Nodding quietly, Grace followed Tara and Abby to the door.
****
Liam meanwhile was standing at the top of the little chapel in Rose Tree Manor, feeling slightly sick. He couldn’t wait to see his bride. It felt like torture not seeing her the previous night. But Grace had been adamant that they should keep at least one tradition before they got married. Tom and Sean were looking fantastic in their black Louis Copeland tuxedos. All three were wearing thick black silk ties with their suits. Jack was wearing a miniature version of their suits and had left them a few minutes earlier with Gerry to go get his Mommy! Liam glanced around at the little chapel and smiled nervously at his Mam and Uncle Martin sitting just behind him. Looking around them he smiled as he realised that just as he and Grace wanted, all forty or so guests in the chapel were friends of theirs who they dearly loved. There were no strangers whatsoever. The music started. Tom, Sean and Liam stood up and faced Fr Dominic – a family friend of his mother’s who had baptised Liam thirty four years earlier. It was all Liam could do not to turn around and watch Grace walk up the aisle, but he knew he was supposed to stay looking ahead.
Then Tom whispered, ‘Liam. Look at Grace, she’s stunning.’
With that, Liam turned around and smiled at Tara and Abby as they walked to the side of the altar. Then he actually thought he was going to faint when he had the first glimpse of his wife-to-be. She literally took his breath away. He felt Tom grab his arm to steady him. Composing himself, he walked to meet Grace and Jack. He leaned down and shook hands with his son who looked very solemn.
‘Here you go, Daddy,’ Jack said, grabbing Grace and literally shoving her towards Liam.
With a giggle Grace bent down and kissed her son’s cheek, ‘Thank you sweetie-pie.’
Tara walked up and took Grace’s cape off her shoulders and grabbed Jack’s hand. ‘Let’s sit down, buddy,’ Tara told her godson.
Grace then looked up and into Liam’s eyes.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he said simply.
‘What, this old thing?’ Grace said with a wink.
‘Still want to get married?’ Liam whispered in her ear.
‘With my entire heart, babe,’ Grace whispered back.
Chapter Thirty Eight
Grace and Liam walked into the banquet hall of Rose Tree Manor to cheers and claps from all their family and friends. The room looked amazing, decorated throughout with both candles and fairy lights. The tables were round and there was a magnificent centrepiece for each one, with extravagant flowers in vibrant colours, red, orange, purple, and green. Crisp linen adorned them, with beautiful ruby red wineglasses. No detail was left out and each guest had a handpicked Christmas gift beautifully gift-wrapped. Grace and Liam were smiling like Cheshire cats, and without saying a word to each other, they both knew that they had never been so happy. They took their seats and the wedding festivities began. They had an amazing six-course banquet and everyone agreed they had never experienced such a beautiful wedding.
Gerry had asked the wedding videographer to walk around to each table and get a quote from all the guests to keep as a video diary. Every comment was full of praise.
‘The most beautiful and romantic wedding I’ve been to.’
‘The little chapel was so beautiful with the candlelight lighting up the aisle.’
‘The music was so moving. Who was that singer?’
‘The food was amazing. I can’t eat another thing.’
‘Grace looks like a movie star. She’s so beautiful.’
‘Has Liam got a brother?’
‘I wonder how much that wedding organiser, Franc, costs. He’s fabulous!’
Before long the meal was over and Tom was standing to start the speeches. ‘My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fr Dominic, friends and family, I hope you all enjoyed that feast.’ Tom started to rub his belly as he licked his lips. ‘Now before the speeches start, I’ve got to lay down some ground rules. Liam, my pal here, has stated that nobody, and that means nobody, can make a speech that goes on longer than five minutes.’ This was met with cheers and whoops from the guests! ‘So, I’ll be timing each speech and if anyone goes beyond five minutes then….’ Tom bent down and picked up a bell and started to ring it loudly to laughs and cries from everyone. ‘And just to make sure you all understand how important this rule is – for every second you go over the five-minute barrier, you have to buy me one drink! Now, representing the Devlins, let’s start with a word from the son of the bride, young Jack!’
