“Are you concerned about the wedding? Relax. The wedding will proceed with attention given to his smallest details. The man has trained us well.” She rested a hand on Sandra’s arm. “As far as the emergency goes, he’ll be fine and he wouldn’t want you to fret. He’ll probably come charging in on his horse later and scoop up his lady-in-waiting.”
Sandra laughed. “He’d better not! This is your day and I’ll not take one bit of the glamor from you.”
“Come on then. Let’s get me into that wedding dress. Don’t want to keep my fiancé waiting.”
*****
Robert raced his car down the road to the address Franny had texted. Drawing closer, he heard the sirens and saw the backup ahead. He pulled into a nearby parking lot and started walking. He must look a rare sight, walking down the road in a three-piece suit, all slicked up for an afternoon jaunt. Franny had provided little detail, but it had something to with Joe. Had he been the third adult the girls were bringing to the resort? Robert cringed. Definitely not in good taste. He noticed Franny first and ran to her.
“Franny.” He grabbed and embraced her trembling body.
“Oh, Daddy, he’s spoiled it all. We should never have believed him.”
He pulled her to arm’s length and wiped a tea away. “Franny; he’s not worth your tears.”
“But Cindy is. He duped her twice, and me, once. She’ll never recover from this week.”
“Your sister is strong,” Robert said scanning he area. “Where is she?”
“Talking to the police. She didn’t know Joe would show up drunk, and when the kids were so excited to see their daddy home, she went along with it.” Tears erupted. “Now, there is a woman with injuries headed for the hospital. All because she swallowed his lie and let him come.”
“And was any of our family injured?”
“Scared the kids, but I put them up in that ice cream parlor over there to lick their fears away.”
“Good thinking, Franny. Why don’t you go get one yourself and I’ll find Cindy?”
When she spotted his approach, his daughter ran into the safety of his arms. “I’m such a fool. We planned this day to make up and love on you and now look at the mess I’ve allowed.”
“You are vulnerable and Joe is a manipulative man that takes advantage of people to cause pain. But you, my dear, never spoil my day. I love you.”
“Oh, Daddy. I’ve been so nasty.”
“Shh. Lots of time for us. What do we need to do here to wrap this up?”
“Nothing. I wasn’t behind the wheel and already gave my statement. Joe is in the cruiser. They’ll charge him with drinking under the influence, and whatever else they can drum up. The officer is not impressed.”
“Well, then let’s join the others for ice cream then you can pile in my car and we’ll go to a wedding.” She brushed shattered debris from her clothes. “I’m a mess.”
“Not at all. I’ll bring you to my room at Heritage so you can freshen up before you join the celebration.”
“Sandra will hate us even more since we’ve dragged you away from your job.”
“No one will hate you.” He took her arm and headed to the building Franny had pointed out. “What flavor of ice cream will you have today?”
“Cookies and Cream.”
“Still haven’t outgrown that one?”
“Never. It’s my comfort food and my waistline shows it.”
All four children squealed when Pappy entered the Ice Cream Parlor. Robert was pleased to hear it was not a fearful outburst but an excited bunch of children that greeted him.
*****
The beach buggy deposited Sandra and the other women behind a portioned wall that separated them from the waiting crowd. She kissed Angie and took the arm of an usher. Walking to the slow beat of a love song, they started down the aisle. She’d practised this with Robert and missed his nearness in this special moment. The red carpet loomed before her and while strolling, smiled at the guests. Relatives, friends, and many she didn’t know from town made up the gathering. Her attention turned to Trevor and as the usher seated her on a chair in the front row, she smiled encouragement to her son. She recognized his left knee slightly jutting in and out, a sure sign that he nervously awaited his bride.
The keyboard musician from the local band they’d hired for the day, continued to play the love song while Janice walked the red carpet. The moment she took her place at the front, left side of the altar the tempo heightened and the wedding march sounded. The congregation stood and turned to the back. Angie appeared from behind the decorated wall and after Charles straightened her lengthy train, the lifelong friend of the Parkinson family led her toward her happily-ever-after.
Sandra listened for her son to gasp at the first sight of his bride. He did not disappoint, and her heart filled to overflowing in knowing Trevor would soon wed the woman of his dreams. In talking with some of her friends back home, they’d confessed to feeling an element of jealousy in losing their son to another woman – despite the natural way of it. For Sandra, saying goodbye to the old life, with its responsibilities and roles, proved difficult, but she was pleased to note that in her case, envy did not play a part in the passing of the torch from a mother to a new wife.
She glanced at the empty chair beside her, saddened that Robert was not here to watch the fruits of their labor unfold. Sandra was a hopeless romantic. But she knew she’d met her match in Robert. In a short time, the man had exceeded Braxton’s lifetime efforts, sprinkling love like seasoning from a
