by Carol Durand
Missy was silent for a moment. “Hmm…I never thought about it that way,” she nodded.
“You have a classic case of cold feet, my dear, so put on your figurative bunny slippers and get over it,” Echo advised, patting her hand. “He loves you, you love him, you’re getting married in two weeks, end of story.”
Two weeks. In two weeks Missy would become Mrs. Gladstone-Beckett. She giggled when she thought of her new name, it reminded her of a medieval princess, but she had to admit that she loved the thought of adding Chas’s name to her own. She loved him with all of her heart, and Echo was right, she just had to get past her jitters and sally forth.
**
Ben and Cheryl had smiled secret smiles, indulging their boss’ need to be in perpetual motion to work through her stress over the past few weeks. She’d breeze in to her shops, bake like a madwoman, then disappear to make wedding arrangements, leaving them shaking their heads in amusement.
Missy was standing in the kitchen, creating a new Cupcake of the Day flavor, a Chocolate Cheesecake Dream that was sure to be a hit. She made dense, moist, dark chocolate cupcakes, filled them with vanilla bean cheesecake cream and topped them with dark chocolate mousse frosting, drizzled with a red raspberry reduction. Seeing Cheryl enter the kitchen, she put down the spoon with which she had just applied the finest drizzle of raspberry and held one up excitedly.
“You have to try this!” she exclaimed holding the sublime example of cupcake art out to her manager. “It may very well be the best one yet.”
Cheryl grinned at Missy’s bright-eyed enthusiasm and took the cupcake. “You have a visitor out front,” she said, wiping a smudge of flour from her boss’ cheek.
“Oh?” Missy said, reflexively wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. Cheryl’s mouth was too full of cupcake for her to elaborate, so she told her that she’d just go see who it was.
Missy’s sunshine smile faded when she saw who waited for her on the other side of the counter.
“Mayor Chadwick,” she greeted the rotund man in the pinstriped suit tonelessly.
“Good morning Melissa Gladstone,” he greeted her as cheerfully as ever, choosing to ignore her return to addressing him formally, rather than by his first name. “I came down here today, little lady, to apologize for my improper assumption that you or your young helper had something to do with the tragic and untimely death of my opponent,” Felton spread his hands magnanimously, and Missy wondered how it was that he made even an apology sound like some sort of campaign speech.
“It’s fortunate that the real killer was found and is in custody,” Missy replied coolly, not letting him off the hook by gratefully accepting his well-staged apology.
“Indeed. That detective of yours is a fine example of a law enforcement professional,” the mayor nodded. “So now that we have all of that nastiness behind us…” he began, rubbing his hands together.
Of course. The mayor hadn’t actually come in to apologize to her, he’d come in because he needed something and figured that she wouldn’t have given him the time of day without an apology. That would be a correct assumption on his part.
“What do you need, Mr. Mayor?” she sighed, cutting to the chase.
“I have an event coming up in three weeks that I…”
“Let me stop you right there,” Missy held up a hand, startling the official who certainly was not accustomed to being interrupted. “Chas and I are getting married in two weeks, and will be on our honeymoon after that. If you have an event in three weeks, you’ll have to discuss the details with my manager, Cheryl, and she’ll let you know whether we’re booked already or whether she can take your project on,” she directed.
“Married? Well now, congratulations are in order!” he exclaimed. “I don’t believe my invitation has arrived as yet,” he looked at her pointedly.
“Really?” she raised an eyebrow at him. “Imagine that.”
Chapter 14
Missy’s eyes were large as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror while Cheryl and Echo fussed with her veil. This was really happening, she was really getting married.
“I’m freaking out right now,” she announced, too nervous to be anything but blatantly honest. The flurry of fluffing stopped and Echo knelt down on one side of her, Cheryl on the other.
