Wonderful You (33 page)

Corri flew across the yard and Zoey caught her. As always, the child brought an enormous grin to Zoey’s face.

“Is everyone here already?” Zoey asked.

“Georgia and you and me. And Darla will be here soon, she’s taking so
me food things out to the light
house.” Corri stopped and looked at the car Zoey had driven. “Why do you have Ben’s car?”

“Because Ben and I drove here together today. I dropped him off at Nick’s so he coul
d keep Nick com
pany.”

“When I get big enough to drive,” Corri said thoughtfully, “do you think Ben would let me drive that little car? With the top down? If I promised to be very, very careful?”

“Well, if he still has it in ten years or so, maybe he’d let you take it for a spin. As long as you don’t pock his paint job.”

“I wouldn’t
…
what you said.”

“Then you could probably work something out.” Zoey winked at her and unlocked the trunk. Corri leaned it to help take out Zoey’s overnight bag.

“Mrs. Colson came down this morning in Delia’s limousine,” Corri chatt
ed away. “Randall, Delia’s driv
er, brought her down. She brought your dress and Georgia’s and Delia’s. Mine and Darla’s were here. Mine is just like yours. Only Darla’s is different, ’cause she gets to be the honor.”

“The maid of honor. Or matron, whichever,” Zoey corrected herself, wondering how Darla was holding up.

Darla Kerns had been India Devlin’s best friend since their grade school days, but Zoey knew that Darla was much more than just an old friend of India’s. Darla and India’s brother, Ry, had been deeply in love. Had the fates been kinder, Darla would have been India’s sister-in-law by now. As it was, they were as close as sisters, and even Ry’s death had not shaken their relationship.

“And Zoey! Guess what!” Corri asked wide-eyed.

“What?”

“I have a cousin,” she announced solemnly.

“A cousin?”

Corri nodded vigorously. “Her name is Ally and she’s almost four.” Corri added, “And she calls Delia Nana.”

“Oh, does she?” Zoey nodded. So Laura had decided to come, after all. She wondered how that was going. Well, soon enough she’d see for herself. To Corri, she explained, “That’s because she is the daughter of one of Delia’s daughters. That makes Delia Ally’s grandmother.”

They walked in silence to the back porch and up the steps.

“You know, Delia is going to be your grandmother too,” Zoey told her.

“She is?”

“Sure. You’re going to be Nicky’s daughter, right?”

Corri nodded.

“And Nick is Delia’s son, right?”

“Right.” Corri was beginning to catch on.

“So, that would make you
…
”

“Delia’s granddaughter.” Corri grinned and opened the back door, pushed past Zoey, and ran into the house yelling, “Hey, Ally, guess what
…
”

“Corri
Devlin, for heaven’s sake…
” August Devlin bustled into the kitchen shaking her head. When she saw Zoey, she opened her arms to embrace her and said, “Oh, Zoey, good, you’re just in time for brunch. Here, give me that bag, and go into the dining room and join your mother and sisters.”

Your mother and sisters.

“Mother”—Zoey leaned over and kissed the side of her mother’s face, then went down the line to Georgia, India, and Laura, kissing and hugging each with the same affection. Laura’s grateful eyes followed Zoey as she seated herself at the opposite side of the table. “Sisters.” Zoey raised her water glass casually in a toast, then added, “and soon-to-be sister.” She tilted the glass in India’s direction. “What have I missed this morning? Georgia, have you filled India in on all of Nicky’s bad habits? India, are you getting cold feet?”

“Me? Nah.” India laughed. “But if I don’t stop eating, I’ll have a devil of a time getting into that dress.”

“What’s your dress like? How are you wearing your hair?” Zoey asked, and the room immediately filled with lively chatter. From time to time, Zoey or Georgia would direct a comment to Laura, to include her in the conversation.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice how you skillfully kept Laura in the loop.” Delia cornered Zoey and Georgia in the kitchen, where they were washing up the brunch dishes to spare August a little time. She kissed the sides of their faces. “You do me proud, every time. Never more than you have today. I love you both so
terribly.
”

“Aw, Mom, you love us just fine.” Zoey squeezed Delia’s hand. “And we adore you, too.”

