Secrets of the Past

Chapter 72

When they woke Friday morning neither of them were in a hurry to get out of bed. This was their last full day on the island and they hadn't given any thought to what they might do.

Once they had finally gotten up they showered then left in search of food. They decided on the Sunset Bar and Grill again. While they waited for their food they discussed what they would do. They both agreed on sightseeing and shopping, since they hadn't done any of that since they'd been there.

The first place they went was the Lone Tree. It was on the beach on the west side of the island. It wasn't a tree, but rather a huge piece of driftwood lodged in the sand in an upright position, thought to have been deposited there after a huge storm.

From there they took the golf cart up and down the island, visiting beaches, old churches, and seeing homes that had been there for centuries. They visited shops and had dinner at Ma Ruby's, which was known for its "cheeseburgers in paradise".

It was nearly sunset by the time they returned to their cottage. They sat out on the deck with a couple of beers and once again, for the last time, watched the sun go down.

The next morning they woke up earlier than they had been, wanting to enjoy their surroundings for a few hours before they had to leave. They had breakfast then came back to the cottage and sat out on the beach until it was time to pack.

Their plane landed in New York in the early evening. They pulled into the driveway just a little before 7:00. All three cats were waiting by the door when they got in the house. Brooklyn meowed, happy to see her daddy. Benjamin meowed loudly and it seemed as if he was chewing Brian out for being gone so long. Chessie was quiet but was purring loudly as he rubbed up against Giovanna.

After spending some quality time with the cats Giovanna fed them while Brian took their bags upstairs. She ordered them a pizza and they spent the evening on the couch with the cats.

They still hadn't told anyone they'd gotten married, and Brian wasn't sure how to break the news to his mom. He figured she might be hurt, not having been invited, but there wasn't much he could do about that now. He would just have to make her understand this is how he wanted to do it. He waited until Sunday afternoon to call her.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom."

"Brian! Are you home? How was your trip?"

"It was good," Brian said.

"Just good?"

"Well, great. We had a lot of fun."

"What did you do?"

"Horseback riding, parasailing, jet skiing, swimming, snorkeling, got married..."

He let that hang in the air and there was silence on the other end of the phone.

"What? Did you say you got married?" she asked.

"I did."

Another long pause.

"Are you being serious or are you just kidding around?"

"I'm serious."

"Is that why you went on this trip? To get married?"

"No," he said. "That wasn't my intention at all. I have been thinking about it for the last couple of months, getting married. But..."

"You have?"

"Yeah. I really have. Within 48 hours of being on this trip I knew I wanted to do it. I wasn't sure what she would say because we'd never discussed it."

"She had no idea you were thinking about this?"

"No. Not until I asked her to marry me."

"So you asked her and what did she say?" she asked.

"She was shocked. Surprised. Obviously it seemed to come out of nowhere. But once she saw I was serious she said yes."

"Well what was the rush to get married?"

"There was no rush. But you know me, you know how I am. I didn't want a big fuss made about it. I suggested getting married down there and after talking about it she agreed."

"Did you get married right then?"

"No," he said. "We had to apply for a license and that took two days. There was a bridal shop in town where we found clothes and rings and we got married Thursday on our private beach."

"Who else was there?"

"No one. Just the wedding officiant."

"Officiant? Not a priest?"

"Ma, c'mon. You know I'm not religious and neither is she. It was a simple ceremony."

"Well Brian," she said, "I'm happy for you. I wish I could have been there to see it. But I respect your decision. Did you at least get some pictures taken?"

"Yes. The officiant took pictures for us after the ceremony. I'll send them to you."

"Is my new daughter-in-law around so I can congratulate her?"

"No. She went to the grocery. But I can have her call you later."

"That's fine. If she wants to. I really am happy for you, Bri. I never thought I'd see this day, but I'm glad you have finally found happiness. She's a great girl and I'm glad she's part of our family."

"Thanks ma," he said. "That means a lot. Listen, you can tell dad, Jimmy and Danny, but keep this to yourself otherwise. At least until I make it public knowledge."

"Of course. Send me those pictures."

"I'll do it right now. Love you mom."

"Love you, too, Bri."

As soon as he hung up he kept his word and sent the pictures to his mom via text. She replied saying how beautiful Giovanna looked and how happy they both appeared.

"I called my mom," he said as he helped Giovanna put the groceries away.

"What did she say?"

"She was surprised, but she said she respects my decision to do it the way I wanted to and she's happy for us. And she's glad you're part of the family now."

"She said that?"

"Yes. That shouldn't surprise you. She asked to talk to you. I told her I'd have you call her later."

"Absolutely," she said. "I'll call her in a few minutes. When are you going to tell the guys?"

"I'm not."

"You aren't going to tell them? Why?"

"Well, not right away. I'm gonna wait to see how long it takes them to notice the ring."

"I'm guessing that won't take long."

"Probably not," he said. "I'm sure they'll want to go out and celebrate so I might be home a little late tomorrow."

"We're married three days and you're already going out, boozing it up," she teased.

"Hey, you knew what you were getting into when you said yes. I'm not gonna change my ways just because I'm wearing a ring now," he teased back.

She laughed. "You got me there. Guess I'll just have to deal with it."

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Good girl. You learn fast," he said, as he nuzzled and kissed her neck.

She elbowed him gently and turned to face him.

"Watch it. Or I won't let you have your way with me later."