Dreams Adrift (A River Dream Novel) Read online

  “The Rhiannon I grew up with, that Rhiannon I will always love. The Rhiannon I waited and waited for, who never came, to whom I wasn’t as important as a bunch of strangers a continent away - I have no feelings for her.”

  “You told me once you’d wait for me until the day after forever, no matter what,” Rhiannon said, tears flowing from her eyes again.

  “I was in that hospital forever, Rhiannon. And the day after forever, when I finally walked out of that place, you…weren’t…there. Good-bye, Rhiannon.” I turned and walked away.

  Behind me, Rhiannon spoke. She spoke one last apology, and a pledge.

  “Michael, I am sorry. I promise you this: If ever the day comes when you need your Rhiannon again, I will not fail you. I will be there then. Michael, I promise.”

  I stopped, took a deep breath, and turned around, but she was gone. I stood there looking at the spot where she’d been standing for I don’t know how long.

  Finally, I walked out to my car and drove to the north end of the island. As I got out and unlocked the gate, I heard a car pull up behind me. My heart leaped in my chest and tears filled my eyes when I turned and saw Maeve’s Porsche. I looked to heaven and said a silent “Thank you” to God.

  Maeve jumped out of her car and rushed over to me, eyes wide with concern.

  “Michael, what’s wrong? I saw you drive right by our street. You didn’t even see me. Michael, what is it? Is something wrong?”

  “Not anymore,” I said, taking her in my arms. “Just let me hold you. Maeve, I love you so much. You do know that, don’t you?”

  Maeve pressed her head against my chest and tightened her arms around me. “I know, Michael, I know. I love you, too, baby, I love you.”

  I kissed her, took her by the hand, and led her through the gate into the unspoiled dunes of the reserve.

  “Where are we going, Michael?”

  “We’re going away from everything and everyone. Things have been too hectic these last couple of days. There’s been so much going on. I just need to be with you and only you, just for a few precious moments.”

  Maeve clung tightly to my hand as we climbed the dune. At the top we stopped, sat, and watched the waves roll in under a cloudless blue sky.

  “On a clear day like this, you feel like you can see to the other side,” I said.

  I put my arm around Maeve. She snuggled her head against my shoulder and didn’t say anything. I wanted to tell her about Rhiannon, but I wasn’t sure how. At last, I just told her.

  “Maeve, Rhiannon was at the Wright Isle Resort when I went to see Hernando.”

  “I knew she was in town, Michael,” Maeve said. After a moment’s pause, she continued. “Your mother called to say she’d stopped by their house looking for you.”

  “Oh,” I said. My shoulders slumped and I looked down at the sand. “I didn’t know that.”

  We sat quietly for what seemed like a long time. Waves broke on the shore with a hypnotic rhythm. The sea oats around us rustled in the wind. A lone gull circled overhead, hoping we might offer up a scrap of something. He dipped his wings and, with an indignant screech, turned his attention south.

  Maeve raised her head, her lip pulled tight between her teeth. “What…” she started to ask. She took a deep breath before trying again. “What did she want?”

  I took a moment to decide how to answer. “I guess she wanted to tell me she was sorry.”

  Maeve sat quietly for several minutes. I wondered if she guessed what Rhiannon was sorry for - for not coming home when I needed her. Before I decided I should explain, she asked, “What did you say?”

  “I told her I was sorry, too,” I said. “Sorry I ever thought she and I had a future.”

  “Oh,” Maeve said. Again the quiet settled over us, the only sounds the whisper of the wind through the sea oats and the crash of the waves on the shore.

  I sighed deeply. “Then she asked me if I still loved her.”

  Maeve stiffened and then forced herself to relax against me. “What did you say to that?”

  “I told her the truth,” I said.

  “And what was that?” Maeve asked. Her voice trembled as if she was afraid to hear the answer.

  “I told her no,” I said, turning to face the woman I loved. “I love you, Maeve. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to share all my triumphs and tribulations with you. I want to share my joys with you, and I want to make you happy. There is only you, Maeve. She was my childhood sweetheart. You are the love of my life.”

  Maeve’s response was a kiss. A kiss that said all that needed to be said between us. It was a kiss that told me how much she loved me, how much my love meant to her, and how much she loved being mine.

  My response showed her that she was the only love in my life, the only woman I wanted to be with, and the only person I desired to share the rest of my life with. We kissed, and then we held each other as the sun set behind us and night settled on the ocean.

  Maeve's sister Cynthia was waiting for us when we got to the house. “Where have you two been?” she wanted to know.

  Maeve batted her heather blue eyes and smiled an angelic smile. “We've been spending some quality time together with the dunes.”

  Leaving Cynthia to figure that out, we walked past her to our room.

  Three

  Two days later, under a cobalt blue sky dotted with snow white cumulus clouds, I stood with my best man, Hans, at the temporary altar erected on the beach in front of the Wright Isle Resort. First Maeve's parents, and then my parents, were escorted down the aisle and seated. All heads turned back toward the resort when the organist began to play Canon in D by Pachelbel.

