A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina

by Annalisa Daughety

  “Saturday? Pick you up at seven?”

  She nodded. “Sounds good.” She jerked her chin toward her vehicle. “I’m going to go and give you some time alone.” She turned to go then walked back to him. “I’m glad to see you.” She reached up and cupped his face with her hand. “I miss you.”

  His lips curved into a smile, and he put his hand on hers. “You, too. See you Saturday.”

  She walked to her SUV feeling much lighter than she had when she’d arrived. Luke’s dinner invitation told her that he was willing to work on their relationship.

  And that gave her more hope than she’d felt in a long time.

  Chapter 27

  Justin paced in front of Samantha’s townhouse. She’d called and asked him to stop by, but no one was home. He glanced at the clock on his phone. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late picking up Ashley.

  They’d gone out on a date once since the Memorial Day cookout. He’d taken her to dinner at his favorite little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and they’d finally made it to a movie. The kisses had been fiery, but he’d had a suspicion Ashley was upset about something. She’d been quiet at dinner, but when he’d asked why, she claimed to be tired.

  He couldn’t help but worry he was going to mess up their budding relationship. Ashley was easily the best girl he’d ever dated. She had every quality he’d been looking for. Hopefully tonight would go better.

  Samantha’s older model car pulled into the driveway. She climbed out and lifted eight-month-old Allison out of her car seat. “Hey.”

  “You need some help?” Justin walked over to the car.

  She shook her head. “Nah. Allison and the diaper bag are all I’ve got.” She held her keys out to him. “You can unlock the door though.”

  He quickly unlocked the front door and held it open for Samantha. “Where’s Colton?” he asked.

  “At Mama’s. He’s staying the weekend.”

  Justin narrowed his eyes. Each time he learned that Colton was staying with Samantha’s mother, he cringed. The older woman was in no shape to care for an active toddler. Her poor health kept her bedridden much of the time, and she definitely had a hard time keeping up with Colton. “Oh.”

  Samantha set Allison on a blanket on the floor. “Sorry to call you over here like this, but I didn’t want to talk on the phone.”

  “Do you need money? Because if the kids need something, I’ll do what I can.”

  She smiled. “You might be the nicest guy in the world. Honestly.”

  He blushed. “I just want to help if I can.”

  “Actually I just wanted to let you know that I’m moving.”

  An icy vise gripped his heart. He’d known this day might come, but he hadn’t realized how it would impact him. “When? Where?”

  Samantha sighed. “As soon as I can get packed. Carl and I want to make a fresh start.”

  He didn’t say anything about the wisdom of making a fresh start with a felon. He believed in second chances as much as the next guy but hated to think of Colton being raised by a less-than-stellar role model. “I see.”

  “Don’t judge. Carl was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s not a bad guy.”

  Justin held his tongue. He wasn’t so sure about that butdidn’t want to get into it now. He was much more concerned with Colton.

  “He’s got some family near Atlanta. So it looks like we’re Georgia-bound.” She tucked a strand of platinum blond hair behind her ear. “We’re not taking Colton.” She glanced at him. “He’d just be more than we can handle, with trying to find jobs and daycare and all.”

  Justin narrowed his eyes. “Where is he going to live?”

  “With Mama,” Samantha said. “I wanted you to know because I hope that you’ll still be involved in his life. She’ll need all the help she can get.”

  He frowned. He knew he should be relieved that he’d still be able to be part of Colton’s life. But he wasn’t sure it was the best situation for the child. He didn’t want to get into that with Samantha though. “Thanks for letting me know. If you need me to help move his stuff over to her house, I’ll be glad to.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. That would be great.”

  Justin said his good-byes and climbed into his pickup. His mind whirled with possibilities he wanted to talk through with Ashley. Maybe she could help him figure out how to handle the situation.

  Ashley glanced in the mirror one last time. She’d opted for low-key tonight. A simple yellow V-neck top, jeans, and flip-flops were a lot more casual than she normally wore on a date. But she knew tonight was the night she had to end things with Justin.

  She went into the living room and peeked out the window.

  Justin slammed the truck door and started up the sidewalk to her porch. He looked adorable. As usual.

  But she had to be strong. She couldn’t get distracted by his surfer-boy blond hair and blue eyes. And she certainly couldn’t look at his mouth and wish it were on hers.

  Because that would only make things tougher.

  She flung the door open, unable to keep a smile from her face. “Hey.” She heard the excitement in her voice and hated herself a little bit for being so weak. When she was around him, she could actually feel herself glowing. That didn’t bode well for her decision to walk away from him.

  Justin beamed back. “Sorry I’m late.” He pulled her into a big hug.

  She relaxed against him for a second and inhaled his soapy scent. “Don’t worry about it.” She pulled away and met his gaze. “You ready? I’m starved.”

  He hesitated. “Actually I wondered if you’d be okay with ordering a pizza. I need to get your opinion on something.”

  She shrugged. “Of course. Pizza is good.” She stepped back and ushered him inside, thankful she’d spent time that morning cleaning.

  Justin sank onto the couch and looked up at her. “It’s not too soon for a night in is it?”

