A Simple Wedding

by Leigh Duncan

  “We’re all set for the reception.”

  “Gift bags. Check!”

  “Photographer. Check! Check!” JoJo snapped a picture.

  “But no guests.” A frown niggled Nick’s brow. “Don’t you want your family here?”

  Jenny looked into the face of the man she adored. There were truths she still needed to share with her friends, her new neighbors, but she was certain of one thing. “You are my family,” she whispered. “Now and forever.”

  And with that, Nick swept her into his arms again for another kiss.

  Epilogue

  In the end, they decided to wait six months before walking down the aisle. Jenny and Nick put the delay to good use by spending every available moment together. Not that they had as much time on their hands as they would have liked. Business was up at I Do Cakes. Even with Jimmy’s help, Nick worked long hours filling the orders for weddings, birthdays, and celebrations of every kind.

  As for Jenny, her new position as Alicia’s second-in-command occupied most of her days. She’d expected to be good at her job—and she was. The work was demanding, but seeing the happy glow on the faces of the brides she helped more than made up for the long hours.

  No matter how busy she was, though, Jenny took a break at two o’clock sharp each day and wandered down the hill from the Captain’s Cottage to I Do Cakes. There, Nick greeted her with a kiss and one of the specials he’d set aside just for her. Over cupcakes and coffee, they swapped stories about their day before they each dashed back to work until dinner time.

  On weekends, they studied real estate ads and dropped in on open houses until they found an older home in Cathedral Heights they loved at first sight. A wide front porch and a big backyard made the Cape Cod the perfect place to raise the family they hoped to have one day. Once the current owners accepted their offer, they spent weekends prowling estate sales for furnishings so the house would be ready to move into when they returned from their weeklong honeymoon in Newport.

  And so it went until, finally, the day they’d been waiting for arrived.

  Jenny buried her nose in the mixed bouquet of red and white roses and inhaled the rich floral scent. Next to the aroma of cakes fresh from the oven at Nick’s bakery, the smell was her all-time favorite. A soft smile tugging at her lips, she smoothed a tiny wrinkle in the satin wrapped around the stems. She broke away from her musings as Karolyn rushed into the bride’s dressing room on the first floor of the Captain’s Cottage.

  “It’s almost time,” her cousin gushed. “Any sign of those cold feet everyone warns about?”

  Jenny grinned while Kay searched her face. “Not a one. In fact, if you don’t step aside, I might run you over in my rush to walk down that aisle.”

  “That wouldn’t be hard to do, considering I’m still half blind from the camera flashes that went off in my face on my way in here.” Like they did everywhere the star went, news vans and reporters had tracked her every move from the moment her plane had touched down in nearby Providence.

  “Should we ask the police to make them leave?”

  “You wouldn’t dare! Having the camera crews here is worth a few spots before my eyes. Think of the free publicity Heart’s Landing is getting. By tomorrow, pictures of Chad and me walking into the Captain’s Cottage will be on the front cover of every tabloid in the country. You couldn’t pay for that much exposure.” Karolyn tapped a perfectly manicured finger to her lips. “I may have even let it slip that the Cottage employs not one, but two, first-class wedding planners, who are ready to give every bride a perfect Heart’s Landing wedding.”

  “Kay, you didn’t!” Jenny eyed the woman who’d become the town’s unofficial spokesperson. Over the past six months, Kay had sung the praises of America’s wedding capitol at every opportunity. As a result, bookings across the board were up over last year’s.

  Kay’s brows lifted while her lips shifted into a knowing grin. “It’s the least I can do to make up for all I put you through last summer.”

  The stunning diamond drop earrings she wore swung gently when Jenny shook her head. For one solid week after Kay and Chad had slipped off to Vegas, she’d blocked her cousin’s calls. The two of them might still be at odds if it hadn’t been for Nick. He’d insisted that Kay was family, and as such, deserved a second chance. When Jenny had finally relented and checked her phone for messages, she’d taken one look at the long list of her cousin’s voicemails and had known Kay was serious about repairing their relationship. She’d had no choice but to forgive her. But her cousin hadn’t let it go at that. Not only had she paid every bill for the wedding-that-never-happened, she’d tipped each vendor generously and had insisted on covering the costs of Jenny and Nick’s special day as her wedding gift.

