,” Ethan stated firmly. “She’s down-to-earth and unpretentious, like a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I was missing.”
“And he’s been the same for me,” Nicole said, coming into the room to make her presence known. She walked over to Ethan’s side and took his hand. “I love your son, and I want to be his wife in every sense of the word.”
Ethan squeezed her hand, then turned to face her. “I feel the same. I love you so much, Nicole. I want to spend every minute of every day with you, for the rest of our lives.” He leaned over and kissed her, confirming his commitment for his parents to see.
“We can’t say we agree with your choice, but you are a grown man, Ethan. You’re entitled to your own mistakes,” his father said with concern in his tone.
“This isn’t a mistake,” Ethan declared, “and you’ll see that in time. I don’t mind spending the rest of my life proving it to you.”
“Me either,” Nicole agreed, supporting her husband. “This is forever.”
Epilogue
A racing heartbeat, like a drumming in Ethan’s chest, was taking over. He couldn’t wait to see Nicole’s face when he shared his surprise with her. He could barely contain the excitement over all that he had planned for the woman he loved.
“Where are we going?” Nicole asked with inquisitiveness, her hand propped up on Ethan’s arm to keep from falling over with the blindfold around her face.
“When are you going to quit asking me?” Ethan teased. “I already told you I’m not telling you until it’s time for the reveal.”
“You’re lucky I love you. I’m not the best with surprises,” Nicole stated, squeezing his arms as she stumbled over a rock. “I swear if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were leading me on a mountain climb.”
“No, you’re not even close,” Ethan mused. “You might as well quit guessing. You’re never going to figure it out.”
As they reached the center of the surprise, Ethan turned Nicole out towards the gathered crowd consisting of their friends from the island and his family.
“Are you ready for your surprise?” Ethan inquired with anticipation.
She nodded, cueing Ethan to remove the blindfold.
Her eyes focused on everyone in front of them, then she glanced around at the lighthouse and the surrounding buildings.
“What’s going on? What is everyone doing here?” Nicole asked with confusion.
“I’m giving you a do-over wedding. I wanted to wait until the renovation of the lighthouse was complete. Now that it is, I figured it was time.”
Nicole glanced down at her jeans and t-shirt, then leaned towards Ethan and whispered, “Um, this is sweet of you to plan, but I’m not dressed for the occasion.” Then glancing at his casual outfit, she added, “You aren’t either, for that matter.”
“I’ve got that taken care of,” Ethan said, gesturing for his mother to come over. She was carrying a garment bag draped over her arm. “I went and got your mother’s wedding dress from storage.”
“You did what? How did you do that without my knowing? Actually, how did you do all of this without my knowing?” Nicole inquired, gesturing around at the hanging lights, the wooden dance floor in the distance, the giant arch covered in flowers, and the dozens of chairs lining the aisle for the ceremony.
“Well, you were away at that bridal convention, promoting the lighthouse as a wedding destination. This is when I realized, it should be us who has the first wedding here. After all, it’s a family tradition,” Ethan pointed out.
Tears were streaming down Nicole’s cheeks as she whispered, “I can’t believe you did all this for me. You even got the light to start working. I thought they couldn’t build a light for it until next year.”
“It took some work, but my dad called in some favors. We were able to get the work order fast-tracked.”
“It means so much to me that you all did this for me,” Nicole said, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “I feel so blessed.”
“Here’s your dress,” his mother said, handing it to Nicole. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to help you get ready. I brought along a makeup artist and hairstylist.”
“And I want to help too,” Cindy said, coming to join them. “After all, isn’t it the job of the maid of honor?” she said, spinning around in her pastel pink bridesmaid dress.
“It sure is,” Nicole said with a laugh. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
“Go get in your wedding dress,” Ethan ordered with a grin, “and then come back here, so I can marry you all over again.”
Nicole took off into one of the nearby buildings, leaving Ethan with his father and brother.
“I have to say, Ethan. I was wrong about you and Nicole. Over the past year, you’ve proven that your marriage is as a real as any I’ve ever seen. I’m proud of you son,” his father said, patting him on the back.
“I am too,” his brother agreed. “You’ve really turned your life around, Ethan, and I’m proud to call you my brother.”
“And I’m glad you’ve agreed to be my best man,” Ethan said, playfully punching his brother in the arm. “It’s about time we got along.”
“You should go get changed. You don’t want to be late for your own wedding, especially with it being your second time around,” his brother teased.
“All right, I’m going. I’ll see you both back here in a few minutes.”
Ethan made his way into a different building where his custom suit was waiting for him to slip on. Once he was sure his hair was in place and his suit was perfectly fitted to his body, Ethan returned to the courtyard on the side of the lighthouse. He took his place next to Pastor Gordon in front of the arch.
As he waited for Nicole to make her appearance, he shifted back and forth, anxiously waiting to see her in her wedding dress.
His mother appeared and took her place in the front row, giving a thumb’s up to the orchestra that was seated to the left of everyone. The music began to play, and Wagner’s Bridal Chorus Angeled through the outdoor air.
When Nicole appeared at the steps leading from the lighthouse, Ethan’s breath caught in his throat, then a gush of air released when he couldn’t hold it any longer.
“Easy there fella, or you’re going to pass out before your bride gets here,” Pastor Gordon joked in a whisper.
Ethan couldn’t help himself. Nicole was
the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her long strawberry blonde hair was draped around her face in flawless curls. The satin, white dress came in at the waist and then went down in an A-line style to the top of her feet. There were cut-outs at each shoulder that stopped just above the elbow with lace trim around them. The neckline was scooped into a heart-shape with the same trim as the shoulders. Though the dress was vintage, it was absolutely gorgeous, and fit Nicole like a glove. It was like she was meant to wear it.
She floated down the aisle, carrying a pink and cream bouquet filled with roses. By the time she reached Ethan’s side, he couldn’t contain his joy. He reached over and kissed her firmly on the mouth.
“Well, that’s a first,” Pastor Gordon declared with a surprised expression on his face. “We usually do the kiss at the end of the ceremony, but since there’s nothing traditional about this second wedding, I guess we can start it any way you wish.”
“Sorry, Pastor Gordon, I couldn’t help myself,” Ethan said with a lopsided grin. “She’s breathtaking.”
The crowd laughed for several moments, everyone finding Ethan’s love for Nicole adorable.
Pastor Gordon started the ceremony with the invocation. “We are gathered here today in the sight of God, along with your friends and family, to unite Nicole and Ethan in the bonds of holy matrimony. I know that this has been done legally before, but today, we celebrate your commitment to share your life together in the eyes of God. Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of friendship, of commitment, of two people who are in this for forever.
“You don’t have to have a ceremony to have a marriage, just like you can have a ceremony and it’s not a real marriage—as you both know very well. That might make us wonder why we do it at all. Couldn’t we make the commitment to each other and God without the big production? We could, but the purpose of a wedding is to share this moment with the people you love. Despite everything that happens to us and around us, we know one thing to be true: love is what matters. That’s why you’re both standing here today. You want the world to know what matters to you, your love for one another.