Read That Lucky Old Sun (The Bella Novella Collection Book 4) Online
Authors: Janice Thompson
Fun, Fun, Fun
The next two hours flew by. Ling and Darian’s wedding by the sea was breathtaking, from start to finish. And, with the exception of a few flies and mosquitoes, we saw no uninvited guests. Beach-goers kept their distance, giving the wedding party their privacy.
My heart was so caught up in the lovely ceremony—especially the blessings by the various pastors—that it all seemed to fly by in a blink. By the time they said their
I do’s
, I’d pretty much slipped out of wedding coordinator mode and assumed the role of guest.
Until Pastor Lindsey announced they were man and wife.
At this point I kicked into gear once again, eventually directing the guests to the reception area at the back of the Pappas home.
All of my concerns melted like butter as I watched the Pappas family serve up the evening meal. The combination of foods seemed to merge together in perfect union. In fact, most of the guests went back for seconds. And thirds.
When the moment came to cut the cake, I wondered how Ling and Darian would manage. Turned out, they had the perfect plan. They cut that sucker straight down the middle, half of the slice on the Greek side, half on the Vietnamese. I couldn’t help but chuckle as they celebrated its yumminess.
Yes, this evening was certainly coming together smoothly. I had a feeling guests would be talking about this wedding for years to come.
After Ling and Darian left in their limousine, I approached D.J. We needed to have an important discussion and I couldn’t think of a better time or place. I caught him nibbling on a slice of the Vietnamese wedding cake. He shoved the last bite in his mouth and then licked his fingers, a delirious look on his face.
“What did Scarlet put in this cake, anyway?” He grabbed and napkin and wiped his hands. “I could eat it all day.”
“Not sure, but it was great. She really outdid herself. The Greek side was pretty yummy too.”
“Everything was perfect, Bella.” He pulled me close and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “I don’t mind saying it.”
“Saying what?”
“That you were right and I was wrong.”
“Oh?” I laughed and then gazed up into his eyes. “Would you mind saying that again, just so I can make sure I didn’t misunderstand you?”
“You. Were. Right.” My hubby gave me a tender kiss. “And I was wrong. This whole wedding on the beach thing was pretty amazing. And you couldn’t have asked for better weather. It’s almost as if. . .” He pointed to the sky. “There were greater forces at work.”
“You think?”
“I
know
. But you were right to trust that God had it all worked out. And I’m pretty sure this wedding brought two families together in a way like I haven’t seen since, well, since we got married.”
“I heard Mrs. Nguyen asking for Mrs. Pappas’s tzatziki sauce recipe,” I said. “If that’s any indicator.”
“And I heard our police chief formally apologize to Mr. Pappas for supposedly harming his wife that day on The Strand. He said he felt like a fool for even suspecting such a thing.” D.J. paused. “I have a feeling they’re all going to be the best of friends.”
“Will wonders never cease?” I couldn’t help but smile as the words crossed my lips. Wonders
definitely
hadn’t ceased in my life, and it was time to share one of them with the man I loved.
“Follow me to the water’s edge for a little walk?” I nudged him with my elbow. “Please? With sugar on top?”
“Now? At this time of night? Shouldn’t we be cleaning something or packing things up? Stuff like that.”
“Yeah.” I gave him a playful kiss. “But I have something better in mind. Under the moon, if you please.”
“Sure. But who’s watching the kids?”
“The twins are already asleep upstairs and Tres and Rosie are playing with the younger Pappas kids. Mama said she’ll keep an eye on all of them for us. I told her that we needed some alone time.”
“Sounds great.”
“A walk on the beach, just the two of us.” I gave him another playful nudge.
“Sounds better by the minute.”
“So, this whole romance on the beach thing is growing on you, then?” I asked, as I slipped my hand into his.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to get married here, but it’s great for a walk with the woman I loved.”
