The Last Summer, page 20
Lily’s words mesmerized all of us.
“Oh, Lily,” Addison whispered. She laid her head on Lily’s shoulder. Debra sat down on the other side of Addison and held her hand. I knelt down right in front of Addison and placed my hands on her knees.
“You can do this, Addison,” Debra said, holding her hand tight.
“We’re here, Addi.” I looked up at my sweet, beautiful friend. After a few moments, her breathing steadied.
“I know you don’t feel like it, but you need to eat a little something. That will help. Carol from church will be here soon to do your hair and makeup. We need a fresh cup of tea, Sara,” Lily ordered. I nodded obediently, but before I could stand, Addison covered my hand with hers.
“I love all three of you so much. You know that, right?”
I smiled at Addison, emotion rushing to my face. “We love you too.” I stood up and leaned over, kissing the top of Addison’s head, then ran downstairs for food and more tea. Everett, his mother, his aunt, and another woman I vaguely recognized as a relative of Addison’s stood around the breakfast table, looking terrified.
“It’s okay,” I assured them. “She’s doing better. I’m under strict orders to bring up some food and tea for her.”
The doorbell rang at that moment. “That must be Carol,” Addison’s mother said. “I’ll let her in. Thank you, Sara. Thanks to all of you girls. Addison surely has some special friends,” she said to me with a slightly less worried look on her face. I heard her open the front door and then greet both Carol and Addison’s cousin.
By four o’clock, all of us bridesmaids and Kinley, Addison’s cousin and maid of honor, were ready. We fluttered around in our cranberry-colored dresses, enjoying the excitement as the ceremony drew near. Addison turned from side to side in the full-length mirror in her parents’ bedroom.
Her auburn hair was swept into an elegant bun, with beaded bobby-pins tucked in the elaborate twist. Flawless makeup smoothed her cheeks and emphasized her eyes. The white, lace-covered bodice complemented Addison’s curves, and the wide skirt flowed easily as she moved, swishing back and forth with every step. She looked gorgeous down to her silver stiletto sandals and white toenail polish. The dress helped with the nerves. The minute she put it on, a fixed smile filled Addison’s face, and relief settled in the house.
I left her parents’ bedroom right as Everett walked out of the guestroom. We stopped, just looking at each other. Wow. The man should consider a new career as a tuxedo model. He raised his eyebrows at me.
“Well? What do you think?” he asked, tugging at the tie.
“Don’t pull at that,” I scolded lightly, walking up to him. “I think … well, you look great.”
He looked back down at the tie, then he looked at me. His eyes started at my hair and made their way all the way down to my shoes. I blushed.
“You look beautiful, Sara.” He kissed my cheek. “My dad’s here now. We’re all heading to the church.”
“Right,” I said, stepping back. “I’ll meet you at those double doors in the back of the sanctuary. Don’t walk down the aisle without me,” I teased.
He smiled. “Don’t worry.”
The previous night’s situation with Debra and Luke hadn’t completely slipped my mind, but she seemed calm and collected, so I figured the fight must have blown over. Regardless, I barely had time to think with all the wedding hoopla going on. A long black limo pulled up in front of the house—a surprise for Addison from Everett. She squealed and all of us piled in for the ride to the church. Once we arrived, there were last-minute issues to take care of and pictures with the bridesmaids.
I decided that a December wedding had been a fantastic idea. The church was already beautifully decorated for Christmas with wreaths hanging and poinsettias everywhere. I had worked with the church staff to arrange minimal added decorations for the wedding, but the sanctuary had been festive and striking to start with.
The wedding began at five thirty. I could hear the music from where I stood in the lobby, and I knew guests packed the sanctuary.
“Are you nervous?” I asked Everett.
“A bit, yeah,” he answered. “Wait here.” He went back to where Addison was standing at the back of the procession line with their father. I watched as Addison threw her arms around Everett, and he whispered into her ear. The scene stirred emotion in me. I saw the photographer trying to inconspicuously snap a few photos of the sentimental moment. The double doors opened just as Everett took his place back by me. I slid my hand through his arm and squeezed. He looked at me with a sad sort of smile. Whatever he’d said before, I could clearly see the emotional weight of the moment all over his face now.
