Boardwalk Brides

by Janice Thompson

  “So. . .”

  “You know me. I’m the funny guy. But you’ve just opened the door for me to ask this question that’s been burning a hole in my heart and my pocket for the past twenty-four hours.”

  “W–what?”

  “This is the goofiest way in the world to do this, but I. . . I’m asking you to be my wi—”

  “Wait. A–are you proposing. . .over the phone?”

  “I know, I know.” He shook his head, thinking about how ridiculous this was. “It’s dumb. I want to hold you and tell you how much I love you. I want to show you the ring that I had in my pocket last night, the first time I planned to ask this question.”

  “Y–you had a ring?” She groaned. “Oh, man. I totally blew it, didn’t I?”

  “Well, I think we both did. I picked the wrong time to start the conversation. You were exhausted and. . .” He paused, thinking things through. “Actually you’ve had a pretty rough day today, too, so my timing is probably even worse now.”

  “Oh no it’s not. Keep going, you. You’re not stopping now.”

  He stood up and began to pace. “I’ve thought about this a hundred times. Jason tried to help me come up with something funny to say to pop the question.”

  “Like?” Her voice now had that dreamy childlike quality he’d grown to love.

  He tried to match it with his enthusiasm. “Well, like ‘Come fly with me’ or ‘Love is in the air.’ I told him he was crazy. And I stopped cold every time I rehearsed the line, ‘I’d like you to be Mrs. Candy Furst.’”

  She laughed. “Oh, no! I can’t believe I never thought about that before. Candy Furst. What a name.”

  “Trust me, I thought about it. In fact, I wondered if it would be enough to keep you from saying yes.”

  “Oh, I’m saying yes, all right.”

  His heart kicked into overdrive. “R–really? Even without a ring?”

  “Oh, I’m holding you to the ring. But I think I can wait till you get back to let you slip it on my finger.”

  “I’m going to find the most romantic way to do that, I promise.” Ideas began to click. “What do you think? A walk in the park? Maybe somewhere along the boardwalk? The beach at sunset?”

  “Darren?”

  “Yes?”

  “The bride-to-be isn’t supposed to plan her own proposal.”

  “Right, right.” He sat down once again. “I know. I’m just so excited. I don’t want to blow this again.”

  “Um, I’ve already said yes. How could you blow it?”

  She actually said yes!

  Candy began to giggle. “So, I go from being Cotton Candy to Candy Furst. Trading up, I guess.”

  “I hope you really feel that way.”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m trading up all right.”

  A thousand thoughts rolled around in Darren’s head. There was so much to do. He had to get home. . .and soon. Funny, the minute he thought about home, another thought occurred to him. “One more thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When I get back to Newark, I’m buying Fred a girlfriend.”

  “Excuse me?” She laughed. “Say that again.”

  “Fred. My goldfish. He’s been swimming around in that tank of his completely alone for far too long. He needs a wife. And a brood of baby goldfish.”

  “You mean a school, don’t you?”

  “Whatever.”

  Candy laughed. “We’ll go to the pet store and pick out the perfect bride for Fred. But in the meantime, you take care of your mama. And give her my love. Tell her she’s got to get well. We need her to come to a wedding.”

  “Will do. And Candy. . .I love you.”

  ❧

  “I love you—too.” As Candy spoke the words, a rush of emotion overtook her. Everything she’d been through, last night’s banquet, today’s near-disaster, Darren’s mother, the proposal—all hit her at once. She began to cry. No, not cry. Sob. Deep, gut-wrenching sobs.

  Darren responded immediately. “Are you okay?”

  “Y–yes.” She spoke through the tears. “This has just been such an amazing, crazy, wonderful, terrible day.” She paused to dab her eyes, then took a couple of deep breaths to get things under control. “We’re going to have quite a story to tell our brood of children someday.”

  “Which story?” he asked. “The one where I messed up the proposal or the one where you made the national news?”

  “Both.” She laughed. “We’re a fine pair, aren’t we?”

  “We are.” He grew silent for a moment. “But seriously, we are a fine pair, Candy. You’re strong in the areas where I’m weak. My perfect helpmate.”

