Page 16 of Kiss the Bride

“Come by anytime,” he started, but he was speaking to thin air. The mayor had already moved on. Which left him standing alone with the one woman in Heart’s Landing he wanted to spend less, not more, time with.

“Cutting it a little close on that Occupancy Permit, weren’t you?”

The observation caught him off guard, but then, Evelyn had a knack for saying the unexpected. “I was sweating bullets,” he joked, pretending to mop his forehead. The move must’ve been the right one, because she aimed that wide smile at him, the one that kicked his heart into overdrive. “To be honest, I hadn’t planned on getting it for another couple of weeks. In time for the Grand Opening at the first of the month. But I called the Building Inspector’s office after our meeting with Alicia, and I got lucky. He swung by late yesterday and signed off.”

“I guess that gave you a little time to relax before all this.” She tilted her head to the crowd.

“I wish.” If she had any idea how much he’d accomplished since they’d last seen each other, she’d be amazed. “There were still a million and one things left to do.”

Not one to be outdone, Evelyn piped, “Meanwhile, I was working my fingers to the bone at the Cottage.”

He coughed to cover a hoarse laugh. With thick curls cascading around her shoulders and all dolled up in a sundress that barely skimmed the tops of her knees, Evelyn hardly looked worse for wear. But then, she could probably make a ratty pair of jeans and a stained T-shirt look like couture. A sudden tension ran across his shoulders. He straightened. “I was working like a fiend to finish up before our guests arrived.”

As if he’d shared a secret, she leaned a little closer. “That explains why you’re late. For a minute there, I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

So she’d noticed his absence, had she? Stifling a smile he had no business wearing, he scanned the area. “And miss all this? Not a chance. Not when there’s so much at stake.”

“For Heart’s Landing. For the Wedding-in-a-Week couple.” She nodded as if she understood what he’d meant.

He lifted an eyebrow when Evelyn’s deadpan delivery trailed off. “Have you forgotten our bet already? Or were you just hoping I had?”

“You wish.” Challenge glittered in the green eyes she lifted to meet his. Her usual teasing grin deepened. “I’m planning to enjoy every bite of my free dinner.”

“We’ll see about that.” He couldn’t help ragging on her in return. He enjoyed her company more than he should. Deliberately, he tore his gaze from hers while he gave himself a stern reminder that he’d sworn to keep his distance from Evelyn. Hoping to do just that, he stared over her head. At the edge of the platform, Greg Thomas spoke quietly with an Amtrak representative. “With everything that was going on, I haven’t had time to study the program. What happens next?”

Evelyn sobered. “You haven’t been to one of these in a while, have you?”

“Not in the last …” He studied the bunting, the stringed quartet warming up on one end of the platform, the crowd of well-wishers. The truth was, this was his first. Although brides had vied to get married in Heart’s Landing for decades, he’d moved to Maine two years before Weddings Today had hosted its first Wedding-in-a-Week celebration. “Actually, no,” he corrected. The hand he swept through the air took in everything from JoJo Moss aiming her camera down the tracks to the masses of balloons that bobbed in the breeze. “And this turnout is a bit more impressive than the last time someone met me at the train station.”

“Huh. So all this really is new to you.” Evelyn scanned the crowded platform. “There’s not much to tell. Mayor Thomas will kick things off with the usual speeches and introductions.” Cupping one hand over her mouth, she leaned closer. “He likes to keep things short and sweet, so that part won’t last too long. Thank goodness.” Her hand fell away, and she straightened. “After that, Alicia and Jenny will organize a reception line inside for our special guests.”

Her movement filled the air with the sweetness of fresh flowers combined with a tangier smell of grapefruit that went straight to his gut. He swallowed. Casting about for a safe topic, he peered through the station windows. Beyond the glass, servers in white shirts and black pants moved between tables. “Any chance for a bite to eat?” In his rush to get the Boat Works in tip-top shape, he’d skipped lunch. Come to think of it, he might’ve skipped breakfast, too.

“Get serious.” Evelyn’s lips curved. “You forget you’re in Heart’s Landing or something? Food Fit For A Queen is catering today’s event.”

He all but smacked his lips. He’d be hard pressed to choose between the offerings at the Captain’s Cottage and those of Chef Hubbard. Rubbing his hands together, he asked, “What are we waiting for?”

“Um, the train?” Evelyn’s eyes sparkled with humor. She plucked at his shirt sleeve. “Hold on. What’s that you have all over yourself? Run a hand through your hair.”

He did as he was told and gave a sheepish grin when white flecks rained down. “Sawdust. I told you, I was working right up to the last minute. Now do you believe me?”

Smiling up at him, she reached forward just as he dusted a few bits from the front of his shirt. The brush of her fingers against the back of his hand sent a heart-stopping charge of electricity straight through him. He couldn’t help but tense. The instant he did, her hand dropped so fast, he’d have sworn she’d burned herself on a hot stove.

“You’ll do,” she announced tightly. Her smile evaporated. Confusion sifted onto her face as she widened the gap between them.

“Thanks. Uh, for the help,” he said, doing his best to ignore the fact that he’d never felt so uncomfortable in his life. An urge to reach out, to explain, surged through him. But standing in the midst of half of Heart’s Landing while they waited for the arrival of two people who could change his entire future was neither the time nor the place. To cope, he mustered his best, most good-natured smile while he searched for some quip or comment that would wipe the storm clouds from her eyes. His mind drew a blank, but he refused to give up. He was still trying to come up with a solution when a distant train whistle blew.

“Oh!” Evelyn breathed. Her focus shifted away from him. “They’re here.”

Anticipation rippled through the crowd. From one end of the platform to the other, people straightened. Smiles grew brighter. Those holding “Welcome!” signs lifted them higher.

He followed Evelyn’s lead when she, along with everyone else, leaned toward the wide turn. A clump of trees blocked his view of the tracks. For several long seconds, nothing happened. Then, he heard it. The clackety-clack of metal in motion. A bell rang out. The engine nosed around the curve into sight.

As the heavy diesel roared loud enough to make the gravel dance in the flower beds, more than one person put their fingers in their ears. At last the engine whooshed past and, with a final squeal of its brakes, slowed to a stop. The passenger cars slid to a halt, their doors aligned perfectly beneath overhead signs. The noisy engine, which had moved well beyond the station, throttled down.

“Make way. Make way!” Emerging from the station, Georgia cleared a path through the crowd. Conductors stepped from between the cars to assist departing passengers. Ryan caught movement out of the corner of one eye and turned just in time to see the mayor mount the first set of steps behind the engine. An excited hush fell over the group. Evelyn leaned forward, her brow furrowed with anticipation.

A smattering of applause broke out the moment a man wearing a brown fedora appeared in the doorway of a passenger car. “Sorry to disappoint, folks, but I’m not the groom,” he called. The collective groan that greeted his announcement didn’t seem to faze him. He hustled past to the baggage claim area.

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