Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3) (32 page)

“
She’s going to put small daisies in it, too,” Claire says. My mother wore a crown of daisies on her wedding day and Claire knows that this will make the whole thing absolutely perfect. Alexa puts the flowers in and I know I’m going to cry. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s everything I dreamed it would be.” I’m trying not to cry, but the perfection of this day is already so overwhelmingly wonderful.
“Thank you.” I stand and give Alexa and hug, and then Claire and Eliana. I don’t have the words to express at this moment so I just smile and say everything I can with my eyes.

“Dry those eyes! It’s time for your make-up!” Gina says.

I do as she says and have a seat at her station. It doesn’t take her long to make me look like a fresher, brighter version of myself, and when I see my hair and make-up all done together I think I’m going to cry again. I hold it together and take several deep breaths.

The photographer has been taking pictures since she got here…pictures I’d never think of taking. But, I’m glad she
’s here now because there are shots of Gwen and Caroline and me just talking and lots while we’re having our hair and make-up done. There are shots of Claire and Eliana getting dolled up, too. I love the everydayness of the pictures she’s taking and don’t think I’ll be able to whittle down the number of prints I have made from these moments alone.

Alexa and Gina go ahead to the church while Claire and the
girls manage to get me into my dress without messing up my hair or make-up. When I’m all buttoned up and my shoes have been securely fastened to my feet, I stand in front of Claire’s full-length mirror and stare.

I stare at this girl standing in front of me. She’s wearing my mother’s wedding dress
and white daisies in her hair. Her hazel eyes are bright and full of hope, and her smile is bigger than any I’ve ever seen her wear. This girl, so opposite of the one I stared at the day of Gramps’ funeral, is a woman now. A woman ready to begin a new chapter in her life. A woman who knows that what lies before her is a life filled with love and peace and the knowledge that she is more than she ever thought she could be. A life with the one person who makes her feel like the world would be a sad place without her in it.

I sigh and smile and receive all the goodness that is being gi
ven to me because today is the day I put all the pain behind me. The cracks in my heart have been filled and the life waiting for me is better than anything I could have dreamed of for myself.

Claire, Eliana and the girls help me get into the limo ever so gingerly. The soft fabric of my mother’s wedding dress is delicate and anything happening to it is the only thing that could ruin this day.

When we arrive at the church everyone gets out of the car first so they can help me out just as carefully as they helped me in. We’re ushered into the vestibule of the church where only Luke is standing facing the closed doors to the chapel. As I stand there, waiting for Luke to turn around, the photographer positions herself to get shots of the first moments the father of the bride sees his little girl all dressed in white. When she cues him, he turns around and immediately becomes overwhelmed.

“Hi, Dad. How do I look?” I say to him, smiling and so full of joy.

“You look…you look just like your mother. So beautiful.” Luke takes my hands in his. “They would be so happy and proud of you today.”

“Thank you…for everything.” I lean in and kiss Luke on the cheek. “I’d give you a hug, but I’m under strict orders not to do anything to muss my dress, hair, or make-up,” I chuckle.

“It’s ok…there will be plenty of time for that at the reception after the ceremony and after the formal pictures are taken. Are you ready for this?” Luke hands me the bouquet the florist just gave him to give me.

“I am
so
ready for this,” I tell him with a huge smile.

Luke holds out his arm and I hoo
k mine through it. Settling ourselves to the side of the foyer where no one can see us, Linda opens the doors for Chris and Tyler who sneak a kiss on my cheek before they escort Claire and Eliana to their seats and then take their places with Will at the front of the chapel. Once Gwen and Caroline have both begun their walk down the aisle, Linda closes the doors and Luke and I get into position.

The music stops and I begin to anticipate Canon in D’s first notes.
As the piano starts to play them, Linda and her assistant Jimmy open both the doors to the chapel and I’m blown away. This part of my dream-turned-nightmare was a premonition. The chapel is packed with people. Luke’s invitation for the town to celebrate the ceremony with us was apparently well received. I’m stunned at the amount of support the town is pouring on us and I’m overjoyed for Will. This is his home and what a solid show of understanding from the people.

We walk the aisle at a pace I hope Linda finds satisfactory
and soon I’m passing pews filled with friends and family. We only invited about 100 people, 90 of them from Will’s side, but every single one of them came.

Will and I lock eyes and that’s when I begin to get emotional. He’s stunningly handsome in
his grey suit and grey tie tucked under his vest. He’s wiping tears away as he watches me and I only hope that the photographer is capturing these moments.

