California Waves: The Davenports, Book 2

Chapter Twenty-Six

Margaret Percy was the first guest to arrive, looking magnificent in a green linen trouser suit and high heels. She’d had her hair done that morning and obviously taken pains with her makeup.

When Mila saw the high heels, she said, “Margaret, Tessa will have a fit if she sees you wearing those heels.”

Margaret had been Tessa’s patient before Arch broke his leg and needed a live-in caregiver. The eighty-something-year-old shot her a mischievous look. “Then you’d better not tell her. I wasn’t going to walk that girl down the aisle looking like a little old lady. If I fall, somebody’ll pick me up.”

“I will,” Howie said, coming in to give her a bear hug. “You know I’ve always got your back, Margaret.”

She patted his cheek. “Don’t I know it. It’s a proud day for you, Howard Davenport.”

“You can say that again. Today, I welcome a new daughter into my family. I couldn’t be happier.”

“And to think I introduced them,” Margaret said, not for the first time. Since she’d been sworn to secrecy about this wedding, she hadn’t been able to crow to all her friends about being responsible for the love match. But every time she was with the family, she made sure that they all knew that this day would never have happened without her. The delightful thing was, it was true. Although Mila had to wonder, even without Margaret’s introducing them, wouldn’t Archer and Tessa have met somehow? Wasn’t that what destiny was all about?

And then she thought about Herschel and how she’d seen him at the plein air show, staring at that painting of her, and from that moment, her life seemed to have taken a different turn. That had to be destiny, didn’t it? And on this day, which was all about love and commitment, she had to accept the truth. She’d fallen in love with Herschel Greenfield. Deeply and forever in love. The thought scared her, but it exhilarated her too. As he’d said to her once, he was a man of the stars and sky, and she was a woman of the water. Yet somehow they were magic together.

While she was still having these thoughts, Herschel walked in. She could see him searching for her, and when their gazes met, he gave her a special smile, one she was pretty sure he saved only for her. There was an answering smile on her lips that nobody else ever got either. He came over and stood beside her. She passed him a glass of champagne.

Howie’s brothers and their wives arrived together. Howie had wanted to invite all of his brothers and all their kids and all the cousins, but Betsy had talked him down to just the brothers and their wives. But they were all so big and noisy, they took up as much space as twenty people. Fortunately, the weather was nice, and they all picked up their champagne and headed outside. A string quartet played softly in the backyard, and thanks to Crystal and her staff and Francesca’s caterers, everything went perfectly.

Francesca came and took charge of the food, which Mila knew was a great honor. Sergio and a young woman, both dressed in black and white, walked around with trays of canapés, all of which Mila had tasted. She was pleased to see that the crab cakes with the avocado aioli were a big hit, as were the other goodies she’d sampled.

Arch arrived, looking as good as she’d ever seen him and definitely happier than she’d ever seen him. He hadn’t gone with anything wacky or theatrical for his wedding attire. He wore an elegant tuxedo, as did Nick and Finn. Damien was slightly less formal. His mother had tried to get him to shave, which had made them all laugh. Still, he’d cleaned himself up enough to wear a decent pair of trousers and a crisp white shirt.

Smith Sullivan and a glowing and gorgeous Valentina arrived soon after Arch and his brothers. Smith apologized, telling Crystal in a low voice that they’d taken a detour, as they’d suspected they were being followed by a pap. It happened often enough that Smith wasn’t fazed. “Pretty sure we lost him,” he said. “But he was driving an old blue Honda Civic.”

Crystal nodded and picked up her cell phone. In a minute, she returned. “I’ve alerted security. They’ll keep an eye out for that car, but don’t worry. No one who isn’t on the guest list will get near this house.”

At a nod from Crystal, everyone took their seats. Nobody bothered about bride’s side or groom’s side, they just all sat together. And then Damien picked up his Martin acoustic guitar and began to play, along with the string quartet. It was time.

Crystal had arranged for a white gazebo, and Archer stood under it with the same minister who’d christened all the Davenport kids. He was a silver-haired man of seventy who looked so much the part he could have been cast in one of Arch’s movies.

At Crystal’s signal, Tessa came slowly downstairs, and Betsy slipped out to join Howie in the front row.

Erin, Mila, and Tessa had a final hug and all whispered at once, “Good luck,” to one another.

“You won’t need it,” Margaret assured them. “Big smiles. Take your time.”

“Exactly,” Crystal agreed.

And then they were off. Erin first, because she was the tiniest, partnered with Nick, and then Mila followed with Finn. She caught Herschel’s glance from where he was sitting, and she felt her heart actually swell. And then they reached the gazebo and turned.

There was a tiny pause, and then Damien and the string quartet struck up a rock ‘n’ roll version of “Here Comes the Bride.”

Everyone stood to watch Tessa walk up the short grass aisle, which had been covered with a red carpet. The dress looked phenomenal, so classic and chic. Erin had done a wonderful job of enhancing Tessa’s natural beauty with makeup. She was a stunning bride.

Mila glanced at Arch and thought she’d never seen such an expression on her brother’s face. On screen, he’d pretended to be in love probably a hundred times—and was good at it too. But the reality of Archer Davenport deeply in love? He couldn’t fake that. He glowed with happiness, and that glow was shared by the woman who was about to become his wife.

When Tessa reached the altar, Margaret kissed her cheek, and then Arch took her hand and whispered, “You look so beautiful.”

