A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina

by Annalisa Daughety

  “Anything big going on?” Summer asked.

  Ashley sat down at the computer. “There was a message on the machine for you.” She glanced up at Summer. “It was Rose Drummond. She wanted you to call her back.” Ashley shook her head. “She must be a new client, because she’s not on our list.”

  Summer drew her brows together. “Rose is Luke’s sister.” She shook her head. “I haven’t talked to her in a long time.” She looked at Ashley. “Anything else?”

  Ashley nodded. “I just e-mailed an info packet to a couple from Georgia. They’re looking at a destination wedding sometime in August or September and wanted to talk about available dates.”

  “August or September?” Summer shook her head. “That’s not very far off. Why don’t people plan in advance these days?”

  Ashley didn’t mind quick turnarounds, but if it were up to

  Summer, every couple would spend at least a year planning for their big day. “You know how it is. They’re so excited they just can’t wait that long.” She chuckled at the grimace on Summer’s face. “Surely you remember that feeling.”

  Summer tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Not really. I mean, I knew I was going to marry Luke by the time he brought me home on our first real date.” She gave a tiny smile. “But we didn’t actually get married for several years after that.”

  Ashley furrowed her brow. She’d never heard the story of Summer and Luke’s engagement and wedding. “Why did you wait so long?”

  Summer sighed. “I had to finish college. It was part of the agreement with my parents. They would pay for everything, but I had to live in the dorm and all that.” She grimaced. “Honestly, I think if it had been anyone but Luke, they would’ve relented.”

  “They didn’t care for him?”

  “It was complicated. I guess you could say that Luke wasn’t exactly who they had in mind for me. Adjusting to the idea of him was difficult for them.” She chewed on her lip. “And at that time, his only dream was to be in the music industry. So waiting to get married worked out. He went to Nashville for a few years.”

  “Wow. I had no idea.” Ashley had assumed Luke’s band was just a hobby. She’d never imagined that he’d actually pursued music.

  “It didn’t pan out. So he came back and started going to school at night. He worked odd jobs during the day.” Summer shrugged. “We got married as soon as I finished my master’s.”

  “I’ll bet your wedding was beautiful.” Summer’s parents would’ve undoubtedly spared no expense for their oldest daughter’s wedding.

  Summer laughed. “If you think city hall is beautiful, then yes.”

  “You didn’t have a traditional Charleston wedding?” Ashley couldn’t hide her shock. Her own wedding back home in Alabama had been full of all the bells and whistles. She’d felt like a princess as she’d floated down the aisle on her daddy’s arm. Except that she’d turned out to be a princess without a happily ever after. So maybe a city hall wedding wasn’t such a bad idea.

  “Nope. Too much trouble. Luke’s family was kind of scattered, and mine wasn’t very supportive. Except for Gram. She’d been a fan of Luke’s from the beginning. But I didn’t even tell her.”

  Ashley sat, stunned. “Were they mad?”

  “Let’s just say we had some tense holidays after that. But everyone came around.” She tapped her fingers on the desk. “Enough about that though. I’m meeting with Sarah Gentry at noon to go over the details for her flowers. We need to let the florist know soon.”

  Back to business. Summer had been that way since they’d met. It was almost as if she were two people. As soon as she let down her guard and let Ashley in on anything personal, she’d raise the walls back up and flip into business mode. “Okay.” Ashley nodded. “And don’t forget that I’m getting some quotes for a new web design. I have the components ready, but now I need to find a designer who can put it all together.” She grinned. “I can’t wait until the site is ready to launch.” Ashleytook a great deal of pride in the web project. She’d handled it almost single-handedly.

  “Awesome. Thanks for your work on that.” Summer looked up from her computer screen. “And I don’t remember if I mentioned that Luke has a friend who is a web designer. You don’t have to use him, but at least add him to the list of people to get a quote from.” She leaned back in her chair. “I can’t wait to see how the new site impacts business. I think it will make things so much easier, particularly for people from out of state.” At least half of their business came from couples who came to Charleston for a destination wedding.

