by Susan Wiggs
“It’s going to be beautiful,” Olivia said.
“Thanks.” Jenny smiled at her. She was dressed with discreet professionalism, in a sleeveless black A-line dress and low-heeled pumps, and no jewelry except a pair of small gold earrings. Over the dress, she wore a fitted caterer’s jacket and her dark hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail.
Looking around the dining hall, Jenny said, “You’ve made it really beautiful, Olivia.”
“Thanks. I had a lot of help.” She hesitated, wanting to say more. She and Jenny were still so new to each other, still cautious. She heard the low growl of an engine and craned her neck to look past Jenny. It wasn’t Connor, but Rourke McKnight, the chief of police.
Jenny was watching her. “You look as if you were expecting someone else.”
Olivia conceded with a nod. “Connor Davis.”
Jenny opened a box of small white roses in tiny glass bulbs and started arranging them around the base of the cake. “Is he your date for the party?”
Olivia stepped up to help with the roses. “I’m not sure what he is,” she admitted. To her horror, her throat suddenly felt thick, as if she was on the verge of tears. “We’re just…not good together.” She swallowed hard, took a deep breath. “No, that’s not right. I’m not good in a relationship, not even with Connor.”
Jenny took out an antique silver cake server and tied a satin ribbon around its handle. “I don’t know much about Connor,” she said. “A little, though. In a town this size, everybody knows a little of everything. He’s always seemed lonely to me.”
Olivia thought about the big piece of property on the river, the tiny Airstream trailer. “Maybe he likes being a bachelor.”
Jenny set the server on a bone china plate and stepped back, eyeing the arrangement critically. “He’s planning to build a place he designed himself, did you know that?”
“I saw the plans.”
“Then you saw that he’s building a four-bedroom house. Guys who like their bachelorhood don’t build four-bedroom houses.” She adjusted the groom on top of the cake.
There was something calm and reasonable about Jenny, and somehow it quieted the flurry of butterflies in Olivia’s stomach. Maybe she was going to like having a sister.
She looked out the window again as a limousine pulled up and recognized the tall, silver-haired man who emerged. “Is Senator McKnight any relation to Police Chief McKnight?” she asked.
“They’re father and son.”
Wow. Now there was a puzzle. The senator was one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the state. The chief lived in an apartment in an old brick building in the town’s historic district, and when he was off duty, drove an El Camino that had seen better days. The two men passed each other on the walkway, barely acknowledging one another. Olivia noticed the way Jenny was watching Rourke McKnight, with his golden hair, full lips and brooding eyes that was not such a puzzle. A sharp perception tingled through her. “Are the two of you…?”
“God, no,” Jenny was quick to say. “I mean…God.” She shuddered.
“Is there something wrong with him?” Olivia offered an ironic smile. “Doesn’t he look enough like Ryan Philippe for you?”
“There’s nothing wrong, except he’s…Rourke. He dates women who look like lingerie models and have the IQ of a zucchini.”
“Oh. Not good.”
“No.” She grinned. “Do you really think he looks like Ryan Philippe?”
“I’m guessing there’s a reason half the women in town park illegally. Probably hoping he’ll handcuff himself to them.” Catching Jenny’s look, she added, “Other than his taste in women, he seems like a good guy.”
“I suppose.” There was a world of wistfulness in her sigh.
They left the dining hall and headed outside. “He helped me figure out that you…that we’re related,” Olivia said.
“Rourke did?” Jenny looked amazed.
As they stepped out into the sunlight, Olivia heard a car door slam, and there was something in the sound that made her turn. Suddenly, a more immediate dilemma presented itself. “Okay,” she said, taking Jenny by the elbow and steering her to the side, “don’t freak out.”
“What?”
“My mother Pamela just arrived. She’s with her parents—my grandparents—Gwen and Samuel Lightsey.”
As awkward moments went, this one was bound to make family history. “Do they know about me?” asked Jenny.
