The Island House Chapter 22

Dawson waited in the reception area, his nerves firing around his body like cannons. Charlotte had been with the doctor for at least a half an hour, and he was dying to know what she’d learned.

Their wedding was only two weeks away, and while he’d assured her she could wait to go to the doctor about a possible fertility issue, she’d wanted to go before they got married. She’d been in a few times over the past couple of months since their engagement, but this was the first time she’d invited him to come with her.

Even then, right at the last moment, she’d squeezed his hand and said, “I want to go in by myself.”

“You’re sure?” he’d asked. “I’m happy to be here.”

“I know.”

The nurse had then called her name, and she’d stood all by herself. Marched through the door alone. And so Dawson sat and waited.

The door in front of him opened, like it had several times already, and a nurse stood there. “Dawson?”

He rose, unsure of what else to do.

“Come on back.” She waved him forward, and once he stepped through the door and it was closed, she said, “Charlotte sent me to get you.”

“All right.” He slicked his palms down the front of his shorts, nervous and apprehensive as she indicated room two and told him to go in. He knocked before twisting the knob, and Charlotte said, “Come in.”

He stepped through and found her seemingly ready to go. Evidence of tears sat right on her face, and he said, “Hey, what did she say?”

Before Charlotte could answer, the door opened again. He moved to get out of the way, his stomach coiling and uncoiling every other second.

“Oh, hello, Mister Dane. I understand you’re to be congratulated.” The doctor extended her hand for him to shake, her smile bright.

“I am?” He glanced at Charlotte and back to the doctor before shaking her hand. “For what?”

“You two are engaged, right?”

“Oh, right.” Dawson felt like he was being pranked, and he wanted to get out of this tiny room as soon as possible.

“Well, I’m Doctor Vane, and I have some great news for you.”

Great news? His muscles released a little, and he exchanged a glance with Charlotte before saying, “All right,” again.

“Charlotte, as you know, has been in a few times, and we’ve been running some tests.”

Dawson nodded, his hand in Charlotte’s so tight he was surprised she didn’t shake him away.

“And while I can’t tell you everything, as it isn’t ethical to do so, I can tell you that Charlotte doesn’t have any signs or symptoms of infertility.”

Dawson looked back and forth between the two women. “Meaning…?”

“There’s no reason that I can see right now why she wouldn’t be able to get pregnant and carry a baby to full term.” Doctor Vane smiled, her white teeth giving Dawson something to focus on while he absorbed her statement.

“You mean she can get pregnant?” Hope and joy filtered through Dawson, but he didn’t release them fully yet.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Dawson smiled too and turned to Charlotte. She wore a smile as well, and he hugged her. “That’s great news, babe.” He couldn’t quite figure out why she hadn’t just bounced out of the office to tell him herself, so he turned back to the doctor, but she didn’t have anything else to say.

He walked out with Charlotte, knowing deep down in his gut that something was wrong. He waited until they’d gotten in his truck before he said, “So tell me what really happened in there.”

Charlotte turned away from him, her focus out the passenger window. “The reason I couldn’t get pregnant when I was with Hunter is because he’d had a vasectomy.”

Dawson opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. “What?” finally did, full of air and disbelief and rage.

She turned toward him, a single tear tracking down her face. “He got it a year after we got married. He never told me, even when I wondered why we couldn’t get pregnant.” Her face crumpled. “He didn’t want to have a baby with me.”

Dawson drew her into his chest quickly, holding her close to his heart. “But I do, sweetheart. I do.” He held her at arm’s length and wiped her tears. “He doesn’t get to be part of this year, remember? This is your year. Our life.”

Anger at the idiot she’d been married to simmered within him, but Dawson pushed it away.

She nodded. “My year. My year with you.”

“I love you,” he said, in case she’d forgotten from that morning, when he’d picked her up at her house and told her. “And really, this is great news in a lot of ways.”

“Yeah, I know.” She smiled, and he caught sight of the first sight of happiness in her. “I can have a baby.”

“My baby.” Just the thought of being with her the way a husband was with his wife made Dawson’s head swim. Two more weeks, and they couldn’t pass quickly enough.

“And,” he added as he backed out of the parking space. “Your ex-husband did the world a favor by not allowing himself to procreate.”

For a beat of silence, Dawson thought maybe he’d gone too far. Then Charlotte’s laughter filled the car, and Dawson chuckled with her. “Sorry that was mean,” he said.

“Sometimes the truth hurts,” Charlotte said with a shrug. “And I feel like some of those spam rolls today. Doable?”

He swung the SUV in the direction of the restaurant she wanted. “Completely doable.”

* * *

“Stop fiddling with the tie.” Rich swatted Dawson’s hand away from his neck, which only increased Dawson’s annoyance. “It looks fine.” His older brother brushed something off Dawson’s chest. “You ready to get married?”

Dawson had been ready for a long time, and he felt that Charlotte was finally ready too. She’d planned everything right down to the last detail, and all Dawson had to do was show up at the right time—and that was fast approaching.

If only his tie would lie right…. He didn’t dare reach for it again though, and he nodded at his brother. “I’m ready.”

“Good.” He nodded toward the door. “Because Dad’s here, and that’s our cue.”

Dawson took one last look at himself in the mirror and one last deep breath. He’d never seen himself getting married, but since he’d met Charlotte, he couldn’t imagine staying single.

He walked out of the bedroom he’d once squatted in and through Charlotte’s dining room to the deck. She’d wanted a small, intimate affair, right there on the property she’d bought and claimed had changed her life, given her a fresh start.

Over the past year, her lawn and bushes and trees had flourished, but Dawson walked past all of it on his way toward the steps that led down to the beach. He felt eyes on him, but he didn’t turn and look up to the second-story windows, where he suspected Charlotte was watching him.

