by Rachel Hanna
The Wedding At Seagrove
Rachel Hanna
Contents
Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Foreword
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To my wonderful readers who send me the sweetest messages and love my characters as much as I do. I’m eternally grateful for your support!
Chapter One
Julie stared out over the rolling waves, Vivi firmly attached to her hip. She loved when Meg and Christian would allow her to keep her granddaughter. Lately, since Christian was working more hours and Meg had decided to go back to school at the local community college, Julie had gotten plenty of time to spoil her new grandbaby rotten.
The sun was starting to set in the sky beside the inn, and she knew Dawson would be calling her in to eat dinner any time now. Lucy was cooking up fried chicken and homemade biscuits tonight, complete with her peppery sawmill gravy, and Julie definitely didn’t want to be late for that.
Vivi was growing so fast and almost crawling now. Her first Christmas had been so fun, watching her eyes light up when she saw the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree at Julie’s cottage. Of course, her first picture with Santa Claus hadn’t been so great. The photographer captured her terror as her face turned all shades of red and tears streamed from her eyes. Julie had tried to convince Meg that it would be a funny family memory one day, but Meg was disappointed nonetheless. She’d wanted a cute photo of Vivi looking at Santa for her Christmas card, but that didn’t work out at all.
Now that winter was almost gone, Julie was looking forward to the warmer temperatures of springtime so she could build sandcastles with Vivi. It had been one of her fondest memories as a kid when they would take a yearly trip to the beach and she and Janine would have a competition of who could build the best sandcastle. Julie had always won, and it usually ended with Janine kicking over the winning display and stomping off in a fit. Ah, memories.
Vivi bucked and kicked on her side, wanting to go closer to the water. She was used to it already as they all spent so much time there. Even in winter, which wasn’t too harsh in the lowcountry anyway, they spent most weekends having picnics or cookouts at the inn. Vivi loved it when Christian would hang her over the lapping waves and dip her toes into it.
“Not now, little one,” Julie said, lightly tweaking her nose. It was hard to believe she was already eight months old. In the last week, she’d started a version of crawling that looked something like a crab that was missing a leg. As the days went on, she was getting better and better, and soon she’d be hard to stop.
Meg was going to school three days a week, and Julie sometimes had to take Vivi with her to the bookstore. For such a small island, she sure was able to keep herself busy between running the bookstore, helping Dawson with the inn and keeping her new granddaughter. But she’d never been happier in her life than she was right now.
Julie turned to look back at the inn. Dawson had done such a great job with the place since opening it a few months ago. The guests loved him, as did everyone he met, it seemed. Lucy was having a ball trying out new recipes and tweaking old ones, and Julie loved being her taste tester every now and again.
The worst part of the last few months was how much she’d missed Dixie. Right after Thanksgiving, Dixie and Harry had set off on their adventure of traveling around the country together. Occasionally, Julie got a postcard from some tourist destination, but Dixie mostly kept in touch with texts and video chats. It still wasn’t the same as having her there live and in person. Julie missed their talks and Dixie’s no-nonsense advice.
But, she had her mother there now. SuAnn had done surprisingly well in her efforts to keep her nose out of everyone’s business. Sure, she said things. She would always say things. Julie and Janine had learned to cut her some slack, and she’d learned that her girls had boundaries. It was a work in progress.
Julie leaned down and held Vivi’s hands, allowing her to kick her little feet on the surface of the sand. She didn’t think Vivi would be crawling long before she learned to walk. After all, Meg had started walking at only ten months, and Julie definitely hadn’t been ready for that.
“Well, there are my two best girls,” Dawson said as he walked up behind them. He kissed Vivi on the head before sneaking a peck on Julie’s lips. Sometimes, she just loved those sweet little moments with Dawson. Michael had never been the type to cuddle or snuggle, but Dawson was all about those things.
“Hey. I thought you were helping Lucy with dinner?”
He laughed. “She kicked me out of the kitchen.”
“Kicked you out? What was the infraction?”
Dawson reached over and picked up Vivi, swinging her into the air and then blowing raspberries on her cheek. “Apparently, my momma never taught me any manners because I stuck my finger in her apple butter to taste it.”
“Oh, Dawson… You know better!”
“That’s what she said.” He chuckled as he handed Vivi back to Julie. She loved seeing him interact with her granddaughter. He treated her like she was his own, and sometimes that made Julie a little sad. Knowing that Dawson may never be a father tugged at her heartstrings. He never said anything about it, but she knew he felt a void in his heart after losing his only child so many years ago.
“Meg should be picking Vivi up in an hour or so, and then we can have the evening together,” Julie said, smiling up at him.
“Sounds perfect. How about a movie under the blankets on the porch?” Since installing an outdoor theatre area, they often spent evenings watching their favorite films together. Julie had forced him to watch “Gone With The Wind”, and he’d made her watch every John Wayne movie known to man. But she didn’t mind. Spending her evenings cuddled up to a handsome Southern man by a fire pit wasn’t a bad way to spend her time.
