Below the cliffs, Lacey could spy the shimmering beach, the white thumbprint of a tent set on the pink sand. Thank God, she whispered to herself. She was wedged against the car door and, at the moment, solely focused on keeping the contents of her stomach—a bagel and coffee—firmly in place. Tossing her cookies all over her periwinkle dress would be a decidedly uncool way to start the wedding. But Bermuda’s winding roads, like a corkscrew, were pushing her luck. Also, her foot ached. Oh, and the fact that she might be growing a baby inside of her wasn’t helping either.
If nothing else, Lacey knew she should be grateful for the distraction of the vows ceremony this afternoon. She was happy for her godparents—twenty years of putting up with someone else’s crap and managing to stay in love was pretty remarkable. She wondered if she and Tyler would make it to twenty years, assuming they got married. When she’d texted him on the island yesterday, it had been only to say, Having a great time but I miss you sooo much! It was too complicated to delve into anything deeper in a text. Besides, she wasn’t totally sure yet that she had any news to report.
Today’s ceremony also meant that her mother couldn’t scream at her for at least a few more hours. This morning, Lee had handed her a glass of water and the painkillers that the ship’s doctor had prescribed. “Here, take these. They should help your foot.”
Lacey had replayed last night in her mind a million times, but she still didn’t know what her mom was thinking. After she’d confided that she might be pregnant, Lee’s eyes had widened, and Lacey had thought she might slap her. But then she’d pulled Lacey into a hug. “Oh, Lacey, my dear, sweet girl,” she’d said. A few minutes later, Lee had asked, “Are you sure?” and Lacey had shaken her head. “No. I’m late, though. Seven days—a whole week—and I’ve never been this late before.”
One thing Lacey was sure of was this: she was grateful for what her mom hadn’t said, like pointing out how Lacey had let her down or asking if Tyler was the guy or posing weird, unanswerable questions such as How could you? The only thought even more worrisome to Lacey than being pregnant was the idea of disappointing her mom. Lacey knew she wasn’t always nice to Lee, but she also recognized that her mother had pretty much devoted her life to making sure Lacey turned out all right. It was a huge sacrifice—Lacey got that. In fact, she worried she couldn’t possibly be as devoted a mom as Lee was.
Instead of saying what was surely darting through her mind at the time, though, Lee had sat with Lacey and watched as her foot ballooned. “Well, okay,” her mom had said finally. “First things first. That ankle is just getting bigger, even with the ice, so let’s have the ship’s doctor take a look.” And that was that.
Later, after the doctor wrapped her ankle and fitted her with the appropriate size walking boot, her mom had asked to speak to him privately in the hallway. Lacey suspected she was alerting him to the possibility that her daughter might be pregnant so he could take it into account if he were prescribing painkillers. Whatever he’d given her, the medicine had knocked Lacey out shortly after they retired to their cabin.
“We’ll talk in the morning,” Lee had said when she tucked Lacey in last night, like the little girl she had once been. “I don’t want you to worry.” But then they’d woken up late, and it had been a rush to make it into the shower and to the cab. There had been no time for a heart-to-heart.
“We’ll figure everything out after the ceremony,” her mom had whispered as they left the ship this morning. Lacey was surprised. She’d been expecting Lee to strangle her when she told her the news last night. At least for the moment, she supposed, they could both pretend it wasn’t real. Once Lacey took the pregnancy test that the doctor had given her mom last night, though, that all very well could change. Both she and Lee had agreed: Lacey would take the test after Abby’s ceremony.
When they pulled up to the beach, Lee climbed out first and came around to her side to help. “Here, wrap your arm around me,” she coached, and Lacey hoisted herself out of the car, shifting her weight onto her mom’s frame. Slowly, they followed Abby and Caroline down to the beach. A short, stocky man, a white collar circling his neck, was waiting for them under the tent. Already, the sun felt blistering hot on Lacey’s bare shoulders.
