Beach Wedding Weekend

by Rachel Magee

  She had thought of everything. The same strong emotion from last night swelled in his chest.

  He watched her for a second. “Thanks again for doing this. I would’ve been lost without you.”

  She leaned against the table and casually crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “My pleasure. Hopefully all our hard work will pay off and we both get what we want at the end of the weekend.”

  If everything worked out the way it was supposed to, was he getting what he wanted? His restaurant would go to a group of investors with deep pockets, and his fake girlfriend would be kayaking among a pod of dolphins with someone else. He’d be alone.

  No, not alone. He’d be free, which was what he liked. That was his goal. Ready to conquer the world with nothing holding him back. There were places to go and adventures to be had. The only reason it felt off at the moment had to be because he didn’t have it yet.

  “So what step of your plan are you on now?”

  Paige turned and straightened the already-straight rows of folders. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was trying to distract herself, only she did it with organization and not golf swings. “Step three. Remind him what we had.”

  This was going faster than he thought. “And what you had was great?”

  It was a personal question, but if he had to give up everything he cared about, he needed to know that at least she was going to be with a good person.

  She stopped what she was doing and looked out at the ocean, chewing on her bottom lip. Everything got so quiet that the only noise around them was the sea breeze rustling the long drapes hanging in the corners of the cabana and the soft waves off in the distance.

  He wasn’t sure how to read her expression as she stood there thinking. Were they good memories? Sad memories?

  After a long moment, her face softened into a sort of glowing joy. It was a look that made him both happy for her and a little jealous.

  “Yeah, it was pretty great.”

  He wanted to press her on it, to know exactly why it was great. What did this guy do that made him worthy of her love—the guy who had dropped her the second he flew out of town? But they were interrupted by the caterer, who came up with the appetizers and to ask a couple of final questions. And, if he was being honest, it wasn’t his business anyway.

  As the food was finished being set up, he saw Jacob pull up in a golf cart with the investors.

  “It’s showtime.” She clasped her hands in front of her and straightened her posture. Pride swept through him. Fake girlfriend or not, at that moment he realized there was no one he would rather have by his side. The feeling was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time, but he didn’t have time to think about it right now.

  The look on his face must have shown her that he was thinking about something. She arched an eyebrow. “You okay?”

  “I’m great.”

  “Ready to dazzle them?”

  He pushed back whatever apprehension was making him want to say no. “It’s what I do best.”

  It was a truth that normally inspired him. Perfect pitches, closing deals, making things happen. It was what made him successful. Yet today, for some reason, those skills didn’t sound inspiring.

  They sounded like the prelude to his death march.

  Chapter Ten

  Paige stood at the back of the cabana and watched Aiden finish up his meeting. Over the years, she’d seen Aiden at his places of business tons of times. In fact, the very first time she met him was when she and Ciera were freshmen living in the college dorms. He would start off his errand delivery runs, his first company, by bringing them fast food bean burritos. But seeing him at work then, or even now when she saw him at the restaurant, he was always charming the customers and building up loyalty. Today it dawned on her that she’d never seen Aiden acting as the boss.

  As a leader, he was impressive, a true master of the boardroom. He had this way of establishing control and leading while still being attentive and affirming to everyone at the table. And he did it all with the laid-back charm she loved.

  “And what do you think made Cedar Break so successful?” one of the investors asked.

  “Besides the amazing brisket tacos and me?” Jokingly, Aiden posed and swept his hands down his body in a playful attempt to show off his physique. He held the pose just long enough for the men at the table to laugh, then straightened and slid his hands into his pocket.

  “As ya’ll are well aware with your own business, success doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a solid business plan fueled by market research and a lot of hard work. Our business plan has proven to be successful and we stay up to date on market research, which we’ve shared with you.”

  Another one of the investors studied one of the handouts in the folder. “And you think these results can be duplicated?”

  Aiden nodded his head once, his entire stance exuding confidence. “Absolutely.” He paused as if considering it then shrugged. “I mean, you won’t have me, but ya’ll aren’t a bad-looking group of fellas.” The table laughed again.

  Aiden knocked his knuckles on the table. “All right, gentlemen, enough business talk. We’re on vacation, after all, aren’t we?”

  The men closed their folders and pushed their chairs back from the table, transitioning into casual conversation. As Aiden shook hands and said his goodbyes, Paige started to gather up the business materials from the side table. When he walked the group down to their waiting golf carts, she cleared the center pieces and decorations. She’d almost returned all of their supplies to the boxes she brought them in when Aiden reappeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Finally. I thought they’d never leave.” His joking tone made her smile.

  “It looked to me like the presentation was a success.” She put the last of the centerpieces in an open bin on the table. “Well done.”

  “Thanks.” Aiden slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks, looking humble. “I think it went okay.” She thought she detected a hint of concern creep across his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Was something troubling him?

  “Do you need to follow up with them? I can finish in here.” She snapped the lid on the bin and picked it up to move it to the side table where she had stacked the others.