“Stop it,” Echo directed firmly, but with love. “This is the best day of your life, you’re about to marry by far the most eligible bachelor in the entire state of Louisiana, and you’re going to live happily ever after,” she met her best friend’s eyes in the mirror. “You’re nervous, you’re shaky, and in about an hour, when it’s all over and you’re partying with the rest of us, you’re going to be on cloud nine. Then you’re going to be on the most fabulous honeymoon ever, and you’ll forget all about whatever it is right now that’s making you lose your mind,” she assured the quivering bride.
“I know how to make you forget all about your nerves, even if it’s only for a moment,” Cheryl smiled at her shyly in the mirror.
“Oh thank goodness,” Missy sighed. “Give it to me…what’s your secret?” she demanded, desperate for something to take her mind off of her unfounded worries.
The young woman blushed and smiled an angelic smile.
“A baby??” Missy clapped her hands together in hopeful delight, and when Cheryl nodded, turned to embrace her.
“It’s a boy this time,” she beamed.
“Oh honey, I’m so excited for you two!” the bride’s eyes welled with tears, her jitters completely forgotten for the moment.
“Hey, hey! None of that!” Echo scolded, a bit misty herself. “You’ll smear your makeup,” she dabbed at her friend’s eyes delicately with a tissue.
“Oh goodness, you’re right,” Missy fanned her face, trying to stave off her happy tears.
“Told you I’d make you forget to be scared,” Cheryl winked at her boss and received a grateful hug.
Missy looked from Cheryl to Echo and back again. “I don’t know what I’d do without you two,” she whispered, welling up again.
“You’ll never have to know,” Echo replied, pulling in the other two for a group hug.
Ben rapped softly on the door. “Ladies, it’s time…” he called, waiting for them to let him in.
The man who had been like a son to Missy was admitted, looking slightly awkward but adorable in his tuxedo. His vest was a soft peach color, to match the bridesmaid’s dresses, and his silk cravat looked like it might be choking him a bit, but the way his wife looked at him when he entered the room was a sight to behold. She kissed him on the cheek as she and Echo went downstairs to take their places.
“Hey Papa Bear,” she grinned. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” Ben blushed, as his wife had, and gratefully accepted Missy’s hug. “But she wasn’t supposed to tell you until the reception, when we were all together,” he protested.
“Desperate situations called for desperate measures, darlin,” his boss chuckled.
“You ready for this?” he asked, the love and concern for her evident in his eyes.
The bride-to-be nodded with serene confidence. Her girls had gotten her through the panic stage, and now she couldn’t wait to walk down the petal strewn aisle through her decked out back yard and into the gazebo to marry the most wonderful man on the planet.
“Yes, I really am,” she confessed with a starry-eyed smile. “Ben, come here for a second,” she beckoned, holding out a hand to him that he took and knelt beside her where his darling wife had been moments before.
“You’re like the son I never had,” she told him, lightly touching his cheek. “I could not have made it this far without you, and I just want you to know how much I love you, and Cheryl and baby Cammie. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you can always count on the fact that you’ll always be in my heart, and I’m only a phone call away if you ever need me,” she stopped for a moment, fanning her face again, trying not to cry.
“I’m not gonna lie, darlin,’ it makes my
heart hurt to think that I won’t be seeing y’all every day,” she admitted, her southern accent profound, in the emotion of the moment. “But I’m so happy that you’re going to be spreading your wings and doing what you were meant to do,” she nodded, her face radiating the love that she had for this very special young man.
Ben squeezed her hand, clearing his throat and looking down for a few seconds before returning his gaze to hers.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how much you’ve meant to me, ever since we first met,” he began, clearing his throat again. “My mother has been out of the picture for so long that I barely remember her, but you’ve been a mom to me the entire time I’ve known you, and…” he paused, swiping a hand briefly across his eyes and taking a deep breath before continuing. “…there are no words that could possibly express how thankful I am to have you in my life. You’re always there for me. No matter what I do, I know that ultimately, everything will be okay because you’ve got my back. I have the courage to do whatever I need to do in life, because I know that you believe in me. I love you Ms. G., you’re the best mom that a guy could ask for,” he finished, his voice trembling with emotion as Missy pulled him into a hug, no longer caring that her mascara might smear.
