Chapter 10:

It was sunset on their sixth evening there when Gwen and Carl pledged their love to each other on the sands of the beach. Mindy couldn't believe it had been so long since Gwen's first wedding. If she were honest with herself, she had always figured she would have her own husband by now. Instead, I have Danny. The thought caught her by surprise. She didn't have Danny after all. He was just her friend.

Mindy had insisted that Gwen get ready in her room and forced Danny to get ready with Carl because it was imperative that the groom not see the bride before the wedding. Also, she secretly wanted to see the look in Danny's eyes as she walked across the sand toward him, which was ridiculous of course because it's not like her and Danny were involved or anything.

And so now, as she walked across the sand distracted by thoughts of Gwen's first wedding, she was surprised when she looked up just before reaching the men and the officiant. Danny was staring at her intensely but also looked openly happy, which was so unlike the surly looks or smirks that he often gave back at home. She leaned to give Carl a hug and wish him luck and Danny caught her before she could step the side where Gwen would join her. He leaned down and whispered close to her ear, his warm breath caressing her cheek and ear. "You look beautiful, Mindy." Her breath caught in her throat but she didn't have time to pause in her movements because she saw Carl smile as Gwen began to walk down the same path she had just created. She paid close attention to the ceremony, which was quite lovely and intimate. She couldn't help but throw a few furtive glances in Danny's direction throughout the ceremony but would avert her eyes every time he glanced back at her. Nothing weird had happened, but it felt oddly awkward to stand across from him. After the vows, Carl and Gwen were pulled aside for some photographs so Danny and Mindy decided to take a walk down by the water.

They walked in silence for a while, though the awkwardness had melted away almost immediately. Mindy had pulled her heels off, leaning a hand on Danny's arm so she could reach down without falling. At her insistence, he pulled off his shoes to go barefoot as well though abandoned them behind, unlike Mindy who declared that there was no way she was leaving behind her own expensive shoes. They walked slowly so they didn't really travel far, Mindy dragging her toes to make patterns in the sand as her heels dangled from her fingers by their straps. At one point, a rough wave hurtled quickly towards the sand. Danny pulled Mindy gently by the elbow, so that instead of the wave crashing into her, her body crashed into his. She extricated her limbs from his slowly, a blush and a slight smile on her face. She stepped back, continuing to create lines in the sad with her toes. They remained still in that spot, seemingly coming to an unspoken decision to halt their walk. She looked up and noticed Danny glancing at Gwen and Carl in the distance. She broke the silence.

"It's nice to actually be there for her this time."

"I thought you were her maid of honor at their wedding."

"I was, but honestly I wasn't totally there in spirit. I mean she had no idea because I hid it well, but I had some selfish reactions to the wedding. The plan was for the two of us to move to the city and be fun single girls in our twenties. She met Carl less than two months after we moved and it sort-of felt like she bailed on the plan. I know that's ridiculous and I knew it then too. It wasn't about me. She found the person she loved so of course she married him. But it was hard for me to really be into the wedding. I went to the dress selection and laughed at the toasts and stood by her side, but part of me hated being there. That's terrible isn't it?"

"Nah, it's not terrible. I guess maybe it's just human. I get it, though. Sometimes we think we have this agreement and then the other person just violates it. It's not like you did anything to act out against Gwen and Carl. It's tough even when it's for good reasons."

"And especially when it's not for good reasons," Mindy responding, knowing that there were aspects of this that probably reminded Danny of his ex-wife.

"Then too, but then sometimes we end up being really glad that the plan didn't go our way because you know, it just means we come move on and be where we're supposed to be."

"It's true. I mean, Carl is great and they created Riley together. And now it's almost 10 years later and I feel like today I feel the happiness I should have felt for them at their first wedding."

"And that's what matters today, right?"

"Yes, as always, you're right."

"As always, huh," Danny responded with a smirk. "Glad to know you're coming around to my way of thinking."

Mindy bumped her shoulder into his arm. "Relax there, buddy. It's a figure of speech."

They gazed out at the water and had a comfortable pause in conversation. Mindy found that silences with Danny never really felt awkward. It was almost like they were still in the ebbs and flows of conversation, even if no one was saying anything.

"Do you want to dance?"

Mindy looked up with surprise at Danny's earnest face and simply nodded as he took her hand. There was really no need. It's not as if there was a dance floor. It was just Gwen and Carl swaying 50 feet away to the sounds of the ocean and the distant beating of drums at a luau down the beach, lost in their own world. It made sense for them to dance, a symbol of their mad devotion as they renewed their vows, but there was honestly no reason for Danny and Mindy to dance other than desire.

They walked along the beach, holding hands, until Danny stopped at an arbitrary spot and pulled Mindy close, one hand wrapped possessively on the small of her back and the other holding her hand in his own against his chest. They didn't look at each other as they swayed ever-so-slightly to the sounds of nature. Mindy could feel the heat from Danny across her front in contrast to the light breeze blowing against her back. Danny's swallow caught in his throat as Mindy looked into his eyes. He reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind Mindy's ear, maintaining eye contact the whole time. Mindy felt like her body was on edge, just waiting for something to happen. They had been here before. The look that Danny was giving her as his eyes flitted between her eyes and her lips was entirely familiar. And it was freaking her out that she wanted him to look at her that way. She looked down as she cleared her throat and the moment was broken. A look of faint disappointment appeared in Danny's eyes but quickly faded away as she leaned in closer to rest her cheek against his shoulder. This seemed to be all she could handle at the moment and that was enough for Danny…for now.

Mindy slept soundly that night. After their impromptu slow dance on the beach, she and Danny attended the resort's luau before turning in early for the evening. As they lay in bed, there were fireworks going off in the distance. Just before she drifted off the sleep, she felt Danny shift closer to her in bed.

"Thanks for inviting me, Mindy. This experience has been truly amazing."

She sighed in response and added a few nonsensical syllables, barely able to form words in her sleepy state. Just as she succumbed to slumber, she felt Danny lean close and brush her hair away from her hair, placing a light kiss on the very edge of her cheek, really more like her neck. She sighed again, this time out of pure bliss.