A Secret Kiss

  Chapter 28

  Cherry Blossom & A Wedding Ceremony

  “You’re beautiful,” Beth said, chuckling. “I can’t believe the brothers’ ideas worked.”

  Sakura cocked her head to one side as she studied herself in the full-length mirror. Yes, it worked all right; she had to admit that. Her bridesmaid’s dress was elegant. The light blue suited her skin perfectly. It was short and draped to one side of her waist, and from there, the lacy material extended over her left shoulder, falling down her back. Her hair was high on her head, enhancing her swanlike neck and oval face. Her makeup was natural, with a hint of rosy blush on her cheekbones and bright pink lipstick on her lips.

  Yes, she did look beautiful.

  “Ah,” Beth said. “I see you like the looks of yourself.”

  “I don’t usually go this far.” Sakura admitted.

  “Now then, I must go and see how the bride is doing. Make sure she doesn’t get cold feet and all that jazz,” Beth said, heading out the door.

  Sakura grinned. Alone, she turned to look at herself in the mirror one more time. She was Sakura Princeton. But was she really Sakura Princeton or was she Sakura something else?

  Tanaka! The last name rang in her head. Her mother’s name was Haruka Tanaka. At that moment, she knew without a doubt who she was. Yes, she’d been thinking about this since the day Kate made an appearance. She had been thinking about it long and hard, and now she was ready.

  Mind made up, she left the room and went in search of James and Brenda. She found them in the study room, and thank God, none of the brothers were there to make her nervous about what she had to do.

  She lightly knocked on the door and went in after James called out.

  “Hi,” she greeted them the moment she stepped into the large room.

  James smiled at her as she came in. “Are you nervous?” he asked, noting how beautiful she looked. His sons were going to have the shock of their lives.

  Sakura shook her head, telling him she wasn’t at all nervous. She took a deep, steady breath and said quietly, “I was wondering if both of you have a moment.”

  James raised his brows at her, noting the odd tone in her soft voice and the slight expression of dread on her flawless face.

  “What is it, sweetheart?” Brenda asked, watching her closely.

  Sakura licked her lips, her heart pounding hard within her chest. “Mom?” She looked straight at Brenda, her body stiff.

  “Yes, sweetheart?” Brenda queried.

  “Dad.” Sakura turned to James. “I have a question to ask.”

  “What is it?” James cocked his head to one side.

  Sakura took a deep breath and said, “I’m asking your permission… I mean, I… I want to change my name. What I mean to say is that if I were to change my name, I mean my last name, from Princeton to something else, would that bother you? I mean, I don’t want to hurt you or anything, but—”

  She paused and licked her lips with nervousness.

  “You’re a grown woman now, Sakura. Whether your last name is Princeton or something else, you will always be our Sakura.” As James said that, he had a sad look in his eyes. He knew what this meant. He knew she was leaving them. Of course, he had known all along this day would come sooner or later. After all, he couldn’t very well stop her since she had her own life and her own future to think about.

  “So you’re not upset?” Sakura asked.

  James chuckled. “You have your own future to think about, Sakura. No matter where you are, you’ll always be our Sakura.”

  Sakura cocked her head to one side, wondering if her adopted father suspected she was planning to leave. She turned to Brenda. “And you?”

  Brenda said, “Of course, sweetheart, you have my blessing.”

  Sakura wasn’t finished yet, and before she got too nervous to tell them, she went straight ahead. “I’ve planned to leave St. Joseph Island after the wedding. I’ve already handed in my resignation letter at the lab. My boss said it’s okay and that he understands it’s such short notice.” She looked up at them and saw Brenda’s face had paled. “I love you both very much.”

  Brenda, with tears in her eyes, pulled her adopted daughter into her arms. “I love you, too,” she whispered into Sakura’s hair. “I just never thought you’d be going so soon. This house is going to be so empty without you.”

  Sakura chuckled.

  “And I’ll have to put up with James complaining about Beth’s standard coffee,” she continued.

  James said, “Now, now.” Once his wife had finally let go of their adopted daughter, he pulled Sakura into his arms and hugged her tight. “Just make sure you keep in contact.