  Chase appeared at the top of the walkway, flanked by Kim and Malori. The ladies were stunning in their cornflower blue tea-length gowns. Chase's tux, light tan with a cornflower blue cummerbund, matched them perfectly. If Derrick hadn’t left for Parris Island the month before, he would have been Kim's escort. Chase didn't seem to mind escorting those two lovely ladies down the aisle. The ring bearer and flower girl were next.

  As Maeve and I had no nieces or nephews of our own for the roles, we’d invited Alfredo Dupree's twin grandchildren to take part in the wedding. They were absolutely adorable. Isadora's dress was a perfect copy of the bridesmaid dresses, and little Alfred's tux was a miniature of the ones Chase and Hans wore. Alfred walked so proudly, holding his little pillow with the decorative rings practically up to his chin. Isadora walked shyly beside her brother, gently spreading the rose petals along the wooden walk.

  Then it was Cynthia's turn. Her dress was a shade lighter than the bridesmaids' and her bouquet a bit fuller. Hans' cummerbund was the same blue as Cynthia’s dress. She stood tall at the top of the walkway and looked towards me. Even at that distance I could tell tears were filling her eyes. A smile formed and, taking a breath, she began her trek down the aisle. As she took her place on the bride's side of the altar, the music changed.

  As Clark's “Trumpet Voluntary” began playing, Maeve and her father appeared at the top of the walkway leading to the beach. With each step they took I could feel my pulse beating faster. Maeve looked so beautiful in her wedding dress, a tea-length white gown with hints of yellow along the frill. Her bouquet was white orchids. White sandals adorned her feet. She wore the pearl choker her mother had worn at her wedding. Her veil was held on by a ring of small white flowers. The veil was thin, and I could see Maeve’s smile beaming as they came down the aisle. My heart swelled with love for her. My white tux, with a yellow cummerbund, complimented her dress perfectly.

  Due to the unique circumstances of our wedding, being that it followed our marriage by several months, Maeve and I, with the help of the preacher and other interested parties, had made some changes to the wedding ceremony. As her father walked her to the altar, I stepped down to take her hand from him, and she joined me before the preacher.

  Reverend McIntyre addressed our guests. “Who supports this couple as they affirm their vows
this day?”

  My parents and Maeve’s folks were supposed to say “We do.” Instead, a chorus of “we do’s” came from our parents, the wedding party, and most of the guests. I looked aside at Maeve. She was looking at me with the same questioning look. The preacher was smiling a conspiratorial smile. Evidently, someone made plans of their own. We wondered what other surprises might await us.

  Reverend McIntyre continued the ceremony. “Friends and family of the couple, we have gathered here this beautiful morning to be with Michael and Maeve as they affirm before God and this company their vows of marriage. They have come together as husband and wife, devoted to each other in love, to confirm their wish and intent to remain together in the bonds of matrimony as long as they both shall live.”

  The preacher then nodded to Rick, who’d been my boat skipper in the Navy. He’d gladly accepted the assignment when we asked him to read a passage from the “Song of Solomon.”

  “My love spoke and said to me, arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in the fields; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.”

  After he returned to his seat, Reverend McIntyre addressed the guests once more.

  “Marriage is not a covenant to be entered into lightly. Michael and Maeve pledged their lives and love to each other forever more. Today, in the presence of God, their families, and their friends, they will make new their vows.”

  Maeve and I had given a lot of thought to our vows. When we were married in the magistrate’s office, we’d taken the standard wedding vows, but for our wedding we had written very special vows to exchange.

  Reverend McIntyre turned to me and said softly, “Michael, please say your vow to Maeve.”

  Maeve and I turned to face each other. Tears filled my eyes as I looked into hers, and I felt the love flowing between us like a current. Swallowing hard against my emotions, I spoke my vow to Maeve.

  “Maeve, my love, my life, I promise you this day all my love, my loyalty, my laughter, my mind, and my heart. All that I have and all that I am are yours today and forever. I will be your friend, your lover, your confidant; the father of your children, your strength when you tire, your warmth when you are cold, your shelter in the storm, the one who will stand by you through all things.”

  I stopped and turned to Hans, who handed me the new ring I would place on Maeve’s finger.

  “I give you this ring as a symbol of our unending love and unity.”

  I slid the ring on her finger next to the one she’d worn since that day in the magistrate’s office.

  “From this day forward we will walk together as one.”

  Maeve squeezed my hands tight and spoke her vow to me.

  “Michael, my love, my life, I promise you this day all my love, my loyalty, my laughter, my mind, and my heart. All that I have and all that I am are yours today and forever. I will be your friend, your lover, your confidant; the mother of your children, your strength when you tire, your warmth when you are cold, your shelter in the storm, the one who will stand by you through all things.”

  Maeve turned to Cynthia, her maid of honor, and took the new ring she would place on my finger.

  “I give you this ring as a symbol of our unending love and unity. From this day forward we will walk together as one.”

  The preacher nodded to Beth, whose beautiful soprano voice soon filled the air with the words of “There is Love.” While she sang, Maeve and I stood looking into each others’ eyes. I know the smile on my face matched the one on hers.

  As the final notes of the song were carried away on the morning breeze, Reverend McIntyre once again addressed our guests.

