Beach Wedding (Eversea Book Three) (The Butler Cove Series 5)

by Natasha Boyd

  “Always,” I said.

  “I think about that day a lot. About how much I’d been dying to kiss you, and how even though I knew it would be irreversible and change everything, I wanted to do it anyway. Nothing else seemed to matter. I kept thinking, I’ll just get to know her more and this fascination will end. She’ll be just a girl, and I’ll be just a guy. But with every new thing I learned about you ... Damn, even the way you just looked at me with an eyebrow raised like you were challenging me without even saying a word ...” Jack chuckled and shook his head. “I didn’t know people could fall that hard. I didn’t know I could until I found myself at your door willing to say anything or do anything to be with you.”

  Smiling through the ache lodged in my throat, I laid a hand on his freshly shaven cheek, his skin smooth and cool under my fingertips. “I remember that feeling. Sometimes I look at you, like now, and I feel like I’m living in a dream.”

  “Me too.”

  “You look at you and feel like you’re dreaming?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Wench,” he growled and pulled me against him. “You know what I mean. Let’s walk on the beach.”

  “Do we have time, I thought you wanted to watch the sunset?”

  “Let’s spend the sunset draped in its colors, instead of chasing it on the other side of the island.”

  “You are such a poet. I just spent an afternoon taming my hair and prettying myself up.” I sighed dramatically. “But for you, I’ll get sandy and windswept again.”

  Jack took my hand, and we headed up and over the boardwalk on the dunes.

  The beach and ocean ahead of us came into view again, and I sighed, breathing in the ocean air. I hoped I never took this view for granted. I squinted at the horizon, seeing a shrimping boat out in the distance. Slightly to the right I could see a distant spit of land and the Tybee Island Lighthouse in Georgia. We were on the very last bit of South Carolina.

  “Do you miss living here in Butler Cove?” Jack asked.

  I shrugged. “Sometimes. But you know I love the seclusion and stillness of Daufuskie. It feels like we’re in another time when we’re there.”

  “The seclusion is good. But I worry you get lonely when I’m on location.”

  “It’s a short boat ride over here.”

  “You’d tell me if you weren’t happy, right?”

  I stopped on the boardwalk to face him. “I’m not unhappy. I love you. But this last month or so has been weird.”

  “Thank you for helping me through it.”

  “Are you through it?”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear out of the wind. “I’ll never stop loving you. Loving us. Trying to build a future for us. You’ll always be in it. If you want to be.”

  “I do,” I said, aware that he hadn’t really answered my question.

  Jack smiled and squeezed my hand. “Come on.” We both kicked off our shoes, and Jack rolled the cuffs of his jeans up.

  We veered right off the path toward the water’s edge, and I gathered up my dress.

  “So where did you find that shell?” I asked.

  “I ran all the way to the end of the island, to the Sound, where you can see Daufuskie, where the beach just becomes a narrow strip.”

  I nodded, knowing exactly which spot he referred to. It was where I did my best beach combing. “The currents must be crazy because dolphin fish there all the time. It also means I occasionally find some ocean treasure that has been caught up instead of pounded into sand.”

  “That’s where I found that red piece of sea glass all those years ago.”

  I remembered the red sea glass he’d given me and squeezed his hand. “There’s hardly ever any sea glass on this island, my Nana had to travel all over to find her collection. I still can’t believe you found it and such a rare color at that.”

  “Meant to be.” He looked down at me, his gaze intense.

  “So.” I decided to probe again. “How are you feeling?”

  He stopped and reached for my hair as it whipped across my face. “I know I’ve already apologized. But I’m so sorry for making you doubt my feelings for you. You are the most important thing to me. I let my fears and insecurities cast a pall on us.”

  “I did too, Jack. My doubts and insecurities were what led me to thinking the worst, when all you were doing was struggling all by yourself and asking for help.”

  “But I wasn’t all by myself. You didn’t doubt me for a second. You were strong when I couldn’t be. And what you said the other night, about not letting my father win after all this time felt like a blow to the head.”

  I winced, reaching out for Jack with my free hand. “Sorry.”

