Chapter 5

On a bright late summer Saturday afternoon Allison stood in the back of the choir loft out of sight of the people in the church below. Actually she was standing behind the string quartet that was entertaining the arriving guests. The quartet was playing "Spring" from the "Four seasons" by Vivaldi.

She could clearly see Jake and Pete though - standing in the sanctuary. They were dressed in tuxedos and looked relaxed and happy and they seemed to be sharing a joke as they waited for the ceremony to start. She loved both these handsome men. She could also see the first couple of rows, empty now, reserved for parents and other close relatives. The church was beautifully decorated with flowers at each row and large stands of late summer flowers.

Allison vowed she wasn't going to cry on this happy day.

She retreated to the dressing room which was just off the loft and was met by a nervously pacing Emily.

"You were gone a long time..."

"Oh stop, I was maybe five minutes ... you know I just had to make sure the groom and best man hadn't chickened out!"

"Very funny."

"So are you ready?"

Emily nodded.

"You look beautiful."

"You clean up pretty well yourself ... lots of guys will have their eyes on you today."

"Okay girlfriend, let's knock em dead!"

Minutes later Allison walked down the aisle as the string quartet started another Vivaldi piece. The church was packed with happy excited people. It looked like half the town turned out. And why shouldn't they? Certainly the skeptics among them never believed a wedding would ever take place despite the fact they had loved each other for years They had managed to overcome separation and distance to finally make happen what the whole town knew was inevitable.

Allison kept reminding herself not to cry. She kept her focus on Jake and Pete and their warm smiles as she approached. Finally she reached them and they all turned when the quartet started into Bach's Cantata 147 - three and a half minutes of the most beautiful music ever composed and the perfect amount of time for Emily to walk down the aisle on her father's arm. Allison watched them as they appeared in the vestibule, waiting for their cue.

About half way through the piece Emily and her father stepped into the church proper and onto the carpet which was strewn with rose petals. She looked so happy and her wedding dress was nothing like the confectionary creations that made a bride look like a meringue — instead it was a long creamy sleeveless silk sheath that showed off her toned body.

Emily had been in love with Pete for probably as long as she'd known him ... and Pete, well Pete was a little slow at arriving at the conclusion he loved her, but once he realized it he didn't waste any time. Neither of them had ever told the other for fear of breaking up their friendship and the "Musketeers".

When Jake left last year somehow it all seemed to come together and within weeks Emily and Pete were engaged. Good thing something wonderful came from all that, Allison thought ruefully.

As Emily approached, Allison's eyes wandered and were drawn to Kate Bryce, a beautiful, tall, leggy blonde from California. She was actually Doctor Kate Bryce — and her figure was more Gwenth Paltrow than Jessica Simpson. She was dressed in a simple pale yellow sleeveless dress, probably silk with a thin alligator belt. It perfectly complimented her tanned arms and legs. The dress was a simple sheath and looked expensive. It most certainly had not come off the rack at Target. She was standing next to Jake's mother in the front row, befitting her position as Jake's fiancé...

As the music faded a beaming Emily reached the little group. She looked radiant as she took her place across from Pete. Then the four of them turned and faced Pastor James.

"Beloved ... today we celebrate the marriage of Peter and Emily, who finally discovered what this town knew for a number of years ... that they were meant for each other!"

This elicited the obligatory laugh from the gathered. Even Allison smiled. Yes they were meant for each other and she was so pleased for her two best friends.

As the minister started into his little sermon about the sanctity of marriage, Allison thought about the rehearsal dinner the evening before in the large garden of the Rose B&B. That was when she was first introduced to Kate Bryce. She of course had known about Jake's engagement — who hadn't?

At the dinner the members of the wedding party and their guests had been seated at white tablecloth covered tables in the arbor as various family members told loving and funny stories about the bride and groom to be, off-time with hysterical photos.

After dinner and many toasts the party had wound down and people, as they often do, ended up in twos and threes around the garden.

Allison was alone on one of the mahogany benches under an ancient oak when Kate walked up, wine glass in hand.

"May I join you?"

Allison looked up and saw Kate silhouetted against the skyline in the late summer twilight. She had removed her high-heel sandals and held them at her side by the straps. On her left hand a magnificent engagement ring reflected the light.

"Of course ... please have a seat."

Kate was dressed elegantly in a burgundy silk blouse and a cream skirt that came to her knees that looked to be linen and silk. A thin corded black belt with a tiny silver buckle encircled her waist. Other than her blonde hair which was cut fairly short, she looked like she had stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine. Allison thought her short hair might be because of her profession as a trauma surgeon.

"Damned heels were killing me!" she laughed as she sat. It was a nice laugh.

Kate rubbed one foot then the other.

"That's a great idea" Allison slipped off her pumps and sighed as she felt the cool grass on her feet.

Kate looked at her. "Funny how some of the greatest pleasures come from the simplest things."

Allison nodded.

"Of course if we didn't torture ourselves trying to impress our men we wouldn't have sore feet."

They sat in silence for a few moments enjoying the evening. Finally Kate spoke,

"You're Allison aren't you"?

