“Better him than me! Last time something got in her hair she had a full on meltdown. We had to call her stylist in from the city. It cost us the whole day filming. I’ve half a mind to steal him away from you full time for the series.” Marcie gives a laugh, but I know she’s not kidding.
“Hands off,” I warn her. “He’s mine.”
“We’ll see,” is her cryptic response. She heads off to solve another emergency, but I watch Theo on set for a moment more. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own drama that I haven’t been paying attention to the goings on with the show, but now I see there’s some serious warning signs up ahead. Theo is clearly smitten, and Pixie genuinely seems relaxed and happy around him. While they’re flirting up a storm, Clyde is totally oblivious, off signing autographs for some middle-aged guys out front. In fact, now I think about it, I’ve hardly seen him and Pixie together much since they arrived in town. Aside from the staged scenes for the cameras, our happy couple seems happier to hang out with everyone except each other.
“Theo?” I call, beckoning him. “Can I have a word?”
Theo bounds over, his expression helpful and eager. “What do you need?”
I look around. It’s too busy in here, so I lead him through the kitchen to the alleyway outside. “Is there something I need to know?” I ask carefully. This has never been a problem before. Sure, he’ll charm the brides to keep them relaxed and happy, but I’ve never had to think twice about things crossing the line.
“What do you mean?” Theo seems blank.
“About you and Pixie.” I give him a look. “You guys are getting awfully friendly.”
“She’s a friendly girl.” Theo looks confused.
“Yes, but you’re spending a lot of time together. I just need you to remember your professional boundaries, that’s all.”
Theo rolls his eyes. “Come on. You asked me to keep her calm, remember? She’s getting really stressed, all the wedding plans and the filming and stuff. I’m just trying to help out.”
“Well… OK.” I don’t really have anything to go on except my suspicious feeling, so I can’t really hold him up. “Just be careful, OK? You know how brides get before the big day. Their emotions are all over the place, and she might get confused about what that means.”
“Pixie knows her own mind.” Theo grins. “She’s really very smart, once you get to know her,” he adds. “And funny, too. Did you see those videos she made of Buster—”
“Just as long as we’re on the same page here.” I cut him off. “We weren’t hired to babysit Pixie. We’re here to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch.”
“Yes,” Theo says carefully. “Pixie’s wedding. This isn’t just about Marcie and the show, you know. Her feelings count.”
“I know.” I frown. “I’m just saying, be careful.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” This time, his voice turns exasperated. Theo turns on his heel and heads back inside before I can stop him, leaving me alone by the trash bins with a worrying feeling in my gut. I just have to hope I’m overreacting here, because otherwise I spy storm clouds on the horizon for this perfect day.
My phone buzzes with a text.
‘Still on for tonight?’
It’s Luke. Right away, Pixie and Theo and the whole wedding issues disappear from my mind, pushed aside by the more pressing issue of our big date tonight.
Or non-date. Whatever it really is going to turn out to be.
‘Yes,’ I text back, trying not to let my excitement show too much. ‘Where should I meet you?’
‘I’ll pick you up. 8pm. See you then.’
I hug my phone to my chest. Four hours should be enough time to pick out the perfect ‘platonic dinner with my ex who I maybe have feelings for’ outfit, right?
Chapter Fifteen
Even with all day to think about it, I’m still running late as I scramble to get dressed and ready for my date. We had to do a billion takes at the cake shop before getting the final ‘happy couple food fight’ shot, and then Marcie wouldn’t let me leave without going over every minute of our scheduled trip to Miami tomorrow for Pixie’s wedding dress fitting. By the time I make it back to the ranch, there’s barely time to jump in the shower and grab a blue summer dress from my suitcase, praying to God that the place Luke’s picked for dinner isn’t totally dressy. Or maybe he’ll go with something super-casual, and I’ll be looking over-the-top…
I’m glad my aunts are out at karaoke and aren’t around to see me all in a fluster. I pull the dress off, reaching for a pair of white shorts and a cute white eyelet top instead.
