Eden (6 page)

“
Father Francis’ guardian
is an Arch, Bex. His hands were tied when Donovan attacked him,”
Claire explained.

“
So what now?” Jared asked
Gabe.

“
Shax still wants his
book. Hell doesn’t want the child to be born. Things are stacking
against you, Jared,” Gabe said. “One thing at a time.”

“
One thing at a time,”
Jared repeated, letting his father’s advice sink in.

Gabe hugged his children one more
time, and then made his way toward the door. “It’s a long time
between now and the time she delivers the baby, Jared. We’ll keep
an ear to the ground, but be on alert. Heaven won’t step in until
you give them a reason.”

“
You mean start a war,”
Jared said.

“
Figure out a reason,
Son.” In that instant, Gabriel was gone.

“
Huh,” Bex puffed.
“Weird.”

Claire’s shoulders dropped. “He’s
never coming back, is he?”

“
Probably not,” Jared said
with a small, apologetic smile on his face.

Claire sat on the closest pew, beside
her mother. She leaned against Lillian’s shoulder and closed her
eyes, pushing the remaining tears down her face. “I’m so sorry you
couldn’t see him,” Claire whispered.

“
She’ll know,” Bex said.
“She always knows.”

The windows began to brighten, and
light danced down the walls as if the sun were rising.

Eli smiled, kissing me lightly on the
cheek. “Congratulations, kiddo. On both counts. See you
soon.”

“
How soon?”

He smiled. “It’s as I said before.
When there is only one question left to ask.”

“
But...what does that
mean? What is the question?” I asked, but I was talking to empty
space. He was gone.

Claire stood, taking a deep breath. “I
have to get back,” she said, looking behind her. Samuel stood at
the door with an outstretched hand reaching in her direction. “You
look beautiful,” she said to me with a small smile. In no hurry,
Claire ambled down the aisle. Once her hand touched Samuel’s, she
was gone as well.

Bex laughed once and shook his head.
“That’s so cool.”

Chapter Four

Little Heaven

Jared took my hand and led me to our
former spots at the front of the church. Bex took a position beside
his brother. We watched each other as the sun grew brighter, slowly
brightening the faces of our audience. From the corner of my eye, I
saw movement, and Father Julian shifted his weight, signaling their
awakening.

The minister smiled, gesturing for us
to turn. We faced our friends and family, and Father Julian placed
his hands on each of our shoulders. “I present to you, Mr. and Mrs.
Jared Ryel.”

Every face in the room beamed, and
applause filled the room. Even with the frightening events just
moments before, joy consumed me. Jared’s hand enveloped mine, and
we walked the few steps to the aisle, and then made our way
outside. It was surreal to return to the scene of Jared’s trial,
this time in the sunshine where birds sang, happily riding the
bobbing branches that swayed with the breeze. The plaza at the
bottom of the chapel’s steps where Michael and his small army had
stood not ten minutes before now bathed in the warmth of the sun,
waiting for our friends to occupy its smooth, rocked surface. The
fountain gushing, the road peppered with townspeople—I felt a bit
sick at the sight of it.

“
You okay?” Jared said,
stopping to smile as Beth took our picture.

“
Yeah…yeah, I just
feel…confused.”

“
Changing planes is
unnatural and unsettling for humans, which is why they typically
don’t allow it.”

“
That explains a lot,” I
said, stopping to pose for more pictures as Lillian, Cynthia, Chad,
and Jared’s Uncle Luke and Aunt Maryse filed out of the chapel.
“Does it…,” I smiled again, “affect the baby?”

“
No,” Jared answered,
kissing my forehead.

“
How do you know?” I said,
leaning into his kiss.

He looked down to me and touched my
cheek. “Otherwise Eli wouldn’t have done it.”

“
Oh,” I said, my eyes
wandering until I found Lillian. “Of course.”

Lillian hugged her son, and then me.
Her sweet, energetic smile lit up the island. I watched and waited,
wondering if she realized she’d been in Gabriel’s presence just
moments before.

“
What is it?” she said,
half curious, half amused.

“
Nothing,” I smiled. “I’m
just glad you’re here.”

“
Not as much as I,” she
winked.

Jared and I traded glances, wondering
if she’d just given us a clue.

“
Cynthia!” Beth called.
“Stand beside Nina and I’ll take a picture of the couple with their
mothers.”

Cynthia fidgeted with her hair, and
then took her place beside me, poised and proper. I hooked my arm
around her waist, and she stiffened when I pulled her
closer.

“
Smile!” Beth said,
snapping a picture.

A few of the locals gathered on the
street, their warm, smiling faces interlacing with the familiar
faces our friends and family. They began clapping and singing, and
then one of the grandmothers waved us with her hands, encouraging
us to walk. Jared tugged on my hand, and we walked to the street. I
laughed with surprise and excitement when I realized they were
following us, their hands clapping to the beat of their happy song.
Our guests’ white faces were littered among the brown, sun-kissed
skin of the townspeople. They followed us to a makeshift downtown,
where a small group of men played music.

“
You did this?” I asked
Jared.

He smiled, amazed. “No. This one I
didn’t do.”

We laughed together, amazed at the
random celebration that grew around us. Jared pulled me to the
center of the street, where we danced to the strumming guitars and
hand-tapped percussion. Chad and Beth joined us, as did Luke and
Maryse. Bex pulled his mother into the dirt street as well. If I
didn’t know better, I would have felt badly for Cynthia, but I knew
she preferred to stand away from the nonsense. Perfectly
still.

The afternoon sun was warm, and my
wedding dress wasn’t built to breathe in the Caribbean humidity.
Jared sensed my dilemma and nodded, providing me a seat in the
shade. An elderly woman brought me a fan with a smile of
understanding. The band played on, and the townsfolk and our guests
danced into the evening, long after the makeshift street lamps and
hanging lights turned on to flicker and twinkle against the
night.

