The table quieted. Lisa took in a deep breath as she looked around the table. Although only David and Stone were groomsmen, Rafael had invited the other Wolves to the rehearsal dinner. Nico, Trey, and David sat together at one end of the table, with Ria and Autumn, Stone’s sister, next to them. Dad was on the other end, as physically far from his wife as possible.
Pepper cleared her throat dramatically. “Maggie and I decided, as co-maids of honor, that tonight would be the time for the more intimate speeches, given that this is a dinner for family and closest friends.” She hesitated as she took in a deep breath and waved her hands in front of her eyes. “Sorry. Give me a second here.” She looked at Stone, who gave her an encouraging smile. “Lisa and Maggie and I have been through a lot together. Some highs and some lows, but always together. Our years as drama students at NYU and the subsequent years in New York City might have eaten us up if we’d been alone, but together we were strong, even brave. We sustained one another through some dark times. The darkest times.” Her voice cracked, and she paused to take a drink from her water glass.
Lisa closed her eyes as memories of the night they’d gotten the call about Pepper from the police. Their friend had been assaulted and was at the hospital. She was asking for them. Without hesitation, they’d thrown their coats over their pajamas and hailed a taxi they couldn’t afford. Nothing would have stopped them that night or any night. When one of them was in trouble, the others came. That night, they’d held Pepper’s hands as the nurses and police went through the humiliating steps of the rape protocol. Afterward, she and Maggiehad taken her home and stood outside the shower as Pepper tried to wash away the darkness.
It had taken Stone Hickman, more than ten years later, to heal those wounds.
Rafael squeezed her hand under the table, bringing her back to the present.
Pepper continued. “When we were in our twenties, broke and discouraged, we played this game where we told one another our dreams for the future. Lisa and I would describe our perfect man and how many children we wanted. But Maggie’s were always about her music or the theater. She never talked about a man or a family, because her heart was already taken.”
Maggie’s eyes swam with tears. Jackson put his arm around her.
“All those years they were apart, Maggie never stopped loving Jackson. He was her one true love. Little did we know that Jackson was across the country feeling the same way about her. When she finally found her way back to Cliffside Bay, there he was, waiting with open arms to pick up where they’d left off all those years before. Seeing them together made Lisa and me hopeful that our loves were out there, too. We had no idea they’d be in Cliffside Bay. That’s perhaps the biggest surprise of all. I mean, seriously, what are the odds we found our loves in a town the size of a New York City block? It’s like something out of a romantic comedy.”
Laughter rippled around the table.
Pepper turned to look at Rafael. “In the dozen years I’ve known her, Lisa has wished for a man who was courageous, smart, kind. Maggie and I knew that only the rarest of men would see her for who she is—not just her outer beauty because, trust me, there were plenty of those, but one who saw how generous, gifted, and special she is and how terribly vulnerable that makes her. She wanted a man who would treasure her, butalso be mature enough to accept the love she offered. And it’s a big love from her giant heart. Rafael, that man is you. You’re everything we wanted for her. You’re everything she dreamed of and more. Finally, you’re here. The one worthy of my friend. I don’t have to say it, but I will. Take care of our friend as I know she will take care of you.” She raised her glass. “To the beautiful couple. As you grow together, may every day be better than the one before.”
The full ugly cry had taken over Lisa’s resolve to remain tearless. She wiped under her eyes with the tissue Rafael had thrust into her hand and tried to pull herself together.
Maggie’s long copper hair glimmered under the lights. Her fair cheeks pinkened as she looked over at Lisa and Rafael. “In show business, it’s never good to follow an act better than you. Pepper said it all, really. The three of us have been sisters since the first day we met when we were eighteen years old. When I arrived at college, my heart was broken, for all the reasons we know now were due to my father’s cruel actions. Lisa and Pepper put me back together when I’d lost everyone I’d ever loved. They taught me how to live again, how to trust after my heart had been shattered. The happy endings that awaited us were impossible for me to imagine. But Lisa did. She never lost faith in love or people. She never stopped believing that her one true love was out there. That’s the kind of person she is. A lot has changed for us since I came back to the little town that raised me and dragged these two with me. But no matter how much fame or money comes her way, Lisa will never change. She will always be the girl I met twelve years ago who wore her heart on her sleeve. Thank you, Rafael, for being her one true love and making her dreams come true.”
Everyone raised their glasses in another toast. Lisa sneaked a glance at Rafael just as he dabbed at his eyes. “You know they’re exaggerating my goodness, right?”
“I know they’re not,” he said.
