Page 2 of Wisteria Winds (Wisteria Island #2)
On the screen before him was Pinterest, which had turned out to be a virtual treasure trove of wedding inspiration.
From color palettes to centerpieces, boutonnieres to bouquets, Morty was deeply in his element.
He had taken it upon himself to help plan the wedding of the century for Danielle and Bennett, the two people who had become like family to him on their little island.
“Rustic chic. Oh, no, no, no. That simply will not do. Oh, but this—a beach boho theme,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Oh, my goodness! Look at those touches of coastal glam.”
Morty was practically bouncing in his seat as his mind raced with ideas.
He began feverishly creating Pinterest boards, pinning images of driftwood arbors draped in gauzy fabrics and tables covered in seashells and sand dollars.
He imagined barefoot bridesmaids wearing flowy seafoam green dresses.
In his mind, this would be unlike any other celebration Wisteria Island had ever seen.
“Oh, my goodness, Danielle is going to love this,” he said to himself, grinning so hard that he feared his cheeks would hurt later. “Oh, and Bennett, too. I just can’t wait to show them.”
Nobody was there, but Morty was accustomed to talking to himself. He’d done it since he was a little kid. And the great thing was, he always agreed with what he said.
He knew some people might find his enthusiasm a bit much, but he couldn’t help it.
He’d never had the chance to plan a wedding before, let alone for the two people that he cared about so deeply.
This was his chance to show Danielle and Bennett just how much they meant to him and the whole island community.
A knock at the door interrupted Morty’s planning frenzy. He pushed his laptop aside and walked to the door, still muttering something about fairy lights to himself.
“Oh, Janice, what a wonderful surprise,” he said, finding the pink-haired square dancer on his doorstep.
“Good evening, Morty. I saw your lights on and thought I’d drop by for a bit. Good lord, what’s got you all worked up? I could hear you talking to yourself from the sidewalk.”
Morty pulled her inside, unable to contain his excitement.
“I’m planning Danielle and Bennett’s wedding.
It’s going to be spectacular. Beach ceremony at sunset, reception under the stars, I might even create a dance floor right there on the sand—but don’t tell them, they don’t know anything about it. ”
Janice’s eyes lit up. “Oh, a wedding, how wonderful. You know, I used to be a florist before I retired. I made arrangements for more than a hundred weddings back in my day.”
“You did? Oh, Janice, then you have to help me. I was thinking about using local wildflowers with touches of wisteria, but I’m not sure about the logistics of that.”
He trailed off, and then the two friends huddled over Morty’s laptop, discussing boutonnieres and table centerpieces. He needed all the help he could get, but he didn’t want Danielle and Bennett to know anything about his plans.
After a bit, Janice had to leave to go to square dance practice, and Morty got back to it.
He continued to plan and pin things as his heart swelled with joy and excitement. The wedding was weeks away at least, but he knew that with a little creativity and a lot of love—and maybe a few sequins, because honestly, why not?—it would be a day that none of them would ever forget.
As the sun began to set over Wisteria Island, he looked out over the beach and thought about the wedding day filled with joy, laughter, tears, and probably more than a few unexpected twists and turns.
But the one thing that he was certain of - that on their little island, love and friendship would always find a way to shine through.
* * *
B ennett stood on the deck of his cottage, watching as the sunrise painted the sky in beautiful shades of pink and orange. The waves lapped at the shore, as they always did, providing a soothing soundtrack to his morning coffee ritual.
He couldn’t help but smile as he thought about his recent engagement to Danielle.
“Engaged,” he whispered to himself, still hardly believing it.
He had assumed he might be a lifelong bachelor after so many years of not finding the right person to spend his life with, but Danielle was definitely that person. After all, her name was Miss Wright . Every time he thought about it, it made him laugh.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. Naomi’s name flashed across the screen.
“Good morning, Naomi. You’re up bright and early.”
“Good morning,” she said. “I just wanted to confirm that you’re still available for that budget meeting at nine.
Oh, and I’ve also scheduled some interviews with three potential temporary nurses for next week.
You know Danielle’s going to need coverage during your honeymoon, so I assume you still plan on whisking her away to parts unknown? ”
He laughed. “Yes, to all of the above, although I’m starting to think I should just close the island for two weeks and take everybody on a vacation.”
“Well, that would certainly be easier than finding someone willing to step into Danielle’s very hard-to-fill shoes, even temporarily,” Naomi said.
“Oh, also, Morty has requested a - and I quote - urgent meeting with you about wedding plans. Those were his words, not mine, but he seemed very enthusiastic.”
Bennett groaned. “I can’t remember a time Morty wasn’t enthusiastic. Tell him I’ll stop by his place after the budget meeting.”
After ending the call, Bennett took another sip of his coffee and let his mind wander to thoughts of Clara Whitman, the island’s newest resident.
It always surprised him how much he cared about everyone living on the island.
The moment they moved there, they became like family.
He worried over them like they were his kids—or more like it, his grandparents.
Danielle had texted him last night after spending hours with the grieving widow. She was clearly struggling, so Bennett made a mental note to check on her himself later in the day.
One of the things he loved most about Danielle was her immense compassion.
Where others might have just seen a sad woman, she saw her pain—saw someone who needed support, someone to sit with her and listen.
Danielle offered the residents so much more than just medical treatment.
She offered friendship. She offered a listening ear, and the same compassion had won over even the most stubborn residents of Wisteria Island, like Dorothy and Ted.
Bennett finished his coffee and then headed inside to prepare for the day. He couldn’t help but keep a smile on his face as he got dressed and tidied up the cottage before leaving.
Today would be just another day on Wisteria Island, but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help looking forward to the day he would stand before an officiant and marry the love of his life.