Chapter 1 - Fierceful
Reinvention.
A life that had been lived over the course of many lifetimes. There was a rhythm to life – its ebb and flow, its joys and brokenness. She had lived through it all in a compression vortex of years. She had known the heights of ecstasy with all its sweet caresses and the gut-wrenching depths of black despair. She was like a vessel that had broken into a million pieces. Pieces that would never fit together the way they once did.
A life that needed reinvention. Mere existence were vile words she had tossed from her vocabulary. But it seemed her happiness would always elude her – that is until the golden day when God smiled on her and she received her greatest gift.
And finally, she began to thrive again, thanks to that one singular pure-hearted soul, who brought her a joy she never knew was possible. It had raised her from the ashes and brokenness and filled her veins with fire; confident, radiant fire.
She brushed aside a stray golden tendril and checked her makeup one last time. The lips that wore the muted shade of pink lipstick curved into a smile – a bright and lovely smile when she contemplated all that was to come.
She jumped lightly when she felt him drop a light kiss on her shoulder, and scowled when she heard him chuckle.
"Are you ready?" he asked in amusement.
"I was born ready darling," came her confident retort.
It would all be perfect.
The obscenely wealthy sat among those who work hard and still cannot afford the silver spoon that drips with diamonds…
Underneath a slate grey sky the invited guests filled the pews of St. Margaret-Mary's church in the little coastal town of Harmony.
A somewhat perfect day for a wedding.
The guests, as if one body, stood as the wedding march was played and Miss Fancy Crane elegantly walked down the aisle to meet her soon-to-be husband standing at the altar. The beautiful blonde socialite would soon be off the market, the tabloids had reported.
The smile Fancy wore grew larger when she saw him mouth the words "I love you" as she walked to him. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, gorgeous and sexy in his tuxedo, was saying that to her…..and no one else.
She has won.
The expensively attired invited guests all sat as the bride reached her groom-to-be. Her bouquet was taken and the man she loved clasped her hands in his. Soon, mere minutes in fact, they would belong only to each other, for the rest of their lives.
She, Fancy Crane, was deliriously happy.
Father Lonigan began the ceremony, as Fancy and Luis faced each other, staring into each other's eyes. A hush enveloped the congregation; the priest uttering words that would seal the couple's fate.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God – and in the face of this company – to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony….
Fancy Crane felt the butterflies fluttering wildly as she gazed deeply into the dark brown eyes of the man who would be hers and hers alone.
"….and therefore….is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly…."
Luis was drawing her in deeper with those eyes. The priest's voice seeming to fade into the background as she felt the caress of his hands and saw the smile on his handsome face.
"If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
It happened – it was written in the stars to happen….
She flung the doors open, suddenly and completely invading their space.
"I can show you why Father…..."
A jarring note; a bold voice of contradiction filled their atmosphere and broke every rhythm. It began to burn all the victories Fancy Crane had won.
The silence of the ceremony had been broken. Loud gasps ran rapidly through the elegant, bejeweled guests. No longer was the bride commanding the attention she craved. It had so easily slipped from her grasp and was now bequeathed to her worst enemy.
Sheridan Crane walked slowly, purposefully in her stiletto heels down the same middle aisle of the church. She wore a dress of dark midnight blue, its skirt whispered to the ground beneath her as her voice filled the open space.
"I can show everyone why Luis shouldn't marry Fancy."
"Sheridan? Is that you?" asked the blind priest.
Sheridan stopped halfway down the aisle, "yes Father Lonigan, it's me. I'm here to put a stop to the lies."
There was no tremor, no uncertainty in her voice. Sheridan Crane was speaking her truth in full confidence. Her blue eyes flashed with dark midnight fire as she boldly surveyed the couple who stood at the altar.
The shock of the moment wearing off, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald clenched his jaw in anger, his brown eyes darkening in rage as they met and held the deep blue hues of the woman who stood before him.
Sheridan Crane - his once soul mate. The woman he used to be so crazy in love with.
Absently or deliberately, Luis let Fancy's hands slip from his grasp as he turned away from his lovely bride-to-be to face his ex-lover who stood about five feet away from him. Fancy was acutely aware of the sudden loss of his touch.
"What the hell do you think you're doing Sheridan?" Luis tried to keep his voice measured but the undertone of anger was barely hidden.
The dress Sheridan wore was cut modestly; you could call it a prim neckline; the fabric fully covered her arms and legs. But modesty ended there. The dress looked like it had been molded to her body. Every single curve of her figure was perfectly accentuated by it. She looked sexy as hell and she knew it.
Luis' dark eyes roamed wantonly over Sheridan's figure. It was deliberate on his part, that he would admit to, but only to himself. Sheridan Crane commanded the attention of everyone in the room. The bride-to-be suddenly became insignificant; blending into the background.
There was electricity between them; between this man who stood at the altar, ready to whisper marital vows to another and this woman of midnight blue who vowed to break them apart.
Electricity that crackled and sizzled. It was almost palpable to the elegantly attired invited guests. The bride-to-be shrank even further into insignificance.
Shaking his head slightly as if to clear his thoughts, Luis' voice boomed in the space, "answer me damn it! I asked you a question!"
Those full lips that wore the muted shade of pink lipstick curved upwards, infuriating Luis all the more. "It's very simple Luis," she replied calmly. "I'm here to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life."
More loud murmurs ran through the assembled guests.
"My life is none of your concern," Luis voice was also distinct in its alooftness as he glared at Sheridan.
Sheridan seemed unfazed as her eyes bore into him, meeting his glare evenly. "It's really pathetic how blind you've become to the truth Luis," she said the words almost sadly, "….and the truth is your life will be absolutely miserable if you marry Fancy."
"How dare you?" Fancy managed to choke out, but she had so blended into insignificance that no one seemed to hear, or care, not even her handsome groom-to-be whose whole soul seemed absorbed with the sexy bombshell in the midnight blue.
Luis had to take a deep breath as he felt his rage build even more. How this woman from his past who had once meant everything, was now forcefully invading his present - his wedding day of all things - with her damn insinuations! How dare she? "Listen," he began through gritted teeth, "don't you ever –"
Sheridan smoothly cut him off, "no, you listen to me," she said in no uncertain terms. It apparently surprised Luis into silence. "You think these people are your friends," she swept her hands over the congregation, "they see you about to wreck your present and future and they just sit back and allow it to happen. At least I had the guts to come here and tell you to your face what a complete ass you are for marrying a woman you don't love!"
Luis just about lost it, "you better get out before I pick you up and throw you out!"
Laughter escaped Sheridan's perfect lips at the audacity of his words, "get a clue and grow a pair Luis before its too late." With that she turned on her heel and, taking her sweet time, walked out the church, leaving all the collateral damage in her wake.
Her last statement again stunned Luis into silence and he couldn't help but fixate his angry, lustful gaze on Sheridan as she walked away; his eyes boring into her deliberately.
Sheridan felt the full weight of his heated stare. While the front of her dress was modest, the smooth skin of her back was fully exposed to his blackened eyes and she could feel the fire of his deep gaze as Luis took his time surveying her entire body as she walked out.
Sheridan's lips again curved upward as she walked out. She wore her crown of victory well.
