“No, it certainly wouldn’t, but I don’t think Andre and Gwen have given the matter too much thought. I think the only reason Maureen has is due to their moving out east soon.”
“Well drop a bug in her ear, in fact in both their ears, to see if they would like a double wedding. I’d love to give them something like that as a wedding present.”
“Wow Cathy, that’s very generous of you.”
“Nonsense, Rachel, these two have shared so much together, given back so much to the Shelter and helped a lot of women along the way. They have done way more than had been asked of them and their hearts are in the right place. I would just love to do that for them – assuming they would like that. I can hardly push Gwen and Andre down the aisle – but I’m sure they could be persuaded. If you work on Gwen, I’ll get Tony to have a word in Andre’s ear.”
“Cathy Braxton, I never had you down as a scheming minx – it just goes to show how wrong you can be about people.”
“You of all people, Rachel, should know by now that you should never judge people – they just might surprise you.”
“How right you are - they might indeed.”
At this point both women were now laughing. The stage had been set and both Gwen and Andre were about to be given words of wisdom, not to mention encouragement on the virtues of marriage. It might just be mentioned in passing that given the closeness of the two couples and all that they had undergone together – a double wedding might merit consideration. It would all be done subtly – but all four parties would be gently guided down that path. It would be them that came to that same conclusion on their own – not realizing that they had been skillfully manipulated by experts. A double wedding it would be. However, in setting it all in motion and making all the arrangements Paul and Andre were completely unaware that Cathy Braxton would be paying for it all. That minor detail had been overlooked. What the two couples thought they were getting and what they would get were not exactly the same thing. This they wouldn’t know until the actual day of the wedding.
***
When Paul told Andre that he had had that fateful discussion with Maureen and that arrangements were now in the process of being made, Andre was delighted.
“Good then that is all sorted then is it”?
“Oh I wouldn’t go that far, weddings have a habit of becoming a minefield of imponderables.”
“Ever the optimist, eh Paul.
“Well I’m just saying.”
“I see - so you have Murphy on the guest list then do you – or you at least expect him to put in an appearance?”
“Things have been known to go awry at weddings and Murphy’s Law has applied to many of them.”
“Well that’s not to say that things will go wrong this time. Besides, I am your Best Man I’ll have it all covered. Murphy won’t be able to gatecrash this function.”
“Good to know Andre, I’ll hold you to that.”
“So, have you booked the church yet?”
“No I was going to do that today. I think we shall both have to go down to see him at some point. They do like to see the happy couple before they marry them I believe.”
“Oh really, and here’s me thinking you just took a number and lined up after everyone else.”
“They do often have multiple weddings in the summer months. Have you given any thought when you and Gwen are taking the plunge?”
“No we haven’t really. Like you I have just been coasting along. I’ll have to raise the subject soon though; now that you and Maureen are going ahead I can’t be seen to be dragging my feet. It’s a pity we couldn’t just walk down the aisle together. We’ve been through combat zones together –what’s one more?”
Paul just roared out laughing at that one.
“You sure do like living on the edge don’t you? If Gwen heard you saying that - ??? Well I don’t need to paint you a picture now do I Andre?”
“You do however raise a very good point – but it has one huge drawback for me?”
”Oh and what would that be?”
“Well, I‘d have to find another best man for a start and they sure don’t grow on trees – not the quality ones anyway.”
“True, you do have the best in business lined up right now – but maybe you could persuade Pete Bradshaw to step up. I know he’s a second stringer compared to me – but he is a solid stand up guy.”
“Well I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear that glowing reference, Andre, especially coming from a man of your prominence and stature in the Best Man business.”
“I am aware of that of course, but modesty prevented me from pointing it out – as I’m sure you understand.”
“I most certainly do – but I’d be careful pointing that out to Pete. That just might muddy the waters if you wanted him to be best man for both of us.”
“You know Paul, I hadn’t thought of that aspect - all joking aside. A double wedding would be nice and I am sure that Gwen would endorse that idea – but it does pose problems.”