  Sakura bit her lip at his words, feeling more than a little guilty at the thought that perhaps she couldn’t keep him that promise at all.

  Half an hour later, she was standing in the garden, listening to the “Wedding March” played by the St. Joseph Island Orchestra. She gazed at the scene before her in awe. She had been right. A wedding in spring was absolutely beautiful, especially when the ceremony was done under the cherry trees in full bloom. To the left was the pond, the clear water sparkling under the bright sunlight. Now and again, there were soft, gentle breezes which caused the cherry blossom flowers to detach from the branches and rain down on them. It was so nostalgic.

  Then it was time, and Sakura found herself not quite being the center of attention, but still the center of attention nonetheless, as she slowly made her way down toward the platform where Peter stood waiting patiently for his bride. Richard and Jack, both in formal attire of black and white, stood to one side of Peter, their hands clasped back.

  Sakura couldn’t help but smile as she took a peek at young Michael, who was holding on to a cute satin cushion with two gold bands on top of it. He walked really slowly, worried that he might drop the precious thing.

  In front of Sakura was Katherine, dressed in her pale pink maid of honor gown, slowly striding toward the platform. Halfway through, Sakura couldn’t help herself turning her head to the left. Instantly, her eyes spotted the brothers, all dressed in Armani suits, very sleek and refined. They caught many women’s eyes, causing them to gasp in awe. They stood in a row, watching the procession. But to be sure, it wasn’t the procession they had their eyes on. They had their eyes intensely on her, especially Sebastian and Darcy, who weren’t smiling like their other brothers. In fact, their expressions were stone cold.

  The brothers couldn’t take their eyes away from their adopted sister. She was so beautiful that she took their breath away, as James had predicted. That dress they helped design fit her slender body perfectly, showing off her fine, delicate figure. Her long hair was formed into a classic bun on top of her head with a bunch of flowers on the left side near her ear. It was the first time the brothers had seen her with her hair like that, and they couldn’t help but marvel at just how sophisticated and refined she looked.

  Darcy loved her exposed, swanlike neck and wanted to brush his finger along the length of it. Oh, God, he ached to touch her, to smell her, to feel her in his arms. But he knew he must keep his distance because—

  Because what? It was hard. So very hard.

  Sebastian couldn’t take his eyes off the woman he was in love with either. She really did take his breath away. Shit! He ached to be near her, to touch her, to kiss her. But for the moment, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t because—

  Because what? Shit! It was so hard. So very hard.

  Sakura quickly glanced away from them, her heart pounding within her chest. Stop thinking about them, Sakura, she told herself. Just stop! Yes, only a couple more days to go. Then they’d be gone back to their lives and she to hers.

  They reached the platform, and Michael rushed up to Richard, sighing with relief that his job was nearly over. Katherine and Sakura came to stand on the other side of the men, waiting for the bride to reach them. Everyone’s eyes were on Mary now, who was making her way very slowly to the front with her
father, Mr. Collins, giving her away. Finally, Mary came up and Peter took her hand in his. Mr. Collins returned to his seat in the front row next to his wife.

  The minister smiled pleasantly at the audience before him. Then he began. “Dear family and friends, on behalf of Mary Collins and Peter Johnston, I welcome you all to this marriage ceremony. We are here today to encourage, celebrate, and support the covenant these two people, Mary and Peter, are going to make and to share in the joy that Mary and Peter experience as they pledge their love and commitment to each other. We rejoice in the manner God has led them to each other and got them to the place where they now stand.”

  Sakura tried to concentrate on what the minister was saying but found she couldn’t as she felt two pairs of eyes watching her. Then, of course, she couldn’t help herself and glanced in that direction and saw both Darcy and Sebastian watching her, their eyes intense and their faces expressionless. She bit her lower lip. Stop thinking about them, Sakura, she told herself yet again. It was nearly over.

  The minister turned to Peter and continued. “The woman who stands by your side is going to be your wife. She will look to you for comfort, for support, for love, for understanding, for encouragement, and for protection. You must never take her for granted and always stand by her, for good or ill.”