  “No, it was what I needed. The whole point of me writing this story was to finally see the monster, so I knew what I was dealing with. He’d always lurked in the darkness.” Jack turned his face, the low sun glowing off his skin and lighting his eyes on fire. “I thought if I could see everything, every facet, every ugly memory laid out, it would cease to hold power. The process brought up even more things I must have buried. After writing it, I felt baptized. Made new. Sloughed clean of all the ugliness. But then we started this process of filming, and edits, and retakes, and ... well, like any good movie, the bad guy always comes back for a last gasp when you think he’s dead.”

  “Is he dead now?” I asked tentatively. “Did you kill him finally?”

  Jack looked back at me, the hand in my hair sliding forward so he could brush a thumb over my jaw. “You did it, Keri Ann. Your unflinching faith in me and in us. You killed him once and for all. You saved me.” He smiled ruefully, as if he knew the melodrama of his words, but in his eyes I saw the sincerity behind them. “You’re my avenging angel.”

  He lowered his head toward me and brushed his lips across mine.

  “You did it, Jack,” I said against his lips. “And I’m so proud of you.”

  He laid his forehead against mine for a moment before we broke apart. “I’m not saying it doesn’t still bother me. I worry especially about when it comes out that this vile character I am playing in the movie was actually my father in real life. People could see me as being him. They could really believe I’m like that. I think I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m different. I’m not him. But—and I know it’s vain—I haven’t quite come to terms with the fact that other people may believe I am like him.”

  “I won’t,” I assured him. “No one who knows you will believe that.”

  “I know.” He gave a small smile. “And your opinion is the most important one. The only one that matters.”

  “And yours,” I said. “Your opinion of yourself matters.” I turned toward the direction we’d been heading. “My toes are turning to icicles, should we keep walking a bit or go back?” Ahead toward the curve, I could see a few people I hadn’t noticed before gathered with some tables and a fire as the sun set. “Should we go the other way?” I asked, squinting along the shore. “There are people up there.”

  But Jack didn’t answer. He was tugging my hand.

  I turned to look back at Jack and had to drop my gaze. He was on one knee in the sand, looking up at me.

  Fourteen

  “Jack—” I started as I saw him down on one knee. Then I covered my mouth.

  The wind ruffled his hair, the smell of salt and the beach fire tickled the air. His green eyes glowed in the setting sun. They gleamed with emotions, his dimple creasing his cheek, even while his smile was close-mouthed, nervous, lopsided.

  “Oh,” I managed in shock, tears flooding my eyes instantaneously. Was this happening? Right now? My heart pounded, my toes dug into the cold sand. It felt like a dream. Intensely private Jack was down on one knee in the wide open. Anyone could see him. And assume he was proposing. Wait. Was he proposing?

  “We’re in public.” I looked back over my shoulder at the people in the distance and back to the house. Then back to Jack. “People could think ...”

  He let go of my hand and took a bo
x out of his jacket pocket, causing me to inhale sharply.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I don’t care if Google Earth is capturing this. I hope the satellite is over us right now so the whole universe can see this.”

  I laughed and the tears tipped over onto my cheeks.

  “I love you, Keri Ann. The words don’t ever seem enough. I know I scared you—”

  “It’s okay, Jack.”

  “Shh. Let me finish. Please.”

  I nodded, too overcome to say much more.

  “I’ve spent every moment since I met you trying to find the best way to ask you to be mine for the rest of our lives.”

  My throat ached. “I’m sorry,” I said, thinking of all the times I made it clear I wasn’t ready. How that must have hurt him.

  “Shhh. I know I could have asked anytime and hoped. But the thing is, I didn’t just want you to be ready, I wanted this moment to be the most perfect moment we’ve ever had. Because you’re the most perfect thing in my life. From the moment I met you, you’ve made me want to be a better man. A man of honor. Of principle. The kind of man who deserves to have you love him. Whenever I feel lost or confused out there, when decisions aren’t good or bad or right and wrong, and I don’t know which way to turn, you’re always here. In my heart.” He pressed a hand against his chest. “The last few days have shown me that more than ever. You’re my compass, Keri Ann. My beach I’ll always return to. My home. You’re my life. And I want to spend the rest of it bound to you in love, honor, and orgasms.”