“Yes I can see that – but they are by no means insurmountable, Andre. I think if we all sat down and discussed it we might be able to find a way round all the issues involved.”
“You are probably right, Paul, but I haven’t even mentioned marriage to Gwen yet. I can’t put the cart before the horse.”
“Well then you had better get off your ass and get moving then, Andre. The clock is ticking –which is more than can be said for yours if she finds out about this and you are still sitting on your hands.”
“Yeah! I guess you are right about that – hand me the phone.”
“C’mon Andre – you can’t do this over the phone, Jeez. This you have to do in a romantic setting with candles and the whole nine yards. Ladies don’t appreciate this bull in a china shop attitude to romance – a little finesse is required here don’t you think?”
“I guess you’re right, I’m so confused right now I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.”
“Yes I can see that, Andre, you have to calm down – marriage isn’t that scary is it? Then again, how would I know ????”
“Throw some gas on the fire why don’t you, Paul?”. I’m freaked out enough already.”
“Look, when you go home tonight, take Gwen out to dinner and then discuss it while you are waiting to be served and between the courses. It’s not rocket science and it doesn’t need to scare the hell out of you – we have been though worse you know.”
“Okay, pass me the phone.”
“Now what?”
“I’m just going to make a table reservation for tonight like you suggested. Once that’s done I’ll tell Gwen”
“No you damn well won’t. If you do that she’ll worry about what she’s going to wear for the rest of the day. This is a spontaneous surprise for when she gets home. She won’t have time to fret about it – she’ll just do it. The odds are she’ll wear the same outfit she would have been fretting about all day – but this time without the fretting. On top of that women like this kind of thing – you’ll be scoring Brownie points big time on this.”
“Ya Think?”
“Damn right I think. They love these spontaneous and romantic dinners and, in this case, where marriage arrangements are also being served on the menu – well it just goes right off the romantic scale. I think Gwen will soon get with the program, Andre. Just relax and let it all unfold.”
He did exactly that later in the evening and everything worked out as Paul had predicted. Gwen really liked the idea of a double wedding. In fact Rachel had made an oblique reference to the subject earlier that day. It was just a casual remark, but Gwen had remembered it and now it was coming to pass. She was simply over the moon right now and her head was spinning like a top.
***
The following day it was all around the Women’s Shelter – Maureen and Gwen were having a double wedding. The whole place was like a giant bee hive as everyone was seeking all the details and telling them to everyone else. Despite all the mis
ery in their own marriages, they were still caught up in the romance of it all. Obviously they all believed in fairy tales even though they were living here, their lives in an uproar. The irony was not lost on Maureen and Gwen either. They too had been wrapped up in the search for a loving mate not too long ago. Marriage wasn’t to blame; it was the selection of the partner that was questionable. In Maureen’s case the sea had robbed her of her husband – it had nothing to do with marriage. However, when a replacement had been sought, that’s when she realized how difficult a quest that could be. The wrong choice in that area and just about any woman could be a resident in here – including Maureen. As she reflected on this she realized just how fortunate she and Gwen were. In fact they were lottery winners in the husband stakes. Damaged Unicorns they may be – but they were good caring men and role models for their future children. As she walked around the shelter that day she realized that most of the women in there would be envious of both her and Gwen. The men in their lives were not of the same kind at all. However, despite all of that, the women still wanted a man in their lives – some of them still hoped to go back to the brutes that they had married. Maureen and Gwen had seen that happen many times, it’s just the way it is they told themselves. They were hardly living the dream – but it’s what they had settled for. The Shelter could only help those that wanted to change the pattern – but living on one’s own is scary. As a result they would go back hoping against hope that he would change – they never did.
The two women were now fully engaged in wedding plans. The dresses had to be selected and all the other ancillary arrangements along with them. It is difficult to reach a decision when only one wedding is involved – but this was a joint affair. Maureen and Gwen now had to agree on everything and compromises had to be made by them both. There were no serious disagreements, but getting two women to agree on everything is a daunting task. One the two men wanted no part of. They kept well away. As far as they were concerned this whole area was a minefield and one that they totally respected and stayed away from. They were scared of being drawn in and asked for their opinion on something. No way in hell were they up for that – they’d be hung drawn and quartered if they gave the wrong answer – and they would all be wrong answers.