“I told Dad it was up to him to explain it. He’s a lawyer, Jenny. He’s good with words. It’ll be all right.”
Jenny squared her shoulders. “Then I’ll let him introduce me.”
Olivia felt an unexpected sense of solidarity with Jenny, yet she couldn’t deny a flood of relief that she wouldn’t have to be the one to make the introductions. Jenny had gone back inside by the time Olivia’s mother and grandparents approached. “Hello, Mom,” Olivia said. “Grandma and Grandpa.” She kissed each of them. Then she noticed her grandmother’s complexion resembled the dull white of chalk. “Grandma?” she said, taking her arm.
Gwen Lightsey practically slumped against her husband. They helped her to a bench.
“I’ll get a doctor,” Olivia’s mother said.
“Pamela, no,” Gwen said. “It’s not…I’ll be all right.” She fanned her face. “It’s just a rather unpleasant surprise to see her, looking so much like that woman….”
Pamela frowned, looked at Olivia and back at her mother. “You’ve seen that girl’s mother?”
Samuel waved a dismissive hand. “It was ages ago.”
“You never told me you’d seen her,” Pamela said.
“There was nothing to tell.” Some of Gwen’s color began to return. “She was a horrid woman of low morals, and Philip was well rid of her.”
“Here’s an idea,” Olivia said, forcing a bright smile. “Let’s let today be about Nana and Granddad, all right? That’s what we’re here for, right?”
“Of course.” Pamela completely surprised her by giving her a hug. “You’re absolutely right.” She pulled back and studied Olivia. “And you’re absolutely glowing. What’s going on, Olivia?”
Olivia laughed. “It’s a long story, Mom.”
Her mother pulled her aside. “Just make it short.”
“Let’s see. I discovered I have a half sister, restored an entire wilderness camp, and oh, yes, I fell in love with Connor Davis for the second time in my life.” She laughed again at the expression on her mother’s face.
“Connor Davis? You mean Terry Davis’s boy?”
“He’s not a boy anymore.”
“He’s not right for you, Olivia. He wasn’t years ago, and he isn’t now.”
“You don’t know anything about him, Mom.”
“I know about you. Don’t do anything foolish, Olivia.”
“Oh, believe me,” she said. “I already have.”
“What a dumb ass,” Julian said to Connor. “You are, like, this close to missing the ceremony.” Julian was in charge of ferrying guests back and forth on the pontoon boat, its railings festooned with swags of flowers and greenery. He hastened to push off the dock. The small trolling engine sputtered to life, and Julian steered expertly toward the island, where the guests were gathering for the renewal of the vows. The only other passengers were an elderly couple who had arrived a few minutes ago.
“Watch your mouth,” Connor warned his brother. “Show a little respect.”
The old man and his wife were either hard of hearing or they weren’t listening. They sat at the rail of the boat, looking across the water, their hands touching. There was something about a long-married couple, Connor thought. They knew each other’s rhythms and they seemed to fit together naturally, like trees that had grown side by side for so long their branches intertwined.
He straightened his bow tie. “Do I look okay?”
Julian studied him with a critical eye, then gave a thumbs-up. “What took you so long?”
“I had to go into
town to pick something up.”
“Huh. Like what?”
Connor tapped his breast pocket, feeling the small rounded box from Palmquist Jewelry. “I’ll show you later.”
Julian raised his eyebrows. “Dude.”
“If you say one word to anyone, I’ll—”
“Man, you don’t need to worry. Anyway, it’s not like anybody’s going to be surprised, except maybe Olivia.” Julian paused. “It’s all good, Con. She’s great.”
Understatement of the year, Connor thought. She was better than great. She was adorable and affectionate and funny, and he loved her with every cell in his body. She was the one he wanted to grow old with, twining his life with hers. All this time, she was what he had been missing without even realizing he was missing her. He grinned at his brother. “So you think she’ll be surprised?”
“Who knows how a girl thinks?”
