A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina

by Annalisa Daughety

  Justin nodded. “Nothing too heavy though.” He patted his stomach. “If I get sick in the middle of the set, they’ll never hire us for the summer.”

  Luke chuckled. “True.”

  They sat down at a table near the stage.

  Within a minute, a cute waitress set glasses of water on the table. “What can I get you boys?”

  “Just an appetizer platter,” Luke said.

  Justin smiled at the college-age girl. “We’re in the band.”

  “Well, in that case, I’ll have it right out,” the waitress said with a wink.

  Luke punched Justin in the arm. “We’re in the band,” he mimicked, laughing.

  “Dude. I’m so single it’s not even funny. I figure if being in the band gets a girl to notice me, I’d better take advantage.”

  “Whatever works.” Luke shrugged.

  “I don’t get it. It seems like every time I meet a girl, she ends up dumping me for some jerk.” He grimaced. “My brother says I’m too nice.”

  Luke shook his head. “You just haven’t met the right one yet.” He certainly wasn’t equipped to dispense relationship advice. He used to think he and Summer had a bulletproof relationship. But lately he wasn’t so sure. She’d always been a little tightly wound. But now it was like everything put her on edge. And sometimes he heard himself saying things that sounded just like the stuff his dad used to say. Like this morning when he’d given her a hard time about forgetting the bread.

  “I guess you’re right.” Justin let out a sigh. “There’s a new girl at church I’m thinking of asking out. She just moved here from somewhere up north. She’s pretty cute.” He grinned. “Even with that Yankee accent.”

  Luke tensed. He definitely didn’t want to discuss church. He hadn’t set foot in a church building since the Sunday before Bobby’s accident. Summer had finally given up on asking him to go with her, but he knew it bothered her. “That’s nice.” He saw the waitress come through the restaurant door. “Looks like our food is here.”

  “Enjoy,” the waitress said, placing a heaping platter on the table. “And let me know if you need anything, okay?” She glanced pointedly at Justin before she walked off.

  “Looks good, huh?” Justin asked, reaching for a loaded potato skin.

  “You’re talking about the food, not the waitress, right?” Luke chuckled.

  Before Justin could answer, two women stopped at their table. The taller of the two fluffed her red hair, a broad smile on her face. “Luke?” she asked.

  He nodded, trying to place her face. Every now and thenhe ran into a tourist who recognized him from a Fort Sumter tour. “Yes.”

  She slid into the seat next to him, motioning for her friend to sit in the other empty chair. “I’m Jimmy and Will’s cousin, Sherry.” She reached over and plucked a french fry from the appetizer platter and popped it into her mouth. “This is my friend Maggie.” She jerked her chin toward the other woman who was busy batting her fake eyelashes at Justin.

  “Hey,” Maggie drawled. “We heard y’all play a few weeks ago at that little place on East Bay Street.” She leaned closer to Justin. “Y’all should get on one of those reality talent shows or something.”

  Luke cleared his throat and met Justin’s eyes across the table. “Nice to meet you ladies,” he said. “Jimmy and Will should be here soon.”

  “Actually I came to see you,” Sherry said. “I heard that you might need my services.” She winked. “Jimmy was telling me that you’re considering a pretty big purchase for your wife’s anniversary gift.” She let out a tinkling laugh. “And it just so happens that I can help.”

  Luke nodded. “Great. Do you have a card or something?” He jerked his chin toward the stage. “It’s almost time for us to go on, but I’d love to discuss it sometime next week.”

  Sherry’s full lips turned upward in a smile. “Oh, it would be my pleasure.” She reached into her leopard print handbag and pulled out a card with her photo plastered on the front. “Here you go, hon. Call me anytime. I’d be glad to help.” She reached over and grasped his forearm. “And if you think about it, could you play some Brad Paisley?” She clutched his arm tighter. “He’s my favorite.”

  Justin tossed his napkin on the table. “Oh, he would love to play some Brad Paisley.” He smirked in Luke’s direction. “Don’t you ladies think he looks like Brad?”