Grace and Liam looked slightly worried, as they had no idea what Jack might say. Picking Jack up and standing him on his chair, Tom held the mike up to Jack’s mouth, showing the bell to Jack who started to grin.
‘I’m Jack and I’m nearly four,’ Jack told the group. ‘That’s my Mommy and my Daddy,’ he continued, pointing them out to the group. ‘Uncle Tom said I should tell a joke. What happened at the cannibal’s wedding? They toasted the bride and groom!’ he finished to whoops and cheers from the whole room.
Liam stood up and carried Jack from his chair over to Grace and himself, whereby they both kissed and tickled him. He couldn’t believe his luck. He’d had chicken nugget and chips and a big bowl of ice cream. What a day! And there was going to be dancing later on. Then Santa was coming tonight. And then they were going to Disneyland in two days to meet Mickey Mouse. Yes!
Tom stood up again and told everyone, ‘Well, Jack has set an early record. Thirty seven seconds. Well done my son! Well said. And what a joke. That’s set the standard everyone. Now, Liam’s Uncle Martin would like to say a few words on behalf of the Ryans.’
‘We’d like to welcome Grace to the Ryan family. She’s a right bonny lass Liam, you’d better mind her now!’ More claps and cheers. ‘Your Mammy and I are very proud of you Liam.’ Martin sat down with a big grin on his face, feeling delighted with himself.
‘A man of few words there! Well said Martin. Good words and a timing of forty eight seconds! Competition is fierce, no doubt about it. Would you all like to hear from the main man himself?’ Tom asked, throwing the mike in Liam’s hand.
Liam stood up and took a bow, glancing at his watch as he did. He’d better not mess up his own rule! ‘Fr Dominic, friends and family, on behalf of my wife and me, thank you all so much for being here today to share our wedding. Thank you to you all for our beautiful gifts. We’ve been blown away by everyone’s generosity. In fact, had I have known what a generous lot you all were, I’d have proposed earlier!’ Liam paused to wink at his wife. God, it felt good to call Grace his wife! ‘I’d like to thank a few people that have made this day so special for Grace and me. To the staff of Rose Tree Manor for a fabulous venue and their wonderful hospitality, thank you. I’d also like to thank my good friends Tom and Sean who have stood by my side, not only today, but over the past ten years, through good times and bad. We may not be brothers, but I think of you as such.’ Sean was grinning from ear to ear and Tom was brushing away a tear. ‘I’d also like to propose a toast to the beautiful bridesmaids. You look fantastic. Tennyson once said that “a happy bridesmaid makes a happy bride.” And I know that both of you have helped Grace so much over the past couple of weeks in the madness leading up to today. So thank you.’ Abby blushed when she heard a wolf whistle coming from Shay’s table.
Glancing at his watch, Liam realised he had about three minutes left of his speech. ‘I’ve also got to thank Gerry, or Franc as we’ve all come to know him. Words can’t describe our gratitude, mate. You have given me and Grace the wedding of our dreams. We will never forget it.’
Gerry buried his face in Tom’s shoulder, never feeling as proud as he did right then, basking in the applause.
‘And now lastly, but not least, my beautiful wife and son. Three years ago I thought I’d lost them. I never stopped loving Grace or Jack, but somehow I got lost along the way. But, with the help of my amazing family, Mammy and Martin in particular, I found my way back. Now I have a son who blows my mind on a daily basis. Jack,
in your words, you are way cool and Daddy and Mommy love you.’ Jack was grinning madly at this. Taking a deep breath, Liam turned to his wife and continued, ‘Grace, you literally took my breath away when you walked into that chapel today. For a moment, it felt like time actually froze and I know that to the day I die I will never forget how you looked right then. I thought you were beautiful the second I met you, but today you have never looked lovelier. I struggle to find words to describe how I feel about you. I would be nothing without you Grace and I’ll love you forever. To finish I’m going to borrow a few words from Robert Burns that sum up far more eloquently than I could, what I’d like to express: “Grow old along with me; the best is yet to come.”’
Liam sat down, leaning across to accept the kiss Grace was waiting to give him. ‘To you Mrs Ryan.’
