July Fourth—Hilton Head, South Carolina
Every room at Sandy Pines was booked, had been for the past four days. There was a flurry of activity it seemed and Dalila was in her element.
It was morning, time had passed for the morning meal but the city people hadn’t gotten downstairs until close to nine. She tried not to complain.
At the table was Alma Johnson Donovan, a woman she’d known since she was a little girl. Sitting around her were her two sons and their father. A happier woman Dalila thought she’d never seen.
“I still can’t believe you got Beverly and Henry, Linc, Adam, Trent and their families all out here for the grand opening,” Alma said.
Max finished off his glass of orange juice knowing that in a few minutes Dalila would come by and fill it up again. “What do you mean? Of course they’d all want to be here for the opening.”
“I heard more people came in last night. It was late but I could hear them on the steps,” Everette said, generously buttering his toast.
Ben glanced at Max.
“Well, we should get going into town. We don’t have a lot of time for shopping. The festivities are starting promptly at six,” Max said.
“What festivities? You haven’t even told me what you’ve planned,” Alma complained. “I don’t know why it has to be a secret. We’re all here now.”
Max stood from the table. “Because I want to surprise you,” he said, looking over at Dalila, who winked at him. “Now come on, let’s get going.”
Alma was still complaining but she got up from the table. Everette was taking his toast with him. Ben stood with a nod to Max. And they all filed out of the kitchen.
About ten minutes later, Deena came in with a smile as bright as the morning sunshine. Dalila had to smile right along with her. Today was a happy day.
“Good mornin’, Miss Sunshine,” Dalila said when Deena came over to give her a hug.
“Mornin’, Ms. Dalila.”
“You all get a good sleep? Came in mighty late last night,” Dalila asked.
“Yes, we did. We missed our flight. Can you believe that?” Deena asked with a conspiratorial grin. Dalila just laughed, her full chest moving with the gesture.
“These your folks?”
“Yes,” Deena said, pulling Dalila over to the table where everyone was taking a seat. “This is my mother and father, Noreen and Paul Lakefield. And these are my sisters, Monica and Karena. This is Sam, Karena’s fiancé. Everybody, this is Dalila, the best cook and caretaker on the East Coast.”
They said their hellos and waited as Dalila fixed them a hearty breakfast. All the while Deena kept checking her watch, Karena kept her gaze off her parents, Monica frowned and Dalila cooked.
Today was going to be a perfect day.
At exactly six o’clock on July Fourth, Broad Creek had been transformed into a billowing white oasis. There was a platform draped with white satin, rows and rows of white chairs tied together with white rope and calla lilies. Huge urns bursting with white orchids occupied both ends of a long aisle covered with a white runner. The quartet hired to sing stood dressed in all-white linen, the pastor and the piano player wore the same.
A long line of people were ushered to the beach by Chiniya and Juno and told to take a seat. There were murmurings and whispers as the Donovans and the Lakefields tried to figure out what was going on.
At ten minutes after six the quartet began to sing Luther Vandross’s “Here and Now.” Hand in hand, Max and Deena walked down the aisle. They both wore white from head to toe. Deena wore a white sheath dress that hugged her curves yet looked elegant and picture-perfect for a beach wedding. Her hair was pulled up with one beautiful orchid on the right side. Max wore a CK Davis original linen suit with silk tie. The sun shone brightly overhead and the crash of the waves against the shore provided an excellent backdrop.
They read their own vows, both hearing sniffles from behind. The pastor pronounced them man and wife and Max kissed his bride. Then, at 6:34, they turned to face their families for the first time as man and wife.
Photographers snapped photos and the quartet sang again. Max and Deena walked back up the aisle, coming to a stop at the end where Max scooped Deena up in his arms and carried her back to Sandy Pines.
“I cannot believe you married him and didn’t tell anybody what you were planning to do,” Monica argued the minute she was close enough to Deena.
Karena was standing on the other side of their sister, smiling. “That was the most romantic ceremony I’ve ever attended.”
“Oh, Karena, please. You are so blinded by wedding bliss it’s sickening,” Monica quipped.
Karena frowned. “And you need some so bad you’re starting to get wrinkles.”
Monica’s hands flew to her eyes. “I am not.”
Karena glanced at Deena. “Not there.” They both laughed as Monica fumed.
“Look, I don’t want to fight,” Deena said finally. “I’m extremely happy. I love him so much. I just need for you both, for once, to be happy for me.”
“You know I’m happy for you, girl.” Karena hugged her little sister tight. “I just can’t believe you beat me to the punch.”
“I know. It was impulsive. We just decided and then we did it,” she was saying just as her parents walked up.
“Just like you always do,” Paul said in his stern tone.
Deena really did not feel like this today. And as if she’d silently beckoned him, Max appeared by her side.
