Destination Wedding ~ A Novel

by Sletten, Deanna Lynn

  Carl looked up, surprised at being called upon. "Um. Yes, I am. Do you golf, Jim?"

  Jim nodded. "I've been known to hit a ball or two around a course."

  Claire rolled her eyes. Jim was an excellent golfer, or at least he'd been one when they were married.

  "Maybe we should see if there's a golf course here," Jim suggested. Claire realized he was trying to put Carl at ease, and she thought it was nice of him.

  "Daddy," Mandy interrupted. "There are no golf courses on this island. I think there may be one over near Marsh Harbour, but I have no idea what it costs to golf there."

  "We can ask Sandra at the lodge," Jim suggested. "I'm sure Craig and some of the other people here golf. Glen, you still golf, don't you?"

  "Sometimes. Not as often as I'd like. But I could try to keep up," Glen said.

  At the end of the table, Carl cleared his throat. "That sounds like a nice idea, but I don't have my clubs along. I never golf without my custom-made clubs."

  Craig looked uncomfortable. Claire guessed that he knew Jim was trying to make his father feel comfortable with the group but that his father wasn't interested. "My dad has a wonderful set of custom-made clubs. He really doesn't enjoy playing without them. It was nice of you to suggest it, though, Jim."

  Jim sat back in his chair, smiled, and nodded. Under his breath, he said loud enough for only Claire to hear, "Snob."

  Claire had just sipped her iced tea when he said it and almost spit it out in a laugh. She grabbed her napkin and covered her mouth as she managed to swallow the liquid.

  "Are you okay, Mom? Mandy asked, patting her on the back.

  Claire slid her gaze to Jim, then turned back to Mandy. "Yes. I'm fine. It just went down the wrong way." When the attention was off her, Claire turned toward Jim and hissed, "Be nice!"

  Their dinner was delicious. Claire had tried the fish of the day, which was red snapper that had been rolled in a crushed almond and bread crumb mixture and deep fried. It had tasted amazing. Jim had tried the fried conch, which he insisted Claire take a bite of, too. Everyone tasted a bite of each other's food since most of it was food no one had ever tried before. Everyone except Janice and Carl. They had stuck to plain chicken and rice.

  It was late and the sky was inky black when the group walked back to the lodge. The town had quieted down and there were hardly any people on the streets. Up above, the sky glittered with stars. The couples began splitting off, saying goodnight, and going their own way, most likely toward the beach where they could hear the waves and look up at the stars. The Fishers headed up to their second floor room, and soon Claire and Jim were left on the patio in front of the lodge, alone.

  "Want to go sit by the ocean for a while?" Jim asked.

  Claire considered it, but then shook her head. "It's been a long day. I'm tired. I think I'll go up to bed."

  "Yeah, that sounds good."

  They walked up the flight of stairs until they were on their third floor landing. Both stood at the railing for a moment, looking across the dark harbor bay and up at the sky lit like diamonds.

  "It's too bad Steven didn't come," Jim said, ruining the quiet moment for Claire.

  "Yeah. And it's too bad Diane didn't come," she said, not really meaning it.

  Jim looked at her with those teasing eyes, but didn't say a word.

  Once inside, Claire took over the tiny bathroom and changed for bed. The long flight, the walk on the beach, and the delicious food had finally caught up with her. She was beat tired. She couldn't wait to crawl into bed. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and stepped out of the bathroom in a T-shirt and boxer shorts.

  Jim had already opened up the cot and made it up with the sheets, blanket, and pillow they had provided. There was a small refrigerator in the room with complimentary water bottles in it which was now at the head of his bed. Above him was the air conditioner. Claire looked at it a moment, figuring he'd probably freeze being that close to the air, and she grinned. Better him than her.

  Without a word, Jim went into the bathroom. Claire heard the water running. She moved her suitcase over to the chair by the patio window and dug through it. She pulled hangers from one of the small closets and hung up a few items so they wouldn't wrinkle. Earlier, she'd hung up the dress she was going to wear to the wedding to make sure it smoothed out before Saturday. She'd noticed that Jim had done the same with his light-colored suit and a few of his cotton shorts and casual shirts. She was pleasantly surprised and wondered when he'd learned to actually take care of himself. If they'd still been married, it would have been her job to hang up his clothes.

