Page 59 of A Future in the Bay

“My dad is dating your boyfriend’s aunt,” Hannah said, explaining the connection to Gwen cheerfully. “Look—there they are over there. Adorable as always.”

Gwen laughed, delighted by Hannah’s friendly manner and affectionate attitude toward her father and Marsha. The game of beach volleyball was a great deal of fun, although she’d never have expected herself to take off her heels at a wedding and play a game barefoot in the sand.

After the game of volleyball, Isaiah and Gwen got a couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and wandered along the water’s edge for a while. As they strolled, taking deep breaths of the fragrantly salty air, they passed Sandy and Daniel Ryan and their baby Chandler and paused to say a quick hello. It was a cheerful conversation, and Gwen felt again that she was lucky to live in a town with such kind people in it.

“It’s such a beautiful day,” Gwen said as she and Isaiah stepped away from the conversation and continued to walk, her voice soft. She felt thoughtful but energetic at the same time—she was looking forward to the rest of the celebration, but also to going home and getting to sit quietly and think for a while. She felt that she had a lot to process, after seeing so many wonderful things that day.

Isaiah reached down and slipped his fingers through hers.

“It’s got me feeling all kinds of sentimental for sure,” he said, looking at her with emotion burning in his eyes.

Her heart rate picked up as she wondered just what his expression meant, but she didn’t ask. At that moment, a bell rang, calling everyone back to the reception area for dinner.

The strands of glittering lights had been lit, adding a fairytale-like atmosphere to the dining area. The food was served buffet-style, and Gwen and Isaiah ran into several more people that they knew as they stood in line and got their food. She noticed Alissa and Dane at the front of the line—Alissa’s expression was almost as radiant as Caitlin’s, she looked so happy.

The food was delicious. There had been a variety of options, and Gwen had chosen mashed potatoes, empanadas, popcorn shrimp, and a side salad. She and Isaiah sat down at a table close to the water’s edge, and although the wind was getting a little stronger, it was still warm enough that the effect was pleasant.

They were seated with Josie and Wesley Cliff, as well as with Josie’s sister Paige Garner. Gwen noticed the young woman looking slightly nervous, and she wanted to ask her if anything was the matter. She felt it wasn’t her place, however, and since Paige still laughed often throughout their table’s animated discussions, she decided that whatever was bothering her couldn’t be that serious.

The sun sank below the horizon, and the stars came out overhead, shining like diamonds against a tapestry of deep blue. Around them, the night was filled with the sounds of people talking and laughing. She had a good view of Caitlin and Michael sitting together at the head table, and the way they kept looking at each other with shining eyes warmed her heart.

“Look, Paige, this is it!” Josie whispered in a triumphant tone as Michael and Caitlin stood up together.

“Oh no,” Paige murmured in a small voice.

“Nonsense,” Josie said, leaning over and wrapping an arm around her. “It’s going to be incredible and you know it.”

“What’s going on?” Isaiah asked curiously.

“Paige baked the wedding cake,” Wesley said, smiling proudly at his sister-in-law.

“She just graduated from Flourish Baking School in Providence,” Josie added. “Top of her class. She’s the best baker for miles, and Blueberry Bay is lucky enough to have her wanting to start a bakery here.”

“That’s awesome,” Isaiah said, grinning at the young woman. “I can’t wait to taste this cake.”

Paige smiled weakly. “Thanks. I’m so nervous it didn’t turn out well.”

“You strike me as someone who pays attention to details,” Gwen said, smiling at her. “As long as you baked the cake carefully, which I’m sure you did, I’m sure it turned out beautifully.”

Paige smiled gratefully at her, and then they all turned toward where Michael and Caitlin were about to cut the cake.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Josie murmured.

Michael and Caitlin held the knife together and cut the first slice of cake, and everyone cheered as they fed each other bites from it. Michael laughed as Caitlin accidentally smeared a little frosting on the side of his mouth, and then his eyes widened when he tasted the cake. Even from a distance, it was clear to see that he mouthed the word “wow” after swallowing.

“Looks like it’s a hit, Paige,” Josie said, thumping her sister’s back and grinning triumphantly.

“Or he said ‘wow’ because he thinks it’s bad,” Paige said nervously.

Her sister laughed and stood up, pulling Paige to her feet.

“Come on,” she said. “The cake table is open for guests now. Let’s all go try this wedding cake and then we can decide for ourselves.”

They took their place in line and were some of the first people there. The catering staff sliced the cake with expert speed and precision, and the line moved quickly. The bottom tier of the cake was chocolate, and the top tier was lemon. Alongside the growing number of slices was a hand painted sign that read, “Baked by Paige Garner. Check out her bakery website!” with a website link written below it.

Gwen eagerly chose a slice of lemon cake, while Isaiah took chocolate. They both took a bite as soon as they’d stepped away from the cake table, not wanting to wait. Gwen was alight with curiosity—she wanted to know if Paige had succeeded as well as Josie was sure she had.

“Whoa,” Isaiah said, looking floored.

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