Chasing Destiny (13 page)

“This is why I hesitated and didn’t
tell you at first… You’re completely
overreacting right now.”

“You have no idea how insignificant you’ve just made me feel right now.” Cassie got up from her desk and picked up the stack of charts in front of her. “I have to go. I have a patient in ten minutes.” She walked to the door and opened it, signaling him to leave. He advanced toward her and leaned in to give her a kiss goodbye. She turned her head
and his lips met her cheek instead
.

“Call me when you get settled tomorrow”, he said.

Cassie waited for him to leave and then slammed her office door. She’d been
comforted in knowing that she didn’t have
to face Jacob alone, but Landon’s
sudden abandonment changed every
thing. Hysteria overwhelmed her and she
prayed that she would find the strength to
defy Jacob’s magnetism.

CHAPTER NINE

Maine was a breath of fresh air, literally. Cassie steered her car onto the interstate exit ramp and approached the small town of Bath. It was an all-American little town, complete with its own historic personality. She continued down a narrow, two-lane residential road lined with towering Maple trees on either side. The sizable hardwoods were in the beginning stages of changing color and the leaves were falling with every subtle breeze.

She finally came upon the historic bed and breakfast and parked her car in the gravel lot. The three-story mansion was a traditional Cape Cod to its core; white wood siding and black window shutters. The brochure had indicated the recently renovated mansion was situated on three and a half acres of gently sloped
terrain, nestled against the quiet
Kennebec River. The estate had been constructed by a local sea captain in the early eighteen hundreds which came to no surprise; Bath was well-known as the
city of ships.
Cassie retrieved her luggage
from the trunk and began her destination
up the porch steps and was soon greeted by a pleasant, gray-haired woman gliding effortlessly on the adjacent porch swing.

“Good afternoon, you must be Miss Warner”, the kind woman uttered.

“Um… Yes, how did you know that?” she asked curiously.

“It’s my job, dear.” The woman held out her hand. “My name is Janice; I’m the innkeeper.”

Cassie shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Janice. The place is lovely.”

“Oh, thank you!” Janice stood up from the porch swing and motioned for Cassie to follow her indoors. “I’ve grown pretty fond of it over the years. It’s been in
the family for seven decades
.”

“
Wow, that’s incredible!”
Cassie exclaimed.

“It sure is. It belonged to my grandfather. I remember visiting here when I was a little girl, although it was his private residence then, not a bed and breakfast.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve made a lot of great memories here over the years.”

Janice glanced around the room. “Yes, I most certainly have…” She was distracted by her childhood memories for several moments before she finally awoke from her trance. “Now, if I remember correctly you had a reservation for two in the Platinum Suite.”

“Um, actually there’s been a last minute change to my reservation… It’s just me.”

“Oh, okay. Let me just make a note of that for my records and then I’ll show you to your room.”

“Thank you.”

Janice opened her laptop and slowly typed with her two index fingers and then closed it shut before leading Cassie down the lengthy hall. She was sure to point out the main staircase which was accessible from the grand foyer. They continued down the hall, passing the formal dining area on the right and the study on the left, until they came upon something completely unexpected: an elevator.

 
This was Janice’s prized
-possession and Cassie admitted that although the mansion was over two-hundred years old, it certainly didn’t lack any modern conveniences. Janice opened the black, wrought-iron gate and the two ascended to the third floor. They traveled down the narrow corridor and halted in front of a heavy, wood door with a small sign that read,
The Platinum Suite.
Janice handed her the key and indicated that if she needed anything at all, to simply let her know.

Cassie unlocked the door and opened it, revealing the elegant accommodations inside. The walls were painted a deep charcoal, reminiscent of how the sea must have appeared at night. Both the headboard and footboard of the bed were upholstered in ivory micro suede and embellished with silver nail-head trim. The ivory comforter glistened from the elegant crystal chandelier suspended above it and reflected its glamorous image
in the mirrored nightstands placed adjacent to the bed. A settee was
positioned at the foot of the bed, covered in a platinum striped material and the
ivory silk drapes settled into a puddle on
the maple, hardwood floor.

She continued into the bathroom and it certainly did not disappoint. The vanity appeared to be an old, restored bureau with a tabletop, glass sink. The black and white-checkered floor pattern was interrupted by a crisp, white claw foot tub; complete with monogrammed towels that were draped neatly over the side. She felt like royalty and acknowledged that the brochure’s description of the newly renovated grounds were rather modest.

After returning to the main room, she noticed a small buffet table with a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries
and a silver ice bucket containing a chilled, unopened bottle of French
champagne. A single red rose was arranged in front of it, along with a small card that read:
Welcome home.
Cassie
brought the flower to her nose and
inhaled its fresh aroma and then placed it
back onto the tray. She was disappointed that she was occupying this romantic suite alone, but she had become quite accustomed to being deserted.