Or not.
I freeze in front of the mirror, totally undecided. This is just a dinner between old friends, I tell myself. There’s no need to go into total meltdown picking between outfits here! Luke probably won’t even notice what I’m wearing. He won’t be looking at me like that, will he?
The seconds tick by. Pick something, dummy. Unless you want to open the door to Luke in your underwear!
I swallow. That’s a whole other story. With five minutes to spare, I finally make a decision and pull the dress back on. It’s cute and breezy, I justify to myself as I let my hair down from its messy daytime bun and finger comb it over my shoulders. I put on some mascara and a dap of cherry lip balm, do my best to cover the pale blue shadows under my eyes, and pick out the delicate filigree earrings my aunts gave me for my last birthday.
There.
I look at my reflection in the hall mirror. Totally casual and platonic.
Is that why you shaved your legs and picked out matching lacy underwear?
I hear an engine, and tires crunching on the gravel driveway. I peek out the front window and see Luke’s truck approaching out front. In a flash, I’m transported back to our very first date, the summer I turned sixteen. He drove us up to Marathon to see a movie and grab a burger – simple enough, but to my teenage self it felt like the most exciting, glamorous night of my life. I was so nervous and tongue-tied, I barely said a word the whole way there. As for the movie, to this day I can’t tell you what it was, only that I spent the full two hours sitting there in the dark, my heart pounding, wondering if he was going to hold my hand. From the minute the trailers ran to the moment the end credits rolled on screen, I was in a state of blissful nervous anticipation. Months later, I told Luke how nervous I was and he laughed about it. “You should have said something,” he grinned. “I was sweating bricks trying to work up the nerve to hold your hand.”
That was the beginning. But by the time we’d gone to get food, and demolished a whole tray of burgers and fries, I was finally relaxed enough to talk. We spent that whole evening in the back booth of that diner, talking and laughing. I’d never felt so at ease with a guy, never met anyone who seemed to understand me like that, who didn’t tiptoe around my parents’ death, or flinch and apologize when they talked about their own family. Luke got me, that was the only way I could describe it, and by the time he drove me home that night, I knew this was going to be more than just a teenage crush. It was going to be real.
I didn’t understand just how real.
The doorbell rings, and my heart skips at the sound. I take a deep breath, and smooth my hair down. Relax, Ginny. You’ve got this.
I open the door. “Hey!”
My voice comes out way to loud and false. I want to cringe, but Luke just smiles.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. We were running behind at the mansion.”
“No problem,” I babble. “I was late, too. We were down in Key West filming with Jules today, and I couldn’t get away. I thought I was going to get pulled over for speeding on the way back, but I made it home and—” breathe! “Here I am.” I finish, awkward.
“You look great,” Luke says. His blue eyes glance over me, appreciative. He’s looking scrubbed up and good enough to eat tonight: cleanly-shaven, wearing a casual blue button-down and jeans that make his skin seem even more golden tanned.
I blush. “You too. I mean. I haven’t
seen you all dressed up. Because of the job, and, you know…”
Luke gives an easy chuckle. “Is that your way of telling me I normally look like a mess?”
“No!” I protest. “I mean I get it. Your job gets you all dirty…”
Crap. Does everything I say have to come out sounding like there’s a double meaning?
“Usually, I keep things a little neater, meeting with clients and developers,” Luke admits, rubbing his jaw. “I guess I’ve let things go a little this summer, being on the site more.” He holds the door open for me. “Ready to go?”
“Just let me grab my purse.”
I duck back inside, taking the chance to pull myself together as I go find my bag. Barely five minutes out the gate, and I’m already getting in a tangle. So what if he looks devastatingly handsome tonight? I’m not sixteen anymore, blushing every time a cute boy looks in my direction. I’m a grown adult woman, with poise, confidence, and an excellent credit score. I’ve engineered life changing proposals and impossible wedding ceremonies. I can manage a simple dinner date!
