As the Dawn Breaks (2 page)

Dressed in my light linen slacks and pale blue button up shirt, I retreat from the spacious patio of the lavish resort Lucca insisted on setting me up in, and I head downstairs to the front entrance, where he’s scheduled to pick me up. As soon as I step outside, I spot him in a silver SUV coming to a stop in the front U-shaped drive. I swiftly climb into the passenger seat, and we immediately embrace each other in a man-hug across the center console.

“Leo, man, I don’t even know what to say. It’s so great to see you. Katrina is going to be beyond thrilled,” he greets me, smiling brightly. “I can’t even begin to thank you f-for everything you did for her…for us.”

I hear the slight cracking in his voice, and whether it’s from nerves over the big day or the memories flooding his mind recalling the time we were a part of each other’s lives, I understand completely, because that same threatening lump rests in the back of my throat. “Of course, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat,” I reply, looking dead in his eyes. “Everything. Without question.”

He nods understandingly, shifting the transmission into drive as we pull out onto the main road. “Well, just know I realize I’m here with her because of you. Everything you did in getting us back together, and then—”

“I did it for her,” I cut him off abruptly. “I would’ve done anything for her then, and I’ll do anything for her today, which is why I’m here.” Softening my voice a bit and smiling sincerely at him, I add, “Now let’s forget about all of that other stuff. This weekend is about celebrating the two of you and the rest of your lives together. All I care about is you guys being happy.”

The tension slides off his face as he replaces his slightly clenched jaw with a boyish grin. “You’re right. Now let’s go give her the wedding of her dreams. She’s gonna die when she sees you.”

We ride the remainder of the short trip to his parents’ house in comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts as the reality of the moment sets in. Pulling up to the Ellis’ residence, I’d be lying if I said I’m not impressed. The house appears to have been taken straight from the pages of a home and gardening magazine. A massive, Mediterranean-style villa framed with a variety of palms and other vibrant, tropical flowers sprawls out across the manicured lawn. I was already aware Lucca came from an affluent family based on personal research I’d done when Katrina first began dating him, but I had no idea the extent of his parents’ wealth. However, instead of feeling any form of jealousy, the realization helps assure me he’s in no way interested in her for her money.

“Here we are,” he exclaims eagerly as he kills the engine. We both unfold our legs, get out of the SUV, and begin striding towards the front door. Three large vans are parked on the far left side of the driveway, and a small army of workers are unloading tables, chairs, decorations, and who knows what else from the back of them. Once we reach the heavy wooden door, Lucca opens it and swings his arm out in front of him, inviting me inside. “Katrina, Lauren, and my mom should be isolated to the upstairs portion of the house. We guys have been given strict orders not to go up there for any reason, but I’ll text Mom to let her know you’re here,” he says as he enters behind me. “Dad and Stephen should be around here somewhere.”

“What time is everything supposed to start?” I ask, looking around the vast greatroom. The interior of the home is immaculately decorated with luxurious furnishings and coordinated trimmings, yet still emits a cozy, lived-in vibe.

“The ceremony starts at seven-thirty and the reception will begin immediately after, since both are being held in the backyard. We’re expecting maybe a hundred people, and most are from here in the neighborhood, so they’ll walk instead of drive.”

Glancing down at my watch, I see there’s still a little more than an hour before the festivities are scheduled to begin. A rustling at the top of the staircase draws my eyes upward, where an attractive older woman stands grinning, motioning to me to meet her at the top landing. Eager to finally lay my eyes on Katrina, something I wasn’t sure would ever happen again, I look over my shoulder at Lucca and nod my head once at him in appreciation. I bound effortlessly up the stairs taking two at a time until I’m towering over the petite Mrs. Ellis.

“Leo, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” she says is a hushed whisper while wrapping her arms around my waist. The warm and welcoming smile spreading across her face reaches her striking eyes, which precisely match the sapphire-colored, sleeveless dress she wears. “Katrina is going to be tickled pink when she sees you’re here.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Ellis. Thank you so much for including me in this important day.”

“Please, call me Sarah, and my husband is Christian. We don’t do that formality stuff around here; plus, you might as well be family.” Grabbing my hand, she leads me across the open-spaced game room to the one closed door. With every step I take towards the woman I once loved more than life itself, a woman I’d kill for, my pulse increases exponentially and another drop of moisture in my mouth evaporates until I’m standing frozen in front of the single piece of wood that stands as a barrier between us.

Sarah, obviously understanding my inability to make the crucial motion, taps several times on the door and calls out, “You girls dressed? I’ve got a visitor here.”

“Yeah, come on in,”
she
hollers back. Her voice, her sweet, angelic voice, sings a heartwarming melody that not only my ears, but my entire being has yearned to hear for way too long. It doesn’t matter what her answer is; the moment my brain registers she’s mere feet from me, I lose complete control of my actions. Unable to wait another second, I throw the door open and drink in all that is Katrina Foster.

Her eyes land on me and I’m overcome with emotion. Rushing over to me, wedding gown and all, she hurls herself at me and I engulf her in my arms. As we tightly embrace one another, a nuclear explosion could occur directly outside the house and I wouldn’t know any better, because I’m in my own personal heaven.

We stay like that for several minutes, and when we finally pull apart, I notice Sarah and Lauren have graciously left us to our reunion. Still unable to speak, she pats and touches all over my face and head. “It’s really you? You’re here? You came?” she manages to whisper through choked sobs.

“It’s me, Katie-bug. I’m here,” I reassure her, tucking a loose tendril of her long, flaxen hair behind her ear. “Please don’t cry, baby. You’re gonna mess up your makeup.”

