by Judith Keim
“It’s gorgeous!” Darcy stood. “Bebe, please stand up. This dear friend is an artist when it comes to baking.”
Her cheeks bright red, Bebe got to her feet and shyly bobbed her head in response to the loud applause.
Wait staff served the cake, along with coffee, tea, and after-dinner wine.
After dinner had been cleared away, Austin stood. “Please join Darcy and me and Regan and Brian on the dance floor.”
To a romantic oldie Darcy had chosen with Austin’s grandfather, Bill, she swayed in Austin’s arms. The closeness, the realization he was truly hers sent a wave of desire rolling through her.
Austin smiled at her. “We won’t stay late. We’ll go to the Don as soon as we can.”
She laughed and nestled closer.
Someone tapped Austin on the shoulder.
Darcy looked up into her father’s watering eyes. “Okay if I dance with my little girl?” he said to Austin.
Austin stepped away, then left to find his mother.
“You sure are a beautiful bride,” said Patrick smiling down at her with fresh tears. “Can’t believe my girls are all grown up and on their own.”
“We’ve all been away from home for a while, Dad,” said Darcy.
“Yeah, but this is different. You now have families of your own.” Patrick glanced around the room. “Damn good ones too.”
“You won’t be alone. You’ll still have us.”
He gazed across the room. “I’ve been talking to Lynn. She seems real nice.”
Darcy recalled Lynn’s story of how her husband, Benny, had gone searching for gold with Gavin and how Gavin had paid their medical bills after Benny had died following a long, torturous battle with cancer. Glancing at her now, dressed up and laughing at something Bill said, Darcy realized how attractive Lynn was and why both her father and Bill seemed smitten with her.
“All of Gavin’s people are very special. Treat them with a great deal of respect.”
“Of course,” her father said. “If Gavin had them for friends, they’d have to be special.”
Darcy looked up at Patrick. “I’m glad you’ve come to understand Gavin. He was a fun, loving, kind, and generous man. You’re a lot alike, you know.”
“I am?” A smile spread across Patrick’s handsome face. “Lynn thought so too. Sheena asked Rocky to take us to see Duncan in the next day or two, and I agreed to do it. I want to meet my nephew.”
“If you can get past your first impressions, you’ll see he’s a Sullivan all right.”
Sadness filled her father’s eyes. “Wish I’d known a lot of things earlier. Now it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late, Dad,” Darcy said softly, thinking of all the things she’d had to learn about herself and others already. Her thoughts flew to Nick Howard, her mentor from the newspaper. God! She missed him.
Brian tapped Patrick’s shoulder. “Okay, if I cut in? My bride is waiting for her father/daughter dance.”
“Oh yes,” said Patrick. He kissed Darcy on the cheek and left.
Brian took hold of Darcy’s hand and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Thanks for everything, Darcy. You’ve made Regan and me very happy.”
Darcy beamed at him. “Guess we planned a good surprise for Regan. But, seriously, it turned out well. I had my moment, and she had hers. And now we all get to share it with friends and family. It’s perfect.”
Brian kissed her on the cheek. “I’ve always thought you were pretty special.”
“Even after what I did, propositioning you?”
He laughed. “Well, maybe not that special. But as a sister, you’re the best.”
He stepped away as Austin’s father approached.
“May I have this dance with my new daughter?” he asked, his light brown eyes sparkling.
Darcy did a little curtsy. “Of course.”
Charles took her hand and then moved her gracefully across the floor. “I really like your family, Darcy, and am so glad you’re now part of ours.”
“Thank you,” Darcy said, pleased the evening had gone so well.
“Have you thought any more about Belinda’s and my offer?” he asked.
Darcy shook her head. “Austin and I agreed to discuss it after the honeymoon. For now, we just want to enjoy our time together.”
“Good thinking. If you two decide to take on the business, I’m sure you’ll do very well. It’s a lot of hard work, but worth it.”
