The Wedding Promise

by Thomas Kinkade

  “Thanks. I’ll order the flowers, no problem. Is that going to be the daisies or the spider mums?”

  “I like the daisy idea,” Jennifer replied, making this decision much faster. “I’m more of a daisy person.”

  “Yes, you are,” Liza agreed with a smile. “We won’t have the chairs here until Saturday afternoon. If you bring the fabric on Friday to the rehearsal, we’ll be fine.”

  “Wow . . . I can’t believe we’re almost ready. There must be something I’m forgetting,” Jennifer said.

  Liza felt the same way. But she wasn’t going to admit it to the bride.

  She had even woken up in the middle of the night, suddenly sitting up, wide-eyed, thinking there was something she’d forgotten to order or plan for the wedding. But all of her lists were practically checked off.

  “Just twelve more days until the wedding. The time will go quickly now,” Liza said.

  “Yes, I know. I’m happy about that and feeling a little scared, too,” Jennifer admitted. “But happy scared, if you know what I mean?”

  “I do,” Liza replied, smiling.

  Jennifer glanced at her watch. “I guess we’d better go. Do you mind if we walk through the inn on our way out? Megan’s never been inside. She wants a sneak preview.”

  “That’s just fine. Go right in,” Liza told them.

  The two young women entered the inn through the back door, and Liza picked up the phone to call the florist and order seventy-five—no, make that eighty—daisies for the chairs.

  “LIZA is really nice. I pictured her older for some reason,” Megan said. “Oh . . . this hallway is really neat. I love the stained-glass window.”

  “Liza’s been great. I’d definitely recommend her. If she hadn’t agreed to do the wedding here, I’m not sure what we would have done,” Jen said. “Here, this is the sitting room. We’re going to have the cocktail hour inside and out. There will be little tables on the porch, too.”

  Jennifer went out to the porch, and she and Megan looked out over the cliff to the beach and ocean below. “What a beautiful view,” Megan said. “I hope you have good weather.”

  “If it rains, we’ll have the ceremony inside. Liza has that all figured out with the caterer. And the tent is waterproof.” Jen stared out at the ocean. “I can’t believe I’m really getting married.”

  “Me either.” Megan reached over and squeezed her arm. “It’s really weird. But I guess you felt the same way when I got married.”

  “Yeah, I did.” Jen turned and grinned at her. “One minute we were getting in trouble together in Mrs. Franklin’s class, and the next minute, I was helping you squeeze into your wedding gown, and buttons were flying—”

  “Thanks for reminding me of that adventure.” Megan stuck out her tongue at her friend. “It’s just my metabolism. If we were cavewomen—”

  “Yes, I know, you’d be genetically superior and would survive harsh winters. I’d never even get asked on dates.”

  Jen had heard this explanation before. About a zillion times. She thought her best pal had a great figure and even envied her curves, but never got tired of teasing her about the buttons that had come off her wedding dress at the very last moment. Luckily, Megan’s mom was cool, calm, and handy with a needle and thread.

  “Don’t you feel like we’re still in middle school sometimes?” Megan asked her. “Even getting married didn’t really change that. I mean, you don’t feel all that different afterward. I don’t know. You’ll see.” Megan sighed and gave Jen a hug. “I’m so happy for you. And I’m so glad you’ll be in Boston, and we can see each other anytime. Maybe you’ll even move back to Cape Light when you get tired of living in the city.”

  “I hope so,” Jen said. She knew her friend meant when she and Kyle started a family. Jen couldn’t think of a nicer place to raise children than Cape Light. Megan and her husband, Ed, were already talking about having a baby. Jennifer wasn’t quite ready for that step yet. She wanted to teach a few years and enjoy her career.

  But Megan’s words did push other buttons. Jennifer hadn’t told anyone yet about Kyle’s interest in that New York job. Not her parents, not even her best friend.

  “We’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful place, Meg. I’ve been thinking about that a lot these last few weeks, coming home after graduation. I don’t think I’d ever want to live anyplace else. I mean, not really any farther than Boston.”