Allison nodded and braced herself for the inevitable questions about why she and Jake broke up, but she was mistaken.

"You've know Jake for a long time right?"

"Yes, since I was thirteen."

"He's a pretty special man isn't he?"

"Yes."

Here it comes. She thought.

"This is a wonderful town and I've seen how he's respected here ... and my lord, how a lot of women look at him..." she laughed. "So maybe you can tell me why no one ever managed to snag Jake? Not that I'm complaining mind you!"

Allison was stunned by the question. Had Jake never told Kate about her? Maybe not. Jake was a private person and why should he tell Kate about a woman who broke his heart twice? She thought about how to answer.

"You're right ... Jake's a special guy and I think a lot of women had their eyes on him, but with being in the Navy and gone for four years and ... well Jake has some pretty high standards when it comes to a relationship ... and there are some pretty stupid women in this town ... Well ... what I'm trying to say is Jake is a one woman man and demands the same in return."

Kate looked at her.

"Oh..." It was obvious she understood.

"Guess that's lucky for me..."

Allison could only nod, afraid she'd show her emotions with any other response. She decided to change the subject before Kate could get any more information from her.

"So how did you and Jake meet?"

Even in the dwindling light Allison could see Kate's smile and the look of happiness in her eyes as she thought about their first encounter.

"Allison ... do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Yes." She said trying to keep her voice neutral as she thought about the first time she saw Jake when she was thirteen and he was fourteen. She'd fallen in love with him that day.

Kate looked at her, but continued.

"With my job in the Trauma Center at UC San Diego I sometimes attend the monthly county-wide trauma task force meeting. Actually most times I try to avoid those meetings like the plague. Must have been fate that I couldn't get anyone to take my place that day."

Kate paused.

"Anyway, the meeting was a luncheon and it was hosted by the medical folks at Camp Pendleton at one of the clubs on base. So I came in and expecting to be bored out of my mind I took a seat at an empty table at the back of the room. That way if it was too ghastly I could duck out — you know cell phone to my ear pretending it was an emergency!" She laughed.

"I was checking messages on my BlackBerry when suddenly there he was asking me if the seat next to me was taken. I looked at him ... and it was ... well ... you said you believed in love at first sight so you must know. I don't remember what I said, but one thing was for sure I sure wasn't going to let him sit anywhere else!"

Kate paused again, basking in the memory.

"I've never had that reaction to a man before..."

Her eyes got a faraway look.

"Not even with my late husband..."

Allison was surprised that Kate had been married before. Everyone knew she was a single mom but that bit of news had not made the gossip circuit in Tahlequah.

"So there I was and well ... there was this gorgeous man in his paramedic uniform with his southern boy accent and those dreamy gray eyes of his and suddenly I couldn't think straight. It was like being in the movie Bambi that my four-year old daughter Jana loves so much ... There's that scene where the old owl describes what happens in the spring and he warns Flower, Thumper and Bambi about becoming twitterpated. Well ... that sure was me!"

Kate laughed again.

"Yes ... that's the best description — twitterpated!"

Allison politely laughed. She had heard that Kate had a four year-old daughter.

"I have no idea what was on the program that day or what was discussed. Every time Jake looked at me I just wanted to drag him off so we could be by ourselves. I know I didn't eat much either. And it's so funny I was jealous already and I hardly knew him."

"Jealous?"

"There was this cute little Navy nurse from the hospital at Camp Pendleton who plopped herself on the other side of Jake in her tight little white uniform. Of course fate would have it that on the day I'd meet the love of my life ... well I'd thrown on a blouse and skirt with some flats and very little makeup!" She laughed.

After a moment Kate went on.

"And she was really workin' it. You know touching Jake's hand and forearm all the time and batting her baby blues at him. I really wanted to slap her. But then I watched Jake — kinda funny since I didn't know what kind of man he was at the time — and most men I know would have had a hard time resisting that little slut in the tight uniform ... but Jake did." Kate grinned.

"I watched his eyes and every time she made some flirty move his eyes narrowed and the stupid cow had no idea. I guess her little flirty — "I'm so cute and available" act was totally lost on Jake. I never wondered if he was gay because when he'd turn back to me his eyes would open up and I'd get lost all over again. As the meeting ended nursey handed him her card and with what I can only describe as a smoldering look then turned and walked away swaying her hips on her high heels. Jake left her card on the table when we left ... smart man!"

Kate paused reliving that day, her smile wider than ever.

"Anyway, I was talking to Jake ... about my job at the trauma center ... I think ... but I can't be sure ... and I looked around and the room was practically empty. We both seemed to realize it at the same time so we got up and side by side headed for the door. I wanted to take his arm and stake out my territory ... you know how we do ... telling the world this is our man!"

Kate laughed again.

Allison nodded remembering doing that with Jake herself. She was glad it was getting dark so Kate couldn't see her sadness.

"As we walked out the main entrance this great bear of a Marine — a gunnery sergeant spotted Jake and grabbed him and hugged him. I was so surprised ... and then the Marine said something like..."

At that point Kate lowered her voice to imitate the Marine.