“Mr. and Mrs. Lakefield,” he said. “I hope you’re enjoying the reception.”
Noreen smiled. “I’m enjoying everything immensely, Maxwell. This was a beautiful surprise,” she said. Then she stepped forward to hug Deena.
“You be happy, my baby,” she whispered in her daughter’s ear.
“I am, Mama. I am.”
When Noreen stepped back they were once again faced with a frowning Paul Lakefield.
He stepped forward and Deena tensed. Max’s arm tightened around her shoulders.
“So you’re my son-in-law now?” Paul asked Max.
“Yes, sir.”
“You finished changing your mind about being with my daughter?”
Max didn’t flinch. “Yes, sir.”
“I guess that means you love her.”
“I do, very much,” Max told him.
“Dad,” Deena began but Max shook his head to stop her.
“My number one priority is to keep her happy,” Max said. “I won’t hurt her again.”
Paul frowned. “She’s my youngest. My baby girl.”
It was now Deena’s turn to frown. She’d never heard her father refer to her like that before.
“She’s had a rough year. I don’t want to see her go through that again.”
“No, sir. You won’t.”
“I love her very much, too,” Paul said. “I trust that you’ll take care of her now.”
Max nodded. “I will.”
“And you,” Paul said turning to her. “You’ve rushed off and done something big this time.”
She swallowed. “Yes, I did.” If he was going to yell and berate her she’d stand there and take it. Because she was Mrs. Maxwell Donovan now; nothing or no one could touch her emotionally as long as she had Max by her side.
“I’m proud of you,” her father said. “I’m very, very proud of you, Deena Lakefield.”
He pulled her into a big hug then and Deena let her arms wrap around him, tears filling her eyes. “It’s Deena Donovan now, Daddy. But I’m very proud of you, too.”
Paul laughed. Noreen laughed. Soon all of them were laughing, drinking and dancing, celebrating this newest union of love.
“Who’s that over there with Monica?” Deena asked Max when they’d finished their first dance.
“Oh, that’s Alex Bennett. He’s Sam’s brother-in-law. I didn’t think he’d be able to make it on such short notice. We should go over and speak since he sent you that great doctor when you were in the hospital.”
Deena was watching the couple closely. There was something there, a vibe she was getting. “Ah, no. Let’s wait a few minutes,” she said finally. She wanted to see exactly where this conversation was going with her big sister and the very handsome Mr. Bennett.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Alex said, coming to stand right in front of her.
He blocked her exit. That was the first thing Monica thought when he approached. The second was, he was so sexy it had to be sinful. But pretty packages often turned ugly when unwrapped.
“Really? And you are?” The question was redundant because they both realized she knew exactly who he was.
He smiled.
And wow, did her heart just skip a beat?
“I’m glad your sister made a full recovery,” he said easily. “You make a very attractive maid of honor.” He lifted a hand, touched a long tendril of hair that rested on her shoulder.
She shivered. Then straightened her back and pulled away from his touch. “I wasn’t in the wedding.”
“I’m sure you would have been had they not taken the surprise route. So let’s just say I’m offering the compliment anyway.”
“I don’t need your compliments.”
Alex nodded his head, took the glass of champagne she’d been holding in her hand and finished its contents. “That’s right, you don’t. Doesn’t mean I can’t give it anyway.”
“What do you want from me?” she asked in an exasperated tone.
He stared at her for a long uncomfortable second. “The question should be what you want from yourself. Seems to me you’re working really hard to prove a point. I can only assume it’s to yourself.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“Oh, right. It wasn’t. So in answer to your question, nothing. I don’t want anything from you, Ms. Monica Lakefield.”
“Fine. Excuse me.” She tried to push past him, but he caught her arm, pulling her back so that her body was flush against his.
“A piece of advice. Whatever he did, you need to let it go and move on. You’re giving him too much credit with this cold, guarded attitude you have.”
“You don’t know a thing about me,” she said through clenched teeth. Her heart was racing now. She wanted—no, needed—to get away from him. Whatever this feeling was whenever she was near him was disturbing and she didn’t like it one bit.
“I know you’re too beautiful and intelligent a woman to let him beat you.”
“Nobody beats me,” she said vehemently. “Nobody.”
This time she pulled her arm free, wrenching it so hard she knew she’d feel the pain in her shoulder in the morning. But that didn’t matter. The only thing she was concerned with was getting the hell away from Alex Bennett once and for all.
At exactly nine o’clock the fireworks began, first spelling out Max and Deena’s names then bursting in a spectacular rainbow display.
Max wrapped Deena in his arms and held her tight. “It was a perfect day, Mrs. Donovan.”
She snuggled against him. “It was fate, Mr. Donovan.”