“How did you sleep?” she asked, her piercing blue eyes full of love and concern.
Paul looked at her, his worry permeating through every wrinkle on his forehead.
“Okay,” he said with a less than enthusiastic voice. “You?”
“Fine.” Tracy sat perfectly still, knowing Paul well enough to tell that something was bothering him. She had always been able to tell. And she knew not to press unless she felt it was important. This was one of those times.
Paul felt the heat of her silent inquisition and began to fidget. “Okay,” he said, trying to come up with a cover story. “Not okay. I slept lousy. My leg was bothering me all night.”
He looked at her as if he had been found out. “Okay? Good enough?”
Tracy smiled a half smile and cocked her head to one side. “Nope.”
Man, Paul thought. He couldn’t escape her womanly intuition. Why did he even bother trying to hide anything from her. Paul took a deep breath and rubbed the napkin in his lap before he spoke.
“Okay,” he said, looking down. “I’m not alright.”
Paul looked up at Tracy and their eyes met. “I have to tell you something. Something I don’t want to tell you.”
Tracy swallowed hard. This is it, she thought. This is where the fantasy ends. She had been a fool to believe that this dream would go on forever. Paul had finally come to his senses and realized he didn’t want to risk being dumped again. She braced herself for his words.
“I saw Kenneth kissing another woman last night,” Paul said bluntly.
Tracy’s jaw relaxed as she blinked several times. The shock of his words hit her like a sucker punch to the gut. While she was relieved he wasn’t going to dump her, she couldn’t help feeling anguish for her sister. Tracy pushed a breath from her lips and gave him a thin smile.
“What?” Paul asked, puzzled at her response. “Why are you ...” Then he got it as he watched her relax into the wheelchair.
“Did you think that I ...” he didn’t have to finish his question.
“No,” Tracy said unconvincingly as she waved her hands. “No, I just,” she paused. “Alright, yes. For a moment there.”
Paul reached over and grabbed both her hands. “Tracy Anne Moore,” Paul said with all seriousness. “I love you. I have always loved you. I am not interested in anyone else in this world besides you. I will never leave you and will never let you leave me again.”
Tracy smiled as her face reddened. Paul went on, “Now, is that enough reassurance or do you need more?” Paul thought about his words. More? What more could he do? The thought entered his mind, and he smiled. It would have to wait. Now was not the time.
“Thank you, Paul. I love you too,” Tracy said kindly as she squeezed his hands. “I guess I needed that.” Her face turned serious. “Now, about what you saw. Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I even confronted Kenneth about it,” said Paul.
“And what did he say?”
“He asked me not to tell Courtney,” Paul said.
“What?” Tracy’s eyes widened. “You mean he wanted you to lie for him? That scumbag. Did he actually think he could disrespect Courtney and get away with it?” Her lips pressed tightly together. “Who was the girl? Do you know her?” Tracy tried to keep her voice low, unsure if she wanted the truth or not.
Paul forced a heavy sigh from his lungs and nodded down the hall. “The bar hostess. The girl from the entertainment lounge. I saw the guys getting chummy with her last night,” he paused. “But I didn’t think he would go that far.”
“Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe it!” Tracy said, trying not to look over her shoulder but unable to help herself.
“Hey, don’t look over to Courtney,” Paul said. “She’ll know we’re talking about her, and I don’t want to get her upset.”
“I can’t believe it,” Tracy repeated. “What should we do? Were you even going to tell me about it?” She peered intently into his eyes.
Paul took another sip of his coffee. “Of course, I was going to tell you.”
Tracy rested a hand on her hip. “When after the wedding?”
Paul wrapped his hands around hers. “No ... of course not. I was going to tell you soon.”
“Soon? When were you going to spring this on me? Just before the wedding? Don’t you think my sister has a right to know right away?” The tone in her voice raised higher.
I don’t know, Cee. I don’t know.” Paul’s head wagged sideways. “I feel like I’m stuck in the middle. Yes, you’re right, Courtney should know, but I’m afraid ratting my brother out will sever our relationship for a long time.”
