She laughed. “Of course.” She shook her head. “I wanted to do the cooking, but Vivian wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Well, it looks good, but I know your cookin’ would taste better,” he said with a smile.
Gram’s wrinkled face lit up. “Thanks.” She motioned toward a table next to the pool. “I’m going to go have a seat. But once you’ve filled your plates, come sit with me.”
Summer nodded. “We will.” She turned to Luke. “Guess we should go say hello to Daddy and Mitch.”
Luke looked around the expansive backyard. “There sure are a lot of people here. I thought this was just going to be a small family gathering.”
“I have no idea what’s going on.” She motioned toward where her father stood with a group of men. “There they are. Come on.”
Luke clutched his sweet tea and followed behind her.
“Hi, Daddy,” Summer greeted her father.
Thomas Rutledge bent down to kiss his oldest child on the cheek. “Hey, baby.” He nodded in Luke’s direction. “Luke.”
Luke nodded and shook his father-in-law’s outstretched hand. “Thanks for having us, Mr. Rutledge.”
“Well, well.” Mitch Rutledge stepped from behind his father. “I haven’t seen you two in a while.”
Summer smiled at her brother. “We’ve been busy.”
“Busy?” Mitch shook his head. “That sounds like a flimsy excuse to me.” He pounded Luke on the back. “After y’all skipped out on Christmas with the family, we were all beginning to think we’d done something to offend.” He smirked. “I figured it was something Chloe had done, but she denied it.”
Luke locked eyes with Summer. Except for Gram, her family had no idea why they hadn’t made it to Christmas. “We both were a little under the weather,” he explained. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. The events before Christmas had made both of them physically ill, but not with an actual sickness.
“Summer Nelson. I haven’t seen you in fifteen years, and now I see you twice in one week,” a deep voice said from behind them.
Luke turned to see a tall, familiar-looking man with his eyes on Summer.
“Hi, Jefferson,” she said softly.
Luke fought to keep his face neutral. Jefferson Boudreaux had been Summer’s first love. His family and Summer’s family had been friends for generations. There were even picturesof Jefferson and Summer playing together as babies. The guy might be rich and good-looking, but as far as Luke was concerned, he was a pompous jerk. “Hi there, Jeff.” He knew the nickname would get under Jefferson’s skin.
A shadow crossed Jefferson’s face. “Luke.” He held out a hand. “So good to see you again.”
Luke reluctantly shook hands. Back when they were teenagers, Jefferson had done all he could to make Luke look stupid in front of Summer. He’d mocked his clothes, made fun of his vehicle—even accused him of stealing a watch one time. “Good to see you, too.” He almost choked on the words. “Hope you enjoy your visit.”
Jefferson smirked. “Didn’t Summer tell you?” He raised his eyebrows in Summer’s direction. “I’m back for good. I’m house hunting now.” He pounded Luke on the back. “Maybe we’ll wind up neighbors.”
Luke would rather walk over hot coals than have Jefferson as a neighbor. “Great.” He considered it a minor miracle that he was able to keep from punching that smirk right off Jefferson’s face. He turned to Summer. “Babe, let’s go get something to eat. I’m starved.” He put an arm around Summer’s waist and guided her toward the food.
As soon as they were out of earshot, he leaned down to Summer. “Why didn’t you tell me that Jefferson was moving back?” he hissed. “And when did you see him?”
She wrinkled her brow. “I ran into him Thursday.” She sighed. “And I haven’t had many conversations with you since then to tell you.” She reached for a plate. “Besides, it’s not a big deal.”
He sighed. “I don’t like for that guy to feel like he’s got one over on me.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “I know. I almost drowned in all the testosterone over there. Can’t you two play nice?” She scooped some potato salad onto her plate. “That was all a long time ago.”
Luke grumbled. “He’s still a jerk.” Maybe he was overreacting. But seeing Jefferson after all this time brought up all the insecurities he thought he’d put behind him. And who wore seersucker anyway? So pretentious.
