Whispering Waves

by Jamie Berris

  “You kids stay here. I’m going to go talk to her,” said Kurt, getting out.

  “No! She doesn’t want to see you. She feels horrible. I think it’s too soon. It all happened way too fast. She’s just not ready to marry you yet.”

  Sadie’s heart sank into her stomach as she looked at her dad’s face. Maybe she should go talk to Marissa. How could she do this? Yesterday, Marissa had stopped by and dropped off a few more boxes. She and Jayna had even put up a few decorations together around the house. Marissa cleaned out the fridge and scrubbed the floors and bathrooms, saying she loved coming home from vacation to a clean house. She seemed so excited and happy. Sadie totally did not see this coming.

  ~*~

  Kurt

  Kurt got out of the car, pushed past Paige, and headed for the front door. Paige was running behind him. “Seriously, Kurt, she wants to be left alone! I wouldn’t go in there!”

  He flung the door open and found Marissa sitting on top of her suitcase, nervously looking at her watch. “Isn’t she hilarious? She has been begging me for days to do this to you!” Marissa threw her arms around Kurt. “She’s a real peach, isn’t she? You can scream at your future stepdaughter all you want. Let’s go get married!”

  Kurt let out a huge sigh and eyed Paige. She was still giggling as she shed her robe, wheeled her suitcase around them and outside into the cold November morning. He and Marissa lingered inside over a kiss as the kids started honking the horn and yelling out the window that the plane was going to leave without them.

  ~*~

  Sadie

  The Villa Estates was luxury at its finest. Sadie instantly knew that her father had spared no expense on this trip. As soon as her toes curled around the white powdery sand, Sadie knew she never wanted to leave.

  Scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, tennis, snorkeling, wave running, parasailing, zip lining, the list was endless and they were determined to do every bit of it and a whole lot of nothing too. The first three days were spent doing just that, playing and loafing by the pool and on the beach.

  To Sadie’s surprise, Kurt allowed her and Travis to go parasailing together. It was amazing. Sadie was in heaven. The views were breathtaking and she was beside her boyfriend.

  The fourth day was the wedding day. It was weird, getting ready for her dad’s wedding. Sadie was jittery, anxious, nervous, happy, and a bit sad, all rolled into one. Andrea must have sensed it and asked her to go for a walk on the beach an hour before they were to report to the spa to get glamorous.

  Andrea always knew what to say and, even better, what not to say. She was the best listener. Sadie thanked Andrea for being there for her and giving her advice, but mostly for allowing her to figure things out on her own and helping keep her mom’s memory alive.

  Before getting their hair and makeup done, all the girls had the works: massages, facials, pedicures, and manicures. The long and glorious morning in the spa was the most pampering Sadie had ever received in her life.

  The ladies were in one villa and the guys in another. They helped each other with the last-minute details of dressing and jewelry. Marissa looked stunning in her fitted strapless wedding gown that had a sheer layer of silk showing off her petite figure. The simple, elegant Vera Wang gown was perfect for a beach wedding amidst the turquoise water.

  Sadie, Jayna, Paige, and even Andrea all had matching dresses. They were the most beautiful coral color Sadie had ever seen. She joked that she matched the geraniums they potted around the pool every summer, but had to admit they looked stunning against their bronzed bodies and French manicures. The deep plunge that bared their backs kept them cool in the humid tropical air.

  The guys all wore Armani, white linen pants and black linen short-sleeved shirts with loafers. The look among the group definitely turned heads. Marissa was carrying a dozen coral roses and the girls a handful of long-stemmed white calla lilies. The guys all had a single white calla lily pinned to their shirt. The look was something straight from a bridal magazine.

  Just before they left the room, the girls showered Marissa with gifts. Paige went first. She was giving her mother something old she had found while packing for the move to their new house. Paige’s baby blanket, once a beautiful cream-colored chenille blanket, was now a grayish knotted mess. Paige had cut a hunk off for Marissa to tuck under her bra, the only place she could find to stuff it.

  Andrea went next, giving Marissa a gorgeous tennis bracelet to borrow. The diamonds would no doubt sparkle beautifully in the sunlight. Jayna was in charge of something blue. Marissa blushed when she opened the sexy and skimpy but tasteful cobalt blue lingerie. “Please don’t ever let me see you in it,” teased Jayna.