Tracy rested a hand on Paul’s arm. “I know it puts you in a difficult situation, but God wants us to do what’s right, even if it means estranging family and loved ones.”
Paul lowered his gaze. “I know, you’re right. I knew I had to tell you and warn Courtney. I guess I was wrestling with the best way to break the news.
Just then, Courtney hollered over from her table. “We’ve got to get ready! C’mon Tra! We’ve got to head to the salon for our hair and make-up!”
Tracy looked down at her watch and saw that it was time for the spa appointment. She gave his arm a quick squeeze. “Well, I think I have to tell her. She’s my sister, and she’s about to marry a man who is unfaithful.”
Tracy put her hands on her chair and turned it to leave. “If I were her, I’d want to know.”
Paul reached over and grabbed her hand. “You’ll never have to worry about that with me.” He gave her a reassuring smile.
She returned his grin and wheeled away, leaving Paul to spend time alone with God and his conscience while finishing his cup of coffee.
Chapter 19
The Venus-like woman held the door open for Tracy as she approached the entrance to the spa. The smell of lavender and lemon grass enveloped Tracy as she pushed her way through the glass door and into the luxurious marble lobby of the five-star spa.
“Welcome,” said a rail-thin island native woman from behind the opulent desk. “Welcome to the Artesian Spa. How can I help you today?” She flashed a picture perfect smile and blinked her heavily lashed eyes at Tracy.
“Oh, thank-you. I’m with the Moore party,” Tracy said as she neared the desk.
The woman’s demeanor changed from that of cordial to that of star-struck. “Oh! Of course! Tandy, please bring this young lady to the rest of the party. They are just this way,” she said, ushering another attendant over to Tracy’s chair.
Tracy smiled and nodded her head politely as the third woman disappeared behind her chair and began wheeling her down the marble hall. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling every ten feet or so, splashing a kaleidoscope of light on the marble walls. They passed through one sitting area and by two white marble columns leading to another hall. Each sitting area overlooked the ocean and was overflowing with white cushioned chairs and freshly cut flowers in glass vases. It reminded Tracy of a more relaxed Fairytales.
“Here we are,” said the girl as she pushed Tracy through a set of whitewashed wood doors and into a large round room lined with sofas and settees.
“Tra,” Courtney said, seeing Tracy in the reflection of the mirror hanging above the sofa. “What took you so long?”
“You know what took her so long,” Jules said, elbowing Courtney. The other girls all giggled.
“The chair. That’s what took me so long,” Tracy said, trying to forget the information she had discovered.
Courtney came over to Tracy and shooed the woman behind the chair away. With her body wrapped in a white robe and her hair in curlers, Courtney got behind the chair and wheeled Tracy through an archway that led to a dressing room. Tracy looked in the other direction and saw a make-up and hair room just off the other side of the main sitting area.
“Okay,” Courtney said, walking around the front of the chair. “So, you will have to be sitting for the ceremony but that doesn’t mean we can’t make you look like a million bucks!
Let me help you get out of this and into a robe so that we can get your hair and make-up started.”
Tracy sat still while Courtney and an attendant began undressing her. Courtney held her in a standing position while the girl removed her clothes and gently wrapped a thick white robe around her body, careful not to put any pressure on the bandages across her ribcage.
“There you go,” Courtney said as she helped Tracy sit back in the chair. “Okay, one thing down. Now for the hair and make-up. I’m just gonna wheel you over there ...” Courtney turned the chair and pointed toward the room adjacent to the sitting room.
Tracy saw several of the other bridesmaids and staff members bustling about in the other two rooms and knew this was probably her last chance to be alone with her sister.
“Court,” Tracy said, reaching behind to grab her sister’s arm. “Hang on a second.”
Courtney stopped and came to Tracy’s side. “What is it?”
Tracy looked over at the other room and then up at Courtney. “Can you close the door for a minute?”