“Well, then,” Delia said, patting at her eyes with a tissue, “I suggest we get ourselves ready to make that
little journey across the bay. The wedding’s in just about two hours and we all need to get dressed in our wedding finery.”

“How are we getting over to the lighthouse?” Zoey asked.

“Captain Pete is loaning us several boats for the occasion,” Delia told her.

“Captain Pete?” Zoey grinned. “You mean Captain Pete who has the charter boats? Captain Pete, who we think has the hots for August?”

“So delicately put, Zoey.” Delia rolled her eyes.

Zoey laughed. “But he does.”

“Ummm.” Delia nodded. “So it would appear. Rumor has it that they were an item in their younger days.”

“Really?” Georgia dried wet hands on a dish towel. “August and the salty old sea captain, eh?”

“I heard that, Georgia Enright,” August called from the dining room.

“She heard it, but she didn’t deny it,” Georgia whispered as they sneaked up the back steps to the second floor to help India get her things together for the short boat ride to the lighthouse.

India, however, was ready.

“Just give me a hand carrying these things downstairs,” she told them. “Our dresses are already out at Devlin’s Light. The flowers are there. Darla and Mrs. Colson should be there as well. I think we only need to get ourselves there.”

“What’s in here?” Georgia grabbed a small suitcase.

“Stuff for the honeymoon.” India took a garment bag from the back of her bedroom door.

“Where are you going?”

“Not telling.” India shook her head.

“Well, where are you spending the night?” Zoey asked.

“Not telling.” India grinned.

“What if something happened and we needed to get in touch with you in a hurry?” Zoey persisted.

“Darla knows where we’ll be.” India laughed. “Come on, you two. Oh, where’s Corri?”

“Laura went out to look for her and Ally,” Delia said when they reached the bottom of the steps.

“I hope they’re still clean when she finds them,” India muttered. “Okay, this stuff all goes out to the limo. Does everyone have their things?”

Laura had managed to round up the three little girls— Corri, Ally, and Darla’s daughter, Ollie—short for Olivia—before they had gotten too dirty. The six women and three children piled into the limo. Randall, Delia’s longtime driver, headed directly to Captain Pete’s dock four blocks away.

True to his word, Pete had the boats ready for the ladies, and though slowed by an eternally bad leg, he gallantly helped each of them into the cabin cruiser he’d reserved from his fishing fleet for the purpose. Scrubbed down, the deck sporting white ribbons, the boat was to be manned by Pete’s oldest son, Tucker, to the point where Devlin’s Light rose from the beach to keep watch over the comings and goings on the bay. Pete himself, being Nick’s choice for best man, would drive over later, with Nick, Ben, and Randall who for now would stay behind on the dock to await the arrival of the guests.

The bay was as clear and calm as glass, the sunlight glistening off the water like diamonds and the breeze as gentle as a sigh. Georgia, the only Enright without sea legs, sat with her head between her knees, tended to by her mother, India, and August. The three little girls huddled in the cabin with Tucker, who let each of the little girls take a turn steering the boat.

Laura stood against the railing at the back of the boat and stared out at the sea.

“Isn’t it a perfect day?” Zoey touched Laura on the back and leaned against the rail next to her.

Laura nodded. “Perfect,” she whispered.

“Laura, are you all right?” Zoey asked, concerned.

She nodded.

“Is it the boat? Are you feeling seasick?”

“Me?” Laura laughed. “I grew up on a boat just a little smaller than this one. No, I don’t get seasick.”

“Well, then
…
?” Zoey waited for an explanation.