  Luke’s resemblance to Brad Paisley was a running joke with the band. Every time they performed one of his songs, the women in the audience went crazy.

  “Oh, he does. We noticed that right off, didn’t we, Maggie?”

  Maggie nodded, still mesmerized by Justin. “Sure did.”

  Luke caught Justin’s amused expression. “That might be so, but did you ladies know that you’re in the presence of one of Charleston’s most eligible bachelors?”

  The scowl on Justin’s face said it all. If you’re going to dish it out, you have to be able to take it. Luke leaned back and watched the women fawn over his friend.

  Chapter 6

  Are you sure I look okay?” Summer asked. She adjusted the red drape-neck top for the tenth time. It was way more flamboyant than her normal style, but she had to admit it flattered her figure.

  “You look amazing.” Ashley giggled. “I seriously thought that guy in the parking lot was going to get whiplash when we walked past him.”

  “Whatever. He was totally looking at you.” Summer glanced at her friend. Ashley had chosen a turquoise tank top paired with dark denim capri pants and wedge heels. Her chunky coral bracelet and necklace completed the look. Summer never would’ve paired the colors together, but on Ashley they worked.

  “Does Luke know we’re coming?” Ashley asked as they walked inside the restaurant.

  Summer shook her head. “Nope. He’s going to be so surprised.” She smiled at the hostess. “We’d like seats out on the patio.”

  The girl nodded. “Great choice. We actually have a band about to start.”

  Summer grinned at Ashley. “Perfect.”

  They followed the hostess through the restaurant and out another door that led to the outdoor seating area.

  “Here you go.” The hostess pointed at a table for two that offered a view of the stage and the water. “Your waitress will be with you in a moment.”

  As Summer sank into her seat, she scanned the deck for Luke. Her eyes landed on a table near the stage. She watched as a woman with hair that was a very unnatural shade of red grabbed Luke’s arm and laughed.

  “I don’t believe it,” she whispered. “Look at that. She’s all over him.”

  Ashley followed her gaze. “Man. That’s some outfit.” She laughed. “And most of the time I’m hard to shock.”

  Summer swallowed hard. “Do you see how he’s laughing with her?” Luke hadn’t laughed that way at home in months.

  “Hey.” Ashley reached over and patted her on the arm. “Don’t read into things. Luke is the lead singer for a band. Those are probably just fans.”

  Even so, Summer’s stomach tightened. She watched as the table broke out into another round of laughter. This wasn’t how she’d wanted the night to go. She’d hoped to sneak into the crowd once the band started playing and see the pleased expression on Luke’s face when he saw her. But now she wished she hadn’t come at all. “I think we should leave.”

  Ashley waved away a smiling waitress. “Give us a minute,” she said to the girl. She turned back to Summer. “Don’t be silly. Go over there now and surprise him. You’ll see that it isn’t a big deal.”

  Summer sighed. “Come with me.” She jerked her head toward the table where Luke sat. “I want to introduce you to

  Justin anyway. When Luke and his buddies helped you move into your house, Justin was out of town.” She stood slowly, keeping her eyes on Luke.

  As they made their way to the table, she wished again that she’d stayed home with Milo. She could be watching a movie or going for a run. Or even back at the office answering some e-mails. But no. Sh
e was trying to get her husband’s attention away from some groupie.

  Justin saw them first. “Summer.” He jumped up, a smile on his face. Justin was by far the best of all of Luke’s friends. She’d seen time and again how tenderhearted he was.

  Luke looked up, his eyes wide. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” The expression on his face seemed more shocked than pleased.

  She cut her eyes at the redhead and then back at him. “No, I guess you didn’t.” She turned her attention back to Justin. “This is Ashley,” she said, putting an arm around her friend’s waist. “I don’t think you guys have met.” She turned to Ashley. “Justin is a webmaster by day but a drummer by night,” she explained. “He might be a good candidate to redesign our website.”