  Ashley nodded. Once the site was live, clients would be able to log on and choose from a variety of options to build their own dream wedding. The whole thing would be interactive, so they’d be able to read reviews of venues, watch videos of potential bands, and even see a variety of cakes to choose from. It would be so helpful for brides who wanted a destination wedding in Charleston but were unable to visit ahead of time. “I’m really excited about it.” Now would be the perfect time to talk about a promotion. But as usual, the words caught in Ashley’s throat.

  Would she ever find the courage to speak up for herself?

  History and a failed marriage said no.

  But Ashley would keep trying to build her confidence. Until then, she’d just keep quiet.

  Summer added a few tasks to the to-do list in her planner. Some people preferred to keep track of things on their iPhonesor BlackBerries. But she liked the feel of a paper planner. She liked to write down lists and check things off. Planning her days, weeks, and months gave her such satisfaction. Luke accused her of being a control freak. Even when they traveled, she always had a map printed out with the route highlighted. And if he ever tried to go off that highlighted path, as he often did, it filled her with tension.

  The unknown scared Summer. Change was not her friend. And time passed so quickly, sometimes she found herself paralyzed with fear that she wouldn’t get to accomplish all she planned. Because when it came right down to it, life was short.

  She flipped to the monthly calendar where she’d carefully recorded all of her business meetings and civic obligations. If there was a committee, she was on it. She glanced at today’s block. The client meeting at noon and then Luke’s band tonight at eight were the only things penciled in. “Are you still able to go with me to Folly Beach?” she asked.

  Ashley glanced up from her computer. “Sure. I’m looking forward to it.” She sighed. “My social life isn’t exactly on fire these days.”

  Summer considered Ashley to be a pretty good friend. But she’d never pried into her personal life. She figured if there were things Ashley wanted to share, she would. She’d hate for anyone to think she was nosy. But she was a little curious. She knew Ashley had been married, but that was about it. “I thought you weren’t interested in dating.”

  Ashley shrugged. “It’s not like I’m out perusing the grocery stores or coffee shops for available men. But if I happened to meet a nice one, I wouldn’t complain.” She shook her head.

  “You have no idea how hard it is to meet someone once you’re a certain age.”

  Summer rolled her eyes. “You aren’t old.”

  Ashley stood and came over to lean against Summer’s filing cabinet. “Okay, fine. Thirty-six might not be over the hill, but I also know I’m not a spring chicken anymore.” She giggled as Summer made a face. “What? At least I’m a realist.”

  Summer twirled her pen between her fingers. “I’m only two years younger, and I’d bet money that everyone who sees us together thinks you’re younger.” She gave Ashley the once-over. “You dress a lot cuter than I do.”

  Ashley laughed. “Translation: sometimes I dress too young for my age.” She smoothed her green sundress that was almost the same color as her eyes. “I should probably send half of my wardrobe to my cousin’s daughter in Birmingham. And she’s sixteen.”

  “Whatever. You look amazing.” With her long, dark blond hair and porcelain skin, A
shley could easily pass for someone in her late twenties.

  “Thanks.” Ashley looked pleased. “Speaking of clothes, what are you wearing tonight?”

  Summer glanced down at her outfit. “This, I guess.” She thumbed the jacket collar. “I thought I could take the jacket off and wear the cream-colored shell that’s underneath.”

  Ashley raised her eyebrows and took in Summer’s outfit. “Oh. Don’t you think that’s kind of…” She trailed off.

  “Uptight?” Summer finished for her. Even when she was a teenager, she’d never been one to follow trends. Her sister, Chloe, had accused her of dressing like Gram on more thanone occasion, never meaning it as a compliment. Summer’s wardrobe was stylish, but in a classic, refined way. Not trendy and current like Chloe’s or Ashley’s.

