Page 3 of Third Time's the Charm
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I hissed at London.
“Youjustgot to town. When was I supposed to tell you? Besides, this is all a surprise!”
Okay, so itwasmy fault for withdrawing so much from the family, and most of the wedding plans. It was just so hard to see someone so freaking happy when I was feeling so angry about marriage.
The wedding was as big and silly as the famous Kaine family. I walked down the aisle with Scott because he was technically Ben’s best man and I was London’s maid of honor. Then he went and stood to the left. Lucy’s best friend, Tessa, walked down the aisle with Chris, who moved over to the right. And then Olivia’s sister, Summer, walked down the aisle with Mr. Kaine. Basically the brothers were all each other's best men.
It was a really pretty ceremony in the backyard of London’s house, under the shadow of the trees, with the distant roar of waves in the background. Since it was December the weather was beautiful.
Then the real fun began.
“Parade time?” Ryker, my fiancé, asked.
I took his arm. “Parade and then to the beach!” Our family was an old Calusa Key family, which meant it was an island affair. Especially with three celebrities in the wedding. Every business on the main road decorated and put out signs. They had specials for the day. Everyone came out to celebrate the three couples as they drove in convertibles down the road, to the lighthouse beach, where an old fashioned seafood boil was taking place for everyone to share.
It was one of the few times I saw Ryker in something other than a polo and khakis. He wore blue slacks and a lighter blue linen shirt. It paired nicely with the lilac sundress I wore with a cream shawl.
“It was a beautiful wedding,” he said.
“Ours will be much smaller.”
He patted my hand. “Whatever you want.”
I looked around at the pomp and circumstance. I had a lot of this when, as a very young and naive twenty-two year old, I married Jack. I loved it then. I hated it now.
“What do you think of a New Year’s wedding?”
Ryker missed a step. “As in...three weeks from now?”
“Sure. Why not? What are we waiting for?”
“Well with that philosophy we should have just gotten married today with everyone else.”
I wrinkled my nose and waved at the parade. “You want to be part of this?”
He shuddered. “No. I’m tolerating it because it’s a wedding and your sister. But no, I would not choose this for myself.”
Exactly. It was part of why I adored him. Ryker was the calm I craved in life. Jack was all movement, all excitement, all the time. I was exhausted the day I left him.
“If not New Years, what about Valentine’s?”
“Do we have to get married on a holiday?” We drifted past the last store and started down the beach boardwalk.
“No. I’m more looking at timeframes.”
“Why the rush, my love?” He stopped halfway down the boardwalk. Everyone else was still back a ways, enjoying the parade.
I shrugged. “I just don’t want to wait.” I was such a liar. Even I could see I was probably rushing things because of Jack, not because of what I really wanted.
But what I wanted most was to move on from Jack.
“Let me think on things. I have quite a lot going on at work.”
Ah yes. Ryker worked as much as I did, but he came home at night. And that was the difference that made everything work. “Of course.”
We walked out onto the beach to find rows and rows and rows of tables set out. Pots were placed at intervals with bits of steam escaping the lids. Stations with plates and drinks were also scattered up and down the beach.
And standing at the first one...was Jack. My past.
