Beach Wedding

by Cruise, Bella

  As he moves inside me, I realize. I’ve been waiting ten years for this.

  *

  I wake the next morning with sunlight streaming through the open drapes. I roll over, still sleepy, wondering how my aunts got their vintage linens so soft…

  The sound of the shower shuts off. A familiar voice says, “Morning, sleepy-head.”

  Luke. In a towel. Wet from the shower and hot as all get-out.

  I sit upright with a bolt, last night flooding back to me. All of last night. We were about as intimate as it’s possible for two people to get, but now in the bright light of day, I’m totally tongue-tied.

  “Um, hi,” I say shyly. I quickly tug the sheets up around my naked body. Luke grins.

  “Nothing I ain’t seen before.”

  I blush. “Did you, umm, sleep well?”

  “Well enough.” Luke’s smile spreads. He saunters over, water dripping down his half-naked body. “Except I had a gorgeous woman in my bed who wouldn’t let me get a moment’s rest.”

  “Hey!” I laugh. “It takes two to tango.”

  “Yes it does.” He leans over and kisses me, a lazy, weekend kind of kiss that untangles the knot in my chest and floods me with joy. “And I’ve got to say, I’m liking some of those new steps.” Luke winks.

  “Right back at you.” I kiss him again, reaching playfully for that towel. “I guess not all guys peak at eighteen.”

  Luke pulls back. “What’s that?”

  I giggle. “Just something Jules said. Apparently, boys reach their sexual prime when they’re teenagers.”

  “Oh yeah? And what about you ladies?”

  “We don’t hit our stride until forty or so,” I reply, with a smile.

  “Lucky me.” Luke suddenly grabs me, and rolls us over under the covers. “Sounds like I’ve got nothing but good times ahead.”

  His mouth lowers to me, his body hot and hard against my bare skin. I melt into him, savoring the sweetness of his kiss—and the slow-burn heat in his touch. He moves lower, kissing a searing path along my collarbone, and over the swell of my breasts--

  My cell phone breaks through the moment.

  “Ignore it,” Luke orders me, teasing along the side of my ribs.

  “OK,” I breathe. I want to stay wrapped in this moment forever, caught up in the sweet torment of his lips, grazing softly over my breasts, just circling at my---

  Then his phone sounds too. For a moment, we’re frozen there, an impatient chorus flanking us from both nightstands. Then he sits up with a sigh. “Hold that thought.”

  We both reach for our phones. I can hear him start to talk about material estimates and construction timelines as I answer.

  “Why haven’t you answered me?” It’s Marcie, of course. “I’ve sent you like a hundred texts.”

  “Sorry,” I yawn. “What’s up?”

  “I need the details for the florist again.”

  “Just call Theo,” I tell her, impatient to pick up right where Luke left off – or maybe just a few inches lower.

  “He’s not answering either.”

  “OK, OK,” I stop her. “I’ll forward the info.”

  “Great, and also, I need—“

  I hang up. Luke is already half-dressed, and pulling on a shirt. “No,” I protest, “What happened to holding that thought?”

  He gives me a rueful smile. “Believe me, there’s nothing I want more than to spend the day with you in bed. And in the shower, and on the kitchen floor… But one of my clients just showed up on site and is throwing his weight around. My guys need me to smooth things over.” Luke must see my disappointed expression, because he swoops back in for another kiss. “I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”

  “No, it’s OK.” I get out of bed too. “I have a million and one things to get done.”

  I pause, looking around for my dress—and the right thing to say. I’m not used to one-night stands, let alone with my ex.

  Luke chuckles, and plucks my dress off the floor. “Here,” he says, kissing me on the cheek. “I’ll see you later. And Ginny?” he pauses by the door. “Don’t overthink it. We’ll figure this out.”

  Then he leaves.

  Don’t overthink it.

  Luke knows me too well, because that’s exactly what I do. The minute he leaves, my brain is already kicking into action, over-analyzing one of the best nights of my life. By the time I shower, dress, and make it back into my car to drive home, I’m holding off a major meltdown.