“Screw the makeup! You’re back; I thought I was never going to see you again!” Her words are now mixed with an I-can’t-believe-this laugh and an I’m-going-to-kill-you glare. Then the questions begin spilling from her mouth. “Where’ve you been? Do you know how worried I was? What were you thinking?”

Cupping her delicate, now tear-stained face in my hands, I tenderly kiss her forehead. “I promise I will answer every question you have in due time, but right now, we have a wedding to get ready for. I’m going to head back downstairs and have a shot or two of whiskey with Lucca to help calm my nerves, while the women help you finish whatever you need to do.” I tap the end of her nose with my fingertip. “Today is about you and Lucca, not about me. There will be plenty of time to catch up.”

She grabs both of my hands, squeezing as tightly as she can. “You’ve made this day absolutely perfect for me, Leo. Thank you for everything.”

Pivoting around to leave the room, I pause briefly before exiting. “Make sure you dry up all of those tears, young lady. Mama Rosa wouldn’t want me walking a weeping bride down the aisle.”

All I can hear is her squealing with delight as I let myself out of the room and back down the stairs to join the other men. As promised, several shots of warm bourbon later, any lingering jitters have been drowned, and I’m ready to embark on a night I won’t soon forget.

I’LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT
I haven’t been to many weddings in my life, but that being said, I know without a doubt, the ceremony between Katrina and Lucca was undeniably the most genuinely heartfelt exchanging of vows in the history of mankind. With great pride, I escorted her down the aisle to the only man I know can love her as much as I do. And now, with an even deeper gratification, I recline back in my chair, sipping from a near-empty glass of expensive champagne, and watch the two of them waltz fluidly across the patio-turned-dance-floor for the first time as a married couple.

Blanketed across the cloudless, midnight sky are millions of shining stars, glittering and glimmering as if the man upstairs himself added his own personal touch to the celebration. A tender love ballad resonating from large speakers strategically placed around the lawn serenades the dancing newlyweds along with the rest of the guests, who are all swaying slightly in their chairs as they gaze idyllically at the couple. I look around the expansive yard, in awe of how incredibly breathtaking the entire scene is. Twinkling white lights spiral tightly around the base of the palms scattered about as elegant azure and silver decorative fabrics flow freely in the night wind. Part of me is still in disbelief I’m even here.

After the first dance, the emcee of the reception announces over the speaker it’s time for the customary father-daughter dance. Immediately, my heart clutches, assuming the guy’s unaware of Katrina’s family situation, but as she leaves Lucca’s side and walks over to where I’m sitting, I’m speechless and fighting back a slew of tears. Reaching out to me with her small, delicate hands, she helps me to my feet and drags me to the dance floor. My clammy palms grab ahold of her narrow waist as her slender arms lazily loop around my neck, and we begin to rock leisurely to the melody. For these few brief minutes in time, the rest of the onlookers blur into an out-of-focus backdrop, and it’s only her, me, and the years of memories we’ve shared together. Memories are all I’ll be left with after tonight.

Never in her life has she looked more magnificent than she does right now. The traditional white wedding gown is stylish yet classy, hugging her curves perfectly. Her long blonde hair is tied back in a twist, but several rebellious strands cascade loosely around her face, and she’s only wearing enough makeup to accentuate the natural beauty she already holds. As I hear the song coming to an end, I press my thumbs further into her flesh and breathe her heavenly scent deep into my lungs, hoping to etch this moment permanently into my memory.

On her tiptoes, she tenderly kisses my cheek and repeats the last sentence of my goodbye letter to her in a whisper, “I loved you yesterday, I love you today, and I’ll love you tomorrow.” Then, spinning around with glassy eyes, appearing completely angelic with a halo of white lights radiating behind her, she floats over to her waiting husband.

I leave the dance floor, immediately walking straight to one of the two bars set up in the yard, in desperate need of a stiff drink. The music has resumed and the guests are now watching Lucca and his mom dance in similar fashion; thankfully, their eyes are no longer on me. Seeing Katrina on her wedding day was reason enough for me to come here, but being included in the ceremony and now the reception has truly brought me the closure my heart so desperately needed.

“Scotch, neat,” I request, leaning my elbow against the deep mahogany surface as I look out across the yard.

“Yes, sir. Any specific label?” a young, female voice asks in return.

I assumed there wasn’t much of a selection, seeing these are just makeshift structures, so I turn around to examine all they have to offer. However, instead of looking at bottles of liquor, I find my eyes locked on the face of a striking, young platinum blonde.

“What do you have?” I inquire, my gaze unwavering.

“Pretty much anything you like, sir. I’m sure I’ve got something that’ll satisfy your thirst,” she flirts back, unfazed by my stare. She’s a tiny thing, barely tall enough to rest her elbows up on the counter, and I’m instantly drawn to the vibrant self-assurance she carries herself with. A mischievous glimmer dances in her eyes, and the way her lips curve upwards into a wicked grin makes me want to kiss the corners of her mouth.
I need a drink worse than I thought.

“So…you leaving it up to me?” her sassy voice interrupts my wandering thoughts, which were quickly turning in the wrong direction.

Blinking rapidly with a faint shake of my head, I force myself to redirect my focus. Laughing softly, I take her up on her offer. “Sure, I’ll let you pick my poison.”

Based on her youthful appearance, I doubt she’s ever even tasted the potent spirit, much less knows the difference between a good and bad one. Smirking, as if she can read my thoughts, she grabs a rocks glass and places it on the wooden structure between us. She then lifts a bottle of King’s Crest 25-year and fills the crystal a little more than halfway with the amber-colored liquid. Nudging the drink towards me, she tilts her head and her eyes silently search my face for approval.