Loving Lily Lavender (18 page)

I have to admit I liked Cody instantly. He was big and muscular
and shaved his head. He was a little older than Lucas and I, maybe twenty-five,
and kind of reminded me of Vin Diesel.

Meagan was so worried when she heard about the accident that she
began coming over every evening, though I’m sure her attraction to Cody had
something to do with it too. I definitely felt some chemistry between them.

I decide to spend the rest of the week cleaning out my mother’s
room, making it another guest room. Since Cody was staying, we were short one
room for my new family. I really didn’t like the idea of using my mother’s
room. I preferred to leave it alone, but it had been a year and a half since
she left, so the time had come, and my family’s comfort was important to me.

I transformed it into a cozy cottage for Richard and Barbara, and
they already had access to their own private bathroom.

One of the guest bedrooms upstairs had two twin beds for Uncle
Dean and Nicholas. The other bedroom next door dubbed as my office. It had a
queen size bed just right for Abigail and Hannah.

After the barely missed hit and run, Lucas refused to leave the
house. He was working on something that I think he didn’t want me to know
about, making phone calls in secret, but I didn’t push the matter. I figured he
would tell me when he was ready.

Lucas’s family arrived from London, and just like I thought, I
loved them instantly. Richard was heavyset with thinning hair, but very
loveable. Barbara was short and thin, with shoulder length, mostly gray hair.
She had an exuberant personality, very full of life. Abigail was the oldest,
twenty-seven, and married with a toddler back home. She was tall with long,
blond hair. Hannah was the one I related to the most. She was quiet and sweet,
with shoulder length brown hair. She looked a lot like Lucas, and they seemed
to be very close. Uncle Dean was the one who surprised me the most. When I
first saw him in the airport, I thought the sophisticated looking Dean was
Lucas’s father. He was tall and thin with wavy, brown hair and blue eyes.
Finally I spotted Lucas’s best chap, as he called him, Nicholas, talking to a
girl at the coffee bar. He looked just as I pictured him, handsome, in a boyish
sort of way, and smart. Lucas said he was a schoolteacher and loved the ladies.

Everyone seemed very comfortable in our home. Barbara quickly
assumed cooking responsibilities, which suited me just fine considering my
nerves were shot anyway.

Lucas was fine until the day before the wedding when he started
getting a little antsy, saying it was all the attention that made him
uncomfortable.
Was he really an actor?

His dad, uncle, and Nicholas all tried to talk him into a
bachelor party, but he refused. He insisted he wasn’t interested in any
celebrating that didn’t involve me. What was the point in that? I totally
agreed, so we decided to have a little celebration at home.

Barbara cooked a huge feast, and we ate until we felt sick, then
we sat around the den while his family told funny stories of Lucas’s childhood.
I didn’t realize how much trouble he got into as a child, though he blamed most
of it on Nicholas, who didn’t deny it. It was a fun and enlightening evening,
and by the end of it I had a much better concept of my husband and his history.

Meagan insisted that Lucas couldn’t stay with me that night,
since it’s customary that the bride and groom not see each other the day of the
wedding. So reluctantly Lucas went home with Randall and slept on his sofa.

I didn’t sleep well that night. Lucas and I hadn’t spent a night
apart since we got married in that hospital room over three months earlier.

As I lie in our bed, thinking of him, I wondered if he was lying
there, wide awake, thinking of me. I hoped he wasn’t worrying, which was a
characteristic that was becoming more and more a part of him. After all, no one
would be crazy enough to try to hurt me here. The house was full of people. I
couldn’t help but wonder if the psycho would try to ruin my wedding, but I
wiped that thought away as quickly as it appeared. It was my day and no crazy,
slaphappy monkey was going to ruin it for me. I would enjoy the day, even if I
missed Lucas so bad my heart ached.

The day passed by so painfully slow that I thought I would go
insane. The clock hands seemed to be stuck in freeze mode until finally five
o’clock arrived and it was time to leave for the church. Meagan was in charge
of checking on the reception at the country club. She arrived at the church and
said everything looked amazing. Then she helped me into my dressed.

