Wishing on the Water (Water Series Book 1) (26 page)

We pulled up outside the lighthouse on Roosevelt Island. It wasn’t our lighthouse, but this one was more accessible, and we needed a new place to start our memories and here is where Jax had asked me to wait for him. This would be the place I told my kids about.

The photographer was there waiting, but there was no sign of Jax. I shook all the horrid thoughts and climbed out of the car with my maid of honor, Brooklyn.

The sky churned in the distance to tell us the rain was holding off but not for long. It seemed we would have a limited window to get the photos done, before we all got drench.

Brooklyn and I took our photos together; I was dressed all in white, and Brooklyn dressed in a black wrap dress. It wasn’t long before Mark showed up in his tuxedo, looking extra yummy for Brooklyn. I swear she looked at him like he was an all-you-can-eat calorie-free buffet at the weight watchers convention.

“
How is the bride?” Mark asked and I gave him a hug.

“
I am wondering where my groom is.” I spoke softly so no one else heard.

“
He is picking up Michelle and your dad for the photos,” Mark replied. I breathed a sigh of relief. My writer’s brain had me thinking all kinds of awful scenarios that I would rather not think about. I lost one fiancé; I didn’t want to lose this one too.

Brooklyn and Mark went and took their photos as I waited on the side and watched their happiness spill out onto everyone who witnessed it. I heard the clacking of hooves and turned to see my dad waving from a horse drawn carriage.

It came to a stop and my dad climbed out. Then he helped Michelle out as I ran to hug them both. I went to say something; but instead, my attention was drawn to the inside of the carriage, where my future husband was holding a sleeping baby on his chest. I knew how Chelle felt; I could sleep on his chest all day and night too. It was hard, yet soft and safe.

The photographers assistant came and took Chelle in her lilac flower girl dress and let her sleep on her shoulder. Then Jax climbed out and within seconds I was being spun in the air. I tilted my head back and laughed as I felt free and happy.

“
You make a beautiful bride, Mrs. Monroe.” Jax whispered as he came in for a kiss. His velvet lips crushed mine and poured out the love he was feeling. I went to open my lips for him when my dad yelled out, “save it for the honeymoon.”

Jax and I both pulled away and rested our foreheads on each other’s and laughed about my dad’s comment. My dad really had a way of dousing people in ice water with his words.

“
I love you, Jax,” I whispered, and kissed his lips lightly.

“
Let’s go get married before you change your mind,” Jax whispered back with a hint of laughter.

We took the next half hour to take all the wedding party pictures with our lighthouse before the rain opened up and we all got a few drops of water on us. Then we went to the church on the opposite end of the river where we had done the toasting farewell.

The police Chaplain had immediately separated us into rooms on either side of the church. I kept peeking out the door as the church filled up with our family and friends.

“
You ready?” Brooklyn asked, as she pinned a blue flower in my bouquet, it was a tiny blue forget-me-not.

“
Where did this come from?” I asked quietly.

“
You needed something blue, and I wanted to find a way to remember those who lost their lives. That is what this flower represents; it is for Chase, and for all the other people who have crossed our paths before their life ended early.”

I mouthed the words ‘thank you,’ but didn’t utter a sound as tears filled my eyes.

“
Candice, don’t cry you will mess up your face.” Brooklyn declared, and I laughed out loud at her facial reaction.

“
Let’s go get me married,” I said sweetly and Brooklyn walked with me out to the foyer.

As we came to the doors that opened to the middle aisle of the church, Brooklyn fixed my gown and my dad stared at me.

“
You look like your mother.” He murmured, as he tried to keep from shedding tears.

“
Thank you, daddy,” I whispered, as I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. I was so grateful that we had healed our relationship to a point where I felt like we actually knew each other.

“
You are absolutely stunning.” My dad stated, as he handed me a pair of diamond earrings. “These were your mothers. I wanted you to have something borrowed and old.”

I took them and put them in my ears. I then used the window at the church to see my reflection with the earrings in. With them in my ears I felt as though my mother was there with us.

Michelle walked around the corner and saw me. She immediately wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in for a hug.

“
I can’t thank you enough for being a mother to me all these years,” I whispered into her ear.

“
You were my only daughter and I love you as if you were my own. I have something for you.” Then Michelle reached into her purse and pulled out an ankle bracelet. “Your dad and I had this made for you. It is your something new.”

