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I don’t even want to think about how much the ring cost. I’m afraid I might lose it.
“What do you think, Grace?” I ask my twelve-year-old sister.
Grace looks up from her Sudoku puzzle and rubs her nose. “I agree with Aunt Char,” she says. Charlotte isn’t really her aunt, but Grace has called her that since she was two. Charlotte loves it.
I huff. “Well, I can’t walk down the aisle looking like a cake. I bake them, but I don’t want to dress like one.”
Grace grins and goes back to her puzzle.
I do all the baking at the Thorn and Rose, the bed and breakfast my family runs. Luke is from the Way and grew up in one of the huge mansions that line Magnolia Bay. He lives in the city and has a gorgeous apartment overlooking Central Park but he comes out a lot to visit me and I spend weekends with him when I can. He knows how important being near my family is to me—my parents are getting on in years and my mother suffers from osteoarthritis. I have to help them out as much as I can, and Luke understands that. One of the best parts of our relationship is how we allow for each other’s independence. Being a baker means strange hours, and he’s never once complained when I have to get up at four o’clock in the morning if a big party is coming to stay at the Thorn. And I don’t mind when he has last minute client dinners or works weekends. He’s responsible and dependable, just like me. I know he’ll always keep his promises.
Charlotte grabs another flute of champagne and wanders over to check the price tag.
“Holy fuck,” she says.
“That’s another dollar for the swear jar,” Grace says.
“You got me, kid,” Charlotte says, dropping the tag. Charlotte teaches kindergarten at Magnolia Bay Elementary—when she’s at school, she’s sweet as cherry pie, but on her own time, she tosses F bombs around like she’s in a David Mamet play. “Seriously, Isla, I could pay ten months’ rent with this dress. This plus the limo Luke rented to take us into the city…”
“He’s trying to get you to like him,” I say.
“I do like him,” Charlotte insists.
I give her a look.
“Okay I like him as much as it’s possible for me to like someone from the Way.”
Charlotte has never been subtle about her distaste of those who come from the wealthy side of Magnolia Bay. Rich kids from rich families who don’t understand what it’s like to have to work for a living, that’s what she always says. But Luke does work—he works for his family’s real estate business.
I grin at her. “Should I just go get something from the discount bin at Vintage Closet?”
“Yes,” she says, and I laugh. Luke’s mother would definitely not approve of that choice. Whenever I visit my future in-laws, I always feel this sense of being watched. Like Lucille Richards is waiting for me to screw up and prove how wrong I am for her son.
“Doyoulike this?” Charlotte asks, fluffing the chiffon. “That’s the only thing that matters.”
I turn this way and that. The skirt fluffs out, and I feel like I’m wearing a marshmallow. “Maybe something with a little less skirt.”
Charlotte winks. “Less skirt. Got it.” Then she heads over to one of the racks full of dresses to pick something else for me to try on.
I try to imagine walking down the aisle in two months. My stomach shivers with nerves. I’m excited to be married but I don’t like being the center of attention, and there are going to be hundreds of people at this wedding—Luke’s family is a big deal in New York real estate. I probably won’t know most of the people on the guest list.
I push the nerves away. I’ll get through it, and the point is, I’m marrying a good man. Marriage is something I’ve always wanted but there was a point where I was certain it would never be part of my future. After Marion Everton’s death, my entire life changed. Or broke, rather. I was pretty depressed afterheup and vanished.
No, I think firmly. He needs to stay out of this moment. I’ve done such a good job of shutting him out of my thoughts completely. I’m not going back. I’m only looking forward.
Charlotte returns with a new dress and a glass of champagne. “Here,” she says, handing me both.
“Ooh, I like this,” I say, feeling the satin beneath my hand. I take a swig of champagne. “Okay, be right back.”
I hurry into the dressing room, place my flute on a little side table, and unzip the massive dress, slipping into the new one. It’s gorgeous—sleek white satin that hugs my figure. It’s backless, with long sleeves and almost no ornamentation. It’s effortlessly simple.
I think about the happy days ahead of me. I’ve always felt like Dependable Isla Davenport, ready to help Grace with her homework, or Mom with the baking, or old Mrs. Greerson with her gutters, or Dev Chadha with his cheese tastings if he needs an extra pair of hands. Luke sees that. With him, I can have both—a husband who loves me and the life that I value. Luke isn’t trying to make me choose. Even if it means we won’t always be together, physically. He’ll be in New York for his work, I’ll be in Magnolia Bay for mine. But we fit. Our lives flow in a way that works for both of us. We’ll have two homes instead of just one.
The door cracks open and Grace’s head pops in.
“Aunt Charlotte says I should come see if you need anything,” Grace says.
“I could use a DSS,” I say.