Courtney gave Tracy a puzzled look and then obliged. She reached into the wall and pulled the pocket French door closed, revealing the frosted paned glass that provided privacy without obscuring the light.
“Okay ...” Courtney said, turning back to Tracy. She stood with her hands clasped together in front of her. Courtney knew Tracy loved her and thought she wanted to express her happiness. Courtney figured this was like a talk a best man would have with his groom right before he walked down the aisle. Actually, more like the talk a mother would have with her daughter. After all, Tracy had been like a mother to Courtney most of her life. She was the mature one, she was the responsible one, the level-headed one. Courtney relaxed and waited for Tracy to speak.
“Courtney, you know I love you,” Tracy started. The words confirmed everything Courtney was thinking and her face slid into a warm smile.
“I know, sis. I love you, too.” She waited for Tracy to continue.
“And you know all I want is for you to be happy ...” Tracy bit her tongue as she watched Courtney nod her head in agreement.
Tracy hesitated, her eyes gazing at everything else in the room except for Courtney. Her body tensed as she prepared to say the dreaded words. Courtney just stood and smiled.
“But I have to tell you something.”
Courtney stood still, her lips creasing into a frown.
Tracy continued, “Last night, after you went to bed, Kenneth was at the pool with the bar hostess.”
Courtney blinked twice, her body froze like the expensive marble statues in the pool area. She tried to absorb what Tracy was telling her without letting her real emotions seep through the cracks in her resolve.
Tracy watched, knowing her sister knew what was coming next. “They were kissing.”
Courtney sucked in a breath and swallowed as her eyes hardened. “You’re making that up,” she said defiantly.
Tracy opened her mouth, shocked that Courtney would accuse her of fabricating such a lie. After all the incriminating evidence, how could she not believe her own sister?
“No Court, I’m not.”
“How do you know? Did you see him?” Courtney crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at Tracy.
Tracy sighed, knowing that denial was Courtney’s favorite coping mechanism. “No, I didn’t. Paul did.”
“Ha! See?” Courtney said, moving from the door to the lighted mirror by the wardrobe. She looked at herself in the mirror briefly and then spun around to face her sister.
“Paul! Figures! He’s probably just jealous because his brother gets to marry a Moore and he didn’t!”
Tracy felt the sting of Courtney’s harsh words and winced. She waited, trying to let the redness flush from her cheeks before speaking.
“Courtney, that’s not it. Paul’s not lying. He said he confronted Kenneth, and Kenneth begged him not to tell you.”
“I don’t believe you. I don’t believe either one of you!” Courtney spat the words out at her sister and turned to face the mirror again. She yanked several tissues out of the box on the white marble countertop and began dabbing them at the corners of her eyes.
She spun around one more time, hurling the words at Tracy. “You and Paul probably made the whole thing up!” Tracy watched as her sister tried to deny the truth.
“You would say anything to ruin my day. You had your chance and blew it! And now,” she kept talking in clipped tones, getting louder and louder as she spoke. “You want to take away my chance at happiness so that I can be as miserable as you are!”
Courtney turned back to the mirror, regretting the last words she said but too hurt by the events to take them back. She knew her sister was right, but she couldn’t admit it to herself. Not yet.
Tracy watched her sister’s back heave up and down through the robe. She rolled slowly toward her until she was sitting next to her by the mirror. She reached up and touched her arm gently through the robe.
“Court, I’m so sorry,” was all she said.
Courtney let the tears flow as she spoke. She breathed in ragged breaths, wiping her eyes and nose as she did. She fell into a heap on the soft cushion next to the wheelchair, and the two sisters sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Courtney looked at her blotchy face in the mirror. “Well, don’t I make a perfectly beautiful bride?”
Tracy pursed her lips together and looked at her sister. “You don’t have to be bride today if you don’t want to.”
Courtney rolled her eyes and kept looking at herself in the mirror. “You would know all about that, wouldn’t you?”
Tracy looked down and breathed in heavily as Courtney turned to her sister. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Tra. I didn’t mean that. It’s just ...”
