Neptune's Ring (38 page)

“Oh yes, Vanessa,” Levi said as she leaned
forward to kiss her lover.

A chorus of “hoorays” came from the small
patio leading off Levi’s office and her friends came through the
sliding glass doors.

“Congratulations you two,” NeNe said and was
quickly followed by the rest of the group.

Vanessa took the box from Levi’s hand and
lifted the ring from its resting place. She took Levi’s right hand
and slipped the ring on her ring finger as the tears began to flow
down Levi’s face.

“A perfect fit for a perfect love,” Nat said
as she patted Vanessa on the back.

Vanessa wiped away Levi’s tears and kissed
her softly on the lips. “Would you marry me next Saturday as part
of the grand opening festivities?” Vanessa asked.

Levi looked up at Vanessa with tears still
glistening in her eyes. “Yes, baby, I will.”

“We have a wedding to plan ladies,” Liz said.
“Let’s move up to the house and let the lovebirds have a few
private moments,” she said.

Everyone left the room except for Levi and
Vanessa. Vanessa kissed her deeply. “I have put in my notice with
the cruise line and will be here with you permanently in a month,”
Vanessa said.

“Oh baby, are you sure that is what you want
to do?” Levi asked.

“I am very certain, Levi and I want to spend
the rest of my life with you,” Vanessa said as she kissed her
sweetly.

Levi embraced Vanessa and her tears returned
shaking her body as Vanessa held her close.

When Levi’s tears subsided, she and Vanessa
closed up the office and walked up toward the house.

“I love you,” Levi said.

“I love you too,” Vanessa answered.

When they entered the house they found their
friends in the parlor planning the wedding. Cass was making notes
and assignments on a legal pad.

“Okay, Cat will order the wedding cake and
flowers,” Cass said.

“We should have enough food from the grand
opening and we will order champagne for the wedding party,” Liz
said.

“Would you like the ceremony in the resort
garden?” Vanessa asked.

“Yes, I think that would be proper,” Levi
said.

“What will you wear?” NeNe asked.

“I think Vanessa should wear her dress
whites,” Levi said. “She is unbelievably delicious in those.”

“And you, what will you wear?”

“I think I will go to town and see what I can
find on this short notice, but probably a simple white dress,” Levi
said.

“We get to see you in a dress?” Nat
teased.

“I think the occasion calls for something
other than shorts and a tropical shirt,” Levi said with a
chuckle.

“I would marry you regardless of what you
choose to wear,” Vanessa said.

“Aww, I think she really does love you,” NeNe
said.

“I think you are right, NeNe,” Levi said with
a warm smile and a kiss to Vanessa’s cheek.

“What’s not to love about you?” Vanessa said.
“You are beautiful, brave, intelligent and loyal.”

“Okay Romeo, we get the point,” Nat said.

They sat up and made wedding plans late into
the night until the yawns began and they agreed to retire for the
evening.

Saturday morning arrived and Levi slipped
quietly out of Vanessa’s arms and into the shower. She dressed and
poured a cup of coffee before she left the house to meet Carlos. He
was just arriving as Levi reached the bottom of the hill, so she
walked to the dock to meet him.

“Good morning, Levi.”

“Good morning, are you ready for today?” she
asked.

“As ready as I can be,” he said with a warm
smile.

They started the fire and began setting up
the tables they would use in preparing the meat and other’s that
would be used for serving. Carlos and Levi worked well together and
she felt sad that their working relationship was coming to an
end.

“So, what is next for you?” Levi asked.

“A few small projects that should keep me
busy through the remainder of the fall and then Nat and I have
discussed starting renovations at Venus after the first of the
year,” he said.

“That is good news and then when you finish
there, maybe we will be ready to start on the cottages here,” Levi
said.

“That would be wonderful,” Carlos said.

Vanessa arrived an hour later bringing them
bacon filled bagels and coffee. “I thought you might need some food
to keep you going,” she said.

“Thank you sweetie,” Levi said.

She and Carlos took a short break and ate the
breakfast Vanessa had brought them. “Is there anything I can do to
help?” she asked.

