Chapter 174

Richie wiped his hands down the legs of his black linen pants, digging his bare toes into the sand.  The breeze caught the open placket of his shirt, billowing it away from his body while ruffling the hair at the nape of his neck.

Looking around nervously, he smiled at the Kahu and noted that adults and kids alike were yawning and fidgeting at the early hour.  In an attempt to channel his inner Zen, he concentrated on the dancing flames of the torches that lit the small stretch of beach.

Damn, I didn’t think I’d be this nervous. Where the hell is she?

“You okay, man?”  Taking a moment to pause in his own fidgeting, his identically dressed best man gripped his shoulder with an expression of concern.  “You’re getting awful antsy.”

Richie ignored the question, fingering the bright orange flower pinned to his chest.  It was the only thing that distinguished the groom from the best man.  “Do you have the rings, Jon?”

Holding up his left hand, he displayed the band of platinum on the end of his finger. “Dottie has your ring.”

Richie nodded, watching the entrance to the path where Allegra should appear – have already appeared.  “Any idea what Lemma’s doing with his keyboard set up?  He won’t tell me.”

“Not a clue.  He told me to mind my own business, he was only taking requests from the bride.”

“Yeah, that’s about what he told me,” Richie chuckled, again pushing damp palms down his pant legs.  No telling what his wife-to-be had up her sleeve.  And if Lemma was involved?  Well the sky was the limit.

Hearing a rustling at the path entrance, his head snapped up attentively in time to see Dot step into the light of the furthest torch.  Craning his neck to catch a glimpse behind her, he could make out Allegra’s form, her hand resting in the crook of Michael’s arm.  When she came close enough to make eye contact with Richie, her smile lit the pre-dawn sky.

Jesus, she’s beautiful.

“Breathe, man,” Jon muttered with a none-too-gentle nudge in the ribs. 

He consciously drew in oxygen, still mesmerized, watching her seemingly float down the makeshift aisle.  Even Dot sweeping in and assuming her place at the Kahu’s right hand couldn’t draw his attention from the woman walking toward him.  His breathtaking bride. 

Her full, tropical bouquet was an intense splash of color against the ivory of her dress, which was one of those long lacy things without any sleeves.  It reminded him of a gypsy skirt the way its jagged hem swirled around her calves as she walked.  His eyes drifted down to her bare feet and their brightly painted toenails before gliding back up her body.  

The material flowed from the gently gathered empire waistline - working with Nikki had taught him a lot of fashion terminology  - draping softly over her midriff and nearly concealing the blossoming baby Bug.  She was only noticeable if you were looking for her.  His eyes were caught by the plummeting vee neckline that showcased her now ample cleavage and the sapphire pendant settled at her throat.  His gaze slid to her exposed earlobes with a sense of pleased satisfaction.

Dot was right.  The necklace is almost an exact match for the earrings.

And her hair…  It was pulled up on the sides with some kind of clips or hair doodads, but the back of it was swirling in the breeze around her shoulders in a dark, silken cloud.  His fingers itched to touch it.

Gorgeous.

After what seemed an eternity, Michael finally delivered Richie’s glowing bride, receiving a grateful kiss for his efforts.   “Thank you, Daddy.  I love you.”

“I love you too, beautiful girl.”  The older man’s eyes were bright and he ducked his head, assuming the vacant spot next to his wife on the front bench.

Allegra blinked up at Richie almost shyly as he reached for her hand.

“Sunshine?” he whispered.  “Last chance, baby.  Are you sure?”

“Beyond the shadow of a doubt.” 

He briefly clutched at her fingers with relief.  Now his nerves could settle and he felt the tension begin to seep from his shoulders.   “Let’s do this then.”

Man and woman pivoted in tandem to face the Kahu Silva, who patiently awaited his cue to begin the ceremony.

“Friends and loved ones, we are gathered here at the break of a new day to celebrate the love and commitment of Richie and Allegra.”  Scriptural references about love and marriage flowed effortless from his lips.  When he had completed his opening remarks, he imperceptibly bobbed his head at Allegra.   “I understand that musical selections have been prepared by the couple for the occasion.  Allegra, whenever you’re ready.”

Smiling her thanks, she passed her bouquet to Dot.  Offering Richie a timid look, she captured his big hands in hers, lightly clasping her fingers around his.  “I’d like to remind everyone that I’m not a professional vocalist or musician, unlike a number of you here today, so thank you in advance for your indulgence.  David…?”

The opening bars swelled through the portable speaker and Richie cocked his head in surprise.  “You’re going to sing?” he whispered.

Instead of replying, she took her cue and hesitantly began...

Ohhh…

Why you look so saaad?

Tears are in your eyyyes

Come on and come to meee now

Richie immediately recognized The Pretender’s “I’ll Stand by You”.  Mind racing forward through the lyrics, he found that his throat grew thick before she’d finished the first verse. 

Don’t

Be ashamed to cry-yy

Let me see you througggh

'Cause I've seen the daaark side too

He fought the wetness behind eyes by reminding himself that he was a man, even as her soft, lilting voice wove its magic around him.  The initial tremors were gone and she sang with confidence, lost in his eyes, silently committing every word to him.

When the night faalls on you

You don't knoow what to do

His hand enfolded the one she lifted to his cheek as she musically reassured him…

Nothin' you con-fesss, could make me love you lesss

I'll stand by youu, I'll staand by you

Won't let nobody hurt youuuu

I'll stand by you

The bulk of the song became a blur, with the words embedded on his heart if not in his memory.  But Richie would never forget when she reached that last bit and dropped her voice to a whisper, shutting out everyone but him as she expressively crooned…

And when, when the nigght falls on you, babyy

You're feelin' all alonnne

You won't be on your owwwn

I'll stand by you

Won't let nobody hurt youuuu

I'll stannnd by youuu…

Silence hung tangibly in the air after the last note had faded, and Allegra’s chin fell uncertainly to her chest.  Scooping her right hand up, he kissed it reverently before placing a gentle knuckle under her chin.  He let her see the tears shining in his eyes, compelled to share how deeply she’d affected him.

“Thank you.”

“Well, I don’t know about you all,” David said in a loud aside, atop the sniffles of the women and uncomfortable shifting of the men.  “But I think she needs to go on the road with us.  Jon could use a break.”

As he’d intended, everyone tittered with laughter – everyone but Allegra.  “I don’t think so,” she demurred.  “I’d rather leave it to the professionals – the ones who promised me a song for my wedding.  Richie?”

“Yeah.”  Still lost in her eyes, he took a moment to clear his throat before relinquishing his hold and accepting the guitar Jon offered.  “Well, that was pleasantly unexpected,” he commented jovially, with an affectionate wink for his bride.  “I didn’t know my girl had such a pretty voice.  But I can’t believe she expects me to sing after getting me all choked up like that.”

Jon snorted, muttering, “Suck it up and pretend you’re getting paid,” and earning himself a dirty look from his wife.

“Okay, I think I can do this now.”  Richie settled the strap around his neck, strumming a couple of times and clearing his throat again.  Taking a step back, he comfortably settled into his usual position at Jon’s right shoulder, nodding as his friend slipped the Takamine over his head.  “The Beatles have always been a big influence in my life, and when I thought of the things I wanted to say to you today.”  His nod was for Allegra this time.  “This song came to mind.  It’s called “In My Life”.”

Meeting Jon’s eyes in a silent communication honed by years of performing together, his nimble fingers danced lightly over the strings.  The double-necked Taylor chirped like a beautiful bird during the introduction to a surprisingly ‘perky’ song.

There are pla-ces I'll re-MEM-ber
All my li-iife though some have changed

Allegra grinned.  It was the first time she’d ever heard Richie take lead vocals over Jon, and the fierce concentration on Jon’s face was priceless as he struggled to make the harmony fit.  He was so used to being the leader rather than the follower that it was an obvious effort to fall in behind the melody.