  “Me either,” Megan said.

  “Something’s come up at Kyle’s job. It’s got me a little worried,” Jen admitted.

  “What’s the matter? Is the firm having layoffs?” Megan asked with concern.

  “Nothing like that. Just the opposite. Everybody thinks Kyle is terrific. You know that he’s working in the New York office on a big project, right?” Megan nodded. “Well, his boss told him to apply for a job opening there. It would be a big promotion for Kyle, a real jump in his title and salary.”

  “Wow. That sounds . . . well, great in a way.”

  Before her friend could say more, Jen quickly continued. “But a lot of other analysts at his level applied for it, too. So, at first at least, there didn’t seem to be much chance he would get it. But now the search committee is narrowing down the list.” Jen took a breath. “And Kyle is one of the finalists.”

  “He is?” Megan looked upset. She didn’t bother to hide it. She looked as upset as Jen felt telling her about it. “Oh, Jen. Does he really want a job in New York? Would you have to live there, or would he come back home on weekends, like he does now?”

  “I’d have to go with him, Meg. We’ll be married. That was the whole point of rushing the wedding. We’re tired of dating after all these years, seeing each other just on weekends. He’d be my husband. We’d have to go together.”

  “Yes, I know. I’d do the same thing. But Ed would never want to live in New York. He doesn’t even like Boston much.”

  “Lucky for you,” Jen said. “I just wish Kyle didn’t want the job so badly. I think living in Boston would be perfect. I don’t see why he would ever want to leave this area, where we’ve got family and all our friends.”

  “When will they tell him?”

  “He’s not sure. He hopes they’ll make a decision next week, before he comes home for the wedding. But some big executive is in California right now, so they need to wait for him to come back before they announce their final choice.”

  Megan sighed and patted Jen’s hand. “Maybe he won’t get it. I mean, there must be guys who are more experienced than Kyle. It’s not that I don’t think he’s real smart, Jen,” she added quickly.

  “I know what you mean, Meg. Don’t worry. I’ve been hoping the same thing.”

  “How long have you known this was going on?” her friend asked.

  “A few weeks. I think he told me after that first time we went out shopping for bridal gowns,” Jen said, thinking back. She turned to Meg. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I haven’t told anyone. It feels good to talk to you about it. I should have told you sooner.”

  “That’s okay. I understand. But you haven’t mentioned this to your folks yet?”

  “No. I’ve been too scared to bring it up. They’re so wrapped up in the wedding plans, especially my mom. You know how she gets. If I tell her about this job thing, I’m afraid she’ll just wig out on me, totally.”

  Meg closed her eyes for a moment, commiserating. “Sylvia will have a double stroke. I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “Exactly,” Jen agreed. “And what if Kyle doesn’t get the job? He might not, you know,” she added hopefully. “I would just be driving her crazy for no reason.”

  “I guess.” Megan shook her head. “It’s really tough that this all came up in the middle of getting ready for the wedding. I don’t know what I would do if I were you right now.”

  “You would smile, put your shoulders back, chin up, and walk very . . . very . . . slo-o-wl-y. . . . And don’t deliver your lines to the floorboards, Megan—they can’
t applaud, you know. They can’t even hear you.”

  The two young women collapsed with laughter, as if they were thirteen again and still in rehearsals for the ridiculous school play that was coached by the dreadful Mrs. Shrimpton. Jen and Meg still cracked up whenever they mimicked the drama teacher’s endless advice.

  “I’m glad you’re making a joke out of this, Jen,” Megan said finally. “Does that mean it won’t really happen?”

  “I hope so, Meggy. I really hope so.”

  Jennifer’s cell phone rang. She took it out of her purse and checked the number. “It’s my mom. She’s probably wondering what happened to us. We’d better get back.”

  “Ed will be home in a little while. I have to make dinner,” Megan said. “Gosh, I sound just like my mother now, don’t I?”