Darcy glanced around at her family. If she and Austin accepted his offer, she wouldn’t see much of them. Pushing away those worrying thoughts, she moved with Charles across the floor.
As soon as possible after the first guests left, Darcy responded to Austin’s questioning look with a smile and stood.
“Austin and I are heading to the hotel. See everyone in the morning.”
“Or not,” said Austin to a round of laughter.
“Come when you can. Your flight to London isn’t until evening, and you’re welcome anytime,” said Sheena.
Austin took Darcy’s arm and led her to her car. His old Volvo had been traded in for a new one, but for evenings, they liked to use Darcy’s Mercedes.
As Austin pulled out of the parking spot, they heard a racket behind them, and Austin stopped the car.
Wide-eyed, they faced each other.
Then Darcy began to laugh. “Michael told me he’d do something to help us celebrate.” She got out of the car and looked behind it. Several empty tin cans were tied to the back of the car.
Austin chuckled. “I’ll have to get him for this.” He pulled a small pocket knife out of his pants and held it up. “My good luck piece should take care of it.” He cut the strings from around the bumper.
“Quick, let’s tie them to Regan’s Jeep,” said Darcy, laughing giddily.
After taking care of it, they pulled out of the parking lot, ready to celebrate in a very different way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
REGAN
Regan and Brian said goodbye to Holly and Blackie and the others and went outside.
“As a surprise, I’ve arranged for us to go away for a couple of nights,” said Brian. “I told Sheena and Tony about it at dinner, and they’ll cover for us.”
“Oh, Brian, that’s so sweet! Where are we going?”
“I’ll tell you in the car after we pick up our things at the cottage on Kenton’s property.”
Mo and Kenton joined them. “This is the new ride?” Mo said, his dark eyes shining as he stared at the white Jeep. He wrapped an arm around Regan. “Nothing’s too good for our bride.”
Brian laughed. “Get in. We’ll drop you off at the house, get our things, and be on our way.”
As Brian pulled out of the parking spot, a rattle behind the car made him stop. He got out of the car, took a look, and began laughing.
Regan, Mo, and Kenton joined him. When they saw the tin cans, Regan said, “I’m betting on Michael doing this.”
Grinning, Michael approached. “What? Me? Meaghan and I tied them onto Darcy’s car, and they must have transferred them to yours.”
“Love you, Michael,” Regan teased, giving him a quick hug, pleased by his participation in the day.
While Brian untied the cans, Regan turned to Mo and Kenton. “Thank you both for making the trip to Florida. It wouldn’t be our special day if the two of you weren’t part of it.”
“Our pleasure,” said Kenton. “We’re happy we could be here.”
“I won’t forget it,” said Regan, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek.
“Well,” said Kenton, “maybe you can do the same for us when the time comes.”
Regan glanced at the happy expression on Mo’s face and felt her eyes well with tears. It seemed they’d found love, too.
###
When Regan stepped out of the house with her suitcase, she was surprised to see a white stretch limo parked in the driveway. She turned to Brian. “What’s this?”
“Our carriage awaits,” said Bri
an, giving her a broad smile.
The driver held the door as they climbed inside. In the dim interior, twinkling lights hung from the ceiling like tiny stars in a dark sky. A bottle of champagne sat in an ice-filled well built into a backlit bar on one side of the passenger cabin. Two tulip glasses were in a rack on the shelf alongside it. A small TV screen glowed in the wall behind the bar. Soft, romantic music filled the cabin.
The driver closed the door and climbed in behind the wheel. “I’ll close the partition now. Knock on the window if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” said Brian. As the car got underway, he turned to Regan. “I’ve arranged for us to stay at the Ritz Carlton down the coast in Naples for a couple of nights. A little later in the year, I hope to take you to Naples, Italy, for a real honeymoon.”
“Really? Oh, Brian, that would be a dream come true!” Suddenly, she was crying.
“What’s the matter?” Brian asked, looking crestfallen. “Are you disappointed in all the arrangements that were made? We could have waited. I just wanted to make you happy.”
