Ready to Wed (2 page)

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew I was being poked in the head by Maddie.
What did she have against my head?

“You’re awake!” she said brightly.

“Well, I am now, Princess!” I gave her side a pinch which caused her to giggle.

“Shhh! You’ll wake up Mommy,” I said, running my hand through Clare’s hair as she rested against me. She really had been running around like mad the last week, so much so that I’d barely seen her. I knew planning the wedding start-to-finish inside one week had put a lot of pressure on her, so I tried not to take it personally. I just hoped that’s all it was.

“So, Princess…what is the first thing you want to do when we get there?”

Figuring she’d say she wanted to go to the beach or swim in one of the many pools, her actual answer totally threw me for a loop.

“Ice cream. I want ice cream.”

I silently laughed, being mindful of Clare.

“We fly all the way to St. Thomas and you want ice cream?”
Kids. Gotta love ‘em.

“Well, I’ve never been any other place but America. And ice cream is my favorite food. Is it different in different places?”

“Hmm…good point. I think we should check immediately, just to be sure.”

She nodded, and I gave her a wink. She asked if she could watch a movie on the individual TV screens we had, and I said sure, letting her navigate the channels and pick her own movie. With one hand free now, I picked up my e-reader and started reading again, happy to have Clare warm and safe in my arms.

An entire kid’s movie later, we were making our descent, and Maddie was plastered to the window looking out at the scenery below. It was quite the sight. Brilliant blue water contrasted with the deep green landscape. All I saw was my future. In a few days, on that island, I would marry Clare. I looked down at her as she began to stir and felt whole. Cancer or no…my life was perfect.

~Clare~

“Where is it?” I asked again, as we watched the endless luggage go around the noisy carousel in baggage claim. Maddie was doing circles around Logan’s legs which he did an excellent job of ignoring. He was settling into his Dad role nicely, I laughed silently to myself.

“I’m sure it’s coming,” he answered, although I could see even he was starting to doubt his words.

All of our bags had come through the carousel…all but one. My garment bag. The one the stupid perky blonde lady at the counter had made me check. The garment bag she had assured me would be fine. Where the hell was it? How could I get married without a dress?

Just when I had created the ultimate list of ways in which I was going to let the customer service reps have it, my garment bag appeared, like a beacon from heaven.

“There it is! Oh thank God!” I squealed, running to the carousel like a manic child, only to be immediately halted when I saw the huge gash in the side. My once mint condition ivory dress was now spilling out of the hole in the side and ripped to shreds.

I heard Logan curse right before the tears started to sting my eyes. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Taking charge, Logan grabbed the garment bag off the carousel before it made another long journey around the airport, and held it up for inspection. Yep, it was a total loss unless we wanted to change things up and have a themed wedding; if I wanted to go as the Bride of Chuckie, I was golden.

“Do you think it’s fixable?” he asked gently.

“No,” I moaned, before covering my face with my hands.

“Oh no Mommy, your pretty dress is all messed up!”

Logan patted her on the head and said it was okay to give Mommy a hug. She happily came to my side, offering her sympathy in the form of child-sized hugs. They helped for about five seconds until I saw that humongous gash again, and then the misery came rushing back.

Stupid airline. Stupid dress.

“I don’t have a dress! What am I supposed to do without a dress? Do you think it’s a sign? Maybe we aren’t supposed to get married this week. Maybe this is one giant ivory colored sign that we are supposed to wait…go home, and get married later.”

“Whoa…babe, you’re babbling. Like, a lot.” He gripped my shoulder and pulled me close. He smelled like aftershave and mint. Familiar and safe.

“Calm down. This is a wardrobe malfunction, not a cosmic sign from the universe, okay?”

I nodded, and pulled him closer, resting my head on his shoulder, knowing he was right. It was just the fact that with every step we took further away from home, away from that hospital and his doctors, I felt the panic growing and multiplying a bit more. I looked up at him and wondered,
Were we making the right choice in putting off his treatment?

~Logan~

“Oh, thank fuck you’re here!” I said, seeing Leah enter the hotel, with Garrett in tow.

“Well, it’s nice to see you too handsome,” she answered with a wink and a sly grin. I helped them with their luggage and gave Garrett a friendly guy hug before turning back to Leah, my savior for the day.

“So, why are you so glad to see me? Not that I don’t appreciate the welcome.”

“Clare. She’s freaking out. Her dress was trashed on the trip over here, and she is literally losing her shit. I don’t know a thing about dresses. I don’t have a clue on where to look, what she wants. And now she’s got it in her head that this is some sort of sign that the entire wedding is doomed.”

I started pacing the lobby because I really didn’t know what else to do. I know weddings always had kinks, but ours was supposed to be low key. There were only a few guests, and yes…we threw it together in a few days and did it destination style, but still. Low key.
What happened to that?