  With a sigh, Claire stood at the patio window and looked out, but all she saw was darkness. She cracked open the window and heard the waves gently hitting against the shore. It was a nice, lulling sound, and she wanted to listen to it until she fell asleep so she left the window open. Closing the curtains, she turned and pulled the bedspread down and slipped in under the sheet and blanket.

  Claire looked around the room again. There was no phone, no alarm clock, and no television. Nothing to distract from paradise. She liked that. She grabbed her purse from the floor beside the bed and pulled out her phone. There was service on the island, but she'd been warned before coming here that calls would cost a fortune. She set the phone on the nightstand to use as a clock, turned off the light on her side of the bed, and laid down with a content sigh.

  "Wow, that speaks volumes," Jim said, coming out of the bathroom.

  "What?" Claire asked.

  "That sigh. Either you're very tired or that bed is very comfortable"

  "Both," Claire said. She looked up at him. "Don't you have any pajamas to wear?"

  Jim looked down at his white T-shirt and briefs. "You know I hate pajamas. I've always slept like this."

  "Yeah, but we're not married anymore and I shouldn't have to look at you." Claire made a face at him, although she really shouldn't be complaining, because he actually looked pretty good for an old guy.

  Jim grinned at her. "What about you? Got anything flannel to wear?"

  "Oh, go to bed." Claire rolled over to face the window. Soon, she heard the light flick off and then the creaking of the cot as Jim laid down on it. It creaked, then creaked some more. When she thought he'd finally settled, it started creaking again.

  "What the heck are you doing over there?" Claire asked, annoyed. "That creaking could wake the dead."

  "I'm trying to get comfortable," Jim said. "This isn't exactly the softest bed on the planet."

  The creaking continued, stopped, then started up again.

  "Oh, for God's sake. Stop moving and go to sleep," Claire told him.

  The creaking stopped. The room was quiet except for the hum of the air conditioner. After a few minutes, Jim said. "I hear the ocean. Did you leave the window open?"

  Claire nodded in the dark room, even though Jim couldn't see her. "Yes. I wanted to fall asleep to the sound of the waves."

  "It's nice," Jim said.

  They both lay there a moment, listening to the ocean waves and the gentle evening breeze. Then Jim turned again on the bed and made another awful creaking noise.

  Claire couldn't help it. She didn't know if it was the long day, the fact she was stuck with her ex-husband in a hotel room, or if insanity had finally hit her. She started giggling. The giggling turned into full-fledged laughter and her laughter turned into hysterical laughter. She was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down her face and her nose was running.

  "What is so funny?" Jim asked, sounding amused. "You sound like you're losing it."

  "I am," Claire said between howls of laughter. "I'm losing it entirely." She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a handful of tissues from the box sitting there. Wiping her eyes and blowing her nose, she tried to calm herself down. But then Jim moved in the cot again and Claire burst out in crazy laughter again.

  "You're losing it, lady," Jim told her. "You're finally cracking up."

  "I'm finally on a beaut
iful island vacation and I'm sharing a room with my ex-husband who is sleeping on a bed that creaks every time he takes a breath. What isn't funny about that?" Claire asked.

  "I'm glad you find it so funny," Jim said, but he couldn't help but laugh, too. It was, after all, a ridiculous situation and that horrible bed didn’t help. "You'd better watch out. You know you always get the hiccups when you laugh this hard."

  Claire finally settled down after a few more swipes at her eyes and blowing her nose. The comment about the hiccups had sobered her up a bit. She was surprised he remembered it. But then, after twenty years of marriage, she guessed it would take more than four years apart to forget the small details every couple knows about each other.

  "Okay. I'm done," she said, laying down again. "Goodnight."

  Jim laid down on the cot again, and it creaked once more. Claire gave a little giggle. "Goodnight," Jim said. Claire couldn't see him, but he was smiling into his pillow.

  Chapter Six

  Claire was up and in the shower early the next morning. She, Mandy, Janice, and Kaylie were going to meet up with Sandra after breakfast to discuss the wedding plans and she wanted to be showered and cleaned up early enough so the women wouldn't have to wait for her.

