Wyatt sat toward the back, but he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The small, impressed smile as he looked her over made her feel more stunning than any compliment ever could. He didn't even look away when the bride walked past him.
He was looking only at her.
Her heart sped to a million miles per hour, and her smile turned into something that glowed. He had come. He was risking his job to be with her. He was here.
The ceremony went by in a blur. Janessa was stunning in her white gown, and Kyle looked like the happiest man in the world. Katy cried tears of joy. Cassie had a hard time paying attention at times since she kept sneaking glances at Wyatt in the audience. It wasn't that the wedding wasn't beautiful or love-filled, it was just that he filled her thoughts.
For a moment, Cassie let herself imagine her and Wyatt up on this beach altar. Would Wyatt smile like Kyle did when he slid the ring onto a finger? Would she cry tears of joy like Janessa did reading her vows?
It was a beautiful fantasy. Even though it felt right to imagine him with her, Cassie knew that it was just pretend. He was a bartender on a Caribbean island. She managed a hotel in Arizona. They were two very different worlds that just happened to collide for a short time. The collision was beautiful, but it couldn't last.
She blinked away surprise tears at the thought of leaving. She was going to miss Wyatt terribly when she left tomorrow. Cassie dabbed at her eyes, hoping that everyone would just think she was happy for her friend. This had been the best week of her life, and after tonight, she'd have to go back to her old life.
She decided that instead of being bitter about it ending, she was going to enjoy every moment. She couldn't stop time, but she could focus on remembering every second of it. She glanced over at Wyatt again, determined to have the best night ever.
The wedding ended, and everyone cheered. Chad held Cassie's arm as they walked back down the sandy aisle and headed toward the picture area for photos. Cassie wished she could just head straight to the reception area to see Wyatt, but her duties were to the bride and her new husband.
Cassie and the other bridesmaids dutifully took the wedding photos that would soon grace Janessa and Kyle's walls. Lorna managed to mostly behave herself, and only pushed to the front of the picture once or twice. Cassie genuinely smiled for her friend but was glad when the photographer released the rest of the wedding party to the reception while she finished taking portraits of just the happy couple.
Once free, Cassie and the other bridesmaids hurried to the reception area. Fairy lights twinkled in the eaves of the gazebo over the tables and chairs. Guests mingled on the outdoor dance floor and walked through the garden area as they waited for dinner to be served. A small band played soft jazz.
Cassie chewed on her lower lip as she looked for Wyatt. She wanted to find him before Lorna did. Her eyes darted around the guests, looking for his tall frame and easy smile.
“You look beautiful,” a deep voice said from her side. She grinned as she turned to face him.
He wore his work slacks and a nice button up shirt. He could make a brown paper bag look good, so the dressy shirt looked terrific on him. He'd brushed his hair back with just a touch of gel, and he had shaved. He looked movie-star handsome.
“Thank you,” she told him. “You look pretty nice yourself.”
He grinned in return, his eyes soft and sparkling.
“I found our table,” he told her, offering his arm. She took it with a smile as he led her to a large table adjacent to the bride and groom's center seats.
Two glasses of wine sat waiting for them. She grinned at Wyatt and together they sat, sipping on the wine. Cassie glanced around the reception, taking it all in. Everything was outdoors in the Caribbean evening breeze. Fairy lights lent a magical glow to every structure, and beautiful people chatted and laughed as they waited for the bride and groom to arrive.
Lorna glared at Cassie. The slim woman sat at the opposite table and luckily nowhere near Cassie and Wyatt. Cassie sent a silent thank you to Janessa for the seating arrangement. The look on Lorna's face was sour as she crossed her arms. Cassie tried not to worry about it. She wasn't about to let Lorna ruin her evening.
She turned to face Wyatt, pushing Lorna from her mind.
“C
heers,” she said, lifting her glass to his.
“Cheers,” he repeated, clinking their glasses. “This is a very nice wedding.”
“I think so too,” Cassie agreed. She smiled softly at him.“Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn't miss it,” he replied taking a sip of his wine. He took a deep breath and relaxed into his chair as he looked out at the wedding guests. “Do you have any more trips planned when you get home?”
Cassie wondered if it was a sneaky way of asking if she could come back to the island. “Unfortunately, this used up most of my time off,” she said, only a little bitterness creeping into her voice. “I don't get very many vacation days.”
Wyatt nodded, smiling softly as he looked over at her. “That's too bad.”
“What about you?” she asked, setting her glass down. “Any big plans coming up?”
He looked out at the crowd for a moment before answering. “I might be changing islands,” he said after a moment. “I feel a change in the wind.”
“Where will you go?” The idea of him not being here scared her. Even though she had no real way of getting back to the island, she liked the idea that she could find him here again. She had this fantasy in her mind that she would come back, and he would run across the beach to meet her, sweeping her up in his arms. She knew it wasn't really a possibility, but the loss of the fantasy hurt.