Lib Novel Page 33
“Arianna, it’s me, Beth Wheeler. I’ve got an emergency situation and need an appointment as soon as possible. Remember that I told you about my brother getting married at the same time? Well, this is for his bride. Her dress is in a shop down in Florida and is right in the path of the hurricane. There’s a chance the dress will be ruined. We need a backup plan.”
Becca watched Beth expertly control the situation. She wasn’t like Beth. She’d focused on school and work and spent little time thinking about the wedding. She wasn’t sure when the shift happened. One moment she was an excited bride wanting everything to be as perfect as it could be and the next she was a woman struggling to fit a wedding into her already hectic life.
As much as she wanted to believe that everything would work out in the end, a nagging feeling that it was a mistake to ignore the signs was telling her otherwise.
If there was one word to describe Becca, it was destiny. Believing in planets aligning to bring two people together explained how she and Christopher had found each other after so many years apart. What she couldn’t discern was whether that same alignment pointed to marriage.
As a couple, they had everything going for them. It took a lot to convince Becca that getting married would only enhance what was already a beautiful relationship. But, lately, obstacles thrown in front of her made her doubt that a wedding was the answer for them.
She kept this feeling to herself. The wedding was fast approaching, and she hated herself for her lack of excited anticipation. Instead, she vacillated between trepidation and determination, not knowing which one to listen to.
There were days when the fear of taking a huge leap into an unknown future and the joy of finally being able to call Christopher her husband would battle for top place in her heart.
However, today was not that day, and a visit to the country cleared whatever angst she’d been feeling.
“Thank you for doing this for me, Beth. It’s one less thing to worry about.”
“No problem. What are sisters-in-law for?”
“How is Gabriel’s mother doing?” Becca asked.
Beth frowned and looked over at Gabriel. Keeping her voice low, she whispered, “It’s so sad. She doesn’t recognize her husband anymore. Thomas videos with Gabriel and his brother James just to keep them up to date on what’s been going on at the memory care facility. Thomas seems in good spirits. It’s been months since she moved there so I think he’s gotten used to living alone, although he goes there a couple of times a week to see her.”
“That is sad. I can’t imagine spending so many years with him and then suddenly not knowing her husband. It must be torturous for Gabriel and James to watch that.”
Beth nodded. “It’s especially hard for James. He has the gene that pretty much guarantees he’ll have early onset Alzheimer’s as well. His daughter, Willow, will most likely have the same fate when she’s in her fifties. James’ wife, Linda seems to be handling the prognosis better than James. Of course, he’s only in his thirties, but just knowing what’s to come has to weigh on her heart.”
Christopher and Gabriel joined Beth and Becca with Gabriel’s dog Charlie following close behind.
“If you ladies are done talking wedding stuff, how about we head inside? We’ve brought in plenty of wood for the fire,” Gabriel said.
“Sounds great. I’ll make us some hot chocolate,” Beth said.
Walking toward the house, Becca looked up at the sky. The gray clouds swept by, threatening an early snow. She hugged her body and rubbed her arms, thinking of Captiva Island and the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Whether she was ready for it she wasn’t sure but what she couldn’t escape was the date on the calendar.
The nagging fear gripped her stomach, thinking that in four weeks she’d be standing at the altar promising that for the rest of her life, she’d be by Christopher’s side through whatever life demanded of them.
She felt ashamed that a ruined dress and a hurricane had the power to make her question everything she’d embraced about getting married. Getting cold feet was one thing; however, her body shivering because she was terrified to say, “I do,” was another thing entirely.
* * *
As the hurricane raged against the islands of Captiva and Sanibel, the surrounding streets and businesses of southwest Florida suffered as well.
Wind and rain pummeled the area and for Maggie and her family, they spent the hours waiting for the storm to end by playing games and entertaining themselves as best they could.
Noah’s baby chicks and Chelsea’s kitten, Penny, were a welcome addition to their time at the Hutchins family home.
Eliza’s continued requests to go shopping and eating at the most exclusive restaurants in West Palm Beach drove Maggie and Chelsea crazy. She finally gave up after Maggie declined the offer the third time.
Guilt, along with a strong desire to stay clear of Eliza’s friends, kept everyone but Eliza and Devon home and glued to the tv throughout the day.
It was another ten hours before Ciara heard from Crawford, and when she did, the news wasn’t good.
“I had to climb on top of Ernie Willoby’s house. The water was too high for him to stay inside. The poor guy climbed through a skylight in his attic if you can believe that. He’s lucky he didn’t fall and break his neck.”
“Oh Crawford, that’s horrible,” Ciara said.
Maggie’s laser focus on the call made Ciara hit the speaker button. “Crawford, I’ve got you on speaker so Maggie and Paolo can hear you. Have you seen the Key Lime Garden Inn?”