29° (Twenty-Nine Degrees) (Twenty Nine Book 3)

by Nancy Pennick

  “Peaceful.”

  “Now close your eyes and really see yourself there. Then slowly open them and tell yourself this beach is just as beautiful, just as peaceful. Breathe slowly, in and out, as you do.”

  I followed the instructions. I loved the beach and didn’t want to fear it. As I opened my eyes, I began to feel better. “When is this going to stop?” I looked into Rosanne’s kind blue-gray eyes. She didn’t have time to answer. My mom was nearly upon us.

  “Is my daughter all right?” Mom held her wide-brimmed floppy hat on her head to keep it from blowing away. Her white gauze cover-up billowed out behind her. The wind had picked up, blowing the sand against our legs.

  “Yes, of course.” Rosanne faced my mother. “Allie worried you didn’t have everything you needed since this was a surprise trip. I reminded her I had taken care of those details. I’ll give you some time to yourselves.” She touched my arm and headed up the beach to join the others.

  Mom put her arms around me and pulled me close. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No, Mom, really, I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Well, I do have one thing to ask, then I’d probably feel much better. Did you or Dad talk to Doug since you got here? Does he know where we are?” I fought to hold back the tears, realizing the first time off the compound was more difficult than I imagined.

  “No, sweetie, we were asked not to tell anyone where we are. Doug only calls once or twice a month. We see him even less. Although …” Mom appeared to be contemplating something.

  “What? Is it something I should know?” My heart pounded, and I swore I could feel it bursting through my chest.

  “Oh, it’s probably nothing. Doug and Katrina have been looking at houses in our neighborhood, that’s all.”

  Strange. When the STF provided everything they needed, why would Doug want to buy a house?

  “Don’t they live in D.C.?” That was the lie he'd told them.

  “Yes, but I think they want to be close to family. Colton starts school this fall. I could babysit while they work.”

  “How can Doug work from Virginia?’

  “He said there are ways.”

  “Mom, don’t you think it’s odd that Doug never told you about Katrina and Colton? The kid’s five years old!”

  “He had his reasons, Allie, just like you have yours.” She gave me a look that said she didn’t quite believe me either.

  “Mom, please trust me. There are some things I can’t share with you. It’s in your best interest.”

  “That sounds ominous. But, like your brother, you’re entitled to your own life. He told us how sorry he was to have to keep secrets from us when we went to their wedding. I love and support my family. That means Doug, too, sweetie.”

  I hung my head, feeling guilt for not having Mom at my wedding and hating my brother. “Yeah, I know.” I struggled for the right words. “Don’t you think Katrina looks like Doug’s old high school girlfriend?” If Mom thought this was gossip, she might open up.

  “You mean Kimmie?”

  “Yes, her. I’ve only seen pictures, but they look similar.” I’d never tell her I met Katrina in person. She'd held my son in her arms when we stormed the STF complex, and I'd shot her in the leg.

  “Oh, so you looked at the wedding pictures I sent? I thought you refused to open the envelope.”

  Mom had sent hard copy photos of Doug’s wedding to the false California address I'd given her. My mail was rerouted by the Niners and picked up in a safe house in town. I'd told her I would never look at the photos, but curiosity got the best of me. Doug married Katrina on New Year’s Eve after a ten-year relationship. There had to be a reason he married her, and I’d find out this weekend if it killed me.

  “Mom,” I took her hand and strolled along the beach. “What do you think of Katrina?”

  “She’s a nice enough girl. Quiet. Does whatever Doug says. Almost jumps at the sound of his voice. Maybe army life influenced this, but he barks out commands instead of asking nicely.” Mom shook her head. “Kimmie wasn’t like Katrina. She was feisty, full of life and never would have put up with that kind of treatment. Between you and me, she’s more beautiful. Katrina is a nice-looking girl, but has a hard edge to her. Kimmie was softer. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I do.” I recalled Kimmie’s photo from her high school days.

  “Kimmie had beautiful, long black hair. Maybe if Katrina grew out those short locks it would help soften her face.”

