Derek’s mind, on the other hand, had never failed him yet. And his mind was made up. The way Dad shuffled up the steps with the gait of someone twenty years older only served to strengthen Derek’s resolve.
He and Claire would be married two days before Memorial Day—and the fact Ashley Baker was their wedding planner wasn’t going to affect him one bit.
Nope. Not one bit.
Chapter 2
Where in the world was Shannon?
From her spot on the couch, Ashley scanned her parents’ living room, where Baker upon Baker ate, chatted, laughed, and teased. She’d been here for over an hour with no sign of her cousin—not that cousin, anyway. Except for the few who lived out of town, like Shannon’s sister Quinn, the majority of Ashley’s eleven first cousins on her dad’s side were here somewhere, as were her parents, four aunts, three uncles, and one grandma. Between all of them, three little children, and a handful of spouses and significant others, the house held anywhere from thirty to forty people every Sunday night. And that didn’t even include the Griffin side of the family.
No wonder the Bakers were considered one of Walker Beach’s most prominent families. Not only had the community park and beach been named after Ashley’s great-grandfather, but the Bakers themselves would probably take up an entire downtown street block if lined up one after the other.
The air smelled of her Aunt Kiki’s manicotti, and the tile floors amplified the din of chatter and scraping forks. Despite the crowd, her mother’s modern farmhouse style made for an inviting yet elegant space, and the massive wall of windows facing the backyard made the room appear much larger than it really was.
Normally, Ashley would be hanging out in the kitchen with her mom and aunts, maybe a cousin or two. But she’d chosen this particular spot because the teenage cousin sitting next to Ashley found her phone far more interesting than anything else. Today there was simply too much taking up space in Ashley’s brain to put forth the energy to hear what was going on in anyone else’s life.
Any small amount of energy she did have was focused on watching for Shannon. Thanks to a corporate brunch she’d overseen this morning, Ashley hadn’t had a chance to tell her cousin about any of yesterday’s happenings.
Not about Kyle’s offer—and definitely not about having Derek as a client.
She polished off her last bite of breadstick, set her plate on the coffee table in front of her, and sank lower into the couch cushions.
“Ashley. There you are.” Aunt Jules floated across the room and sat on the arm of the couch next to Ashley. Her long red hair hung in waves down her back, and copper-twisted turquoise bangles swung on her wrists. The scent of her signature lavender perfume wrapped around Ashley, bringing a sense of peace and contentment she couldn’t explain. “Are you hiding out over here for any particular reason?”
“What do you mean?”
Jules clucked her tongue. “You’re normally the life of the party. What’s got you down, Sunshine?” She leaned in closer. “Did you finally get tired of all these biddies asking when you’re bringing home a man? Because I hate to inform you—they’ll never stop.”
Aunt Jules would know. At forty-two, she was the youngest of the five Baker siblings and the only one who remained unmarried. But she never seemed to let it bother her. Besides, as the owner of Serene Art, a hippie art gallery in downtown Walker Beach, she had too much going on to allow her lack of companionship to ruffle her feathers—and Ashley admired her for it. In fact, watching Jules achieve her dreams of owning a business had fueled Ashley’s own ambitions. That and the fact her own parents, her brother Ben, and several other family members were also business owners.
Ashley elbowed her aunt’s leg. “I’m fine.”
Her cousin Sophie’s two boys sped through the room wearing capes and eye masks. They ran past Tyler—Shannon’s older brother and Quinn’s twin—who was chatting with Gabrielle, his wife of seven months, and stuck out their tongues playfully.
“You can’t catch us!” the seven-year-old called.
Using his former pro football reflexes, Tyler snapped them both up in his strong arms and growled before unleashing the tickle monster within. After the kids ran off giggling, he turned back to Gabrielle and they shared an intimate grin as he placed a hand on her ever-so-slightly rounded stomach.
