Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series) (43 page)

Ariana nodded. “It’s true.” More tears poured down her cheeks.

David smiled as he put his finger under his daughter’s chin, lifting her face so he could see her eyes. “We’ll come and visit you instead, then. That sound like a plan?”

Ariana threw her arms around his neck and breathed in his smell. He smelled the same as she remembered. “Yes, that sounds like a plan.” She pulled back and looked at Michael. “I know someone who would really like to see you. Thank you for coming, Michael. You know I don’t expect you to watch this.”

“I just want you to be happy Ariana. I’m not going to say that it won’t hurt… but as long as you’re happy, and I can see that you are, I’m happy for you.” He lowered his gaze, and she grabbed him in a big hug. He hugged her hard, and then pulled back. “Do you think Abe would mind if I danced with my wife later? You are beautiful, Ariana.”

“I’m sure he will get over it if he does have a problem.” She pointed her finger at him. “No stepping on my toes, though.”

He held up four fingers together. “Scouts’ honor.”

She laughed. “I think you have too many fingers held up there, slick. You weren’t ever a boy scout, anyway.”

“Yeah, I know. That was my back-up plan, in case you do end up with bruised feet tomorrow.” He laughed. “Who wants to see me, anyway?”

Ariana went and picked up her new cell phone and called a number. She waited a beat and then spoke. “Can you come to my room? I have a surprise for you. Okay, I’ll see you in a sec.”

She stood and beamed at her family. “This is the best day of my life. I can’t believe you guys are actually here.”

David took her hands. “You’d better believe it, baby.” He looked at his little girl appraisingly. “You have grown so much and you are so beautiful, Ari.” Hearing the nickname he’d given her made her smile.

There was a knock at the door. Ariana opened it just enough to squeeze through, without leaving any peeking space.

She smiled at Lance and took his hands. “You are not going to give me away tonight, Lance. I hope you don’t mind. My father is going to do it, like it’s supposed to be. He’s here, and he didn’t come alone. I have a little surprise for you.”

Lance’s eyes got wide as he grasped what she was saying. “Your dead parents are here? Are you serious? So, that means…?”

His words were interrupted by a loud bang on the bedroom door and then a thump from inside her room. Ariana opened the door carefully to find Michael laying on the floor, rubbing his forehead.

“Oh, my God. What were you doing, Michael?”

“Michael?” Lance ran into the room.

Michael sat up. “I’ve been a ghost for a month. I’m used to walking through things. I heard Lance’s voice and I tried to walk through the door to get to him. Ow! I forgot how much it hurts to be human.”

Lance looked as though he were about to faint or cry or both. Instead he started laughing and offered his best friend a hand, then pulled him into a tight hug.

“It’s good to see you, Lance. I’m glad you’re here. I know Abe will take care of Ariana, but it’s still good to know that her friends are here, with her.” Michael slapped Lance on the back and then released his friend from the hug. “You know I don’t blame you for the accident, right?”

Lance blinked back tears. “Why… Why did you step back? I’ve got to know, Michael.”

Michael smiled. “So Abe could be with my wife, I guess. Everything happens for a reason, you know. I didn’t even realize I’d stepped back until I was falling.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I want you to know that you haven’t lost me forever. I’ll hitch a ride every time her parents come to visit. I’m not that easy to get rid of.”

Becky, Rainey and Janie showed up in the doorway. “Oh my God!” Janie ran to Ariana’s mother and hugged her.

“I guess these are your parents, Ariana,” Rainey said with a smile. Hello, Michael, good to see you again.” He nodded. “Ariana, it’s show time, girl. Who’s giving you away?”

“Will you give me away, Daddy?”

“Not in a million years. This Abe guy hasn’t asked me for your hand yet.” He smiled and Ariana slapped his arm playfully. “Yes, baby, I will walk you down the aisle and give you away. Why do you think I got this penguin suit on?”

Ariana smiled, recalling Abe had used the same term about his tuxedo. “Don’t worry. You and Abe are going to get along just fine, Daddy. Come on.”

