The irish blessing, p.24
The Irish Blessing, page 24
Shane stepped forward and tipped my chin up. “Thank you for believing me. I know what happened had to be horrible to witness. I understand that, and I’m so very sorry. One thing’s for certain. I’ve learned a lesson tonight. Anna is far more calculating and devious than I thought she could be and has few limits to her unscrupulous behavior. I need to be wary of her for both our sakes.”
“We both do.”
Shane leaned down and kissed me, his arms around me as he pulled me to my feet.
Relaxing against his body, I parted my lips as his kiss continued. I couldn’t help it. I needed his comforting touch and for him to hold me.
Shane scooped me in his arms and carried me to our bed. He laid me down and then stepped back, his eyes on me as he undressed. Lying beside me, he propped his head on his arm and gazed down at me, caressing my cheek. “The pain I saw on your face completely tore my insides apart. I never want to see anything like that again.” He kissed me, and then his mouth was at my ear. “I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
I put my arms around his neck and kissed him as he slid on top of me. I spread my legs, welcoming him as we joined together, my body needing his touch, my heart needing his comfort.
Shane left kisses on my face and chest, taking his time as he made love to me. He was sweet and tender, whispering loving words in my ear and telling me how much he needed me.
Spent, we stayed in each other’s arms, neither of us speaking. I didn’t want to disrupt our moment of peace and contentment. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to talk more about what had happened.
CHAPTER 17
THE WEDDING DAY
I gazed lovingly into Shane’s eyes as we stood facing each other. Nervous, excited, happy, I was so many different things.
“Do you have the ring?” The officiant’s voice carried through the air.
Shane took the ring when Dylan handed it to him. “I have the ring.”
“You may recite the vow you’ve written for Liz and place the ring on her finger.”
Shane held my hand in his palm, his Celtic cross tattoo peeking out from under his shirtsleeve. “Liz. Today and all our days to come, I give myself to you. You are the fire in my veins and the passion in my heart, changing my life for the better the day you tripped into me and stepped on my toes. From this day forward, I promise to be your bridge over raging rivers, your light in the darkness, and your pillar of support and encouragement. With this ring, I seal my commitment to you.” Shane slipped the ring on my finger, his face glowing, a tinge of watery redness forming in his eyes.
“Liz. Do you have the ring?” The officiant’s voice was soft and comforting as it drifted to my ears.
I took the ring from Mel and passed her my bouquet, turning back to face Shane. “Yes, I have it.”
“Then please recite the vow you’ve written for Shane and place the ring on his finger.”
I held Shane’s hand in my palm. “Shane. Today, tomorrow, and always, I give myself to you. You are my lover, husband, and friend, and I bind my life to yours. I promise to be the ears that listen to you, the shoulders you can lay your head upon, the arms to hold and support you, and the heart to always love you. With this ring, I pledge my everlasting love and commitment to you.” I slipped the ring on Shane’s finger, a tear threatening to spill as we held each other’s hands.
“Before I declare you married, I need to ask you each a question. Liz, I need to know. Are you happy?”
I turned toward the voice, facing Alex as he stood in front of me. Filled with joy, I smiled into his blue eyes. “Yes, very much so. I love Shane, and he is everything to me.”
Alex’s face softened, taking on a look of relief. He turned to Shane. “Do you promise to take care of Liz for me? To love her, keep her safe from harm, and never abandon her?”
“Yes, I promise.” Shane squeezed my hand, a look of love in his eyes.
“Then I’m honored to declare you married. Shane, you may kiss your bride.”
We kissed, and a profound feeling of contentment enfolded me.
Alex spoke when we parted. “I’d like to offer an Irish blessing.” He smiled, an aura surrounding him.
“May you always walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings.
Right beside your door.”
Alex slowly backed away, a bright light shining behind him.
Suddenly confused, I sensed he was telling me goodbye. “Wait. You can’t go.” Tears streamed down my cheeks. “Please, Alex. Don’t leave me.”