What a blessing was coming for them this September. And now that their joint nonprofit work at the Amazing Kids Foundation had brought them back permanently to Walker Beach, Ashley would have a chance to witness it up close.
A tiny twinge of longing wound up and gripped her heart.
She’d like to be a mom someday. If only the right guy would come along. Once upon a time, after a few years of flirting and close friendship, she’d thought maybe she and Derek would eventually get together, but he’d run away to France before declaring any sort of feelings for her. As far as Ashley knew, her love was every bit as unrequited as that of Julia Roberts’s character in My Best Friend’s Wedding.
A sigh escaped her lips, but not without Jules’s notice.
Her aunt raised an eyebrow. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.” Well, she did. With Shannon. Aunt Jules had always been so strong and independent. Ashley wouldn’t want her aunt to think less of her for the way she had absolutely crumbled inside yesterday when she’d seen Derek again for the first time in over a year. But maybe her aunt could provide the swift kick in the pants she needed. “I—”
“Derek!” Ashley’s mom called from the foyer. “Come on in, come on in.”
Ashley sank down in her seat when Mom entered the room, Derek shuffling behind her, Claire’s hand in his.
Aunt Jules glanced from Derek to Ashley, her eyes full of sympathy.
Great. Just what Ashley needed.
She squeezed Ashley’s shoulder. “Sorry, kiddo.”
“It’s fine.” Why was he here?
But that was answered in two seconds flat when her brother, Ben, came jogging around the corner and pulled Derek into a hug. “Dude, you made it.”
“Thanks for the invite.” Funny how two guys who’d been best friends their whole lives could go without speaking for a year and be totally okay with picking back up where they’d left off.
And yet, yesterday Derek had acted like Ashley was the last person in the world he’d wanted to see. Why? What had she done to deserve that kind of treatment? He was the one who hadn’t returned her calls.
Derek sneaked an arm around Claire’s shoulders. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a home-cooked Baker meal.” His eyes scanned the room, and Ashley tensed, wishing she could make herself as small as possible. She shouldn’t have worried though. His gaze passed right over her, moving back to Ben after he’d smiled politely at a few of the Baker relatives.
The noise in the room increased once more, so Ashley was spared having to listen to Derek introducing Claire to Ben. They laughed like they’d all been best pals forever.
“Sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“I’m sure.” Ashley’s teeth ground together.
“Don’t let a man take away your light, Sunshine.” Her aunt lowered her voice. “Use that anger to make him sorry.”
Ashley jerked her head back to stare up at Aunt Jules. “I’m not angry.”
“Maybe you should be.”
Before she could fully consider her aunt’s words, someone whistled near the front of the room.
“Hey, everyone. Could I get your attention for a minute?”
Ashley looked up to find Ben and his girlfriend, Bella Moody, standing there, Derek and Claire having moved on to chat with Ashley’s dad.
Ignoring them, Ashley waved at Bella, but her friend didn’t seem to see her. Not surprising since she only had eyes for Ashley’s brother at the moment. The two had been nearly inseparable since they’d met last summer at Ben’s inn. She’d subsequently become the manager of the place. Ben liked to tease her about how she’d shaken his world, and she’d reply tha
t that had actually been the earthquake that originally brought her to Walker Beach.
Yeah, they’d turned each other into total cheeseballs, but Ashley loved it, especially since Ben had been devastated by love before Bella came into his life.
Maybe that meant there was hope for the rest of them with broken hearts.
Despite the urge that struck with that thought, Ashley refused to look at Derek.
The group quieted down, and those who’d been in the kitchen slipped into the edges of the living room. Mom caught Ashley’s eye and grinned.
Ben snatched Bella’s hand. Though she wasn’t all that short, next to Ashley’s broad-shouldered brother, the former big-city business executive looked downright petite. “We just wanted to tell you all the good news. I asked Bella to marry me—”
“And I said yes!”