  Peter cleared his throat and said loudly, “Today in the presence of God, family, and friends, I pledge to join my life with yours…”

  Sakura turned her attention to the cherry tree above them and thought that after tomorrow all the flowers would almost be gone again for another year. Yes, spring was nearly over, and instantly she felt sad.

  The minister said, “Peter, since it is your intention to marry, join your right hands and declare your consent. Do you take Mary to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” Peter said, smiling brilliantly.

  The minister turned to Mary. “Mary, do you take Peter to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

  Mary clearly said, “I do.”

  The minister continued. “The wedding ring symbolizes unity, a circle unbroken, without beginning or end. And today Mary and Peter exchange these rings as confirmation of their vows to join their lives, to work at all times to create a life that is complete and unbroken, to love each other unconditionally. May the Lord bless these rings which you give each other as the symbol of your love and fidelity.” He turned to Peter. “Peter, take this ring and place it on your bride’s finger and state your pledge to her, repeating after me.”

  Instantly, Michael stepped forward and gladly offered them the rings. Peter took one and slipped it onto Mary’s finger. While he held Mary’s hand in his, he repeated after the minister. Then it was Mary’s turn.

  “Mary and Peter,” the minister said, “you have pledged your promises to each other and have declared your everlasting love by exchanging the rings. Your vows may have been spoken in minutes, but your promises to each other will last until your last breath. As they have pledged themselves to meet sorrow and happiness as one family before God and this community of friends, I now pronounce them husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  Peter pulled back Mary’s veil and, grinning cheekily, kissed her on the lips. Everyone cheered then, and Sakura laughed, tears in her eyes.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Johnston,” the minister said.

  “Hurray!” Michael shouted and ran to hug Sakura around the waist. “Now it’s our turn,” he said cheekily.

  Conrad stood up and yelled, “Hey, who said it’s your turn, you little brat?”

  Everyone laughed at them. Sakura ruffled Michael’s thick hair.

  “Come on,” Michael said. “Photo time.”

  It wasn’t long before Sakura found herself in the photos with the newly wed Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, being squeezed in between the brothers, mostly between Tristan and Conrad. Sebastian and Darcy seemed to stand as far away from her as possible. She understood their body language completely and told herself to get over it.

  Sakura had her camera with her as well and proceeded to take photo after photo. Suddenly, Tristan and Logan came up to her, cornering her on both sides as if they had caught their prey.

  “Time for our photos, little sis,” Logan said cheekily.

  “No, it’s time for our photos, my dear Sakura,” Tristan said cheekily, grabbing Sakura by the arm and leading her away.

  “Oi!” Logan snapped. “Sakura and I are taking our photos.” He grabbed her other arm and proceeded to lead her in the opposite direction.

  “You guys.” Sakura couldn’t help raising her voice just a little. “How about we all take photos together instead?”

  Tristan didn’t look very happy with that idea.

  Logan sighed. “Very well,” he said and took her camera from her. He called to Patrick, one of the three photographers they had hired for the occasion, to come over to them.

  Tristan took the chance and pulled Sakura to him, causing Sakura to collide against his massive chest. “Say cheese,” he said.

  “How lame,” Logan said, pulling Sakura back to him. The three stood with Sakura in the middle and the brothers on either side of her. Patrick raised the camera to his eyes and then click, click, click, click.

  “That was great, guys,” Patrick said. “More?”

  “Yeah, more,” Tristan said. Then when the photographer started clicking again, he sneakily kissed Sakura on the cheek.

  Sakura gasped. Logan saw. The brother growled and said, “You’re not the only one who’s kissing her.” That said, he kissed her as well on her other cheek.

  Oh, God, Sakura thought. She had to get out of here before this got any worse. But worse it did get as Patrick laughed and encouraged them both to kiss her at the same time. The brothers took on the challenge with enthusiasm. As the camera kept clicking, both Tristan and Logan kissed her cheeks with delight. They would have continued if it wasn’t for the loud command that got bombed their way by Sebastian. Darcy wasn’t far behind him.

  “That’s enough!”

