All I've Waited For

by Lindsay Harrel

  All I've Waited For

  A Walker Beach Romance

  Lindsay Harrel

  For my GLAM Girls—

  Gabrielle Meyer, Alena Tauriainen, and Melissa Tagg

  * * *

  Thank you for being my people.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Connect With Lindsay

  All You Need Is Love Sneak Peek

  Books by Lindsay Harrel

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Life these days was a never-ending sprint.

  Good thing Ashley Baker liked to run.

  Her feet pounded the wooden boardwalk and music poured through her AirPods as she wove around people out for a leisurely stroll along the Pacific Ocean’s edge. In the distance, seagulls lazily dipped toward the water. Neighborhood children built sandcastles, their parents watching from the shade of a nearby umbrella. The seventy-degree sun and clear skies had lured townspeople of all generations out to enjoy this late-April Saturday in Walker Beach, California, the small town nestled off Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco where Ashley had lived her entire life.

  How tempting it was to join them.

  But Kyle Mahaney, her boss, would kill Ashley if she arrived late to their new clients’ meeting at Whimsical Weddings & More. He’d even asked her to come a few minutes earlier than usual, which had meant cutting short the planning meeting for this summer’s Baker family reunion. Thankfully it only took seven and a half minutes to jog from her parents’ house to the downtown office.

  Ashley’s music halted as a call came through her phone, which was tucked in the back pocket of her jeans. Slowing to a brisk walk, she answered the call. “Ashley here.”

  “Hey, cuz.”

  “Hi.” Normally, she’d love to chat with Shannon. But not right now. “Sorry, I only have like two seconds.”

  “So what’s new?” An easy laugh filled the line, and Ashley pictured her cousin’s bright eyes and winsome smile. They looked more like sisters than cousins, both tan with long blonde hair—although at nearly six feet, Ashley stood a half-foot taller. And, while Ashley’s build was more athletic in nature, Shannon’s delicate features matched her artistic spirit well. “You’re always busy.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” What could she say? Ashley loved planning events and she loved people, so when there was a chance to volunteer for something events related, she almost always said yes.

  Staying busy also had the happy advantage of keeping her mind off of less pleasant things.

  The sea lapped along the shore, sparkling under the midday Californian sun. “So, what’s up?”

  “Just wondering if you’d seen him yet.”

  Ashley nearly groaned at the reminder. “He’s only been back in town for a day.”

  Stepping off the boardwalk, she took the intersecting sidewalk to Main Street in the North Village. This part of town had experienced damage from an earthquake nine months ago, and some businesses had never recovered. Thankfully, Kyle’s business hadn’t been one of them, and Ashley’s job had remained secure.

  “What’s he waiting for? Your house should’ve been his first stop.”

  “I don’t think anyone else has seen him either.” Ashley only knew Derek Campbell was back because earlier this week his dad, Jack, had informed her of his impending return. The thought still tightened her throat. “Haven’t heard anything from the Walker Beach gossips, anyway.”

  “But you’re going to tell him how you feel when you see him, right?”

  “It’s been over a year since he left. Things are bound to be different between us.”

  “No way. You guys had something special even though neither of you ever said anything.”

  A sigh filtered across the airwaves. With all of Shannon’s romantic notions, it was a wonder that she’d never had a boyfriend. Probably had something to do with feeling stuck in her older sister Quinn’s shadow—and her extreme shyness when it came to any male their age that she wasn’t related to.

  “You deserve to be happy, Ash. Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay?”

  Shannon was never pushy. This obviously meant a lot to her.

  “Okay, okay. If he ever comes to see me.” Ashley flitted past a few shoppers and finally reached the pale pink storefront where she worked. The front window display—which Shannon had helped design a year ago when Ashley had started her job here—showed off a lovely A-line wedding dress with see-through sleeves and intricate beading on the bodice. A ladder shelf created a pretty hodgepodge of wedding-themed elements, from a large wooden Mr. & Mrs. to hurricane vases, soft pink candles, and paper lanterns. “Sorry, Shan, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow night at Family Dinner, right?”

  “Of course. I’d never risk the wrath of the Baker Matrons.”

  Ashley laughed in response as she opened the door and a bell rang overhead. “I always knew you were smart.”

  They said goodbye and Ashley strode through the small showroom that exhibited scrapbooks, sample wedding invitations, and a whole wall of framed photos featuring gorgeous brides of all shapes and colors with one thing in common—their faces shone with love.

  And each one had a man who loved them back.

  She turned her head and kept walking until she reached Kyle’s office in the back. “Knock, knock.”

  Her boss looked up from his tidy desk. “Ah, come in, Ashley, come in.” The room smelled of coconut, probably from the sunscreen Kyle wore religiously ever since his wife, Cathy, had died of skin cancer ten years ago.

