TWENTY-THREE
A week later…
Wyndemere is bustling with activity. Everyone is in their own
corner getting ready for the wedding taking place that afternoon in the garden.
The weather was beautiful for a outdoor wedding and the garden was in full
bloom. Mrs. Lansbury went from this place to that, giving orders to where
everything was to be and not to be. The bride and her party was in the west
wing doing their hair and make up while the groom and best man and father of
the groom was in the east wing fitting into their tuxes.
"Well this is it Cowboy. Your last couple of hours as a free
man. How do you feel?" Luke stands behind his son, who’s staring at his own
reflection in a full-length mirror.
"Nervous, wonderful, excited. Uncertain. What if I’m not a
good husband to her dad. What if I’m a horrible father…"
Luke laughed. "Son you don’t have to worry about that. You’ve
been wonderful to Elizabeth and you’re going to continue to be wonderful to
her. And as far as fatherhood’s concerned, you’re a shoe in. This is one lucky
kid excuse the pun."
"With a name like Nikolas Lucas Spencer how can you go
wrong?" Nikolas smiles, still proud to be his nephew’s namesake.
Lucky just threw his brother a dirty look. "Speaking of
which, how did Kat take the news that you’ll be Beth’s escort to the wedding
and that she wasn’t invited."
"Lucky…that wasn’t very nice for you two not to invite
her…."
"Nikolas, it’s only going to be family and close friends.
Katherine was horrible to Elizabeth and she’s using you, so why would I invite
her to my wedding? Besides, you know how I feel about you and Beth."
"Come on you two, stop fighting. This is a day for happiness.
Not disruption. That’s what the McCoy’s are for," Luke intercepts.
"Can a mother come in?" Laura knocks on the door.
"Mom!" Lucky smiles widely as Laura enters, her hair
pulled up, but she has a robe on. Lucky goes to hug her. "I’m so glad to
see you before the wedding."
"Come on Prince. Let’s leave your mother and the Cowboy alone
for a few," Luke escorts Nikolas out of the room.
"Well look at you. All grown up and looking so handsome in
your tux. Ready to start a family of your own. Lucky…I am so proud of you.
You’ve certainly come a long way."
"How’s Elizabeth holding up?" Lucky smiled modestly.
"She’s excited of course. Marrying the man of her dreams.
Pregnant with his child…she can’t ask for more," Laura wipes away her
stray tears. "I-I’m just so proud of you…of the both of you. You both have
overcome so much."
"Mom…I know during the past years, I have been less than
grateful for what both you and dad did for me. But I want to let you know I am
and I want to say thank you. Thank you for taking me in all those years ago.
For loving me and caring for me and taking away all those bad memories. Even
though I was angry at you both for a year you two never gave up. Not even then.
You’ll never know how much your love means to me," Lucky wipes away the
tears that now rise to his eyes. "If it wasn’t for you…who knows where I’d
be, certainly not here about to get married to the woman I love. I have a good
life and you gave me that. And I’m always going to be grateful."
"Oh Lucky," Laura hugs her son as tears spill from her
eyes. "You’ll never know how much that means to me. It’s been such a joy
being your mother. You have no idea the amount of happiness you brought into my
life. I remember times when I was so depressed about losing Nikolas, but there
you were to cheer me up, Your blue eyes full of love and the need for that love
to be returned. Being your mother took away some of that pain and gave me hope
for the future. You are my hope Lucky and I know that you’ll be successful in
whatever you do. Whether it be doing the books for your father’s club or taking
up songwriting again. I thank God everyday that he brought us to you. That he
gave us a little boy that brought so much love and joy into our lives, even
while we were on the run."
"Am I interrupting?" Earl softly knocks on the door, not
wanting to interrupt a tender moment between Laura and Lucky.
"Oh no. come right on in, I was just leaving," Laura
pulls away from her son. She turns back to Lucky. "Elizabeth is a lucky
woman to have you. I know you’ll make her happy and you’re going to be a
magnificent father."
Lucky smiles happily as Laura leaves the room.
"Well Lucky…what can I say except that I’m standing here,
watching the results of my decision that night so long ago. Must say I don’t
regret a bit of it. Luke and Laura…they raised you right and loved you more
than anything," Earl smiled. "You sure did grow up to be a fine young
man Lucky. I am so proud of you. I think it’s appropriate to say that you’re no
longer that scared little boy I found in that barn fourteen years ago. You grew
up from Lucas McCoy to Lucky Spencer and I’m so proud of you for that."
"Thank you Earl. For everything you’ve done for me.
Everything all those years ago and now when you were watching out for Luke and
Laura when I went to get my sister. Thank you for giving me parents that loved
me, no matter how many times I tortured them," Lucky laughed nervously.
"You know, things weren’t always good between us, but they never stopped
loving me…and they never raised a hand to me in anger or just because the wind
blew wrong. I have so much to be thankful to you for…I don’t know how I’m going
to be able to pay you back."
"Just continue being a good man Lucky. Be a good husband and
father and that’s all the thanks I need," Earl smiled tenderly.
"Mind if I come in?" Luke asked, re-entering the room.