“Logan.” I didn’t answer, I just continued to pace, hoping an answer would magically appear to fix my freaked out bride.

“Logan, seriously. Look at me.”

Leah sounded pretty damn serious, so I did as I was told and met her gaze. I’d learned to not mess with Leah. She could be kind of scary.

“Garrett, go take Logan out for drinks or something. I’ve got it from here.”

“Wait, what?”

“You’re dismissed. Didn’t you hear me the first time?”

“Uh..”

“Go do dude stuff, and I will handle the distraught bride. I’m pretty sure I can find a wedding dress a lot faster than you can! We’ll meet you for dinner!”

And just like that, Leah saved the day.

~Clare~

“Okay, get up,” Leah said, pulling my arm in a vain attempt to get my ass out of the lounge chair I was currently occupying.

“Nooo….I don’t want to,” I whined.

She looked at the little table next to my lounger and laughed.

“How many of those fruity cocktails have you had, Clare Bear?”

“Um…two, maybe?” I hiccupped a bit, and laughed. Okay, maybe a bit more than two.

“Was your plan to drink yourself a new wedding dress?”

I slumped back into my cozy lounge chair, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on my bare skin. After we arrived at the resort, a truly breathtaking place I might add, I dropped my ruined wedding dress in our suite and decided to take my sorrows poolside. The pool had sweeping, endless views of the ocean and the water seemed to disappear right into the blue horizon. Maddie was enjoying the kid’s day program the resort offered, and I figured putting on my bikini and ordering a few drinks might improve my sour mood.

At least I was giggling and my mood felt a bit lighter. That was an improvement.

“No, but what am I supposed to do, Leah? Do you see a wedding shop here?” I asked, sweeping my hands in a grand gesture to point out the obvious. We were in paradise. There were bars, restaurants and tourist traps, but definitely no places to buy a wedding gown. I was screwed. Maybe I should just get married in that burlap sack Logan mentioned…or a bikini. He’d definitely like that a lot more than a sack.

“What are you grinning about?”

“What? Nothing.”

“Shit, you’re totally tossed.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Nuh uh,” I argued, but the words slurred and totally ruined my argument. I laughed.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Clare!” she said, trying not to grin. I could see she was trying to be serious, but she was doing a terrible job of it because the corners of her mouth were struggling to stay turned down and she finally had to turn away.

“Come on, Leah! Have a drink with me! My wedding is ruined…let’s get drunk! Well, I mean I’m already there…so you just need to catch up!”

She whipped her head around and planted her sundress clad body on the lounger next to mine. Her blonde hair and sun kissed legs looked right at home in this tropical location. I, on the other hand, with my freckled pale skin and red hair, looked like I hopped on the wrong plane. The only way I could stand the sun was slathering on four layers of sunscreen and wearing a huge floppy hat.

“You two are going to drive me insane by the end of the week. Listen to me, your wedding is not ruined. You had a setback, that’s it. We are going to get a driver and I’m going to talk to the concierge and we are going to find you a dress, come hell or high water. Got it?”

Snorting and trying to mask my laughter, I nodded; Bossy Leah always cracked me up. I loved her to death and she always managed to take charge when needed, but when she took on her alter ego and started barking orders and taking charge, I couldn’t help but grin. It reminded me of the little girl who stood up for me in that cafeteria so many years ago and instantly became my lifelong best friend.

“So, get your cute ass upstairs, change, and meet me in the lobby in fifteen minutes!”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

“And I’ll get you some coffee.”

“I like sugar!” I sung, as I started for the sliding door back into the hotel.

“Mmmhmm…I know. And for fuck’s sakes, wrap a towel around that shit before your fiancé has to kill half the crew for hitting on you.”

“Oh,” I laughed. “Oops.”

I grabbed a towel from the stack next to the door, and wrapped it around my scantily clad body. The last thing I saw was Leah shaking her head and laughing as I haphazardly made my way back to my hotel room.

“Drink it all,” Leah said, shoving a huge cup of coffee in my hand as I walked out of the elevator fifteen minutes later. Dressed in jean shorts and a green tank top, I was ready for whatever adventure she’d mapped out for us. I tried to have faith, but I was really doubting that I’d be able to find a new dress with such limited time before the big day. I’d barely been able to find the first dress, having just enough time to visit two stores in a single afternoon. The dress I’d bought was off the rack, of course, and one of the few in my size. It was beautiful, well…not anymore.

“Yes, Ma’am!” I said again, snickering.

“Mommy is funny today!”

“Yep, sure is,” Leah said, giving me a wry look.

While I was upstairs changing, Leah had picked up Maddie from the day camp and asked if she wanted to help us shop. Being the little diva she was, she naturally agreed.

“Let’s go shopping, ladies!” Leah said cheerfully, and all of us, including my extra-large cup of coffee with cream and sugar, headed out of the hotel and into the black rented sedan Leah had managed to obtain.