  I stifled a giggle. Mom was getting into this. “Anything else I should know?”

  “Well,” she said as she looked away. “No harm in telling you.”

  “What?” My stomach flipped as I came to a stop.

  “I think Doug’s interested in politics, and that’s why he’s coming home. He’s from Virginia, so what better place to start a political career?”

  Now it makes sense. That’s why he married Katrina. A politician needed a wife, a family. But why politics?

  “Ready to head back?” I couldn’t wait to tell Lucas. “Were you surprised to be whisked away to Hawaii?” I chose to change the subject as we headed toward our friends and family.

  “A nice surprise, especially because you’re here.” Mom linked arms with me. “But where is Nate getting all this money? The private jet was a shock, but these accommodations are for the rich and famous.”

  “He knows people.” I laughed. “Plus he’s frugal with money.” Both points were true. Nate had no expenses in Montana. “Don’t forget we helped, too.”

  “Yes, of course. But Lucas is the same age as Nate. How can he afford it?”

  “His grandfather died, Mom. Remember? He left him money.”

  Lucas' grandfather Gene, was really Lucas’ brother, but when they lived in Virginia he'd played the part of granddad.

  “Oh, look. There’s Nate and Ashley.” Mom pointed toward the hotel, and I spotted them walking down the beach path. “It’s a shame about that scar on his face. How did he get it again?” She lifted her sunglasses to look at me.

  I was schooled in what to say whenever the scar was brought up this weekend.

  “During a photo shoot, Mom. Nate slipped, and a sharp edge of the camera’s tripod caught him right under the nose.” I pointed at my own nose with my finger and drew up to my ear. “And it continued to cut him up to here. It was an old tripod. One he shouldn’t have been using. He was rushed to the hospital but warned he’d have a scar. It’s not too noticeable, is it?”

  Nate had had some cosmetic surgery, but never finished the treatments. He'd been too busy looking for me after I'd run away.

  “I see it very clearly.” Mom shook her head. “It’s such a shame.”

  Well, that makes me feel better. “He likes it, Mom, calls it his battle scar.”

  “If you could hear his mother go on and on about it, you wouldn’t say that. He must do a good job covering it up during their video chats because this is the first she’s seen it.”

  “It will fade more with time.” It was all I could think of to say.

  We reached the group the same time as Nate and Ashley.

  “Hey, you two ready for the big day?” I rushed over and hugged them. I whispered in Ashley’s ear, “Good luck.”

  Drinks in hand, they sat down and got right down to business. Ashley looked at us and said, “Tomorrow’s the rehearsal then dinner afterward. We’ll start at four so everyone has the day to themselves.”

  “Then the wedding will be Saturday at sunset.” Nate held up his glass. “Party will follow.”

  “Nate, is it all right if we have dinner with you and Ashley alone tonight? The Donovans agreed to take breakfast tomorrow.” Mrs. Kalas’ eyes pleaded with her son.

  “Sure, Mom, if it’s okay with Ashley, that is.” He turned to her with widened eyes.

  “If my parents don’t mind, sure.” Ashley grabbed her mom’s hand. “It’s good for us all to be together.”

&n
bsp; After making dinner plans, we leisurely walked back to our individual bungalows. Ours was closest to the beach. My parents’ was farther up the path among a grove of palm trees and lush vegetation. When we entered the suite, Sean surprised us. He was sitting on the sofa.

  “Not a beach person, Sean?” I giggled at the sight of him in a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.

  Sean glanced up at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing!”

  “I can tell by your face, something’s not right.” He pointed his finger at me. “’Fess up.”

  I took a breath. “Lucas, come and sit down.” I motioned for him to join us. “My mom told me something during our walk. Doug’s looking for a house in my parents’ neighborhood.”

  Sean’s virtual screen popped up in front of us. After a few searches a page came into view. “Not looking, Allie. He bought a house. What do you make of this?” He turned to Lucas.

  “He’s up to something. That’s for sure.”

  “I think I know.” I squeezed my eyes shut as I lifted my shoulders.

  “What?” they both asked.