Outside, Luke walks me to his truck, and then opens my door for me like an old-fashioned gentleman. “This takes me back,” he grins, helping me up inside.
I let out a breath of relief. At least I’m not the only one getting serious deja-vu. “It’s weird, right?” I agree, smiling. “Except this time around, I don’t have to get back for curfew.”
“And your aunts aren’t waiting with a shotgun on the porch.”
I laugh. “Aunt Bettina doesn’t have a shotgun! It was a ceremonial African catapult.”
“Still scared me half to death,” Luke says. “I thought if I got you back one minute after ten, she’d hunt me through the woods like a wild hog!”
We drive out to the beach, to one of the Keys a few miles north. “This place opened a couple of years ago,” Luke says easily, pulling into a packed parking lot. “They have great pasta and seafood. I figured it would be a good spot.”
“Sure, sounds good,” I answer, although food is the last thing on my mind. My stomach is still tied up in knots, even if I have managed to relax a little on the outside and stop tripping over my words.
The restaurant is a chic beachfront place, set right on the water with an open terrace and breezy, clean décor. There are already people waiting around outside for a table, but Luke leads me right up to the hostess’s station.
“Porter, table for two,” he says.
“Luke?” A voice calls from across the restaurant, and a stylish woman comes over, wearing loose linen pants and a blouse, her long dark hair in a braid. She hugs Luke warmly, kissing him on the cheeks. “I thought that was you in the book. Why didn’t you say something? I would have had a table all ready.”
“I didn’t want to bother you,” Luke says. “I figured you’d have enough on your plate. This is Ginny,” he adds, introducing me. “She’s in town from New York, so I figured I’d show her the best seafood on the coast.”
“Oh, stop.” The woman grins. “No, I don’t mean it. Please, continue showering me with praise.”
Luke laughs. “Evie owns this place,” he explains to me.
“It looks great,” I say, looking back and forth between them. I’m trying to figure out the vibe here. Evie is gorgeous, and they seem so relaxed with each other.
“Come on,” Evie beckons. “Let me find you a table.”
She leads us through the restaurant out to the back terrace. It’s decorated with white lanterns and overlooking the beach, with the ocean waves crashing onto the shore. There’s a free table off at the side, with a gorgeous view and privacy from the other diners. Luke pulls out my chair for me as we take our seats.
“This is great, thanks,” he tells her.
“I can have your server bring you menus,” Evie says, “Or you can put your trust in the chef tonight? What do you say to menu roulette?”
Luke looks over at me. “What do you think?”
“I’m game,” I say with a shrug. “Let’s do it.”
“You won’t regret it.” Evie winks. “Have a great meal, you guys.”
She heads back inside, and a moment later, a server comes with water and to take our drink orders.
“She seems nice,” I say casually.
“Yeah, Evie’s great.” Luke drinks some water. “We dated a while back when she first moved to town, but it didn’t go anywhere.”
I feel a wave of relief, followed by guilt. Why should it matter who he dates? I want him to be happy, don’t I?
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
He shrugs. “Some people just aren’t meant to be together. But we stayed friends, so it worked out in the end. How about you?” he asks, his gaze turning to me. “Anyone special waiting back in New York?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Nobody.”
“I don’t believe that.” Luke’s grin is teasing.
“Believe it. I guess I’ve just been focused on the business. And like you said, you can’t really force it. Some people aren’t meant to be together.”
And some people are.
The words appear in my head, but I do my best to ignore them. A server arrives with a platter of appetizers, distracting us.
“Mmm,” I say loudly. “This looks delicious!”
And it does. My appetite suddenly returns as I take in the spread of crostini, watermelon salad, and delicate grilled shrimp. I dig into the food, and Luke does too. “I’ve missed great seafood,” I tell him, savoring the flavors. “They have plenty of amazing restaurants in New York, but nothing beats shrimp that just came out of the water.”
