White Wedding for a Southern Belle

by Susan Carlisle

  He stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. “How’s your arm?”

  “You let me worry about that. You need to be concerned about whether or not you can stand up to what’s coming your way.”

  He gave a throaty chuckle. “Bring it on, Alderman.”

  She caressed him with her tongue as she lifted her hips and slowly slid down his shaft.

  * * *

  Sometime later Ashley noticed that the sun streaming through the bathroom window came from high in the sky. She was enjoying Kiefer running his fingers through her hair as he shampooed it. She’d found a number of ways she liked being taken care of. “I would like to try this in your shower sometime. It’s a little roomier.”

  “You’re welcome anytime. But I rather like the closeness of yours.” He rubbed his wet body against hers as he reached for the conditioner.

  When she turned, licked a rivulet of water from the skin over his heart, Kiefer pinned her against the side of the shower, his intention clear in his eyes and in his body.

  Ashley laughed. She’d done that more with Kiefer than with anyone else in her life and she liked it. For those seconds she forgot about the pain there could be in life. “Hey, what about my arm?”

  He backed away. “Now you’re going to use that as an excuse?”

  “It worked, didn’t it?” she said as she stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel.

  “I think you’re teasing me.” Kiefer joined her on the bath mat.

  She grinned up at him. “Every chance I can get.”

  He reached over and lifted the stone that hung on her necklace. “You wear this all the time. What is it about?”

  She took it from him. “Lizzy gave it to me. The day she died.”

  “You’ve worn it every day since?”

  She nodded.

  “You want to make sure you remember.”

  Kiefer understood. “I don’t want to forget. It’s too easy to forget.”

  He kissed her forehead then took her towel from her and started drying her off. A few seconds later he said, “Hey, it’s Sunday. Why don’t we go over to Tybee and spend the day?”

  When was the last time she’d just taken a day for herself? Not thought about the next council meeting? Had to meet with someone? She looked at Kiefer, tall and naked in front of her. “I’d like that.”

  “Great. You put on your tiniest bathing suit so I can admire your beautiful body, and pack a bag, and we’ll go to my place on the way for my suit.”

  He was like a kid happy to play for the day and it was rubbing off on her.

  * * *

  An hour later they were driving over the short causeway to Tybee Island. The sun was shining brightly as Kiefer pulled his truck into the last open parking spot in the lot next to the Tybee Island lighthouse. Together they carried their bags and beach chairs toward the water.

  He picked a space away from the crowd but near enough to the water for Ashley to enjoy the sound of waves lapping, then opened and set the chairs next to each other.

  His low whistle of admiration when she removed her shirt and shorts made Ashley blush. She savored knowing that he liked her body. He’d certainly shown it last night. “I’m going to lie on a towel for a while. Maybe take a nap.” Ashley adjusted her towel on the sand.

  He grinned. “Didn’t sleep much last night?”

  “No, but I did enjoy myself.”

  Kiefer took the chair closest to her. “That was the plan. Turn your back to me and let me put some sunscreen on you. I don’t want you to burn.”

  She did as he asked and relished the feel of his strong hands applying the lotion. He’d changed her in a significant way. This care she could get used to. Lying down, she was soon asleep.

  “Hey, sleepyhead. Let’s go swimming.” Kiefer was using the point of an inflatable raft to tickle her back.

  Ashley rolled over and offered him her hand. He took it and pulled her to a standing position beside him. “There’s no rest for the weary around you,” she grumbled.

  “I’m not that bad, am I?” He sounded concerned, raft tucked under his arm.

  She caught his hand and pulled him toward the water. “I’m just kidding.”

  As they entered the water Kiefer pulled back. “I brought this float so you could rest your arm on it. That way, maybe you won’t get it too wet.”

  He really was thoughtful. How could his ex-wife have ever wanted more than what he could give? “You think of everything. The salt water will be good for it.”

  “Yes, but you still need to keep it as dry as possible.”

  Ashley splashed him. “Wasn’t the beach your idea?”

  “Yeah. It might not have been my best. I forgot about your arm.”

  “Why, Doctor, where was your mind?”

  Kiefer wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. “I was thinking about you, just not your arm.” His lips found hers. Abruptly releasing her, he dived under, coming up again farther out in deeper water.

  She floated as she watched him make strong, sure strokes through the ocean. After a while his head went under, to reappear near her. He took the other end of the float.

  She played in the water as she asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask you—where did you get the name Kiefer?”

  “From my parents.”

  She splashed him. “You know what I mean. It’s such an unusual name.”

  He grinned. “My mother and my aunt Georgina had this big crush on a movie star who had the name. They both said they were going to name their sons after him. My uncle said his child would be named after him. So I got the name.”

  “Your father didn’t mind?”

  “No, he was just happy to have a son. Mother could have named me anything she wanted.”

  “Do you have brothers and sisters?” Ashley enjoyed dabbling her hand in the sway of the waves.