The sound of silverware clinking against glass rang through the yard.
“Could I have your attention, please?” Mr. Rutledge called.
Vivian walked over to join her husband. “Thanks for joining us today,” she said. “We’re here to celebrate a special occasion.” She smiled broadly.
Luke glanced at Summer, and she shrugged.
“That’s right,” Thomas said, putting an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “We invited you here to tell you that our daughter Chloe has given us some news we’ve been waiting to hear for a long time.”
Luke caught sight of Chloe and her husband, Preston, standing just beyond Thomas and Vivian. Chloe looked like she was about to burst into song.
“What’d they do?” he whispered to Summer. “Cure cancer?”
She elbowed him. “Shh.”
“We’re pleased to announce that in six months, we’re going to have new titles,” Vivian said dramatically. “Nana and Poppa.” She threw her arms out with excitement.
The crowd burst into applause.
Luke felt Summer stiffen next to him.
She thrust her glass of tea at him, nearly spilling it, and hurried off toward the house.
He froze, unsure of whether he should follow or not.
Gram caught his eye and nodded her head toward the house. She rose and moved as quickly as she could to the french doors.
Luke looked at the abandoned glass of tea in his hand, once again filled with the sense of helplessness that had plagued him for months. Ever since that cold day in early December when he and Summer had learned that she’d suffered a miscarriage.
Even though it had been years since Summer had lived in her parents’ home, her bedroom hadn’t changed much. The ornate white furniture and pale pink bedding had been fit for a princess. Today, though, they were a painful reminder of all she’d lost.
She sank onto the bed and ran her hand over the soft bedspread. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her. Her sister, Chloe, had always hated kids. She’d never babysat like Summer had. Never been the one the little kids at church flocked to.
And yet here she was, pregnant.
Not that it should be any surprise. Summer had always heard that when you’re trying unsuccessfully to have a child, everyone you know gets pregnant. And that had certainly rungtrue for her. She couldn’t count the number of high school and college friends who’d come out of the woodwork over the past months to share their happy news with the world. It was almost to the point that she hated to log on to Facebook, because she knew she’d be faced with a bevy of new profile photos depicting protruding bellies and ultrasounds.
Maybe things would be different if she’d shared her news with everyone. Then they’d be more sensitive to her feelings. But she and Luke had taken so long to get pregnant, she’d wanted to wait until she was past the first trimester. She’d lost the baby right at the end of the three months, so very few people ever even knew of her loss.
“I had no idea about Chloe, or I would’ve warned you first,” Gram said quietly from the door. Gram had been her lone confidante in the family. She’d promised not to say anything but had urged Summer to tell her parents what she’d gone through.
Summer looked up, tears in her eyes. “I know you would’ve.” She managed a smile. “Maybe I should’ve listened to you and told them the news months ago.” She’d had this great plan to announce her pregnancy at Christmas, thinking it would be such a wonderful surprise for her parents—and had hoped it would be just the thing to bring them close again. But then she’d miscarried just before Christmas and hadn’
t the heart to tell them. She had seen no reason to share the grief.
Gram came and sat down next to her. “That was your decision to make.” She patted Summer on the knee. “And I understand you wanting to protect them. But sometimes thereis strength in numbers. You might not be as close with your parents and siblings as you could be, but they would’ve stood by you as you were grieving. They would’ve grieved with you.”
Summer shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe Mother would’ve given me some speech about needing to take better care of myself or about how we should’ve started trying sooner.” She sighed. “But mostly I didn’t want them to look at me with pity.” She refused to meet Gram’s eyes. She knew how ridiculous she must sound. Even though she knew her family loved her, she never felt like she measured up to what they’d expected her to become. And failing to give them a grandchild seemed like one more way her best wasn’t good enough.
“You get that streak of pride from your grandfather.” Gram shook her head. “He never could admit when he was hurting either.” She clasped Summer’s hand. “But darling, you might find that if you let people see your weaknesses, it will make you stronger in the long run.”
