Now and Forever 5, Love's Journey (38 page)

“Did he touch you?” Peter persisted.

“Callie pulled him away before he did.” Lara
was distracted by his lips.

“Were you undressed?” he continued.

“I had a sheet over me…most of me…I was
having a massage,” she explained.

“You were naked with this guy and he kissed
you!” Peter stepped back.

“Not really naked, sort of…exposed a
little.”

“No more kissing strangers, okay?” Peter’s
brows knitted.

She hadn’t seen him jealous since Andres.
She kind of liked it.

“You don’t have anything to worry about, I
don’t want anyone but you.” She inched closer to him.

Lara wore a skimpy gown and sidled up to
him. She took his hand, then pulled him down on the bed and into
her arms. Their mouths joined and all worries about stripping
policemen fell away as Lara made it clear how much she wanted
him.

Chapter
Twenty-five

It was a perfect day for a wedding, the sky
was a cloudless blue, the bright sun warmed the late April air,
turning the grass a deep, rich green and giving the world a golden
glow. Music played in the Kiwanis hall as Gladys O’Reilly, from the
music department, warmed up. Peter and Lara planned to walk up the
aisle to Liszt’s
Liebesträume
. The huge Kiwanis hall was
decorated in spring flowers in yellow, pink and white. Metal chairs
were set up in rows and a red carpet was placed down the center
aisle. Sunlight streamed in through the huge windows, lighting up
the whole room.

The small meeting rooms were set up for
Lara, Peter and members of the wedding party to use to change their
clothes, put on makeup, pace or do whatever they needed to do
before the ceremony. Jim Caterson, dressed in a tuxedo, entered the
meeting hall early. He needed time alone with Lara. Fran had driven
a wedge between Jim and his niece. He wanted to rekindle their
close relationship. They slipped out the back for a private
talk.

“I was only fifteen when your mother and
father got married. It was a beautiful wedding. Stephanie and John
were meant for each other.”

“I wish they were here today. They’d love
Peter.”

“They would. They’d be very proud of you and
all you’ve accomplished and all you’ve overcome.”

“Everything would’ve been so much easier if
they had been here.”

“I know,” Jim said, patting her hand. “I’m
proud of you on their behalf, proud to be giving you away. Peter is
a good choice. He’s a fine man, smart and he loves you.”

“He does. He’s so sweet.”

“I’m sure, wherever your parents are, they
are smiling today.”

“I hope so, Uncle Jim.”

Lara cried as they talked. She used an extra
hanky from Peter to blot her tears. Jim teared up, too, missing his
sister.

The big hall began to fill up with people
Lara and Peter came to know through Lara’s dance classes and
Peter’s teaching. Grateful parents of her students along with the
students who loved Lara and her sweet ways were there to watch the
couple become one. Many of Peter’s students came as well as other
professors in the art department and administrators. The men who
ran Kiwanis came with their families. There were one hundred fifty
people there. John Lawrence, president of the university, was there
with his beautiful wife, Annika. They never missed a faculty
wedding.

The bride and groom were surprised and
pleased to see so many people. Lara had Callie and Eliza help her
into her perfect Vera Wang wedding dress. The dress had a slim
bodice with a little lace, which was repeated in a wide band around
the bottom of the full skirt. Pat Weiss Caldwell was there for
moral support.

Kelli came from her beauty salon to do
Lara’s hair. Tara and Marcy were there from the nail salon to touch
up Lara’s manicure and pedicure. They had a hard time getting her
to keep her hands still long enough for them to apply the polish.
Lara was nervous something would go wrong, but not nervous about
marrying Peter. She loved him totally and felt confident he felt
the same devotion.

* * * *

Peter was beyond nervous at Mac’s house
getting dressed, even though he had his father and Mac to help him.
Peter paced, had a drink and paced some more.

“Pete, I never thought I’d see this day. You
getting married. And to such a great girl. It’s wonderful.
Wonderful. I’m proud of you. I wish your mother could be here,” Sam
said, blinking back tears.

“I’m waiting until he goes through with it,
before I congratulate him,” Mac joked.

“Thanks a lot, Mac. Weren’t you nervous when
you got married?”

“I never worried about marrying Callie. I
knew she was the one.”

“You did? How did you know?” Peter asked,
desperation in his voice.

“Shrimp, you can’t pursue someone as hot and
heavy as you pursued Lara and then have doubts when you win
her.”

“Who says I can’t?”

“What is this about, Pete?” his father
asked.

“I guess I’m wondering if I’m cut out to be
married.”

“Why wouldn’t you be?” his father asked.

“Well, I haven’t exactly been tied to one
woman for long, you know.”

“You’ve been faithful to Lara, haven’t you?”
Sam asked him.

“Of course!”

“With no temptations?” Mac asked.

“With no temptations.”

“So what are you worried about?” his brother
asked.

“I want to be a good husband. She’s special,
I don’t want to lose her.”

“Hey, you’re a Caldwell, aren’t you? We make
the best husbands,” Sam said, clapping him on the back.

“Mac, what’s your secret?” Peter asked.

“It’s no secret. I try to put Callie, Jason
and Kitty before myself as much as possible. By putting them first,
I end up doing the right thing, then everyone thinks I’m brilliant
and I get a ton of love.”

“Thanks, Mac. How do you keep the flame
burning after five years…if you know what I mean,” Peter asked his
brother, thinking back to the first night at the lake house.

“If the flame isn’t there to begin with, you
won’t have it in five years. But if it is and you put your wife
first, she’ll make sure the flame stays lit,” Mac responded.

“Sound advice, Mac,” Sam concurred.

“You make it sound easy, Mac.”

“It is easy, Pete, if you pick the right
woman. I think you have. Is the flame there…if that isn’t too
personal?” Color suffused Mac’s cheeks.