And that’s just what we did. Hand in hand, we strolled to the water’s edge, our bare feet perfect against the cool, late-night shoreline. For a while we walked in silence, drinking in the solitude. I wanted to celebrate the joy of this special moment, to relish in the holiness of what God was doing.
Still, my heart would not let me stay silent for long.
And so. . .I told him.
I told him that another little Neeley would be joining us in about eight months, and that she—or he—would have every little luxury life could afford. No sacrifice would be too great. No problem too big. This little one, just like the children we already loved, would be surrounded by family—loud, chaotic family. But this child would be cherished, just as all of them were.
I rarely saw my husband lose it, but—considering the fact that we hadn’t even been trying for another child—he melted down in a puddle.
“Are. . .are you sure, Bella?”
“I am. Absolutely. Positively.”
He pulled me into his arms and gave me a dozen kisses, right there at the water’s edge. I could feel his heartbeat against mine as we shared our thoughts, our joy, our plans for the future.
I thought about that day when Rosie had poured shampoo into Tres’ hair. What a mess that had been. Life was messy like that, no matter the ages of your children. You just wanted to clean them up and make everything perfect, of course. But life would always present the next challenge, the next bit of chaos, the next opportunity to shower off the old and put on the new.
Sure, we’d have our hands full. And yes, we might just have to start over again. . .find a bigger house. Deal with the financial strains of a growing family. Adjust our schedules. Buy a bigger vehicle.
But every single minute would be worth it, because we would do it together. . .one big, happy family.
Thank you for reading
That Lucky Old Sun
. I hope you enjoyed traveling back to Galveston with Bella and the Pappas gang. I also hope you enjoyed meeting the Nguyen (not
When
) family.
I so enjoyed writing this story. Most of the writing came on the heels of a cruise to Bermuda, where I got to spend time on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Horseshoe Bay. Though I set this story in Galveston, the breezes of Bermuda rippled through my imagination as I penned the words.
There are two more stories coming around the bend for Bella. Stay tuned for a fall novella titled
The Tender Trap
, which features an autumn shabby-chic wedding. You’re sure to enjoy this, as well as the final story,
Return to Me
, which will celebrate the birth of Bella and D.J.’s fifth (and final) child. I can’t wait to share that story!
Thanks again for reading. I’m always delighted to reveal more of Bella’s world to some of my favorite people, my precious readers.
Have You Read All of the Bella Novellas?
Once Upon a Moonlight Night
(A Winter Wonderland Wedding)
Tea for Two
(A Victorian Valentine’s Day Ceremony)
Pennies from Heaven
(A Springtime Garden Ceremony)
That Lucky Old Sun
(A Galveston Beach Ceremony)
The Tender Trap (An Autumn Shabby Chic Ceremony): COMING October 15
th
2016
Return to Me (Bella’s final story): COMING January 15
th
, 2017
Have You Read the Books That Started It All?
THE CLUB WED SERIES:
THE BACKSTAGE PASS SERIES:
THE WEDDINGS BY DESIGN SERIES
Award-winning author Janice Thompson got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over 100 books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because she enjoys making readers laugh. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, “Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!” sums up her take on life.
Janice lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. When she’s not busy writing or playing with her eight grandchildren, she can be found in the kitchen, baking specialty cakes and cookies for friends and loved ones. No matter what Janice is cooking up—books, cakes, cookies or mischief—she does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all. You can find out more about this wacky author at
www.janiceathompson.com
.
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I’m so grateful to the following:
My Dream Team: What an amazing group of readers and friends you are! I could never publish a book without you! (Truly!) Thanks for proofing my story and for helping with cover ideas. You gals are the best!
My Cover Designer, Crystal Barnes: Wow, girl! You have worked so hard on my behalf and I’m grateful, grateful. You truly captured the essence of the story in the lovely cover design and I’m tickled pink, (the same color of pink in the sunsets described in this story, of course).
The MacGregor Literary Agency: Thank you for your undying support, no matter which publishing route I choose.