Take Three (The Jilted Bride #2)(68)

I can’t do this…

I took a sip of my wine and nodded.

“My dream is to write a screenplay that someone like her would want to be in. I don’t mean to come off like a crazy fan, but I’m in complete awe of her talent. I really love her.”

I sighed. “I love her too…”

I woke up late in the afternoon and heard seagulls yapping about. I walked out to the deck and spotted my dad preparing bait.

“Afternoon, Dad.”

“Afternoon son! It’s about time you woke up! Just so you know, my next wedding will be on the last Sunday of January. I expect you to be there.”

“What! Weren’t you just telling me about your divorce two months ago? Is that even finalized?”

“Money finalizes everything,” he handed me a fishing pole. “I told everyone else it’s an exclusive dinner party to make sure they actually show up. I think people are tired of me getting married.”

You think?

I cast my line out into the sea and looked him right in the eye, “Did you ever love my mom?”

“Love is for fools, son.”

“Why did you marry her then? And why do you keep getting married?”

“I had my reasons,” he looked out over the ocean. “We were both so young, so happy when we first got married. They say the first wife is usually the best wife…I thought she and I were going to be compatible forever but people change.”

“She changed? How?”

“Everyone changes. She wanted more children, more fulfillments in life and she told me I wasn’t making her happy anymore. She said she was willing to work on our marriage but…I was too stubborn. I wanted things to say the same. I didn’t think we had any problems.”

“You never loved any of your wives?”

He groaned. “No, son. I didn’t. I married who fit my checklist and whenever it stopped working out, I let her go. Life’s too short to deal with problems. I simply eradicate them once they pop up and make sure I have one hell of a pre-nup.”

No wonder I’m so messed up…

I secured my pole against the railing and sat on the ledge.

“You believe in that love stuff now?” my dad looked at me and laughed. “You believe in one soul-mate for the rest of your life?”

“I didn’t used to…”

His eyes widened and he walked over to me, patting me on my back. “Look, I’m a cynic. Of course I loved your mother, very much. As a matter of fact, if I was ever in love with anyone, it was her…To tell you the truth, I’ve been trying to get that feeling back for decades so…My advice to you is to never let it go once you find it. Don’t ever let that person get away from you, or else you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting that you did…”

“That might be the smartest thing you’ve said to me in my entire life.”

He laughed. “Are we going to play Oprah all afternoon or are we going to catch some fish?”

I lay in bed and called Selena again.

Joan answered as usual. “Good morning, Mr. Lockwood. Miss Ross is currently—”

“Joan, I know she’s not busy because it’s five in the morning and she doesn’t wake up a second before six.”

I heard her sigh.

“Now, you don’t have to bother telling me she’ll call me back because we both know she won’t. I’m calling because I really need to see her again, to apologize for everything I did, and I would really appreciate your help….Please tell me where she is…”

Chapter 29

Selena

I took a seat near the back of Matt and Melody’s wedding, right next to an older woman who was dressed in all pink.

Behind the sparkling silver altar was an immense lake where hundreds of water lilies floated amongst white swans. Gorgeous glass light jars hung from the surrounding hickory trees, and tall red candles flickered brightly alongside the aisles of white wooden chairs.

I sat and listened as a trio of cellists played a beautiful harmony, as Matt and Melody’s parents said a prayer, and as the pastor instructed the audience to stand for the bride’s entrance.

Seconds later, Melody walked down the aisle in a shimmering white dress that drew whispers of appreciation from the crowd.

The one shoulder gown was accented with embellished lace and Swarovski crystals. It tightly grabbed her waist and flared out into a skirt that was so airy and light it looked as if it barely touched the ground.

Beneath her short veil, her glossy red hair was swept into a bun of loose curls; a few stray ringlets fell right beneath her shoulders.

She’s so pretty…

She and Matt never took their eyes off one another. They looked at each other as if they were the only two people in the world.

As they read their vows, I dabbed my eyes with Kleenex.

He called her “the key that finally opened the door to his happiness.” She called him her best friend, her undeniable soul-mate, and “regardless of what [her] reviews said about [his] films,” the best actor in the world.

“If there is anyone here today who feels that these two should not be wedded in holy matrimony,” the pastor looked out into the audience, “please speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Melody closed her eyes and slowly shook, as if she were anticipating an interruption. She bit her lip and looked down at the ground.