Just as suddenly, Regan began laughing. “Oh, Brian! You have no idea how much I love you. You, this day, everything has been wonderful.”
“Whew! You had me worried for a while.” Brian lifted the bottle of champagne from the ice well. “Let’s celebrate.”
He easily slid the cork out of the bottle and poured champagne into the two glasses. Clicking his glass against hers, he said, “Here’s to you, Regan Harwood, my beautiful bride.”
“And to you, Brian Harwood.”
The bubbles tickled her nose as she sipped the liquid. She laughed with the pure joy of it, her new husband, and the entire day.
###
As she lay in bed naked beside Brian, sated from their lovemaking, Regan couldn’t help thinking of her mother. Without the nagging thought of her mother’s disapproval of living with Brian before marriage, she’d experienced a new sense of abandonment making love with him.
Brian reached for her. “Mmm, Mrs. Harwood, you make me glad we decided not to wait to get married.” He tugged her close, spooning them together.
When Brian’s breathing deepened into sleep, Regan got out of bed, slipped on a robe, and tiptoed onto the balcony. She wanted time alone to savor her day, to think of her family and the future. Never in a million years would she have imagined her wedding day as it had happened. Darcy’s generosity meant the world to her. They’d fought as kids and then pretty much ignored one another until they’d been forced to live together in Florida.
Her thoughts flew to Sheena and Tony. She was grateful to them for giving Brian and her a few days off to celebrate. It meant added work for each of them, but both Sheena and Tony had seemed genuinely happy to do it. Her father had surprised her by rallying to the occasion. His participation had added meaning to both weddings.
Staring up at the night sky, a playground for light and shadow, she thanked the stars for all she’d been given. Not only for her family but for Brian’s. Holly and Blackie had made it clear how happy they were to have her now be a part of it.
The steady movement of the waves below her slowed her breathing and calmed her mind. Sighing happily, Regan went inside and crawled back into bed with her husband.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
SHEENA
After the wedding celebrations, Sheena left Gavin’s with her father and walked with him to his hotel room.
“What a lovely time,” she murmured. “Two weddings in one day? Who would’ve thought it?”
“I bet other men would wish it would happen in their own families. One way to get rid of two daughters at once.”
Sheena smiled. His gruff words belied the fact his eyes were tearing up with emotion.
“I wonder what Mom would have thought about it.”
“She would’ve come around, though she might not have liked the idea. But Regan told me why she wanted to get married right away, and that would’ve pleased your mother.”
“Poor Regan had a lot of pressure on her to do the right thing. Probably because of me,” Sheena said ruefully.
Her father stopped walking and studied her. “Of all her children, you were your mother’s favorite. Of course, she was upset when you missed out on college, but she loved Tony and adored your kids. No apologies needed. Hear?”
Sheena asked herself if she dared to ask the question that had haunted her for some time. She fumbled in her mind for the right way to say it and finally spoke. “Dad, you were excited about Mom having your baby when I was born. Right?” She waited, thinking his answer would help her sort out if he was her father, not Gavin.
“Oh yes! When your mother told me that you were on the way, I cried like a baby, I did,” Patrick said. “We’d been trying for some time. There was some trouble along the way, and when your blood was tested, we discovered you have my blood type. We’re the only two in my family with Type B. Guess that made it seem extra special. Of course, with my being in the service, there was a gap between you and your sisters, but we welcomed them too.”
“And Gavin was a special uncle to me, like she said?”
Patrick studied her thoughtfully. “Gavin had his heart broken when your mother decided to marry me instead of him, but he always loved her and our family. Think of what he’s done for you and your sisters.”
Sheena felt her knees go weak and gripped his arm for balance.
He frowned at her. “Are you all right?”
“Just a pregnancy thing,” she fibbed, stunned by the knowledge her father had just shared. Did he have any idea her mother and Gavin wrote letters to one another? That her mother sent him pictures?