“As long as you feed me first, of course,” Julie joked. She’d already gone up a pant size from eating Lucy’s food, so she needed to start adding more salad to her diet before she had to buy a whole new wardrobe. Dawson hadn’t seemed to notice.
“Of course,” he said, taking Vivi from her arms again and hoisting her up into the air. Vivi giggled the whole time. “Let’s head to the house. Lucy might question your manners too if we’re late.”
William stared at the computer screen, his new reading glasses on the tip of his nose. Sometimes, he felt like he was aging way too fast. The gray hairs coming in around his sideburns wasn’t a welcome thing to see, although Janine had told him salt and pepper hair made him look sexy and distinguished. He wasn’t sure he believed her.
“You look deep in thought,” Janine said as she walked up behind him. He often worked in her office at the yoga studio since he didn’t have an office of his own anymore. She didn’t really need it anyway. He did most of her bookkeeping for her, and she much preferred being on the hardwood floor teaching her students to bend in the oddest directions.
He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The stupid new glasses might have been necessary, but they were leaving a permanent red imprint. He’d have to take them back for the second time to get them adjusted.
“Oh, just trying to
make sense of these numbers. I have a client who wants to spend way less to market her new skincare line, but wants to make twice what she did last year. Those numbers don’t add up.”
Janine smiled sadly. “You work so hard. Why don’t you do a meditation with me? I promise it’ll make you feel better.”
William pulled her arm until she was seated on his lap. “I know what will make me feel better,” he said, pressing his lips to hers. Janine giggled and stood up.
“Oh, no you don’t! I have a class in a few minutes, and they aren’t going to catch me in here making out with my bookkeeper!”
William’s eyes widened. “Oh, is that what I am to you? A bookkeeper?” he said, standing up and poking her in the side. Janine cackled. He’d never met anyone as ticklish as she was, and he liked to take advantage of that as often as possible.
Janine laughed as she trotted back toward the front door of the studio. She was like a little butterfly, always flitting about here and there. Nobody in his life had ever had more energy than that woman. Of course, she attributed it to her yoga and meditation, as well as her healthy eating. But, he thought maybe God just made her that way, so full of life and enthusiasm.
He sure could use some of that enthusiasm right now. The few clients that he’d signed to his new marketing firm were unreasonable. One didn’t want to pay for his work, so William had to hire a collection agency. Another one wanted him to create an entire marketing campaign for pennies, it seemed.
As much as he loved using his marketing skills, sometimes he wished he’d been talented in some other area too. Janine was living her dream, and he was just getting by. Maybe some people just didn’t get to live their dreams. He loved her with all of his heart and soul, and she was a big part of his dreams, but he wanted more for his career. He wanted to smile and look forward to going to work in the mornings.
“Look what Momma just brought by,” Janine said, standing back in the doorway again. She was holding something wrapped in aluminum foil on a plate. “Her peach pound cake! Can you believe it? I’ve been waiting all week for this!”
She was itty bitty, but Janine could put away the desserts. They were her guilty pleasure, especially since SuAnn had opened the bakery next door. All he smelled all day long was the thick scent of sugar hanging in the air. How anyone concentrated on doing yoga was beyond him.
“We can have that for dessert tonight,” he said, smiling.
Janine waved her hand at him. “This girl isn’t waiting until dinner. I’m going to cut a quick piece before class. You want any?”
“No, but thanks. Try not to eat the whole thing before tonight, okay?” he said, winking at her.
Janine put the cake down on the desk and slid back onto his lap, her short legs dangling off one side. “Honey, you know your business will be successful, right?”
“I’m starting to wonder.”
She kissed his nose. “I have faith in you, and I always will.”
“I know, and you’ll never know how much I appreciate that.”
She hugged his neck and then slid off his lap again, taking the poundcake with her. “You sure?” she asked, holding it up again.
“I’m sure.”
As he watched her walk away and disappear into the tiny break room area, he wondered what he’d done that had made him worthy of her. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever met, but he had a secret fear that one day she’d wake up and realize she was way too good for the likes of him.
SuAnn stood behind the counter and wiped at her brow. Even though it was early spring, it was already getting humid. She was trying her darnedest not to turn on the AC just yet, trying to save on her bills as a new business, but she figured she might cave in and turn it on if it got any hotter. The last thing she wanted was for the icing to start sliding off her freshly baked poundcake.
Today’s special was her peach poundcake, and she’d already taken one to her daughter, Janine. There was just nothing better than fresh poundcake as far as she was concerned.
Being in Seagrove had been wonderful so far. She loved seeing her daughters everyday, and she saw her granddaughters a few times a week too. Of course, everyone was busy with their partners, and SuAnn had to admit she missed having a warm body to snuggle up with at night. Being divorced in her seventies sure wasn’t something she’d expected.