  He shook his head, his easy grin returning. “Giving them some space to mull things over is part of the plan. By the time we get to the rehearsal tonight, they’ll be begging to sign on the dotted line.”

  She pushed the bin against his chest. “In that case, you can help me carry these down.”

  “With pleasure.” He took it and she stacked another box on top before she grabbed the last box for herself. With one last glance to make sure they weren’t leaving anything, she followed him down the stairs to his golf cart.

  “You got someplace to be right now?” he asked as they loaded the boxes onto the floor of the golf cart’s backseat.

  Paige glanced at her watch and sank into the passenger seat, running through the to-do list in her mind. “Let’s see. I have just over two hours until the rehearsal. I need to help Georgia gather everything she needs, work on my toast, change clothes…”

  “Perfect. Sounds like you have plenty of time to stop for ice cream.” He released the brake on the golf cart and eased forward.

  Paige paused mid-sentence and looked at him. “Where in that list did you hear plenty of time?”

  Aiden maneuvered through the twisting streets of the small neighborhood toward the front gate. “Mostly I heard ice cream, and there’s always time for that.”

  “I didn’t say ice cream.”

  Aiden grinned. “No, but I did. Come on. Sunny days like this were made for frozen treats. Plus, I owe you for all the work you put in up there.”

  Ice cream on a hot day like today did sound appealing. Plus, she enjoyed the c
ompany. Paige let go of her mental list and relaxed into the seat of the golf cart. “I guess I have a little time to spare.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.” He turned right onto the bike/cart path that ran along the main road, headed the opposite direction from her condo. They drove a few long blocks down to a small shopping center she hadn’t ever spent much time in. Most of the space was taken up by two restaurants boasting ocean views. She’d heard they were good, but more formal than anything she and her friends ever wanted to try on their relaxed beach weekends. Most of the other retail spaces were home to high-end fashion boutiques and a couple of art galleries. The combination of those things meant Paige had never had a good reason to come to this shopping center before.

  Aiden pulled into a cart parking spot and pushed down the break. Paige scanned the row of shops again, still not seeing anything that looked like the ice cream she’d been promised. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

  “I’m sure. The best ice cream in Seacrest is hidden back here.”

  She stepped out of the cart and followed him around the side to a tiny shop stuck in the corner. Aiden opened the door for her and she walked into an adorable old-fashioned ice cream parlor. White iron stools with pink-and-white striped cushions stood in front of the long white marble counter. Behind it, different sized glass dishes sat in neat rows on the shelves. Small round tables with chairs matched the bar stools and filled what was left of the floor space.

  They made their way over to two empty spots at the counter and Aiden slid a menu in front of her. “Have you ever made your own ice cream before?”

  Paige glanced around, realizing for the first time there was a modern twist to this classic shop. Instead of cases holding premade ice cream, there was a long bar of ingredients, stacks of stainless steel bowls and a single freezer with a swirl of frosty fog escaping every time it was opened.

  “Like using liquid nitrogen to freeze it?”

  “Yep. You get to pick everything down to what kind of milk you want to create your own personal perfect bowl of ice cream.”

  “Craft the perfect ice cream, huh? That seems like a lot of pressure.” She scanned the list of available ingredients.

  “Not pressure. Freedom. Let your tastes guide you.” He shot her a dazzling smile that sparked confidence in her.

  “And if my tastes guide me in the wrong direction?”

  He leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “It’s ice cream,” he whispered. “How wrong can you go?”

  She couldn’t help her smile. Being with him was fun. “Let’s try the fresh summer berries and cheesecake sweetened with honey,” she told the server.

  Aiden gave her an impressed look. “Solid choice. But you should add some basil. It’ll elevate the flavors.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Basil? I’m ordering ice cream not pesto.”

  “Trust me.”

  She shrugged. “Okay. Add some basil,” she told the server.

  “I’ll have the same.” Aiden pushed his menu across the counter and turned to Paige. “And should we get it to go? No need to sit in here when we could be enjoying the beach view.”

  Paige nodded. “Agreed.”

  Less than five minutes later, Aiden paid and they both walked out holding a paper cup containing their custom-made, nitrogen-frozen, berry and basil ice cream. They walked down the sidewalk to the wooden boardwalk running across the ocean side of the complex. Paige waited until she stepped into the warm sun to take her first bite.

  As soon as the creamy creation hit her tongue she had to stop to savor it. The sweetness of the berries blended perfectly with the richness of the cheesecake, and the brightness of the basil seemed to bring it all to life. “This is fantastic,” Paige said, spooning another large bite into her mouth.

  “Would you even be willing to call it perfect?” There was a teasing glint in his eye.

  She scooped up another spoonful. “That kind of classification is going to require more research, but initial reports are looking positive.”

  He chuckled. They stopped and leaned against the railing, looking out at the ocean.