  “The ballroom is amazing. It’s like a fairyland,” Kay whispered.

  Picturing the grand room draped in white with touches of gold and red, Jenny smiled. In keeping with the snow on the ground and the sharp nip in the air, she’d settled on a winter theme when she and Nate had decided on a December wedding.

  “It makes me wish Chad and I hadn’t run off to Vegas to get married.” Karolyn twisted the rings on the third finger of her left hand.

  “You’ll have to come here to renew your vows on your tenth anniversary.” Jenny lifted her gown’s voluminous skirts as she turned so her cousin could fasten the satin belt at the back. “I happen to know a great event planner who could handle the arrangements for you. Although you’ll have to sign an iron-clad contract guaranteeing there won’t be any last-minute changes.”

  Her fingers making swift work of the task at hand, Karolyn gave a wry laugh. “Okay. I deserved that. Chad and I put you through the wringer, didn’t we? There”—she straightened the belt at Jenny’s waist—“all set.”

  Slowly, Jenny rotated. A last-minute doubt shimmied through her midsection as she waited for Karolyn’s reaction. Would her cousin approve of the choices she’d made for this, the most special day of her life?

  Time stood still for a long second. At last, Karolyn gave a breathy, “Ohhhh!” Real tears welled in her eyes. “Jenny, you look like a princess in that dress. Nick is going to lose his mind.”

  “Thanks, Kay.” Jenny expelled a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “I knew this was the gown for me from the first moment I tried it on.” And it, like the rest of the details of their wedding, had fallen into place just as easily. From the invitations she and Nick had sent to their small families and their not-so-small group of friends, to the flavor of their wedding cake, they’d created a simple, but elegant, celebration of their love for one another.

  “Nick and the minister were standing up front when I checked. We probably shouldn’t keep them waiting much longer. Do you have everything? Something old, something new?”

  “Right here.” Jenny traced the edges of the pendant Nick had given her as a wedding present. Fashioned from a chip off one of Captain Thaddeus’s handmade carvings, the miniature stone heart hung from a chain around her neck where it served as both her something old and something new.

  “Something borrowed?”

  Jenny touched one finger to the dangling diamond earrings on loan from Kay’s private collection. “You never did tell me how much these are worth.”

  “That’s because you’d never wear them if I did, and they’re perfect for you. So, something blue?”

  “Alicia embroidered blue flowers on my handkerchief.”

  Careful not to crush her dress, her cousin leaned in for a quick hug. Kay’s fingers actually trembled as she lowered Jenny’s veil. “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. Nick is a lucky, lucky man.” She blotted her cheeks. “Give me two minutes to get to my seat, then you’re all set.” She blew a kiss as she hurried off to join Aunt Maggie and Chad in the ballroom.

  Warmth ripped through her when, standing just beyond the entrance to the ballroom a few m
oments later, Jenny caught a quick glimpse of the waiting guests. Practically everyone in Heart’s Landing had shown up to help her and Nick celebrate their love for one another. From beneath her veil, she tracked the red petals scattered along the runner that ran between the rows of folding chairs. Avery, Nick’s four-year-old niece, had done her job as flower girl perfectly. The child’s crinolines rustled as she emptied the last flowers from her basket and slipped into place beside her mom. Decked out in miniature tux and tails, six-year-old Mattox stood proudly beside his uncle. Matching gold bands glinted from the satin pillow balanced in his small hands.

  “Are you ready?” In full Captain Thaddeus regalia, Jason Heart extended his arm.

  The grin she’d worn practically nonstop ever since the moment Nick had proposed deepened. “More than ready,” she whispered. She’d been dreaming of this moment from the time she’d first read about Heart’s Landing in her aunt’s magazine.