  There’s only one thing left to do. I call Jules.

  “Help!” I cry, the minute she picks up the phone.

  “Whoa, Ginny? What’s wrong?”

  “I did something bad. Well, not exactly bad, more like mind-blowingly good.”

  “I knew it!” Jules laughs. “Are we talking option A, B, or C?”

  “How about option OMG?” I say, unable to keep the smile from my lips. “But Jules, I’m freaking out here. What does it mean? What are we supposed to do now? What is he thinking? Should I be thinking? I think too much!”

  “Hold your horses,” she laughs. “This sounds like a three-waffle emergency. Meet you at your place?”

  “Please,” I beg. “And bring the maple syrup.”

  Jules does one better. When her bright blue beetle pulls up outside the ranch, she climbs out almost hidden under a massive grocery bag.

  “I brought SOS cupcakes too, just in case,” she tells me.

  “You are a lifesaver.”

  I carry the stuff inside. Jules takes one look around my aunts’ kitchen and bursts out laughing. “You weren’t kidding about a freak-out. You can’t move in here for waffles.”

  “I had a forty minutes head-start.” I protest. “But I waited for you. I haven’t had a bite.”

  “I’m here now, babe. Go crazy.”

  We fill a couple of plates with waffles and sticky sweet syrup, then go outside. I don’t want my aunts walking in during our girl talk, so I take Jules to Rae’s studio, which I’ve been using as a makeshift wedding planner station. The small shed is filled to the brim with party favors, fabric reels, and decorations.

  “It looks like Vera Wang threw up in here.” Jules gingerly picks her way through the centerpieces. I find us a couple of free seats and collapse with a sigh.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I tell her through a massive bite of waffle. “One minute, I’m talking about how I have a whole life waiting for me back in New York, and the next…”

  “Tell me everything,” Jules demands. “And don’t skip the good stuff.”

  I inhale another waffle before I relate the events of last night. I leave things at the bedroom door, but I can’t hide the grin that spreads across my face just thinking about it.

  “Go Ginny.” Jules whistles, sounding impressed.

  “But what do I do?”

  “I would suggest all of the above, a couple more times.” Jules grins. “I’m guessing our Luke hasn’t lost his magic touch.”

  I shake my head and sigh. “He’s still got it.”

  “So why the sad face and emergency carbs?” Jules looks puzzled now. “If I were you, I’d be crawling right back into bed and holding my calls for a week.”

  “I want to,” I say slowly. “But, what does all this mean? We’re not kids anymore. I’m going to wind up hurting him all over again when I go back to the city.”

  “Ever heard of plane tickets?” Jules arches an eyebrow. “Plenty of people make it work long-distance, and it’s not like you’re going to exile yourself all over again.”

  “True.” I take another bite of waffle.

  My phone buzzes with a text. It’s him. I snatch it up.

  ‘missing something?’ he writes, along with a picture of my bra.

  I laugh. ‘keep it safe & you can take it off again later,’ I text back.

  Jules arches an eyebrow. “Look at you, giggling like a schoolgirl.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Hey, don’t be. I’m jealous. The last time a guy g
ot my panties in a twist like that, I walked in to find him wearing them.”

  My jaw drops. “Did not!”

  “Did too,” she grins. “I had to break up with him. He looked better in them than me!”

  We fall about laughing, until finally Jules pulls it together. “See, this is good for you, babe. I say you take it slow, figure things out together. You’re not kids anymore, if you’re feeling confused, you can have an adult conversation about it – in between ripping off each other’s clothes, that is. And if it doesn’t work out…?” She shrugs, like it’ll be no big deal.

  But her words stay with me. The thought of leaving Luke all over again makes my blood run cold. Oh God, what am I getting myself into? It broke my heart to walk away last time around, so what happens if it doesn’t work between us now? I can’t imagine that kind of pain, to open myself up to him again and see that fail.