“Places, people!” Rainey shouted as they all stepped out of the elevator. She stationed herself by the door to the gardens and organized every person walking through. Ariana glimpsed Lance escort her mother to a seat in the front row just before Rainey cut her view. She pulled a make-up bag out of nowhere and quickly touched up Ariana’s face, covering up the damage left by tears. Then she declared, “You are beautiful, Your Highness.”

Ariana blushed and giggled.

Michael walked up to her and smiled. “Would you mind if I took your other arm and gave you to him, too?”

She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Michael, it would mean so much to me if you did.” She looped her arm through her dad’s, then through Michael’s, just as the music started.

The three maids walked up to Ariana. Becky handed her a pinkie ring.

“Something borrowed.” She smiled as she started down the aisle. Ariana slid it on her finger.

Rainey kneeled down. She had a bright blue garter in her hand. “Lift your foot so I can put this on your leg. Something blue.”

After slipping it into place she stood and kissed Ariana’s cheek, then walked out to the gardens.

Janie had tears in her eyes as she walked to Ariana. “Something old. These were your mother’s pearls. She received them the day she married your dad. I found them in your jewelry box and I figured you would want them.” She fastened the clasp behind Ariana’s neck.

Ariana tried to fight back the tears. “I love you, Janie.” She looked at her dad and he had tears in his eyes, too.

Janie started down the aisle, too. Ariana waited for the music to change. When she heard the wedding march, she took a deep breath and let Michael and David lead her through the door.

Holy cow, Ariana thought, every one of the island’s residents must have been there. How did three thousand people even fit in the gardens?

She smiled as she imagined the way Abe must have put all the witches and warlocks through their paces. Tiny lights were hovering over the flowers and trees, twinkled from the paths and through the rose-covered arches. Big black and silver ribbons that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses were wrapped around poles and chairs and every person in the crowd held more flowers tied up with ribbons; the children waved silver balloons. She spotted Jacob and gave him a smile. He beamed back and waved at her.

They had to follow the garden paths, and when they rounded the last corner, she caught her first glimpse of Abe standing at the altar. He was handsome in a black tux, his hands laced in front of him. When he saw her, he put one of his hands over his heart and took a deep breath. She smiled at him through the sheer veil and he smiled back.

David and Michael stopped at the altar. Ariana turned to Michael and gave him a big hug, then turned to her father. He smiled as he lifted her veil. “You are beautiful, my dear. Me and your mother love you so much, and I am so proud of what you have become.” David turned and looked at Abe. “Take care of my little girl, will ya?” he said in a strained voice, as he took Abe’s outstretched hand and gave it a firm shake.

Abe nodded. “I will take care of her, Sir. I love her more than my own life. Thank you.” He looked at Michael. “Thank you, Michael.”

David and Michael nodded and David placed Ariana’s hand in Abe’s.

The priest walked forward. “I would like to thank everyone for attending this ceremony on this wonderful night. We are here to witness something truly spectacular as Ariana Bryn Barker Lochalan joins hands and hearts with Abraham Collin Cambridge before God and everyone who attended. Who gives this woman away?”

David and Michael stepped forward. “We do,” David said.

“You may all be seated,” the priest said, and there was a moment of loud shuffling. “The bride and groom have requested that this be a short and simple ceremony. They have written their own vows and would like to share them before you now. Ariana, you may start whenever you are ready.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “Abe… There is something that I haven’t shared with you. I feel that every relationship has to start out with honesty… and I haven’t been completely honest with you…”

Abe stopped breathing, and Ariana continued with a smile pulling at her lips. “You see, I’ve never believed in love at first sight… until the moment our eyes first met. My heart fell for you then and forever will be yours. There will be times when we see things differently, there will be times we get mad at each other, and there will be times when walking out seems easier than trying to work it out. That being said, I am certain there will be more times that we agree on things, there will be more times that we are happy, and there will never be a time that we walk away from each other, because a love like ours isn’t found in the stars, it isn’t found in a movie, it’s found right here.” She put her hand over her heart. “I love you, Abraham Cambridge, with everything I am.”