  She adored quiet nights at home. But the knowledge that he was going to be in her personal space unnerved her. A restaurant would’ve been safe. It’s easy to keep distance in public. But a night at home, on the couch, eating and talking?

  It would be impossible for her to keep her hands off of him. She felt drawn to him like a magnet. “It’s not too soon. Plus I love pizza.” Instead of going to sit next to him, she grabbed a phone book from the end table. “Any certain brand?”

  He grinned. “I’m a Domino’s kind of guy, but we can order whatever you like.”

  “Domino’s it is.” After a brief discussion, they settled on a large, thin crust pepperoni. Ashley called for delivery then sat down in the recliner next to the couch.

  Justin looked at her with a puzzled expression. “I took a shower before I came over. What gives?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing. Sorry. Just habit, I guess.” And the fact that I’m afraid when you find out I could’ve been your babysitter, you’ll run away.

  He twisted his mouth into a smile. “Okay. As long as it’s not me.” He sighed. “So I’ve had a weird day. That’s part of why I wanted to stay in.”

  “What happened?”

  She listened to his story about Samantha’s impending move. “How do you feel about it?” she asked.

  “Torn. On the one hand, I’m glad she’s not taking Colton. But on the other, I’m worried about him living with his grandmother.” He shook his head and sighed. “Samantha’s mom means well, but she’s in poor health. I can’t imagine what kind of life Colton will have growing up there.”

  Even though she’d only seen Justin and Colton together twice, she still had a pretty good idea of how much Justin cared for the child. And it was clear that Colton was crazy about Justin. “I guess you need to decide how far you’re willingto go for Colton. And what kind of sacrifices you’re willing to make.”

  Justin met her eyes. “Am I crazy? Single guy, about to turn thirty, and considering raising a child who isn’t even mine?”

  “Like I said. It will be a huge lifestyle change. I t
hink you’d better be sure you’re ready for that kind of commitment before you start down the path. Because Colton certainly doesn’t need to be displaced again.”

  He leaned his head back against the couch. “Decisions are hard.”

  She chuckled. “Some decisions are easy. But life-changing decisions take a little more thought. And a little more prayer.”

  Justin sat up and looked at her. “You’re right. I should pray about it. Talk to my parents.” He raked his hands through his hair. “Because they would be part of the commitment. Obviously I would need help.”

  “For what it’s worth, from what I saw at the cookout, they’re crazy about Colton.” She was pretty sure Justin’s parents would be completely supportive. She couldn’t help but wonder what that kind of family support felt like. Maybe she’d never know.

  Justin nodded. “They sure are. They’ve known him since he was a tiny baby.”

  “Do you think you’re ready for that kind of commitment?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “I’ve never been one of those commitment-phobic guys. I’ve never been scared of settling down, just scared of settling down with the wrong person. And in my mind, kids were always going to be part of the picture.”

  “So you think going from a couple of visits a week to being responsible for him full-time is something you want?” Ashley wasn’t trying to discourage him. But she wanted him to realize that commitment should mean forever. Not until something better or more fun came along. She’d been on the wrong end of that once and had been devastated.

  He nodded. “I do. I think anything worth having is worth making changes for. And Colton makes my life more complete.”

  “Well then, I think you should talk to your parents to see what they think. And you don’t know for sure that Samantha would be on board, right?”

  Justin nodded. “True. But over the past year, I’ve started getting the impression that if I even broached the subject, she’d be ready to give me custody of him on the spot.” He reached over and took her hand. “But I need to know what you think.”

  She regarded him for a long moment. “I think this is something you have to figure out for yourself.”

  Justin’s face fell.

  The doorbell rang and saved her from more questions.

  She grabbed her purse and took some bills from her wallet.

  “Let me get it.” Justin walked over to her.

  She shook her head. “Nope. It’s on me. You might be raising a child soon.” She patted him on the arm. “I hear that’s expensive. You should save your money.” She motioned toward the kitchen. “You can go get us drinks and plates though.”

  She paid the delivery guy and put the hot pizza on the coffee table. She sat on the floor in front of the coffee table and opened the box.

  “That looks great.” Justin set down the plates and two bottles of water.

  Once they’d filled their plates, Justin said a quick prayer.

  Ashley flipped the TV on to a rerun of Seinfeld, and they ate in silence.

  “That was good stuff.” Justin tossed a sliver of pizza on his plate and sat back on the couch.

  She nodded. “Good call on the takeout.” She took a sip of water and watched Justin out of the corner of her eye.

  He leaned forward and caught her gaze. “I’m just going to throw this out there, Ashley. I’m sorry to do this to you at this point, because it’s not like we’ve known each other long enough to think about the future…but what do you think about the possibility of Colton being a permanent part of my life?”

  There it was. The question she’d been hoping he wouldn’t ask. Except that there was a tiny part of her that was glad he cared. “I think you’ll be a great role model.”

  Justin narrowed his eyes. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I don’t usually lay all my cards on the table so soon, but I really like you. And I could actually see a future for us.”