  “And vice versa,” she whispered. “And I love you more than. . .than flying. More than dreaming. More than anything. . .except the One who brought us together.”

  “Me, too.”

  After a couple more “I love you’s,” Candy ended the call, her mind reeling.

  Darren had been carrying a ring in his pocket last night at the banquet? He’d planned to propose on the steps of the Dorothy House. And she’d botched it! Botched it! But God, in His own humorous way, had redeemed the moment.

  Who else ever received a proposal by phone?

  Not that she minded. Not one little bit.

  But never mind all that! Candy had phone calls to make. Likely her parents were still worried sick about the news story. She’d fill them in. Tell them the story of how, in one lone day, she’d nearly lost her life. . .then gained it all over again.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Exactly one year to the day after Candy’s fated flight, she prepared to don her wedding dress for a trip down the aisle.

  Well, not exactly an aisle. Getting married in the middle of a runway at Essex County Airport made the whole aisle thing a bit problematic. Still, with the white rental chairs set up a la church-style, they’d concocted something that looked and felt like a center aisle.

  Not that anyone expected anything traditional or normal from Candy and Darren. Hardly. These days folks had figured out that the happy couple could be a little on the flighty side. And flighty they would remain.

  Now, as she stood in Darren’s office at the airport with her bridesmaids soon to arrive, a thousand things went through her mind. Did I bring everything I needed from home? When are my sisters going to get here? Where in the world is Darren taking me on our honeymoon? Why is he being so secretive?

  A rap on the door caught her attention. Her mother popped her head inside. “We’re here!”

  “Mama!” She ushered her mother into the room and started talking a mile a minute.

  “Wait.” Her mother backed up with a stunned expression. “Why are you still dressed in jeans? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

  “I need help with my dress so I was waiting on the girls. Brooke was here a while ago, but had to, um. . .”

  “What?” “Take a potty break. She’s six months pregnant, you know.” “Ah. That’s right. I’d forgotten about their little surprise package.”

  Candy smiled, remembering the day she’d gotten the news. Brooke and Jason had only been married three months at the time, and they’d hardly planned for a baby. But God had other ideas.

  “Hey, speaking of babies. . .” Candy gave her mother an imploring look. “Where are—”

  “Taffie’s here with Maddy. She’s in the bathroom, changing her diaper. You’ll see them in a minute.”

  Another rap on the door caught their attention. Her father stuck his head in. “Wow. Great dress.”

  “Very funny, Pop.” She laughed and pointed to the dress, which hung on a hook above the door. “This is it. Your hard-earned dollars at work.”

  “Very pretty.” He entered the room, closing the door behind him. “So, we bought this one with taffy money. Oh, speaking of taffy.”

  “Yes?”

  “We brought a couple of big bags of our latest best seller— wedding cake flavor. Thought it would be a nice addition.”

  “Of course.”
/>
  Her father settled into the chair behind the desk. “So, where are you two going on your honeymoon?”

  “I have no idea.” She turned toward the mirror to continue putting on makeup.

  “Seriously? I thought Darren was just messing with me when he wouldn’t tell me.”

  She looked up with mascara wand in hand. “He won’t tell me either. But he instructed me to pack for moderate weather, whatever that means.”

  “So, no place tropical.”

  “Guess not.” She turned back to the mirror. “I do know we’re taking the 208 to La Guardia and flying out commercial from there. But he won’t tell me our destination.”

  “That’s kind of what it’s like walking with God, too.” Her mother smiled. “You can only see so far out over the horizon.

  But you really don’t know what’s beyond that.” She paused and smiled. “I think it’s better that way. Makes the journey ahead more of an adventure.”

  “True.” Candy’s eyes filled with tears, thinking of all the Lord had already done in her life. Could she possibly handle more of His goodness?

  Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a baby’s cry. Taffie entered holding baby Maddy, now eight months old. Candy oohed and aahed over her gorgeous niece. “Taffie, she’s prettier than ever. And look at this dress! It’s darling.”

  “Yes, she’s a little doll, isn’t she? Looks just like Ryan.”