“Liz, I may be gone, but I’ll always be with you. I give you and Shane my blessing. Love him as you loved me.” Alex backed away, disappearing into the light.
I cried as Shane held me underneath the tent; the rose garden stretched out before us. But I wasn’t sad. I was strangely happy.
“Wake up. You’re having a nightmare. Mo ghra, wake up.” Shane gathered me in his arms.
“The dream. I had it again.” I choked back a sob, tears wetting Shane’s chest. “But I saw it all this time.”
“It’s okay, mo ghra. Shh…it’s over. Everything is fine.”
“No, you don’t understand. I saw the whole thing. It was Alex. He’s the officiant in my dream. It was him all along. He needed to know that I was happy and that you’d always love me and take care of me in his place. Alex gave us his blessing, and he told me to love you the way I loved him. He said he’d always be with me even though he’s gone.” I curled up against Shane’s chest. It was like Alex had lifted a burden from me, filling me with an overwhelming sense of relief. At that moment, everything became clear, and I wasn’t scared anymore. My deep-seated fear that the people I loved would always leave me felt gone. Alex was right. Although he, my mother, father, and grandparents had died, they were still with me. I had loving memories of them all.
Shane pushed a strand of hair from my cheek and kissed my forehead. “Alex told you what you needed to hear and gave you closure.”
“He did, and the sense of relief I’m feeling is almost palpable. I can’t describe it any other way.”
“I can’t help but feel the significance of what you saw, heard, and felt went beyond that. As strange as this is going to sound, I think Alex was affected too. Your dream was like a mechanism for him to communicate with you. I believe there are forces in life we cannot explain, and I’d venture to say the bond you shared with Alex was one of them. He must have loved you so completely, you were a piece of both his heart and soul. He needed to know you were happy and taken care of before he could properly move on. Now that you’ve seen the missing pieces of the dream, it sounds like that time has come.”
“In my heart, I know you’re right. Alex gave me his acceptance and approval to close one chapter of my life and open the next.” I kissed Shane’s chest and snuggled into the crook of his neck, his body warm and comforting. “I can’t believe how my life has changed since I met you. A year and a half ago, I was sure I’d never fall in love again. I didn’t think a person could experience that all-consuming emotion twice in a lifetime, but you proved me wrong. And I have to say, all the torment we went through, although horrible, taught me to keep my emotions in check when dealing with my problems. The outcomes are certainly better that way.”
“We’ve both come a long way, mo ghra. Until you came along, I’d never really been in love or completely trusted my partner. Because of past experiences, I’d learned to hold back and keep information like my finances secret. You taught me how to share and that with the right person; it didn’t and shouldn’t need to be this way. I love you.” Shane kissed me and then peeked at the clock on the nightstand. “We can talk about this more later. It’s three o’clock in the morning, and we need to get a few more hours of sleep before everyone in the house wakes up. It’s going to be a long day and longer night with the hustle and bustle and craziness of the wedding this afternoon.”
“I don’t know if I can sleep, but I’ll try.” I kissed Shane’s chest as he pulled the bedcovers over my shoulder. Everything was going to be all right.
*
“Tell me what you think.” Ginger handed me a mirror to look at my hair and makeup.
“Oh, my. Are you sure that’s me? I have to say, it looks stunning.” I turned my head from side to side to check her handiwork.
“Of course it’s you. The makeup only enhances what you already have, and sweeping your hair back in a curly chignon was a perfect choice. The silver comb with the pearls and crystals gave it an elegant touch. You, my dear, are lovely. Your groom is going to melt when he sees you.”
Ginger was a beauty professional, and I’d hired her and her assistant, Heather, for the wedding. Since there were six of us, we’d already been at it for five hours, with me being the last one done. Mel and Neasa, as the maid of honor and surrogate mother of the groom, finished before me. My three bridesmaids, Caitlin, Yvonne, and Britney, had gone first. The group of us cloistered in my guest suite at the castle, garment bags, shoes, makeup, and accessories spread around the room. Shane and all the guys were in Dylan’s room. Dylan was Shane’s best man.