Some for-EV-er not for BET-ter
Some have go-oone and some remain
All these pla-aaces had their mo-ments
With lovers and friends

 I still can recall
Some are de-ead and some are liv-ing
In myy-yyy life I've loved them alll

It wasn’t a song she was familiar with, and so far she certainly wouldn’t call it bowl-me-over romantic, but his eyes encouraged her patience.

But of all these friends and LOV-ers
There is nooooo one compares with you
And these mem-ries lose their MEAN-ing
When I thinnk of love as something neww
Though I know I'll never lose af-FEC-tion
For people and things

 that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In myy-yyy life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things

that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In myy-yyy life I love you more
In myy-yyy life

I love YOU more

“I love you, baby.”  He blew a kiss to her, making no effort to remove the acoustic from around his body even though Jon had placed his guitar back on the stand.

“I love you back.”

“Daddy,” Ava pronounced from her position in the audience.  “That was a totally lame wedding song.  You have to do better than that.  Sing something that sounds romantic!”

Richie’s oversized grin made his dimple appear an inch deep before a more thoughtful expression took up residence.  Fingers flexed and he resettled the guitar more comfortably around him, showing no ill effects from his tumble yesterday.

“I guess it’s a good thing I have one more I want to do, considering that last comment from the peanut gallery.”  A roll of his eyes accompanied the dry observation.  “Sunshine, you have to know how much I love you, because I may have to find new friends after this.  I have a feeling they’re gonna make fun of me for years,” Richie said ruefully.  “It’s not something I ever imagined myself singing, but I heard it a couple weeks ago and couldn’t get away from the lyrics.”

When-ev-er I'm we-ary

From the bat-tles that raaage in myy heaaad
You make sensse of maad-ness
When my san-i-ty hangs by aaa threeead
I lose my wayy but stillll you
Seem to under-staaand
Now and for-ev-errrr
I will beee your ma-aan

His image blurred and swam behind her tears.  Placing a fist against her sternum, Allegra pressed against the clutching in her heart.  The emotion he wrought from each phrase and chord tugged at it with a painfully tender grasp.

Some-times I just ho-oold youuu
Too caught up innn mee to seeee
I'm hold-ing a fo-or-tunne
That Heav-en has giv-en tooo meee
I'll try to shooow you each and evv-ry way I ca-ann
Now and for-ev-errrr
I will beee your ma-aaan

Dot pushed a tissue into her hand, but once they’d escaped, she couldn’t do anything but let the tears roll down her cheeks.   

Now I can re-est my worries and always be sure
That I WON’T be alone AN-Y-mo-ore
If I'd on-ly kno-own you were there
All the ti-iime
All this tii-ii-iime

Un-til the daaay the oo-ceaan
Doeeess-n't touuuch the sa-aa-and
Now and for-ev-errrr
I will BE-ee your ma-a-aan

Now and fore-e-ee-ver
I will beeeee youuuurr ma-aa-aaan

Smiling through the waterworks, she waited for him to rejoin her with the Kahu, telling their guests with a laugh, “Okay, I never knew it was going to be this hard not to kiss him before receiving the official order.  Kahu, can we move onto the vows?”

A strong arm came to encircle her waist and they stood side by side before the priest as the sun cracked the ocean’s surface.  She considered the impeccable timing a good omen as the Kahu progressed with the ceremony.

“Richie and Allegra have elected to tailor their wedding ceremony to suit their unique relationship, blending old and new, traditional and contemporary.  To that end, they have both prepared their own vows that they would like to share before taking the more traditional ones.  Allegra, why don’t you start?”

With an incline of her head, she angled herself toward her almost-husband.  “After that I’m not sure I remember what I was going to say,” she teased, lacing the fingers of her left hand in his right before sobering.  

“If you’d told me a year ago that I was going to get married today, I would’ve laughed.  Never in a million years did I expect to be standing on the threshold of a future that held anything besides the Church.  But things happened.  And suddenly I was here on this very beach, telling an arrogant guitarist to sit down, shut up and watch the sunrise or go away leave me to do it in peace.” 

She returned his tender smile at the reference to the – now, anyway – fond memory.

“Despite what you clearly wanted to do, without a word you plopped down in the sand next to me, unwilling to leave me alone and unprotected in a strange place.  Then the next morning – and the next, and the next – you came again, with no thought of argument on your mind.  You just came to sit and make sure I was safe while I stubbornly watched the sun come up each morning, looking down my nose at you.  Somehow, sometime during that week we eventually called a truce.  We talked.  We became friends.  We even shared our first kiss here.  That’s why this was the perfect place for us to start our married life.  It’s where we began our life.

“By the time we left Hawaii, I think I’d already fallen a little bit in love with you, although I wouldn’t admit it to myself.  I was determined that you were a rock star playboy who thought he could have anything and anyone he wanted.  Through the course of… things…  I found out that you weren’t an arrogant guitarist.”  Her eyes twinkled as she grinned at him.  “Well, maybe a little, but you deserve to be.”

Everyone chuckled and Jon poked Richie in the back, giving Allegra an approving smirk and thumbs-up.

When everyone settled, she locked on Richie’s eyes and pressed forth.  “What I also found out is that you’re one of the gentlest souls God has ever put on this earth, with more love and forgiveness in your heart than anyone I’ve ever met.  You’re respectful, loyal, loving, thoughtful and all of those other sappy things that question a man’s masculinity.  Yet you do it without giving up an iota of your ‘guy’ status – you love your sports, crude humor, cars, loud music and the need to be right, yet you make it all work.  You’re the perfect man.”  Allegra lifted one shoulder in a tiny shrug.  “At least the perfect man for me.”

His dimple began to deepen and he bit his lip, keeping the conceited grin at bay.  She shook her head indulgently before asserting in a solemn voice, “Richie, I promise to do better by you tomorrow than I did yesterday, and I’ll renew that promise every day that we draw a breath together.  I will never go to sleep or see you leave on a trip with anger in my heart.  I will never run from our problems, but will stay to resolve them and fight for us.  I will strive each morning to be the woman that can keep you where you need to be – creatively, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.  You will always have my unwavering support, my respect and my love.  You deserve no less.  These are my vows to you,” she pledged with an affirmative squeeze to his hands.

Just past his left shoulder, the sun was peeking its head further over the horizon, the pink and orange glow of its presence magnified by the reflection from the water.

“Richie,” Kahu Silva guided.  “When you’re ready.”

His eyes darted to the Kahu in affirmation, but Richie took a moment to compile his thoughts before speaking. 

“If you’d told me a year ago that I was going to get married today, I would’ve laughed,” he echoed her opening words.  “I didn’t think my soul would ever heal enough to take this step again.  I didn’t think I’d ever find someone who was worth the risk of shattering my old, scarred heart into fresh, new pieces.   Didn’t think anyone would want to take a chance on the broken old man I’d become.  Then…”  He gave Allegra a playful wink.  “Along came the most beautifully stubborn, obstinate, independent, loving, selfless, giving woman in the world.  And the most amazing thing of all was her willingness to accept me for who I am – despite my past, the mistakes I’ve made…”  He treated her to a lopsided smile that she couldn’t help but return.  “And the fact that I’m an arrogant guitarist.”

“Today the sun is not only rising on a new day, but a new chapter in my life.  One that I’m determined to write well.  One that I’m determined to spend the rest of my life writing.”  Lifting her palm to his lips, he pressed a kiss in its center and folded her fingers over.  “Today I stand before you an old man with a renewed, young man’s heart because you’ve breathed new life into it with your limitless love.  It is the greatest of all gifts, and I haven’t a hope of returning it even by half.”

Unable to keep his hands still, he lovingly stroked a finger along the arch of her cheek as he pledged, “But I will put my feet on the floor every day and try to be a man you’re proud to call your husband.  I will take care of my wife and children the best possible way I know how, regardless of what anyone else thinks.  I will remain faithful to you in both body and mind.  I will stand strong by your side so that you can lean on me, and when necessary, we can lean on each other.   I will love, protect, cherish, honor and respect you with every breath I take until I take no more.  These are my vows to you.”