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Pastor Bishop asks Luke.

“Her parents do,” Luke replies. It has just the same effect on me today as it did last night when Luke first uttered the words.

Pastor Bishop smiles and nods
once, indicating that it’s time for Luke to actually give me to Will. Luke kisses my cheek sweetly and smiles softly as he releases my hand. He shakes Will’s hand and gently places mine in Will’s before sitting next to Claire who is already crying.

Will and I step forward
and listen to Pastor Bishop say
something spiritual about marriage
as he put it last night. I hand my flowers to Caroline and turn to face Will. The pastor begins a question with “Layla, do you…” and then I get so lost in Will’s eyes that I’m only moderately paying attention to what he’s saying. Will was right. This really is it. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. The dragon has been slayed and we’re embarking on our Happily Ever After.

I refocus on what Pasto
r Bishop is saying when I begin to hear words like better and worse, richer and poorer, sickness and health. My ears perk up, though, when I hear Pastor Bishop say “for as long as you both live.” There it is. The words that hold every commitment I’m making to Will.

Will and I are forever and there’s nothing else I can say
except “I do.”

It didn’t take too much convincing for Will to agree that we should have our reception someplace nice, but not super fancy. So, w
e’re having the reception at Campania, the Italian restaurant Will took me to on our Day of Nothing. It’s not an over the top elegant restaurant. In fact, it’s pretty modest and a little rustic with its exposed brick walls. But, being a family owned, neighborhood restaurant, it kind of represents everything that I love about Davidson. The owners were so wonderful and accommodating to close the restaurant for our private party on a Saturday night that Luke was sure to make it worth their while.

We enter the restaurant and cheers erupt before I can get everyone into focus. Pop and Nana Grace
are clapping and Pop puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles louder than I’ve ever heard someone whistle before. Jason and Lisa, Finn, and Dana are standing by the bar, smiles spread wide across their faces. I’m thrilled beyond words that they’re all here, but that joy multiplies when I see Sarah and Austin.

She
meant it when she said she didn’t believe in
step
families or in-laws. For the months since we met her and Cheryl in Virginia Beach, we have been in almost constant contact. She’s kept me up to date on her growing belly, which is looking so adorable on her now that she’s close to six months pregnant, and her presence at my bridal shower made the day even more special. She and Will have really grown close. Having eased into a relationship with a long-lost sibling and seeing it developing wonderfully, I think Will is feeling much better prepared for when he meets Erin and Michael next month.

“Hey darlin’! You look beautiful,” Sarah says to me as she wraps her arms around me. “Oh
, my gosh! Look at that! I’m already so big I can’t even get right up on you to give you a real hug!”

“Oh, stop! You look absolutely adorable! How is he doing?” I give her belly a little rub. “Have you decided on a name yet?”

“We’re gonna name him Noah. Noah James,” Austin answers as he hugs me.

“That’s a great name,” Will says. “I actually got Layla to talk about kids
last night. Can you believe it?”

“I knew she’d come around
, but you better give her time, sugar!” Sarah’s sweet voice lingers in the air like wisps of cotton candy. “Ok, c’mon Austin, let’s go over to the bar. You’re drinkin’ for two.” With a laugh, and little swat to her behind, Austin follows Sarah through the maze of tables and into the crowd.

We dutifully make our way around to everyone. I thank Gwen and Caroline’s parents for coming, as well as Chris and Tyler’s.
There was a time I didn’t know how Chris and Tyler’s dads were going to respond to the truth about Will’s disappearance and death. I had once thought they were Meyer clones, legal sharks making prey of any needy person who had the misfortune of swimming into their open waters, but I have been so pleased to see that I was wrong about them. They’ve been nothing but kind and warm and completely understanding, so much so that they’ve offered Luke the senior partner position at the firm.  This would change the name of the firm to Weston, Fincher, and Marks. I told Luke he should take it, but he hasn’t decided yet, mumbling something about needing to get his daughter married off first before he could think of anything else.

Everything about the night is perfect.
We did a fixed menu of four options for dinner: a meatless pasta dish, lasagna, and the two dishes Will and I had on our first date here, chicken piccata and veal saltimbocca. The bar is open for everyone but the bride and groom, and Will found an amazing local band to play so we have live music all night.

