Chapter 360
I imagined myself standing next to Victor on the beach at sunset, saying my vows in front of a priestess, and a smile bloomed on my face.
“That’s such a romantic idea,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
Getting married on the beach wasn’t my dream wedding, but I would be marrying my fated mate at one of our favorite places.
“We’ll start making plans tomorrow,” Victor said. “I’ll call the local courthouse to find out how we get a marriage license.”
“I can wear one of my sundresses,” I mumbled. “There’s no time to have something made.”
“You don’t want a nice gown getting full of sand anyhow,” Victor said. “That white dress with the tiny flowers you had on is pretty.”
“Yeah, it is,” I agreed. But something didn’t feel right. “Let’s get some sleep and plan everything tomorrow after we take a walk on the jetty.”
Snuggling in Victor’s arms, I imagined myself as Mrs. Victor Klein until sleep carried me away.
I woke up first and headed to the kitchen to get the coffee started. I checked the refrigerator for something to make for breakfast and was pleased to find butter for toast.
After making two slices, I took them with a mug of freshly brewed coffee onto the deck.
A breeze was blowing in off the water, and the salt air was fresh and clean. The sound of the high tide rushing onto the sand was relaxing as I sipped my coffee.
I was picking up a piece of toast when Victor joined me on the deck.
He waved a mug of coffee at me. “Good morning, sweetheart.” He took a sip before sitting in the deck chair beside me.
“Good morning.” I offered him the other slice of toast. “Do you think it’s safe to let people know we are here?”
“We should still be discreet,” Victor said. “But I think we can get our marriage license and have supplies delivered for a private celebration after the wedding ceremony.”
“We’ll need witnesses,” I said. “What about Amy and Justin or William and Penny?”
Victor looked skeptical. “They didn’t want to come to our wedding, remember?”
“Yeah, but we still need witnesses,” I insisted. Maybe they will come here if nobody else knows where we are.”
“Why don’t we ask the Halls instead?” Victor asked. They were nice to us when we needed help. Not many people who find strangers in their home would welcome them to stay with them during a hurricane.”
“Yeah, I guess that would be okay?” I said, trying to hide my disappointment. I always thought Amy would be at my wedding and I would be at hers.
I stood after finishing my toast and coffee. “I’m going upstairs to get dressed, and then we can go for a walk on the jetty again.”
Maybe a walk would cheer me up. I felt selfish for being unhappy about a beach wedding. It was a romantic idea, and I shouldn’t complain. I was lucky to have Victor and this lovely beach to be married on.
As Amy had suggested, we could have a big celebration when things were better and have all our friends there.
I dressed in a green bikini and shorts, grabbed a sun hat, and went downstairs.
Victor was waiting on the beach a few steps from the deck. “We could have the ceremony right here in front of the house. I asked Findlay to track down a trellis decorated with flowers, and he’s inquiring about how to get a marriage license fast.”
“That’s great,” I said and slipped my hand into Victor’s.
We began to walk down the beach toward the jetty. There were a few small boats tied there, and a few men were fishing nearby.
I should be enjoying myself more than I was. Yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about my girlhood dreams of a formal wedding.
Victor sensed my mood. He was watching me closely as we strolled across the warm sand.
“Is there somewhere else you would rather get married, my love?” he asked. “You don’t seem very happy about getting married on the beach.”
I shrugged and looked out over the water. “Where I get married doesn’t matter to me as much as who I am marrying. I’ll be happy when I’m your wife.”
I stopped walking and turned to face him. “Nothing else really matters. Once we are married, nobody can pull us apart.”
We kissed before strolling down the beach again. It was a beautiful day, and I wasn’t going to ruin it.
I laughed at a bird that swooped low enough that its feet brushed Victor’s hair. “It better not have pooped on me,” Victor growled, making me roar with laughter.
Then I found a perfect seashell that I wanted to take back to the house with us. But I quickly put it back on the sand when I discovered it was a hermit crab’s home.
I was having a wonderful day with the man who would soon be my husband. But unwanted thoughts wormed their way into my mind.
I’d never walk down the aisle in a white gown, my veil trailing behind me. My friends and family wouldn’t be there. The three-tier wedding cake with purple daisies I’ve always wanted would never be baked, and …
Guilty feelings crept into my heart, and I froze a few feet from the jetty.
My family …. Oh no! In my rush to get married, I had completely forgotten about my father. I was Alex’s only child. Besides not being invited, he would be hurt and disappointed not to even be told I was getting married.
He searched for me for seventeen years. How could I have forgotten about Alex, the most wonderful father in the world?
“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” Victor asked.
“We can’t elope right now.” I turned and began walking up the beach toward the house. “I’m sorry.”
“My love, please, tell me what’s wrong?” Victor pleaded. “Why can’t we elope?”
“I am such an ungrateful child,” I complained as I waved my arms in frustration. “I completely forgot about my own father.”
“Daisy, talk to me,” Victor begged. He stepped in front of me, blocking my path up the beach.
“I can’t get married until Alex and Cassidy return from their cruise,” I explained and waved my arms again. “I’m ashamed we almost married in Denhurst without them, and now I’m planning to elope without even telling him.”
“If he knew what was going on, he would understand,” Victor argued. “He did approve of our engagement. Why would he not want us to get married?”
“When he approved of our engagement, he planned on being at our wedding,” I said. “And I’d bet he thought he’d walk me down the aisle and give me away. And what about the bride’s dance with her father? He was probably looking forward to that as much as I was.”
Victor took in my words, and disappointment spread across his face. “If that’s what you want, we’ll wait. But I’m afraid something could happen that will split us apart before Alex returns.”
“We won’t let it split us apart,” I insisted. “But I can’t marry without my father there. It’s not right. He deserves to be at his only child’s wedding.”
I walked around Victor and returned to the deck. He followed me, and we sat quietly, watching the waves roll in.
“I’m getting a drink,” I said. “Do you want something from the kitchen?”
Victor looked up and shook his head.
My conscience began to nag at me when I saw the hurt in his turquoise eyes. I chose my father over him. Maybe Alex would understand if I went ahead with the wedding on the beach.
“Victor, maybe we should ….”
Victor stood and interrupted me. “I need to check my voicemail and call Findlay to tell him we won’t need a marriage license.”
He dashed inside the house and left me biting my lip to keep from crying. I stood and went to the deck railing.
The rhythmic sound of the waves helped soothe me as I tried to find the words to say to Victor that would make us both feel better.
A moment later, I heard Victor’s phone ring and his voice speaking to someone before he hurried back to me. His expression was serious when he stepped through the patio doors and onto the deck.
“Darling, please talk to me,” I said.
Victor shook his head and handed me his phone. “Someone else needs to talk to you first.”
“Who is it?” Nobody ever called Victor’s cell and wanted to speak to me. I hesitantly took the phone and put it to my ear. “Hello.”
“Daisy, you and Victor must return to Denhurst immediately?” Alex demanded. “We need to fix this mess the two of you made while I was gone.”