The whole family broke out into applause and exclamations. Ashley shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet a giddy flutter overtook her insides. Leaping to her feet, she rushed across the room and waited for her turn to hug the happy couple. When she finally got close enough, she punched Ben in the arm and then leaned in for a hug. “It’s about time, you big lug.”
Ben chuckled and squeezed her shoulders. “Thanks, sis.”
She turned to Bella. “I hope you know what you’re doing. This guy may seem like a charmer, but he has his super annoying moments too.”
“Oh, I’ve seen some of those already. I’ll take my chances.” Bella wiggled her fingers at Ben, who watched her even as others surrounded him.
Derek slapped Ben’s back. “Congrats, man.”
Ashley pivoted away, slinging her arm through Bella’s. “I must admit, I’m glad to finally get a sister.” Shannon had always been like one, but she had a sister of her own, so it wasn’t exactly the same—even though the cousins were closer than the sisters. Being an only child, Bella could understand Ashley’s sentiment better than most.
“Me too.” Bella tugged at her brown hair streaked with blonde. “It’s not every day you get a sister you also call a friend—which is why I’d love for you to be a bridesmaid.”
Ashley let loose a squeal and hugged Bella.
Her future sister laughed as they pulled back. “Guess that’s a yes?”
“Of course it’s a yes!”
“Good. I hope you will have just as much enthusiasm for my next question.”
Sounded ominous—or much more tentative at least. “What?”
“I know things are crazy for you right now, but we were wondering if you’d help us plan the wedding.”
Why in the world would Bella have hesitated to ask Ashley that? “Nothing would make me happier.” She could already imagine Bella in a gorgeous dropped-waist silk-satin gown that skimmed her hips and flared mid thigh. That style would show off her curves perfectly. “Do you guys have a date in mind?”
“Actually, we were thinking July.”
The noise in the room seemed to reach epic proportions. “Of this year?”
“I know it’s short notice, but your whole family will already be here for the reunion. We thought we could hold it that weekend.”
“That makes sense.” Oh man, what could Ashley say? Her own schedule was already booked to the max. But this was her brother, her soon-to-be sister. She couldn’t possibly say no. “It might be hard to find an available venue so last minute, though.”
“We thought the inn would work nicely. There’s the ballroom we’ve been working on, of course, but I’ve always wanted a ceremony on the beach. And if the weather is nice, the courtyard and back patio would be perfect if we move the furniture off and add a dance floor, tables, and chairs. Plus the entire inn will be filled with family here for the reunion, so we don’t need to worry about disturbing guests. And, of course, there’s the nice plus that we would save money on a venue.”
Hmmm. “I suppose if you’re limiting the guest list to about one-fifty, maybe one-seventy-five, the courtyard would fit everyone. But the Bakers alone would take up the majority of those spots.” They had nearly one hundred coming to the reunion as of her last count.
“That’s not a problem. My family isn’t huge—the ones that talk to me, anyway—and most of my friends are part of your family.” Bella tilted her head, something vulnerable in her normally confident eyes. She placed her hand on Ashley’s arm. “I promise I won’t be one of those bridezillas. My expectations are very low. I want something simple. Just family and friends, gathered together, to watch me marry the man I love. And I can’t think of anyone better to help us make that happen than you.”
Tears pricked Ashley’s eyes. She leaned her head against Bella’s. Though she couldn’t think of any free spots in her schedule offhand, she’d just have to create some. “Of course I’ll help. We may have to call in some reinforcements, but there’s nothing I’d like more than to help you have a beautiful day.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“You’re the best.” Bella shot Ben a thumbs-up, and he grinned and mouthed “Thank you” to Ashley.
Warmth traveled up her spine. She mouthed back, “You’re welcome.”
Ashley didn’t know how she was going to manage it all, but she’d do anything for those who needed her—especially those she loved.
Even if the effort killed her in the process.
Chapter 3
Why would anyone want pearls on a wedding cake?