I was in awe as I watched Michelle put it on my ankle. It had a single water drop diamond hanging off of a thin silver chain. They knew about my water wishes and how much this would mean to me. I was rendered speechless. I grabbed them both and hugged them tightly to me.

The music sounded and it was time to go. Michelle pushed Chelle down the aisle in her stroller since she was sound asleep. Then Brooklyn marched down to Canon in D minor to stand on the side and wait for me.

I linked my arm in my dad’s and went to the door. I waited behind the closed doors as the music ended.

“
Daddy, don’t let go till you have to,” I whispered and my dad nodded his head.

The doors opened and I stepped into the spotlight that was waiting for us. I took a deep breath as the amount of people inside the church made me nervous. Everyone was looking at me, and I was starting to freak out. I closed my eyes and tried to focus as my stomach did flips.

I opened my eyes up to see Jax staring at me like I was an angel. He looked at me like he was the lucky one, but truthfully I was lucky. I had done so many things wrong and could have lost him forever, but he forgave me and loved me all the same.

I focused in on his smile; it seemed to light up his face and radiate joy. He looked so happy and delighted. I couldn’t have been luckier than I was at that moment to have someone who looked at me like that.

As we came to a stop the minister prayed. I peeked out of my eye to see that Jax was peaking at me too.

“
Who presents this woman to be married to this man?” The Chaplain asked.

“
On behalf of all that have gathered here, and all of those not able to be with us today, I do." My dad stated with a gravelly voice from the unshed tears. Then he gave me a kiss and put my hand in Jax’s. “Take care of her, Jax.”

“
I won’t ever let her go,” Jax replied to my dad and winked at me.

The Chaplain said another prayer in which Jax and I never looked away from each other. Then the wedding moved forward. My mind faded down memory lane as the Chaplain talked about rings and marriage. Brooklyn tapped me and took my bouquet when she handed me Jax’s ring.

“
Jax, I promise to love you all day, every day, for the rest of our days. I promise to make you angry and be a sore loser. I even promise to mess up the house, but I promise I will be worth the headache. I promise that there will be more good times than bad, and I will always make sure when something is bad that I give you something good to go with it. I promise to always make water wishes with you. You make me whole again, and I promise to stand by you every day for as long as we both live.”

Then I slid the ring onto his finger. The laughter that had filled the air from my vows was almost a sigh of relief as I was turning into a basket case.

“
Candice, I promise to love you more than I have ever loved anyone. I promise to put you above all others. I promise to let you have the last bite of my banana split waffles. I promise that I will get you coffee every morning, and tuck you in beside me every night. I promise not to get mad when you make a mess, and I promise to make you as angry as you make me, because I can promise that I will always apologize, and I promise we will make up. I can’t promise you the world, but I can promise you that I will spend my life trying to make you happy. I promise never to purposely make you cry. I love you and will love you as long as we both shall live.”

Jax slid my ring on as the tears started to fall. The Chaplain went on talking about how two people were becoming one, as I stared into the gray eyes with the light blue strands. He was my wish, my water wish. He was everything that I wasn’t and that made us whole.

“
You may now kiss the bride,” the Chaplain spoke loudly and Jax pulled me in for a kiss. When his lips first pressed down on mine there was an odd clapping sound that made me pull away.

“
Did I miss the party?”

Shivers traveled down my spine as I stared into Jax’s eyes. He turned his head and then looked back at me in disbelief. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes as I knew that voice, but it wasn’t possible.

Chase stood at the back of the church, while people murmured and gasped. He looked like he hadn’t changed a bit. Shock reverberated through me and I wondered was this a dream. I pulled my hand out of Jax’s and pinched my arm, but I didn’t wake up.

“
Come on Jax, the
bet
is over.” Chase bellowed over the gasping crowd.

“
Bet? What bet?”

I hope you have enjoyed Book one in the Water Series, and that you do not want to throw things at me for the ending.

I promise I am working on Book two entitled Water Wishes as fast as I can.

Don’t forget to follow me online for upcoming release dates. As my current project is the Brooklyn Series. Grab your copy if you haven’t read it today.

AuthorElizabethYork.com

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Twitter.com/AuthorEYork

And more… Check on my web page for more links and upcoming information.