  “Yeah. A brother—he and his family live in Atlanta—and a sister. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida. How about you?”

  “One brother. He’s in the service. We don’t see much of him, but the internet and cell phones are great things.” Richey would like Kiefer.

  “You miss him?”

  “I do. He was sort of my buffer between me and my daddy.”

  “How’s that?” Kiefer pushed his wet hair back off his forehead.

  “As long as I was with him, my parents would let me go places. He became my ticket out into the world.”

  “I know what happened with your friend was tough but were your parents really that overprotective?”

  She nodded. “They were. It destroyed our family’s friendship with the family next door. My parents questioned why they hadn’t seen the ugliness in Ron. They feared what he might have done to us. They started second-guessing every decision they made until it was easier just to have us stay home than it was to take a chance on something happening to us.”

  His face turned serious. “I know something about that second-guessing.”

  She watched him, waiting for him to say more. Finally he did but it came out harsh and painful.

  “You know I mentioned my mother was attacked?” She nodded and he continued. “She brought a homeless man home for a meal. What he wanted was money for drugs, not food. I watched him beat my mother for her purse and did nothing. I should have done something. At least your parents tried to protect you.”

  Ashley studied him closely. Pain filled her for the kid who had seen such brutality. They had more in common than she’d first thought. “How old were you when that happened?”

  “Seven.”

  “You were just a kid! What did you expect you could do?”

  “Instead of hiding in the laundry closet, I could have hit him or something. Anything. Screamed.” The disgust with himself fille
d his voice. Did he really carry this around all the time? Why wouldn’t he? She always carried the pain of Lizzy.

  “And been hurt yourself?”

  “That doesn’t ease the guilt.”

  Ashley was well aware of what selfishness did to a person. All these many years later she still felt responsible for refusing to walk home with Lizzy that day. It might have made the difference. She hadn’t wanted to get her fancy new boots muddy, walking across an empty lot, so she’d said no, despite Lizzy’s begging.

  Rubbing her hand up and down Kiefer’s arm, Ashley said, “I’m sure your mother doesn’t blame you. Did they catch him?”

  “Yes. I had to give a description of the guy because Mother was in the hospital. When the reporters and TV found out a kid had seen it all, they were everywhere.”

  “That’s why you didn’t care anything about being on camera when the TV crew was at the clinic.”

  “Yeah, I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.” A wave bumped their bodies against each other. “Enough of that depressing talk. I’d rather be touching you.”

  He let go of the raft, leaving Ashley to hold it. Standing, with the salt water at chest level, Kiefer faced her and placed his hands under her arms. Slowly he followed the path of her curves down to her hips. Cupping her butt, he squeezed then brought her to him for a kiss.

  A wave washed over them, ripping them apart. Laughing and spluttering when they came up, they saw the float being carried away.

  “I think you need to go dry off your arm,” Kiefer said. “I’ll get the float and be in in a minute.”

  “You’re not coming with me?”

  “This is a family beach, and if I come out of the water right now, after that kiss, I’d be an X-rated view.”

  Ashley laughed. “Need a cold shower, do you, Doc?”

  He started toward her. “Maybe the alderman wants to be on the front page of the newspaper for swimming topless.”

  Ashley shrieked and hurried for the beach.

  “That’ll teach you to make fun of me!” Kiefer called, as she walked up the sand toward their chairs.

  * * *

  Kiefer saw the grin spread across Ashley’s face when he joined her. This time she had taken a chair next to his.

  “Feeling better?” she cooed.

  He put the float down and dropped into his chair. “Yes, no thanks to you.”

  The view of her backside as she’d walked up the beach hadn’t eased his pain. His feelings were too sharp and intense for his peace of mind. What he had worked so hard to prevent had happened. He cared about Ashley.

  They had been drying off in the sun for a few minutes when she asked, “Can we walk over and see the lighthouse?”

  “Sure, why not.”

  Ashley pulled on her T-shirt and shorts over her bathing suit. Kiefer didn’t bother with a shirt. They both slipped their feet into flip-flops. Hand in hand they walked toward the tall brick tower painted black with a white band three-quarters of the way up.

  “I’ve always loved lighthouses.” She sighed. “There’s something romantic about them.”

  Kiefer stopped and looked at her. “And the surprises keep coming. First romance movies. Now lighthouses. What could be next?”

  “I’ll give you a real shock. I read romance novels.”

  His mouth gapped in exaggerated shock. “Are you learning anything in those books I could benefit from?”

  She swatted his arm. “Maybe.”

  “I look forward to finding out.”

  They walked along the road a distance across a grassy area to the white picket fence entrance then toward the red-roofed house that was attached to the light tower. Beside it was a large white event tent. White netting had been tied in bows on the chairs and netting draped to create an altar.

  “Look.” She smiled broadly. “They’re getting ready for a wedding. This is a beautiful place for one.”