From there, the remainder of the ceremony was textbook:  do you take this man, do you take this woman, exchange of rings and ‘now I pronounce you…’.  Interchangeable with a thousand other weddings throughout the course of time.

But none of it was textbook to Allegra.

It was storybook.

A storybook wedding come to life.

Her husband's lips claimed  hers in that first, sweet kiss of marriage and an indescribable joy settled deep into her bones.  Today she was a princess, and he was her Prince Charming.

One Hundred Seventy-Three

Allegra crossed her ankles on the pool lounge chair, hidden in the dark shadows of night when she should have been sleeping.  She was getting married in seven hours, and here she sat, her mind stuck on the man who was her biological father instead of having deliciously dirty dreams about what she would do to her husband tomorrow night.

After they’d left the hotel coffee shop, she and Richie spent a while talking about what happened and she’d taken the opportunity to check out his shoulder for herself.  Satisfied that he was telling the truth about it being a minor injury, she took advantage of touching him, which led to kissing him.  The instant his tongue slid into her mouth, it was like throwing a lit match into a pile of dry leaves  - the flames took on a life of their own.  Breaking forcibly apart, Richie decided if it was best to escort Allegra to her room.  He left her there with one final kiss.    

“Your last kiss as Allegra Castanelli,” he breathed against her lips.  “The next time, you’ll be Allegra Sambora.  My wife.”

It had sent shivers of desire licking down her spine and curled her toes.  The promise of what tomorrow would bring made her tingle with excitement.    

Yeah.  That’s what she’d rather be thinking of right now.  Not the guilt and confusion she had about her birth father and how to tell her parents about him.

“Shouldn’t you be getting your beauty rest?” came a voice from the darkness.

Allegra jack-knifed into an upright position, gripping the arms of the chair, her heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings.  She opened her mouth to scream, barely swallowing the sound when the light glinted off of his blonde curls.

“Oh.  My God,” she gasped, collapsing back into the lounge chair with one hand clasped against her chest.  “David, you scared the crap out of me!”  Eyelids blinked shut and she drew several deep breaths in an effort to get her heart rate back where it belonged.

He chuckled softly, bending to kiss her forehead before claiming the lounger next to her.  “Sorry,” he apologized, perching on the edge of the chair, elbows perched on his knees.  His khaki shorts, dark t-shirt and sandals were nearly a mirror image of her own attire.  “I honestly didn’t mean to scare you.”

That quickly, she could sense something different about David.  His larger-than-life sense of humor and personality were much more muted than they had been earlier in the evening.  He was almost melancholy.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she told him, reclaiming her relaxed pose of a few minutes ago.  Allegra allowed her head to loll back against the cushiony top of the chair.  “Too much on my mind.”

He gave a half-hearted waggle of his eyebrows to go with his half-hearted grin. “Wedding night fantasies?”

“No.”  She wasn’t playing that game tonight.

“Worried that you’re gonna hit a sour note in the morning?”

“I wasn’t until you said that.”

“Then what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”  He leaned forward and patted her knee affectionately.  “You’ll feel better once you tell Uncle Dave all about it.”

Rolling her head to the side, she looked his direction in the dim light.  “I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“What’s got you wandering around in the dark looking like your puppy just got kicked.”

His soft laughter carried on the evening breeze and he pushed a hand through his hair, messing up already unruly curls even further.  “What a lovely colloquialism.  Maybe you should see if PETA wants to license that.”   

Even his laughter didn’t sound right.  Allegra pushed her own ‘problem’ to the back of her mind and concentrated on drawing out her usually boisterous friend.

“David?”  A feminine hand reached out, waiting until his palm rested against hers.  With a gentle squeeze, she prodded, “What’s got you in a funk, honey?  Did you and Lexi have a fight?  Is there something going on with the kids?”

The left corner of his mouth tipped upward.  “I’m not in a funk, merely muddling through a bout of introspection.  Us creative types tend to do that now and again, you know.”  He gently freed his hand,  swinging over to her lounger and nudging her legs aside so they could sit face-to-face .  “Lexi did point out that I was being exceptionally obnoxious tonight, though.  If that’s true, I’m sorry.”

“You were just being David.”  She smiled and tugged at the trademark curls dancing in the warm breeze.  “Totally annoying, yet charming.”

“Is that how you think of me?  Annoying?”

Taking into consideration the frown that marred his normally pleasant features and the way he studied their clasped hands, she weighed her words carefully before speaking.  “Isn’t that what you want to be?  Mr. Wise Ass getting the laugh and attention?  Your other side stays pretty well hidden, even from the ones that are close to you.  I assumed it was your choice.”

One muscled shoulder lifted in a negligent shrug.  “It’s my thing.  Tico’s the godfather, Jon shakes his ass and smiles, Richie – no offense – gets the girls, and I’m comic relief.”

“Is this where the introspection comes in?  You’re analyzing your place in the Bon Jovi family?”

“No, not really.”  The shadows hid most of his features, but she thought she could make out worry lines in his forehead and around his mouth.  She definitely felt his gaze lock on her face.  “Things aren’t gonna change between us are they?  After you’re married?”

“I don’t see any reason why they would.  What exactly do you mean by change?”

Again with the lift of the shoulder.  Allegra had never seen David so introverted or uncertain of himself.  She nudged at him with her knee.  “That’s what you’re worried about?”

He gripped her bare leg to keep her from kneeing him again and spoke softly.  “I know we would never be ‘together’, Legs.  We’re both in love with somebody else.  But it doesn’t change the love I have for you.”  Sensing that he wasn’t finished, she didn’t jump in with a response right away, choosing instead to wait him out.  Her patience paid off when, after a lengthy silence, he mumbled, “I guess I was just wondering if you were gonna blow off Richie’s friends once you’ve got the ball and chain around his ankle?”

“David!” she scolded.  “Did you really just ask me that?”  Allegra sat up and bent as far forward as Bug would allow, placing a palm on each side of his head and demanding his eyes.  “You’re not the only one who thinks what we have is special.  I always dreamed of having a big brother, and when I dreamed of him – well, he was just like you.  Protective, loving… annoying,” she tacked on with a soft snicker.  “I’m not gonna let go of that for anything.”

“I’m sure Jon, Matt and Tony have always done the big brother thing.  You bring out everybody’s protective instincts.  What do you need with another gorilla hanging over you?”

“Um, hello?  The lack of Italian temper gives you a serious edge over my cousins.”  She placed a soft kiss against his sculpted cheekbone.  “There’s no comparison, David.  You’re one of a kind.”  Allegra leaned back, putting her index finger in the middle of his chest.  “And I certainly don’t think of you as Richie’s friend.  I think of you as my friend.  That’s not going to change because I’m wearing a wedding ring.”

“The big goon and I go back a long way.”  He forcibly removed her finger with a wince, and she murmured an apology, realizing she was poking him a little zealously.  “But if he ever does wrong by you, I want you to know that he’s gonna have to take it up with me, Legs.  The Brotherhood isn’t just about loyalty, it’s about kicking one another’s asses when we need it.”

“You’re sweet.  No matter what anyone else tells you David, you’re sweet, and I love you.”

“Don’t let it get around,” he growled, brushing a kiss across her forehead.  “And you know I love you, too.  Now tell me what’s got you out here in the dark when you should be in bed asleep.”

Scooting over to make room for him on the lounge chair, she patted the empty spot and waited until he had settled in beside her before sighing.  “Okay, but this is one of those take-it-to-the-grave secrets…”

♥%♥

“Your dress is obviously something new,” Therese recited only hours later in the bridal suite.  She was on hand to help Allegra make her final preparations, along with Dot.  Wanting to make her feel a part of the wedding, Joan had been invited to join them as well, while Ava had opted to sleep an extra half-hour.  “What about old, borrowed and blue?”