“They kept in touch through the years, but I knew my Eileen was faithful to me, just as I was to her. It might not have been a perfect marriage, but we did our best.”
In silence, they reached his room.
“Good night, Dad. Sweet dreams!” said Sheena giving him a hard hug. “Michael will pick you up for breakfast in the morning, so you can say goodbye to Darcy and Austin.”
She kissed him and went on her way, feeling a huge lump in her throat. Her mother and her father had been faithful to one another, but had each been as happy as she and Tony? Darcy and Austin? Regan and Brian? She didn’t think so. And she knew for certain Gavin hadn’t been.
###
When the last of the breakfast guests had departed, Sheena sank onto the couch in the family room exhausted.
“Nice job, honey,” said Tony. “I’m going to run down to the office to check in and see how sales are going. Bett said she’d meet me.”
“Go ahead. Meaghan and Michael can help me straighten up. Then, I’m taking the rest of the day off. Tomorrow morning, I have a meeting with Casey, Nicole, and Graham to see how well we did with the wedding. We have a client’s wedding in three weeks, and we want to be ready for it.”
“You sit for a while before you even attempt to do anything.” Tony went to the stairs and called up, “Michael? Meaghan? Come here, please.”
When they appeared, he said, “Michael, we need you to clean up the lanai by straightening chairs and making sure all glasses, cups, and plates are brought inside. Meaghan, we need you to start loading the dishwasher and cleaning up the kitchen. Your mother is exhausted, and she needs us to step up and help.”
The kids looked at her, hesitated, and then Michael said, “Okay, we’re on it.”
A flush of gratitude warmed her cheeks. “Thanks.”
###
After a quiet day and a good night’s sleep, Sheena felt more like her old self. Alone in the house after the kids left for school, she took a moment to reflect on the weekend. Holding the gold coin Uncle Gavin had given her as a child, she thought of what her father had told her about his marriage to her mother. They were good people who were true to one another. She now believed Gavin was not her father. But she was surer than ever her mother and Gavin had loved each other, not for one brief period of time in their lives, but always.
Putting the gold coin away, Sheena made a silent vow to herself to use it as a reminder to make her marriage a loving one, so neither she nor Tony would have any regrets. And someday, when it was appropriate, she’d pass the coin and the story behind it to one of her children, so they’d understand how important it was to love and be loved.
###
Sheena sat at a table in Gavin’s with Nicole, waiting for Casey and Graham to appear for their meeting.
“Thank you so much for overseeing the arrangements for Darcy’s wedding,” Sheena said to her, then laughed. “I mean both Darcy’s and Regan’s weddings.”
Nicole grinned. “It turned out so well. I’m happy for both of them.”
Casey rushed in. “Sorry, I’m a little late. I was checking on The Key Hole. I’ve hired a good manager, but I won’t feel comfortable until I see for myself all is in order.”
He kissed Nicole on the cheek and took a seat next to her.
Graham appeared, wearing checked pants and a white T-shirt. When he and his staff started cooking, he’d slip on his chef’s coat.
“Graham! The food for Darcy’s and Regan’s reception was fabulous!” exclaimed Sheena. “The few people who hadn’t already eaten at Gavin’s said they’d definitely make reservations. It’s a great way to pick up local trade.”
“Agreed,” said Nicole. “And with destination weddings becoming more popular, you’ll have a good way to build your reputation, Graham.”
“As long as you don’t leave us,” warned Sheena in a teasing voice.
“I’m very grateful to be the chef here,” said Graham in a surprisingly serious tone. “My Uncle Nick would be very proud of all of us for what we’re building at Gavin’s.”
“Things appeared to go smoothly for the wedding reception,” said Sheena. “But what can we do to make it better and easier on you and your staff?”
A lively discussion took place about flowers, music for the reception, dance floors, and wedding cakes.
“The bottom line is we need to develop a business relationship with a couple of wedding planners who would be willing to come into the hotel and restaurant and oversee weddings and receptions,” said Nicole.