Hattie looked around with wonder. They were too far north in latitude for the island to have a tropical flavor, but it was enchanting in other ways. Ancient trees graced the windswept contours of the land, and birds of every color and size nested in limbs overhead and left dainty footprints in the wet sand.
Luc appeared at her side. "What do you think?"
She smiled up at him. "It's amazing … so peaceful. I love it, Luc. It's perfect."
"We're trying to get the state to designate it as a wildlife refuge. Leo and I have no plans to develop this place. But one day, when we're gone, we want it to be protected." He took her arm. "Let's go. There's more to see."
Hattie's skin tingled where he touched her. Their hands were linked … perhaps he didn't notice. But the intimacy, intentional or not, was poignant to Hattie.
Dune buggies took the group up and over a crest to the far side of the island where a weathered but genteel guesthouse stood, built to blend into the landscape.
Luc helped her out of the fiberglass vehicle. "There's plenty of room inside for everyone to change. Will thirty minutes give you long enough? There's no real rush." He paused, and stared down at her, his expression pensive. "This is your day, Hattie. I know the circumstances aren't ideal, but you're doing a wonderful thing for Deedee."
For one brief moment, wistfulness crushed her chest as she wondered what it would have been like to marry Luc when she was twenty-one. Determinedly, she thrust aside regret. This was not the same situation at all. She lifted a hand and cupped his cheek. "Thank you, Luc. I don't know what I would have done if you had turned me away."
The space around them was ionized suddenly, the hot, sticky air heavy with unspoken emotions. She went up on her tiptoes and found his mouth with hers. Someone groaned. Maybe both of them. He tasted like all her memories combined, hot and sweet and dangerous.
But they were not alone.
Luc took a step backward, and her hand fell away. Something akin to pain flashed across his face. "We both want what's best for the baby," he said, his voice gruff. "That's the important thing."
Sherman and Patti tended to Deedee while Ana helped Hattie get dressed. Hattie disappeared into a well-appointed bathroom to freshen up and slip into an ivory bustier and matching silk panties. Ana stepped in briefly to help with buttons and then tactfully left Hattie alone.
The day was warm and humid, and Hattie was glad she had decided to wear her hair up. She tweaked the lace trim at her breasts, adjusted the deliberately casual knot of hair at the back of her head and looked into the mirror. Too bad Luc wouldn't get a chance to see her in the delicate garments. They made her feel feminine and desirable, and she had charged them to one of the new credit cards without a qualm.
Ana waited in the bedroom, the wedding dress draped over her arms. In a small exclusive boutique in Buckhead, Hattie had found exactly what she wanted. The off-white dress was made of watered silk fabric and chiffon. The halter neckline flattered her bust and the fitted drop waist fluffed out into several filmy layers that ended in handkerchief points. The ecru kid slippers she'd bought to match were trimmed in satin ribbons that laced at her ankles.
Both women blinked away tears when Ana zipped up the dress and turned Hattie to face the mirror. It was fairy-tale perfect for a beach wedding-definitely bridal, but spritely and whimsical. Truth be told, it was not really a "Hattie" sort of dress. But it was her wedding day, damn it, and she wanted to be beautiful for Luc.
Ana picked up the narrow tiara and pinned it carefully to the top of Hattie's head. It was the appropriate finishing touch.
The older woman fluffed the skirt and stepped back. "You look like an angel." Her expression sobered. "I'm so sorry your mother and sister aren't here with you."
Hattie hiccupped a sob. "Me, too."
Ana looked alarmed. "No crying, for heaven's sake. My fault. Shouldn't have said anything. Let's touch up your makeup and get outside. I'll bet good money you have an eager groom waiting for you."
Ana left to take her place, and for a moment, Hattie was alone with her thoughts. She couldn't say in all honesty that she had no doubts. But perhaps a lot of brides felt this way. Scared and hopeful.
There was a brief knock at the door. When Hattie opened it, Leo's large frame took up the entrance. He looked her over, head to toe. A tiny smile lifted a corner of his mouth. "You'll do, Parker." He handed her a beautiful bouquet of lilies and eucalyptus. "These are from my brother. He's impatient."
He held out his arm, and she put her hand on it, her palm damp. "I care about him, Leo … a lot."
"I know you do … which is the only reason I'm here. But God help me, Hattie … if you hurt him again, I'll make you pay."
Not exactly auspicious words to start a new life.
Leo escorted her to the corner of the house, just out of sight of the water's edge where the ceremony would take place. He bent and kissed her cheek, then stepped back. Perhaps he saw the sheer panic in her eyes, because he smiled again, a real smile this time. "Break a leg, princess." And then he was gone.
Hattie's cue was to be the opening notes of "Pachelbel's Canon." A sturdy boardwalk led from the porch of the house out over a small dune to the temporary platform and the wooden latticed archway where she and Luc would stand.
The music started. She clenched her fists and then deliberately relaxed them. One huge breath. Several small prayers. One foot in front of the other.
Afterward, she could not remember the exact details of her solitary journey to the altar. In keeping with the unorthodox nature of the marriage and the ceremony, she had decided to walk to Luc on her own. This was her decision, her gamble.
When she first caught sight of the groom, her breath lodged in her throat and she stumbled slightly. Though there were three other people framed against the vibrant blue-green of the ocean, she only had eyes for Luc. He was wearing a black tux … a formal morning coat and tails over a crisp white shirt and a gray vest.
His gaze locked on hers and stayed there as she traversed the final fifty feet. As she stepped beneath the arch and took her place by his side, she saw something hot and predatory flash in his dark eyes before he turned to face the justice of the peace.
Without looking at Hattie again, Luc reached out and took her right hand, squeezing it tightly. The officiant smiled at both of them. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Luc Cavallo and Hattie Parker. Marriage is a … "
Hattie tried to listen … she really did. But her thoughts scattered in a million directions. Too many stimuli. The feel of Luc's hard, warm fingers twined with hers. The familiar tang of his aftershave, mingling with the scent of her bouquet. The muted roar of the nearby surf as waves tumbled onto shore.
If she had the power, she would freeze this moment. To take out later in the quiet of her bedroom and savor everything she missed the first time around.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the giant live oaks that cast shade and respite on this hot, windy day. Sherman and Patti stood guard over the stroller, which was draped in mosquito netting. Apparently, Deedee had decided to cooperate and sleep through it all.
Closer to hand, Ana smiled, her cheeks damp. She was wearing a moss-green designer suit that flattered her stocky frame and shaved ten years off her age. Hattie had no doubt that Luc had financed the expensive wedding finery.
For a split second Hattie caught Leo's eye. The resemblance between the two brothers was striking, but where Luc was classically handsome, quieter and more reserved, Leo was larger than life. He winked at her deliberately, and she blushed, turning her attention back to the words that would make her Luc's wife.
"May I have the rings?"
Ana commandeered the bouquet, Hattie and Leo complied, and moments later, Hattie slid a plain gold band onto Luc's left hand. He returned the favor, placing a narrow circlet of platinum beside the beautiful engagement ring to which Hattie had yet to grow accustomed.