  From the front of the room, the stringed quartet reached the end of Pachelbel’s “Canon.” She slipped her hand into the crook of Jason’s arm and rested her fingers on his forearm. Her grip on the round bouquet of roses tightened. A nervous thrill passed through her, but one look at Nick—standing tall and handsome, his unwavering focus on her—and her nerves steadied.

  He was the love of her life. With him at her side, she felt loved and cherished like never before. He tempted her to try new things, step out of the norm, become more than the person everyone expected her to be. Though she hadn’t known it at the time, he was the reason she’d come to Heart’s Landing. He’d always be the reason she stayed.

  Fabric rustled. Chairs creaked as friends and family rose to their feet. The stringed quartet played the opening notes of “The Wedding March.” It was time. Eager to start her new life, Jenny took her first step down the aisle toward her very own Heart’s Landing love for the ages.

  The End

  Lemon Bars

  A Hallmark Original Recipe

  In A Simple Wedding, life hands Jenny a few lemons. But her visits to Nick’s bakery—and her conversations with him—have a way of making even the sour moments sweet. These lemon bars are so easy, they’ll look and taste like they came from a professional bakery, and they’ll add pure sunshine to anyone’s day.

  Yield: 24 bars (24 servings)

  Prep Time: 15 minutes

  Bake Time: 50 minutes

  Total Time: 65 minutes

  INGREDIENTS

  - 2 cups all-purpose flour

  - ½ cup granulated sugar

  - 1 pinch kosher salt

  - 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

  - 6 large eggs

  - 3 cups granulated sugar

  - ¾ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

  - 1 cup flour

  - as needed confectioner’s sugar

  - as needed, candied lemon peel (optional)

  DIRECTIONS

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

  Combine flour, ½ cup sugar and salt in food processor; pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and pulls away from sides of processor bowl; press shortbread crumbs into baking pan. Bake uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes.

  While crust is baking, combine eggs and 3 cups sugar in bowl and whisk to blend. Add lemon juice and flour; whisk until blended. Pour filling over warm crust.

  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool; cut into 24 bars. Dust bars lightly with confectioner’s sugar. Garnish each bar with a piece of candied lemon, peel if desired.

  To prepare candied lemon peel: using a vegetable peeler, slice the outer rinds of 3 lemons into thin strips. Combine with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, drain and repeat. Combine drained lemon peel with 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and cool candied lemon peel; toss in sparkling sugar.

  Sneak Peek of A Cottage Wedding

  Turn the page for a sneak peek of

  Chapter One

  Jason Heart tugged on the door of I Do Cakes and stepped into the bakery. A sea of voices rolled over him like a wave, drowning the merry tinkle of the bell that announced his arrival. He brushed an unseen fleck from his starched white shirt while he took a second to regroup. The noisy crowd had thrown him off-stride. Even though he was right on time, owners and managers of the town’s businesses already crowded the dining area. Chairs at the small tables were filled. Along the back wall, people had already laid claim to the best spots for leaning against the pink-and-white striped wallpaper. No matter. Unlike previous meetings that had gone on for hours, this one was just a formality—a final review of the agenda in preparation for the arrival of the Executive Editor for Weddings Today. He headed for the closest empty space.

  “Jason. Here. Sit by me.” Mildred Morrey beckoned with an age-spotted hand. “It’s about time you got here,” she groused, though the lines in her face softened into a smile. The owner of Forget Me Knot Flowers removed a gargantuan purse from the chair beside her. “I’ve had to fight off three people who wanted this seat. One more, and you were out of luck.”

  “Sorry. I meant to get here earlier. I was waylaid by an anxious bride on my way out the door.” Jason bent his long frame into a pretzel and squeezed in between the woman who’d taken him under her wings ages ago and Cheri Clark, the owner of the area’s premier bridal salon.