“Maybe.” Summer looked down at their entwined hands and felt the strength of the woman next to her. She’d always admired her grandmother so much. At least she had one family member who had always been in her corner no matter what.
Summer stood and walked over to the vanity where she’d gotten ready for so many important events in her early life. She traced her fingers over the smooth top, remembering when she and Chloe had sat in front of the mirror and tried on Mother’s lipstick. Her gaze went to an ornate wooden box that she’d kept her treasures in since she was small.
She turned to Gram with a grin. “I can’t believe this is still here after all these years. I think the first ring Luke ever gave me is in this box.”
Gram looked at her curiously. “The first ring?”
Summer nodded and returned to her spot on the bed. She opened the box and began sifting through old letters, pressed flowers, and trinkets that had once meant the world to her. “Did I ever tell you that Luke proposed to me three times?”
Gram raised her eyebrows but stayed silent.
“The first time we were eighteen. It was the night of my debutante ball.” She laughed and pulled out a tiny silver tab from a Coke can. “As soon as he saw me in that white gown, he stuck this on my finger and asked me to marry him.” She shook her head at the memory.
She pulled a silver gum wrapper that had been folded and taped and fashioned into a circle. “This one was during my sophomore year of college.” She slipped the paper ring onto her finger. “Luke was in Nashville and I was at USC. We missed each other so much.” She took the ring off and placed it gently back in the box. “He was home for Christmas, and he begged me to go back with him to Nashville. Said we could get married and get jobs.”
Gram patted her arm. “But it all worked out. And the third time was the proverbial charm.”
Summer nodded and put the lid on the box that held so many mementos of her past.
Gram cleared her throat. “I may as well tell you that there’s something I’ve been worrying about.” She peered at Summer with those crystal blue eyes that didn’t miss anything. “I try not to worry—try to give my troubles over to the Lord.” She sighed. “I don’t mean to pry too much into your personallife, but I have this awful feeling that something is…off between you and Luke.”
Summer had always heard that the first step to recovery was admitting there was a problem. And while she might be ready to finally admit to herself that something was amiss between them, she certainly didn’t want Gram worrying about it. “We’ll be fine.” Now it was her turn to pat Gram’s hand reassuringly rather than the other way around. “Dealing with Bobby’s accident and then losing the baby have made the past year difficult. But Luke and I are fine.” She managed a smile. “Really, we are.”
Gram raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the issue. “Well, just know that if you want to talk to me about anything, I’m here to listen.”
“I know.” Summer gave her a smile that she hoped was convincing.
“And I’ll be praying for you both.”
Summer’s eyes filled with unexpected tears.
Prayer might be the only thing that could help them now.
Chapter 10
Luke stood in the grand foyer of the Rutledge home.
It looked like no one else from the party had noticed Summer’s abrupt exit. That was best for everyone. The last thing she needed was for a fuss to be made.
“Everything okay?” Jefferson asked from the doorway. “I noticed Summer rush off. I hope she’s feeling okay.”
Luke eyed him suspiciously. Surely Summer hadn’t confided the truth in Jefferson when they’d seen each other earlier in the week. Gossip spread within Charleston society faster than the Confederate Jasmine that crept up the wrought iron gate leading to their house. If Jefferson knew about her miscarriage, Summer’s family would, too. “She’s fine.” He took a sip of tea. “It’s awfully hot out there today. I think she needed to come inside for a few minutes to cool down.”
Jefferson raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on the feeble excuse. “Did she mention that I’ve moved back to town?”
Luke held his tongue. Somehow, even after all these years, Jefferson managed to bring out the worst in him. “We didn’t really talk much about you.” Because you don’t matter to us anymore, you arrogant man.
“I’ll admit, Summer choosing you over me was a hugepart of the reason I left Charleston in the first place,” Jefferson said. “But now that I’ve been around the world and had some wonderful experiences of my own, I figured it was time to come back home. I missed my family too much to let such an insignificant thing keep me away.”
