Ruth shrugged and tried not to look too pleased with herself. “I know a man who has a helicopter, that’s all. There he is,” she said and pointed to the man of the hour, Lt. General Russell Honore, the man credited with bringing some kind of order to an impossible situation. Before Mac could start in on her, she put her hand over his mouth. “Look, darling, you have to understand that I’m in this for the long haul. I’m not the one to cower at home and wait for things to fix themselves. I told you I’d get on your nerves from time to time and this is one of those times. But Julian, I’m an RN and a retired soldier. How could I sit in safety when these people need so much help? I’d be a pretty piss-poor specimen of a woman if I did that, Besides...”
By now Mac had enough talk, he needed to hold her and kiss her again. Maya ripped off her latex gloves and looked at Julian with a sheepish smile. “What she said,” she demurred. And received the same treatment her future mother-in-law was getting. Much later, when they were preparing to leave for the day, Mac told Ruth that the Montclairs were staying at the house.
“The Montclairs? That pompous deacon and his lying wife, the one that made all the trouble for Julian and Maya? Oh, good,” she said with an evil grin. “I’ve been wanting to have a little girl talk with Charmaine Montclair and this will be a perfect opportunity.”
Mac looked truly alarmed and had to step fast to keep up with Ruth as she headed for the exit. “Honey, don’t be too hard on her, they’ve had a real hard time. They lost their house and their business, now you aren’t going to shoot her or anything, are you? You got a gun, honey?”
Maya and Julian were laughing helplessly as they followed them out of the arena. This was going to be a very interesting night.
***
Within the next few days everyone was back in Atlanta because New Orleans had been evacuated. Bennie and Clay’s main house and guest house were full of relatives and friends of the family, and so were the homes of all the other Deverauxes in Atlanta. Paris and her husband Titus were still moving into their new house, but even they had Philippe and Lucien staying with them. Mac finally told Ruth what was on his mind, and that was the fact that he felt it was a bad time to get married. “So much is up in the air right now, honey, I think we should wait. I can’t bring you to New Orleans in the condition it’s in now, so it’s better that we postpone the marriage untiL..ouch!” He couldn’t believe it, but Ruth had sucker punched him!
“What was that for?” he asked indignantly.
“For trying to do my thinking for me,” she retorted. “We are too getting married and as soon as possible. Don’t you remember the story of Ruth in the Bible? You’re stuck with me, big daddy, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in famine or in flood. I’m yours. You’re mine. Get over it. Postpone my ass, you act like we’re kids or something. Time’s a-wastin’, Julian, and we’re not going to waste another second, got it?”
“Oh yeah, my darling honey girl, I got it for sure.” His arms around her and his lips on hers were all the assurance she would ever need.
Epilogue
“Are you ready, Ruth?” Sylvia looked at her friend in the mirror. They were in the guesthouse at Bennie and Clay’s, preparing to go down to the pavilion that was between the two houses for the outdoor wedding that was to begin in a few minutes. Before Ruth could answer, Kimmi spoke up.
“She’s ready all right. She’s about to float out of here, can’t you tell?” Her voice was at odds with her flippant words. There was a distinct hint of emotion that sounded suspiciously like tears. Capiz looked astounded as she watched the young woman.
“Kimmi, are you about to cry? You’d better buck up, girl, I don’t think that mascara is waterproof,” she teased.
The women were all gathered around Ruth, who was smiling with happiness. For an impromptu wedding, it had all the hallmarks of a traditional ceremony. Her best friends were there, thanks to the Deveraux Group corporate jet. Paris was there with Titus, and Corey was looking like a doll, dressed as her flower girl. Ruth had planned on having Paris and Corey as her only attendants, but Kimmi wasn’t having it. She swore that if Ruth didn’t include her in the festivities she would stand up when the minister asked if there was anyone objected to the wedding.
“I’ll stand up and say you’re my long-lost mother and you left me in a Jewel supermarket when I was six days old,” she threatened.
