Page 6 of Kiss the Bride

So, if he hadn’t entered, why was he here? He stirred, prepared to ask, but Alicia barely paused for a breath, much less for questions.

“This year’s lucky couple will arrive tomorrow. Over the course of the next week, the participating Heart’s Landing business owners will present our bride and groom with three options for their wedding—three menus for their reception, three music choices, three floral motifs, three gowns and tuxes. Everything they could possibly need or want in order to have the wedding of their dreams. A photographer from Weddings Today will be on hand to document the entire process for a special late-summer edition, which will showcase the businesses that contributed to this year’s special wedding.”

Ryan drank in a deep breath of air and slowly exhaled. This situation grew stranger by the minute. He certainly didn’t have three choices to provide the bride and groom. The best he could offer was one not-quite-finished Boat Works.

“That’s where you come in,” Alicia said. “Each of you is in charge of one of three venues. The Captain’s Cottage,” she said with a nod to Evelyn. “Statue Park.” She offered a smile to JeanMarie. “And the Boat Works,” she said, finally looking straight at him.

Ryan gave the faces of the other two women a quick scan. Evelyn leaned forward, her eyes bright, her lips pursed in a small, round O. JeanMarie’s face had tensed into a not-so-pleasant shape. His eyes narrowed.

“When did you say this was happening?” asked the woman in charge of the parks scattered throughout Heart’s Landing.

Alicia referred to her computer screen. “The lucky couple and a photographer from Weddings Today are scheduled to arrive on the 4:30 train tomorrow afternoon. JeanMarie and Ryan, since this is your first experience with Wedding-in-a-Week, I’ll go over the schedule. And Evelyn, I know you’ve helped Jason with the contest before, but as the Cottage’s sole representative this year, this is all good information for you, too.”

The wedding planner plunged ahead. “Each of you and other business leaders from Heart’s Landing will be on hand to greet this year’s couple at the train station. Jenny and I will escort them to the Union Street Bed-and-Breakfast, their home for the week. Starting bright and early on Monday, we’ll tour the three venues. Tuesday through Friday, they’ll visit some of the best shops in town, starting with Eat, Drink and Be Married. Saturday, the bride and groom will tell us which of the options they’ve chosen, which will give us exactly twenty-four hours before the wedding Sunday afternoon.”

“Next Sunday?” JeanMarie straightened, her expression glum. “A week from tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Alicia tilted her head. Concern knitted her eyebrows. “Is that a problem?”

“Actually, it is.” When JeanMarie’s words faltered, Ryan braced for bad news. Her voice barely a whisper, she said, “Lightning struck The Ash last night.”

The room took a collective breath. One of the oldest trees in Rhode Island, The Ash had already weathered many winters by the time Captain Thaddeus had first made landfall in nearby Heart’s Cove. He and his wife, Mary, had carved their initials into its thick trunk. Families had picnicked in its shade for more than two hundred years. Visitors to Heart’s Landing gawked at the tree that towered over the town.

“That’s why I was late. I spent the morning assessing the damage. I’ve consulted with several specialists. There’s nothing to be done. No hope at all. It can’t be saved.”

Ryan’s jaw clenched. JeanMarie, her shoulders slumping, stared at her lap.

“That’s not the worst part,” she murmured.

He shifted. How much worse could it get? He was pretty sure he wasn’t the only one in Heart’s Landing who’d shared a first kiss in the shade of that old tree. Or had rested his head in his arms against its rough bark, his eyes closed, while he’d played hide-and-seek with friends. Every spring, the youngest and oldest students at Heart’s Landing Elementary made a special field trip to Statue Park. After the docents regaled them with stories of Captain Thaddeus’s exploits, the kindergartners would join hands, while the fifth graders marveled at how many of them it took to circle the massive base. Its loss was a crushing blow.

“The Ash is so big we’ve had to call in experts from Providence to remove it. They won’t get here for at least ten days, possibly longer. Until then, we’ve blocked off the area with cones and barricades, but it’s quite a mess. Limbs and debris everywhere. We couldn’t possibly hold a wedding there next weekend.”

For a long moment, all four of them sat quietly, each absorbing the news in their own way.

Evelyn was the first to break the silence. “I’d like a cutting to plant on the grounds here.”

“We’re one step ahead of you.” The tiniest flicker of light shone in JeanMarie’s dark eyes. “We’ve been harvesting and planting seeds for more than a decade. We have quite a few saplings available.”

“I’ll take one.” Ryan smiled. He had just the spot for it near the Boat Works. The idea of baby Ashes taking root throughout Heart’s Landing stirred a warm feeling in his chest.

“Me, too.”

They all swung toward Alicia, whose expression had grown pensive.

“I hate hearing about The Ash,” she said, her voice heavy. “I’m also concerned about how this will affect our Wedding-in-a-Week plans. I’ll notify all the sponsors, though I’m sure word has already spread through town.” She grabbed a blue binder from a stack on her desk and paged through it. After a minute, her shoulders lifted and dropped in an acquiescent shrug. She closed the notebook. “According to the rules, we can move forward with two venue choices. I don’t like that, but we’re at the start of the wedding season. At this late date, every other venue in Heart’s Landing is booked solid.”

“You’re right about that,” JeanMarie confirmed. “We had two weddings scheduled in the park this week. My secretary’s been on the phone, trying to find somewhere else to hold them. There wasn’t a single opening anywhere in town.”

Alicia’s dark eyes widened. Stiffening, she clamped a hand over her mouth. “What are you going to do?”

Ryan shifted on the chair that had suddenly grown uncomfortable. The thought of disappointing two brides in one week actually made his chest ache.

“It’s all right,” JeanMarie confidently. “I’ve spoken to both of our couples. They’ve agreed to hold their ceremonies in the green space across the street. They actually prefer it.”

He could see why. Red maples ringed the open grassy area that was normally reserved for picnics and family outings. If anything, the location was even prettier.

At JeanMarie’s soothing reassurance that the brides in question would still get their perfect weddings, Alicia’s horrified expression cleared. She tapped her fingers on her desk. “Well, since we know for sure there aren’t any other venues available, that leaves the Captain’s Cottage and the Boat Works. It’s all up to you, Evelyn and Ryan. Can Heart’s Landing count on you?”

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