  “I know that face,” Jules warns me. “That’s your over-thinking face.”

  I shake my head. “OK, I won’t. Promise. What about you?” I change the subject. “Are you sure there’s no-one worth talking about in your kitchen?”

  “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Jules quips. She laughs. “No, I don’t have any epic love affairs brewing. I could use some fun, though, get a little of that good-time grin you’ve got going on.”

  At that moment, the studio door opens, and Theo pokes his head in. “You were looking for me?”

  Jules and I look at each other, and crack up. We laugh like crazy, while Theo stares, puzzled. “What did I say?”

  “Nothing,” I giggle, wiping tears from my eyes. “Jules?”

  “Don’t look at me,” she snorts. “I’m not robbing any cradles!”

  Theo backs away. “I’ll be inside,” he says slowly, before turning on his tail and fleeing.

  Our laughter subsides. “That poor kid,” Jules giggles. “His face!”

  “I better make sure he’s OK,” I say, getting up. I hug Jules. “Thanks for the carb session.”

  “Any time. And good luck, babe. I’m rooting for you two. I always did.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Less than one week to go, and everything’s heading according to plan – for the wedding, that is.

  “Tell me again,” I insist, as Theo and I walk through the mansion. I hardly recognize it anymore. It’s still crumbling and romantic, but the crews have cleared out all the dirt and rubble, and started staging it for the big day with antique furniture in the bridal salon, and gorgeous big mirrors leaning against the walls. Once we start draping curtains and bring in fresh roses, it’s going to be a dream.

  “Relax, Ginny. I’m telling you, this thing is going to run like clockwork.” For some reason, Theo doesn’t seem happy as he ticks off the list. “The final dress fitting went off without a hitch, flowers are arriving on the morning of the ceremony, and we’ve booked every hotel and inn in a hundred mile radius for all the guests.”

  “So what aren’t you telling me?” I study his expression. “If things were really working out, you’d be spinning cartwheels by now.”

  “I can’t cartwheel.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Everything’s fine,” Theo insists. “I promise, nothing to worry about. I just need to catch up on sleep, that’s all.”

  “You and me both.”

  He snorts.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t know how you’ve found time to get yourself a boyfriend when I can barely remember to eat lunch.”

  I flush, and thwack him with my notebook. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s… Luke.”

  “Same difference. Anyway,” Theo says, getting back to business. “The weather report is a balmy seventy-five.”

  “But what if it rains?”

  “Then we have canopies set to go, and a back-up location booked for the reception.”

  “What if it’s a hurricane?” I ask, struck by a sudden nightmare scenario. “What if eighty-mile an hour winds come sweeping through and destroy the whole thing?”

  “Then I’ll see you in Oz,” Theo sighs. “Come on, Ginny. We’ve done this a hundred times. Plans A, B and C are ready to roll.”

  “I know.” I take a few deep breaths. “And I know I say that every wedding is the most important one of our careers, but this one really is. I’m serious.” I grip his arms and look him dead in the eye. “We can’t fail, do you understand? This wedding has to go off without a hitch, or I’m ruined. You and me both.”

  Theo looks tense. “I get it. If this thing wasn’t so important to everyone…” he stops.

  “What?” I demand.

  “It’s nothing. Look, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll go check another five different weather forecasts.”

  “Yes please!” I hug him. “And look up bird migrating patterns too. The last thing we want is a flock of ducks flying over and pooping right before the vows!”

  Theo heads off to triple-check for me, and I step out back onto what’s now a gorgeous stone-paved terrace. Pots of flowers are clustered along the walls, and the manicured lawns sweep down to the shore, where Pixie and Clyde are posing for promo photographs on the rocks.

  I look around, trying to reassure myself. “You’ve got this,” I whisper under my breath.

  “Talking to yourself again?” A pair of strong arms encircle me from behind. I let out a yelp of surprise, and then laugh as Luke lands a kiss on the side of my neck.