  “I hope I’m not late.” She slid into the overstuffed chair on the other side of the desk, sinking into the plush maroon cushions. Her muscles relaxed even if her brain couldn’t. Kyle hadn’t said why he wanted to meet early. Ashley had wracked her brain all day trying to think of something she’d missed, but other than a minor miscommunication with one of their brides that Kyle had cleaned up, she couldn’t think of anything.

  “No, we have a few minutes until our appointment.” Kyle leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the end of his white handlebar mustache. With his Harley-Davidson jean vest, cowboy hat covering a bald head, and wide girth, he was the very opposite of what one would picture as a wedding planner. But this business had been his wife’s dream, and when she’d passed, he’d quit his job as a trucker and taken up her mantle, whipping up some of the most fabulous events Walker Beach had ever seen.

  “Great. So, what did you want to talk about?” Ashley crossed her legs, then uncrossed them again.

  “The future.” Kyle sighed. “I’m getting older, and as you know, the pace of this business can be stressful. Hiring you on has helped tremendously, but I’ve found myself more and more ready for a rest.”

  Ashley released a whoosh of air. Nothing she’d done wrong, then. “I understand needing a vacation.” Kyle always seemed to have everything well in hand, but she really wasn’t surprised by his stress level given his business’s success and the way he held tight to the reins—even those he’d given Ashley charge over. “Are you planning to go soon? I can handle the Whitman wedding and the Dreyfuss anniversary party on my own, no problem.”

  “No, Ashley. What I’m saying is that I’ve decided to retire.”

 
“What? When?”

  “In about two months. Late June sometime.”

  “I see.” Her days wouldn’t be the same without him here. Kyle could be gruff at times, and he expected a lot from her, but really he was just a big softie underneath all that bluster.

  But wait. What was she thinking? This was his company. “What’s going to happen to the business?” Was she about to be out of a job?

  Or maybe … maybe the chance to live out her childhood dreams was finally here.

  For years, Ashley had wanted to start her own wedding planning business. After getting a bachelor’s in event management online while busing tables at Froggies—her aunt and uncle’s pizza parlor and arcade—she’d worked as an assistant event planner for the city of Walker Beach. A great experience, but she’d always longed to focus on weddings. So when Kyle had opened a position at Whimsical Weddings, she’d jumped at the chance and had loved every minute there.

  Sure, she’d do some things differently than he did, and yes, she wished Kyle would trust her to handle some weddings by herself. But the chance to help brides have the most perfect day ever … well, that was right up Ashley’s alley. This job had been a fabulous jumping-off point for that. Yet still her desire lingered, tucked away in the corner of her heart for some time in the future when she had the time, energy, and money to devote to it.

  But maybe “the future” was now.

  Ashley leaned forward in anticipation of Kyle’s response.

  He scratched his chin and looked away from her, studying the potted succulent in the corner of the room. It had started blooming since she’d last been in here, its baby pink flowers barely open. Ashley had given it to Kyle on the last anniversary of his wife’s death.

  “Cathy started this company thirty years ago, you know. She built it from the ground up, and it meant the world to her.” His voice always went soft when he spoke of his wife.

  “I know.” Cathy, who had been friends with her parents, was one of the kindest, gentlest souls Ashley had ever met.

  “She always talked about leaving the business to our children, but …” Kyle cleared his throat.

  Somehow, she remembered overhearing Cathy and Mom talking on the couch one day when Ashley was about ten. Cathy had cried and cried over yet another failed adoption.

  Now, Ashley resisted the urge to cross the room and hug Kyle. Her boss probably wouldn’t appreciate the sympathy, which he would undoubtedly interpret as pity. “What’s your plan, then?” They may not be related by blood, but Kyle was a mentor to her, someone she trusted to steer her in the right direction in more than just business, and she’d like to think he thought of her as a kind of daughter—or at the very least, as a friend.

  Were they on the same page? Was Kyle going to leave her the business?

  Ashley gripped the sides of her chair, her stomach fluttering.

  “I have a niece in San Francisco. She’s always been interested in event planning. Even interned with us several years back.”

  The words punched Ashley in the gut. “Oh.” It was a miracle she could get the response past her lips.

  “Are you all right? You look pale.”

  “I’m fine.” What could she say? He had every right to do what he wanted with his business. “So, you’ve asked her then? She wants to move here and take it over?”

  Frowning, he lifted the hat off his head and fanned himself. “Not yet, no. But I plan to go up and see my sister tomorrow, and her daughter will be there. Thought it better to talk about in person.”

  So Ashley still had a shot—but should she take it? Cathy had wanted to keep the business in the family, and Ashley should respect that. She’d just let it go. “I hope the conversation goes well.”

  Kyle’s hawk eyes studied her. “And if she doesn’t want it, well …”

  Ashley’s gaze collided with his. “You aren’t going to close the business, are you?” He couldn’t, wouldn’t, not when it had meant so much to Cathy.

  Not when it meant so much to Ashley—the chance it represented, anyway.