“The flame is definitely there. In fact it’s
more like a bonfire than a flame.”

“So what are you worried about? You two will
be fine.” Mac patted his younger brother on the back.

Peter’s brow smoothed out in a look of
relief.

Mac, Sam and Peter checked to see if Jason,
who was going to be ring bearer, was dressed. Sam double-checked
that he had the ring as he was the best man with Mac as usher. Then
the Caldwell men, looking dashing and handsome in their black
tuxedoes climbed into Mac’s car and headed for the Kiwanis
Hall.

Callie, Eliza and Kitty, as the flower girl,
were wearing light aqua dresses and carrying yellow flowers mixed
with white daisies. Lara had a white bouquet to match her white
wedding dress. The men lined up and waited for Gladys to begin.
There was a hush in the audience as Lara and Jim appeared at the
back of the room. The Caldwell men were facing forward and didn’t
see her yet. When he heard the first notes of
Liebesträume
,
Peter turned and saw Lara. His heart almost beat out of his chest.
She was a vision of loveliness in her white dress, veil and flowers
with her mahogany hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.
He had never seen anyone look more beautiful. His heart melted; all
doubts vanished. Lara smiled at Peter. He relaxed, knowing in his
heart she was the one he had been searching for.

Then the judge asked, “Who gives this
woman?”

“Her mother, her father and I do,” Jim
replied, his voice cracking as he held Lara for a moment after
raising her veil, while he corralled his tears. Lara’s eyes shone
with unshed tears as she held Jim and took a deep breath. The judge
waited patiently for Jim and Lara to compose themselves. After a
few minutes, Jim kissed her cheek and turned her to face Peter.

Peter extended his hand and she took it. He
put his arm around her waist to steady her as she walked up next to
him to face the judge. They stopped and she bestowed a dazzling
smile on Peter who moved closer.

Jason piped up, “You’re not supposed to kiss
her until it’s all over, Uncle Peter!”

Everyone cracked up, including the judge.
The ceremony was short. The audience was silent but a few people,
like Jonesy were heard sniffling as Peter and Lara said their vows.
Callie cried quietly into Mac’s handkerchief.

Finally it was time to kiss the bride. Peter
took Lara in his arms and gave her the sweetest kiss possible,
ending with the audience bursting into spontaneous applause.
Everyone laughed and cheered. Peter and Lara marched back down the
aisle and the celebration began.

There was a sumptuous catered buffet with
hot and cold food for everyone. Wine and champagne flowed like
water. Jim had done well investing Lara’s remaining money so she
could afford to pay for a beautiful gown and a lovely wedding.
Everyone was eating and the band was tuning up so dancing could
begin.

Quietly, a pregnant Marcia Weston peeked in.
She got Mac’s attention and he went over to the door to speak with
her. They talked privately for a few minutes. When she left, he was
smiling with the broadest grin Callie had ever seen.

“What was that about, Mac?” she asked
him.

“A great wedding present landed in Peter’s
lap.” Mac pushed his way through the crowd, searching for
Eliza.

He pulled her aside. Then he spoke with John
Lawrence before he took Callie’s hand and went over to Peter. Mac
took Peter aside and gave him the news. He smiled broadly and
nodded his head.

“Shouldn’t you discuss this with your wife
before you say yes?” Mac asked.

“Oh, yeah. I’ll be right back.”

The band played Peter and Lara’s favorite
pop song, Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love for Peter and
Lara’s first dance as husband and wife. As Peter waltzed his new
wife across the dance floor, he whispered in her ear, “Would you
like to stay in Willow Falls?”

“Yes, but we have to go back, don’t we?”

“We don’t. The woman who was taking the
sabbatical from the art department has come by to tell Mac she’s
pregnant and she’s not coming back.”

“Really?” Lara’s eyes got big.

“So Mac, Eliza, and President Lawrence are
offering the job to me, permanently. Do you want me to take
it?”

“Do you want to take it?”

“I do. I like teaching here. Our whole
family could be together. I love Willow Falls, it’s a great place
to have children, don’t you think?”

Lara nodded.

“Should I tell them yes?”

“Yes,” Lara said, kissing Peter’s smooth
cheek.

Lara was so happy, she burst into tears. He
kissed her, caught Mac’s eye, and nodded.

All the Caldwells smiled, including the
other new Mrs. Caldwell, Patsy. Everyone danced and the festive
mood spread. When it was all over, Lara and Peter went to the
Willow Tree Inn, the local hotel, for the night. In the morning
they were leaving for the lake house for a week’s honeymoon over
spring break. Now both Sam and Peter had to make plans to go back
to South Africa, sell their houses and move their lives permanently
to Willow Falls after the semester was over.

Back at home at the Caldwell house, when the
children were safely in bed, Mac and Callie took their shoes off
and lounged on the sofa with cups of coffee. No one could have been
happier about Peter and Lara staying in Willow Falls than Callie.
Her little family that started out as only Mac, Callie, and Jason,
continued to grow.

“Mac, it’s so wonderful Peter and Lara will
be staying.”

“I agree. The shrimp is growing on me.”

“They’ll probably want to buy a house. Their
lease is up on the little house they’re renting soon anyway. I have
someone to take their lease,” Callie said.

“You do? Who?” Mac looked surprised.

“I didn’t want to tell you about this with
the wedding and all the good news and all, but I heard from my
sister a few days ago. Her husband Bob was killed in a car wreck
and she’s looking for a place to go with her two children for the
summer. I suggested they come here. Now they can move into Peter
and Lara’s old house.”

“When were you going to tell me about
this?”

“You were pretty busy and I was going
to…”

“Callie! You’ve got to stop keeping things
from me!”

“I wasn’t keeping this from you. I was going
to tell you, but you’ve been busy…”