“Liz, do you want another mimosa?” Mel held up a filled glass.
“I do. Those are good.” I caught the clicking sound of my photographer’s camera as she snapped several photos of Mel handing me the glass and the two of us toasting each other. “Well, are you going to tell everyone, or can I?” I raised an eyebrow at Mel.
“Shush. We agreed not to say anything. It’s your special day, and I don’t want to take anything away from it. So be quiet.”
“Nonsense. Your news is too exciting to keep to yourself, and it’s not going to bother me in the least if you share it.”
“Girls. What’s up? What doesn’t Mel want us to know?” Britney came over to join us. “I overheard part of it, so now you have to tell us.”
Mel beamed as he stuck out her hand. “Conor proposed to me last night.”
“Oh my God. Ladies, Mel is engaged. The big guy proposed to her.” Britney hugged Mel while everyone came rushing over to congratulate her.
Mel appeared to glow with the attention.
“All right, ladies.” Neasa clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Off with the robes. We need to get all of you dressed. We’re already running a little bit behind.” She unzipped the garment bag lying across my bed and took out my dress. “Liz, Mel and I will help you with yours.”
After removing my robe, I started to step into my dress while Neasa held it for me and then stopped. “My garter. I forgot to put it on. It’ll be easier to do it now than after I’ve put on the dress. Yvonne, can you grab it out of the bag on the bed?”
“Sure.” Yvonne dug through the bag, pulling out the garter. “Oh, honey. This garter is adorable. It’s got little horseshoes and shamrocks sewn into it.”
“I was trying to follow Irish tradition. The bride is supposed to have a horseshoe on her for good luck.” I took the baby-blue garter from Yvonne and slipped it on my leg, making sure to have the ends of the horseshoes facing upward. I stepped into the dress, and Mel secured the hooks and eyes and laced up the back.
“You are breathtaking. I can’t wait to see Shane’s reaction.” Caitlin turned to my photographer, Sandra. “You’ll have to take lots of photos of Shane when Liz walks down the aisle and joins him.”
“Oh, I’ll have plenty of photos. Right now, I want some of Liz by herself, and then I’ll take more group shots when you’re all lined up for the processional.”
Sandra took photos of me while the ladies finished getting ready. Their dresses were sleeveless and empire-waisted with a V-neck and crossed bodice. Since Mel was short and the others tall, I had chosen them to be knee-length. The beautiful plum color went well with their silver shoes and hair adornments in silver and pearl.
There was a knock on my door. Yvonne opened it, letting Danny into the room. In the absence of a father, I had asked him to give me away at the wedding. From the time they were boys, he and Alex had been best friends, and I’d met him in my teens while hanging out at Nicole and Alex’s house. I loved and trusted Danny, and it seemed fitting that he fulfilled that particular role of handing me off to Shane.
“You are absolutely stunning.” Danny kissed me on the cheek. He had dressed the same as the groomsmen in a light gray tuxedo, white dress shirt, and a plum necktie to match the ladies’ dresses. He reached out and took my hands in his. “I’m honored you asked me to give you away. I’ve known you for so many years; we’re like family. Alex would like Shane, and I know he’d approve of your marriage.”
“I know he would too.” I smiled at Danny, remembering what Alex had said to me in the dream.
The hotel’s wedding specialist, Rowena, hurried into the room and came over to Neasa and me. “The best man and groomsmen are waiting downstairs by the lobby entrance, and Shane is on the terrace with the officiant. We need the ladies to wrap it up, so we can start the wedding.” Rowena smiled as she took a step back and studied me. “You are exquisite.” She turned toward the others. “Ladies, I need your attention. After Neasa takes her seat, the officiant and Shane will enter the garden from the south staircase off the terrace and go to the altar. Then we’ll start the processional. You’ll all enter from the north staircase by the hotel lobby one couple at a time. The maid of honor and best man will precede Liz. Now, is everyone ready?”