  “Actually I was thinking it’s kind of businessy. You look more like you’re ready for a boardroom than a beachfront restaurant with outdoor seating and a band.”

  Summer nodded. “I guess.” She leaned back in her seat. “Except that my closet is full of stuff like this. I do have a couple of sundresses that I bought last year.” She sighed. “I hate shopping. You know that.”

  Ashley laughed. “Oh, I know. Which is kind of a mystery to me. I adore it.”

  “Believe me, if you had my mother and sister, you would’ve grown to hate it, too. It’s like their national pastime.”

  Summer did most of her clothes shopping online now. In fact, she hardly went to the store at all except for groceries. And considering that she’d forgotten to get bread on the last run, maybe she should start doing that online, too. Surely there was some kind of grocery delivery system.

  “I was actually going to hit a couple of stores on my lunch break. We could go before your meeting. It’ll be fun.” Ashley raised her eyebrows in question.

  Summer groaned. She’d rather get her teeth cleaned. “I don’t want to be late to meet a client.”

  Ashley chuckled. “Okay, it’s not like I’m driving across the country. I’m just going to walk over to King Street.”

  Summer Weddings was a couple of blocks away from King Street, one of the main shopping districts in downtown Charleston. There were stores for every budget, from discountshops to Louis Vuitton and everything in between. “How about if I give you some cash and you pick me up a new top?” Summer reached for her purse. “Or is that too much of a copout?”

  “Hey, it’s a start.” Ashley shook her head. “You own a pair of dark jeans, right? And strappy heels?”

  Summer nodded. “I sure do.”

  “Okay, I can work with that. Just think of me as your stylist for the night.”

  “But nothing too flashy. Or revealing.” Summer narrowed her eyes. “And no spaghetti straps. Or anything with animal print.”

  “Is that all?” Ashley smirked.

  “Also nothing that looks like something a Kardashian would wear.” She smiled. “Other than that, feel free to choose whatever you think is best. But I still have veto power if it doesn’t look right on me, so save the receipt.”

  Ashley laughed all the way to her desk.

  Summer turned her attention to the notebook in front of her, filled with possibilities for flower arrangements and bouquets. She tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, but she couldn’t help but feel a little excited. Luke had practically been looking through her for months. Maybe tonight if she wore a new outfit, he’d finally focus on her again.

  Chapter 5

  Justin carefully placed his guitar case in the back of Luke’s truck. He’d had such a great day with Colton. Granted, they’d only caught one fish. But those moments were precious. Days like this made him wish he were actually Colton’s biological father. At least then he’d have some rights. As it stood, he knew that Samantha could up and move at any moment and he might never see the child again.

  “You ready?” Luke asked.

  “Yeah. Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Luke chuckled. “You still have stage fright after all these years?”

  Justin nodded. “Little bit.” He loved to play, loved to write songs. But actually being on stage in front of people freaked him out. A lot. The other guys made fun of him for it, but Luke never did.

  “Look at the bright side,” Luke said once they were in the truck and on the way. “At least we don’t play for free anymore.” He flipped on his turn signal. “I figure that this way even if we’re out of tune or if crazy Jimmy falls off the stage again, we’ll still make a buck.”

  “Like you need it,” Justin said with a chuckle. “Wish I could find me a girl with old money. Life sure would be a lot easier.”

  Luke tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “It’s not like that, and you know it.”

  Justin glanced at Luke from the corner of his eye. Maybe he’d been out of line. But he’d been over to their house. Not just anyone could afford to live South of Broad. The taxes alone on those houses were more than most people made in a year. “Sorry. I meant…” He sighed. “Just that times are tough.”

  “Fair enough.” Luke relaxed his white-knuckled grip on the wheel. “But for the record, being the poor man in a rich family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

  Justin could see where that might be true. But he’d be willing to give it a shot if it meant he could finally buy a house instead of renting and maybe pay off his student loans. “Y’all going anywhere for vacation this year?”

