Page 47 of Kiss the Bride

Who had paid his? When Alicia had first told him they’d chosen Harbor View to participate, he’d ultimately assumed, for whatever reason, she’d filled out an application in his name and had let it go at that. But she wouldn’t have covered his entrance fee. He didn’t know anyone who would.

Oblivious to his turmoil, Mildred continued her spiel. “This event is one of the most expensive ones we enter. Each year, I tell myself not to bother, but the numbers don’t lie. I more than make it up in new business.” Her gaze narrowed in on him. “You’re lucky your dad entered Harbor View this year. It’ll be good for your business, no matter which venue Brianna and Daniel choose.”

My dad? He braced one arm on the worktable and thanked goodness for its sturdy support. At the moment, it was about the only thing that kept him upright. He resisted an urge to shake his head. He couldn’t have heard right. His dad didn’t approve of his work as a restoration specialist. He certainly hadn’t liked his youngest son’s efforts to turn Farley’s old Boat Works into a wedding venue. Every time the topic came up—and it had at every Sunday dinner for the past year—his father had insisted the project was merely a distraction, one that prevented Ryan from taking his rightful place with Court Builders. That the senior Court would part with so much as a single thin dime to support his dream was, um, preposterous.

And yet …

He aimed an appraising glance at the florist who’d been doing business in Heart’s Landing since before he was born. As one of the town’s movers and shakers, Mildred knew everything that happened within the town limits. Usually within minutes. If she said his dad had covered his entry fee, he had to believe her. She had no reason to lie. Still, he had to be sure.

He inhaled so deeply, his chest expanded. On the exhale, he asked, “Mildred. You’re sure my dad filled out an application for me? Not Alicia?”

“Sure as I’m standing here.” She stared up at him, amazement in her eyes. “You didn’t know?”

“Um, no. I didn’t. I guess …” He paused, unable to think of what to say next. “I guess he and I are overdue for a chat.”

Mildred’s face blanched, and her voice trembled. “I hope I haven’t spoken out of turn.”

Reassuring the older woman was easy. He ran one finger across his lips. “It’s our secret. The truth was bound to come out sooner or later, but I definitely appreciate hearing it from you.” He checked the clock on the back wall and patted Mildred’s age-spotted hand. “I hate to cut this short, but I’m going to run. If I leave now, I should be able to catch Dad at the office before he closes up for the night.” By this time of day, his brothers had probably gone home to their wives and families. His father followed a different philosophy. He believed the boss ought to be the first on the job in the morning, the last to leave at night. Which meant, if Ryan didn’t dilly-dally, he could talk with his dad without anyone overhearing.

He spotted Evelyn in the checkout line, patiently waiting to purchase two bunches of flowers in elegant vases. His heart melted at the sight of her standing there. He’d been wrong to consider her a diva. People with egos the size of Texas didn’t stand in line to buy thoughtful gifts for friends. Regret washed through him. He wished he could stay and walk her home, tell her how wrong he’d been, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t let the sun go down without clearing the air with his dad. He slipped in beside Evelyn and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Something’s come up. I need to go. Do you mind getting back to the Captain’s Cottage on your own?”

Confusion flashed momentarily in Evelyn’s green eyes. Her jaw tightened, but she answered with a bright, “Sure! I’ll call for a car.”

He knew he’d disappointed her. With anyone else he’d have taken care of business and tried to make it up to them later. His relationship with Evelyn was so new, so fragile, though, that he couldn’t risk waiting. He bent lower, aiming his voice for her ears alone, and whispered, “I just found out my dad was the one who signed me up for the Wedding-in-a-Week competition. I, um, I think I need to talk to him about it.”

He’d been right to tell her the truth, he decided, when understanding turned Evelyn’s eyes a shade of green he’d never seen before. “Didn’t you say things were tense between you?” she asked.

“They are.” He nodded. Just once. “That’s why it’s important that I see him. I need to know why he did it.”

“You’re headed there now?” She glanced toward the door. “Do you want company?”