Watching Dixie find new love had given her some hope, but most of the men she’d met so far were either married or had one foot in the grave. Were there any men left who didn’t have a list of chronic ailments and a medicine cabinet full of prescriptions? She was still vibrant and wished she could find somebody who could match her energy. Everyone had always said Janine got her peppy personality from SuAnn, and she took pride in that.
The doorbell chimed and SuAnn popped her head up from behind the counter, where she’d been crouched trying to find a new bag of sugar.
“Hey, Grandma,” Colleen said, waving at SuAnn.
“Hello, dear. How’s your day been going so far?”
Colleen smiled and nodded her head toward Tucker, who was standing outside talking on his cell phone. “Any day is a good one when I get to spend it with him.”
“Ah, young love.” SuAnn chuckled. “So what are you two up to today?”
“We’ve got a big new project going on, so we’re heading over to the beach to eat some lunch and brainstorm. Aunt Janine let it slip that you might have a new peach poundcake with my name on it?”
SuAnn rolled her eyes and laughed. “That daughter of mine never could keep a secret. She’s got the loosest lips of anyone I know!” She slid a wrapped poundcake across the counter. “But, I did have one saved just for you. And Meg. And Julie…”
“Sounds like you’ve been a busy little bee, Grandma!”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, what else does an old woman like me have to do?”
Colleen stuck out her bottom lip. “Don’t say things like that. You’re just going through a transition. But, look how brave you were to take off on an adventure all alone!”
SuAnn knew she was trying to be inspirational, but hearing a twenty-something tell her about new adventures wasn’t helpful. After all, everything a twenty-something did was an adventure. And if they messed up, they had decades to try over and over again. She didn’t have that kind of time.
Truth be told, she was jealous of Dixie and how she’d been able to strike out on a new adventure with a new love. She wished she was so lucky.
“Don’t worry about me, sweetie. I’ll be just fine.” SuAnn forced a smile as she watched Colleen walk back out of the bakery. Tucker slid his arm around her waist, kissed her cheek and then waved at SuAnn through the window. Young love or not, she was feeling envious of everyone she knew these days.
As she bent back down to look for that bag of sugar again, she heard the door chime. Wanting to let out a curse word, she zipped her lips and stood back up.
A woman she’d seen around town was standing there. She hadn’t come into the bakery before, but SuAnn had noticed her a few times looking through the window. They were about the same age, although the woman dressed more like a matronly old church lady than SuAnn ever would.
“Can I help you?”
“Why, yes,” the woman said with the thickest Southern accent SuAnn had ever heard. She made Dixie sound like she was from up north. “I’m Henrietta Bankston.” The woman paused for a long moment, as if SuAnn was either supposed to know her or be impressed by her regal sounding name.
“Nice to meet you. I’m SuAnn.”
The woman stared at her, as if she’d just made a major faux pas. “Yes, I’m aware. You must not be from around these parts?”
“I’m new in town, yes.”
The woman nodded, a puckered smile on her face. The big hat she was wearing was covered in fake flowers with one big sunflower in the middle. She had on a floral, button-up silk blouse, an off white skirt and the ugliest sandals SuAnn had seen in ages.
“Dear, I’m the mayor’s wi
fe. My husband is Reginald Bankston. He also runs Seagrove Bank.”
“I guess with a name like Bankston…”
“Yes, we’ve heard that joke many times,” Henrietta said, cutting her off. This was not a woman who would appreciate SuAnn’s sense of humor.
“Can I interest you in some poundcake? We have the best anywhere around.”
Henrietta scrunched her nose. “No, thank you. I’m trying to watch my figure.”
SuAnn couldn’t help but look her up and down. She was about to pop out of her skirt, so she wasn’t sure whose figure she was watching but it certainly wasn’t her own.
“Then why are you here?”
Henrietta pulled a piece of paper out of her giant handbag and gave it to SuAnn. “Our annual Spring Fling is coming up. We’re trying to get donations from local businesses for our silent auction. It’s a good marketing opportunity.”
SuAnn looked at the paper. “Oh, that sounds nice. I’d be glad to donate.”
“We also have a pie contest, but it looks like you only make cakes?”
“Actually, no. I make all sorts of things.”
Henrietta smiled slightly. “I don’t want to brag, but I’ve won the pie contest every year for twelve consecutive years. I’d hate for you to feel bad if you don’t win.”
SuAnn chuckled. “Honey, I rarely lose anything I put my mind to.”
The tension hanging in the air was palpable as the two women stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Thankfully, the door chimed and a new customer came in.
“Well, I can see you’re busy. You’ll find all of the information there.”
SuAnn folded the paper and stuck it in her apron pocket. “Have a good day, Hen,” she said as she turned back toward the counter.