After their moment, both of them pulled back and smiled, relieved that what they’d both felt for so long had finally been articulated. Ben pulled a tissue from the box on the vanity, muttering something about Echo hunting him down if Missy came downstairs with mascara on her face, and handed it to his boss, his mentor, his mom.
He stood, brushing any possibly wrinkles from his tux, and offered his arm to the lovely woman in front of him. “Ready?” he asked. Standing slowly, she nodded and took his arm.
**
Missy’s backyard and gazebo had been transformed into fairyland for the event, with white and silver streamers and bunting bedecking every surface, and so many floral arrangements that the yard smelled positively heavenly. The guests were seated in skirted white chairs on both sides of a white runner that had been strewn with white rose petals, and the entire effect was breathtaking and magical, but what made Missy inhale sharply as she entered the yard on Ben’s arm, moving in time with the music, was the sight of her beloved Chas, looking positively stunning in his tuxedo. Every doubt she’d ever had washed away, and she couldn’t wait to be Mrs. Gladstone-Beckett.
The wedding had been specifically tailored to the couple, so when Ben walked Missy down the aisle, he took his place beside Chas, as the best man. The other groomsman, Grayson, led Toffee and Bitsy on leashes down the aisle, with a ring box attached to each of the canine’s collars, and stood beside Ben, with their furry friends sitting, waiting patiently, until the rings were needed. The ceremony was short, heartfelt and beautiful, with Chas and Missy speaking the vows that they had written for each other, which left the attendees in tears, and when he kissed her after being pronounced man and wife, she even didn’t hear the cheers of friends and loved ones, she was so lost in the moment.
**
Missy and Chas’s reception was held at the country club, and it seemed that all of LaChance and Dellville were in attendance. Chas had arranged for Becca Rogers, who was, hands down, the best clambake caterer on the east coast, to come all the way to Louisiana to handle the food for the reception. He and Missy flew to Cape Cranston to meet with the spunky and creative culinary genius, and the trio hit it off immediately. Missy had balked a bit initially at the expense of bringing in someone who wasn’t local, but Chas was from New York originally and had heard nothing but rave reviews about Becca, so she had agreed to meet her. Once the two gals met, all doubts in Missy’s mind were promptly erased. She rationalized that more of Chas’s wealthy family and friends from New York might attend if they at least knew that the reception fare would meet their standards.
The couple had a rare moment alone, after the formalities of dinner, cake-cutting, bouquet and garter tossing and dancing, where the stood, gazing out at the excitement and laughter of family and friends.
Chas turned to his bride and took her hands, looked into her eyes and opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly the boisterous drawl of none other than Mayor Felton Chadwick shattered their moment of solitude.
“Well, well, well, it’s a fine day. A fine day indeed,” Felton clapped Chas on the shoulder and gave a rather startled Missy a kiss on the cheek. The rotund man had outdone himself in dressing for the occasion, resplendent in a white walking suit with a light blue shirt and red and white tie, his bald pate gleaming. The mayor always seemed to prefer wearing some sort of red, white and blue whenever attending a function where many of his constituents might be about. He had been re-elected by a landslide, so one would think that his posture would be a bit more relaxed, but he worked the reception crowd like a pro, shaking hands and kissing babies with gleeful abandon.
“Yes it is. Thank you for coming, Felton,” Chas replied, shaking his hand and ignoring the raised eyebrows of his new wife.
“And my dear, you are just a picture of radiant loveliness,” the mayor drawled, taking Missy’s hand and kissing it.
“Thank you Mayor Chadwick,” she managed a polite smile.
“Well, I do believe I’m going to help myself to another piece of that delightful wedding cake, and leave you two lovebirds to get better acquainted,” he winked slyly. “Congratulations y’all,” he waved, heading for the dessert table.
“You invited the mayor?” Missy blinked at him.
“Sweetie, it was the right thing to do. We know what he’s like, but we also know that he’s not an enemy that a business owner wants to have in this small community,” her husband reminded her gently.