  Jim had still been sound asleep when she'd awoken. She couldn't even imagine how he'd slept on that cot. It was too narrow and too short for him. But it did make her laugh. At least he was suffering from having to share a room with her.

  Claire stepped out of the small shower stall and wrapped herself in a large, white towel, then wrapped her hair up in a towel as well. She stood in front the mirror, trying to decide what to do with her hair. It was humid here, bearable but bad for the hair. And it was windy by the ocean. She decided she'd be wearing her hair up a lot while they were on the island.

  A buzzing sound came from the other side of the door and it made Claire pause. Was that her phone? She had told everyone she knew not to call her here because calls were crazy expensive. The buzzing continued. She was just about to go out into the bedroom to check it when she heard Jim's voice calling through the bathroom door.

  "Lover boy is calling. Do you want me to answer it?"

  In a panic, Claire ran out into the bedroom and snatched the phone away from Jim. "Don't you dare!" she screeched at him.

  Jim chuckled.

  Claire looked at the phone. It was Steven. Mustering up excitement, she answered. "Hi, Steven."

  "Hello, Claire," Steven's calm voice came over the line. "I just wanted to make sure you arrived there safely."

  Claire eyed Jim who was lying on her bed. What the hell was he doing on her bed? She turned toward the wall. "Yes, we did. It was a long day, but it was worth it. It really is paradise here. I wish you'd come, too."

  "That's good to hear. How is your room?" Steven asked, seemingly avoiding her reference to him being there.

  Claire turned a bit and glanced at Jim. The room would be perfect if I weren't sharing it with my ex. "It's fine," she told Steven. "There's a lovely view of the ocean."

  "Wonderful." After a moment, Steven continued. "Have you thought about my proposal?"

  Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Of course she'd thought about it. A lot. But she still didn’t have an answer. "Yes, I've been thinking about it," she said softly. "We can talk more when I get back."

  "Okay. That's good," Steven said, sounding happy. "If you're still considering it, then you still might say yes. I know this call is expensive, so I'll let you go. I just wanted to make sure all was well with you."

  Claire softened. It was so like Steven to care enough to check on her. She should be happy—no she should be honored to be with a courteous man like him. She turned and eyed Jim. Unlike someone else she knew.

  "Thank you, Steven. You are always so thoughtful."

  "Have a wonderful time and congratulate Mandy and Craig for me."

  "I will. See you in a few days. Goodbye." Claire clicked off the phone.

  Slowly, Claire turned around and stared at Jim. "What are you doing in my bed?"

  Jim sat up against the extra pillows on the side Claire hadn't slept in. "I'm not in your bed, I'm on it. See?" He grinned. "I figured you weren't in it, and that cot is murder on my back, so I thought you wouldn't mind if I just lay here."

  Claire rolled her eyes. "You could have at least given me some privacy when I was talking to Steven. And, in no way are you to answer my phone. What in the world would Steven think if you answered my phone in my room?"

  Jim cocked his head. Even after a night's sleep, his wavy hair fell perfectly into place and his blue eyes were bright and mischievous. Damn that man looked good no matter where or what he did. It pissed Claire off.

  "You mean you're not going to tell lover boy that we're sharing a room?" Jim asked.

  "Stop calling him that," Claire hissed. "And no, I'm not."

  "Why not?"

  Claire glared at him. "It's complicated."

  "What's complicated?" Jim asked.

  "Are you going to tell Diane?" Claire shot back.

  The grin fell away from Jim's face. "Maybe. I don't know. She'll just have to deal with it," he said. A gleam returned to his eyes. "So, what are you thinking about?"

  Claire frowned. "What?"

  "You told lover…uh, I mean Steven that you were 'thinking about it'. What exactly are you thinking about?"

  "It's none of your business," Claire told him.

  "Ah, come on. If you don’t tell me, I'll just have to call him and ask him myself."

  "Don't you dare. You leave him alone."

  Jim chuckled. "Come on. What is it you're supposed to think about?"

  Claire sighed and sat down on the foot of the bed. "It's complicated," she said again.