The minister stepped out of the shade to greet them. “Well, hello! Abby, you’re absolutely glowing. And your friends are as well! But goodness, what happened to you?” He pointed to Lacey’s black boot.
Lacey smiled.
“Our girl had a small injury yesterday. Twisted her ankle,” Abby explained. “But she’s a trooper. She insisted on still coming.”
“I’d say so,” said the chaplain. “Well, good effort by you!”
“Is it okay if we sit till the others get here?” Abby asked.
“Oh, of course! Sorry. Here let me grab you a chair.” He carried a folding chair over to Lacey and helped her get settled comfortably before checking his watch. “Shouldn’t be much longer till your other half arrives. It’s quarter to the hour.”
“Is it crazy that I just got goose bumps?” Abby shivered in the heat.
The chaplain chuckled. “Not at all. I’ve had people tell me that a renewal of vows can be even more nerve-racking than the wedding itself.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Abby pulled out a creased sheet of paper from her purse and handed it to Caroline. “I was hoping you could read this poem for the ceremony? Sorry not to get it to you sooner. I gave Lee’s to her last night, but when I stopped by your room, no one was home.”
Caroline smiled weakly and took it from her. She’d been in her cabin when Abby knocked last night but hadn’t had the courage to answer. “Of course. What a nice idea.”
Just then, the sound of a car horn cut through the air. When Caroline turned, she saw all the men—Sam, Chris, Ryan, and Javier—heading toward them. “Woo-hoo!” Sam called out, jogging down the beach. “Where’s my beautiful bride?”
A few sunbathers turned to look, wondering what all the commotion was about. When Sam reached Abby, he pulled her in for a kiss.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to kiss the bride until after the vows!” She swatted at him.
“Aww, c’mon. I couldn’t help myself.” He took a step back. “You look stunning.”
Abby beamed. “You’re not so bad yourself.” It was true, Caroline thought. Sam looked gallant in his khaki pants, white linen shirt, and pink paisley tie. Javier and the boys were similarly dressed, but with blue ties.
“And you ladies are visions as well,” Sam said, as if remembering his manners. “Geez, Lacey, a boot and everything, huh? I heard about your tumble last night. Are you feeling okay?”
Lacey waved her hand in the air. She so did not want to be the center of attention right now. “I’m fine. Really. Just a stupid trip.” She could feel herself blushing. “Everyone looks great. Like a J. Crew ad.”
“You’re right, Lacey,” said Caroline with a laugh. “They’re dashing, aren’t they?” She rested her hand on Sam’s arm, not Javier’s. Caroline was surprised, frankly, that Javier had even dared to show up. After their talk yesterday, she was pretty certain that their relationship was on hiatus. But she was not about to spoil the day for Sam and Abby. If Javier was so afraid of marriage, then let him be afraid by himself. She thought back to his response in their cabin yesterday when she’d told him she wanted what Abby and Sam had: “But why do we need to get married if we’re perfectly happy as we are?” he’d asked.
“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” Caroline had pressed. She wasn’t happy as they were and she’d told him as much. “I want to be married to you, Javier. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you don’t feel the same way, then you should tell me.” To which he’d replied, “But I do feel the same way. You know this. I just don’t need a ring or a piece of paper to confirm it.”
Caroline’s eyes had welled with tears. “No, Javier, I don’t know it. In fact, since the whole idea of getting married seems to terrify you so much, I can only conclude that you don’t want to be married. At least not to me.” It dawned on her that there had been no proposal on the cruise because there was no ring. The realization had hit her like a sock to the stomach.
Caroline felt a twist of humiliation, remembering how, a few weeks before the cruise, she’d pointed out a ring that she thought was exquisite. It was a pleasant summer evening and she’d suggested the two of them walk home from dinner rather than hail a cab. Caroline had known full well that their stroll would take them past the Tiffany’s window, where she’d spied the ring earlier that day. When Javier acted uninterested, she’d assumed he was being coy. Now she understood the awful truth—he was indifferent.