  Luke merged onto the James Island Connector. “I wish. It’s the busiest time of the year for Summer. I keep telling her that Ashley can handle things for a week or two, but she doesn’t seem to be open to that possibility.”

  Justin knew they’d been through a lot this year. “I’ll bet y’all could use a vacation though.”

  Luke sighed. “Couldn’t we all?”

  Justin had been friends with Luke long enough to know that he didn’t open up very well. No matter the situation, he never showed much emotion. Even at his little brother’s funeral last summer, Luke hadn’t even flinched. Justin couldn’t understand how anyone could stay so strong. Or why anyone would think they had to, for that matter. “I got to hang out with Colton today,” he said, feeling a subject change was in order.

  “How old is he now? Two? Three?” Luke asked.

  “Two and a half,” Justin said. “We went fishing. I got him one of those little Snoopy poles.” He chuckled. “Of course, he was more interested in playing with the worms than actually fishing. And he was so dirty when I took him home I was afraid Samantha was going to kill me. She actually made me hose him off outside before she’d let him in the house.”

  “I’ll bet.” Luke slowed down as they got closer to Folly Beach and the traffic began to thicken. “How’s that going?”

  Justin sighed. “I know it’s weird. It’s not like Colton belongs to me. And Samantha and I barely even dated.” He shrugged. “But that little boy needs me.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. But be careful.” Luke glanced over at him once he’d parked the truck in front of the restaurant. “The more attached you get, the harder it’s going to be if Samantha ever moves. Or if she gets married to someone who might not appreciate some other dude hanging around playing daddy to Colton.” Luke climbed out of the truck and shut the door, his words lingering behind him.

  Justin knew there was truth to what Luke had said. And he also knew that his friend didn’t want to see him get hurt.

  Even so, the words stung.

  Luke would never admit it to Justin, but he still got jittery before going on stage, too. Those years when he’d lived in Nashville, guys like him were a dime a dozen. If he were too nervous to go on, there was always someone waiting in the wings more than willing to take his place.

  That was probably one reason why he’d failed. Because honestly, singing lead vocals wasn’t his real dream. He’d much rather be behind the scenes, writing the music and lyrics. But somehow that didn’t sound nearly as manly as being the lead singer. He’d grown up listening to Chris LeDoux a
nd George Strait. Even his daddy had listened to them and been impressed. No one ever cared about the guy who wrote the song.

  “Mr. Nelson?” An older man walked toward him. “I’m Charlie Hamilton.”

  “Nice to meet you in person,” Luke said, shaking the man’s outstretched hand.

  Charlie smiled kindly. “We enjoyed your demo tape very much. The cover songs sound great, and of course, you’re welcome to mix in some original music as well.”

  That was one reason Luke was so excited about the possibility of this particular gig. A lot of places just wanted a cover band. But the Sand and Suds would allow them to play original songs, too. “Thanks so much for the opportunity. We’ll do our best to keep everyone happy.”

  Charlie chuckled. “Now son, you know that’s not possible. It’s one of the great lessons in life. You’ll never please them all.” He pounded Luke on the back. “But if you’re taking requests, I’m kind of partial to Kenny Rogers.”

  Luke nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He followed Charlie to the stage area where Justin was setting up.

  “I’ll let you boys get settled. We advertised the music starting at eight, so you’ve got plenty of time. Just let me knowif you need anything.” The older man walked back inside the restaurant.

  “I just got a text from Jimmy. They’re almost here.”

  Jimmy Baxter played lead guitar, and his brother Will played keyboard and sang backup. They were good guys, always laughing and joking around. By day, Jimmy was an accountant and Will worked as an insurance adjustor. They joked that they only played music for the groupies, but in reality both were happily married with two kids apiece. “Great. You want to grab something to eat? We’ve still got an hour.”