  Tristan and Logan pulled back and frowned at their younger brothers.

  “What? Jealous ’cause you couldn’t kiss our sweet sister?” Tristan chuckled. He came over and slapped Sebastian on the shoulder. “Get over it, Seb boy. She’s not into you.”

  Logan chuckled then. “She’s not into you either, my boy,” he said to Darcy, who only frowned at him. Tristan and Logan walked away, chuckling merrily.

  Sakura felt her heart thundering within her chest as the two brothers watched her intently. She took a deep breath and then walked past them toward Patrick. “May I have my camera back, please?”

  “Of course,” the photographer said.

  “Thanks,” she said and started walking away.

  “Oh wait, photos,” Patrick shouted. “You guys are siblings, aren’t you? Now then, let’s have some very good photos.”

  “No, that’s fine,” Sakura said, shaking her head furiously.

  Sebastian grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him, causing her to tumble in her high heels. “Take the photos,” he said to the photographer. He placed his arms about her waist, pulling her even closer to him as the camera continued to click.

  Sakura felt her heart beating faster within her chest, and her body began to go a bit crazy with him being so close to her. When she thought this wasn’t going to get any worse, Darcy suddenly walked to them, caught her wrist, and pulled her to him, leaving Sebastian standing there alone.

  He placed her so she was slightly in front of him. Then he wrapped one hand around her waist. He was so close that she could smell him.

  “Take our photos,” Darcy said.

  The photographer chuckled. “You
two look good together.”

  Sakura blushed. Darcy smiled. Sebastian scowled.

  The photographer continued to take picture after picture. Then Sebastian couldn’t stand it anymore. He pulled Sakura from Darcy. The two brothers stood staring at each other, their eyes intense as if they were about to have a showdown.

  What were they doing? Were they turning against each other because of her? At that realization, her stomach flipped uncomfortably.

  The photographer laughed. “All three together, then,” he said. “You three look great.” Then he went click, click, click.

  “Stand in the middle, miss,” he said to Sakura.

  When Sakura didn’t move, he came over and guided her. When he returned to his position, Sakura was standing in the middle with the two brothers on either side of her. Then he continued to take more photos.

  “My, my.” Mary, the newly wedded bride, appeared behind the photographer. “You three do look good together.” Then she laughed. “Now then, sorry to interrupt, but I must steal my precious Sakura away for a wee moment.” That said, she grabbed Sakura by the arm and took her away.

  The brothers watched her go, their faces stone cold.

  Sakura was only too glad to be taken away because, my God, how she could feel the tension between the two brothers.

  “What was all that about?” Mary asked a few moments later once they were in her bedroom.

  “What?” Sakura asked, confused, watching Mary searching for something in her huge closet.

  “You and the two brothers,” Mary said. “Man, I could’ve sworn I felt a lot of tension there for a moment.”

  “Oh,” Sakura voiced, totally understanding what her friend meant. Was this conflict really because of her?

  “Now where is it?” Mary said. “Ah!”

  A moment later, she came back and gave Sakura a pretty little box, neatly wrapped up with happy birthday wrapping paper.

  “Shit!” Sakura swore under her breath.

  Mary pulled Sakura into her arms and said softly, “I’m sorry. I won’t be here when you turn twenty-four, so happy early birthday.”

  Sakura felt tears brewing in her eyes. “You didn’t have to do that, Mary.”

  Mary chuckled. “Twenty-four is a big number. Almost a quarter of a century, if you think about it.”

  That was true, but Sakura never thought about that.

  Mary took a step back. “I know your real birthday was probably sometime earlier than this, but since you were found at the orphanage two days from now, twenty-four years ago, then technically speaking, it’s your birthday.”

  Sakura chuckled. “Thanks, Mary. You remember.” Then she thought none of the brothers would have remembered. Why would they? She wasn’t important to them.

  “You’re not allowed to open it until the day, all right?” Mary warned.

  “Of course,” Sakura chuckled.

  “Now then, let us return to our photos,” Mary said, heading out the door.

  Sakura clutched the small box in her hands, a smile on her face as she, too, walked to the door.