The entire top table were crying when Liam finished his speech. It was the sincerity in his words that overcame them all, it was so heartfelt.
Having taken a moment to compose himself, Tom rose again with his mike. ‘And now, Mrs Ryan herself has decided she’d like to share a few words.’
Grace stood up. She hadn’t prepared anything and in fact had told everyone that she wouldn’t make a speech, but at this moment she felt it was right to do so. ‘Wow. I’m not sure that I can speak following those wonderful words from Liam. This is a bit impromptu, but there are a few things I’d like to share with you all. First of all I echo everything that Liam said earlier, and in order to keep to my timescale Tom, I won’t repeat them! But there are a couple of other people that I’d like remembered this evening. I’d like everyone first of all to raise their glasses to my parents – Mick and Annie Devlin, who I know are looking down at this moment with a glass of champagne in hand, feeling very proud of their little Grace. I couldn’t have had more amazing parents and I think about them and miss them every day. I wish they were here with us all. But there is someone here I’d also like to acknowledge. She is a very special woman, that I have grown to love and respect with every day I spend with her. Please raise your glasses to my mother, Catherine.’
Catherine had never felt so much pride as she did at that moment. Noel and his wife and three children were sitting at the table with her, as Grace had insisted that they come for the wedding. Noel grabbed his sister’s hand and squeezed it, realising that he hadn’t seen her look this happy since before she had got pregnant.
‘Now as you all know, I’ve had a bit of bad luck recently with my health, which can cause even the most optimistic of us to reflect on our lives! And you know what, I realised I have it pretty damn good!’ This was met with claps and cheers from her friends. ‘I have the best friends any girl could ever dream of. I love you guys – Tara, Sean, Abby, Gerry, Tom. I’d never have muddled through my life quite so successfully without all of you. Jack, as Daddy said earlier, you are our world. Always remember that sweetie-pie. Nothing is more important to me and Daddy than you are. And lastly, before that bell rings,’ Grace winked at Tom, who’d given up all pretence of timing her, ‘my friends, I need to tell you about this man here. My husband. There have been days this year when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, but Liam taught me to never give up. He helped me through those miserable days and did so with love and warmth and laughter, never making me feel like I was putting him to any trouble. I know he was scared, but he never showed that to me. He just put his big strong arms around me and held me until I felt better. Liam, I depended on you and you didn’t let me down. So everyone, I want you all to know that I am blessed. If this is as good as it gets, I’m happy. I am blessed to have found Catherine, my friends, and most importantly my husband and son. Thank you.’
Liam stood up with Jack in his arms and hugged Grace and the whole room stood up too, raising their glasses, toasting the Ryan family. Finally Tom stood up, taking the mike back from Grace and started his best man speech. ‘There’s no doubt about it, is there Ladies and Gentleman? Grace obviously loves Liam. Hard to follow all of the speeches, especially those last two. But I’d better try! So, what can you say about a man who came from humble beginnings and is now rising to the very top of his profession? And all of this done purely on intelligence, charm and good looks. Well that’s enough about me, after all I’m here to talk about Liam!’ Tom was gratified to see he was getting the laughs he anticipated!
‘Seriously, I’m very honoured to be a part of this day, standing beside my two best friends, Liam and Grace. I remember the first time that Grace called in to our house, looking very nervous, but also very determined to get the job as our interior designer. Gerry and I both said afterwards, that the second she spoke, we knew that she was not only going to be the designer to decorate our new home, but would also become a great friend of ours. And we were right.’ Tom turned to Grace, who blew a kiss at him. ‘Very soon we were introduced to her extended family – Liam, Tara, Sean and Abby, and our little family was born. As for the bold Liam, he’s a man after my own heart. Speaks from the heart, speaks honestly, enjoys a joke, and if you have a problem, he’s a great friend to have in your corner. Your uncle Martin said it earlier Liam, but I’ll say it again – you’ve really got your life together and we all know that at times you’ve taken the wrong path, but I believe that you needed to go that road in order to come back to where you should be right now – with Grace and Jack. I’m proud of you too, Liam. You’re a good man. And now to finish my speech, I’m going to end with some advice for the bride and groom. Never, ever, go to bed mad……. Stay up and fight!!!’