  As they walked to the car Megan looked back at the inn and then out at the beautiful view again. “You definitely picked a gorgeous spot for your wedding, Jen. Whatever else happens, at least you’re getting married on what has to be one of the prettiest places on earth.”

  “I think it is. I would really hate to move too far away from here. I don’t understand why anyone would,” Jen said honestly.

  Chapter Twelve

  THE clock was ticking down. Liza knew that every hour of every day counted now. Fortunately, whenever she got too stressed, Claire would calm her down. “It’s going to be lovely. Not perfect,” Claire would caution. “Nothing is perfect this side of heaven. But lovely nonetheless.”

  Liza wanted to believe that. But when the florist called on Saturday morning, the weekend before the wedding, and said they couldn’t find the pale pink rose petals the flower girls were supposed to toss as they walked up the aisle, Liza got upset all over again.

  “What color can you find? Can I pick up a sample today? I have to show the bride and her mother a sample before I can change the order. This wedding is next Sunday, June nineteenth, eight days from now,” she said to the woman on the other end of the phone. “Did you notice that?”

  When she finally hung up she saw Claire standing nearby, looking at her. “I have to drive up to Newburyport for rose-petal samples. It won’t take long,” she said glumly.

  “Oh, bother,” Claire replied softly. “When the bride walks down the aisle ready to give her hand and her heart to her true love, she won’t notice if the rose petals are pale pink, mauve, fuchsia, or any shade in between. If she does, she’s definitely focused on the wrong thing. You just do your best, Liza. Let God take care of the rest. Including the rose petals.”

  Liza nodded and found herself smiling. She sat back in her desk chair, feeling far less urgency about the situation. She made a mental note to remember Claire’s gentle but knowing advice when the next crisis erupted.

  All in all, though, Liza was actually grateful for the busyness and distraction of the wedding. It kept her from dwelling on painful thoughts about Daniel.

  She hadn’t realized what a big part of her life he had become, how their friendship and his presence around the inn brightened her days. She had taken all that for granted, and now she missed him terribly. She had often, secretly daydreamed about some far-off day when she and Daniel might run the inn together, working side by side. She would take care of the guests and creative touches, and he would take care of the building. They would make a good team, she thought, just like her aunt Elizabeth and uncle Clive.

  She and Daniel had made a good team, without her even realizing it. She knew that much now. If only their relationship could somehow go back to where it had been—easy and affectionate, with no pressure on either side.

  But Liza knew now that it could never stay that way forever. She would always end up wanting more, and Daniel would end up pushing her away again.

  Almost a week had passed since Daniel had assigned his crew to Liza’s list. They had only talked once. He had called from a noisy job site. They could hardly hear each other, and their brief, fractured conversation had been confined to a cracked windowpane in a third-floor bedroom.

  He had dropped by once to check the work his crew was doing, but Liza had been out, driving around on wedding errands. At first she wasn’t sure if that had been a good or a bad thing, but finally, she was relieved that she hadn’t seen him. She still felt hurt and even angry at the abrupt way he had cut her off.

  She told herself that eventually she would get over her anger. Eventually, she would be able to conceal her true feelings and have a casual, normal conversation with him. In the meantime, she missed him like crazy—his smile and his voice, the way they always laughed together, the way he listened and gave her good advice, and his funny, gentle teasing. Her heart ached remembering. So she tried not to.

  She was trying not to think about Daniel on Tuesday night, just six days before the wedding. There were only a few more finishing touches and small tasks to take care of. Like writing out the seating cards for each table. Liza sat on the porch of the inn and carefully copied the name of each of the guests.

  Calligraphy required both focus and relaxation; some people even considered the practice a form of meditation. Liza enjoyed losing herself in any kind of creative work; it came naturally to her. But as she worked her way through the seating chart, she felt distracted by the starry night sky and the distant sound of the ocean waves. She couldn’t help but recall the night she’d visited Daniel’s cottage and they’d eaten dinner at the edge of a cliff, up in the stars.