“I’ve got borrowed and blue covered.”  Dot rummaged briefly in her makeup case, unearthing two jewelry boxes.  Handing the smaller earring-sized one to Allegra, she informed her, “These are from your man.  He said you needed more earrings anyway.”

Allegra pushed her hair out of her eyes, thinking that it was going to be a nightmare keeping it out of her face out on the beach, then eased open the hinges on the black velvet box.  “Oh my,” she breathed when the light hit the sapphire and diamond earrings set in what she now easily recognized as platinum.  The round sapphire centers were conservative by many standards, but at least a carat apiece and were encircled with a diamond collar.  “They’re gorgeous, but he shouldn’t have.”

Dot waved her free hand dismissively as Therese and Joan both admired Richie’s selection.  “Don’t drag me into it, I’m just the messenger.”

“He has such good taste in jewelry,” Joan remarked, showing Allegra the ruby ring on her right hand.  “He picked this out for me several years ago.  Such a good boy to his mother.”  She patted Allegra’s shoulder affectionately.  “I know you’ll be happy together, and I’m going to be proud to call you my daughter-in-law.”

“Oh, Joan, you’re such a sweetheart,” she esteemed, warmly wrapping her arms around the tiny woman.  “You’ve made your son into an incredible man.  I can’t thank you enough.”

The sniffles had begun when Dot cut in with her no-nonsense attitude and a laugh.  “Okay, can we hold off on the waterworks until the actual ceremony?  There’s no point in getting a head start here.”

Allegra stuck out her tongue and shook away the temptation to cry with one loud sniff.  “You’re such a callous bitch,” she teased Dot, who didn’t look as unaffected as she was claiming to be.

“That’s what my husband tells me,” was her dry response.  “Now this…”  She flipped open a flat necklace box, presenting it to Allegra.  “This is mine, but it happens to match your earrings, so I’m loaning it to you for your borrowed.” 

Lifting out the necklace by its platinum chain, Allegra could see that the round stone pendant was a near replica of the earrings, its larger size the only notable difference. 

“For God’s sake, though,” she continued, “Don’t lose it in the sand, or I’ll never hear the end of it from Jon.  It was my first anniversary present from him.”  Turning to the mirror, she straightened her ‘bridesmaid’s’ dress – a short orange chiffon sundress with spaghetti straps and an asymmetrical hemline that matched Allegra’s. 

Soft brown irises locked with azure blue in the mirror’s glass.  “There aren’t too many people I’d trust with my sentimental jewelry, Allegra.  I hope you know how much you’ve come to mean to me in the last few months.  I’m really glad we’ve gotten the chance to become not just family, but friends.”

Clasping the chain behind her neck, Allegra let the weight of the sapphire settle beneath the hollow of her throat before grabbing Dot’s arm and forcibly embracing her.  “To quote a corny song from the eighties, did you ever know that you’re my hero?  You make the impossible seem easy.  My fondest wish is that, with you as my role model, my marriage will survive as well as yours.”

“Oh, God, stop it,” Dot extracted herself with a roll of the eyes.  “I’m not a role model for anybody!  We’re both just too stubborn to become a statistic.”

Therese wagged her finger with a ‘tsk’ of reproach.  “That’s not a bit true, Dorothea!  Carol and I have talked about it many times.  As much as we love Jonny, you’re the backbone of your family and should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.  Things may not have always been perfect in your house, but it didn’t take you long to get them back in shape.”

“Okay, okay, thank you, but enough of that crap,” Dot waved their compliments off with a dab at her right eye.  “This is Allegra’s day.  What are we going to do about your something old?”

“I have something,” Therese offered quietly, withdrawing a folded handkerchief from the inside of her handbag.  Carefully unfolding the white cloth, she offered its contents on her open palm – a pair of antique silver hair combs.

“Mama, they’re beautiful,” Allegra admired, running a finger along the engraved edge that so much resembled the wedding rings they’d had made.  Richie loved the idea of the engraved bands, but flatly refused her off-hand suggestion of silver, proceeding to fully educate her on the merits of platinum.  Hence the reason she so readily recognized it in the earrings.  “Are they yours?”

A wistful smile tugged at Therese’s lips.  “No, they were Frannie’s.  I think she’d like for you to have them.” 

That was twice her birth mother had been mentioned in the last twenty-four hours.  Between that and Joseph’s presence on the island, she found herself thinking – surprisingly, without bitterness – that all of her parents had now made their mark on this major event in her life.

“They’re perfect,” Allegra commended with a gentle squeeze to her mother’s hand before accepting the combs.  “I was just thinking about how to keep the hair out of my face.  Richie asked me to wear it down, but I don’t think he realized the wind would be blowing it everywhere.”

She secured one ornate comb on each side of her head, allowing the rest of her hair to flow freely down her back.  They were heavy sliding into her thick tresses, but they felt undeniably right nestled there.

Performing a slightly awkward pirouette, she met the warm smiles of the women around her, asking, “How do I look?”

With effusive praise, each assured her that she was a stunning bride and that the combs were the perfect final touch. 

Inspecting herself one final time in the full-length mirror, Allegra was pleased with what she saw.  Her clothes, makeup, jewelry and hair were as flawless as they could be, and she felt as beautiful as any bride had a right to.  All that remained now was to collect her bouquet from Lani and meet her father on the path to the beach.

She grinned at her reflection.

It was time to get married.

Chapter 172

“Ready?” Richie asked when they saw him seated at a table at the back of the coffee shop. 

He’d spent the last twenty minutes convincing her that this was the right thing to do, pointing out that she hadn’t put it to rest in her heart anyway.  How was listening to him going to make things any worse?  There was even a chance that what he had to say could help. 

“No, but that isn’t going to make it go away.”  She gripped Richie’s hand and stepped through the doorway.  “Ten minutes.  That’s all he gets.”

The Bishop surreptitiously watched Allegra, unsure whether or not she would actually go through with this.  She had no reason to, so he offered up a prayer of thanks when she set her mouth in a determined line and marched toward the table where he sat.

Standing, he nodded to the couple in greeting.  “Mr. Sambora.  Allegra.  Thank you for agreeing to hear me out.”

She slid into the dark vinyl booth first, scooting over to make room for her fiancé.  “I don’t know what you could possibly have to say that I would be interested in other than how you knew where to find me.”

He, too, slid into the booth, clasping his hands together next to a saucer holding an inverted coffee cup.  Glancing behind Allegra he saw that a waitress prepared to approach and shook his head in the negative.  The Bishop had a feeling he was on borrowed time and he didn’t want to waste it ordering coffee that he didn’t really want.

“There was a snippet on television about your engagement and the speculation you were planning to wed in Hawaii.  I simply contacted Wendell, whom I’ve known for ages, and asked him to let me know if he heard anything.  He’s frequently called upon for these types of ceremonies.”

Allegra had forgotten that some reporter had cornered Richie coming out of the WTB warehouse a couple of weeks ago.  He’d been deliberately vague about any details, but the reporter had speculated a Hawaiian wedding given Richie’s fondness for the place.

“Regardless, I believe you said everything I needed to hear several weeks ago.”

“Things have changed a bit since then,” he said vaguely before reaching into the pocket of his khakis, withdrawing a closed fist.  “The first thing I wanted to do was give you this.”  Flattening out his palm, he offered her the platinum and diamond cross Felix had taken from her.  “You ran off that day before I had the chance.”

He watched her tense and reach for the man at her side before tipping her chin determinedly.  “That’s unnecessary.  I don’t want it.”

“I know you think you don’t,” Richie dipped his head and murmured quietly into her ear.  “And even if that’s true, it’s still one of the first things I ever gave you.  I want it.”  When she quietly offered her assent, he reached forward and plucked the necklace from the Bishop’s hand.  “Thank you.”