Her support flooded him with warmth, but this was something he needed to do on his own. “Much as I appreciate the offer, no.” A move like that deserved his thanks, though, so he gave her upper arm a gentle squeeze. “Thanks for understanding. See you tomorrow, okay?”

“Definitely.” She nodded. “Favors Galore at ten. Then we have a tasting at Food Fit For A Queen right after.” A half beat passed before she added, “Call me if you want to talk or anything.”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” He wavered on the edge of reconsidering her offer and asking her to come with him. He swallowed. Things were complicated enough between him and his dad without adding another person into the mix. Especially when his relationship with Evelyn was in its infancy. His dad might jump to the conclusion that things were far more serious between him and the feisty redhead. As for his mom, well, she’d made no secret of her wish to see him settled down like his brothers. She’d buy out the grocery store’s entire stock of rice the next time she went shopping if he so much as mentioned he had a date.

Resisting the urge to turn back to Evelyn, Ryan forced his feet to take him to the door. He couldn’t help but look over his shoulder at her before it closed. She still stood where he’d left her, her eyes locked on him. The image released a flood of warm feelings that tempted him to stay. Wishing he could, he jammed his hands in his pockets and headed for his dad’s office.

Evelyn sat on the couch in her third-floor apartment in the Captain’s Cottage, her legs curled up on the thick cushions. She turned the page of a romance novel that hadn’t managed to capture her attention. Oh, the author had done a good job of telling a juicy story. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was her mind—it kept drifting off the page to Ryan’s face at Forget Me Knot earlier. From the little he’d said, she knew his father hadn’t exactly supported his youngest son’s ambitions. So it didn’t make any sense at all for Mr. Court to enter Harbor View in the Wedding-in-a-Week festivities.

Was Ryan’s father trying to heal the rift between him and his son? She hoped so. The day they’d had coffee in the Cottage’s dining room, tension had gathered in Ryan’s eyes at a mere reference to his family. She’d seen hurt reflected in the firm set of his jaw the few times he’d mentioned his mom and dad since then. She shook her head and thanked her lucky stars for the good relationship she had with her own parents. Even though they’d retired to Florida, she and her mom talked most every day. She spoke with her dad nearly as often. She wanted Ryan to have that same kind of relationship with his folks.

She’d no sooner had that thought than her cell phone buzzed. She hit the Accept Call button after glancing at the screen. “Hey, Ryan.” She closed the book and set it aside. “What’s up?”

“Can we talk?”

Her stomach plummeted at the strain in his voice. The silence that followed tugged at her heart. “Sure. Want me to meet you at Harbor View?”

“Actually, I’m right outside. I was going to come in, but it looks like there’s a wedding on the veranda. Meet me on the bike path? We’ll go for a walk?”

This time of night, they’d have the trail practically to themselves. It made a good place for a quiet talk. “Sounds great. I’ll meet you around back in five minutes.”

In thirty seconds, she’d grabbed a sweatshirt, captured her hair in a scrunchie, and slipped her feet into comfortable walking shoes. With time to spare, she trotted down the rear stairs to the first level of the house. She spotted Ryan right away, and her heart gave the little shimmy she’d grown accustomed to feeling whenever his broad shoulders came into view. A pair of casual jeans emphasized his long, muscular legs and made her doubly glad she’d changed out of business attire and into her own comfy jeans and a T-shirt. Tying the pullover around her waist, she closed the gap between them.

A broad, winding path led from the back of the Captain’s Cottage to the bike path that stretched northward along the rocky coast past Heart’s Cove and beyond. They set out, her own long strides easily matching his. At first, Ryan didn’t say anything, and they walked with only the roar of the ocean waves crashing on the rocks below and the first stars of the night to keep them company. A few lights twinkled from ships on the horizon, where low clouds clustered.

“Thanks for understanding about this afternoon.” Ryan broke the silence as the path curved past a rugged promontory known as Peter’s Lookout. “I hated to change our plans. I wanted to spend some time with you. You know, without Brianna or Daniel or Curtis looking over our shoulders.”

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