Stone rose to his feet with a huge smile planted on his face. “I’m not in show business and not worthy to follow either of those speeches. So I’ll keep it simple, like me. Rafael, you’re the best guy I know. I’m proud to be your friend, business partner, and best man. There’s no man I’d rather be with in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. Fortunately, those days are behind us. Ahead of us are lives with these phenomenal women by our sides. From one lucky bastard to another, cheers.”
The room filled with jubilant cheers.
David, as the other groomsman and Lisa’s twin, went next. His blue eyes, so like her own, met hers. He gave her a small shrug, as if in apology for his poor public speaking abilities. Not that it mattered. He didn’t have to say words out loud for her to know his thoughts. However, what he said surprised her. “When we were kids, my mother always bought a new puzzle to do over Christmas break. We’d open it Christmas Eve and then spend the next week putting it together. I was good at it—spatial awareness and all that.” A playful smile splashed across his even features. “My sister wasn’t. I always figured she was too busy taking in the emotional dynamics of our family to have any room left for something as mundane as a puzzle.”
She flushed and inwardly cringed as she remembered his wife’s funeral. Her brother was starting to become infamous with his overly truthful public speeches. He was, however, correct about their varying talents. He’d become an architect and she an actress. Dad had also been good at puzzles. Not surprising, given his talent with woodwork. Mom had come by occasionally to put a piece in here or there before scurrying off to complete a household task.
“One year, Dad and I finally had the thousand-piece puzzle put together. That is, all except for one piece. We couldn’t find it anywhere. After a thorough scouring of the house, we figured Mom accidently vacuumed it up or maybe the dog ate it. Lisa said to me—and I quote, ‘There’s always a missing piece, isn’tthere? No one can expect to have everything.’ We were like twelve at the time. I was taken aback by both the profundity and the sadness in her statement. It stuck with me all these years, which brings me to my point.” He picked up his wineglass and held it against his chest.
“Rafael, you’re like the brother I didn’t know I wanted or needed. The first time I met you was the worst day of my life. I was a bit of lunatic, as I’m sure you remember clearly.” He gave a rueful smiled before continuing. “On that awful day—the day I buried my wife—you did something I’ll never forget, and I swear to God, it was like this lifeline to a better place.” He rubbed his eyes before continuing. “We were at my parents’ afterward, diving into the gritty, dirty-laundry family stuff, and you offered to take my son and daughter into the kitchen for ice cream. They went right to you, and you took hold of them with such gentleness that it gutted me—in a good way. I know it might seem like a small thing, but it told me everything I needed to know. You were the missing piece for my sister. You were the one she needed. Since we’re twins, your presence extends over to me as well. You were the missing piece for both of us. We found you at just the right time—when we needed you most. Cheers to you, man, and to my lovely, lovely twin. May the years be as kind as you have been to me.”
Through tears, Lisa looked down at her mother. Mom wore a stiff smile as she stared into the middle of the table with glazed eyes.
Mama Soto got up next. “English was not my first language, and I don’t really care for speeches. When Rafael was born, my life began. He has been the best thing I’ve ever done. Not once has he disappointed me. Lisa, you are the girl I prayed for. We’re blessed you’re here. May the Marriage Curse never come again.” She blew a kiss to Lisa, who pretended to catch it and pull it to her heart.
Dad ambled to his feet. “Lisa, I’m happyfor you and your fella here. I look forward to many good times to come. Rafael, take good care of my baby girl.”
“Yes, sir, I will,” Rafael said.
Mom pressed both hands into the table and rose to her feet. “I suppose I should make a toast to my daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law. I’m the mother of the bride, after all.” A hiccup ended the sentence.
Was Mom tipsy? Her glass was almost empty. She never drank, so a half glass might put her under the table. Lisa clenched her jaw and prayed for the best.
Mom turned to them, holding on to the table with one hand. “Rafael, my daughter has all the attributes discussed here today. I’d like to also add that she’s forgiving and loves to please people. My advice to you is this—be careful not to take her for granted. It’s easy to do when someone is accommodating and gracious. Watch and listen to her carefully. You’ll have to do that to gather clues, as she might not always feel she has the right to ask for what she wants, especially given how much she loves you. She will never put herself first. When she becomes a mother, this quality will multiply. It will be your job to make sure her needs are met. Don’t fail her as I’ve done. Be diligent. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am. I truly do,” Rafael said.
“And you, my daughter.” Mom put her hand over her heart. “You remember the way you feel tonight when you’re up in the middle of the night changing diapers and doing the second feeding and you’re feeling fat and worn down and depleted. Remember this man loves you and you love him, and with that as your foundation, you’ll indeed have a happy life.”
Mom raised her glass with a wobbly hand. To Lisa’s surprise, everyone stood. Stone shouted out, “To a happy life.”