The Bishop nodded, his empty hands now folded over one another on the tabletop.  “I also came to tell you I was wrong.”

“I already knew that,” she shot back with an arrogant arch of her left eyebrow.

I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Yes, but you didn’t know that I knew,” he explained patiently, his subconscious wondering if this is what life with Frannie would have been like.  He could see her strong-willed, passionate nature in the young woman seated across from him.  Allegra may never have met her mother, but she certainly bore more than her physical characteristics.  “The things you said weighed heavily on my mind after you left, giving me cause to re-examine my actions yet again with your perspective in mind.”

If he expected her to offer the slightest encouragement to continue, he was sorely disappointed.  The couple across from him were silent as statues.  Maybe it was because of their color, or his own wishful thinking, but Sambora’s eyes didn’t seem nearly as cold and unwelcoming as his daughter’s.

He’d gotten used to thinking of her that way since she left, and he’s thought it often enough that it was second nature now.  He had a daughter.  The only thing left now was to bare his soul and see if she’d let him be a part of her life.

“I was more concerned about appearances than I was about doing right by you –  and Tessa wasn’t the only one who paid the price.  I see that now.  I see that you’ve suffered unforgivably at the hand of my actions and I would beg your forgiveness, but I sense that’s futile.” 

“Pretty much,” she told him, pushing her hair back behind her ear.  “You had the chance to say the right words and blew it.  A pretty speech after weeks of considering all the angles doesn’t really carry the same weight.”

“I realize that,” he acknowledged, swiping a hand across the nape of his neck and sitting up straighter in the booth.  He rested both elbows on the edge of the table and leaned forward.  “That’s why I made a visit to the Archdiocese.”

Blue eyes widened under a lifted brow before she could tone her reaction down to indifference.  She still didn’t speak, and Sambora merely looked back and forth between them, understanding that there was some significance to what was being said, but unsure as to its full meaning.

That was fine.  He could see that Allegra understood the seriousness of his words.  He had her full attention, and that’s all he required.

“I told them I’d somewhat recently discovered existence of a child I’d fathered many years ago.  One I’d assumed dead.”  Nothing but a faint shadow flitting across her face.  “Naturally, they had questions.  How long ago?  Was I in the priesthood at that time?  Why hadn’t I come forward sooner?”  He lifted his left shoulder slightly.  “I could only say that I had been struggling with the information.  That it had taken me months to face my actions and reconcile them with my morals, but I knew it wasn’t right to keep this a secret stuffed into the shadows any longer.”

 “Why would you do that?  You surely can’t continue as a Bishop now,” Allegra observed quietly.

He gave a rueful grin.  “No.  I can’t, but it doesn’t matter.  I voluntarily hung up my robe and collar.  The Church has very generously agreed to pay me a pension, considering my years of service, but I am no longer a Catholic priest.”

“That still doesn’t tell me why.”

Why?  That was a reason that, even knowing he was coming to have this conversation, he still hadn’t been able to put words to.  There were multiple mitigating factors, the most prevalent being that it was the right thing to do.  Aside from that, he needed to make a grand gesture.  To prove that she meant something to him, although he’d never offered an inkling of it up until now.

The Bishop sighed and tried to explain.  “A lot of lives changed because of me – some for the worse.  To those, I’m offering penance in the form of my own life-altering change.  I owe it to your mother.  I owe it to you, more than anyone.  My life shouldn’t go on without a ripple while yours was torn into pieces and in need of reassembly.”

“Frannie is dead and you don’t owe me anything, nor do I want anything from you.”

She had a spine of steel, his daughter.  He’d known it from the months he’d spent as her Bishop, but being on the receiving end of her determination merely drove the point home with unerring clarity.

“Perhaps not,” he demurred.  “But I want something from you.  And while your answer has no direct bearing on my separation with the Church, I was hopeful that it may help you favor my request.”

“Request?” was her scoffing reply.  “You come and crash my wedding rehearsal and think you can ask me for… whatever it is you want?  You’ve got a lot of nerve Bishop.”

“Please.  Since the title is no longer appropriate, I would appreciate you calling me Joseph.”

Allegra frowned, looking no less pleased for the offer of informality.  “Joseph, why don’t you tell me exactly what it is you want so that I can tell you no and get on with my wedding?”

“Baby, at least listen to him with an open mind,” Sambora murmured just loud enough for the Bishop to hear.  “He’s really trying to make amends.”

Thank you, God, for the intercession on my behalf, Joseph silently prayed his thanks.  Nothing he’d said had softened her in the slightest, and he could certainly use all the help he could get.  

Allegra was stunned.  Richie really wants me to forgive this man?   Was she too entrenched in the bitterness to see the situation clearly?  If there was anyone’s opinion she could trust in this situation, she knew it was Richie’s.  He truly understood the brutal impact this man had on her soul.  Turning to face him, she said almost inaudibly, “You know what it’s been like for me, and what I’ve lost.  You still think I need to listen with an open mind?”

He pushed his lips through the curtain of her hair until they rested against the curve of her ear, making certain the man across from them couldn’t hear his whisper.  “He can’t go back and change it, but he’s doing all he knows to do to make it right, which seems pretty significant.  Besides that, did you ever think maybe this is God’s way of reaching out to you?”

Had she thought of it?  No, and her jaded heart didn’t think it was likely, but that sliver of reservation was sharp enough to offer him her attention and consideration.

“Fine.”  A half-hearted flip of her wrist, confirmed her assent.  “No pre-judgment.  What is it you want… Joseph?”

Offering Sambora a small smile of thanks, he considered the best way to present his requests.  “There are two things, actually.  The first is a more simple, direct question.  I’d like to officiate your wedding.”

Allegra laughed without humor.  “You just told me you left the Church.  That pretty much absolves me from having to say no.”

“While that’s true,” he agreed, eyes twinkling the tiniest bit.  “Do you know how easy it is to get ordained to perform weddings online?”

For the first time, she genuinely smiled in this man’s presence.  “Very resourceful, but the answer is still no.  None of my family knows about you, and I won’t have the focus taken away from Richie and I this weekend.  This is about us, not you.”

“You’re right of course,” he sighed.  “It is about you.  I had just hoped to help usher you into your future.”

“Don’t you think you’ve ushered enough already?” was her sarcastic reply.

“Touche,” Joseph admitted with a dip of his head.  Of his two requests, it had been the one easiest to accept a negative answer to.

“You said there were two things,” she prompted.

“Yes, I did.”  Joseph cleared his throat and clasped his hands together in a combined fist.  “This other thing… I don’t expect it will be kindly received, but can’t live with myself if I don’t ask.”  The coffee cup clattered on the saucer as he turned it over in an outlet for his nervousness.  “ Allegra, I want the chance to get to know you and be a part – no matter how small – of your life.  I know you have parents who love you and would never dream of encroaching on that relationship, but can’t we have some sort of relationship of our own?  Even if it’s only a friendly one?  Biologically, the child you’re carrying is my grandchild, and I’d like the opportunity to see it from time to time.”

If she would only agree…. After a while, she would see that he wasn’t the horrible ogre she thought, and perhaps had been for a time.  Then, if she finally got to that point, maybe he could bring himself confess his connection to Felix.  He knew he was going to have to do it eventually, but to everything there is a season.

One step at a time.

To her credit, she didn’t immediately spit out the refusal that leapt to her eyes.  She clearly respect her fiancé and his opinion, having evidently taken his words to heart

Allegra felt the warmth of Richie’s hand on her thigh, seeping through the thin cotton of her sundress.  Its heat was reassuring, as was his presence at her side.  He hadn’t offered any silent gestures on the wedding request, leaving the decision in her hands, but now he was wordlessly encouraging her heart to soften and give the old man a chance.

Her husband-to-be was such a forgiving soul, and for a brief instant she viewed it as a weakness, believing that it only showed his willingness to be taken advantage of.  Then she recognized with a startling clarity…  If he didn’t have that forgiving soul, she wouldn’t be sitting here at his side, because he wouldn’t have forgiven her.

