Destined to Love (Starting Over Trilogy Book 3) (20 page)

Our ring bearer, Bryson, is next. He is my two-year-old nephew. He walks out wearing a black tux. He carries the silk pillow that holds our wedding rings on it. He doesn’t smile. He probably feels like he’s choking, too. He stops halfway down the aisle and plays with the red ribbon holding our wedding rings to the pillow.
Please don’t untie that bow,
I think to myself. Everyone laughs and he startles. He hurries and stands beside Sophia.

Angel is next, then Brea’s three sisters. They are all wearing the same long red formal dress. Sara comes out right before Brea; Sara’s dress is a little different: same color, but off the shoulder. Once she is in place, the music changes.

Everyone stands and faces the back of the room. My heart beats faster. I feel like I can’t breathe. This is Brea, the love of my life. I haven’t been away from her for this long since I can’t remember when. I haven’t made love to her since before our son’s birth just over six weeks ago. I turn Arturo around. I want him to see Brea as I see her. She steps out from behind the bushes, with her arms linked with her Dad’s. Looking at her, I swear, she takes my breath away. She locks eyes with mine and stops. Tears fall onto her pale cheeks. I want to run up there and comfort her, but I smile instead. Her father whispers something into her ears and pats her on her hand.
 

She nods and begins to walk towards me. I watch my future wife take her last few steps as a single woman. The moment I make her mine can’t come fast enough. Arturo fusses so I bounce him.

I can’t wait any longer. I am supposed to meet them at the altar, but I walk to meet them. When I get to her, I take her hand. She smiles at me and leans in to kiss our son. She uses her fingers to wipe away the lipstick smudge from his small cheeks. I bend down to kiss her and she kisses me back.

Her father leans in and whispers, “That comes at the end of the ceremony.”

I lean back away from Brea, smile, and say, “Sorry, I couldn’t wait.” Everyone laughs and Brea cries.

Her father kisses her and I walk her the short distance to stand in front of the preacher. I listen intently to what he says. When it is time to say our vows, I hand Arturo to Donovan. We repeat our vows and exchange rings. When it is time to kiss the bride, Brea steps back slightly.

“Slow” is all she says before she kisses me sweetly. Arturo cries and Brea looks around me and reaches for him. She kisses him and then turns around so we are facing our friends and family. The preacher introduces us as, “Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Antonio Salvatore
and Family.”
Everyone laughs, Brea cries, and I stand tall and proud.
My family.
 

Angel
 

The wedding reception is in full swing. The grandparents left to put Arturo to bed, and Brea and Vincent also left after they cut the cake. They are getting a hotel room tonight and then leaving with the baby tomorrow to honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains.

“One last dance, Beauty?” Mason whispers in my ear.
 

“I turn around and smile. “I would love to, Handsome.”
 

He takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor; he holds me close. Mason holds my hand close to his heart and wraps his other arm around my waist. He is such a smooth dancer. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he kisses my cheek. He sings softly in my ear, and I swear I could melt. We sway to the music and I smile. I just listen to his soothing voice.

After the dance, we help with the cleanup, and Sara and Donovan walk over and announce they are leaving. The party is still going strong. Over a hundred people are still here. Brea’s sisters are dancing with Vincent’s cousins; they are laughing and having a great time.

“Are you ready?” Mason asks.
 

“Yes, I think so. Sara and I need to get our things first.”
 

We walk to the reception building and are let into the dressing room. We gather our clothing, purses, makeup bags, and shoes before exiting the room. After saying our goodbyes, Mason and I drive home.

The next few days are filled with taking the gifts over to Brea and Vincent’s house. I also received the nicest thank-you letter from my client, Marilyn:

Angel, Darling, I feel I didn’t get a chance to appropriately thank you for your efforts on adding new life to my dreadful lanai. I didn’t think it would ever be a space I truly loved, until now. The waterfall is my favorite, next to the lovely outdoor furniture. You are truly talented, and I would love for you to continue working your magic in the rest of my home. My master suite is in dire need of a facelift. Please call me when you have time so we can get this underway. You are truly a gifted and talented designer. Thank you again, Darling. Looking forward to seeing you soon. Marilyn

This is great news. I call her the next day and we decide to meet and discuss her ideas.
 

Uncle Raùl called and confirmed he will be down for Thanksgiving. He said he found Momma’s dress and some other wedding items he will be bringing with him. I am excited to see him, the dress, and the other items he is talking about.

Mason and I are going to dinner tonight with Sara, Donovan, Brea, Vincent, and Arturo. We haven’t seen them since they returned home from their honeymoon. We don’t dress up but wear jeans and a sweater — the weather has finally cooled off and we can now wear long sleeves.

We are last to arrive and walk hand in hand into the crowded restaurant. We see everyone as soon as we walk in. Brea is holding Arturo, and he is smiling at her. Sara and Brea are talking to him while Vincent has his arm draped over the back of Brea’s chair.

Donovan and Vincent stand when we near the table, Mason pulls my chair out for me. He shakes hands with Donovan and Vincent before sitting.
 

“So how was the honeymoon?” Sara asks.

“It was wonderful; we mostly just stayed in and relaxed. Vincent surprised us with a secluded cabin in the mountains. He even had it stocked with food and toiletry items we normally use. I have no idea who he got to shop for us, but they did a wonderful job. It was just like walking into our own home.”
 

“Did you see any bears while you were there?” I ask excitedly.
 

“We did. We bought a picnic lunch from a cute little teahouse, called Magnolias. Then we drove through Cades Cove and ate outside on a blanket in one of the open fields. We were able to spot a family of bears in the distance,” Brea answers, while bouncing Arturo on her lap.
 