  “Are you ready for all the chaos?” Mildred asked once he’d gotten settled.

  “You don’t really expect it to be as bad as everyone says, do you? After all these months of preparation, I’d expect everything to go pretty smoothly.” For a town that put on more than two hundred weddings each year without a hitch, playing host to one woman ought to be a snap, even if she was one of the most influential people in the industry.

  “I keep forgetting that you’ve never been through one of these.”

  Jason’s throat tightened with a familiar ache. He coughed dryly. During the last review, his dad had still been in charge of the Captain’s Cottage. At fifty-five and otherwise healthy, David Thaddeus Heart had complained of indigestion in the weeks leading up to the editor’s visit. The diagnosis—pancreatic cancer—had been handed down at a doctor’s appointment shortly after Heart’s Landing had once again been named American’s Top Wedding Destination. Over the course of the last two years, Jason had learned a lot about running one of the country’s busiest wedding venues, but every once in a while, something came up that he’d never handled, like the magazine’s biannual competition.

  “We all miss your dad.” Mildred played with an earring that dangled among her silvery curls and cleared her throat.

  “He was a good man,” added Cheri.

  “Thanks. He was always sprucing up something. I bet he’d have enjoyed all the changes we made this spring.” Jason glanced out the bakery’s front window. With the magazine’s evaluation looming, practically every storefront in town had been treated to a facelift. But the heart of Heart’s Landing was, as always, the Captain’s Cottage.

  Jason’s mouth tugged to the side in a wry grin. “Cottage” was hardly the word for a house the size of the one his great-great-great-grandfather and the town’s founder, Captain Thaddeus Heart, had built. Fourteen bedrooms and two enormous ballrooms took up only a small portion of the home a scant hour southeast of Newport, where wealthy families like the Astors and Vanderbilts had once vacationed on their own enormous estates. Many of those mansions had fallen into disrepair, but the Captain’s Cottage looked better than it ever had. Working around a schedule crowded with weddings and celebrations, the housekeeping staff had polished the one hundred twenty-five-year-old hardwood floors, carefully dusted every globe in chandeliers the size of small cars, vigorously shaken out rugs, and repaired even the tiniest nicks and smudges. Outside, white masonry walls gleamed in
stark contrast to black shutters and trim. The season’s roses had been trellised along the veranda, and every plant on the acres surrounding his family’s ancestral home had been carefully manicured.

  Mildred nudged his shoulder. “The pressure to retain our number one ranking is intense. Then, there’s the fact that Regina Charm is handling the evaluation herself this year. She isn’t the most pleasant person to deal with.”

  “Humph. You can say that again. A cold fish, that’s what she is.”

  Jason smiled at Cheri. “Don’t hold back, now. Tell me what you really feel.”

  The woman’s face colored. “Oh, I shouldn’t talk about our clients like that. But Regina pushed all my buttons.”

  “Mine, too.” Mildred’s voice dropped to a whisper. “She has that whole New York vibe working for her—aloof, snooty. Nothing was good enough for her when she was planning to get married here. And once her dreams of having a Heart’s Landing wedding hit a snag—”

  “When did that happen?” And why was he just hearing about it now? Jason threaded his fingers through hair that brushed his collar. It sounded like Regina Charm was a real piece of work. No wonder everyone in town was on edge.

  “A year ago this spring. Remember the leak at your place?”

  How could he forget? He’d taken a rare weekend away from his responsibilities at the Captain’s Cottage last April. While he was in Boston, a bad storm had taken out one of the estate’s massive oaks. To make matters worse, the uprooted tree had broken a pipe. Water had backed up into the Blue Room, causing severe damage. Among the many phone calls he’d swapped with Alicia, the venue’s event coordinator, he seemed to recall a vague reference to a bride who’d been less than pleased that her ceremony had been shifted to the larger, more beautiful Green Room. But by the time he’d arrived back in town, Alicia had worked everything out. Or at least, he’d thought she had. “You’re saying that was Regina’s wedding?”