  Justin nodded in Ashley’s direction. “Nice to meet you.”

  The redheaded woman stood and held out her hand to Summer. “Hi, I’m Sherry. Jimmy and Will’s cousin.”

  As if that explained everything. “Nice to meet you.” She glanced down at Luke who hadn’t made a move to get up. He looked uncomfortable. Serves you right.

  “I guess Maggie and I had better go find a table,” Sherry trilled. “We want one with a good view of the stage.” Shemotioned for Maggie to get up then focused her attention back on Luke. “Don’t forget what we talked about. And I’ll be expecting some Brad Paisley before your set is over.” She giggled.

  Once the two women were gone, Luke stood. “I can’t get over you being here. You never come see me play anymore.” He smiled, suddenly looking more like his old self than he had in a long time.

  Summer cocked her head. “Ashley’s never heard you guys play. She didn’t want to come alone.” She watched as his face fell and she choked back the truth—that she’d wanted to surprise him. Instead she gestured in the direction Sherry and Maggie had gone. “Friends of yours?”

  Luke furrowed his brow. “Nope. Just met them a few minutes ago.”

  Summer glanced over to see Ashley and Justin sitting at the table, making small talk. “We’ll be right back, okay?”

  Ashley looked up and nodded.

  Summer motioned for Luke to follow her back to her table.

  “It’s like old times having you here. Remember when you used to come hear me play every weekend?”

  She kept her face neutral. “Yeah. I remember.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand.

  She instinctively jerked it away. “You looked awfully cozy with that—that…Sherry person.”

  Luke regarded her with wide eyes. “She’s Jimmy and Will’s cousin, just like she said. I’ve never seen her before in my life.” He shrugged. “Sorry if I didn’t send her and her friend away when they sat down. I didn’t realize that speakingto fans was off-limits.”

  Summer realized how ridiculous she was acting. “Sorry. I wanted to surprise you, and then when I saw you sitting with those women and laughing like old friends…” She trailed off. “Sorry I overreacted. It was stupid of me.” She reached across the table for his hand but was too late.

  Luke stood. “Don’t worry about it.” He jerked his chin toward the stage. “Jimmy and Will are here. And it looks like Mr. Hamilton is ready to introduce the band. I’ve got to go.” He nodded at her. “Hope you and Ashley enjoy the show.”

  She watched as he walked off and couldn’t help but wonder if the sick feeling in her stomach was from her marriage slipping away.

  Luke put his old cowboy hat on top of his head and stepped up on stage.

  The crowd applauded, and someone in the back let out a wolf whistle.

  He grabbed the microphone and peered out at the crowd. “Thanks to the Sand and Suds for the warm welcome and a special thanks to you guys for coming out to support us.” He glanced back at Justin and nodded.

  Justin tapped his drumsticks together for a four count, and the band started up on cue. Whenever they played at the beach, they always opened with a Jimmy Buffet song. Tonight they’d decided on “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”

  Luke noticed that Summer and Ashley had moved to a tablecloser to the stage. Even if she was only here to accompany Ashley, he was still glad she’d made the effort. And she looked really great tonight, too. He’d seen a couple of guys give her the once-over, and it had made him want to smack them.

  He couldn’t help but remember the first time she’d heard him play. They were seventeen, and she’d snuck out of her house and met him down at the Battery. They’d sat in the bandstand, and he played his newest song for her.

  “It’s called ‘Summer Girl.’ “

  “You actually wrote me a song?” She’d tackled him, and his guitar had fallen to the ground with a thud. But Summer in his arms was much better than a guitar, even one he’d saved up six months to buy.

  “It’s not finished yet though.” He’d laughed as she covered his face with kisses.

  “That’s okay. Just play me whatever you’ve got. “

  He strummed the chords and began to sing, loving the way her eyes never left his.

  “I love it,” she said when he stopped playing. “When will it be finished?”

  He’d grinned. “I’m not sure how it ends yet.”