They were at an impasse. Caroline couldn’t see her way around it. After their argument, Javier had left the cabin, and Caroline wasn’t sure where he had gone, or where he had slept last night. She didn’t care. Her eyes began to fill again, but she swiped at them with a tissue she’d brought for Abby. No, she was not going to think about it for the next few hours. Absolutely not. She’d promised herself. For Abby and Sam’s sake. How hard could it be to fake happiness for a few hours?
“Well, shall we?” the minister asked, startling them all, as if they’d forgotten he was there.
“Absolutely,” Sam said. “I couldn’t be more certain than I was twenty years ago that I want to marry this woman today.”
A wide smile played across Abby’s face as she clasped Sam’s hand and joined the minister up front, the others settling into their chairs. Caroline watched while the minister patted his broad, pink forehead with a handkerchief, then cleared his throat.
“Friends and family,” he began. “We are gathered here today . . .” Caroline only half listened despite her best attempts to focus. It was uncomfortably hot, and Javier had sat down right next to her. She didn’t know what he was thinking. When Abby peered over at her, she beamed back the widest smile she could muster. Luckily, the minister’s homily was short, and then Lee rose to read a poem entitled “How Falling in Love Is Like Owning a Dog,” by Taylor Mali. It was funny, sweet, and perfectly suited to the occasion.
When it was Caroline’s turn, she did her best to recite the stanzas of her poem with genuine feeling, but a few words, like love and commitment, caught in her throat. She sat back down without so much as casting a glance Javier’s way.
“Sam, I believe you have some words you wanted to share with Abby?” the minister asked.
“Yes.” Sam turned to Abby and took her hand. “Abigail Bingham, you are the girl I still want to wake up with every morning, the woman who surprises me each day with her good heart, and the bride who makes me laugh. There is no one else in this crazy world whom I’d rather hold at the end of the day than you. I love you. And with this ring, I hereby reaffirm my love for and commitment to you.” He slid a sparkling band of tiny diamonds on her ring finger.
Then it was Abby’s turn. “Samuel Bingham, you’ve had my heart ever since the day you took me out for Chinese food on our first date. I love you. I love the family we’ve built together.” Her voice cracked. “May this ring be a further testament of my abiding love.” She slid the ring on over his knuckle.
There was a beat of silence before the minister declared, “I now pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss the bride.”
Sam planted a kiss on Abby’s lips, and there was a shower of applause. Caroline, trying to hide her own emotions, jumped up to congratulate them, while Lee and Lacey gathered around to admire the ring. “It’s gorgeous,” Lee exclaimed, holding Abby’s hand up to better let the ring sparkle in the sunlight.
“Okay, y’all!” Abby called out after a few minutes. “Let’s head to the Reefs to celebrate!”
Caroline was secretly relieved; it was much too hot to stay on the beach any longer. Her dress was plastered to her body with sweat, and she couldn’t wait to step into air-conditioned cool and get as far away from Javier as possible, maybe even in an entirely different room. Or hemisphere. Yes, another hemisphere would be good. She turned to join Lee and Lacey. Their plan was to get Lacey into a cab for the short ride to the hotel, but Sam stopped them.
“Sorry, Abby, but just one second before we do that,” he said, holding up a finger. “I think we forgot something.” Oh, good Lord, Caroline almost said aloud. She might faint if they didn’t get into air-conditioning soon.
Abby turned, confused. “What is it?”
“Javier?” Sam asked. “Did you want to say something?”
Caroline’s stomach dipped. Oh, no. Javier was actually going to apologize right here in front of all her friends? She didn’t think she could bear it. It would just deepen her humiliation to make it public. Poor Caroline, they’d say. Javier was about to ruin Sam and Abby’s perfect day. Caroline glanced around, panicked, looking for an imaginary escape hatch that she could disappear into.
“Yeah, thanks, buddy.” Javier’s voice warbled as he turned toward her.