Instead her life was so much better for his forgiveness.  She had love, family and a future that shone with happiness and possibility.  Who was she to deny those things to another human being?

“I’m going to need some time.”  She met Joseph’s eyes confidently, but without anger or spite.  “I have to talk to my family and get used to the idea myself before I’m willing to commit, but I’m offering my tentative agreement.  This is not a promise that things will go well,” she warned, ignoring Richie’s approving squeeze and pointing an admonishing finger at his wide-smiled face.  “But I will make an effort.  I like to think I would do the same for anyone who came asking forgiveness of me.”

She’d thrown in the last bit to let him know it wasn’t going to be easy and that he wasn’t getting any breaks just because he was her ‘father’.   Allegra felt compelled to keep the upper hand for a while longer.

“Thank you, Allegra.  I wouldn’t think of asking for anything more.”  He slid from the booth as Richie and Allegra did the same.  With a laugh, he amended, “Maybe I should take that back.  Would it be entirely inappropriate to ask for a hug?”

When she hesitated, Richie took a step back and subtly nudged her hip, beseeching her agree.  “No, I don’t suppose so,” she mumbled, stepping into Joseph’s arms for what she expected to be a brief, perfunctory hug.  However, the strength of his embrace stunned her, taking her breath away as he clung to her with something akin to relief.

She’d no more found the air to refill her lungs with air when he stole it all again with, “Frannie would be so proud of the woman you are.  I know I am.”

Blinking away the sudden, unexpected tears, Allegra had no reply. 

One Hundred Seventy-One

“You handled that really well,” Richie complimented quietly as they followed Lani through one of the hotel’s side doors.  She was guiding them to the wedding site and the priest so that they could do a brief walk-through of the ceremony.

David had, of course, filled everyone in on Allegra’s baked spaghetti flambé episode from the band’s last trip to Hawaii and how Chef Lucy had been called upon to bail her out.  And, also of course, Chef Lucy herself had appeared in the middle of the tale, looking blonde, buxom and smug at hearing the recount of her heroics.

Gag.

To her credit, none of that smugness bled through into her oh-so-humble tone as she demurely accepted praise for her food.  Praise which was justly due. 

Refusing to be petty – after all, she had gotten the man – Allegra added her sincere accolades to the mix, thanking the little woman for ensuring that everyone’s meals were to their exact specifications.   Then she placed a hand over her burgeoning baby bump with a smile, telling Richie that Bug was awake and kicking and pulling his hand over to feel.

All of her friends and family hid their snickers behind napkins or in swallows of their drinks.

So sue her. 

After that, Chef Lucy had spirited herself away with the assurance that everything for the breakfast reception would be exactly as requested.

“Thank you,” Allegra accepted Richie’s compliment with a tiny smile as they stepped down the narrow path that Lani took.  “And my ego thanks you for pretending to be so into me that you hardly looked at her.”

His hand curled around the nape of her neck, urging her to stop walking.  When she looked up, it was to find his eyes smoldering like banked embers.  “I wasn’t pretending.”

“Jesus, you’ve only got another ten hours or so.  Down boy,” Jon growled as he and Dot pushed by them.  “Nobody wants to see that shit.”

Richie’s eyes narrowed predatorily.  “It’s only ten hours?”  His hand clamped down on her neck more tightly.  “Think we could skip the breakfast reception?”

“You know we can’t,” she admonished with a soft chuckle, sliding her arm around his waist and hooking a thumb in his belt loop.  They fell back into step, so as not to keep the coordinator waiting.  “In reality it’s more like eighteen hours, after we put in a full day with the families.  But after that…”

“’Scuse me, but we need to see some daylight here,” David loudly inserted himself between their two bodies, pushing them apart.  “There is pre-wedding protocol to be observed.  The consummation ornamentation hasn’t reached the optimal shade of blue yet.”

“Lemma,” came Tico’s warning rumble from behind them.  “When she throws a knee into your nuts, I’m gonna do nothing but laugh.”

“Aww, Legs wouldn’t do that to meeee!” he crowed with confidence, scowling at his wife when she pinched his side.

Tipping her chin upward, she leveled him with an acidic glare.  “You have three kids already.  Push me much further tonight, and yes… I most certainly would.”

Everyone within earshot burst into laughter as they arrived at the secluded site Lani had arranged for their nuptials.

Traditional tiki torches formed the perimeter of the area – seeing as the ceremony would begin under the cover of darkness – and half a dozen long, rattan benches acted as guest seating.  That was it.  Not much to look at, but it ideally suited their purposes. 

Upon further inspection, Allegra noted that there were two gray-haired men milling at the far end of the seating area.  One was tall and one short, but both dressed casually in khakis and tropical button-down shirts.  They had their heads bent together chatting, allowing her abbreviated group – Richie, Dot, Jon, David, Lexi, Tico and her mother – to conduct their brief tour without interruption.  The rest of the ensemble had gone upstairs in an effort to convince the kids that eight o’clock was a perfectly acceptable bedtime.  It was going to be an early morning. 

Squinting in the semi-darkness of twilight, she presumed that one of the men was their priest, but had no idea who the other might be. 

“I know it seems very simple,” Lani apologized, gesturing around them, “But I got the impression that’s what you were looking for.”

“You got exactly the right impression,” Allegra was quick to reassure the woman.  “I didn’t want to invest a lot of time and energy in decorations when the sunrise will give us all the ‘decorations’ we need.” 

Realizing she hadn’t asked Richie’s opinion before giving little area a golden seal of approval.  “I should probably pass that by the groom, though,” she said with a laugh, turning her attention to Richie.  “What do you think, sweetie?”

“If you’re happy, I’m happy,” was his typically Zen response.  He could be so easy to get along with. 

“And I’m happy.”  Allegra nodded to the men in the distance.  “Is one of them our priest?”

“Yes.  The shorter of the two men is Kahu Silva.  I’m not sure who he’s brought along with him though.  Let’s go see, shall we?”

“Kahu?”  David butted in. “Could you clarify for a Jewish boy?”

“Of course.  A Kahu is a priest.  We use it instead of the title ‘Father’.”

“Well, then.  Let’s go say hi to the man who holds our future in his hands.”  Richie’s palm settled in the curve of Allegra’s spine and he gently steered her toward the Kahu and his companion, while the rest of the group made themselves comfortable on the benches.

Evidently hearing their approach, both men lifted their heads with smiles of greeting in place, and Allegra got her first good look at their faces.  It was enough to rivet her feet in the snowy sand for an instant before she backpedaled several steps.

“What the hell is he doing here?” she mumbled under her breath, taking perverse pleasure in the fact that the second man’s smile faltered at her retreat.

Brow furrowed in puzzlement, Richie gave the men his back, placing himself between them and Allegra.  “Do you know that guy?”

To compensate for the couple’s lack of forward momentum, the Kahu and his friend stepped out, quickly closing the remaining distance between them.

“Allegra Castanelli and Richie Sambora…” Lani positioned herself between the two pairs in the role of hostess, and forced Richie to turn for the introduction.  “This is Kahu Silva, who will be officiating your ceremony.  Kahu, I’ll let you acquaint us with your friend.”

“Aloha,” the shorter Kahu greeted them both jovially, dark eyes sparkling good-naturedly in his tanned face.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.  The fine gentleman who has crashed your rehearsal tonight is-“

“Hello, Allegra,” the taller, bearded man interrupted his associate, hand extended.  His storm-gray eyes were cloaked, no doubt uncertain of the reception he would receive, which was no reception at all.  Allegra stubbornly refused to clasp his hand, leaving Richie to attempt an awkward left-handed shake as he frowned worriedly at her intense displeasure.

“Mr. Sambora, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

“Uh, I’m afraid you’ve got me at a disadvantage, Mister…”

“It’s Bishop,” Allegra advised him testily.  “What are you doing here, Bishop Mancuso?”