When we’ve made our rounds and actually had a chance to eat, Will takes me by the hand and leads me to the dance floor. The lead singer of the band announces that it’s time for the bride and groom’s first dance
and I feel my stomach flutter with excitement. Will takes me in his arms as the band begins to play
To Get Me to You
. Will played it for me during country week of our music lessons and I just knew it had to be our first dance.

“We did it, Mrs. Meyer,” Will says as we begin to sway.

“Yes, we did. It’s like a dream, Will. I can’t believe it,” I tell him.

“Believe it, babe, because it only gets better from here.
You are my
wife
,” he says, drawing me closer.

“And you are my
husband
.”

“Always and forever,” he says. “You look so beautiful. The seamstress did an amazing job with the dress. It looks like it was made for you.”

“Thank you. Yeah, I was amazed, too. It means so much to me that I got to wear my mom’s dress. And did you see my hair, see the flowers? Mom wore a crown of daisies,” I tell him.

“It’s perfect, Layla. Everything about today is just perfect.” Will pulls me closer as we move and sway around the dance floor. Sometimes he sings along with the song to me. It’s the most magical moment of my life.

The night is filled with all the greatness a wedding reception is supposed to have. The music is loud and the dancing doesn’t stop. I even dance with Wes who tells me that he’s already asked Will’s permission and plans on proposing to Eliana later tonight. I’m so happy for them both and thrilled that Wes will officially become part of my family.

Will and I dance with our friends, I throw the bouquet the florist made for the toss, and Will has a grand time taking the garter off my leg.
Tyler catches the garter and, as only fate could do, his date Kelly catches the bouquet. I’m happy to see him giving someone a real chance. I only got to chat with her for a few minutes, but she seems really great. She’s really pretty with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, and she’s just as brilliant and funny as she is beautiful. I’m sure we’ll have them over for dinner when we’re back from Bali and settling into our life as the
new
Meyers.

“Babe, we’ve got to go,” Will whispers in my ear as I’m talking with Mrs. Whitman.

“Really? It seems so early,” I say.

“We have a flight to catch and we both need to change,” he says

“Congratulations, Will!” Mrs. Whitman cheers, giving Will a hug.

“Thank you, Mrs. Whitman. Thanks so much for coming. I’m afraid I have to steal my wife away from you. We’ve got a honeymoon to get to,” he tells her.

“Of course, of course! I’m so happy for you both!” she beams.

We begin to move toward the
back door where our parents and friends are waiting to say goodbye. We stand at the top of the few steps in front of the door and Will puts his arm around my waist as he addresses the crowd.

“Thank you all so much for celebrating with us. Most of you are aware the journey Layla and I have been on to get to this place, which makes the fact that I can now officially call her my wife even more special. I sound like a broken record but, really, I am the luckiest man alive.
I get two whole weeks alone with my wife in the green pastures of Ireland and the sandy beaches of Bali. If you need us, well, you’re kinda screwed because we will be completely unreachable!” Everyone laughs and Will pulls me closer. “You ready?” he asks.

“More than ready,” I say with a huge smile.
“Thank you so much, everyone, for coming. This day has been more than I could have ever imagined.”

As we start to leave the band begins to play Marvin Gaye’s
Let’s Get it On
and I see Tyler and Caroline standing next to the guitar player pretending to dance seductively to the music. I feel the blood rush to my face and I swear to myself to kill Caroline when we get home. Will laughs, making me laugh, reminding myself just how much I love Caroline and Tyler, and how much they love me. This little stunt of theirs actually puts me at ease and I grab Will and kiss him. The crowd cheers and Will and I are out the door, followed by more cheering. We turn, wave goodbye, hug and kiss our parents, and climb into the limo.

“So…” Will says, taking my hand in his. “We did it.”

“We sure did,” I say with a mixture of excitement for all that lies ahead, and nervousness for tonight.

“I love you so much, Layla.” Will leans into me and kisses me sweetly.

“I love you, too.” I sigh, letting the nervousness slip away and the excitement take over. “So what’s the plan? I mean I know we’re leaving for two
amazing
weeks together, but I don’t know any of the details.”

“We’ll get changed and go straight to the airport. Our bags are already in the back of the car. Claire said she laid out something for you to wear,” he tells me, all the while stroking my arm tenderly.

“Well…it sounds like everything’s been taken care of. I really am so excited. I can’t believe you’re taking me to Ireland. We’ve been married for four hours and you’re already making my dreams come true,” I sigh leaning into Will,
my husband
.

“Get used to it, because I’m going to spend the next 70 years making sure every dream you’ve ever had, and the ones you didn’t even know you had,
comes true,” he says, brushing my cheek with the back of his hand.

