EMILY WOULD NEVER have believed she’d be back on Yasi Island within a year, much less for a wedding. Her wedding. She looked across at Joe, her husband-to-be, so handsome standing barefoot next to her on the beach. They were never going to have a traditional ceremony and had decided to incorporate elements from Fijian culture into their day.
‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.’ Peter give them both a smile. Having him officiate made this day truly special, as did having the rest of her family here with them. There was quite a crowd assembled on the beach, all dressed in their finery.
Her wedding dress was a simple, white, strapless gown and Joe had gone with his white shirt and linen trousers. The festive garlands the islanders had bestowed on them, including the ring of flowers in her hair, brought a bright splash of colour to proceedings. Sou, Miriama, her stepmother, and all the other women from the village wore the traditional dresses made from tapa cloth and decorated with the red clay paint that had brought her and Joe so close that special day. The men, bar her father in his Hawaiian-style shirt, were in full warrior costume—she finally got to see the grass skirts! It was all so exotic and exciting it was no wonder she’d found it so hard to settle back home.
After she and Joe had spent the second week of her trip together almost twenty-four hours a day, it hadn’t taken much persuading for him to go back to England with her. They’d tried to make it work there but ultimately she’d been the one craving everything Yasi had brought into her life. The regimented schedule had suddenly become too stifling for her and she’d seen Joe’s relief when she’d finally admitted it. They didn’t have to box themselves into a suburban life in order to be together and he’d proposed when she’d uttered those very words to him.
It had taken a few months to get their affairs in order but they’d both agreed they wanted their new start to begin where they’d first fallen in love. She was looking forward to spending time with Peter again but they hadn’t made definite plans to make the island their permanent home. There was a whole world waiting for them out there.
‘I do.’ Joe gave his promise to love, honour and comfort her, and Emily did the same in return. They’d been there for each other through so much already, to the point she wasn’t even wearing her cover-up for her wedding day and his nightmares were becoming rarer with every passing night they spent in each other’s arms.
They exchanged simple gold wedding bands as a token of their pledge of love for one another before her stepbrother pronounced them husband and wife and gave them permission to kiss in front of everyone.
‘I’ve never kissed a married woman before,’ Joe said when they finally came up for air.
‘Well, make sure it’s only your wife you’re kissing,’ she said with a grin to match his. ‘Wife’ was a title she’d worn before but it no longer defined her. She was still Emily. This ring simply meant she was privileged to be sharing the rest of her life with Joe, and vice versa.
‘There’s no one else I would want to do this with.’ He took her hand and kissed her wedding finger, a sign he was talking about his next great adventure and not just a snog here and there. They were in this together.
As the vakatara—the orchestra—struck up their percussion instruments and the matana—dancers—assembled to begin the celebrations, Emily counted every one of her blessings. The biggest one of all she was yet to share with her new husband. She rested her hand on her slightly rounded belly. In seven months they would embark on a new chapter of their lives and all the new adventures parenthood would bring them.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Karin Baine
THE DOCTOR’S FORBIDDEN FLING
A KISS TO CHANGE HER LIFE
FRENCH FLING TO FOREVER
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from REAWAKENED BY THE SURGEON’S TOUCH by Jennifer Taylor.
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