Chapter Eight
Jake
It still seemed unreal. My mind whirred as I thought back to that fateful day Calla had gotten herself lost in the forest. Gabe and I had no idea our lives would change so dramatically because of one woman’s misfortune. I knew I’d been happy as hell to have her walk into my life that night, but now I knew that Gabe was every bit as happy about it as I was.
I was standing next to Gabe under the shade of a beautiful tree wearing my Sunday finest, which was nothing more than a pair of jeans without holes, paired with a nice white button-down shirt. For this particular wedding, it was the perfect attire. It was very country and very laid-back; perfected suited to the groom, and me.
I looked at my only male friend in the world and grinned.
“You look like you’re waiting to meet Mickey Mouse for the first time,” I quipped.
“Shut up,” he shot back.
Calla gave me a look. I zipped my lip, and instead of harassing Gabe, I chose to look at her and bask in her beauty. She had a single white daisy-looking flower tucked behind her ear. The white flower stood out against her auburn hair. Her skin was sun-kissed from our time on the beach and she looked absolutely radiant in the dark blue sundress she was wearing. She was a vision of love.
“I love you,” I whispered across our makeshift aisle.
“You two are going to make me vomit,” Gabe’s pal, John, spat.
“Aren’t you a minister?” I snapped. “Aren’t you supposed to be happy to marry people?”
He leveled a glare at me. “I don’t marry people. I agreed to do my friend a favor, and he knows damn well I don’t like doing this shit. And I don’t preach on Sundays, by the way. I was an Army chaplain.”
My mouth dropped open at his use of language. “Damn, Gabe, no wonder you’re so fucked up if this is your preacher.”
Gabe chuckled. “He isn’t my preacher. He was the only one I knew that could do this on short notice.”
“Be nice, you two,” Calla lectured. “She’s coming. If you ruin this for her, I will personally kick each and every one of your sorry asses. Got it?”
“That’s my girl,” I said proudly, giving old cranky-pants a look that basically said I won.
I turned to watch as the woman I had always thought of as potentially insane and absolutely neurotic, gracefully floated towards us. Well, floated wasn’t exactly the word, but the look on her face made one think she thought she was floating, when in reality it was a bit of a stumbling journey towards the man she would marry.
“She looks beautiful,” I whispered so only Gabe could hear me. “You’re a lucky man.”
“I know,” he choked out.
Turning to look at my crotchety old friend, I was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Seeing his emotions so clearly made me realize how much he truly loved her and it was a beautiful sight. Love was a powerful thing. I had learned first land it could drop a strong man to his knees. Love could also heal old wounds, like Gabe’s.
I was so happy Gabe had found someone. I’d been worried that my own happiness with Calla would cause Gabe to stay away. I’d even felt a little guilty about it and I didn’t want to lose him as a friend.
But now I looked at Calla who was absolutely beaming as she watched her friend. I was a little sad I didn’t get to experience the same moment watching Calla walk down the aisle, even if we were only standing in Gabe’s front yard.
“Hi,” Holly said, nervousness in her voice as she came to stand beside Gabe.
“Hi,” Gabe responded. “You’re beautiful,” he told her, before taking her hand and facing the pseudo-preacher.
The old Army chaplain jumped right in. The ceremony was short, which made me very happy. I wasn’t one for sappy vows.
Before I knew it though, it was over, and Gabe was kissing Holly.
“Congratulations!” Calla called out.
I clapped Gabe on the shoulder. “You did it! I can’t believe you did it. Is it legal? Is that guy even allowed to marry you?”
“Yes, this guy can marry him,” the chaplain retorted.
“Good. Then it’s official. Will you be joining us for a drink?” I asked the man.
He gave me a look. “No.”
“You cuss but you don’t drink?”
“I drink just fine, but I have a wife waiting for me up at that fancy lodge. We have plans and they don’t include me sitting down here with you fools.”
“Thanks for coming, John. I really appreciate you doing this for us,” Gabe told his friend.
“You’re paying for our stay. Let me know if you want me to come up and bless you or some other shit sometime. I like it up here and I’d be more than happy to visit on your dime.”
“Why don’t you bring your wife down here,” Holly suggested. “I’d love to meet her. Please?”
Gabe nodded his head. “Good idea. Come on, you two can have one drink and then you can run back to the lodge.”
“Alright. I’ll go up and grab her. One drink and then I’m taking her back to that room. We’ve got six kids and don’t get many chances to be alone.”
“Six kids?” Calla asked, horrified. “You poor man. Bring your wife. I’m sure she’ll love us. We’ll all be on our best behavior, we promise!” she said, while looking directly at me.
“What? I’m good. I was just giving him shit earlier.”