  I twist to look at him. “What are you doing here?” I ask happily. “I thought you were up on a job in Marathon today?”

  “We finished up early, so I thought I’d come take a look. You did good,” he adds, looking around.

  “It wasn’t just me,” I laugh. “Your crews worked overtime.”

  “Yes, but you’re the one who had the vision.” His arms squeeze around my waist. “It’s going to be great, Ginny. A day they’ll never forget.”

  I lean into him, reaching up on tip-toes for a kiss. With the sun on my back and Luke’s mouth on mine, suddenly, all my anxiety seems to melt away.

  “Thank you,” I breathe. “I needed that.”

  He smiles. “Anytime. In fact… Want to come over again tonight?”

  I nod. We’ve spent almost every night together since that first amazing reunion, and even though I’m no closer to figuring out what the future holds for us, I’m definitely learning to relax and enjoy the present with him.

  “Great.” Luke grins. “There’s a drive-in movie playing down in Key Largo. We could go and make out in my backseat, for old time’s sake.”

  “It’s a date.”

  There’s a shriek from across the lawn. I turn in time to see Pixie lose her balance. She slips, and tumbles into the ocean with a splash.

  We race over, but by the time we’ve arrived, Nick and Neil are already fishing her out. Clyde stands, bewildered, on the shore.

  “You let go!” Pixie yells at him, crying. She’s drenched, her hair a wet mess and her dress dripping in heavy clumps. “I can’t believe you just let go of me.”

  “But you were falling, love. If I’d kept hold, I would have gone in, too.”

  “That’s the point!” Pixie wails. “We’re supposed to be in this together!”

  I push through the small crowd. “Hey sweetheart.” I take her hand. “Let’s go get you dried off inside, OK?”

  I lead her away, with Luke following behind. Pixie is sniffling and sobbing, and ready to go into meltdown, I can tell. “There, there.” I soothe her. “It’s just a little water. No harm, no foul.”

  “It’s not that,” she whimpers. “It’s everything! You saw Clyde, he just stood there, the way he always does. He never tries to help me, or go out of his way at all. I have to do everything myself! Sometimes I wonder why we’re even getting married at all!”

  I take a deep breath. “Are you getting cold feet, Pixie?”

  She sniffles. “Maybe? Would that be so wrong?”

  “Lots of brides ha
ve seconds thoughts close to the wedding,” I say carefully. “You just don’t want to do anything you’ll regret later.”

  “I know.” Pixie’s face is screwed up. “And I know everyone’s counting on me. You, Marcie, the whole team. Everyone’s job depends on it.”

  “Yes, their job,” I agree. I know I should be talking her back into the wedding, but I can’t help feel sympathy for her. Pixie seems lost in the middle of all this production, and I wonder the last time that anyone asked her if it’s really what she wants. “The TV show, the cameras, that’s your job too,” I add. “But you have to think about your life outside the show, that’s what really matters. You can quit a job any time you like.”

  “I can quit?” Pixie seems to perk up.

  “Sure, you can walk away if you want to.” I check Marcie isn’t around to throttle me, but there’s only Luke following us a couple of paces behind.

  “But won’t everyone be mad at me?”

  “Maybe. But you’re the one who has to live with your decision,” I tell her. “It’s the easiest thing in the world to just leave. Just get in your car and go, if that’s what you really want. You have to trust your gut. Sometimes, you just don’t feel it.”

  “But I don’t know what I feel!”

  “Then how about you hold off making any big decisions until you do,” I soothe her. “Just get a good night’s rest, maybe take a nice bubble bath. Things will look different in the morning.”

  Pixie nods slowly. I look around. “Theo!” I call him over. “Can you take Pixie back to the Inn? Maybe get some food sent up, too. You look like you haven’t eaten all day.”

  “Marcie said I needed to drop that ten pounds,” Pixie sniffles.

  “Well, I think you look perfect the way you are. Marcie doesn’t have to know,” Theo takes her arm and gently steers her towards the car. “How does a double chocolate milkshake sound?”