At five till seven I was almost sweating as time finally
approached. Cody was doing the honors of walking me down the aisle, and since
he had quickly become like a brother to me, it helped fill the void left by my
father’s absence.

As the music started, my cue to begin my walk, I took a deep
breath and tried to focus on the fact that I was marrying the man of my dreams;
a man so amazing that I didn’t feel I deserved him and yet, he was mine. As I
walked, tears filled my eyes as first I spotted my mother down front, sitting
in a wheel chair with a nurse by her side. Then my eyes focused on a man so
beautiful my mind couldn’t quite comprehend, and I had to remind myself to keep
breathing. All of my butterflies flew away as his gaze met mine. I smiled and his
face flushed a charming color pink as he took in the view of me.

All at once, I had a light bulb moment. As I strolled toward this
man, I was somehow aware that I was about to fulfill my purpose and calling in
this life and the sweetness of the realization was overwhelming. Becoming Mrs.
Lucas Lavender, the wife of, at that moment, the most sought after young actor
in Hollywood, meant the opportunity to really make a difference, to set an
example to the world. Despite the burden, I smiled. I approached him, taking
hold of the hand he offered. He gathered me to his side, leaned down to kiss my
cheek, and whispered, “You are utterly breathtaking.” I gazed up at him and
smiled. With his thumb he gently wiped the tear that had escaped down my cheek.
Sometimes it was hard to forget how formal and romantic British men could be
and at that moment I felt like the most blessed woman in the universe.

I don’t remember much about the ceremony, I confess. I just
remember Lucas and me staring at each other. I must’ve said my vows because I
heard Pastor Rob say, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your
bride”. He pulled me into his arms and when his lips came down on mine I
thought about nothing but the feel of him and the idea of a bright and happy
future.

We were out quickly, thankful we were able to keep the date a
secret from the media, and soon in the limo and on our way to the country club.
When we arrived, it was amazing, just like Meagan said.

The decorations cast the mood I had anticipated and the
atmosphere was just as I had dreamed it. I’d spent months planning and felt
that everything was perfect, but Lucas surprised me. He had arranged for
crystal dishes to be added to the tables, filled with white M&M’s with our
faces on them. What blessed me the most was not so much that he’d done it,
which was great, but that he remembered it from a conversation we had six
months earlier.

In the big, beautiful room, we were surrounded by loved ones,
from family and friends, to the cast and crew from the movie, and even a few
selected celebrities were present. My mom was able to stay for a while, which
was an added bonus, and I finally got to meet Jane and, just as I had expected,
she was lovely.

Dancing continued for hours. I was passed around from person to
person, until finally I landed right where I started, in Lucas’s arms.

“Finally, I have you back again,” he said with a dashing smile.

“Yes, and please don’t let me go again.”

“I’m never letting you go. You’re mine, forever.”

“Forever sounds good to me.” Then he leaned down and pressed his
lips gently to mine.

Everything went off without a hitch. We were tired, but excited
as we said our goodbyes and headed on our way to our honeymoon spot.

Instead of choosing a beach location, which, once he was
recognized would turn into pandemonium, we opted for something more secluded.

Lucas pulled some strings and rented us a log cabin nestled deep
in the North Carolina Mountains. When we arrived, it was one o’clock in the
morning, but the cabin looked very cozy with the lights on and smoke pouring
from the chimney.

“Oh, Lucas, it’s wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it. Everything has been taken care of. The
house is stocked with food for a week, firewood has been chopped and stacked in
the back, and no one knows our exact location except Cody, for safety
purposes.”

“Wow, you’ve thought of everything.”

“Well, I’ve had some time to think about this. Shall we?” He got
out of the car, came around, and opened my door. He stopped on the front porch,
unlocked the door before picking me up and carrying me through.

