Page 20 of All I've Waited For

Ashley crossed out the family brunch and beach volleyball tournament she’d had planned for the third and penned in the wedding. Then she stood and walked to the thick wooden railing, studying the area below. Surrounded by towering trees and a plethora of bright flowers that Bella had helped Ben to plant, the courtyard gave way gradually to grass that turned to beach. Just off to the left, a bank of sandy bluffs overlooked the ocean. This piece of real estate just a mile north of town had been in her family for more than a hundred years, and Ben had taken good care of their grandparents’ legacy, improving on it with Bella’s help. “So you want to do the ceremony on the beach?”

“Yes, if you think that will work.”

With her pen, she pointed straight out to the beach. “Are you thinking some white chairs and an arch out there, or did you want to go more elaborate?”

“Simple will be fine.”

Shannon clapped her hands and sighed. “That’ll be gorgeous.”

“And what do you think of the courtyard for the reception?” Bella asked.

Ashley tapped her chin. “It should be fine.” Yes, strung with lights, eighteen to twenty round tables with elegant tablecloths, maybe some sort of hurricane vase or floral centerpieces—she could picture it. “Better than fine. We can put the dance floor in the middle of the courtyard, tuck the DJ away near the fountain. The servers will have easy access to the kitchen. It’ll be perfect.”

“Yay! I’m so excited to see what you ladies come up with. Shan, I’m counting on you to make it beautiful.”

Ever the efficient manager and delegator, Bella had put Shannon in charge of décor. Shannon’s job as a preschool teacher gave her somewhat of an artistic outlet, but decorating for a wedding definitely had to beat gluing colorful macaroni to plates.

Shannon saluted. “Anything for my future cousin-in-law and roommate.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of roommates, where are you and Ben going to live?” Ashley scrunched her nose. None of the inn’s rooms were especially spacious or super private.

“Ben suggested we save money and live at the inn. I put that thought out of his head really quickly.” Bella shook her head. “I had to remind the man that he’s not going to be a bachelor anymore and doesn’t need to live like it. So we’ve been looking at houses in town. Your cousin Nate has a second house in the older section of town south of Main Street. His current renters are moving out at the end of the month, so that’s probably what we’ll do.”

Of all her Griffin cousins, Dr. Nate was probably the most well-off—though her hotshot lawyer cousin Chloe might be a close second. “Oh, that house is really cute. Three bedrooms, a big yard. Perfect for kids if you guys decide to have them.” She wiggled her eyebrows then checked her watch. “Oops, sorry, don’t have a ton of time. Let’s talk invitations.”

Bella steepled her fingers. “I know this is dumb, but that’s the one thing I want that’s not so simple, and I don’t even know if it’s possible. What do you think of wood invitations?”

“Like, invitations carved into wood?” At Bella’s nod, Ashley continued. “I think they’re fun and unique. But they’ll be spendy.”

“It’s worth it to me. My mom told me that my grandparents had them for their wedding. It was their one splurge. I figured it’s a way to incorporate them into my special day since they can’t be there.” The fact Camille had shared that much about Bella’s deceased grandparents demonstrated how far she and Bella had come in mending their fragile relationship.

“You got it. I know a vendor just outside LA that does a great job with invites like that. It might take a bit longer than usual to have them made, but we should be able to get them five or six weeks before the wedding. I’ll push for that, obviously.”

They discussed some more details of the day, and Ashley’s mind whirled. There was so much to do, and it was crucial to get as much settled in the first few weeks as possible. If they waited too long, the vendors and everything else would be too booked up. There was already a danger in that, though she had contacts she could tap if need be.

Ashley stifled a yawn. She’d stayed up way too late the last two nights trying to get as much of Derek and Claire’s binder interpreted as possible, forcing herself to look through it several times before texting Derek for information. His answers had been so cold and abrupt—but what did she expect at this point?

“Ash, look at me.”

She leaned against the railing and refocused on Bella and Shannon. “What? Sorry, I got lost in my own thoughts there for a minute.”

“We noticed.” The edges of Shannon’s eyes crinkled as her lips turned down.

“I just want to reemphasize what I told you last weekend. If all of this is too much, just go as simple as possible. Because the only thing I care about is marrying your brother.” Bella patted the seat next to her, and Ashley rejoined them. “Ben is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. He’s my family. He’s home. And I …”

Her gaze took in the ocean as Bella swiped at a tear.

Had Ashley ever seen Bella show this much emotion? The woman, who had originally come to town undercover in an attempt to buy Ben’s inn, had changed a lot in the months since Ashley had met her, but she still wasn’t given to crying.

Love could sure do funny things to a person, couldn’t it?

It had certainly put Ashley through the wringer—still did, every time she thought about Derek.

No, no, no. She didn’t love him anymore. He was different.Theywere different.

And he was in love with someone else.

Much as she wanted to read into a few little moments from their time together on Wednesday, that would be foolish.

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