“How was the honeymoon with the baby?” Mason asks, looking directly at Vincent.
 

“Great,” is all Vincent says, smiling.

“We had a hot tub outside on the porch that overlooked the mountains. We were able to use that when the baby was asleep. It was even cool enough to use the indoor fireplace,” Brea adds.

Brea and Vincent share pictures of the wedding and of their relaxing honeymoon, although it sounds more like a family vacation.

“This is a nice picture,” Mason laughs, holding it up for everyone to see. The picture is of Vincent and Brea standing at the altar. Vincent has a chain with a large black ball around his ankle. “Ball and Chain.”
 

We all laugh.

“It’s great having photographers in the family. Don’t stop there, there’s more,” Vincent nods towards the handful of pictures.

Another picture of Vincent and Brea showed them standing behind what looked like a jail cell.
 

Mason laughs again. “I didn’t see Jerry Springer at your wedding,” he says, holding up another picture of the wedding party where Jerry Springer photobombed it — or where someone Photoshopped him in. “The photos all look great — even the Photoshopped ones,” Donovan says, laughing as he passes them around the table. “It may have actually been Jerry Springer since he has a home in Sarasota,” Donovan adds.
 

“The photo where you are kneeling in church and your shoes have written on the soles HELP and ME were not Photoshopped,” Mason says. “I used shoe polish to write those words.”

We order dinner and pass the baby around. Mason still calls him Junior and Brea laughs. At one time she would have hurt him for calling him that.

A woman screams from a nearby table and we all look over. Mason stands immediately and rushes over and Vincent and Donovan are right behind him. I stand up but stand near our table. I watch the commotion, but I’m not sure what’s going on.

I hear someone yell, “She’s choking! Call 911!”
 

I reach for my phone and call 911.

“Nine, one, one. What is your emergency?”
 

“I’m in a restaurant and someone is choking,” I stutter.
 

“What is your exact location, ma’am?”
 

“I’m at LeRoy Selmons on Cortez Road in Bradenton. I’m sorry, I don’t know the address.”
 

“Is it a male or female?”
 

“Sara, is it a man or a woman? I can’t see.”
 

“Oh, my God, it’s a kid, it’s a little girl,” Brea cries.
 

Sara and Brea stand and hold their hands to their mouth. We watch as Mason does the Heimlich maneuver on a child. She looks like she is about eight years old or a little older.

“Ma’am, is it a man or a woman?”
 

“I’m sorry. Please hurry, it’s a little girl. She looks about eight or ten years old. Please hurry.”
 

We watch in horror as Mason does the Heimlich maneuver on the small girl. Mason places his arms around the standing
,
conscious girl’s torso and makes a fist. In the center of the abdomen, above the belly button and below the ribs, he gives her firm thrusts inward and upward. When nothing happens, he repeats the process. People crowd in and block our view. Brea holds her baby close to her, and Sara and I hold hands. I try to see better, but too many people are standing and blocking my view. Pretty soon people clap and the crowd thins. I can finally see — a woman is hugging her daughter and a man is shaking Mason’s hand.

Mason kneels down and speaks to the child and she hugs him. He smoothes her long brown hair and pats the top of her head before he, Donovan, and Vincent join us at our table.
 

Mason excuses himself to go to the restroom and the ambulance pulls up with lights and sirens on. The parents, still hugging their little girl, walk out with her to meet the ambulance.
 

Mason joins us and sits down.
 

“I’m starving. I think I want a steak.” He picks up his menu to look it over. Brea, Sara, and I just look at him. He just saved a kid’s life and he is looking at a menu.

“Mason?”
 

He lowers the menu and looks over at Sara.
 

“You just saved a life,” she says, like he doesn’t know that.

“Maybe. Maybe she would have coughed it up on her own,” he says, raising the menu to look at it again.

“Mason? You just saved a kid’s life — don’t act like it’s not a big deal,” Brea says, while rocking her son.

Mason looks over his menu, “What are you guys hungry for?”
 

“Please excuse me. I don’t mean to interrupt.”
 

We all look up.

“I’m Steve Norris, the manager,” he says, reaching his hand out for Mason’s.
 

Mason smiles, and shakes Steve’s hand. “Hi, Steve, I’m Mason and this is my fiancé, Angel, and our friends, Sara, Donovan, Brea, Vincent, and their son, Arturo.”
 

“I won’t be long and I don’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to thank you for jumping in and doing what you did. As you know, if you hadn’t stepped in, the outcome may have been much different. As our thanks to you, LeRoy Selmons would like to buy dinners, drinks, and desserts for you, your beautiful fiancé, and your friends tonight.”
 

“No, really, that isn’t necessary. If I hadn’t been here, someone else would have stepped in. That is very kind of you, but really, it’s not necessary. I’m just thankful it all worked out.”

“Thank you and your meals are already taken care of.” Steve nods, and looks at everyone before leaving.

“See, Mason, that is a big deal,” Sara says.
 

“I’m just glad that little girl will be going home with her parents tonight.”
 

Mason
 

Raùl comes in a few days early for Thanksgiving. Angel wanted to cook and have everyone come here, but Mom insisted on having everyone over there, including Josephine and Carl.
 

“Mason, I need to meet Aunt Rosie at the cottage tonight to try on Momma’s wedding dress. Do you want to go or would you like to do something with Vincent and Donovan?”
 

“I’ll go. I need to speak with Raùl
about something.” 

Angel looks over her shoulder, while she brushes her hair.

“About what?”
 

Think, Mason, think.

“I think I heard Maria’s brakes on her car squealing the other day. I need to talk to him about that.”