  "You’ve already said that. What's complicated?"

  She looked up at Jim. "Steven proposed to me the Saturday before I left."

  Jim's expression turned serious. "Proposed?"

  "Yes. Proposed. Believe it or not, there is actually a man on this planet who thinks I'm worth marrying," Claire said angrily.

  Jim looked at her seriously. "I know you're worth marrying."

  "Yeah, right," Claire said.

  "So, where's the ring? Why aren't you excited about it?" Jim looked down at Claire's bare hand.

  "It's back home. And I am excited about it. A little," she said honestly. "But I haven't said yes yet, so I didn't want to wear the ring."

  Jim sat back against the pillows again and looked at Claire curiously. "You haven't said yes? Why not?"

  "That's why it's complicated. I don't know if I want to get married again. Ever. You of all people should know why. It's not like my first marriage worked out so well."

  Jim looked at Claire, a strange expression crossing his face. She couldn't tell if he was hurt, confused, or upset. "I don’t think we had a bad marriage. We were happy for a long time," he said. "And we raised a beautiful daughter."

  "So, you think we had a successful marriage even though it ended?" Claire asked.

  Jim's eyes dulled. "You're right. It's complicated."

  Claire nodded. "Yeah."

  The air in the room hung between them, feeling heavy and suffocating. Neither one spoke. A minute ticked by. The air conditioner clicked on, snapping Jim and Claire out of their reverie.

  "Don’t say anything about the proposal to Mandy or anyone else," Claire told Jim. "This is Mandy and Craig's big week. Since I haven't said yes, there's no reason to mention it."

  Jim nodded. "Okay." He smiled. "That's a nice outfit you're wearing. I like the whole head wrap thing you have going on there. Is that what you're going to wear to breakfast?"

  Claire frowned, then looked down at herself. She was still wearing just a towel wrapped around her body. "Damn it. Why did you let me sit here in a towel? You are evil, you know that?" She jumped up, holding onto her towel and ran back into the bathroom with the sound of Jim's chuckle in her ears.

  ***

  Jim lay on a towel
on the beach, shading his eyes against the sun. He watched as Claire, Mandy, and Kaylie walked far out into the blue-green water on the sand bar. Good God, his back ached. That damned cot was worthless to sleep on, and now he was paying the price. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive sleeping on that torturous thing for six more nights.

  Jim tried concentrating more on the warm sun and beautiful beach and less on his backache. Looking around, he was amazed at how few people populated this long strip of paradise. If this were a beach in California or Florida, it would be wall-to-wall people. But here, on this small island, there were only about fifteen people spread out along the beach and most of them were from their group.

  During breakfast, down by the pool, everyone had decided to take the golf carts and drive the five miles down the island to Land's End beach. The waitress had told them it was the prettiest beach on the island, and at low tide they could walk far out into the water on the sand bars. So, after breakfast, and after the ladies had their meeting with Sandra about the wedding plans, everyone except Janice and Carl had hopped into golf carts and driven to Land's End. The Fishers had declined, saying they were going to explore the gift shops in the small town. Jim, however, figured their not coming along had more to do with Janice not wanting to dirty herself with sand and salt water. Even though Jim really liked Craig, he had a hard time liking Janice and Carl. Janice was too prissy and uptight for his liking and Carl was too full of himself. He was happy that they hadn't come along and ruined the fun.

  Jim's eyes turned back to Claire standing beside Mandy and Kaylie in the water. The three women had picked up something from the water and were standing close together, examining it. The younger girls were wearing bikinis. Claire had on a bikini too, but she'd pulled on a pair of jean shorts over the bottoms. Jim wondered why. Even at the age of forty-five, Claire's body could hold its own against the younger girls. Jim smiled as he admired her long legs and narrow waist. If he didn't know any better, he'd think all three women were the same age.

  Steven had proposed to Claire. That unwanted thought popped into his head out of nowhere. What in the world did Claire see in that stiff, egotistical, workaholic? Sure, Steven always said all the right things at the right time, but didn’t Claire realize it was a show put on by a practiced salesman? Steven was a phony, through and through. Claire couldn’t possibly want to marry a jerk like that.