  “I don’t know that I have a choice.” Kyle folded his hands over his stomach. “Not unless …”

  Somehow Ashley had scooted to the front edge of her seat. “Unless what?”

  “Unless there was someone else who wanted it.”

  “Yes!” Ashley felt her eyes widen at the intensity of her declaration and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

  Kyle chuckled. “So you might be interested in buying me out?”

  Her chest deflated. “I don’t have the funds to do that.” Maybe she could get a business loan, though. Something. “But if you give me a chance to look into it, I’d be interested.” She paused. “Very interested. It … it would be a dream, actually.”

  “Is this some whim or something you’ve thought about before?”

  “I never really thought about taking over your business, necessarily. I’ve been content to just learn from you. But yes, I’ve wanted to own a wedding planning business since I can remember.” Ashley placed a hand flat on the desk. “And I’d be honored to continue Cathy’s legacy, even if I’m not a Mahaney.”

  “I believe you would.” Back and forth Kyle swiveled ever so slightly in his desk chair, the wheels emitting a low squeak. “And regarding the money, I’d be fine with a slow purchase. You could pay me over the course of five years, or maybe we’d go into it as partners—you doing the labor, and me as an investor of sorts, until your portion was paid.”

  What a kind man. What an opportunity. “That is so generous.”

  Kyle’s eyes narrowed a bit. “It’s still business. With this solution, I’d actually be paid for the business, which is more than I’d get if I left it to my niece.”

  “Of course.” Ashley bit her lip to hold back a grin. The teddy bear was hiding behind the grizzly’s teeth, but she knew better.

  “I’m serious, young lady.” Kyle tilted his head. “The money isn’t a concern to me, but the legacy part is. And I do have some concerns about your ability to handle it.”

  Really? Ashley had been nothing but helpful and competent. She couldn’t help but feel the nip of his words. “In what way?”

  “Your level of experience, for one. And your schedule for another. You’re busy all the time.”

  “So are you.”

  “Yes, but mine is mostly business related. You’re always running from one meeting to another. First, you were on the library board—”

  “Which I’ve stepped down from.” Her friend Madison had recently taken over as Walker Beach’s head librarian, so Ashley hadn’t felt the town needed her as much anymore.

  “Yes, but what else have you added? You’re overseeing the town’s committee for the Christmas festival—”

  “The community development officer personally asked if I’d do that. And the whole idea of the festival is for the town to band together and revitalize our economy after the earthquake harmed it.”

  “I know, Ashley. I’m on the committee too, remember?”

  “Right.” She shouldn’t get so defensive.

  “And aren’t you also coordinating your family’s reunion this summer? Not to mention taking on extra responsibilities and saying yes to everyone who asks something of you. Cumulatively, it’s a lot, and adding the ownership of a business might be too much. You’re used to having my help with every event, and you’ve had me to fall back on when you weren’t sure about something. But if I retire and it’s all on your shoulders … well, I don’t want you to flounder.”

  He didn’t believe she could do this? “I don’t want that either.”

  “Your heart is in the right place. I just want to be sure you can actually handle this before you’ve got money invested and Cathy’s legacy is put in danger.”

  “I’d never want that either.” Ashley furrowed her brow. “How can I prove to you that I’ve got this?”

  The bell jangled from the showroom.

  Kyle glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s about time for our a
ppointment. We’ll have to continue this conversation later.” He gathered his planner, then paused. His lips twisted to the side. “You know, this couple has asked for a very quick turnaround. They want to be married Memorial Day weekend.”

  Ashley’s jaw fell. “That’s only six weeks away.”

  “I know, but they were desperate and didn’t blink at the premium I quoted for the rush. And Moonstone Lodge happens to be available on the date in question.”

  “Wow, really?” She straightened. Where was he going with this? “Okay.”

  “You asked how you can prove yourself to me. Take on this wedding all by yourself. I’ll stay completely out of it. You run the show. If you can pull it off with everything else you have going on, you’ll demonstrate that this is important enough to you. We’ll work out the other ownership details later if it goes well. How does that sound?”

  Ashley squealed and leaped from her seat, rounding the desk and throwing her arms around Kyle’s neck. “I say you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  “Settle down or our clients will think we’re hiding a pig back here.”

  Laughing, Ashley kissed him on the cheek and stole his planner from him. “I’ll take that. You just stay here and relax. Or better yet, go out and enjoy the sunshine.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  With pep in her step, Ashley closed his door behind her and paused, adrenaline working its way through her whole system. As she entered the showroom, she caught sight of a tall brunette perusing the photo wall. The woman looked up, and Ashley was struck by her large blue eyes.

  She held out her hand. “Hi, there. I’m Ashley Baker, your wedding planner.”

  The woman, who wore a couture black-and-white tie-neck blouse and pencil skirt, returned her shake. “Claire Boivin. My fiancé will be here in a moment. He’s parking the car.”