Derek tried to maintain a neutral face at Claire’s declaration. “That sounds … nice.”
His fiancée pouted her lips. “I can tell you are not pleased by that idea.” She turned to Ashley. “What do you think?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think.” Ashley sat across from them at a small table situated toward the back of Whimsical Weddings’ showroom. She scrunched her nose as she absently tapped the end of her pen against the clipboard in front of her.
“Oui, I want to know your opinion.”
“It looks really elegant if done right. You just don’t want to overdo them.”
“Of course not.” Claire opened her binder—how she’d pulled all of that together in the five days since they’d arrived in town was a mystery to Derek—and flipped to a page featuring a picture of a tall, white monstrosity slathered in froufrou beading and frills. She slid the binder toward Ashley and pointed. “This is what I had in mind.”
“I’m sure the local bakery that handles all of our custom cake orders will be able to do that, no problem.”
“Wonderful.”
They moved on to basic decor, and Derek tuned out the conversation. If it were up to him, they’d get married on the beach with their immediate family and have a barbecue afterward. But that would never suit a sophisticated woman like Claire. And if she wasn’t going to marry for love, she could at least have the wedding she’d always dreamed of before that jerk of an ex-fiancé had pulverized her heart.
Derek checked his watch. He should be back at the vineyard, helping his dad, assessing the things that needed to change once his company partnered with Claire’s. They’d have to wait until her grandfather officially turned over the reins of the company to her, and there was no telling how long that would take. Campbell Wines just had to stay afloat till then.
“Derek? Are you listening?” Claire’s voice broke through his thoughts.
He glanced up at both of the women, but his gaze was drawn to Ashley. Much as he tried, he couldn’t help the searing in his gut at the sight of her effortless beauty. Today her hair was tucked up in a sort of high bun, and long earrings dangled from her lobes, showing off the curve of her long neck.
Clearing his throat, Derek moved his eyes to Claire, who studied him with reserve. “Sorry. What did you say?”
Claire had the good grace to laugh, turning toward Ashley, who’d plastered a tight smile on her face. “This man is constantly thinking about work. Have you ever met such a … how do you say it?”
“Workaholic?”
“Oui, that’s it. Workaholic.
” Claire nudged Derek. “But surely you know this about him since you are friends.”
He hadn’t come completely clean with Claire about Ashley and just what she’d meant to him. Derek grimaced. She deserved his full honesty, but he had no desire to plunge into the past. Besides, it didn’t matter. It was ancient history.
“Derek has always been really good at his job. Passionate.” Ashley’s fingers clenched around her pen. “But I don’t know if I’d call him a workaholic. Or at least, not the Derek I knew.” Her words had an edge to them.
“I guess people change, right?” Derek covered Claire’s hand that rested on the table. She looked up at him, eyebrows knit together. “But speaking of work, I should probably be getting back. Are we almost done here?”
Ashley snorted, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Sorry. It’s just …” She looked at Claire. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”
Claire moved her thumb along the edge of Derek’s, mirth in her expression. “I am sorry, Derek, but we have hours of planning left. Weddings don’t just materialize out of thin air.”
“They should.” He’d muttered the words under his breath but straightened when he saw he had Ashley’s attention. Claire, thankfully, was busy looking through her binder again.
Ashley fiddled with an earring. “It’s not unusual for a bride and groom to have different views of what they each want in a wedding, but it helps to talk through those. I have a questionnaire here that might be useful.”
“Whatever Claire wants is fine.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, mon cher. This is your wedding too.”
He knew Claire meant it, but come on. He’d wear a clown costume and eat oysters for their wedding feast if she wanted him to—anything to secure the future of Campbell Wines.
He squeezed her hand. “Really.”
But Claire could be just as stubborn as he was. She looked back at Ashley. “I’d like to go through the questionnaire, please. That way, we can both make sure we are getting out of this what we want.”
All I've Waited For Page 3