  Something new was Sadie’s creation. She had a necklace specially made for Marissa that had four rectangular plates with each of the kid’s names stamped on a plate. Sadie’s gift brought all of them to tears, but they quickly decided they couldn’t get sappy or they would ruin their makeup.

  Sadie hugged Marissa. “There is no one else I would rather have as a stepmother. Thanks for being patient with me.”

  Marissa squeezed Sadie tightly. “I’ve never stopped loving you from the first time I held you in the hospital and you were only hours old. Thank you for accepting me.”

  Paige gave Sadie and Jayna both hugs and told them how excited she was to have stepsisters, that it was a dream come true.

  “I thought we were through with all this sappy crap!” Jayna blurted, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

  “We have a wedding to get to,” reminded Andrea. “The guys are probably all standing at the altar, waiting for us.”

  As Sadie stood under the pergola adorned with lush greens and exotic flowers, she first checked out how hot Travis looked. She couldn’t help but pretend that it was their wedding day. Maybe someday, she thought. He blew her a kiss with his lips, and she mouthed “sexy” back to him, and they both giggled.

  Next she caught her dad’s eye, her dad’s nervous eye. He looked happy, really happy, but there was no doubt in Sadie’s mind that entering a new marriage meant letting another piece of Lydia go, his college sweetheart, the mother of his children, the woman he grew into a man with.

  Sadie slipped her dad a reassuring smile that she knew he desperately needed from her. He mouthed, “I love you, sweetie,” back to her.

  “I love you too,” whispered Sadie. He sent her a wink as the harp started, and Nicholas dropped sea shells down the aisle as he made his way to stand next to his father.

  Like a gentle breeze, a mourning dove fluttered down and found its place on the pergola and cooed along with the harp. It seemed to catch Marissa’s attention and her eyes both brightened and glistened at the sight of the bird.

  Marissa floated down the aisle in a glow of her own. Sadie saw her dad’s and Marissa’s eyes lock, and they both broke out in huge smiles.

  A chill ran through Sadie as she thought of her mom, hoping she was okay with this. A light breeze blew off the ocean, sending a large purple flower from above Sadie’s head down to her shoulder. The cool flower tickled Sadie’s bare skin. She felt the soft petals and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply.

  Whether it was a trick of her nose or not—Sadie didn’t care. It smelled just like her mother, light and sweet.

  THE FABULOUS END

  Acknowledgments

  Writing can be a solitary venture, but I give credit to many people for making this book possible.

  To my family, Jason, thank you for always providing me with endless love, helping me develop thick skin, modeling perseverance, and not getting too annoyed with my technological deficiencies. Alex, Tori, Cole, and Miya, my love for you is unconditional, and without knowing it, you’ve all inspired my writing in countless ways. The fun, frantic, and fierce moments—you make it worth every second. I love you to every beach and back!

  To my mom, Karen, for being my first reader ever and helping me get past the initial stage fright of letting people actually read my words. Also, to bot
h you and Denny for being the dedicated grandparents you are. It is with your help, that I can concentrate and savor a few moments of peace to articulate a coherent sentence.

  Thank you to all my readers, especially Jill MacLaren and Rachel Devereaux for your time, dedication, honesty, and enthusiasm. Jill, your valuable input and guidance helped me navigate telling a story from many different points of view and reach out to a larger audience. Rachel, your attention to detail and love for my characters is so encouraging, and thanks for the extra kick of confidence! You both gave me that fresh set of eyes I so desperately needed.

  Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations, for bringing Sadie to life and creating the exact feeling I was looking for, your talent amazes me.

  To my editor, Theresa Wegand, thank you for taking on a newbie and guiding me through all these firsts. I’ve learned so much along the way. Your professionalism, sense of detail, and insight are deeply appreciated.

  Thank you God for your scripture. Without it, I would have given up long ago.

  About the Author

  Jamie Berris is a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a degree in Health Science. After working in the health and wellness industry for nearly fifteen years, she embarked on a writing career.

  Her hobbies include running, reading, writing, boating, camping on the shores of Lake Michigan, and traveling with her family.

  She resides in West Michigan with her husband and four children. Whispering Waves is her debut novel.

  Visit her Facebook page, facebook.com/Jamie Berris

  Instagram: JamieBerris