Page 13 of Kiss the Bride

She looked nothing like her successful ancestor. Was that why, at thirty, she was still adrift and unsettled? Peering up at the picture again, she shook her head. “People have always said I favor Mary a bit more. Jason’s the one who inherited his looks from the Captain.”

Jenny, who held an armload of bulky packages, canted her head. “Hmm. I still say there’s a strong family resemblance.”

The idea that she shared something in common with her ancestor was oddly comforting, even if Evelyn couldn’t see it. She turned toward Jenny. “Let me help you with some of that.” Taking half the boxes from the petite brunette, she peered into one that stood open. “What is all this stuff?”

“Name tags so our guests don’t have so much to remember. Brochures for the new arrivals. Extra copies of the week’s schedule so everyone knows what’s happening and when. A few odds and ends.”

“You’re prepared for just about anything, aren’t you?” They stepped out beneath the porte cochere.

“When I was working with Kay, I had to be,” said the woman who’d spent several years as the personal assistant to a Hollywood megastar. “But Alicia’s showed me a few new tricks. She’s a great teacher.” Jenny shifted her lightened load to one hand. “It’s such a pretty afternoon. I thought it’d be nice to walk. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

“Sure.” The sun rode lower in the sky than it had when she’d come back from lunch. The air remained pleasantly warm. She started down the long, curving driveway that led to Procession Avenue, while a gentle ocean breeze chased wisps of white clouds across the blue sky.

They hadn’t gone far before Jenny said, “You look extra nice today. Is that a new dress?”

“You like it? It has pockets!” The moment she’d tried the dress on and discovered the slits, she’d known she had to have it.

“Every outfit ought to come with pockets,” Jenny declared, hooking a thumb over one at her side.

“I’m glad we didn’t have to dress up too much today.” She ran her free hand over the skirt that brushed the tops of her knees. For the past two weeks, she’d stuck to business attire, her curls pinned and slicked into a bun. The summery dress and sandals made a pleasant change. “I’ll probably regret leaving my hair loose. Between the wind and the humidity, it tends to get a bit wild.”

“Isn’t that the way? If we have curly hair, we wish it were straight. If it’s straight like mine, we wish for curls.” Jenny laughed as she shaded her eyes with one hand. “Oh, look! Mildred Morey is changing out her window display.”

She followed Jenny’s gaze to the window of Forget Me Knot Flowers. Sure enough, curtains had been drawn across the plate glass to hide the work from passersby. “Mildred always comes up with the dreamiest arrangements. I absolutely adored the one she created last month.”

“The man down on one knee?” Jenny gushed. “I loved how she had him holding out the ring, the bouquet hidden behind his back. Like the flowers were the most important thing. Brilliant!”

“It’s no wonder she’s the most popular florist in Heart’s Landing. What do you think she’ll do this time? Maybe something for Wedding-in-a-Week?” Hoping for a peek, she stopped beneath the awning of the floral shop, but it was no use. No matter how hard she squinted, she could only make out vague shadows behind the curtain. She’d barely taken a step farther down the sidewalk when she felt a sharp poke in her ribs. “Hey!” She shot an accusing glance at Jenny, who answered with a sly grin.

“So you and Ryan sure looked cozy in the dining room yesterday. Anything going on there?” Jenny wiggled her eyebrows.

“With Ryan?” She snorted. “Hardly. We’ve known each other practically all our lives. He’s Jason’s best friend.”

“And why is that a problem?”

She shrugged, ignoring the question as she got her feet moving again. She made it as far as the entrance to I Do Cakes before she realized Jenny was still waiting for an answer. “We never saw each other that way,” she explained. “Or at least, he never did. I might’ve had a tiny crush on him when I was younger, but he was two years older, so nothing came of it.” She didn’t have to close her eyes to imagine her parents’ reaction if, as a sophomore, she’d told them a senior had asked her out on a date. She could hear her dad’s bluster, the concern in her mother’s voice. Not that it mattered. “Ryan barely knew I was alive back then.”

“Well, he was sure giving you a second look yesterday.” Jenny tossed her head. Her dark hair shifted on her shoulders. “I think he threw in a third for good measure.”

She nudged Jenny’s elbow. “Quit teasing. There’s nothing going on between me and Ryan.” Although the idea was worth considering. The way his hair had fallen onto his broad forehead while he’d spoken had stirred a desire to push the strands out of his clear blue eyes. The urge to trace the angle of his jawline or cup his square chin in her hand had been more than a passing fancy. She might even have suppressed an urge to brush her fingers down the length of his arm and see if his muscles tensed beneath her touch. But she hadn’t done any of those things. Chances were, she never would. Not now. Not ever.

“He’s a friend. That’s all,” she insisted. Despite her efforts, a tiny bit of doubt crept into her voice. “At least, I hope we’ll be friends again.”

“Sounds like there’s more to that story.”

“Not really.” What more was there to tell? She and Ryan had been close once. Then they weren’t. Now it sounded like they might renew their friendship, at least for the time being. There wasn’t much more to say about it, and as they passed Bow Tie Pasta, she attempted to change the subject by pausing to inhale the heavenly scent of tomato and garlic that permeated the air under the covered walkway. Jenny only tapped her foot, obviously wanting more details.

“There’s Helen!” Hoping to distract Jenny, Evelyn waved furiously at a slight figure in the window of The Memory Box. “Do you think she entered the Wedding-in-a-Week competition?” she wondered aloud.

“She always does. Remember the gorgeous boxes her brother made last year?” Handcrafted from the finest materials, they were perfect for storing wedding memorabilia.

While they waited for the opening bars of the Wedding March, the signal that it was safe to cross Honeymoon Avenue, Evelyn crooked a tiny smile, satisfied her ruse had worked and Jenny had forgotten all about Ryan. However, once they reached the sidewalk again, the other girl cleared her throat.

“I believe you were going to tell me more about a certain relationship?”

“I was?”

“You know you were. Stop procrastinating, and out with it. Otherwise, we’ll be at the train station and I still won’t know what’s going on.”

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