We spent the entire week making love, eating, taking walks
through the forest, cuddling by the fire, and talking until the wee hours of
the morning. I almost hated leaving. We lived in our very own enchanting
fantasy for a week, but eventually it was time to go home to reality, where
danger loomed and family awaited. Yes, our family was still at our home. They
decided to stay through Christmas. Which, on one hand, was good because Lucas
would enjoy being with his family, and I’ve never had a big Christmas before. On
the other hand, it meant the honeymoon was over and reality was staring us in
the face, but it was our reality, Lucas’s and mine. As long as that was true we
could handle anything.

Christmas came and went quicker than I thought possible. It was
the best Christmas I’ve ever had, though I missed spending it with my mom. I
gave Lucas a new guitar, one he’d secretly told Randall he wanted. Apparently,
it was much better than the one he had, and he was very elated. He, on the
other hand, bought me a brand new wardrobe, with every piece of clothing to fit
any occasion.
I know, how unbalanced is that, right?

As if that wasn’t enough, when we got in bed that night, I was
surprised to feel a box under my pillow. “What have you done?” I asked
incredulously.

“Nothing you don’t deserve.” He smiled an irresistible smile.

“Oh, Luke, it’s beautiful.” I pulled out a gold chain with a
beautiful, and big, diamond heart on it. “It looks expensive.”

“Maybe a little, but you’re worth every penny and more.”

“I hope you’re not going to get in a habit of spending a lot of
money on me, because I have everything I need right here.”

“I can’t promise. I love giving you things, and it looks
beautiful on you,” he whispered while fastening it securely to my neck, kissing
it softly.

“Well, thank you. I love it. As a matter of fact, let me show you
how grateful I am.” I winked playfully as I reached over and turned out the
light.

The next morning, I slept in. Lucas woke me as he entered our
room with my coffee in hand. “Good morning, beautiful.” He greeted me with a
brilliant smile.

“Good morning. What do I owe the pleasure of coffee in bed?”

“Well, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh, of course, sit down and tell me.” I patted the bed and he
took a seat next to me.

“I think I know what I’m supposed to do now, but I have to have
your full support before I even consider it.” He reached over and took my hand
in his.

“Okay, what is it?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and I want to give up
acting and pursue a full-time career in music. I want to work with Randall in
his recording studio, writing and recording songs. What do you think?”

To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really all that surprised.
Actually, I had expected he would come to that decision sooner or later, but I
wasn’t going to let him know that. I wanted this to be his decision without any
influence from me.
“Well, are you really sure it’s what you want? I mean
have you considered what you’re giving up?”

“That’s why I want to do it. You were right when you said I
wasn’t made for Hollywood. I don’t belong there. I’m happiest when I’m playing
my music, and we don’t really need the money.” He shrugged.

“If you’re sure, I think it’s a wonderful idea. I’m so proud of
you for taking such a big step.” I reached up to hug him tightly.

“Well, the truth is, I would’ve never had the courage to do it
before I met you. You changed me, Lily.”

“I know what you mean. Before I met you, I thought I was happy, and
I guess I was to a certain extent, but after you left, I realized how empty and
lonely my life really was.”

“Yes, I remember the feeling, and I never plan on experiencing it
again.”

The day had come for his family to go home. I cried as I hugged
everyone goodbye. Barbara was also emotional, especially when she hugged Lucas.

“Lucas, I’m so proud of the choices you’re making and the wife
you’ve chosen. I can really see the difference she’s making in you. I’m going
to miss you. You two come and visit us soon, okay?” She squeezed me tight,
saving my hug for last.

They had insisted we not escort them to the airport, so we stood
on the back deck and waved goodbye as they pulled away.

“So, Mr. Lavender, what do you want to do today? Since you gave
Cody the day off to take Meagan on a date, it seems we have the house to
ourselves for a change.”

“Oh yeah!” he said, as if remembering something. I laughed
exuberantly as he slung me over his shoulder and carried me up to our room
where we hung the ‘do not disturb sign’ on the knob and locked the door.

After Lucas hung up the phone, he looked anxious and worried, so
I decided it was time to confront him. “You know, Lucas, I don’t mean to pry,
but is there something you’re not telling me? You seemed a little disturbed by
that phone call, and I’ve felt like you’ve been keeping something from me. I
think it’s time for you to tell me what’s going on.”