His brother and father followed him, and Dawson found they were the last to arrive at the elaborate setup he’d built with Charlotte over the past few days. He’d hauled two dozen chairs over from Your Tidal Forever, and set them up under a couple of white party tents.

The streamers were new, as Charlotte had attached them this morning, along with the pink, yellow, and teal ribbons woven through the back of the chairs and along the altar.

Dawson paused beside his mother and squeezed her hand while his brother and dad took their seats. Along with JJ and his wife, their baby, Stephen and his wife, and Wes and Nicole, Dawson’s family completed his guest list. Eleven adults, two toddlers, and three of the most beautiful little girls he’d ever seen.

“Uncle Dawson, your tie is crooked,” Lauren said, her hands folded properly in her lap.

Rich growled, but Dawson began tugging at it again. His tuxedo suddenly felt too confining too, as did having his family stay in his house for the next seven days while he and Charlotte went on their honeymoon to Europe.

When they got back, they’d just have time to trim the Christmas tree together before Christmas arrived.

He turned away from Rich, still trying to get the bowtie to lay flat, and came face-to-face with Charlotte’s family.

“You look so handsome, Dawson.” Her mother stood and gave him a hug. “I think you’ve met Wilma?”

He had, yes. Once, many years ago. And once yesterday, when he’d picked her up from the airport. Charlotte had hugged her, a smile on her face, but Wilma had seemed a bit stiff to him.

“Yes, of course.” He shook her hand again. “And her husband Gary.” They hadn’t brought their children, as if a wedding in Hawaii for Charlotte’s two nieces wasn’t necessary. “Hey, Harold.”

Charlotte’s brother was a good man, and he’d brought his whole family—wife, and two boys. They gave Dawson high-fives, and then her mom said, “Oh, I see Chris, Dawson. You better get in position.”

Yes, he better. He knew Charlotte would want him standing right where he’d promised he would be when she came down those steps. So he acknowledged her friends from work as he went toward the altar. Hope and Aiden Sorensen, though Aiden got up and moved through the sand with his camera so he could take pictures, sat with a few more girls from the wedding planning place.

He joined the preacher who also stood at the altar, and watched as his beautiful Charlotte came down the last few steps in her wedding dress and veil. Aiden’s camera went click, click, click, and Dawson took those mental pictures too.

The glow on her face, the smile radiating to their family and friends, and then as her eyes locked onto his. Her dress curved along her body, flaring slightly at the waist and falling in sleek, smooth lines toward the sand. She didn’t wear shoes, and her nearly transparent veil was pinned in her hair with a jeweled comb. She was absolutely gorgeous, inside and out, and Dawson almost thought there’d been a mistake. That she would be meeting a different groom.

A few more steps, and her father leaned down, whispered something in her ear, and passed Charlotte to Dawson.

He secured her hand against his side and whispered, “Wow, babe. You’re stunning.”

She emitted a tiny giggle and faced the pastor. He began the ceremony but didn’t wax poetic before saying, “The couple has written their own vows,” and taking a step back.

The spotlight fell on Dawson as he and Charlotte faced each other, both of her hands in his. He wanted to reach up and loosen that blasted tie. He couldn’t seem to find his voice, and he simply looked back at Charlotte.

“You’re first,” she said, almost under her breath. “You did write your vows, didn’t you?” Her eyes shone with anxiety, and he really didn’t like it.

“Of course I did,” he said. “I memorized them.” It wasn’t like the speech would be very long. When she’d brought up the subject of them writing their own vows, he’d gone along with it, willing to do whatever she wanted to make her wedding day perfect.

“Charlotte,” he said, his voice cracking a teensy bit. “I love you. You’re my best friend, and the only person I’ve actually wanted to spend more than a few weeks with.” His friends twittered, but they didn’t realize how true he’d spoken.

“Today, I give myself to you in marriage. I hope to encourage you, inspire you, laugh with you, and comfort you in times of sorrow. I’ll love you from here to the end of time, and I promise to put your needs ahead of my own. I really can’t wait to be your husband.”

He hadn’t exactly put the words in that order before, but they seemed good enough, especially when Charlotte sniffed and dabbed at the corner of her eye.

“Your turn,” he said in an overly dramatic whisper, and she rolled her eyes.

“Dawson Dane,” she started. “You came into my life when I didn’t want you there. You sprayed me with water, were living in my house, and stole my heart when it wasn’t even whole yet.” She gave him a wobbly smile, and Dawson squeezed her hands.

“You gave me time when I needed it. Love when it was hard to give. Comfort when I pushed you away. I love you for all of that, and for being the man that you are. I promise to love, cherish, and honor you forever.” She glanced out at the small crowd and back at him. “And I really can’t wait to be your wife.”

Dawson chuckled, and they looked back at the pastor, who just needed to say the words so they could get the rest of this party started.

He went through the speech, finally ending with, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Dawson grinned wickedly at Charlotte, who said, “Dawson,” before he dipped her back in that decadent dress and pressed his mouth over whatever she was going to say next.

He kept it chaste, as per her instructions, and lifted her back up again. She raised her pink roses above her head while he lifted their joined hands between them.

A cheer went up from their family and friends, and Dawson experienced more joy in that moment than any other of his life. An adrenaline rush surged through him, and he looked at Charlotte—now his wife—and said, “I love you,” before leading her down the aisle and back up the stairs to their house.

At the top of the steps, they paused, the camera and the crowd below them, and Dawson kissed his true love again.

* * *

THE END of THE ISLAND HOUSE

* * *

Read on for a sneak peek of the next book in the Getaway Bay Romance series, THE ISLAND SCANDAL, featuring Ash, the wedding dress maker, and her best friend Burke.

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