Neasa looked around the room. “I believe they are.”
“Well, let’s go, then. We don’t want our beautiful bride to keep her dashing groom waiting. And don’t forget your bouquets.” Rowena hustled everyone out of the room and led us downstairs. “Ladies, I want you to wait with the gentlemen outside by the lobby entrance. My assistant Deirdre will line you up in preparation for the processional. I’ll be right there as soon as I get Liz situated.” She shooed the ladies toward the front entrance and then opened the door to a small office near the elevator. “Liz, I want you and Danny to stay here so no one sees you yet. You can peek out the window, but don’t make it obvious you’re in here. I’ll come back for you after I get the processional going.” She hurried out, shutting the door behind her.
Danny and I peeked out the window. We were too far away to see details but close enough to see what was happening. The garden was full of beautiful red roses, and the wedding tent was beside it. Even though I was aware of the guest count, I was momentarily surprised to see so many people.
“Neasa is walking down the aisle to take her seat. Danny, look. Shane and the officiant are heading down the staircase toward the garden.” I brought my hand to my face, struck by how handsome Shane looked when he turned toward us to converse with the officiant. His tuxedo was the same as the groomsmen’s but in a darker shade of gray.
“Rowena should be coming for us any minute. How are you doing?” Danny looked down at me, his eyes searching my face.
“I’m a nervous wreck. I can feel my knees shaking under my dress. God, Danny. Wouldn’t that be horrible if I stumbled while you walked me down the aisle and laid on the ground with my legs in the air, flashing everyone my lingerie and stockings?”
“I wouldn’t say horrible. But it sure would be a wedding to remember and an image I’d never forget. We’d have to tell everyone I tripped you, and then Yvonne would kick my ass.”
“I don’t know which would be worse. Yvonne mad or me being completely embarrassed.” I started laughing, and Danny joined me. The humor seemed to help ease my nervousness.
“The processional is starting. It’s time for your grand entrance.” Rowena had burst into the room, startling the two of us. She held the door open. “Your groom is going to melt when he sees you. Let’s not keep him waiting.”
We went outside and waited near the staircase that led down to the garden. Deirdre had just sent Yvonne and Niall down the stairs, and Mel and Dylan were next. Caitlin and Patrick would have gone first, followed by Britney and Conor. I listened to the sounds of the wedding march as the processional continued.
“You look gorgeous, Liz. I can’t wait to see Shane’s face.” Dylan ran over to me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he hurried back to Mel so Deirdre could send them off.
Rowena waved Danny and me over to the railing that overlooked the garden. As soon as Mel and Dylan reached the altar, the music stopped, and the bagpiper standing a short distance from the groomsmen began to play his bagpipe.
“Are you ready?” Danny looked at me and held out his arm. “No tripping either. I still can’t get that mental picture out of my head.”
I couldn’t help grinning at Danny as I took his arm. “I’ll try to stay on my feet.”
We started our walk down the stairs, and the guests stood. In my nervousness, it seemed like our processional down the gravel path to the wedding tent and subsequent walk up the aisle took forever. When we neared the altar, I looked at Shane. He seemed overcome with emotion, his hand on his face as he wiped his eyes. I smiled at him when our eyes locked, and he came over to take me from Danny. He and Danny shook hands. Then Danny kissed my cheek and took my hand, placing it on Shane’s arm. Shane led me to the altar.
“You took my breath away when I saw you, mo ghra. You are my heart and my soul.” Shane leaned over and kissed me.
“Hold on, no jumping the gun, young man. You’re supposed to kiss your bride after I declare you wed, not before.” The short gray-haired officiant chuckled, his words and humorous tone audible to the guests since his microphone was on.