“You must be eager to get back.” Luke’s voice is casual, but I think I can detect a questioning look in his eyes. “You probably didn’t expect to be stuck down here so long.”
“It’s actually been nice,” I say. “Spending time with Rae and Betts, seeing Jules again.” Seeing you, I silently add. “It makes me regret staying away for so long. I guess a part of me will always think of this place as home.”
“And the other part?” he asks.
I look away. “I built a life for myself in New York, and I’m proud of that. Growing my business from the ground up… I’ve helped a lot of happy couples on their special day. I’ve really made a name for myself.”
Luke nods slowly. “I understand that now. When I was younger, I figured work was just what you did to get by until the weekend. Clock in, clock out, pick up the paycheck, you know? I never thought any further than that. But having my name on those plans, getting calls from people who’ve seen my work and want to hire me to work on their projects – it feels good.”
“You deserve it,” I tell him, proud. “You’ve really made something great for yourself.”
“I guess I should thank you.” Luke gives a wry smile.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you leaving forced me to rethink things. Take a look at my life, and figure out what I could have done to change things.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, feeling guilty.
“I’m not saying it was all your fault,” he adds quickly. “But it was a pretty big wake up call that I couldn’t just sit around and let life pass me by. It took me a while, but I realized I wanted to make a life, too. I didn’t ever want to be left behind again.”
“Is that what you think?” I ask, a lump in my throat. “That I left you behind?”
Luke raises his eyebrows. “I’d say the tire marks on the highway out of town were a pretty big clue.”
I swallow. I’ve been biting back the truth for years now, but I realize I can’t hide anymore. Luke’s been thinking all this time that he wasn’t good enough for me to stay. No matter how painful it is, I need to share what was really going on in my mind all those years ago.
I look around. The restaurant is packed now, and the terrace is loud with laughter and conversation. “You want to take a walk?” I ask suddenly. “Just for a moment?”
Luke looks at me, but he must guess I have something on
my mind, because he nods. “Sure.”
He flags down our server, and tells him to hold our main course for a while. Then we take the steps down from the terrace onto the beach.
I kick off my sandals and carry them in one hand. The sand is still warm on my bare feet, the night breeze rustling the palm trees that line the shore. It’s still light out, the sun sinking over the ocean as we walk in silence towards the water.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I start in a halting voice, my heart suddenly beating faster in my chest. “About what happened back then. Why I left the way I did.”
Luke looks over at me, questioning, but he doesn’t say anything. He just walks beside me, waiting for whatever I’m going to say next.
“Senior year, everything was going great,” I say quietly, trying to find the words. “You and me, we couldn’t be better. We were so in love, talking about the future. I’d just been accepted to NYU, but I was thinking about giving up my place. Staying down here and going to school nearby so we could still be together. Getting a little apartment somewhere, and setting up on our own.”
“I remember.”
“I went back and forth, trying to figure out the right choice. I wanted to stay so badly, I couldn’t imagine being apart from you, but I still wanted to see the world outside Pelican Key Cove, too. You didn’t want me to go away for school, and the conflict was eating me up inside. I didn’t know what to do.”
“I didn’t realize.” His voice is heavy with regret. “You never said anything.”
“I couldn’t.” I tell him. “You were so excited about the life we could have here together, making all kind of plans. Every time we talked about it, I got swept up in that vision of our future, together. I tried to tell myself the restlessness would pass, but it didn’t. It stayed, gnawing at me from the inside out. And then…” I pause, taking a deep breath. “And then I found out I was pregnant.”
Luke stops dead. He turns to me, his eyes wide in the dusk light. “Ginny—”
“It didn’t last,” I tell him quickly. I’m clenching my hands so tight I can feel the nails bite into my palms. “A couple of weeks later, my period came. The doctor said it might have been a false positive on the test, or maybe it just didn’t take, but either way, it was over.”
Beach Wedding Page 12