“You can help me pull out the pool chairs and
check supplies at the pool bar,” Levi said. “Just let me use the
rest room and I will be right back.”

Vanessa and Carlos watched Levi disappear
inside the resort.

“I noticed a new piece of jewelry on Levi’s
hand this morning. Did you have anything to do with that?” Carlos
asked.

“Yes, I have asked Levi to marry me next
weekend as part of the grand opening ceremonies,” Vanessa said.

“Congratulations, you have a remarkable
lady,” Carlos said.

“Yes, I know, but thank you,” Vanessa said.
“I hope that you will join us,” Vanessa said.

“I would not miss it for the world,” Carlos
said.

“Thanks,” Vanessa said. We don’t have time
for formal invitations, but we would be honored to have you join
us,” Vanessa said.

Levi walked back out to where they were
sitting. “Are you ready baby?” she asked.

Vanessa stood and walked toward Levi. “We
will be back soon,” Levi said then they walked to the pool.

They prepared the pool for guests and checked
the drinks they had placed on ice before leaving yesterday. “Why
don’t we carry more ice down to cover these drinks a little more,”
Levi said.

They went to the night club and carried
several buckets of ice to the pool bar and successfully covered the
drinks. Levi closed the door to the club and looked up at the empty
spot above the door and smiled.

Levi heard a small motor and smiled to see
the first of their guests arriving on a keel boat. Liz, Nat, NeNe,
Cat and Cass were also coming down the hill and walked to the docks
to greet their guests as Levi and Vanessa returned to the
grill.

“I guess we had better get to cooking,” Levi
said as she and Carlos began piling meat onto the large grill.

NeNe had been assigned to work the pool bar
and monitor the safety of the pool, while Nat and the others
greeted the guests and monitored the rest of the food arriving from
the island. Vanessa would stay with Carlos and Levi and act as a
gopher if something was needed until it was time to boil the corn.
She sat on a small stool and watched as Levi and Carlos began
cooking.

Families continued to arrive and the rest of
the food was delivered from the mainland as the festivities began.
Carlos and Vanessa were slaving over the grill as the guests played
in the pool and enjoyed a beautiful day. Levi looked up and saw
Roberto and Julia arrive and walk down the dock. Roberto was
carrying a large object concealed in white cloth and he smiled when
he caught Levi’s eye. She watched as Roberto disappeared into the
night club and returned a few minutes after depositing his
gift.

Cass, Cat, Liz and Nat served the guests and
thanked each one for the hard work they had put in to finish the
project. When all the food was cooked, everyone settled down to eat
and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. Carlos and Levi fixed a plate
and join their friends at a table.

“I am so glad you and Roberto decided to
come,” Levi said to Julia.

“Thank you for inviting us,” she said. “You
have made us feel like a part of the family,” she added.

“You both will always be a large part of the
island,” Levi said.

“Vanessa shared your good news with us,”
Roberto said. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you. We don’t have much time to plan,
but I am sure the ceremony will turn out beautiful. Cat and Cass
have been a wonderful help in making the arrangements,” Levi said.
“I expect the two of you to be there,” she said.

“We will,” Roberto said.

Levi went in search of Vanessa and found her
tossing kids into the pool. “Hiya baby,” she said. “Having
fun?”

“Yes, but I am going to be so sore tomorrow,”
she said.

“Don’t worry, I will work the soreness out
for you,” Levi said with a smile.

Levi looked back and saw Julia and Cat
talking. The smile growing on Cat’s face made her wonder what they
could be planning, but an excited scream in the pool brought her
attention back to the mob of children surrounding Vanessa.

When she turned around again, Julia and
Roberto were in deep conversation. She was about to walk over to
them to see what was going on when Nat’s voice broke the air.

“Welcome friends and family,” she said. “I
hope that everyone is having a great day and is getting plenty to
eat. I have been told that there is a special dedication being made
today and I would like Levi and Roberto to join me.”

The crowd clapped as Levi and Roberto walked
to the front where Nat was standing. Levi nodded at Roberto who
walked inside the night club and returned with the package he had
brought earlier.