Luke’s jaw tensed. Jefferson was clearly trying to bait him into some kind of argument. But why? “Well, I’m sure the welcome wagon will be wheeled out for you before long.”
Jefferson laughed. “You still don’t like me very much do you?”
Luke leveled his gaze on his old nemesis. “I don’t give you much thought anymore.”
“Well, maybe you should try this on for size: you may have thought you won back then, but really there was no competition.” Jefferson’s lips turned upward in a menacing smile. “Oh, I know you thought there was. And sure, I played along because you were so much fun to mess with. But if I’d have really wanted her, I would’ve had her.” He shrugged. “It’s that simple.”
Luke took a step toward Jefferson. The other man might be taller, but Luke had broken up enough bar fights to know how to throw a punch. And there was nothing he’d like more than to wipe that smug expression off of Jefferson’s face.
“How’s it going in here?” Thomas Rutledge asked, coming into the room and looking from Luke to Jefferson. “The party seems to have moved inside. Is the heat too much for you boys?” The worry etched on his face belied his casual tone.
Jefferson chuckled. “No sir. I had to make a phone call, and Luke here was checking on his wife.” He gestured upstairs. “I think she’s in her room.”
Thomas clasped Jefferson on the back. “Mitch is looking for you.” He jerked his chin toward the french doors. “I think he wants to challenge you to a game of horseshoes.”
“I’m never one to back down from a challenge.” Jefferson shot a parting look at Luke and walked out of the room.
Luke raked his fingers through his hair, suddenly uncomfortable at being left alone with his father-in-law. “Thanks for having us over,” he said finally.
Thomas looked at him with eyes that looked remarkably like his daughter’s. “I wish you and Summer would visit more often.”
Luke stood silently. In the months since Bobby’s accident, Summer’s dad had reached out to him numerous times. And each time, he’d rebuffed. Those memories from when he and Summer had first met, and how her parents had disapproved of him, stung too much
. If he hadn’t been good enough then, he wasn’t good enough now. “We stay pretty busy. Summer’s business really picks up about this time of year, and it’s hard for her to find a free weekend.”
Thomas took a sip of his drink. “Well, you’re welcome even if she can’t make it. I’m always looking for a fishing partner.”
A laugh caught in Luke’s throat. All these years, and Thomas wanted to be friends now? Too little too late. Same as his own dad. “I appreciate the offer. Maybe we’ll do that one of these days.”
The words seemed to placate Thomas. “Is Summer not feeling well? I saw Mother go after her.” He frowned. “That woman has a sixth sense when it comes to one of her children or grandchildren being sick.”
So her exit hadn’t been as unnoticed as he’d hoped. “I think she’s just hot. And tired.” He shook his head. “And she hasn’t eaten anything yet.” He forced a smile. “Bad combo.”
Thomas nodded. “She needs to take better care of herself.” He sighed. “Well, remember my offer. You have my number. If you ever have a free Saturday, I’d love to hit the water.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Not a chance.
An hour later, Luke had made small talk with several of Summer’s relatives and family friends.
Alone.
He hated this kind of thing, but he forced a smile and turned on the charm.
“Please drag my sister away from work one night, and let’s all go out to dinner,” Summer’s younger sister, Chloe, trilled. “Preston and I love Fig. We go there all the time, and I always say, ‘We should ask Summer and Luke to meet us here,’ because, you know, it isn’t far from where you live.” She paused for a breath. “And I’m thinking of getting Summer to help plan my baby shower. The big one, you know, the main one. Like the one that will be more of an event. Not just a tea or something, but a real sit-down dinner and celebration of our good news.”
Luke watched her mouth, wondering how such a tiny person could use so many words in such a short time. Listening to her exhausted him. He glanced over at her husband, Preston. The man watched her adoringly and hung on to her every word. It takes all kinds. “I’m pretty sure that Summer is booked for a while.” The last thing his wife needed was to have to plan her sister’s baby shower. Not now.
A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina Page 6