“
You
are all the dream-come-true I need.” Will kisses me and I kiss him back in a new way. It’s like my body knows I’m kissing my husband and is responding differently. It’s an indescribable feeling of warmth that is taking over. Thank God we arrive at Luke and Claire’s because that kiss had the potential to turn into something much more. Something neither Will nor I wanted it to turn into in the back seat of a limousine.

“Well, Mrs. Weston, shall we change and get to the honeymooning?” Will says as we enter the house. He takes my hand and
we walk upstairs to my room…my old room. I’m glad he’s there because my dress is a bit much to navigate up the stairs.

Claire has laid out a pair of dark jeans, a green
button down shirt, and a pair of brown boots. The perfect fall outfit for travelling. I turn and face Will and the nervousness begins to creep back in.

“Um…can you, uh…help me with the buttons?” I ask breathlessly. If there were any other way to get out of this dress I would do it.

“Of course,” he answers softly.

I turn around and Will begins to undo each button. One by one, each one is released. His hands brush against my skin and goose bumps race across my body.
When all the buttons are undone we just stand there, not sure of what to do next. I feel Will’s breath on my neck, and then his lips. I close my eyes and take in his passion for only a moment.

I manage to say his name. “Will.”

“Yes,” he says in between soft kisses to my neck and shoulder.

“You have to stop.” I am a crazy person.

“No, see, that’s the beauty of being married. We don’t have to stop anymore,” he says quietly, caressing my bare arms.

I muster the energy to step away and turn around, holding my dress in place. “Will…this is my room…in Luke and Claire’s house.”

As if coming to from a dream, Will shakes his head and understands what I’m saying. “You’re right. This is not…this isn’t how I pictured it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’
t be sorry.” I step forward and touch his face. “It’s going to be so wonderful.”

“I’ll get changed downstairs. Don’t take too long. Our flight leaves in two and a half hours, and it’s almost an hour to the airport.” I promise I won’t take too long and Will kisses me briefly before he leaves me in the quiet of my room.

It takes me a few minutes to figure out how to step out of my dress without stepping on my dress. Once that hurdled is passed I lay my mother’s wedding dress neatly on the bed and take it in for a moment. It was an incredible day. I married the man of my dreams in a chapel in the town that has accepted me as one of their own, with parents and friends standing with us as we embrace the life that we have worked so hard to have.

I dress and
check myself in the mirror, realizing that Will and I are going to have a heck of a time pulling all the bobby pins out of my hair. It’s so beautiful. I hate to have to take it down. As I give my reflection the once over, I feel a huge smile take over.

“Hello, I’m Layla Meyer. It’s nice to meet you,” I say to the girl in the mirror. “Layla Meyer. It has a nice ring to it.”

I give the room one more look and meet Will down stairs. We grab our coats and the limo driver is closing the door behind us in a flash.

“How long is the flight?” I ask.

“A little less than two hours,” Will says.

“Oh, do we have a layover somewhere?” I ask as a follow up.

“Yes, in New York.”

“Ok…so how long is the layover?” I feel like I’m fishing.

“Two days,” Will smiles.

“Two days? We’re going to New York for two days?” I ask excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to go to New York!”

“I told you I was going to make every dream you’ve ever had come true.” Will puts his arm around me and I nestle into his side.

“Well,
husband
, you’re off to a fabulous start. Thank you.”

We ride and Will tells me a little about th
e hotel in Ireland. It’s actually not a hotel, and we’re actually going to be in two different locations. Will says they’re both converted castles and I think I’m going to scream. Just another way that my new husband is making sure my dreams are coming true.

Our flight is quick, only about an hour and a half. A driver is waiting for us in baggage claim with a sign that reads
Mr. & Mrs. W. Meyer
. He’s already retrieved our luggage from the baggage carrousel so we walk directly to his town car, which is waiting in a designated area for limos and taxis.

“Do
n’t you want to know where we’re staying?” Will asks as we pull away from the curb.

“Nope! I want to be surprised. You told me that I had to start letting you just take care of me. So…this is me just going with the flow and letting you take care of me!” I tell him.

It’s a 45-minute drive from JFK to our hotel and I fall asleep as I lean against Will, letting the adrenaline that has been driving me all day finally dissipate. When we pull up to the hotel, Will nudges me gently. After a moment to get my bearings, the driver opens the door and I step out onto the sidewalk. It’s dark and the lights from the overhang glow magically in the glass doors.