Tracy knew her sister was hurt. She didn’t want to take anything she said personally, but the words still stung.
“It’s just that he’s Kenneth. I love him, and I want to marry him. He’ll be a good provider. I know he will.”
Tracy watched as her sister rationalized, unable to believe that she was willing to settle for a man who would be unfaithful.
“Maybe he was just getting the last of his wild side out. You know, before the wedding?” Courtney said, trying to convince herself.
“Court,” Tracy’s voice of reason chimed in. “You know the truth in your heart.”
“I know,” Courtney said softly. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do about it.”
Tracy sighed, wanting to take the pain away from her sister. If she could make the decision for her, she would have. But she couldn’t. All she could do was leave her to make up her mind. And pray for her.
“I love you Courtney, and I don’t want to see you hurt.” Tracy reached out and took her sister’s hand in hers. “But no matter what decision you make, I will support you.”
Courtney smiled and squeezed Tracy’s hand. “Now, let’s pray,” Tracy said.
“Dear God, please help Courtney make the decision you want her to make. We know you want her to be happy, be loved, cherished and honored, God. I pray that you give her the strength to do what is in her heart, to know your truth God, so that she can be happy. Amen.”
Tracy kissed her sister on the cheek and then with a heavy heart, wheeled out of the room, leaving Courtney to her thoughts.
Chapter 20
The rest of the girls were standing outside of the wardrobe room and bombarded Tracy when she emerged.
“What was that all about?” Jules asked, jumping behind Tracy’s chair. “We could hear the screaming but couldn’t make out the words!”
Tracy rolled her eyes, annoyed at Jules’ nosiness. “Just sister stuff,” she said, brushing off the conversation.
“Well,” Jules said, pushing Tracy through to the hair and make-up room. “I’m glad I don’t have a sister!”
The bridesmaids sat in their chairs while spa attendants busied themselves with curlers, nail polish and make-up. The
women took turns at each station getting the finest of care. All of the bridesmaids giggled and sipped on champagne while they enjoyed the spoils of their treatment. But Tracy passed. She sat quietly, thinking only of her sister and the pain she must be going through.
Courtney finally emerged from the wardrobe room an hour later. Even though there were wisps of hair sprouting from her head and smeared makeup around her eyes, there was a look of peaceful acceptance on her face.
“Okay girls,” she said slowly. “I need some damage control, ASAP!”
All the girls jumped to their feet and ran to Courtney’s side.
“Are you okay?”
“What happened?”
“Are you getting cold feet?”
They peppered her with questions that she ignored. She smiled politely at Tracy as she walked past her to the make-up table.
“No, no, no, I’m fine. I guess it was just a little pre-wedding jitters, that’s all.” Courtney looked at herself in the mirror and Tracy recognized that look. It was the one she would slip into when she was pretending everything was fine.
“Now, let’s get to work! We’ve got a wedding to get to in an hour!” The attendants flocked around Courtney and began repairing the damage she had done with all of her crying.
The rest of the girls finished getting ready, and within minutes, they were all in the main sitting room in their emerald green bridesmaids’ dresses. Attendants walked behind each girl and fastened the yellow and chocolate diamond necklaces, completing the ensembles.
“Wow,” Jules said to herself in the mirror. “I look amazing!” The other girls all laughed as they checked themselves out, too.
“And you,” Jules said, turning to Tracy in her wheelchair, “look better than any two-wheeled woman I’ve ever seen!”
Tracy just laughed at her friend. Jules, always the entertainer. The women admired each other and themselves, tidying up any loose ends and checking their shoes and jewelry when the door to the wardrobe room opened again and Courtney stepped out.
All eyes turned and mouths dropped open when Courtney appeared in the doorway. Tracy wondered if the spa was designed so that the chandeliers in the background illuminated the bride when she emerged. Either way, it certainly worked. It appeared as if her sister were basking in the glow of a soft spotlight as she walked through the doorway.
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