“
How do you feel?” Jared
asked, handing me another glass of water.

“
Good,” I smiled, taking a
sip. “I feel good.”

“
Feel like dancing?” he
said. Jared gestured to the band, and it slowed the
beat.

I eagerly let my husband take me by
the hand to the middle of the celebration. I wrapped my arms around
his neck and pressed my cheek against his chest. His heavenly scent
took me away from trials and the war we would create to stay alive.
It was then that I realized his skin wasn’t the feverish
temperature it usually was.

“
What is it?” Jared
asked.

“
You don’t feel as
hot.”

“
It’s probably because
you’re overheating in that dress. I should have arranged for
something you could change into.”

“
I’m fine.” I smiled.
“Quit fussing.”

Jared rested his jaw against my hair,
and we moved slowly to the music. A slight breeze moved through the
trees that lined the small cobblestone street in the center of the
town. I sunk into Jared’s chest and let his arms totally engulf me.
I had never been in more danger, and yet I had never felt so safe.
The tribulations that we would face upon our return to Providence
suddenly seemed so small in comparison to that moment.

I looked up to Jared, and noticed his
content smile. “Was it exactly what you hoped it would
be?”

“
Something like that,” he
cooed. “Everything and more.”

My head felt heavy, and I rested it
against my husband’s shoulder. My eyes swept across the landscape,
seeing Beth and Chad dancing. They weren’t talking, but smiling as
they shared a sweet moment. It reminded me of the first time Jared
and I had experienced Little Corn, and it was heartwarming to see
the island make Beth and Chad feel the same way.

As the sun set, the villagers lit the
primitive lamps that bordered the sidewalk. Jared and I stood with
Bex, listening to Cynthia and Lillian discuss how beautiful the
ceremony had been. I waited to hear some indication that Lillian
knew of Gabe’s presence, but if she knew, she wasn’t letting
on.

“
Well, daughter,” Cynthia
said, dabbing her forehead with a handkerchief, “I have an early
appointment that Jared promised I would make. I best be
off.”

“
Thank you for coming,
Mother,” I said, leaning in to hug her. Her embrace was more than
the usual awkward squeeze. She held me to her, and whispered in my
ear.

“
Be safe, dearest. I love
you.”

Cynthia turned on her heels and walked
quickly to a waiting pickup truck. She didn’t look back as the
truck slowly faded into the dark jungle. I waited until I could no
longer hear the engine, and then turned to Jared.

He offered a half smile. “She loves
you.”

“
I heard,” I said,
stunned. “I mean, of course she does. She’s just never…she’ll make
her appointment?”

“
I’ve made sure of it,”
Jared said. “Bex is at the boat dock, now. He’s going to ride with
her to the mainland and get her on the plane on time.”

“
Good. Remind me to thank
Bex later.”

“
Oh,” Lillian put a thin
arm around me and pulled me to her side, “he’s happy to do it. I’m
going to catch a ride with Chad and Beth. She’s a sweet
girl.”

“
Yes, she is,” I
smiled.

“
See you at home. Come
over for dinner soon, okay?”

“
Promise,” Jared said,
kissing her forehead.

“
I love you both!” she
waved, following Beth and Chad to another waiting
vehicle.

“
Where is our car?” I
asked.

“
I have the bike I drove
over.”

I looked down to my dress. “You’re
kidding.”

Jared laughed once. “No. Not at all.”
He crouched and then brought up a bunched wad of my dress in his
hands. “It’s a nice night. It’ll be fun.”

I shook my head and shrugged. “Why
not? Cynthia’s not here to freak out about it.” I took the bunched
tulle and silk under my arm and then took Jared’s hand. He led us
past the band to a small dirt bike. We took several back roads that
led us through a village or two—it was so dark I wasn’t sure if it
was tin buildings passing by or just shadows cast by the trees.
Before long, the trees thinned, and Jared slowed to a stop. Sounds
of waves caressing the shoreline weren’t far away.

Jared took my hand, and we walked
beyond the trail until I could feel wet sand breaching the borders
of my sandals. The half-moon stubbornly glowed behind a thin,
broken layer of clouds. We ambled to where the ocean met the sand,
and walked along the beach. We didn’t talk, just walked hand in
hand, listening to Little Corn.

The moon finally broke free of the
clouds, and its silver light danced on the water. We came upon a
large rock, and Jared motioned for me to sit.

“
You must be exhausted,”
he said, sitting next to me.

“
I’m tired, but you only
get one wedding day. I can feel a second wind coming
on.”

Jared eyes turned soft, and they
lingered on my lips. “I just wanted to be alone with you and the
island for a little while.”

His eyes seemed to glow in the silver
light, and suddenly I was nervous. It was silly to feel that way—I
was pregnant, after all—but the pressure of our wedding night made
it new again. We had no constraints; no worries about a pregnancy,
or being walked in on, or nightmares. It was just us, and the
knowledge that we were about to consummate our marriage. For
whatever reason, that made me incredibly anxious.

“
What is it?” Jared
asked.

Knowing I couldn’t comfortably explain
my feelings without some embarrassment, I pulled him to me and
touched my lips to his.

He pulled away, laughing once. “I’m a
bit nervous about tonight, isn’t that ridiculous?”

“
No,” I said, tugging on
his shirt. “I’m right there with you.”

“
Yeah?” he said,
relieved.

I nodded, and then looked behind us. I
returned to him, biting my lip. “How far are we from the
casita?”

“
It’s right there,” he
said, nodding behind me.

“
Maybe we should…I don’t
know,
get it over with
isn’t the right word.”

Jared cleared his throat, and then
offered an ornery smile. “Get naked and get the nerves out of the
way?”