“Oh, Will. You brought me to the Four Seasons.
The
Four Seasons in New York City. I can’t believe it,” I say in awe as Will pulls me to his side.

“Nothing but the best for my wife.” Will kisses the top of my head and the doorman opens one of the glass doors for us.

“Um…this is going to sound silly, but, can we walk through the revolving door? I’ve never walked through one before,” I say sheepishly.

“Of course,” Will says with a huge smile. “You’re so cute.”

I enter the revolving glass door and push. It takes more effort than I thought it would, but Will is in the section behind me pushing, too, so it gives way quickly. When I exit the turning door I’m greeted with everything that one would expect from the Four Seasons in New York City. The stone floor and walls are regal and the décor is sophisticated and chic. There was a time when I would have been swallowed up in the dichotomy of my existence in this elegant space, but not anymore. This girl is enjoying every second of her first experience in the greatest city on earth.

“Good evening, Mr. and Mr. Meyer. We hope you had a pleasant flight,” the girl checking us in says. “Congratulations on your marriage. We’re so pleased you’ve chosen to celebrate part of your honeymoon with us here at the Four Seasons New York.
We’ve got you all set in a premium park-view executive suite on the 48
th
floor. And, per your request, I’ve made a dining reservation for you at Per Se for 7:00 pm tomorrow evening. Is there anything else I can assist you with? Perhaps some theater tickets?”

“No, thank you. It sound
s like everything is just right, and I’ve got the tickets taken care of.” Will takes our room keys from the marble counter and leads me to the elevator.

“
You have theater tickets already?” I ask, excitement stirring in me.

“
My father had season tickets. He had a lot of business here in the city,” Will tells me.

“What kind of business? Lawyer business or…” I begin.

“Honey.”

“Right. Sorry,” I say as I scold myself for bringing up the last topic on earth that should be discussed on one’s honeymoon.

“You seem to know your way around the hotel,” I say noticing that Will has walked us directly to the elevators without seeming to look for them or ask where they are.

“Yeah…sometimes when my dad had business here he’d bring Mom and me with him. Does it bother you that I’ve been here before?” he asks as we enter the elevator. I push 48 and wait for the elevator to jolt us upward.

“No, of course not. I’ve never been anywhere so everyone I know is
well travelled compared to me. You may have been here before, but you’ve never been here with me.” I wrap my arms around Will’s waist and savor this first of many first experiences with my husband. “Will, where are our bags?” I’m just realizing that we haven’t seen our bags since Will tipped the driver as he was taking them out of the car.

“They’re in our room,” he says. I furrow my brow in curiosity and Will fills in the blanks. “Our room was ready when the hotel sent the driver. So, when we arrived he had the bell service take them directly to our room while we checked in.” A satisfied smile spreads across Will’s face.

“Oh, well, that makes sense,” I say. “Can you tell me what play we’re going to see?”

“I thought you wanted to be surprised,” he says with a tickled pinch to my waist.

“I’ll be surprised right now when you tell me!” I bat my eyes at Will and he just laughs at my cuteness.

“You’re too much, you know that! We’re going to see Wicked. Is that ok?”

“Oh, my gosh! Yes! Yes! That’s totally great! Thank you, Will!” I hug him tightly and kiss him only briefly, afraid that if I get carried away we’ll end up very embarrassed should the doors open to awaiting strangers.

We exit the elevator and this time Will does look for some direction to see which way our room is. We find our room at the end of the hall
and the nervous butterflies that had once migrated have reappeared. I’m about to walk into a hotel room…with my
husband
.

Oh. Em. Gee.

Will opens the door to our room and looks at me. “So, Mrs. Meyer. Are you ready to officially start our honeymoon?”

“Definitely.”

With that Will bends down and scoops me into his arms. “What are you doing?” I squeal in a loud whisper.

“Did you expect me to be any less traditional?” he says with a knowing smile.

“No…I should have fully expected you to do this,” I say with a contented sigh. “Ok, Mr. Meyer. Carry your wife over the threshold. Wait. Are you going to do this at every hotel and when we get home?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good.”

We glide over the threshold and the door shut
s behind us as Will sets me down in the entryway of our suite. Will turns the lights on, takes my hand, and guides me into the living area. The furniture is beautifully simple, elegant, and warm with neutral colors. The huge windows of this corner suite give the most spectacular view of the city and Central Park. The buildings are lit up in an explosion of colors, inviting me to step closer to the window for a better look.