“So do you,” she whispered back, making Mila smile.

Tessa handed her bouquet to Erin and turned to give Arch both her hands.

The minister began to speak. He talked of love and commitment and all those other words that used to scare Mila so much, but somehow they didn’t seem quite so frightening anymore. Love and commitment. She’d thought for a while she couldn’t do it, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe she just hadn’t found the right person before now.

The minister paused and, turning to the guests, said, “Tessa and Archer wrote their own vows. I’m looking forward to what they have to say. I hope you are too.”

Tessa went first.

“Arch, in the tapestry of my life, you arrived as a brilliant stroke of color on a surface I had left untouched, fearing the world would not understand the depth of my dreams. You saw in me not just a painter, but a soul with a vision, a voice yearning to be heard. You nurtured my hidden talent, giving me the confidence to embrace my true identity. Today, I stand before you, and I vow to be your sanctuary, a source of peace and inspiration, as you have been mine. I promise to support your dreams, to walk beside you as we navigate the ebb and flow of life, painting our future with strokes of courage, passion, and undying love. I choose you, Arch, as my partner, my muse, my husband.”

Mila felt her eyes fill with tears. She was so proud of Tessa. Her voice was clear, and although her words were emotional, she had managed to say her vows without crying. In fact, she was pretty much the only one who wasn’t. Even Mila, who considered herself not the mushy type, was sniffling and surreptitiously wiping the tears from her face. Good thing Crystal had thought to put tissues in each of their bouquets. She pulled one out, knowing that her tears weren’t all for Tessa and her brother.

Her mind and her soul were completely full of Hersch. She couldn’t hide from herself any longer. She loved him. She loved him with all her heart.

And then Archer began to speak. “Usually, when I talk about love, I’m spouting rehearsed lines that somebody else wrote.” He took a shaky breath. “But these are my words, my real words and my true feelings, and I’ve never been so nervous about giving a speech in my whole life.”

Mila’s heart melted. Her big, tough, movie-star brother suffering a bad case of nerves? She found it charming and adorable. Erin had told her that she’d offered to help him write his vows, and he’d turned her down. Even though Erin was a professional writer, Arch had said it was really important that he come up with his own vows. Mila respected that. Archer usually had anything he said in public written for him by scriptwriters or PR people, so it was really something to hear him offering Tessa his love and his heart in his own words.

“Tessa, before I met you, the world knew me as Archer Davenport, the actor, a man celebrated for his roles under the spotlight. But with you, I found the role of a lifetime. Husband. When you came to me, you healed more than a broken leg. I discovered a love as profound and vast as the ocean that whispers our names. Today, I stand before you, inspired by the legacy of love my parents nurtured, a love that has weathered storms and celebrated triumphs for nearly four decades. I vow to you, Tessa, my heart, my strength, my unwavering support. You showed me the beauty of a love that seeks not the spotlight, but thrives in the authenticity of our shared, quiet moments. I promise to cherish you, to lift you up, and to be the mirror that reflects the boundless talent and beauty within you. I love you, and I ask you to be my wife.”

The minister spoke the few formal lines that were required and said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Archer leaned forward, and Tessa tilted her face up to his, and he kissed her. The kiss lasted so long that Finn finally yelled, “Get a room,” and they broke apart, laughing.

There were so many tears and so much laughter that Mila knew the event was a wild success. They walked down the short aisle while everybody stood and clapped.

The family gathered for photographs, and despite it being a special event, Finn still made a goofy face in most of them, as was his tradition. At their mom’s request, he smiled normally in one, and she proclaimed that it would take pride of place on the mantel.

The rest of the guests began to mingle. Howie, the unofficial master of ceremonies, called for silence in his warm, booming voice. He said, “My son Damien has written you both a song.” And then he looked around. “For any of you who don’t know, Damien Davenport has famously never written a love song. This is his first one, so go easy on the kid, will ya?”

There was plenty of laughter and applause. Damien Davenport was one of the most successful singer/songwriters in the world. Nobody was worried that the song wouldn’t be worth hearing.

“Thanks, Dad,” Damien said, and then he settled himself on a chair with his guitar.

He played a few chords, and over them in his deep, gravelly voice, he said, “It’s true, Dad. I’ve never written a love song before. But when inspiration strikes, you have to go with it. And when I see Tessa and Arch together, the only song I can write is a song about love. I hope you guys like it. It’s called ‘Colors of Love,’ and this is for you.”

On the coast of California, under the golden sun,

A tale of love began so pure, it couldn’t be undone.

A painter with her easel, in a world of her own,

Healed a broken man and gave him a home.

With every stroke of her brush, she painted dreams in the sky.

He watched in awe, as his heart couldn’t deny.

Their love story unfolding, in colors bold and bright,

Under the California sun, everything just felt right.

Brushstrokes of love, in every hue and tone,

A masterpiece they’ve created, a world of their own.

From the easel to the heart, a beautiful start,

In California, they vowed never to part.

Mila had thought the wedding vows were emotional, but she found herself crying all over again at the beautiful song Damien had composed. Halfway through, she found Hersch reaching for her hand, and they clung to each other until the closing chords ended, and then everybody broke into spontaneous applause. Damien, who wowed crowds everywhere, from London to Beijing to Sydney to New York, looked bashful as he bowed his head.

Arch and Tessa’s love had touched each of the Davenport siblings in a special way.