Love on Beach Avenue(79)
“I just wanted to tell you congratulations,” he said gruffly. “I’m proud to have you as part of the family.” He clapped his shoulder, smiled, and turned.
“Carter?”
He turned back and cocked his head. “Yeah?”
“Ally wouldn’t be the woman she is today without you.” He reached out and grasped his arm, his fingers squeezing tight. Jason’s gaze met his, head-on. “You gave up so much for her. You taught her everything a parent should have, and she never lost that joy and zest for life that made me fall in love with her the moment I saw her in that crappy sports bar.” He gave a half laugh, raw with emotion. “So thank you for accepting me as her husband. I swear to God, I’ll never let you down. Either of you.”
Carter’s eyes stung, and he stepped forward and gave him a quick, hard hug. “Thank you. Now, I’m going to get your bride, and we’ll meet you at the altar.”
Jason nodded, not able to talk, and Carter left the room knowing his sister was about to get her happily-ever-after ending.
He made his way down the short hallway. The bridesmaids were giggling and chattering, beginning to line up outside as Avery snapped them to attention. He entered the second room and stopped short when he saw the sight before him.
His sister’s voice wobbled. “Carter?”
“Yes, Ally-Cat?”
She gulped a breath, her eyes huge in her face. “I’m getting married.”
Emotion struck him hard. He gazed at her, dressed in full glory, and his throat tightened. She was stunningly beautiful. The cream lace of the gown skimmed her figure, and the endless yards of veil fell behind her in a splendorous trail. Her hair was twisted up into a spill of elegant curls, and her face glowed. Diamonds winked at her throat and ears, giving her an air of royalty. She was almost to his height with the sky-high, crystal-encrusted shoes, and damned if his fingers didn’t shake when he took her hand in his for the last time before she became Jason’s wife.
“Mom and Dad would be so proud,” he said, shaking his head. “First, Mom would bawl and Dad would try to comfort her, and then he’d start crying and it’d be up to me to fix the whole mess.”
His sister laughed, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Yeah, I can picture it, too. And Dad would make me dance to that ridiculous song that’s so sweet, it gives me a cavity.”
“‘The Way You Look Tonight.’ A classic. Can’t go wrong with Sinatra.”
“But it’s so overdone! Remember how he used to play it loud and make me step on his feet to try and teach me to dance?”
“Hokey.”
“And then he’d begin waltzing with Mom and tell us the story of how they met for the billionth time.”
The memories flickered before him. All of them laughing together and teasing as his parents moved gracefully around the small kitchen. A bittersweet longing pricked. “I remember.”
She sighed. “Yeah, Dad was more sensitive than Mom. I always wondered if that heart attack was just his sadness over not being able to picture a life without Mom in it. Like he’d decided to give up. I loved him so much, but he was never—”
“Strong,” he finished, tilting his head and studying her. Something shifted and broke inside him, almost as if he sensed that within Ally’s words lay the answer, but Avery peeked around the corner and smiled.
“It’s time.”
He met his sister’s gaze and smiled at her. “Come on, gorgeous. Jason’s waiting for you.”
He escorted her outside and toward the beach. The day was hot and clear, with a light ocean breeze that kept it from being faint-worthy. A gazebo threaded with flowers was framed against the ocean, and the officiant stood behind a white pillar, his black book clutched in his hand. Avery had set up a runner pinned down by various giant stone shells. He watched the wedding party walk down the aisle, flanked by white chairs filled with friends and family, all beaming and murmuring at the sheer beauty of the event.
When everyone had reached their places, the music piping in through speakers changed to the traditional “Wedding March.” Ally squeezed his arm, and he stared into her beloved face, memorizing the moment. Then he began walking her toward Jason.
His future brother-in-law beamed down at his bride. Lifting her veil, Carter pressed a kiss to her cheek, then took her hand and placed it in Jason’s.
As Carter stepped back into line, Jason gave him a nod, the serious intensity of his face bestowing the recognition of what Carter had done for both of them. The kindness of the gesture gave him both comfort and pride.
The ceremony was brief. Applause broke out when they were declared husband and wife, and the crowd whooped when they kissed.
As they filed back off the beach, he looked for Avery, knowing she’d be in the background, ready to step in to solve any crisis. The woman amazed him on a constant basis. Ever since the night of the bachelorette party, their relationship had changed. Barriers had been ripped away, and an easy intimacy now flowed between them. Their days were packed with endless details for Ally’s wedding, but at night, she snuck to his house and spent the hours wrapped in his arms till dawn, making love until they collapsed together in exhaustion.
Carter finally caught sight of her off to the side, blinking furiously through tears as she watched the happy couple greet well-wishers. The longing on her face caught him like a sucker punch, knocking him slightly off-balance. What scared him the most was the immediate urge to walk over and take her in his arms, claiming her for himself. He imagined uttering his vows. Sliding a ring over her finger. Kissing her as the words I now pronounce you husband and wife drifted in the air.