She sighed, nodding. “You’re right. I’m still just peeved.”
“Let it go sweetie, we have more important things to think about,” he grinned, waggling his eyebrows, and kissed her.
Chapter 15
“Did I show you where the dog treats are kept?” Missy asked Echo, going over her list of instructions with a fine toothed comb. Echo’s ice cream shop had sold just before the wedding, but she wasn’t moving until after Missy and Chas came back from their honeymoon because she had agreed to watch the dogs while they were gone.
“Three times,” Echo sighed, rolling her eyes melodramatically. “Seriously, dear, get yourself in the car and get out of here before your long-suffering husband loses his mind,” she ordered, pushing her friend toward the door.
“But did you…” she began, as she was being herded out.
“Yes, I did! Whatever it is, yes. Get moving sister,” Echo laughed at Missy’s inordinate attention to detail when it came to taking care of her furry babies. “Yes, I have your phone number, and the number of the B&B, as well as the veterinarian’s number. I love your girls as much as you do and I’ll take good care of them,” she reassured her, propelling her out the door, meeting the eyes of an amused and grateful Chas.
He’d had the car loaded and had been standing by it, waiting patiently, for nearly half an hour, while Missy went around making certain that all supplies were stocked, all of her instructions were understood and that Echo had all of the resources that she could possibly need.
They were seated in the car and he started backing out of the driveway, with Echo waving from the porch, when Missy called out, “Wait!”
Stopping the car, Chas looked at her inquisitively. She pushed down the button to lower the window and called out to Echo. “When you take them to the park…”
“…be sure to take their water bowls, a Frisbee, and a ball in the special backpack,” her friend finished her sentence for her. “I know, I know, it’s bullet point number fourteen,” she called from the porch, opening the screen door to go inside before Missy could think of anything else.
“Thank you, love,” Missy called out as the door closed behind her chuckling friend.
“Ready?” Chas asked.
“Ready,” she nodded with a grin, finally able to stop worrying about the girls long enough to
get excited about embarking upon her honeymoon.
**
The bed and breakfast that the happy couple had booked for their honeymoon was a gracious, antiqued-filled mini-mansion, nestled among palms and evergreens on a private stretch of pristine beach along the Florida coast.
“Oh Chas, it’s beautiful!” Missy exclaimed when they got out of their rental car, drinking in the ocean breeze. She couldn’t wait to kick off her shoes and feel the sand between her toes.
“Not as beautiful as my lovely wife,” he grinned, taking her hand and heading for the foyer.
A tall, thin woman with iron-grey hair was watering plants on the spacious front porch when they approached, and she put her watering can down, extending her hand.
“You must be Missy and Chas,” her tone was warm. “I’m Maggie, your host, housekeeper, and concierge for the next week. Come on inside and I’ll show you around,” she invited, turning the ornate, egg-shaped doorknob to admit them.
The Beach House B & B managed to be exquisitely decorated and comfortable all at once, with plush Persian carpets underfoot, gleaming mahogany antiques throughout, and hand-tatted lace at the leaded-glass windows. The stately home had stood amongst the picturesque beauty since before the Civil War, and had been meticulously updated and maintained in period style. Stepping into the grand foyer, with crystal chandeliers above, was like stepping back in time, and Missy was spellbound.
Maggie showed them the elegant dining room where they’d be served breakfast with the other guests of the inn every morning, as well as the library, two parlors, the rec room, the courtyard, formal gardens, and pool area, before showing them upstairs to their suite. The burgundy floral interior of the Honeymoon Suite featured a king-sized, four-poster mahogany bed with sumptuous linens, an opulent living area, a sun porch, and a huge, white marble clad bathroom with a whirlpool tub that looked large enough to swim in. Leaving the newlyweds to explore their temporary home, Maggie let them know that there would be an afternoon tea service in the Wedgewood Parlor at 3:00 and invited them to come and enjoy refreshments and meet the other guests.