  Her heart pounded. It would be so easy to tell him she saw the same thing. Or at least she would if he were a few years older. Or even better, if she were the same age as him and still had a fully functional biological clock on her side. “Justin…I don’t know what to say. I mean, we’ve only been out a few times. I’ve had fun and all, but I don’t think you should take me into consideration at all when you’re deciding what to do about Colton.”

  He flinched.

  She wanted to take it all back. She wanted to take his handand pull him to her and tell him that he was exactly what she’d been looking for. But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t risk her heart on someone who would end up disappointed in her in a few years.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. It was too much too soon.” He stood. “I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.” He jerked his chin toward the door. “I should probably go.”

  She stood and followed him to the door. “Bye,” she whispered.

  Justin reached out and smoothed her hair. “I’ll call you soon,” he said softly.

  Ashley ached to kiss him until it was okay.

  Instead, she watched him walk out the door.

  Chapter 28

  Summer smoothed glossing cream through her hair. She’d decided to wear it down tonight because she knew Luke liked it that way. She’d even gone shopping earlier and bought a new dress to wear to their dinner.

  She glanced at herself in the full-length mirror, confident Luke would appreciate the results of an afternoon of pampering. She dabbed on a touch of pink lipstick and put the tube in her purse.

  She was ready.

  It might seem weird to be so excited about a date with a man she’d known for half of her life. But over the past months, she’d felt like Luke was looking right through her. Ever since the miscarriage, Luke had barely touched her. Tonight she wanted to turn his head, just like when they were teenagers. She wanted to show him that she was still the woman he’d fallen in love with. The woman he used to not be able to keep his hands off of.

  The ringing doorbell announced his arrival.

  She took a deep breath and walked slowly down the stairs. Please, Lord, help us get back on the right track. Summer paused at the door then flung it open.

  Jefferson stood on the other side, a grin on his face. He let out a low wolf whistle. “You are smokin’ hot.” He looked her up and down. “Sorry to be so blunt, but wow.”

  Her face flamed. “Thanks.” She smoothed her dress, suddenly self-conscious. “What are you doing here?”

  “Clearly you’ve got plans. I don’t want to keep you.” He held up an empty cup. “I know it’s cliché, but I actually need to borrow some milk. I’m making mac and cheese and was right in the middle of it when I remembered I’m out.”

  She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. She’d never known Jefferson to do anything domestic. In fact, she had her doubts he could even boil water, but she didn’t have time to get into it now. “Wait here.” She left him standing on the porch while she went to the fridge. She grabbed the milk and walked back to where he stood. “Just take the whole thing. It’s only half a gallon, and I’ve barely used any.”

  He took the jug from her. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “Yep. Enjoy your mac and cheese.” She started to shut the door, but Jefferson stopped it with his hand.

  “Hang on.”

  Summer sighed. “What?”

  “Where are you off to all dolled up?” He indicated her dress with a jut of his chin.

  “Dinner with Luke.” She steeled her gaze on him, daring him to say anything.

  Jefferson raised his eyebrows. “Well, that’s great news. I’m glad you two are trying to work things out.”

  She nodded. “Me, too.” She shooed him off the porch. “Now leave. Seeing you here will only put Luke in a bad mood.”

  Jefferson wrinkled his nose. “Fine. Have fun.” With a wave, he walked through the iron gate that led to the sidewalk.

  She swung the door closed and leaned against it. Jefferson wasn’t all bad. It was kind
of nice to see him again after all these years. But she knew Luke didn’t share her opinion.

  She glanced at the clock on the end table. He should be here in five minutes. That would give Jefferson plenty of time to get home unnoticed. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to have another run-in with Jefferson.

  Milo stretched and jumped down from the couch. He walked over and sat down at her feet.

  “You’re looking fit, sweet boy.” She reached down and scratched him behind the ear. She and Milo had been going on lots of walks lately, and he’d already dropped some of his extra weight. He seemed happy even though she’d taken away his off-leash privileges. After the squirrel incident, she’d decided not to risk it.

  The doorbell rang.

  Better be Luke this time. Summer paused then opened the door slowly.

  Luke stood on the other side. He held a bouquet of roses in his hand, but his expression was strained.

  “My favorite,” she said, taking the flowers. “Come inside.”

  She waited for him to comment on how she looked, but he went straight for Milo. “I’ll put these in a vase, and then we can go.” She walked into the kitchen and tried to chase away her disappointment. Maybe he no longer found her attractive.

  She filled a vase with water and put the roses inside. She carried the arrangement into the living room and set it on a table. “Perfect.” She smiled at Luke. “Ready?”

  He nodded. “Starving.” He held the door open for her, and they stepped out onto the porch. “The yard looks pretty good, but it’s getting a little high. I’ll come over and mow soon.”

  She glanced at him. He looked good but tired. “If you’d rather me get someone else to do it, I’d be glad to.”

  His jaw tensed. “Maybe Jefferson would like to take care of it. Except for that whole manual labor thing.”

  She furrowed her brow but didn’t say anything.

  “My car or yours?” he asked.

  “Yours.”

  Luke opened the passenger door and helped her inside. “Magnolia’s okay?”

  “Perfect.” She watched as he walked around the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. “So did you stay long at the cemetery after I left the other day?”