That made Connor laugh. “Maybe you can study that in college.”
“Maybe,” he said. “So do you think it’s crazy, me trying to get into the air force ROTC?”
“Nah. You’re just what they’re looking for.” Connor hoped his brother would go through with the process. If the kid could hack the discipline, it could be a good match for him—a place where he could put both his brains and his fearlessness to use.
Julian flicked a dreadlock out of his eyes. “I guess I could use a haircut anyway.”
“You’re late,” Olivia said without looking at Connor as he slid into the folding chair next to hers. She felt a fundamental change when he was near. The air took on a certain quality, an intensity, though she seemed to be the only one who noticed that.
“Sorry.”
Like most guys, Connor didn’t seem to care much for weddings. She relented and glanced his way. Oh, my. He looked like something out of a dream, in a flawless tux, perfectly shaved, his hair recognizably styled. He smelled delicious. If Connor Davis was the sexiest man she’d ever known, Connor Davis in a tux was something beyond that. It was possible that he was too good-looking, to the point of being intimidating, like someone in a BBC production.
“Something the matter?” he asked, his breath warm as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
She realized then she’d gasped aloud at his appearance. “You clean up real well,” she said.
“Ha ha.”
“Dearly beloved,” said the pastor. “On August 26, 1956, in this very spot, my father performed the ceremony that bound these two hearts as one. Now, half a century later, our dear friends Charles Bellamy and Jane Gordon Bellamy have come back to celebrate their love and to renew their lifelong bond in the presence of those they hold most dear. My own father has passed on to his reward, but today, on this glorious summer day, I feel his pleasure. Surely this pleases the Almighty as well, this glorious celebration of the enduring grace of love.”
Olivia knew it wouldn’t take long for the tears to start. There was no question there would be crying. She and her cousins and aunts had all lacquered on the waterproof mascara. However, they felt duty bound to lay some ground rules. No audible sobs, no visible shaking. Dark glasses would be required for those who were most at risk. The women had made a pact that when the vows began, they wouldn’t look at each other, because eye contact under these circumstances tended to set off a chain reaction.
Still, nothing could have prepared Olivia for the huge wave of sentiment that came over her the very second her grandfather turned to her grandmother and took her hands in his as gently as if they were two shy birds about to fly away.
There was something so holy in the way they looked at one another, with love shining from their faces, brighter than the sun. Nana was beyond gorgeous in a dress of cream silk charmeuse with a lace collar, her silver hair swept into a graceful coil. Granddad, tall and distinguished in his tux, cleared his throat and began to speak the vows he had prepared.
“When I was a young man,” he said, “it was drummed into me that a person’s great ambition in life should be to marry well. In the Bellamy family, that meant I should find a certain type of girl, from a certain type of family. But that’s not what I found, here in this small mountain town, so far from everything I knew. One summer when I least expected it, I met the most beautiful girl in the world. She wasn’t that certain type I was supposed to be looking for. She was the one I was supposed to be with. Now, fifty years later, I can honestly say that I have married well. So here’s to you, my love, my beautiful Janie. It’s been a grand adventure.”
“I, too, have married well,” Nana replied, beaming at him. “I married my best friend, the love of my life, the one who has walked by my side on our life’s journey, the father of my four wonderful, beloved children. I’m proud to marry you all over again. I feel so blessed to have shared these years with you, Charles, and I vow to share all the years to come, to love you every single day with every bit of my heart.”
Daisy and her mother Sophie played a soft duet on flute and clarinet, a Brahms air. With ritual solemnity, Charles and Jane exchanged the new rings that had been forged especially for the occasion by a goldsmith of Lightsey Gold & Gem. His open hands hovering over a missal, the pastor read a prayer.
Olivia felt an eruption of emotion inside her, and knew she was about to violate every ground rule they’d laid out for themselves. She had already committed an audible sniffle. She was trembling, blinking fast. If she opened her mouth, she knew a loud sob would escape.