  I choked.

  “Servitude, I meant servitude.” Jack smirked and winked. The wink revealed his eyes weren’t as dry as he probably hoped. “And orgasms.”

  My smile turned into a giggle. The pressure in my own chest was threatening to crush my lungs. I took gasping breaths through my tears and sank to my knees, throwing my arms around him.

  Jack was instantly concerned. “Your dress—”

  “Shut it,” I said and kissed him through my tears. The taste of salty tears and Jack rippled over my lips. I clutched him tighter. God, I loved this man so much I felt like the love lived outside of my skin sometimes. It was this vast, wild, beating thing I tried to keep tamed. It wanted to be let free.

  Our gazes met and held, and something profound passed between us.

  “Yes,” I whispered, nodding.

  “I know,” he whispered back, grinning stupidly. “But I haven’t officially asked you yet.” His other hand fumbled, and then he leaned back and held the open box between us. “Keri Ann Butler, will you marry me?”

  “Holy shit,” I answered when I saw the ring. “I mean. Sorry. Gah. Yes, I mean, yes. But holy hell.”

  I blinked to soothe my stinging eyes that had obviously grown to the size of beach balls. “I messed up my answer. I’m so sorry. Yes, yes. A thousand times yes.”

  Jack laughed.

  I reached out and traced a finger over the sparkling symbol of Jack’s commitment. The ring was stunning. A centered, brilliant-cut diamond stone, a modest size, but set within a cluster of smaller diamonds almost like a flower shape, lending it a vintage, antique-y flair even while it sparkled and shone like a star. I couldn’t have picked anything more perfect for me except maybe a tad smaller. “It’s perfect,” I breathed. “This is ... this is ...”

  “It’s eye-catching, I know. But so are you. And the center stone was my mother’s.” Jack helped me to my feet and took it out of the box, taking my left hand.

  I frowned, confused. Surely not the one from her marriage to Jack’s horrible father.

  “No, not her engagement ring,” he answered my unspoken question. “That family heirloom can stay in the dusty old National Trust home that used to belong to my father. I don’t even know where that stone is to be honest. This is a diamond from my mother’s mother. Mum always kept it for me to give to the girl I’d one day marry. And that’s you. If you’ll have me.” He slipped the ring onto my finger and pushed it gently into place. “Please, do me the honor of wearing my ring and becoming my wife.”

  “Yes. Yes, Jack. Yes.” I was crying again, and laughing, and then he was kissing me and holding me, swinging me around, my feet leaving the cool sand.

  A huge cheer went up, carried on the breeze.

  I pulled my lips from Jack’s in alarm.

  “About those people—”

  “They just saw us get engaged!” I yelped. “Do you think they know it’s you from this distance?”

  “I’m pretty positive. Turn around.”

  And when I did, I saw a blonde girl detach from the group and come running toward me.

  Jazz.

  I looked back at Jack. He kissed my nose. “Go,” he said, smiling and nodding his head toward Jazz.

  I gathered my dress off my ankles and sprinted toward my best friend.

  Fifteen

  Jazz and I clung to each other. “You knew!” I cried into her hair as we hugged on the beach.

  “I did.” Jazz pulled back and held me at arm’s length. “And by the way, this is what we were planning when you caught me on the phone. An engagement party not a birthday party. We’ve been planning since before he left for filming. Though I have to say Jack gave me a scare too the last few days. Let me see the ring on you.”

  I put my hand out between us.

  She covered her mouth, and her eyes flooded instantly. “It looks breathtaking on you. I knew it would.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t push him for a simpler setting.”

  She shrugged with a wink. “You would have picked a safe setting. I knew you could pull this look off.”

  Joey joined us. I threw my arms around him. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in forever.

  “Congratulations, kiddo,” he said gruffly and pressed his cheek into my hair.

  “You okay with this?” I asked him, pulling back.