Abe wiped at his eye, and looked at their audience. There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. “Ariana… I have walked this earth nine hundred and fifty four years. I didn’t care about anyone, including myself. I had no purpose in life. The only emotion I felt was hatred. I hated life. I hated my existence. I hated what I had to do to survive. I came here, to Eternal Island, looking for a new start. I found it, a new way to live, I felt as though I had my humanity back, at least part of it. The people here were different, like me, so I fit in and didn’t have to hide what I was. I still felt empty inside, though. I felt I was missing something, but I thought I had missed my chance at love. A little over a week ago,” Abe looked at Rainey, then back to Ariana. “I doubted someone very trustworthy, who said I was to fall in love. I laughed and told her that she was crazy. I saw you for the first time laying unconscious in a hospital bed. I was lost to you from that moment. I started having emotions and feelings that I’d never had before, and it scared the hell out of me.”

He looked at the priest. “Forgive me, father.”

“No one’s perfect, my child. Carry on,” the priest replied.

Abe brought his attention back to her. “It doesn’t matter how many emotions crash down on me and frighten me – I can handle them. What I wouldn’t be able to handle… is losing your love. I need it more than anything. I need it to survive. I am positive at this moment that there is a God above and he has truly blessed me. I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you and I will love you for all eternity, Ariana Bryn Barker Lochalan Cambridge.”

The priest stepped forward. “Do you, Ariana, take this man to be your wedded husband this night before God and everyone else?”

She smiled and looked into Abe’s eyes. “I do.”

“Do you, Abraham, take this woman to be your wedded wife this night before God and everyone else?”

His face was solemn as he vowed. “I do.”

“May we have the rings?” asked the priest. Jonah and Janie handed the rings to Abe and Ariana.

Ariana took Abe’s left hand in hers, and positioned the ring at the tip of his ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed. I bind myself to you for all eternity.” She slipped it into place.

Abe took her left hand in his, took off her engagement ring and positioned a diamond-encrusted wedding band at the tip of her ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed. I bind myself to you for all eternity.” He slipped it into place, then put her engagement ring back on behind it.

“Is there anyone who sees just cause why this man and woman should not be united tonight? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

A low growl came out of Abe’s throat and the audience busted out with laughter.

After a brief moment, the noise died down.

“By the power invested in me here, on Eternal Island, I now pronounce you man and wife… You may kiss the bride.”

Abe cupped her face in his hands and gazed into her beautiful bright green eyes before placing his lips gently on hers.

The crowd cheered as the music started playing. Abe had deepened the kiss and Ariana had her fingers knotted in his hair.

“Ariana!” Janie whispered loudly. “You’re supposed to walk back down the aisle with your husband, now. Ariana! Ariana?”

The kiss broke off and Ariana and Abe were both beaming at each other. “We’ll pick up where we left off later, Mrs. Cambridge,” Abe said, still smiling.

“You bet we will,” she answered, a mischievous smile on her lips.

She hooked her arm through his and the audience threw rice over their heads as they walked by.

“Everyone is invited to the reception!” Abe shouted to the crowd, then kissed his wife again.

E
PILOGUE

The dance floor was empty as Abe led Ariana to the center. Jonah brought him a head set with a hands free microphone attached and winked at Ariana. Abe clipped it on, and then hooked her hands on his shoulders and grabbed her waist.

“What is the microphone for, Abe? Do you want everyone to hear you? Oh…” It dawned on her what he was doing. “You were serious about singing to me in front of everyone?”

“Of course I was. I thought you liked me singing to you.” He laughed. “I want you to do me a favor. When the song starts, I want you to look right over there.” He pointed to her mom and dad, who were clearly proud of their little girl.”

She looked back at him. “Alright, but why?”

“You’ll see, honey.” Abe signalled the DJ to start the song and he turned the microphone on.

The song started playing and she knew exactly what it was. “There’s No Way”, by the country group Alabama. She looked up at him with tears threatening to spill, then to her mom and dad. This had been their wedding song, as well. They were holding each other in a tight hug, tears glistening on their cheeks.

“How’d you know?”

Abe shook his head. “I can’t let you know all my secrets.”