The two couples had been to see the minister at the church and had a lengthy discussion on the merits of holy matrimony and their responsibilities to each other and to God. The minister was a very likeable character and they all took to him instantly and he to them also. He told them that he would speak to Dr. Phillips the organist and get him lined up if possible. Everything was now shaping up and they were actually getting all their ducks in a row – and Murphy had not put in an appearance anywhere as yet. The reception was to be held at the golf club and this made them cringe thinking how much it would cost. Paul had told Maureen that Tony had pulled a few strings and got them a very good rate for the function. Tony failed to mention the subsidy that he was throwing in personally. On paper the whole affair looked to be quite affordable and yet it was quite the bash when one broke down the details. The two women had their minds on other matters and so they didn’t bother with that aspect, if the men said it was fine – then that was fine with them.
The two men on the other hand were taking care of the flowers, the limousines and the photographer and getting their tuxes organized. The reception cost and the bar bill, they had been told, would be at member’s rates. When they saw the estimates they figured they could well afford that. Tony had made sure that those estimates fell within their budget – the actual cost, even at member rates, were way more.
Everyone they had invited from out East was going to attend and so too were several former clients of the Shelter and the Man Cave too. The venue would require a little more space than the phone booth envisioned by Paul, but not quite the convention center he accused Pauline of organizing. On paper everything was now all set. All the minor details had been taken care of and Pete Bradshaw had it all set up in true military fashion and organized with military precision too. All they had to do now was show up – they rest had been taken care of.
Chapter Twenty One
***
Pete Bradshaw now had his work cut out for him as best man to both Paul and Andre. Most of his duties, although now duplicated, were in fact the same thing. The speeches however were another matter and they were totally different and must be seen to be. Both would contain humor, but military experiences would not be mentioned – well other than those in boot camp or other Canadian bases. There were lots of stories he could tell about those days – and have the room in an uproar with tears in their eyes as he did so. He had been honored by their request to be their best man – but both men knew they could not find better anywhere. They knew he was going to make fun of them; they would do the same to him. However, the sentiments expressed would be heartfelt and genuine and that would come across to those in attendance. Although he was a little nervous about getting up and delivering these monologues – he felt that he could do it and they were two of the finest men he had ever met. They had saved him after all and that he would never ever forget.
The day of the dress rehearsal both Paul and Andre were as cool as cucumbers – something that could not be said for Gwen and Maureen. They were anything but calm. It wasn’t necessarily rehearsal related, but they both had a multitude of things on their minds. This being par for the course for Brides needless to say. The two grooms wouldn’t feel any pangs until they were stood in church awaiting the arrival of their brides. If they were going to feel any, that’s when it would strike. Their lives flashing before them, their freedom lost forever as they sank deeper into the quagmire of obligations, responsibilities and future parenthood. If they hadn’t crossed their minds before, they would then. However when they turned their heads around to see their brides walking down the aisle towards them all of that would be forgotten. They were no longer headed for the gallows – now they were walking into the Garden of Eden filled with butterflies and rainbows. Well that might be a stretch – but you get the drift. The two women had been here before and they knew the ropes – it was the two men who had yet to face this new phase in their lives. As Andre had so eloquently stated; “We have survived war zones together – what’s one more?” It was said in gest at the time – how it would be viewed stood in the church nervously awaiting the brides arrival was perhaps another matter. However, this was merely the rehearsal they were having today – the full impact wouldn’t be felt until the actual day of the wedding.