Caroline shook her head, as if to signal to Javier, No, not now. Please don’t spoil this lovely day. You can apologize back in our room. But as she attempted to silently convey all these thoughts to Javier, he approached her—and got down on bended knee. He reached for her hand, and Caroline felt the color drain from her face.
“Caroline Canton,” Javier began. “I have loved you since the first day I met you among those truly awful paintings.” A small laugh escaped from her lips, despite herself. “No other woman I know carries herself with such grace and strength.” Caroline bit her lip. “And, while I know you’ve been angry with me the past twenty-four hours, furious, actually—” He paused and shook his head. “I hope you’ll forgive me. I really wanted to surprise you.”
She heard Abby say, “Oh my goodness.”
“Your friends’ strong marriage is a testament to how wonderful such a union can be, and I hope that one day, we, too, will share our twentieth wedding anniversary together.” Javier paused to clear his throat, then pulled a velvet box from his pocket. When he cracked it open, there was the ring she’d pointed out in the window at Tiffany’s. “I guess what I’m asking is this: Caroline Canton, will you marry me?”
Caroline felt an entire ocean of emotions wash over her, and her knees buckled ever so slightly. She took a breath while she steadied herself.
“Javier Mendez,” she said. “How dare you trick me into being angry with you!” She paused. “I’m so mad at you!” She stopped, breathed, and corrected herself. “Was so mad at you. Don’t ever do that again.” She noticed he was still looking at her, waiting. Her lips slowly parted into a smile. “And yes. Of course, I’ll marry you!”
There was a collective exhale, and Abby squealed, “Hooray!” She pulled Caroline into a hug before Javier could even slide the ring onto her finger.
“Excuse me, but can a guy get a little room to put the ring on?” he asked.
Abby laughed and stepped out of the way. “I’m sorry, Javier. Of course you can. Have at it.” They all watched while he guided it on, a perfect fit. He stood up and threw his arms around Caroline.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I hope you’ll forgive me for tricking you.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Caroline said now. “I was just so sure it was over.”
“Never,” Javier said. “I would never do that to you. I want you by my side always.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
“Gosh, Caroline, you really made us sweat that one out,” Sam said. “For a minute there, I thought you were going to say no.”
“After what he put me through?” Caroline said. “Don’t think I didn’t consider it,” she joked. “So who else was in on Javier’s little plan?”
Abby shook her head. “Not a clue.”
“Me either,” said Lee. Everyone turned to Sam.
Sam shrugged. “Well, I only knew as of last night. Javier and I shared a couple of beers—after Caroline kicked him out of his room—and he spilled the beans. He wanted to make sure I wouldn’t mind if he proposed right after our ceremony.” Sam slapped Javier on the back. “I appreciated that, man.”
Abby was glowing. “Good on you, Javier.”
He grinned. “You know, I’ve had that ring locked away in the ship’s safe ever since we set sail from Boston.”
“You’re kidding,” said Caroline. She couldn’t believe that he’d pulled off the entire proposal without even dropping a hint. Usually Caroline was good at reading other people. Well, she’d missed every single clue when it came to her own heart.
“You know,” the minister piped up. “I hate to point out the obvious, but you do have a chaplain on hand.” Everyone turned to him, considering his words.
“Oh,” Caroline said, seemingly taken aback. “You mean—”
Abby clapped her hands together. “Caroline! You could get married right here. Right now.”
Caroline and Javier exchanged glances, but Caroline shook her head. “Oh, no, we couldn’t. Not right now. That’s way too much excitement for one day. Plus, you know me.” She shrugged. “I need to plan this thing. And, today is your day.”
There was a pause while everyone waited. “Fine,” said Abby finally. “But I almost forgot: we’re not leaving this beach till we have some pictures. I want to freeze this day in my mind for as long as possible.”
“Me, too,” said Caroline and took her friend’s hand as they walked toward the aquamarine water, the heat no longer bothering her at all.