Bamboo and Lace (55 page)

The wedding party had been gone only a short time when the bride and groom returned to personally dismiss the rows and thank each person for coming. It took some time to accomplish this, and then it was time for pictures. What seemed like a long time later they were headed to the parking lot of the church for a luau, a feast provided by almost all who attended. For the next four hours they visited and laughed in celebration before Gabe bent and told his bride that it was time to go.

Alone for the first time all day, Lily changed her clothes very slowly. The family would be coming to take everything home, so she packed what she could and was still moving at a thoughtful pace when Gabe came for her.

Their car had been hidden away from “decorators,” so it was very hot after sitting in the sun, but neither one noticed the heat much. Gabe held Lily's hand as they pulled away from the church, a CD playing softly in the background.

“Where are we headed?” Lily asked.

“To the other side of the island.”

“To a nice place?”

“Very.”

“For both nights?”

“Yes. In fact, we'll probably wish we could stay longer.”

“Oh, I can't wait. What is it called?”

“The Ihilani Resort and Spa.”

“Sounds romantic,” Lily said softly, and Gabe smiled at her.

They finished the drive with quiet talk, just glad to be alone, Gabe holding Lily's hand all the time he drove. During times when only the CD could be heard, Lily let her heart be amazed. Just three months ago she hadn't thought she would ever see this man again. As Gabe had a tendency to say,
God had gone before them.

“This doesn't sound good,” Evan said as he walked into the bedroom to find his very weary wife working to feed their equally weary daughter. Bailey had delayed nursing her so she could take care of it in the privacy of their home, but now one-month-old Sarah was past the point of consolation.

“Hey,” Evan said as he took her and bounced her a little, “Mama's trying to feed you.”

His deep voice seem to calm her just long enough to get her back into Bailey's arms. It was with blissful relief for both mother and daughter when Sarah finally settled in and began to eat.

Evan sat next to his wife, taking in the front of the top she'd changed into. The side he could see was soaked with milk. Bailey herself was drooping a bit, but as always, Evan found her lovely.

“You were wonderful today.”

“Thank you, and thanks for all your help.”

Evan smiled. “I couldn't decide who I liked looking at more: our frowning Celia who kept adjusting her sash, or her lovely mother.”

Bailey laughed. “Wasn't she funny? I wondered about that when we picked out that dress, but she liked it so much.”

“Well, it's a done deal. How do you think they're doing?”

“I don't know. Lily was awfully tired.”

“We'll just have to pray,” Evan said, and as though on cue the room became quiet, allowing both of them to do just that.

The room they would have at the resort for two nights was all Lily could have dreamed of. Done in soft pastels, the suite was clean and spacious and sported a huge bed flanked by nightstands and lamps, and a small living room area. But the best parts were a window and balcony that gave a fabulous view of the ocean. Lily didn't even need to go outside; she was happy to stand at the glass and look.

Gabe stood with her, but once their bags had been delivered, he said he was going to get ice.

“Should I stay by the door?” Lily asked.

“No, I'll have my key, so don't worry about it.”

The ocean view kept Lily completely captivated while her husband was away. It was different from the view at the resort, and Lily was still taking it in when Gabe returned, coming up to put his arms around her from the back.

Lily gladly turned in his embrace, and it wasn't long before Gabe was shutting the drapes.

“Are we going to turn out the lights too?” Lily asked in between kisses.

“Do you want the lights out?” Gabe asked her.

“I thought they were supposed to be.”

“What made you think that?”

Lily bit her lip, looked uncertain, and shrugged a little.

“Come here a minute,” Gabe invited, “and sit on the bed with me.”

Gabe took her hand and together they climbed into the middle of the king-size bed. They faced each other, legs crossed and knees touching.

“Do you remember that day you came to my office and brought me the papers that Evan sent over?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember the way I couldn't take my eyes off you?”

Lily thought a moment. “I do remember that.”

“Other than a few times in your swimsuit, that was the first time I could see your figure.”

Lily's eyes widened a little. “That outfit is immodest?”

“Not at all, but there's no comparison to it and the rather baggy clothing you used to wear from Kashien. Your new clothing lets me see your shape.”

Lily nodded a little and asked slowly, “And that's why we should have the light on?”