  “Mom said he may be interested in politics. Does that make sense?”

  “No … maybe.” Lucas held up a finger. “I’m sending this to Julian.”

  “You’re calling him?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said as he stood. “And let’s make a pact. Do not mention this to Nate or Ashley. We don’t want to ruin the weekend.”

  “Agreed.” I nodded my head. “I guess I’ll get ready for dinner with the parents.”

  “I’ll grab something at the outdoor bar,” Sean said.

  “You are invited.” I called from the bedroom.

  “That’s okay, you need alone time with the family.”

  “I think that’s just an excuse.” I laughed.

  “I’m going now,” Sean said.

  I heard the bungalow door shut and emerged from the bedroom. “How’s this?” I spun in place, showing off my pale pink sundress to Lucas.

  “Beautiful as always.” Lucas grabbed me around the waist. “Now it’s my turn to get pretty.” He twirled me around.

  “You already are!” I said as I slipped from his arms and wandered over to the picture window. A calm feeling swept over me as I stared out at the ocean, and my mind stopped spinning. Suddenly I felt like a typical mom away from her son for the first time. I could be concerned without being overly anxious about his well-being.

  Lucas stepped into the living room, handsome in a blue cotton shirt and khaki shorts. “I’m ready.” He held out his hands for inspection.

  “You look great. Before we leave, let’s make a call to Zak. Check in and see how he’s doing.”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Lucas brought up his screen. We snuggled on the sofa and talked to our son.

  * * * *

  The day of the wedding we spent too much time at the beach. Before we realized it was time to get ready. We rushed back to the bungalow, showered and hurried to get ready. Lucas pulled on ivory khakis over his boxers and slipped on a white linen shirt which brought out his tan. I rolled the sleeves up twice while he worked his way down the buttons.

  Grabbing my make-up bag, I took one more look at the gorgeous guy standing in the bedroom and dashed for the door, almost running into Sean. He was minus his usual five-o’clock shadow, and wore the shirt I'd picked out for him. “Looking good, Sean,” I called over my shoulder as I ran out the door.

  I darted up the path, making my way to Ashley’s bungalow. Ryan came out as I reached the door. “Ryan, you ready for the big moment?” I hugged him and noticed his dark blonde hair was neatly combed back. He wore a linen shirt similar to Lucas’.

  “Yeah.” He looked down at the path as he kicked at a pebble.

  “You okay?”

  Ryan shrugged. “I just wish … oh, never mind.”

  “No, I do mind and want to know what you have to say.”

  “I’ve been around a long time, I know that. But I’m still a teenager in here.” He pointed to his chest. His bright blue eyes flashed as he made eye contact. “Rosanne keeps telling me it’s just for the weekend, but I don’t like pretending Ashley and Nate aren’t my mom and dad.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet.” Oops! Say something to help him. “They feel bad, too. And you know why we have to do this,” I said soothingly as I put my hand on his shoulder to draw him in for a hug. Ryan may have been on this earth sixty years, but he was right. Niners acted their age. He was a confused fifteen-year-old boy.

  “Kinda, but I’d like my grandparents to know me. Strange, huh? I just lost my mom and dad and want to belong to a new family.”

  “No, not strange at all.” I hugged him again and thought of my own family, and the new one I had now. “I better get in there and help the bride. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Just saying it out loud helps.” Ryan started down the path. “You’re cool, Allie.”

  I’m cool. To a sixty-year-old man who’s really a fifteen-year-old boy, I’m cool. I chuckled as I walked into the bungalow.

  “Ash? I’m here.”

  Ashley shuffled out of the bedroom holding up the skirt of her gown, flushed and nervous. “Is it hot in here? What do you think of my dress? Is Ryan okay?”

  “You’re doing it again.” I laughed as I remembered back to our high school days when Ashley never took a breath between questions, and no one had a chance to answer.

  “No, nice, yes.” I decided to bring back old memories by giving her one word answers.

  “Allison Sanders Montgomery! You promised to never do that again!” We stared at each other and giggled.