  “This is my favorite stretch of beach in this town,” Aiden said as he took another bite.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever come down this far,” Paige admitted. For the most part, it looked similar to the beach they were staying on. It had the same white sand and water that was the exact shade as a blue-green crayon. But there was one distinguishing feature that made it stand out. A low rock formation started at the bluff and stretched out into the water. It wasn’t tall, maybe only two feet above the sand, but it added character to the beach, and she could only assume it created a natural habitat for sea life. In fact, there were two young boys in matching seersucker swim trunks hunched down and staring at what she guessed was a tide pool.

  Aiden used his empty spoon to motion to an area down the beach. “When I was a kid, the only public beach access was a staircase over there. Every summer we use to rent an old beach house with our cousins up that way.” He turned and waved his spoon at an area behind them. “Long before any of this was here.”

  “You have a lot of history in this place.”

  He nodded, thoughtfully. “Lots of memories.” He spooned another bite of ice cream into his mouth, staring at the beach below them. “I got stung by my first jellyfish right over there.”

  Paige raised an eyebrow. “Your first jellyfish? You’ve been stung more than once?”

  Aiden gave her a sheepish grin. “The first one was due to some misguided curiosity. That was on me.”

  Paige chuckled, imagining a young Aiden exploring the brightly colored sea creature. “And the other one?”

  “The other two,” Aiden corrected. He shook his head, as if contemplating the tragedy. “They were deliberate hostile attacks on a peaceful, unexpecting target. I was minding my own business, trying to get out of their way and…Pow!” Aiden’s animated reenactment of his jellyfish encounter made Paige laugh harder.

  He took a deep breath and another bite of his ice cream. “Me and the jellies have had a rocky co-existence ever since.”

  “Awww. Poor Aiden.” She rubbed his arm. “And yet, you still come back year after year.”

  He nodded. “I’m not gonna lie. It took a lot of soul searching and contemplation, but eventually the joy of body surfing beat out the fear of the jelly sting.” He smiled. “Also, I never make the trip without packing a new bottle of meat tenderizer. It takes the sting out, you know.” He paused, as if considering that for a second. “At least that’s what they told me. It still hurt like crazy. Those boogers pack a punch.”

  Paige giggled. “Confidence and an emergency back-up plan. That’s what I like about you.”

  He gave a humble shrug, shoveling a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

  Actually, there were a lot of things she liked about him. For starters, she liked the way it felt to stand out here with him, listening to old stories, laughing and eating ice cream. It was what trips to the beach and lazy summer afternoons should feel like.

  The noise of a loud group walking down the boardwalk to the restaurant behind them distracted her. She scooted closer to the railing to give them more room on the crowded walkway.

  “This place has grown so much since I first came here. It must look so different from when you were a kid.”

  He turned to study the buildings behind them. “It has changed a lot. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what it used to look like.”

  “Is that ever sad?”

  He looked at her and smiled. “Naw. Change is a good thing. If everything had stayed the same, we wouldn’t have experienced this.” He held his ice cream up to display what he was talking about, but his eyes met hers in an intimate way that pulsed through. “And missing out on this would be a true tragedy.”

  “Agreed,” she said. She took another
small taste, letting his words settle over her. They were talking about ice cream, but part of her couldn’t help thinking about them. It might have taken a rocky road for her to get here, but she wouldn’t change any of that if it meant giving up the time she’d spent with Aiden this weekend.

  Chapter Eleven

  Aiden was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase to the beach when Paige and the girls came down to walk to the rehearsal. Even though she had left him only an hour and a half ago, seeing him again made Paige’s already cheery mood brighten a bit.

  “What are you doing here?” Ciera asked.

  “I thought you lovely ladies might want an escort to the rehearsal site.”

  Ciera’s eyes narrowed. “You mean, the one that’s directly in front of the house where you’re staying?”

  Aiden stood and offered a lazy crooked grin. “I was in the area.”

  Georgia patted his shoulder as she stepped around him and off the final wooden step into the sand. “I, for one, am happy to see you here. Want to give us a hand with some of this stuff?” She held out the bag containing things she needed for the rehearsal like a bow bouquet she was going to use and the veil she wanted to test out in the sea breeze.

  Aiden slung it over his shoulder just in time for Ciera to hand him a large plastic storage bin full of decorating items. Hadley stacked a tote bag on top of it.

  Aiden fumbled to organize everything to make it manageable to carry half a mile up the beach. “You realize there are easier ways of getting things to the Merricks’ house. In a car, for example. Or even one of the handy golf carts parked in front of their house.”

  Ciera shrugged and slipped off of her sandals, heading down the soft sand. “None of us have a car at the condo and everyone else already left. But lucky for us, my dependable brother is here to help out.”

  They all walked through the powdery sand in the direction of Lane’s parents’ house. Georgia chatted nonstop about everything from the setup for the ceremony to what she hoped the weather would be like tomorrow. She was radiant. Paige had never seen her so happy, and it filled her with joy.