  “Every woman likes a wedding,” he said, more to himself than her. His ex had. That apparently was the only thing she’d liked about being married to him. Except for the best man. Neither weddings nor marriage interested him but he had no doubt they did Ashley. It was a gulf he wasn’t sure they could cross.

  “And how like a man to be cynical about them.”

  “I have good reason.”

  They walked around the outside of the lighthouse. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in a house like this, with the water surrounding you. Listening to the rush of the waves during a storm and knowing that the light above was the difference between a sailor’s life or death.”

  “You really are a romantic. I’ve always wondered how the light-keeper walked all those steps every day.”

  Ashley laughed. “We do see things from two different perspectives.”

  He pulled her close for a quick hug. “Yeah, but we see eye to eye on a few things.”

  They spent an hour looking through the museum and talking about the life of a caretaker.

  “Well, are you ready for it?” Kiefer asked.

  “For what?”

  “To climb to the top.” He opened the door to the spiral staircase.

  “If you can, I can.” Ashley gave him a determined look. He admired how she approached everything with a can-do spirit.

  “Okay, but don’t overwork that arm just to try to outdo me.”

  “Eat my dust.” Ashley took the lead and she started up the stairs.

  They climbed and circled, stopping a couple of times to catch their breath before they stepped into the lamp room.

  “Oh, my, you can see forever,” Ashley said in wonder.

  “You’ve never been up here?”

  “No, our family didn’t journey far. With the business to run, there wasn’t much time to do anything else.”

  Kiefer contemplated how very different their family lives had been. “And you’ve not been out here since leaving home?”

  She continued to stare out at the ocean. “You know how it is. We don’t visit the places closest to us.” With a sigh she turned away from the view. “They sure have done a great job of preserving this place. I wish someone with money would take a real interest in Southriver.”

  “Always a crusader.”

  “What’s wrong with wanting to make things better?”

  Kiefer opened the door to the catwalk and she preceded him. “Nothing, unless it consumes your life until you don’t have time for anything else.”

  Ashley turned to look at him. “I’m taking time today.”

  “Yeah, but when was the last time you did?”

  She stood thinking.

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m doing something important,” Ashley threw over her shoulder as they walked around the top of the tower.

  “Agreed. But what’re your plans once you get Southriver into shape?”

  “I don’t know. There’s always another area of the city that can be improved. Who knows, I might run for senator and work on the state.”

  There was what he’d been expecting. It wasn’t all about Southriver. She was thinking of her future as well. “So you never plan to get married or have children?”

  She gave him a speculative look, brows raised. “Why? You asking?”

  “That was a general question, not one in particular. I’ve gone down the marriage route and it didn’t work out.”

  “So you’re done with it?”

  They started down the stairs. “Apparently I’m not any good at it.”

  “Maybe you didn’t have the right partner,” Ashley offered.

  Ahead of her, Kiefer muttered, “Learning to trust again is a tough thing to do.” Something he wasn’t sure he could ever do again.

  She nodded, understanding more than anyone.
“Yes, it is.”

  * * *

  Two afternoons later Ashley was at home when her cell phone rang. She was surprised to see on the ID that it was Kiefer, who she’d seen downstairs only a half an hour earlier. Why would he be calling? He could just come up.

  “Hey, what’s up?” she answered.

  “I thought you might like to know that your mother is here.”

  “What’s happened?” Panic filled her.

  Kiefer said in a calm voice, “She had a small kitchen accident. She’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll be right down.”

  As Ashley came out of the stairwell she saw Margaret in the hall. She pointed to an exam room and Ashley headed that way. Giving the door a quick knock, she entered the room. Her mother was sitting on the exam table with Kiefer on a stool beside it, holding her hand.

  Ashley rushed to them. “Mother, what have you done?”

  Her mother’s eyes held pain. “I was pouring boiling pasta water into the colander and spilled it on my hand. Stupid mistake. And painful.”

  Ashley studied the angry red skin over the top of her mother’s hand that Kiefer held.

  “I’m going to need to clean and bandage this. If you don’t take care of it you’ll be vulnerable to infection,” Kiefer said as he pushed the stool back and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Mom, where is Dad?”

  “At the store.”

  “You drove yourself here? You should have called me.” Ashley pulled the chair out of the corner.

  “Like you called us when you were shot?” Her mother’s voice was accusing yet laced with concern.

  “I was fine. I didn’t want you to worry. I was in good hands. Kiefer was right there to take care of me.”

  “And he lied to us.”

  “Please don’t blame him. I asked him not to say anything. Made him promise—and he’s a doctor, so it’s patient confidentiality. I know I should have told you but I couldn’t believe it at first.”

  “Ashley, we’re your parents. We’re going to worry. And we deserved to know, not hear it from someone who came into the store.”

  Ashley hadn’t thought about that happening. She’d been so caught up in her own inability to accept that someone would do such a thing.