Page 17 of The Wedding Run (The Wedding Letter #1)

Libby

L uke and I sit side by side in his truck on our way to his coffee shop. It’s awkward, to say the least. Should I tell him I didn’t see anything? Or not everything? Not much anyway?

The silence drags between us. I pretend to look out the window at the sights, but I can’t concentrate on anything but Luke as he steers around an old farmer putt-putt-putting a tractor right through the center of town.

“Look at that sky!” I say, to fill the silence and distract myself.

Luke mutters a ‘huh,’ but he says nothing else.

Quiet makes me jittery. “See that cloud?” I gesture toward the windshield. “My sisters and I used to play that game when we were kids. What does it look like to you?”

He leans over his steering wheel to peer upward.

That’s when I realize the traitorous cloud looks like the mud flap on a semi. You know, the kind with a curvy woman sticking out her exaggerated chest and her hair curling seductively in the wind.

“That cloud?” Luke asks, not betraying his own interpretation.

“No, the…” But that is the only cloud in the sky. “Yeah,” I shrink down into the passenger seat, “that one.”

“Looks like a jackrabbit,” he says, making the final turn for The Brew. “Some say clouds give us messages from those who have passed on.”

“Really?” I ask, wondering what message my mother might be trying to convey through that cloud formation. Maybe I don’t want to know. Or maybe I’m searching in places where nothing exists. Perhaps that’s true of the teabag too.

We avoid looking at each other. When he parks the truck, I jump out and hurry inside. A dramatic Celine Dion song plays over the speakers.

Andrea is already waiting at a corner table.

I plop down in the vacant seat. “Show me what you got.”

With a relieved smile, Andrea opens a binder full of receipts and cut-out magazine pictures. It’s a hodgepodge of notes jotted down on napkins and candy wrappers. It makes my fingers itch to categorize and sort everything. Immediately, I pull out my iPad and start an emergency list.

We get right to work, and I ignore Luke when he enters. But of course, Andrea doesn’t.

“Hey, Luke! Want to join us?”

“No, uh… I have to, uh…” He gestures at nothing and disappears into the back.

Roxie follows him with her gaze, then looks at me.

I lean over my iPad.

“Something wrong with Luke?” Andrea asks.

“He seems out of sorts,” Roxie says, drying her hands on a towel.

“What’s this?” I ask, waving a receipt to distract Andrea. Thankfully, it works.

It takes us some time to sort through everything and get organized, but that is my specialty, and soon we are on track and making progress.

“I forgot to call the photographer,” Andrea laments. “I close on a house this week, which is good, but it’s been extra crazy.”

“I’ll handle it. Don’t you worry.” I take note of the photographer’s phone number.

Luke brings over a couple of lattes and muffins.

“Luke!” Andrea beams. “Your momma raised you right.”

He avoids looking at me. “Roxie and I came up with a few ideas for coffee drinks for the wedding. This is the Romeo and Juliet latte.”

“Fantastic!” Andrea gushes.

The lattes have foamy rosettes, and I say, “Nice work on the foam art.”

“Can you do these for the wedding?” Andrea asks.

“Absolutely. But the look doesn’t matter as much as the taste,” he says. “Right, Libby?”

“Prepares the palate,” I say.

“So, what are you waiting for?” Luke nods toward the cups.

Andrea and I do not hesitate.

My eyes widen as the sip packs a punch. “Wow.”

“Too much?” His brow scrunches into a frown.

I shake my head. “Not at all. I like my coffee strong.”

“I remember,” he says, his voice dipping low in a sexy, gravelly way. Or maybe I’m imagining it. Yes, definitely imagining.

Andrea smacks her lips. “Delicious! It’s my favorite. Espresso with cinnamon. I can’t believe you remembered, Luke.”

“That’s my job. How’s the planning and strategizing?”

“Libby’s amazing! She’s helping me organize things.”

“It takes practice,” I say. “And lots of lists. Besides, you already figured out what you want and who you want to hire.”

“I’m so nervous,” she says. “What if the minister doesn’t show up?” Her eyes go wide. “The minister! Taylor’s cousin was planning to get ordained online or something like that. But I don’t know if he did.”

“Happens all the time,” I say in my calmest voice. “Do you have his phone number?”

“Let me look.” She scrolls through her contacts on her phone. “Here it is.”

I copy the number into my lists. “I’ll call him.

Now, relax. Get a massage. Let me handle the rest. As my dad always says, ‘trust the plan.’ It’s all right here.

” I place my hand over the receipts and scribbled notes.

“And this dress.” I pull out an advertisement for a designer. “It’s going to look beautiful on you.”

Andrea smacks her forehead. “I was supposed to pick it up in Nickel Mine today.”

“At Cindy’s shop?” Luke asks.

“Sew and Sew.” Andrea nods. “I can pick it up tomorrow… No, I can’t. Taylor’s parents are coming in. Or is that tomorrow night?” She looks at her Day Planner, which resembles her wedding planner. “I can’t remember!”

“We’ll take care of it,” Luke volunteers.

My gaze slams into his, at first questioning but then agreeing. “Sure. No problem at all.”

“Thank you.” Andrea places a hand over mine. “Is this the craziest place you’ve planned a wedding?”

“I planned one at a waterfall and another in a hot air balloon. Then there was the puppet museum. That was creepy with Muppets in the background. At the aquarium, you can have a shark peering down at you for your wedding photo.”

“Duh-dum.” Luke starts the John Williams classic. “Duh-dum.”

“I’m glad Taylor isn’t hearing this. He loves Jaws .”

“I could make a drink just for Taylor,” Luke suggests. “How about… You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Cup?”

We share a laugh.

“You’re brilliant, Luke.” Andrea hugs him.

To shift my attention away from Luke, I say, “The funniest wedding venue was at an axe-throwing place.”

“Did the groom survive?” Luke jokes.

“He lived to tell the tale! That’s what I love about weddings.”

“Open blades?” he asks.

Smiling at his joke, I shake my head. “How they reflect the couple’s love and interests. Each one is unique. From the location to the colors to the flowers and choice of music?—”

“Music!” Andrea cries.

"Reception or service?" I ask.

"Both."

“I know a DJ,” Luke says.

“Give me his number.” I pat Andrea’s hand. “See! All it takes is teamwork.”

“And trusting the plan,” Luke adds with a wink, his gaze lingering on mine.

My insides shift and sway.

Andrea slumps with relief. “What would I do without you two?”

“The wedding will happen with or without us,” I assure her. “As long as you and Taylor show up with a marriage license.”

Her eyes bulge. “Now, I remember what we’re doing tomorrow.”