Ruth had finally given in and the small intimate wedding they’d planned became a little bigger with the addition of Kimmi. Sylvia, Capiz and Cherelle all came early and helped get things set up, although Bennie’s sisters-in-law had also lent their considerable talents and the result was beautiful. Paris and Kimmi were wearing simple georgette dresses in pale green, which complemented Ruth’s ivory Tracy Reese gown with a pattern of delicate flowers on it. It was sleeveless, to show off her toned arms, and it dipped deep in the back to display her toned back. Her hair was in its usual chic style with the addition of the spectacular green tourmaline drops with the diamond bows that Mac had picked out on their first trip to New York. She looked composed and serene and very happy, something that everyone in the room could see.
“Grandma, you look very pretty,” Corey praised.
“Thank you, sweetheart, and so do you. Your dress is just beautiful and you look like a little doll,” Ruth said affectionately.
The child did look lovely; wearing a dress that picked up the colors of Ruth’s dress and the lilac-colored frock Maya was wearing for her ceremony. When it became apparent that there was no way they could all get married in New Orleans due to the destruction, both couples had opted for a simple ceremony to be followed by a week-long honeymoon. When things gradually started escalating, as they often did in the Deveraux family, they decided to have a double wedding in Atlanta. Maya’s attendants were Monica and her college roommate Minoo, who were wearing dresses in a darker shade of lilac than Maya’s. Corey was flower girl for both weddings and she was giddy with happiness at the prospect of being in her mommy and daddy’s remarriage.
Outside, the two Julians were waiting patiently at the podium where the minister stood to unite the two couples. They were both attired in hansomely tailored suits with shirts coordinated to match their bride’s dresses. Julian, Sr. looked around the pavilion and smiled.
“If I ever decide to invade another country, I want those women on my team,” he laughed quietly. “I still can’t believe they got all this accomplished in two weeks. Just think what they could do with more time and money,” he marveled.
The pavilion was tented in white and there was an abundance of flowers in various shades of purple and green everywhere, thanks to Blossoms by Betty. There were rented chairs arranged on either side of a central aisle, and there were plenty of them because all the De-verauxes and Cochrans were in attendance. Julian, Jr. surveyed the spectacle and had to agree with this father.
“If someone told me two months ago that I’d remarry Maya, I’d have said they were nuts, If they had told me that I was a father and that New Orleans would be nearly destroyed by a flood, I wouldn’t have believed that either, but the way this wedding has turned out has surpassed all of that. Remind me to never bet against a woman for any reason because they’re the most incredible creatures on the planet. This is amazing, Pop.”
The music began and all the conversation halted as the bridesmaids began their walk down the aisle. They were followed by Corey with her basket of flowers, who carefully sprinkled them down the white runner on which the brides would walk. Ruth came first, escorted by her oldest nephew, Andrew Cochran. Then came Maya on Clay Deveraux’s arm. They were each handed over to the man who would love them without reservation for the rest of their lives, and the wedding began.
Ruth turned to her Julian and Maya turned to hers and both women had to blink hard to keep the moisture in their eyes from turning to real tears of joy. Kimmi had no such composure, her tears flowed freely and without reservation and she dabbed at them with a big linen handkerchief that Sylvia had
thoughtfully provided for her.
Mac looked down at Ruth with his heart in his eyes and whispered something only she could hear. “I’ll never stop thanking God for you, Ruth. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me.”
Maya looked up at Julian and didn’t hear the soft “ooh” that came from the family and friends as Julian reached over to dab a tear from her eye. “I love you,” she whispered. “I’m so happy that we’re back together, Julian.”
He broke convention by taking one of her hands and putting a kiss on the back. “We’re never going to be apart again, Maya. I never stopped loving you and I never will.”
He was about to lean down and kiss her when a discreet cough from the minister made him pay attention.
“Well, I don’t think our couple can wait any longer so I’d better get on with this. What God has joined together let no man lay usunder. I present you Mr. and Mrs. Julian Deveraux, senior and junior. You may now salute your brides,” he added, although it was a moot point. Both men had already claimed their brides in long sweet kisses as a shower of confetti fell over them and four doves were released overhead. It was time for a lifetime of loving to begin.
THE END
Before the Storm (The Cochran/Deveraux Series Book 9) Page 25