"Of course you can come in. Besides, I was just returning to
my seat. Good luck Lucky," Earl squeezes his shoulder and disappear out
the door.
"He loves you like you were his own. I used to send him pictures
and videotapes. I sent him that one with you and Elizabeth at the Nurses Ball.
I think he still can’t believe how much you’ve changed," Luke smiles.
"Neither can I. You’ve grown to be such a good man."
"I’m only as good as you raised me to be dad. You taught me
the basics of being a good person. How to treat women, how to love and how to
be a good father."
Luke’s eyes widen at the last part. He had thought he was a rotten
father from all that’s happened.
"Yes dad, a good father. I know I gave you hard time about
your past and I’m sorry for that. All in all you were a great father. You
taught me the basics plus how to take care of myself and the people I love.
Thank you," Lucky hugs Luke tightly. "I love you dad."
Luke has tears in his eyes and embraces his son tightly. "I
love you too son. No matter what anybody says, you’re my flesh and blood and I
love you more than anything. I don’t regret a second of being your father. No
matter what happens."
"Hey," Nikolas pokes his head through the door.
"Everybody’s waiting."
"Ready Cowboy?" Luke asked, pulling away.
"As ready as I’m ever going to be. Lead the way," Lucky
smiles, following his father and brother out into the garden.
*
Elizabeth has just fitted her headdress on when a familiar figure
appears in her mirror. "Sarah!" She squeals, rushing to hug her
sister. "You came!"
"Of course. This is my little sister’s wedding day. And look
who decided to join me," Sarah steps aside to reveal her mother.
"Mom!" Elizabeth rushes into her mother’s arms.
"Elizabeth. Look at you. You’ve grown so much since I last
saw you and you look so different," Grace Webber(can’t remember the actual
name of Elizabeth’s mother)wipes the tears from her eyes as she looks at her
daughter.
"What can I say? True love changes a woman," Elizabeth
sniffs back her own tears. "I’m so glad you’re here."
"So what’s this Sarah tells me about my little girl marrying a
Spencer?" Jeff Webber enters the room.
"Daddy!" Elizabeth embraces her father. "I’m so
happy that you both are here!"
"And I’m going to be a grandfather to boot?" Jeff looks
at hid daughter.
Elizabeth laughed. "Dad, mom, Sarah, meet the yet to be born
Nikolas Lucas Spencer," Elizabeth lightly touches her stomach.
"Elizabeth…we are so…happy for you," Her mother hugged
her. "Even though we wished you had waited until you were older and
married for the child, but not everything can be in order I guess."
"How’s Lucky holding up?" Sarah laughed.
"He’s holding his own," Elizabeth laughed. "Wow,
it’s been a long time since you two have seen each other. Oh and him and
Nikolas are friends now, well you’ve probably already guessed that since the
wedding is here in Wyndemere."
"When Gram told us you were pregnant and getting married, we
booked a flight home right away," Jeff Webber embraces his daughter.
"Lizzie…how did you allow this to happen? I mean, we knew you were wild,
but this…"
"Dad please. I’m not that insane fifteen year old anymore. A
lot has happened in my life…some of which you don’t know about because I had
made Sarah keep quiet, and I will not tell you now because you’ll just worry
over something I’ve moved past and this is my wedding day and you should be
happy, not worrying about my mental psyche. The night I got pregnant was
technically my first time with someone I loved more than anything in the world.
And yes I was scared when I found out I was pregnant, but I’m happy as well.
Lucky…how can I describe him? He’s amazing. He’s stood by me through the
hardest time in my life. Always putting my welfare above his own. Even when he
was having problems of his own he always put me first. He was my very best
friend and he still is.
"So instead of being disappointed that I’m having a baby so
young, be happy that I’m marrying the love of my life and I won’t be alone.
That I’m loved and will be taken care of," Elizabeth hugged her father.
"Just be happy for me. Please daddy."
Jeff Webber sighed. How can he refuse his daughter such a small
thing on her wedding day. "Ok. Fine. But we’re going to talk young lady. I
want to know all about this difficult period in your life as soon as you get
back from your honeymoon."
"Won’t you be back in Bosnia?" Elizabeth furrows her
brow.
"Liz, that’s our wedding present for you," Grace smiles
happily. "We’ve decided, since we have a grandchild on the way, we’d like
to watch it grow up. Be grandparents to him. We’re moving in with Audrey
permenantly…well at least until we get a house of our own."
"And I’ve enrolled in business classes at PCU," Sarah
grins happily.
"So you’re here for good?"
The webbers nod happily.
"You mean you’re going to just pick up your lives and move
here? Why?"
"To be close to you and the baby of course. You’re our family darling. We
want to be here for it all," Grace embraces her youngest daughter.
"I don’t know what to say."
"Liz? Ready? It’s about to begin," Beth sticks her head
through the door.
"We’ll talk about this later. Your groom is waiting,"
Sarah smiles happily ushering her parents out of the door, leaving Elizabeth’s
mind in a whirlwind.
"Liz?" Beth asked concerned.
"I’m on my way," Elizabeth nods, following Beth out the
door while the webbers went to take their seats.