  “Jack asked my permission to ask you—”

  “Ages ago, I might add,” Jazz interrupted.

  “Right?” I agreed as Jack came up behind me, slipping a hand around my waist. “Now you know why I thought he was never going to ask.”

  “I think we’re even,” Jack grumbled in my ear before kissing it softly. “What’s four years next to a few months. Anyway, I have a surprise for you. Let’s go join the party.”

  “Come on over here!” a male voice yelled from the group gathered by the fire. I looked up to see the familiar faces of my friends.

  “Oh my God,” I squealed when I saw Jack’s mom and her now husband, Jeff. I hurried over and scooped her up in a massive hug. “What are you doing here? I thought you were only coming for Thanksgiving.”

  Charlotte chuckled. “Well, Jack’s been planning this little surprise for a while. I wouldn’t miss you two finally getting engaged. Congratulations, sweet girl. Now let me see the ring on.” She took my hand in hers to get a better look. “Stunning,” she cooed, her eyes filling.

  “This is what you were doing in Savannah today, huh? Picking them up?” I asked Jack and hugged her again. “I love the ring. Thank you.”

  “Don’t you cry too, Mum,” said Jack beside me.

  Charlotte sniffed. “I can’t help it,” she said and turned her face into Jeff’s shoulder.

  I greeted Jeff with a hug on his free side and smiled up at him. “It’s good to have you back here.”

  “It’s great to be back,” Jeff said.

  “We should make it a tradition,” Charlotte said. “Especially since we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in England. Might as well come and enjoy yours every year.”

  A small fire burned and people had set up a table with drinks and food and chairs around the small bonfire. Devon was currently poking the blaze.

  Monica handed Jack and me plastic glasses of pink champagne. “Sorry it’s not real glass,” she said wrinkling her nose. “Beach regs and all that.”

  I gave her a hug, and Jack and I moved through the group thanking everyone for coming to celebrate. I greeted my friend Liz and her son Bra
dy. My friend Vern. Jasper. Mrs. Weaton and Paulie, who’d come together. Nicole and her fiancé were there. A couple of friends whom I’d kept in touch with from Savannah College of Art & Design. And several other friends from living in Butler Cove all my life. It was a small group. Jack and I tended to keep our circle small. Even having Nicole there seemed like a small stretch outside our comfort zone. Well, not Nicole, but certainly her fiancé.

  “Wait, where’s Cooper?” I looked around.

  “On his way.” Jazz rolled her eyes and slyly swapped out my drink. “Sparkling grape,” she whispered. “He said he wanted to make an entrance, whatever that means.”

  There was a basket full of thick blankets in case the temperature dropped farther. Vern fiddled with a small speaker and soon music joined the festive atmosphere.

  “I need to eat,” I whispered as I leaned into Jack after I introduced him to Jazz’s guest and the bride-to-be, Nicole. “I’m starving.”

  Paulie had brought down a bunch of food from the Snapper Grill where I’d worked after high school and where I’d honestly thought I was going to meet with friends tonight. The same grill where I’d met Jack one night five years ago.

  Jack and I filled up a couple of plates and grabbed two folding seats where we ate. The fire warmed my toes. It was almost fully dark with just the light of the fire and a couple of lanterns. I thought back to growing up on the island, of the beach parties we used to have. It was fitting I was here with all my newest, oldest, and “bestest” friends.

  “I don’t know about you, but I could do with some literal cake by the ocean,” Jazz said coming over to me. “Check out this flavor, it’s the one we picked for Nicole. I thought we may as well see if it’s a hit.”

  Cake sounded perfect.

  We walked to the food table, past Paulie who was twirling Mrs. Weaton to the music. In an unlikely turn of events, Mrs. Weaton had started dating Paulie, who was eighteen years her junior. They insisted they were just friends who had grown close over Wednesday afternoon Canasta. But when our home had gone through the renovation to turn it into the Butler Rooming House, Mrs. Weaton had to move out of the small cottage on the grounds. I’d felt terrible asking her to move out, but she told me she and Paulie had already purchased a small condo together in the retirement community of Tide Point.