  “No, she looks like her mama.” Candy ran her fingertip along baby Maddy’s soft cheek. “She’s a Carini, for sure.”

  “That she is.” Pop grinned. “Not that either of you girls are Carinis anymore. Taffie’s an Antonelli. And now you’re about to be. . .” He grinned, not saying it.

  “Pop, don’t.”

  “Well, I just have one question. Now that you’re the ‘Furst lady,’ does that mean you get to live in the White House?” He slapped his knee. “C’mon, that was a good one, you have to admit.”

  “Funny. But with all the politicians Darren is flying back and forth, you never know. The possibilities are endless.”

  Another rap sounded at the door and Tangie stuck her head inside. “Howdy, y’all. Just moseyed into town from my rehearsal.”

  “Oh?” Candy looked her way with a smile.

  “It’s a melodrama,” Tangie explained. “I got the role of sweet Nell. Snidley Whiplash is going to tie me to the tracks, but Dudley Do-Right will rescue me just in the nick of time.”

  “Ah. Now here’s a girl who’s destined to carry the Carini name for a while longer,” Pop said, rising to meet her.

  “Thanks a lot.” She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the room.

  “Tangie.” Candy gasped as she got a close look at her younger sister. She could hardly believe it. Tangie had dyed her hair back to its original brown. And the gorgeous blue bridesmaid dress covered up her tattoos. She looked downright beautiful. “You look. . . gorgeous.”

  Tangie’s cheeks turned pink. “Aw, stop. You’re embarrassing me.”

  “Like that would be possible.” Candy laughed. She glanced at the clock on the wall, then turned to her father. “Um, Pop? It’s a quarter to two. Taffie and I really need to get dressed.”

  “I can take a hint.”

  “Will you take the baby to Ryan?” Taffie asked. “His mom is going to watch her during the ceremony.”

  “Well, of course.”

  Candy watched as her father took his granddaughter in his arms and then backed out of the room, leaving the women to their own devices.

  Brooke joined them moments later and the girls went to work, first getting Taffie ready, then getting Candy into her gown. Her mother zipped it up, then they all stood back and stared.

  “Wow,” Brooke said. “You look amazing.”

  “Doesn’t she?” Candy’s mother agreed. Then the tears started. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get to emotional. It’s just. . . my girls are growing up. And all these weddings. . .”

  “This is certainly going to be one no one will forget,” Brooke added.

  “You know, I thought my wedding was different.” Taffie drew near and the two sisters stood side by side, looking at their reflections in the full-length mirror that leaned against the wall. “Getting married on the beach was pretty amazing. But I have to admit, getting married in the middle of a runway. . .that’s pretty adventurous.”

  “You know what a dreamer I’ve always been,” Candy said. “I love an adventure.”

  “Me, too.” Taffie slipped an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze.

  Tangie stood apart from the others, quieter than usual. When she turned around, Candy saw the shimmer of tears in her younger sister’s eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” She walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

  “Oh, nothing.” Tangie shrugged. “It’s just. . .both of you are married now. And I’m. . .”

  “You’re the next big Broadway sensation,” Taffie said with a smile.

  “No, I’m not.” Tangie sat, her sky blue dress billowing around her in a fluffy cloudlike circle. “I’m going to go on doing goofy shows in small theaters for the rest of my life. Who’s going to want to marry sweet Nell?”

  “I said the same thing two years ago,” Taffie said. “I couldn’t imagine who would want to marry me. Then God brought Ryan.”

  “And you know me,” Candy added. “I was convinced I’d be single forever. And now Darren and I. . .” A lump formed in her throat. “Anyway, I was wrong, and I’m happy to admit it. And you’re wrong, too.”

  Their mother drew near and wrapped Tangie in her arms. “Honey, don’t you fret about who you’ll marry. . .or when. I’ve been praying for all of you since you were children, that God would bring just the right mate. Now that my prayers have been answered for both of your sisters, I have more time to focus on you. And you know what a prayer warrior I am. Why, I’ll pray in your real Dudley Do-Right in no time. Watch and see.”