  When she looked up from her work and saw Daniel’s truck pull into the drive, she blinked, thinking she might be imagining it. Was it a coincidence that Daniel had come here tonight? Or had her heart simply summoned him? She’d been thinking about him so much, it certainly seemed possible.

  She took a deep, steadying breath but continued with her work—or at least pretended to. He looked nervous as he climbed out of his truck and walked toward her.

  Liza tried to stay calm, though her heart was thumping wildly. She met his glance for a moment as he climbed up the porch steps. “Hello, Liza,” he said, giving the cards a curious look. “Are you doing some artwork?”

  “Not really. Not my own work. Just writing out the place cards for the wedding.”

  He leaned over and took a closer look. “Very nice. How do you do that sort of writing?”

  “Very slowly,” she said, half joking but half serious, too.

  It almost hurt to hear his soft, deep laughter.

  He turned and sat down on the top step of the porch. She could only see his profile as he looked out at the water. He had been carrying a paper bag and now he placed it on a small table near her.

  “Here, I brought back your pan, from that berry dessert. I thought you might need it.”

  The baking pan? Some excuse to come here, she thought. But not quite as lame as Banana Crunch Muffins.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I forgot I left it.”

  “I was thinking about the night you came to my house for dinner,” he confessed. “That was a wonderful night. I enjoyed it.”

  She was surprised by his sudden, frank admission. “Me, too,” she said. But she felt a little overwhelmed and couldn’t say anything more. Not without giving herself away.

  “I know you must be angry with me, Liza. Disappointed at least, after that wonderful time we had together. I don’t blame you,” he added. “I want to explain why I’ve been so . . . so scarce this week.”

  Liza didn’t trust herself to reply. She longed to play it cool and tell him he didn’t owe her an explanation, but that would have been an act.

  When Liza didn’t answer, he looked back at the water and continued. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. About you, mainly.”

  Liza could hardly breathe. That could be a good sign—or a bad one. “I’m listening,” she said.

  “Well . . . I think you’re amazing. You’re the most interesting, clever, artistic—not to mention, beautiful—woman I’ve met in a long time. Quite frankly, you just blow me away. From the first time I met you. And every time sin
ce.”

  Liza felt overwhelmed by his compliments. She knew Daniel liked her and was attracted to her, but she never realized he felt quite this way. But he hadn’t finished talking, and she sensed that he was about to tell her some things that would be much harder to hear.

  “The thing is, even though I feel this way about you, I can’t have the kind of relationship you seem to want. That I want, too, to be totally honest. Things seem to be going in a certain direction between us, and part of me wants to find out where that could lead. But it wouldn’t be fair to you, because I’m not free to do that. Not right now,” he said, turning to look at her again. “Maybe never.”

  Liza put down her work, her hands visibly shaking. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She didn’t want to react with hysterics or recriminations.

  “Do you have a commitment to someone else?” she asked quietly. “Is that the reason?”

  Daniel shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just not able to be there for you in all the ways you want and deserve. I’m not even sure how long I’ll stay here, and you seem totally committed to the place. I sort of landed here three years ago and never meant to stay even this long.”

  “I see.” Liza was too stunned to say more. She knew there might be a conversation like this. She just never expected his words would sound so final.

  Her heart was just about breaking all over again, but she forced herself to hold it together until he was gone. She stood up and walked to the porch railing. He got up, too, and stood near her, his arms folded over his chest.

  “Well, thanks for being honest with me. Finally,” she added, thinking he could have told her this a few months ago, before she fell so hard for him. “I guess when I didn’t see you all last week, I expected it was something like this,” she added. “I’m sorry if you felt pressured in some way. I’m just getting over my divorce. I’m really not looking for any sort of serious relationship right now, honestly,” she added, trying to save face.

  He took a step toward her but didn’t try to touch her. “I don’t feel like you pressured me, Liza. That’s not what I’m saying at all. We have a strong connection. A real connection. I care for you, very much. If I was going to get involved with anyone right now, it would be you. I wish it could be different, I really do. But I’m not the person you think I am. Please believe me.”