“It’s just a lot to handle all at once, that’s all.” Laura told her. “I do want to thank you, though, for everything you’ve done to make me feel
…
well, to make things less awkward for me. I know that you’re doing it for Delia’s sake, but I appreciate your kindness.”

“Initially, yes, my first concern was for my mother. I—we, Georgia and I—would be nice to you even if you were awful.” Zoey poked Laura playfully, adding, “Which I’m so happy to say, you aren’t. I’m glad that you decided to come today. It means so much to Mother to have you here. I know it’s not easy for you, but I’m so happy that you did this for her.”

“I don’t want anyone to hurt her,” Laura whispered. “None of us do. Anyone who tries will have to get through all of us to get to her. Nicky, India, Ben, not to mention her daughters.”

“Count me in,” Laura told her.

“I was.” Zoey swung an arm around Laura’s shoulder. “Let’s go see if we can make Georgia laugh.”

“The last thing you want when you’re seasick—except of course for a big bowl of chili—is someone in your face trying to make you laugh.” Laura put her hand on Zoey’s arm to stop her.

“Really?” Zoey tapped her foot on the deck. “Well, then, let me tell you about the time I went on a bird count out here at Devlin’s Light with Nick and India. And Corri, who can identify more birds than I even knew existed. It was on Christma
s Day…
”

The boat rolled up to the newly constructed dock on the far side of the lighthouse and the passengers piled out, assisted by Tucker Moreland, who with great affection helped both India and August from the boat before lending a steady hand to an obviously weakened Georgia. Zoey jumped over the side by herself, as did the three little girls. Last to leave the boat was Laura, who blushed deeply when Tucker took her hand and despite her protests, helped her off the boat.

“Tucker, the guests will probably be arriving at the dock in about an hour or so.”

“I know, Miss Devlin”—Tucker grinned—“no one comes over till you say they come over. Got your cell phone?”

August laughed and held it up.

“Aye, aye, then. We’re at your service, Miss Devlin.” He bowed gallantly, trying not to appear obvious that he was in fact looking beyond her to where Laura stood gazing out across the bay.

“Off with you, you young pirate.” August shooed him back toward the boat, debating whether or not she should ignore the fact that he had barely taken his eyes off the oldest of Delia’s girls since they had arrived at the docks. She could not.

Having once, many moons ago, taught him Latin, she leaned over to Tucker and lowering her voice, said, “Fortes fortuna juvat.”

He laughed, then translated, “Fortune favors the brave.”

“A more contemporary reading might be ‘go for it.’ ” August smiled.

“Now, Miss D
…
” It was Tucker’s turn to redden, and he did, clear down below the neck of his cotton T-shirt.

August laughed again, then lowered her voice and touched his arm. “You won’t forget, now, Tuck. No one gets on that boat without an invitation.”

“Don’t worry, Miss D.” Tucker gave her arm an affectionate squeeze. “No one will.”

T
he wedding party oohed and ah’ed over the transformation of the downstairs rooms of the lighthouse from the once rustic home of India’s ancestors to a perfectly beautiful spot for a wedding reception. Long buffet tables wearing white linen cloths and swagged with palest pink tulle draped with long arms of ivy ran along the two inside walls of the largest of the two downstairs rooms. Large white pottery crocks brimming with white
peonies, roses, stock, and lilies served as centerpieces and perfumed the air with the scents of early summer. Round tables with chairs for eight, with smaller but similar centerpieces, were scattered throughout the downstairs rooms and out onto a deck that overlooked the bay. The windows, draped with filmy white gauze held back with bunches of fresh flowers tied with pink and white ribbons, were opened to allow the gentle sea breezes in. Outside, several newly constructed decks and patios had room for dining and dancing.

In the two corresponding rooms upstairs, freestanding mirrors and several small loveseats had been arranged for the bride and her attendants. The newly installed bathroom held a series of double sinks, allowing everyone room to apply their makeup and fuss with their hair without elbowing each other in the face.

“This is some lighthouse,” Georgia said as she admired the newly finished rooms.