Gabe leaned forward to kiss her before he went on.

“There is no way to describe to a woman how fascinated men are with women, including their bodies. I've saved myself for marriage, Lily, but not just physically. I've tried not to look at women who don't have enough on. I've worked to keep my thoughts pure and not be distracted by nudity—not easy to do when you own a resort. Now I have a wife, and I can finally look—at her.

“I'll understand if we need a little time to get used to the idea, but you're my only option, Lily, just as I'm your only option. Don't hold yourself back from me. I want to look and touch. I want you to look and touch me. And since the Bible says our bodies are not our own, we need to be very nurturing with each other in this area.”

Lily nodded, even as she said, “The book didn't cover that.”

“What exactly?”

“How interesting women are to men. Why is that?”

Gabe smiled. “You're soft and not built the same way. Let me tell you, that's a pretty heady combination.”

Lily nodded, but she was quiet, trying to take it all in. Finally she asked, “Did you say something about taking some time?”

“Yes, I think that's pretty normal.”

“So does that mean we can work on having the light on, but it doesn't have to be right now?”

Gabe smiled again. “I think that would be just fine, a good goal for us.”

“Do you know how sweet and patient you are, Gabe?”

“I've waited years for you and for this night. I wouldn't want to do anything to spoil it for either one of us.”

Lily knew a contentment she didn't think was possible. And when her husband did turn the lights out and she went into his arms, the contentment only grew deeper.

Chapter Thirty-One

At the airport, Owen hugged Lily tightly before turning to his new son-in-law.

“Take care of her, Gabriel.”

“I will, sir. And thank you for everything.”

Owen turned to Jeff and put out his hand. The men shook.

“Take care, Jefferson. Write me soon.”

“I will, Father. Have a good trip.”

“Thank you for everything.”

“Greet the church family for us, Father,” Lily put in, “and please ask Ling to write me.”

“I'll do that.”

The three stood together as the elder Walsh picked up his bag and went on his way. Lily didn't let herself think about how long it would be before she might see him again.

“Do we have time to see his plane leave?” Lily asked.

“Sure,” Gabe answered, and they moved to the window. When the plane backed away and moved out of their sight, the three walked to Gabe's waiting car.

“Are you going to get your driver's license, Lil?” her brother wished to know.

“I think someday, but not right away.”

“Why is that?”

“I want to practice a little more in the golf carts.”

Gabe found this highly amusing and teased his wife about forgetting how to use her feet.

“But it's so fun,” she concluded, looking at Gabe as though he should have already figured that out.

“How long until you're back here to pick up a certain someone, Jefferson?” Gabe asked as he drove them from the airport.

“Six weeks from tomorrow.”

“And how long can she stay, Jeff?”

“Ten days.”

And with that, the occupants of the car grew quiet. Gabe was thinking about getting married while he was still in the busy season and hoping he and Lily would be able to make enough time for each other until the resort closed in September. Lily was wondering if Jeff was going to marry Annika and what she would be like when they met. Jeff found himself envying his sister and friend and the new life they had started together and the peace he could see written all over their contented faces.

“Okay,” Bailey told the newlyweds about five weeks later as she put Sarah into Lily's arms, “there's a bottle in the kitchen. She should take that before you put her down.”

“All right. Have fun.”

“Thank you. Peter, CeCe, come and kiss us goodbye.”

The children ran to their parents, who were headed out to dinner, and a few minutes later Gabe was giving horsey rides in the living room.

When both children fell in a giggling mass to the carpet, Gabe asked, “Aren't you going to tell me not to get the kids all stirred up before bed?”

Looking delightfully innocent, Lily said, “But, Gabe, I'll be busy with the baby. You'll have to get them calmed down for bed.”

His eyes telling her he was on to her, Gabe said, “We'll just see about that, Mrs. Kapaia.”

Lily barely managed not to smile before the children crawled back onto Gabe. The horse play went on until Celia was red in the face and Gabe called it quits. It wasn't long before the children were to go to bed, so Gabe saw them into pajamas, supervised the brushing of teeth, and gathered them to either side of him for a story. Sarah was still in Lily's arms, and she sat on Peter's other side, listening to the story as well.