Page 78 of Devil of the High Seas
One month later
Birds sangall across the island as Josephine and Gavin made their wedding vows in front of her entire family, Brianna, Nicholas, Griffin, Vesper, Reverend Sheridan, and the islanders. She wore the pale-blue gown her mother had intended for her wedding to Griffin. The last time she’d worn this dress, she’d been another woman in another life. She was glad that it hadn’t been ruined when Gavin had taken her from Cornwall.
And much like herself, the dress had changed since then. Now, the ice-blue gown that was festooned with pearls, billowed around her in the sea breeze and made her feel like Venus walking out of the sea.
How far she’d come since that night Gavin had snuck into her bedchamber and whisked her away. That life, that path not taken, that had been the dream. This was her reality.
“All dreamers must wake up sooner or later... But what if we wake to something even better than this?”
She’d been so afraid to believe him when he’d said that, but Gavin had been right all along.
This certainly was better than anything she could have dreamed. Everyone she loved was here on this little island, and she was moving toward a future of her own choosing. Not her family’s, not society’s, but hers.
Before she started down the aisle, her father leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“I could part with you to no one else.” His words were choked with emotion, and his eyes brimmed with tears as she embraced him. Her father had always been a proud and stubborn man, but she’d never once doubted that he wanted her to be happy.
“I will always be your daughter, Papa.Always,” she whispered.
He held her just a little bit tighter. “I don’t know how your mother and I will get on without you.” Then he let her go and stepped back. He wiped his eyes, and her mother came forward to take his arm and kissed his cheek. Josephine now turned to Gavin. To the future.
Griffin stood by Gavin’s side, leaning on a cane for support. He flashed her a smile filled with brotherly affection. He and Vesper had married the day before, which had resulted in a number of the islanders requesting that the vicar marry them as well, even those who had been together for many years. By the end, Henry Sheridan was grousing that he had married half the island and had only been paid for one ceremony.
Josephine and Gavin had waited a full month to wed. They’d wanted Griffin to be well enough to stand for the ceremony. More important, Gavin had wanted to have a home to present to Josephine as an official wedding present.
In just thirty days, they had managed to start the rebuilding of the house that had been destroyed in the fire. With Dominic’s blessing, Adrian had taken charge of thePixie, with Ronnie acting as his first mate. They’d brought timber from the bigger islands and hired an architect from Port Royal at her father’s insistence to have the building plans drawn up. The first floor of the home was rebuilt under a new design that featured a bedchamber for her and Gavin on the ground floor.
During those busy days of rebuilding, Josephine’s family had settled into some of the empty cottages in the village that had been built in case Gavin brought anyone new to the island. It had been a mercy that Beauchamp’s men had only burned Gavin’s home, and not the village.
Everyone had worked together to rebuild the life that had been on this island and put the past behind them. Josephine had worked tirelessly to help Jada and the other women cook for the laborers before she fell into bed each night in exhaustion. Her father had insisted she sleep in her bed alone, even though he was well aware she was no longer a virgin. She missed Gavin lying beside her, but she knew the wait would be worth it.
Now the time had come for them to officially begin their lives together in this tiny paradise.
They repeated their vows in front of Henry Sheridan, their heads bowed as they were joined in matrimony. At the end, Gavin stole a kiss as the sun set on the horizon beyond them and the world fell into a twilight hush. Josephine curled her arms around his neck and held on as that kiss seemed to carry her away. It felt like they were flying across the water together at the bow of a ship, chasing the dying light. Kissing Gavin would always be like that, like sailing toward an endless glow, sailing into eternity. His warm mouth moved over hers, and she parted her lips so he could deepen the kiss.
“Ahem.” The vicar cleared his throat. “Plenty of time for that later, when your father-in-law has had a bit more rum.”
Blushing, Josephine broke away from Gavin. It was the first time she saw Gavin appear even a little bit bashful. Her father glared at Gavin for daring to have such an open display in front of their guests.
Gavin clasped Josephine’s hands in his. “Sorry, vicar. Even a pirate gets carried away on his wedding day.”
His strong grip made her feel safe and sure and reminded her howcompletelyin love with him. If someone had tried to explain this feeling to her in England, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine it. It was all-encompassing, to love someone with her whole heart. But rather than fear such an overwhelming thing, she felt only excitement and joy.
Yet it wasn’t simply love for her husband that gave her wings to fly. It was a newfound love for herself, faults and all, and not feeling like she had to apologize for being who she was. She’d had moments where she failed, moments where she’d doubted herself, and yet she’d also proven that she was brave, that she was strong. Loving herself gave her the strength and courage to love someone like Gavin. It made this moment all the sweeter.
She wished she could go back in time and find the girl she had once been and tell her not to lose hope, that all she’d ever dreamed of would someday be within her reach if she stayed strong.
Gavin pulled her into his arms, holding her as the people gathered on the beach clapped and cheered. She couldn’t imagine feeling happier than she did at this moment. More than one sailor whistled, and Gavin’s body shook with delighted laughter.
“Come along, wife.” Gavin led her back through the crowd. They first stopped by her mother, who held her in a long hug and then looked to Gavin.
“Welcome to our family,” she said. Gavin’s cheeks turned a ruddy shade.
Dominic and Roberta approached them next. Dominic held out a hand.
“I suppose it’s all right to have another pirate in the family,” Dominic said.
“We might have to amend that to ‘retired’ pirate,” Gavin said with a glance at Josephine. “I was thinking, if you need another captain for your trade fleet, I would happily take a position, provided Josephine can come with me.”