Richie’s brows winged up in shock.  He’d never gotten more than quick glance at the Bishop, and that was from quite a distance away.   “You mean he’s…?”

She nodded slowly, eyes never leaving the Bishop’s face.  No one but Richie knew the Bishop was her father, and she certainly wasn’t going to announce it like this.  Her mother didn’t need or deserve that.  “Intruding?  Yes, actually, he is.”

“I don’t mean to intrude, and I’ll step out of the way in just a moment, but Allegra, I’d like to speak with you privately after your business with Wendell here is concluded.  It won’t take long, but I would appreciate a few moments of your time.”  He gestured toward Richie.  “Your fiancé is welcome to join us if you like.”

She felt betrayed- again.  This part of her life was supposed to be pushed under the rug like the insignificant speck of dust it was, never to be heard from again.  Not only was it crawling out from under the rug, it was threatening to crawl over innocent bystanders and morph her idyllic wedding into a train wreck.

“Is there a problem, Ms. Castanelli?”  Lani’s gaze was flicking uncertainly back and forth between Allegra and the Bishop.

“No.”  She emphatically shook her head, affixing the socially mandated smile to her face.  “There’s no problem.   Bishop, as you can see, we are detaining my guests and family.  If you don’t mind, we should really run through the ceremony with the Kahu.”

“Could you give us a moment please?” Richie excused them from the group, pulling Allegra several feet away and bringing her around to face him.  “I assume this is totally unexpected?  You don’t know what the hell he’s doing here?”

“Yes, it’s unexpected!” she hissed, throwing her arms in the air.  “I didn’t invite him here!  I don’t even know how he found us!”

“Baby, calm down.”  He brought his left hand up to cup her cheek, stroking softly with his thumb.  “This is only a moment in time and we’ll get through it.  But aren’t you a little bit curious as to why he came here all the way from Jersey?”

She didn’t want to be, but she was.  More than anything, she wanted to know how he’d found them – to the point of crashing their wedding rehearsal.  What could be so freaking important that the man that she would hate – even if he weren’t the father who’d never claimed her – would traipse half-way around the world to stalk her.

“Fine,” she relented, after silently counting to ten.  “We’ll meet him in the hotel coffee shop afterward.  But I don’t want anyone knowing who he really is.  I doubt anyone will ask, but if they do, he’s just my former Bishop.  Period.”

“Understood.”  Richie swiped his mouth across hers in a quick kiss. 

It took less than ten minutes to run through the logistics with the Kahu. 

“My dad will walk me down the aisle, and there will be three songs, then our personal vows and the traditional vows.  We’re hoping to start the personal vows about the time the sun rises.”

“Three songs?”  Richie tugged at her skirt, questions dancing in his eyes.  He still didn’t know about her surprise performance, and if at all possible, she wanted keep it a surprise until the last minute.

“David’s been working on something,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand, trying not to let her smile become too smug.  “Does that work for you Kahu Silva?”

“That’s fine with me,” the friendly Hawaiian priest offered his approval.  “According to the weather, sunrise is at six fifteen in the morning.  I think a prompt six o’clock start should put you where you want to be.”

“You guys hear that?” she addressed the band members.  “I’m asking you very, very nicely to drag your butts out of bed by five and be down here with your gear and/or family by five forty-five.  Please and thank you?”  Allegra smiled at them all sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

“How did you let her talk you into this, man?” Jon groused.  “I’ll need a gallon of coffee to get my vocal cords awake at that hour.”

Dot scowled at him.  “Stop whining.  You’re usually tossing and turning by then anyway.”

“I’ll have room service knocking on your door at five,” was Allegra’s peace-keeping compromise before shaking hands with the priest.  “Thank you Kahu.  We’ll see you in in the morning.”

As soon as he bade them farewell, she spent some time talking to her mother and Dot, getting their opinion and last minute bits of wisdom.  They conversed until David and Tico grew bored enough of the wedding chatter to slip away unnoticed, while Jon checked his watch every ten seconds, each time muttering to Richie.

Allegra finally took pity on him and stopped stalling.  Bidding her mother and Jon good night, she grabbed Richie’s hand and told Dot she would be up shortly.

It was time to see what Daddy Dearest wanted.   

Chapter 170

“She liked the house, huh?”  Jon asked with a smirk as they lounged poolside late the next morning.

Richie grinned at his best friend, chest puffed out with pride.  “I do believe she did.  She and Ava were disappointed that we didn’t stay there last night, but I think it’s safe to say she liked it.”

David, overhearing from where he and Tico were taking turns throwing Jake, Romeo and Hector in the pool, called out, “Did she let you fu-“  He gave a quick glance to his pint-sized playmates.  “Have any fun to show her appreciation?”

“That’s not the only way to tell someone likes something,” Richie growled, flipping him a Jersey salute when the little ones’ heads were turned.

“That’s a no,” David told Tico with an evil snicker.  “So, Rich, would you say they’re STEEL blue, DEEP blue or pea-COCK blue?”

“There’s a special place in Hades for you, Lemma,” Richie swore over top of the other men’s laughter.

“Where’s Hades, Daddy?”  Romeo asked as he flew by the lounge chairs.  “Are we going there?”

“Not today,” Jon told the boy through his laughter as Tico scooped him up and splashed him into the crystal clear water.  Redirecting his attention to Richie, he flicked his hand out and smacked him lightly.  “And what happened when she found out the house wasn’t part of that prenup she made you sign?”

Richie frowned, pissed that Jon would even bring up that stupid-ass prenup that left Allegra with nothing should they ever divorce.  He’d just barely gotten around it with the new vacation house, by sneaking in a clause that exempted gifts from what was considered community property.  She didn’t yet know that the beach house was in her name alone.

“I didn’t tell her, jackass, because that prenup is a useless piece of paper.  There will never be a reason for that thing to see the light of day again.”

“Good answer,” Jon nodded with approval after swallowing a gulp of iced orange juice.  Ensuring that Dave and Tico were engrossed with the boys, he lowered his voice.  “I know I’ve asked once, but seeing as we’re on the eve of your marriage to my cousin, I have to ask again.  Are you sure about this, man?  I mean absolutely, feel it in your bones, one-hundred percent sure?  If you have even the slightest reservation about this marriage or that baby, now’s the time to own up to it.”

Richie thoughtfully considered the man at his side, who had been in that position for more than twenty-five years.  It would be so easy to be angry at him for questioning – questioning him, his feelings and intentions.  After all this time, he knew Jon was only asking with his best interest at heart – and Allegra’s.

“I could lie and tell you that I’m a thousand percent sure everything is going to be rainbows and roses, but honestly…”  He curled his fingers a little more tightly around his glass of Diet Coke, visually focused on some unknown point in the distance.  “I’m scared of fucking this up.  She’s too good for me.  I know it and I’m worried that one day she’s going to figure it out, too.”

“Good.”

Richie’s surprised gaze snapped to his friend, who was reclining carelessly, hands tucked behind his head.  “Thanks for the support there, Bro.”

“If that’s where your head is, you won’t take her for granted.”

“Feelin’ the love…” Richie mumbled under his breath.

“If you don’t take her for granted, she won’t take you for granted and the whole thing won’t go to hell in a handbasket before you realize what’s happened.  So what about the baby?”  Jon pressed on, his face seemingly relaxed, but his true expression indecipherable behind the oversized sunglasses.

“After that last Hallmark moment, I don’t know if I want to tell you shit.”

And really, he didn’t – didn’t know if he wanted to give voice to his own doubts.  If he verbalized that miniscule thought in the back of his brain, it made it real.  If it was real, it could come to fruition.  If it came to fruition, who knew what the hell Allegra would get in her head?  Fairness, justice and obligation took on a different light when viewed through her eyes.  If he didn’t have faith, she never would.

“Don’t be such a girl.  What about the baby?”