“See you in a few, John. I need to get my wife off her foot, if you’ll excuse me,” Gabe said, before lovingly taking Holly’s hand and leading her inside.
Calla and I stayed outside, pulling some chairs around the fire pit Gabe and I had dug last year. Usually, it was just him and I sitting around the fire, drinking and bullshitting. Now, I could see all four of us sitting out here on a cool fall night, enjoying the stars while keeping warm by the fire.
Life had a funny way of working itself out when you least expected it.
“What are you thinking?” Calla asked, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“I was thinking how much things have changed in the past six months. I can’t believe fate would finally give us all a break and quit being so damn mean.”
She giggled. “You can’t really appreciate the good things in life if you haven’t been through some rotten things to compare it too, though. I’m happy. I’m even happier than Holly’s happy. I have to admit I felt guilty for abandoning her and coming up here to live with you.”
I smiled, “Funny thing is I was thinking the same thing about Gabe. I am very happy to have you, but I was feeling a little bad for him. Now, we can both be completely, madly in love and not feel an ounce of guilt.”
She kissed me before patting my butt. “I’m going to go help Holly get some drinks ready. We put together a few snacks as well. It isn’t exactly a reception, but I think a few drinks with some salty snacks will be just perfect. You get that campfire started before it gets chilly,” she ordered.
I stacked some wood and gathered dry pine needles, but waited to start the fire. It was still warm outside. Calla appeared on the porch, juggling a tray and some bags.
“Hold on,” I said, quickly rushing to her aid. “What’s all this?” I asked, peeking inside the bags.
“Party snacks.”
I laughed. “I don’t think I’ve been to a party in a decade.”
Gabe emerged with Holly on his arm. “Bullshit. I know you and your Army pals sat around drinking plenty of nights.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “That’s true, but I don’t think I ever considered it a party.”
John and his wife Donna appeared, and after the introductions, we all gathered around the firepit. Calla was playing hostess, serving up drinks and offering various snacks.
Holly and Gabe seemed to be lost in their own little world. I didn’t think they had let go of one another since they had said, ‘I do’. It was a side of Gabe I had never imagined I would see. I liked the softer side and felt a little twinge of sadness over the grief that had kept that side hidden away for so many years. Gabe was a kind and loving man under all the gruffness.
We laughed and laughed as we shared drinks and snacks celebrating the wedding none of us could have predicted.
“You going to light that fire or we going to stare at a pile of wood all night?” Gabe groused.
I laughed. “Are you chilly? That woman draped over you should be enough to keep you warm.”
“Well, I’m chilly, and I’m sure Holly and Donna are too,” Calla chimed in.
“Okay, I get the hint,” I said, as I got down and lit the fire. Each of us settled back into our chairs and stared at the flames. Fire always had a way of quieting a rambunctious group, even if we weren’t exactly howling at the moon.
“I think we’re going to head out,” John said, he and his wife standing. “We want to take advantage of that big-ass tub in our room.”
“Thanks for everything and let me know when you want to get away again. I’ve got an in up at the lodge and can hook you guys up with a room,” Gabe said, shaking his friend’s hand.
We all said our goodbyes and then it was just the four of us.
Holly yawned. “Did you get any writing done?” she asked Calla.
I smirked, thinking about the research we did for her writing.
Calla grinned, “I did get a couple chapters written on the flight back. I have lots of material to work with. I think Janice, my editor,” she clarified for Gabe and I, “will be very happy. She said to turn up the heat and I most definitely did.”
Holly giggled. “You’re going to spawn a population boom with your books.”
Gabe’s face twisted into one of horror. “You’re one of them book writers?” he asked, aghast.
“Yes, she is and damn good at it,” I said, proudly.
Gabe was shaking his head. “No wonder you two were holed up in that cabin for so long. I thought you were dead. Now I see why.”
Holly and Calla both started laughing. I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “Speaking of, I think it’s time for us to get home. You two probably want to enjoy your honeymoon now that Holly can stay the night in your bed without you getting all weird about it.”
“A man’s got to have morals,” Gabe shot back.
“Yes, he does, and you do. Good night you two. We’ll see you in a few days. Don’t do anything too wild. We wouldn’t want Holly to break an arm or her other foot,” I teased.
“Jake,” Calla hissed.
I chuckled and grabbed her by the waist. “Let’s go home. This is about as much partying as I can take. I want to get back to our home.”
Calla cleaned up with my help and then we left Gabe and Holly alone to enjoy their first night as a married couple.
“I hope you’re not still jetlagged,” I said to Calla, as the truck bounced up the driveway to our cabin.
She shook her head. “Nope. You?”
I shook my head. “No. We have all night and I know you have nothing to do this weekend. We can stay in bed all day.””
She started laughing. “Just the bed?”
I growled low in my throat and hurried up the long driveway.