“As you all know, Celeste met an untimely
death here on the island,” Levi said and watched as the crowd
nodded with sad faces. “Her spirit and love for this island will
truly never end, so Roberto and I have decided to make a memorial
to her spirit. We have decided to name the Night Club “Celeste’s
Garden” in honor of Celeste and her love of beautiful things,” Levi
said.

Levi nodded at Roberto and he removed the
cloth wrapping from the object he was holding. Roberto had carved a
sign to hang above the club’s entrance. Next to the name of the
club, he had carved the image of Celeste tending to her garden and
it was so life-like the crowd was stunned.

Cat stood up from her seat and began to clap
her hands, bringing the crowd out of their stupor and soon everyone
was clapping. Carlos brought out a ladder, some nails and a hammer
and he and Roberto hung the sign above the door.

Carlos stepped inside and flipped a switch
and two lights lit up to illuminate the sign and Celeste’s face
came to life again at that moment.

The crowd was hushed by the beauty of the
face looking back at them. “She was beautiful,” Liz said as she
placed her arm on Julia’s shoulder.

“Yes, she was,” Julia said.

An hour later, the crowd started to thin and
clean up began on the island. Roberto and Julia thanked the group
for inviting them to such a wonderful event and then left the
island.

It was near nightfall when the clean up was
finished and Nat and Liz used the cart to haul the leftover food up
to the house. Carlos was the last to leave the island and he and
Levi walked to the boat. He hugged Levi close. “I will see you
soon,” he said.

“Goodnight, Carlos,” Levi said. “Thanks for
such a wonderful day.”

“We did a good thing,” he said with a
grin.

“Yes we did,” Levi said. She smiled as Carlos
backed out of the harbor heading to the mainland.

Levi joined Vanessa and taking her hand, they
walked up the hill to the house to join their friends.

“That was an amazing day,” Liz said as Levi
and Vanessa joined them on the porch. “Have a seat and I will get
you both a beer,” Liz said.

Vanessa sat down on the top step and leaned
back against the railing and Levi sat between her legs and leaned
back against her chest. “I don’t know about you ladies, but I am
whipped,” Levi said.

“You worked hard all day long cooking and
seeing to others, baby,” Vanessa said.

“Yes, but wasn’t it great?” Levi said with a
smile.

“That looks like Carlos coming back,” Cat
said.

They turned to look across the water and
there was a boat returning to the island. “He must have forgotten
something,” Cass said.

“I guess we will see shortly,” Cat said as
she kissed Cass on the cheek.

NeNe had been talking on the phone with
Killian and stepped out onto the porch. “It looks like we are about
to have company,” she said. “Killian says to tell everyone hello,”
she said and sat down beside Nat.

Liz returned carrying beers for Levi and
Vanessa and returned to her seat.

“I think I will drive down to the harbor and
see what is up with Carlos,” Cat said.

“Hurry back, sweetie,” Cass said as they
watched her step onto the cart to head down the hill.

“I don’t think I have seen you smile this
much in a long time,” Liz said to Cass.

“She makes me so very happy,” Cass said.

“It looks good on you too,” Levi said.

Cass blushed slightly and then all eyes
turned to the path as they heard the cart coming up the hill. Cat
was bringing Carlos, Julia and Roberto in the cart and pulled to a
halt in front of the house.

Carlos looked at Levi and shrugged. “I got
back to the mainland and found them waiting for me,” he said.

Roberto and Julia approached the house with
Roberto carrying a large box.

Julia sat down in front of Levi and took her
hand. “You have been so wonderful to us,” she said. “When Roberto
and I heard of the plans for your wedding to Vanessa next weekend,
we had an idea,” she said.

“Celeste and I were to be married in three
months when she disappeared,” Roberto said. “She and Mother had
already made her dress and we would like to offer it to you to use
for your wedding,” he said. “I know Celeste would be proud to have
you wearing her dress,” he added.

“You have been so busy here and there is no
time to have another dress made for you, so we would be honored if
you wore this,” Julia said as Roberto opened the box and carefully
removed the dress.

Levi was speechless. The dress was beautiful.
She looked at both Roberto and Julia with tears in their eyes and
there was no way she could say “no” to their generous offer. “Are
you sure?” she asked Roberto.