So Richie continued to build his preferred reality by speaking it into existence.

“The baby is mine, and I’m tired of repeating myself.”

♥ ♪ ♥

“Lani, you have been exceptional!  I don’t know how I could thank you enough for seeing to everything,” Allegra admired, the skirt of her billowy sundress twirling around her calves as she spun to take in the entire room.  “Seeing it all in person does wonders for my nerves.”

“It’s been my pleasure,” the beautifully exotic woman assured her.  “We’ve arranged the priest to meet with you this evening after dinner, and your party can check out the wedding site at the same time, to get a feel for how things will be in the morning.  Until then, I’ll just go check on your dinner.”  Nodding, she excused herself from the room.

The hotel dining room was an elegant tropical paradise, and Allegra smiled her excited pleasure at the women around her - her mother, Joan, Aunt Carol, Lexi, Alejandra and Dot.  “Isn’t it beautiful?”

They all nodded and made the appropriate sounds of admiration, taking in the décor Lani had designed from her few telephone conversations with Allegra. 

Two large, round tables were draped with floor-length fuchsia tablecloths, with only a square of white linen at the table’s center to interrupt the sea of color.  Tropical centerpieces were assembled in shades of magenta, orange, and purple and were surrounded by clusters of complementary glass votives, whose candles were flickering merrily. 

White square plates were at each setting, accompanied by traditional silver.  Vividly hued linen napkins in gold, pink, orange, purple and bright blue were rolled and topped with a spray of pink and white orchids.  Over the back of each guest’s seat was draped a fresh lei whose flowers lent their scent to the tropical ambiance.

Allegra was beyond pleased.  She hoped Richie would be just as delighted.

If he ever showed up.

“Has anybody heard from the ‘big boys’?” Dot asked with a frown, noting that the girls – Steph, Gabi, Ava and Tyger Lily – had made their way into the room and were oohing over the colored lights strung across the room and sniffing the leis.  Michael and John had kept an eye on the three younger boys while their fathers had gone with Richie, David, Jesse and Colton for the bachelor celebration.

From what Allegra gathered, that consisted of trying to ‘kill’ one another with paintballs in a private jungle somewhere on the island.  The charm escaped her, but Richie probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the way she spent her day and she wouldn’t trade anything for the massage, manicure and pedicure she’d indulged in this afternoon.

“Daddy, did you and Uncle John hear from the guys?”  She asked as they arrived with Hector, Jake and Romeo.

Her father appeared uncomfortable at the question.  “Uh, they called and said they would be running just a few minutes late.  That was almost an hour ago, so I imagine they’ll be along shortly.”

“Did they say why?” Therese questioned her husband from within Romeo’s death grip hug around her knees.  “Hello to you too, Romeo!”

An impish grin skated across his features and he darted around the nearest table, chasing after Hector.

Before Michael could reply, the dining room door flung open with a clatter.  “Fear not!  Your wounded warriors have arrived!” David thundered with a wide sweep of his arm.

Quickly inspecting them, Allegra was relieved that they weren’t covered with paint splatter.  They’d obviously showered and changed into dinner clothes – button down or polo shirts with jeans.  Counting heads, she inventoried the two teenage boys, Jon, David and Tico. 

“Where’s Richie?”

“David, what do you mean wounded?” Lexi demanded.  “Are you hurt?”

“Of course not,” he grunted, beating one fist on his chest.  “Me big, strong man.  Not puny weakling.”

“Where’s Richie?” Allegra asserted more loudly, eyes zipping back and forth over the group, distinctly aware that they all refused to look at her, except David.  “David, where is he?”

“Now don’t get mad, Legs,” he crooned, dropping his arm over her shoulders in a buddy-buddy gesture and tugging her in for a hug.  “He’ll be here in a few.  He just needed an extra minute to change.”

Allegra’s temper started to simmer along with her concern.  David telling her not to get mad had always proven an excellent reason to get mad.

“David if you don’t-“ 

Her threat was interrupted by a shaggy brown head popping around the door.  “Retract your claws, Sunshine.  I’m right here,” Richie told her with a grin, easing himself into the room.

The first thing she – and all the women, if the audible gasp was any indication – noticed was the sling on his right arm.

“David, you’re a dead man!”  Allegra threatened, pushing him away with a withering look and moving swiftly to Richie’s side.  “Sweetie, what happened?  How badly does it hurt?”

“Hey, hey, hey.”  Richie wrapped her in his good arm.  “No worries, it’s just a slight shoulder sprain.  The sling is just insurance to make sure it’s all better by morning.”

“And it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been trying to pretend he was a teenager by taking a rolling fall to dodge a paintball,” David pointed his finger accusingly.

“You put me on a team with two teenagers, I was just trying to keep up.”

David shrugged as though it couldn’t have been helped.  “Well it was bachelors against married men.”

The rest of the witnesses to this injury were stoically silent, more than content to let David accept the brunt of Allegra’s displeasure.  She, however, was not content.

“Jon, I can’t believe you let this happen twelve hours before my wedding!  And Tico, you’re the grown-up of the group!”

Jon threw up his hands in a gesture of innocence, fending off glares from his mother, wife and cousin.  “How was I supposed to stop him from throwing himself to the ground?”

“Baby, stop,” Richie interrupted, leading her from the room’s entrance toward the dinner tables.  “There’s nothing to be upset about.  I’m fine.  I can still play guitar, I can still get married and do… everything… that I need to do.  Let’s eat, okay?  The place looks amazing, by the way.”

The lazy circles he was making with his thumb in the small of her back went a long way toward soothing her agitation.  With a final huff, she made a conscious decision to let it go and enjoy the eve of their wedding.  She could assess his shoulder a little more closely later.

“Didn’t Lani do a great job?”

Following the couples’ cue, the rest of the wedding party/guests found their seats and slipped the fragrant leis over their heads, adults at one table and the kids at the other. 

“So Legs, what color blue would you say this is?” David inquired innocently, holding up his napkin.

“I don’t know.  Peacock, maybe?”

“Just as I suspected,” he crowed with a triumphant grin at Richie.  She would have to find out what that was all about later.

David’s cryptic humor aside, the group was still a bit subdued after Allegra’s outburst.  That is, until each of the band members made a point to extravagantly compliment something about the table, room or her appearance until it became so absurd that Allegra couldn’t resist laughing. 

“Okay, okay!  I’m over it.  Please resume acting like yourselves, for Pete’s sake.  I can’t stand the Stepford Band anymore!”

About that time, the wait staff began filtering through the kitchen doors bearing trays laden with aromatic food.  Allegra had opted for a custom dinner, allowing each person to choose their own entrée.  Seafood was the definitely the order of the day.  The only exceptions were Allegra’s grilled pineapple chicken and chicken nuggets and hot dogs for the younger boys.

As everyone was finishing their meals, Lani appeared at Allegra’s side leaning in to speak.  “Ms. Castanelli, the chef would like to step in and make sure the food was to your satisfaction.   Do you mind?”

“Of course,” she agreed with a smile.  “The food was fabulous and I’d love to give the chef our compliments.  Right, honey?”  She patted Richie’s knee.

“Yeah, absolutely!”

“Very well.  I’ll let Chef Lucy know.  Thank you.”  The coordinator slipped silently away unaware of the impact her words would carry.

Allegra’s hand froze before her fork full of rice pilaf clanked to the plate noisily and she turned to Richie, dumbfounded.

“No.”  She shook her head vehemently, hissing, “She did not just say Chef Lucy.”

“Um, I think she did, actually.”

“Chef Lucy?” David piped up from the other side of the table, his trouble-making sonar zeroing in on Allegra’s distress.  “Our Chef Lucy from last time we were here?  When you set the food on fire, Legs?”

She completely ignored him, speaking instead to Lexi.  “I hope you’ve enjoyed these few short weeks of marriage, because you’re going back to Jersey a widow.”