  Luke held on to the microphone and sang the last line of “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” loving the way the audience joined in. His eyes found Summer’s as the crowd applauded. All these years and he’d never finished “Summer Girl” for her. Did she even remember it?

  The problem was that just like on that balmy August night when they were seventeen, he still wasn’t sure how their song would end.

  Chapter 7

  They’re really good,” Ashley remarked after she’d heard several songs. “Luke has an awesome voice.”

  Summer nodded. “He’s very talented.” She turned back to look at the stage. “But his real strength is in his songwriting. He’s written several that are catchy enough to be hits.”

  “Has he ever tried to send them to any record labels?”

  Summer shook her head. “It’s been years. I think he’s resigned himself to playing with a band locally.” She shrugged. “It seems to fill the need he has to make music.”

  “Either way, they sound great.” Ashley leaned forward as the band started another song. “So Justin seems nice.”

  Summer looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “Yes. He’s a real sweetheart.”

  “I set up a meeting with him for next week. It sounds like he’d be easy to work with on the web project.” And easy on the eyes too, but Ashley didn’t mention that to Summer. He could be married or engaged for all she knew. Which would further solidify her theory that all the good ones were taken.

  “Great. I hope that works out.” Summer smiled. “But if you think someone else would do a better job, don’t feel like we have to go with his company just because he’s Luke’s friend.”

  Ashley appreciated the confidence Summer had in her to make the decision. “Thanks.” She turned her attention toward the stage. Luke was doing a perfect rendition of a George Strait song. “I can’t imagine having the confidence to get up on stage like that.”

  “He used to break out in hives before he went on. I think being in Nashville broke him of that problem. He told me once that he realized that there was always someone younger and more talented out there. The difference was that he wanted it more.” Summer shrugged. “But songwriting is where his heart is. He’s an amazing singer, but he has such a way with words.”

  The last strains of the song ended, and the crowd broke into loud applause.

  “Now we’re gonna slow it down a little bit and do an original song.” Luke grinned from the stage. “This one’s going out to all of the lovebirds out there. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as some of the others we’ve done tonight, but I think you’ll like it.” He began to strum on the guitar, and soon his rich voice filled the air.

  “Wow. Just him and his guitar,” Ashley said. “Have you heard this one before?” When Summer didn’t answer, Ashley glanced a
t her friend.

  Tears streamed down Summer’s face, and she didn’t even bother to wipe them away. She kept her eyes on Luke, never blinking.

  Ashley sat back in her seat and averted her eyes. It seemed almost voyeuristic to watch such a personal moment. She had no idea what was going on inside Summer’s head, but she could see the emotion pour out. And one thing she knew forsure about Summer, those emotions didn’t come out easily or often.

  Summer looked around as if suddenly aware that she was in a public place. She pushed back her chair. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered.

  Ashley half rose to go after her but sat back down. Some things you had to face alone, and she had a feeling whatever Summer was dealing with was one of them. She turned her attention back to the band.

  Luke sang the closing lines of the song, and the crowd cheered. “We’re going to take a little break now,” he said. “And if you’re interested in purchasing one of our CDs, see Jimmy during the break.” He motioned toward the keyboard player.

  Jimmy waved and pointed at a table near the stage.

  Ashley watched as Luke shook hands with a few people from the audience who’d crowded around him. Mostly women, but at least the redhead from before wasn’t one of them.

  A few minutes later, Luke made his way to her table. “I saw Summer rush out. Did she get a phone call or something?” he asked, concern etched on his handsome face.

  Ashley shook her head. It wasn’t her place to tell him that Summer had been crying. “I think she went to the restroom.”

  “Oh.” Luke rubbed his jaw where the faintest hint of a five o’clock shadow was beginning to show.

  “I’m sure she’ll be back soon though.”

  Justin walked up to the table. “You enjoying the show?” he asked. With his sun-kissed blond hair and tanned skin, he looked like he spent his days surfing rather than working on websites.