  Tangie laughed. “Okay. Well, just make sure he likes girls who are. . .different.”

  “You’re not different, honey. You’re just you. And you’re the very best you, you can possibly be. When the fellow I’ve been praying for lays eyes on my darling baby girl, he’s going to see you for who you are. . .inside and out.”

  “Thanks, Mama.” She sniffled. “I feel better.” Brooke reached for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “You Carinis are so. . .emotional. You’re not making this easy on me. I’m pregnant, you know.”

  “Yes, we know,” they all echoed in chorus.

  A knock on the door startled them back to attention. Candy looked up at the clock once more. Yikes. 1:58.

  “Candy?” her father called out.

  “Come in, Pop. We’re ready for you.”

  He entered the room, a smile lighting his face the moment he laid eyes on her.

  She glanced at him and smiled. “Yes?”

  “Cotton Candy.” He gave her a wink.

  “You’re not going to say I have my head in the clouds are you, Pop? ’Cause if you are—”

  “No.” His eyes misted over. “You’ve definitely got your feet on the ground. Well, at least in matters of the heart. I was going to say. . .” His eyes misted over. “I was going to say you’re the prettiest bride I’ve ever seen.”

  Taffie rolled her eyes. “Dad, I distinctly remember hearing you say that to me on my wedding day,”

  “Well, yes.” He shrugged.

  “And you’re going to say it to me on my wedding day, too, right?” Tangie added.

  He shrugged. “Of course.” He turned his attention back to Candy. “But honey. . .today, standing here, you’re the prettiest bride that ever walked the aisle. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.” He leaned over and whispered, “Just don’t tell your mama I said that. She looked mighty good on our big day, too.”

  “I heard that, Carl.” Their mother leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “But I forgive you. And besides, I think you’re right. We’ve got the prettiest
—and the sweetest—girls who ever walked an aisle. Er, runway.”

  Candy chuckled, then gasped as she looked at the clock. Two o’clock? Better get this show on the road!

  ❧

  Darren paced the lobby of the small airport, staring at the clock on the wall. Two o’clock. Yikes. Better get going. Guests were waiting. Over one hundred and fifty of them, from what he’d been told.

  As Darren, Jimmy, Jason, and Ryan made their way toward the runway, he stared at the setup, amazed. “I still can’t believe this. It’s. . .perfect.”

  “Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to expect when the event planners showed up with the chairs and decorations,” Jimmy said. “Never threw a wedding on a runway before. But I think the gazebo area looks great up at the front. And that runner gives the impression of an aisle. You’ve got to admit. . .it’s different.”

  “It’s different all right. But so are we.” Darren smiled, then turned to Jimmy. “I can’t thank you enough for shutting things down long enough for the wedding. You, um, did shut things down, right? No traffic on our runway during the ceremony?”

  “No traffic on any runway during the wedding,” Jimmy assured him.

  “Thank you. I owe you big time.” Darren took his place at the front next to Pastor Richardson, from their church. The other guys headed to the area in the back to meet up with their bridesmaids.

  As he settled into place at the front of the crowd, Darren looked to the front row where his parents sat together holding hands. Wow. Talk about progress. His mother flashed a smile, and he responded by mouthing, “I love you.” He then watched as she reached for a tissue. My, how things had changed. He could hardly wait to see what God had planned for the next phase of their journey.

  As the piped-in music began to play, Darren thought about all of the changes the past few months had brought. He’d officially proposed to Candy onboard a flight to Chicago in front of ninety-seven passengers. Thankfully, she had agreed. Again. He’d also purchased the Cessna 208 from a friend of Jimmy’s and routinely flew back and forth between D.C. and New York, carrying some pretty well-known political types. . .thanks to Andrea Jackson and her new fiancé, a great guy named Marcus who worked for FOX News. And she promised him even more business in the future, particularly if Paul Cromwell made his run for the presidency. Maybe, before long, Darren would own a whole fleet of planes, hire pilots to fly for him. Perhaps the best news of all. . .a subdued, repentant Gary had recently approached him, asking for a job. Darren had promised to pray about it.