Cassie removed her clothes from her luggage and hung them in the armoire. She studied her wardrobe closely and then finally settled on a black, long-sleeved dress and a pair of magenta pumps. The hem fell mid-thigh, revealing her seductively sculpted legs. She wore her hair back into a sleek, low ponytail and accentuated her large hazel eyes and voluptuous lips with a light coating of make-up. She felt an overwhelming ache in her heart as she stared at her reflection, uncertain if she was ready to face Jacob.
Don’t be ridiculous,
she told herself.
You’re both adults. You’ve moved-on and he probably has, too.
After grabbing her gray, croc-leather clutch, she traveled downstairs and sat behind the wheel of her rental car.

The drive to Bailey Island had taken longer than she had anticipated, however she didn’t mind—the scenery was breathtaking. Once she left the interstate the road narrowed and drifted with the lay of the land. She finally happened upon a unique, slender bridge that barely appeared wide enough for two cars to pass simultaneously. This one of a kind bridge was constructed of granite slabs. They appeared to be stacked into a pattern that left openings for the strong current to flow through without restraint. She hesitated for a moment before finding the courage to continue and when she reached the other side she realized her worries were unwarranted.

The road veered to the right and within moments, she spotted the two hefty
, white lamp posts she was
instructed to look for. They straddled the private drive, beckoning for her to follow. The two-story cottage was covered with weathered shingles and accented with vivid, white trim. She retreated from her rental car and followed the wrap-around porch to the back. She turned the corner and suddenly realized why Tanner had been so adamant about this location for the ceremony and reception. The backdrop was breathtaking and she felt as though she’d been cast into one of the picturesque postcards she’d seen earlier at the airport when she’d arrived.

The expansive lawn was separated down the center by a substantial wood deck. At the end of the large deck was a small staircase that led to a smaller, more private deck which overlooked the steep, rocky shore. Both decks were lined with
glowing tiki torches, illuminating the
structure slightly and evoking an intimate aura.

While absorbing the scenery, she was spotted by Emily and the two embraced on the covered, back porch. Emily was slightly taller than her, with deep auburn hair that gently brushed her shoulders and flawless, porcelain skin.

“Oh my goodness—I’m so glad you could make it!” Emily exclaimed.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Em.”

Emily glanced over Cassie’s shoulder and arched her neck. “Where’s Landon? Is he parking the car?”

Cassie looked down at her feet for a moment before answering. “Um, no… I came alone.”

“What? I thought he was coming with you?”

“Yeah, well… as usual, he has more important things to attend to.”

 “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know how much you were looking forward to spending
some time away with him
.”

“
It is what it is”, Cassie said,
smiling to prevent her tears from
cascading down her cheek. “Enough about me—tell me about the wedding. Where is the ceremony going to take place?”

Emily pointed to the grassy area on the right side of the deck. “The ceremony is going to take place over there, with the ocean and sunset as our backdrop. We’ll have a brief cocktail hour here on the deck while the bridal party takes pictures and then the reception will take place underneath a large canopy on the other side of the lawn to the left of the deck.”

Tanner stumbled upon the two of them and welcomed her with his embrace. “Hey, stranger—I can’t tell you how much it means to us that you guys could make it!” He glanced around for a moment. “Where’s Landon?” Tanner felt a nudge from Emily’s elbow and groaned softly in response.

“Unfortunately he couldn’t make it—last minute business complications”, Cassie explained.

Tanner nodded his head; sensing
there was more to it than that,
but ultimately
decided not to question
her further. “Well, that’s okay! We are still going to have
a
wicked-good
time the next
few days
!”

He offered Cassie a glass of champagne and then excused himself, as other guests were now steadily arriving. Emily began going into detail about some of the plans for the rest of the week and every word she spoke seemed softer than the one before. A familiar image was staring back at her and she found it somehow difficult to focus on anything else.

* * *

Jacob stood on the back porch dressed in his Sunday best, although he hadn’t been to church in years. His tie was tucked behind his gray, suit vest and his sleeves were rolled up just below his elbows. With a large bouquet of pink
Chrysanthemums in one hand, he advanced toward Emily and Cassie.

He handed the bouquet to Emily,
kissed her on the cheek, and then
turned
to face Cassie.
Damn, she looked beautiful
! He stood motionless for a moment, deciphering how to greet her. He finally placed both hands in his pocket and nodded. “Hey, Cass”, he said softly.

“Hey.”

“It’s good to see you”, he said.

“It’s good to see you, too…”

They stared into one another’s eyes for a few moments without uttering a
word
until Jacob finally broke their
silence. “Well—I’m going to let you both get back to your conversation; I didn’t mean to interrupt.”