Read Online That Lucky Old Sun (The Bella Novella Collection Book 4) by Janice Thompson - Free Book Online Page A

groomsmen, and the three pastors, who seemed now to be the best of friends.
    “Bella, you were right.” Ling pointed to the tidy deck, everything standing aright. “You can’t see any remains of the storm. Everything came together perfectly.”
    “And it will tomorrow, too. Just wait and see how great this deck is going to look covered in tables and chairs, dressed to the nines. I’ve got all my ducks in a row, girl. You won’t be disappointed.”
    “Ooo, duck!” Her grandfather licked his lips as he passed by. “That’s what we left off of tomorrow night’s menu. Duck. What good is a Vietnamese wedding without duck, I ask you?”
    “We’re having duck tonight, Grandpa.” Ling slipped her arm through his. “Back at our house after the rehearsal. Remember? Ma’s been cooking all day. And she’s so excited everyone’s coming to our place to celebrate.”
    “Oh, right. That’s why I have duck on the brain. I’ve been smelling it all day.” He laughed and then headed to the fetch another glass of lemonade.
    At exactly 7:12 p.m. we began the procession toward the beach. Pastor Lindsey opened in prayer. I gathered the troops and talked them through the order of service, and then we were off and running. No, we didn’t have chairs set up yet. And no, the canopy hadn’t arrived. All of that would take place tomorrow, early afternoon. But we had the most important thing. Well, the most important thing after the happy couple.
    We had a sunset.
    A beautiful, glorious, can’t-believe-it’s-really-this-exquisite sunset. Luscious shades of pinks and golds hovered over the warm waters of the Gulf, beckoning us to stare up, up, upward. . .to drink it in. I found my gaze fixed on the round golden ball, that lucky old sun, as it began its evening descent into the western sky. As it slipped deeper and deeper beyond the horizon, the colors of the horizon morphed in steady successive waves, causing all to gasp in wonder.
    D.J. slipped his arm around my waist. “Every minute, something new.”
    “Every minute, something new,” I echoed. “And all of it beautiful.”
    Wasn’t that just how life was, after all? Ever changing, and yet—if we looked close enough—always beautiful. Always new. Fresh. Hopeful. Even the hardest moments, the ones where the sunlight seemed to be slipping away, held rare snatches of beauty. Funny, how all of that came into perspective right now, under the evening sky.
    “I just knew it.” Ling sighed as she stared at the ever-changing colors. “Perfection.”
    Mrs. Nguyen swatted at a fly. “Well, not quite perfection . . .but close.”
    “Don’t worry, everyone. D.J. is just about to light the citronella torches and we’ll get this show on the road.”
    And that’s exactly what we did. My honey set up a few Tiki torches and lit them, which sent the critters on their way. Then, with the soft sand beneath our toes, the warmth of the now-fading sun on our skin, and the cool, balmy breezes from the Gulf of Mexico, we began our run-through of the ceremony.
    You could’ve heard a pin drop as the pastors each took their turns, leading the bride and groom through their various rituals. In a particularly endearing moment, as I watched the Greek orthodox priest lead Ling and Darian in the circle of the rings, I felt a knot in my throat. I thought about D.J., about the moment we’d first said our I do’s . Though the setting was completely different—our event taking place at Club Wed—the feelings were just the same.
    We’d merged hearts.
    We’d merged lives.
    We’d merged families.
    And that’s just what God was doing here, too.
    I looked around, my gaze falling on Mrs. Pappas and Mrs. Nguyen, who stood arm-in-arm, watching their children rehearse for their upcoming nuptials. I shifted my focus to Mr. Pappas, who stood like any proud papa would, chest puffed out, tears in his eyes. From there, I settled my gaze on our police chief, the usually stern Mr. Nguyen. Nothing stern in that