The two women had been to the bridal shops checking to see just what was available and more to the point what was tasteful given the circumstances. As they had both been married previously it was a time honored tradition that the traditional virginal white gown should not be worn. Then considering the experiences in that Logging camp that was magnified even more. At least it was until Rachel and Cathy Braxton got wind of it. They quickly pointed out that it was not only their wedding, but Paul’s and Andre’s too. They should not be deprived of the joy of seeing their wives walk down the aisle looking like Cinderella in a gorgeous white flowing wedding dress. They deserved that and besides - so too did the women themselves. So! They had been married before – so what? The colour of ones dress is a matter of choice and how comfortable one feels. Yes, their experiences in that lumber camp would disqualify them as virgins – but not as human beings. They were just as entitled to happiness as anyone else. The therapeutic value alone would justify the wearing of white for the start of a new life. Nobody in attendance would be pointing out just how inappropriate it was – they all wished the best for them. The church minister had been consulted and he saw no problem with it at all. He pointed out that the only thing that mattered was what was in your heart – and God knew exactly what that was. Between the minister, Rachel and Cathy the two men would now see their brides walking down the aisle in white. Maureen’s first wedding had been a relatively simple affair and she had not had the Cinderella dress and tiara that
most young brides dream about – she would this time. Gwen had been down that road and although she would be wearing a white gown it would not be confused with Cinderella’s and no tiara would be worn. Both men would be totally mesmerized by the visions they would see in the church – but they had no clue as yet as to what their brides would look like. While they would not be showing up at the rehearsal dinner in jeans and a t-shirt, glamour would certainly not be a feature either.
***
Maureen had agonized over her dress and whether or not to go for the white Cinderella effect or tone it down to some obscure cream outfit befitting that of widowhood. Her friends at the shelter certainly had opinions on that and they were something less than shy in expressing them too. Each and every one of them had told her that the White Wedding Dress and Veil was an absolute must. How could she be even thinking of anything less and besides that - Paul deserved to see her in one. Rachel, Cathy, Debbie and all the women in the shelter had been most insistent on that point and so Maureen had finally been persuaded to go that route. Once the other women learned that Maureen had never had that experience the first time round they were hell bent on making sure she did this time. She had been to several fittings and the dress was now finished. As one would expect it fitted her like a glove and she looked absolutely gorgeous in it. Rachel had gone with her for her final fitting and pointed out that Cinderella herself would be envious of Maureen and how she looked in that dress. As of now she was the only other person that had seen it, outside of the dressmaker and of course Maureen. The ladies in the shelter had all pressed Rachel for her comments on “The Dress” – but she kept her lips sealed. Gwen for her part was determined to let Maureen have her big day. She had been here before and knew the delights involved and she was not going to let anything get in the way of that. She was more than happy to be getting married to a man like Andre – especially after what she had been through. She still found it hard to believe that a man like Andre would fancy her after what she had done in that logging camp. Not too many men would be able to get passed that – but he had. He could see the real Gwen – her history was meaningless to him. He just loved her and that was it – nothing else mattered to him. Paul was exactly the same with Maureen. How did they get so lucky? It was something they questioned every day as they walked around the Women’s Shelter. The women in the shelter didn’t deserve to be there and most of them were there because they had made the wrong choice way back when. Some figured they would change their man over time – they knew deep down he had issues of one kind or another –but they ignored them. Love can do that to you. Maureen and Gwen were only too well aware of that and they had seen more than their fair share of jerks. The men they were now marrying bore no resemblance to those creeps in their past. They were broken themselves when they had found them – but they were getting better every day. They had leaned on each other, consoled each other and provided each other with the strength to tackle each day as it came and to triumph over it. They had made new friends and were making more each day and helping others along the way. That in itself provided them with considerable satisfaction. It gave their lives purpose and a reason to get up each morning. They would look forward to each new day and the challenges it might have and the problems they may be called upon to solve. Having been through what they had they knew they would be up for any challenge that came along – and they had certainly proven that so far. That was why Tony had opened the new facility out East and suggested that they be the ones to run it and the assembly plant too. Tomorrow would be the big day – but honeymoon plans had not been discussed. Hints had been dropped, but the women had no idea of what arrangements had been made or when it may occur – if ever. They were all busy in the Man Cave and the Women’s Shelter they felt – but then they were secretly hoping that the two guys had something up their sleeves. Right now they were kept guessing.