  “Michael and Maeve, as you have affirmed your vows of matrimony here before God and this company, I ask that the Lord’s blessing be upon your union.” Then he smiled at me and said, “Michael, you may kiss your bride.”

  I reached up gently and lifted Maeve’s veil. Then we kissed a kiss that would be talked about by our family and friends for years to come. It surpassed the kiss we’d shared on the wildlife pier the night I proposed, even the kiss we’d shared that night on the dune. I don’t know how long it might have gone on if the preacher hadn’t coughed politely to remind us we weren’t exactly alone on the beach. Maeve and I giggled as we moved apart and turned towards our guests.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends,” intoned Reverend McIntyre, “Michael and Maeve Lanier.”

  With radiant smiles on our faces, we received the applause of our guests. The applause faded and we waited for the organist to begin playing the recessional. We’d picked “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Bach. At the first strains of organ music Beth stood with her flute and, accompanied by several of our musically inclined friends, joined the organist in playing the song. Maeve and I looked at each other and laughed before walking up the aisle and across the wooden walkway to the resort’s patio area where our wedding party joined us to form a receiving line.

  As the guests filed past, they were shown into the banquet room where the reception luncheon would take place. The band was already set up and began playing background music as people started to fill the room. Maeve, her bridesmaids, my groomsmen, and I still had pictures to take. After the last of the guests filed past, Maeve reached up and turned my head to face her.

  “Well, Mr. Lanier, I think that went well.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Lanier, I think it did,” I said.

  “This may sound funny, Michael,” Maeve said as we made our way back toward the beach for pictures, “but I now feel like we’re Married with a capital M. Do you know what I mean?”

  Now that she'd put it that way, I realized she’d described perfectly the feeling I was feeling. “I hadn’t thought of it like that, but I think you’re right.”

  Maeve smiled and hugged me.

  It seemed to take forever to get all the pictures taken, but at long last the photographer announced we were done. Relieved, we made our way to the banquet room. Maeve and I had to wait until our bridesmaids and groomsmen had taken their places at the head table so that we could be announced.

  The clanking of glasses began as soon as we reached our seats. I wasn't sure if Hans or Chase started it, or perhaps it was Cynthia. Regardless, Maeve and I gave in with a quick kiss. The serving staff was filling glasses in preparation for the toasts. We would be toasted by both the Best Man and the Maid of Honor.

  Always the gentleman, Hans insisted Cynthia go first. One of the staff brought her a microphone. She stood and raised her glass.

  “As her big sister, I’ve known Maeve all her life.”

  Cynthia paused to let the expected chuckles die down.

  “She was the typical annoying little sister, but she did have her good points. She's grown into a fine young lady and was blessed to find a fine young man like Michael to fall in love with. Sis, when you first brought him home I wasn't sure he was the guy for you, but seeing you two together, now I have no doubts. I wish you love and happiness through all your days.”

  She raised her glass high, “To Maeve and Michael.”

  “To Maeve and Michael,” echoed through the room. Maeve and I both rose to our feet and embraced Cynthia. We were all in tears.

  Then it was Hans’ turn. He looked at Cynthia, Maeve, me, and finally back at Cynthia. She handed him the microphone.

  “That is going to be a hard act to follow,” he said quietly, for our ears only. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his glass and stood.

  “I haven't known Michael quite all his life; it just feels that way,” he started, earning his share of laughs. “We’ve been friends since as far back as I can remember. He is closer to me than a brother. They say you cannot pick your family, but you do get to pick your friends. Michael is the kind of friend I would pick to be family.�
�

  I felt tears welling again.

  “I remember the first time Michael told me about Maeve. That was many years ago. I could see in his eyes and hear in his voice that there was something special about her, something that touched a place in his heart.”

  I remembered telling Hans about Maeve but hadn't realized I'd given him that impression.

  “Last fall when he found her again, I saw that look in his eyes and heard that something in his voice that had been missing all those years in between. I believe it was because he’d rediscovered his soul mate. There is love and then there is LOVE.” He put special emphasis on the second love.

  “May Michael and Maeve always know LOVE between them, and may they always be happy together.”

  He raised his glass high, “Here’s to Michael and Maeve, long life and good times.”

  Once again, “To Michael and Maeve,” echoed around the room.

  Maeve and I rose to embrace Hans.

  “That was beautiful, Hans,” Maeve said through her tears. “I never knew that.”

  Hans, his hands gently upon her shoulders, said, “You never knew what?”

  Maeve sniffed and said, “What you said about Michael, from when we first met. I didn't know about that.”

  Hans smiled and nodded.

  We no sooner sat down than it was announced lunch was served. During the planning it was debated among the ladies involved whether to go with plated meals or a buffet. Offering my two cents worth, I’d expressed a preference for a buffet. Much to my surprise, that’s what we wound up doing.

  The kitchen staff outdid themselves preparing the buffet. They’d included a little something for everyone. Chicken, beef, pork, seafood, and a selection of vegetarian items all adorned the tables. Salads of every description, vegetables, diced fruits, and potatoes prepared in ways I could never have imagined complemented the main courses. There were soups and chowders. There was certainly no reason for anyone to leave that party hungry.