Page 62 of Wishing for a Picture Perfect Love

Ethan played with the handle of the cup. “Nah, people aren’t that straightforward. Sometimes, it takes a minute to figure out what we want. I mean, I was in love with Serenity. I knew I was, and then finding out who she was. The situation was complicated and complex and nuanced. It was black and white with a little gray thrown in. You talked sense into me, but it also took me a second to shut down the thoughts that she was anything like Abby. I mean, she’d lied to me, too. But Serenity was nothing like her.”

Jack nodded. “This is different.”

“Not really. You love her. She loves you. I’d bet there’s something deeper going on, and once she figures that out, you’ll work it out.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

His brother sighed. “Then she wouldn’t have been good for you anyway. Loving someone is risky. If the other person isn’t willing to risk it all, hand you their heart on a platter, then they’re not ready to love at all.”

“Yeah, I know. I just wish it…” He let the sentence trail off. He wasn’t sure what he wished. No, that was a lie. He wished they had a future together, but perhaps that well had different plans in mind. Maybe Jo's being in Wishing Well was to wake Jack up. To get him thinking about what he wanted.

Mostly, his heart was sad for Jo. He hoped she would find what she was looking for one day. Even if what she was looking for wasn’t him. He wished her happiness.

He wished that for both of them.

When Jack got married—if he ever got married—it would be far less chaotic than what was currently transpiring. Yeah, his sister-in-law was famous, and weddings were known to be fraught with madness, but this one was next level.

Not because of the guest list. It wasn’t too bad, maybe a hundred people. Serenity Harper being who she was, he’d expected five times that. Jack was sure there were people she had to invite because of the industry she was in.

Paparazzi were everywhere, snapping photographs of everything… from the cake to the guests and everything in between. Maybe they were afraid of missing something, and they were casting wide nets in the hopes that they’d catch something worth money. It was only a guess, though. A few would be in attendance, but camera-less. Serenity would be negotiating with the different papers to use photos from the photographer she’d hired.

He wanted his wedding to be an intimate affair and well-executed. Not that he expected perfection, but the fervor of hustling and bustling to make sure everything was just so seemed too nerve-racking to him. He wanted his wedding to be stress-free. To be peaceful and easygoing.

His first impression of the venue from the day before was that it was nice but a bit of a drive from Wishing Well. Serenity wanted an outdoor wedding, and with the fields of wildflowers surrounding it, it was nice. Just not as fantastic as Stewart Mansion could be—he’d be developing a better name if Charlie sold it to him. He was getting ahead of himself, though. He hadn’t even spoken to her about it yet.

Out of sight, he scanned the seating area. His breath caught as his gaze landed on Jo. He was still amazed that she managed to outshine herself every time he saw her. Her curled hair cascaded around her exposed shoulders, framing her delicate features. Dressed in a pale blue, off-the-shoulder dress that hugged her curves, she looked like she’d walked off the runway.

A few women encircled her, engaged in lively and humorous conversation, evident from their laughter. Almost as if she sensed his gaze on her; her brows furrowed, and their eyes met. A faint smile graced her lips, causing his breath to hitch once more.

She gave him a thumbs up and mouthed, hot stuff. What was she doing flirting with him when he knew she was ticked off at him? Could it be she was offering a ceasefire just for the ceremony? Whatever the reason, the compliment made his heart pump faster and heat creep up his neck.

He looked away, worked to force the blush away, and returned his gaze to her. Breathtaking. He mouthed back and shot her his best smile. Or the one he was sure she thought was his best. Anytime he threw it in her direction it resulted in her face turning a delightful color of pink—like now.

Her hand came to her neck as she shook her head. Not fair.

“Hey, it’s time for us to do our escorting,” Booker said as he tapped Jack on the shoulder. “Whoa. Jo Stewart is looking fine.”

“Shut up.”

“Message received.”

Jack glared at him. “There’s no message. Just… go away.” He returned his attention to Jo and smiled. Gotta go.

She nodded and winked.

For a split second, he was almost tempted to tell her he was sorry for the argument the day before, but he couldn’t take back what he’d said. It would be a lie if he did, and he wouldn’t do that, not for her, not for anyone.

If this was a truce for Ethan and Serenity’s wedding, he’d play along. At least this way, he could say goodbye.

As he paused by his brother, he stuck out his hand. “I’m proud of you. I’m happy for you. Happy you found someone who loves you. Happy you found someone to love. I hope your marriage is blessed and your life with Serenity is everything you hoped and wished for.”

Ethan smiled, shook his hand, and pulled him into a hug. “Thanks, Jack,” he said and stepped back. “I hope you find someone soon, too.” The music started, and he straightened his bow tie. “See you out there.”

“See you.”

Jack nodded to his mom as she hooked her arm in his. As they waited, his mom whispered, “I have a feeling we’ll be doing this again soon.”

With a chuckle, Jack lowered his gaze to the ground. “Yeah, Mom, I hope so.”

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