Chapter Thirty Nine
Christmas day went by in a blur of present swapping, too much rich food and more emotional speeches from everyone as the wine flowed into the night. It was a magical place, Rose Tree Manor, and a time that none of them would ever forget. Before they knew it, the alarm was ringing and it was time for Liam, Grace and Jack to head to Dublin airport for their midday flight to Orlando. Jack was literally beside himself with excitement. Grace was beginning to feel tired again, the past couple of days taking their toll. But she was determined not to let this stupid illness ruin her honeymoon.
The journey was long, but thankfully Jack’s lack of sleep finally caught up with him and he slept through most of the flight, with Grace and Liam also snoozing. They were staying in the main Disneyland resort, wanting to make sure they had the opportunity to soak up every moment of their time there. They spent the week going to the Magic Kingdom and all of the parks, making sure that they did something every day. Liam had wanted to space their trips to the parks out over two weeks, not knowing about their earlier departure, but Grace insisted she wanted to keep going. It was a magical time for all three of them and one that would never be forgotten. On what was going to be their last day and night, Grace asked Jack which was his favourite park. He of course answered the Magic Kingdom.
‘So let’s go back again today then,’ Grace declared to the boys.
‘You sure you don’t want to just relax today, honey. You look beat, all this running around,’ Liam said worriedly. ‘I’m exhausted!’
‘Come on wimp! No lying around swimming pools today. Let’s go say hello to Mickey one more time!’
‘Yeah!’ Jack screamed, running to his bedroom to fish out his Mickey Mouse ears.
‘And as it’s New Year’s Eve I’ve organised a special meal for us tonight. I know we can’t go out on our own but I wanted us to have a nice meal together. So once Jack falls asleep, we’ll have a room-service banquet in our hotel suite! It’s all organised, menu even picked, one that doesn’t consist of Maccy D’s too!’
‘I’m liking that idea,’ Liam said with a smile. ‘When did you organise all this?’
‘Oh before we left, I called the hotel and organised it. You’re not the only one who is good at organising surprises!’ Grace said to her husband.
They all enjoyed another great day courtesy of Disney, spending most of their time queuing for Thunder Road Mountain, over and over again! The more splashed they got; the more Jack wanted to go again.
‘He won’t be happy till I’m drenched!’ Liam said, wiping his face.
At four o’clock they finally called it a day and walked back to their hotel. Grace and Liam both had showers and got dressed up for their big night in. Tucking Jack into bed at 7 p.m., he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Not long afterwards, room service arrived. Having finished their beautiful meal, Grace turned to Liam and said, ‘Fancy giving an old married woman a hug?’
‘Sure no problem, just don’t tell my wife!’ Liam quipped in return. They sat holding hands on their balcony bench, full from their meal and feeling very relaxed, Grace with a glass of Pinot Noir, Liam with an orange juice. They watched boats drifting along in the Disney Resort Lake. It was beautiful and very serene. They could hear gangs of revellers in the distance all getting ready to ring the New Year in.
Grace felt a little part of her heart break as she knew it was time to tell Liam about her cancer. ‘I’ve a confession to make Liam.’
‘Secrets and lies already. God, woman, we’re not even a week married!’ Liam said with a laugh. ‘Go on then, spill your guts! What did you buy? Another pair of shoes?’
‘Afraid not Liam. Three plane tickets. I’m sorry honey, but we’re going to have to go home a little earlier than planned. I changed our dates with the travel agent and we go home tomorrow evening,’ Grace said quietly, aware that her words were going to hurt Liam so much.
Liam put his face in his hands and sat quietly for a few moments. Looking up eventually, he said quietly, ‘It’s back, isn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ Grace answered softly.
He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly for a long time. ‘When did you find out Grace?’
‘Two weeks ago. I lied about my check-up results; please don’t be cross with me. The AML is back and I have to start chemotherapy on the 3rd January for another course of six treatments.’
Beyond Grace's Rainbow: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance Page 24