“Code red.” Beside her, Dare murmured a warning to Freddy. “Olivia’s about to go into meltdown. Quick, say something to distract her.”
Freddy was useless. He was staring at the ground, the tears pouring down his face.
“You barely know these people,” Dare hissed at him, and then she nearly lost it as well, crushing a Kleenex to her face.
“Hold on, Lolly,” Connor whispered in her ear. “You’re doing fine.”
In contrast to the solemnity of the ceremony, the celebration afterward was a frenzy of food, drink, music and good wishes. Dare had created a beautiful setting with crisp white tablecloths and colorful centerpieces, and rented crystal and silver that caught the deep light of sunset as it streamed through the windows. The champagne flowed freely, toasts were raised to the Bellamys and there was a tangible air of happiness in the dining hall and on the adjacent deck.
“Not too shabby,” Freddy said, giving Olivia a nudge as the dance floor filled.
“Not at all,” she agreed. “Thanks for everything this summer.”
“Are you kidding? It’s one of the best gigs I’ve ever had.”
She smiled, watching his gaze devour Dare, who was drawing a reluctant but good-natured Max out onto the floor for a dance. Everyone, it seemed, was dancing, even the most frail of wedding guests, who needed the aid of a walker. The entire space was filled with laughter and movement. This summer, Olivia thought, had been an amazing ride.
“Are you all right?” Freddy asked her.
“Sure.”
“What’s going on with you and Mr. Wonderful?”
Between the emotional ceremony and getting the party under way, she’d barely had time to talk to Connor. Even if she did, she wasn’t sure what she’d say. I fell in love with you all over again? Can we make it work this time? The questions were so new and so raw, she couldn’t even answer them for herself, let alone for him.
“I don’t know,” she said to Freddy.
“Sure you do. I can see it on your face.” He led her onto the dance floor as “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” played.
She bit her lip, fought for control, because she felt like crying. She’d felt that way all day long. “There’s the small matter of my track record,” she reminded him. “Three strikes and you’re out, isn’t that how most things work?”
“Not this, you idiot,” Freddy said. “Listen, the last three are history for a reason. And okay, I admit it, I thought maybe I could be that reason, but that was just wishful thinking.”
“Aw, Freddy.”
&nbs
p; “Think about the story your granddad told earlier, about his family threatening to boycott his wedding, his father cutting him out of the family fortune. What if he’d caved to that?” Freddy let go of her hand and gestured around the room. “If he had, none of this would have happened. This is the kind of thing you stay and fight for.”
“I have a life in the city, my business—”
“Details, details,” he said impatiently. “For every problem you bring up, I’ll hand you a solution, and you know it. I’ll sublet your apartment. Take care of the business.”
“It’s my job.”
“But this,” he said, “this could be your life if you’d quit resisting it.”
She kissed his cheek. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She’d thought of nothing else lately, her heart pounding in terror, yet she had no idea what she was afraid of. The only thing scarier than imagining a future with Connor was imagining a future without him.
“Do better than that,” he said, bringing her to the edge of the dance floor and smoothly trading her for Dare. Before Olivia could respond, the two of them were off, laughing and lost in each other, making love seem like such a simple proposition.
“You said you wouldn’t cry during the ceremony,” said a stern, familiar voice behind her. “You nearly made me lose it, and think what a disaster that would have been.”
Olivia turned and gave her grandmother a hug. “I’m sorry, Nana. It was all so lovely. I couldn’t stifle myself.”
Nana slipped her arm through Olivia’s and the two of them strolled out through the French doors to the deck overlooking the lake. The last colors of sunset glazed the water and imbued the camp with a deep, rich glow. The sounds of music, laughter and clinking glasses melded beautifully with the quieter sounds of the summer breeze and the birds of evening. Nana sighed happily. “You did this, Olivia,” she said. “You made the camp look even more beautiful than I remember. It’s everything I’d hoped for and more.”