  “Let me help you with the dress.” I zipped the back of her gown, and she spun in place. The white satin chiffon dress floated around her. It was A-line in style, had a sweetheart neckline with spaghetti straps. “We still have to do our hair.”

  “Just a simple sweep back and up for both of us.” Ashley gestured with her hands. “Your dress is here somewhere. Rosanne hung it in the second bedroom closet.”

  I found the sea foam green ankle-length dress right where she said it was. Similar style, but with a straight neckline.

  “Flowers! Where are the flowers?” Ashley shouted from the other room.

  I tossed the dress over my head and ran to the kitchen. “The fridge?” Combs for our hair and two bouquets sat on the shelves—anthuriums, white open heart-shaped tropical flowers, surrounded by soft white orchid blossoms set against dark green palm leaves. “Found them!”

  “I’m in the bathroom, trying to do something with this hair!”

  Ashley had become the nervous bride, and I rushed around the bungalow, doing whatever she asked. A knock came at the door. I looked out the window to see Sean had arrived to take us to the outdoor wedding chapel. “Sean, come in. We’ll be one more minute.”

  I rushed to the fridge and grabbed the flowers. My bouquet of anthuriums was tied with a white ribbon around the stems.

  Ashley walked into the living room, and Sean whistled. I gave her silent applause. “Ash, it’s hard to believe we’re both wives and mothers as of today.” I brushed a tear from my cheek and escorted her out the door. A golf cart sat waiting in front of the bungalow. Sean helped Ashley into the open back seat as I placed her train up and over her lap.

  The sun hovered above the ocean as we drove to the far end of the property. Tiki torches were being lit by hotel workers as we followed the trail of fire to our destination. A perfect day would transform into a wonderful evening.

  We pulled up in front of the walkway leading to the wedding arch marking the entrance to the beach chapel. Lush plants and trees surrounded each side of the path, hiding the venue from view. When we reached the end of the path, our family and friends were already seated in white padded folding chairs on a large carpet-covered white deck jutting out over the sand. A white canopy with open sides floated over the deck, and its fence and posts were adorned with white tropical flowers.

  Nate
and Lucas stood in front with the minister. They both looked handsome in their white linen shirts and khaki pants, but in contrasting ways. Lucas’ dark, good looks caught my eye but I was sure Ashley only noticed Nate’s reddish-blonde hair giving off a golden cast in the setting sun. His tall, lean body had a relaxed stance, not a sign of nerves. Ashley let out a breath of air, and I smiled knowingly.

  Staff members inconspicuously moved around the venue to make sure everything ran smoothly. When they spotted us, soft strands of Hawaiian Wedding Song began to play. On cue, Mr. Donovan rose from his seat and met us under the floral arch. He nodded at me as he slipped by to get in place next to his daughter. “It’s a wonderful day,” he whispered.

  I fought back the feeling of dread that I took everywhere these days. Wonderful day? Would I truly ever have one again? My eyes searched the grounds for Doug. He’d always be with me, no matter where I went or what I did. I’d come to terms with that. But for today, I had to set that aside.

  I placed my foot on the white runner and locked eyes with Lucas. A smile crept across his face. I felt like we were the only two people on the beach. Tears filled my eyes as I replayed our history in my head. Nate and Ashley had been a part of it all. We were a team, and nothing, or no one, would break us apart again.

  Chapter Three

  After the ceremony, we descended a few steps to another deck below to watch the sunset and have our first toast. Dinner would be on a private deck of the hotel later in the evening. The mood was light, the conversation fun and the weather perfect.

  “I’m pretending it’s your wedding day, too, Allie,” Mom said as she squeezed my hand.

  “This is a great celebration, Mom.” I kissed her cheek.

  As it grew darker, small twinkle lights flicked on, creating a mystical glow around the deck. I stood with Lucas, gazing out at the water, my head on his shoulder.

  “Well, we did it,” Lucas said. “Our children are married.”

  “That’s funny.” I poked his side. “Are you ready for your toast?”

  “Yes, I think now would be a good time, don’t you?” Lucas turned to the small crowd of people and tapped a spoon against his champagne flute.