The church coordinator stepped up. “It’s time!” Everett squared his shoulders, then led me down the aisle.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I sidestepped the dancing flower girl to get back to my seat, two pieces of lemon cake in my hands. I set one plate in front of Everett and sat down next to him.
“Oh! Thanks, Sara.”
I twisted in my seat to watch Addison dance with Glen. The Vineyard reception hall was even more beautiful than I remembered, and I gasped in delight at the sight of the dimly lit ballroom. The crystal chandelier, the polished floors, the crown molding—I felt like I was suddenly in a Jane Austen novel, at the ball of the season.
“Let’s dance.” Everett wiped his mouth and dropped the napkin on his chair as he stood.
“What?”
I looked back at his plate, which held only crumbs. “You devoured that cake,” I told him.
He shrugged. “It was good. Come on.”
I took a quick bite of my own piece of cake and then obligingly placed my hand in his and let him take me to the dance floor.
“Look,” he whispered. “To the left.”
I glanced to the side and saw Debra and Luke on the dance floor. While I wouldn’t say Debra radiated happiness, things looked less tense than they had the night before.
“Everything must have gotten resolved,” he surmised. I wondered about Everett’s words. Lily hadn’t said anything to me about our friends’ argument. I scrutinized Luke and Debra for a moment—the tautness of his neck, the way he kept looking at Debra. Her gaze darted around the room, seeming to settle anywhere but on him.
“I hope so. They look a little more at ease.” My gaze lingered on them.
“And how are we, Sara?”
I looked at Everett, surprised by the curious tone of his voice.
“What do you mean?”
We moved slowly around the dance floor. “Well, I told you back in North Carolina that I needed to know where we stand.”
“Oh. Right.” Conversation paused as Everett twirled me, then pulled me back to himself. “How do you think we are?”
I felt his arm around me tighten. “I think we—”
At that moment, the deejay came over the microphone as the music changed to a country line dance song. The floor filled up with people. Addison came up to us, breathless and grinning. She pulled Everett away to dance with her, and I gladly watched the two of them together. I made my way back to the table and sipped champagne.
“Hey!” I said as Debra sat down next to me. “I thought you loved line dancing!” I scanned the room for Luke. She shrugged.
“I don’t feel like it right now.”
“Where’s Luke?”
Her face hardened. “He’s talking to Jason at the moment.”
“Deb, is everything all right?” I asked gently. She shook back her curly hair.
“We’re okay,” she answered, her tone unconvincing. I offered her my glass of champagne, and she took a long sip.
“You look beautiful,” I told her. Her dark curly hair, held back by a gorgeous black-sequined headband, looked stunning against the cranberry dress and spilled over her shoulders. Smoky eye makeup highlighted her eyes and long lashes. Pink blush gave her rosy cheeks, and every time she turned her head, her long, dangly earrings shimmered. She didn’t respond. I wasn’t even sure she’d heard me.
“I don’t know.” She squinted as she looked across the ballroom. “Here we are in this romantic setting—everything should be perfect. I finally found the love of my life. Why does he hold back, Sara?” Her voice quivered.
I couldn’t find any words.
“Maybe he’s not holding back,” I finally said. “You know Luke. He’s reserved. He’s cautious.”
“I thought I did,” she answered. “Reserved, cautious—that’s all well and good. But when you love someone, you have to dive in eventually. Throw caution to the wind. Buy the ring.”
Her voice jumped erratically, and my unease grew at her obvious anguish. “Maybe he has. Bought the ring, I mean. He can be hard to read sometimes; that doesn’t mean he’s not ready. He could just be waiting for the right time to propose. He loves you, Deb.” She tipped her head back and finished off my glass of champagne.
“That’s true,” Debra said, her eyes on the dance floor. “And I love him with all my heart. The problem is that by this point, I should be able to read him. I shouldn’t have to guess. I shouldn’t have to ask.”
“What if he proposed tonight? Or on Christmas, like you were thinking? What would you say?” At that, she looked at me, her eyes red.
“I’d say yes, of course! I’m in love with him. He’s in love with me. I want to marry him more than anything. I’m tired of the waiting.”
“It will work out, Debra.” I touched her arm.
“What if it doesn’t?” she whispered hoarsely.
Oh Lord. What if it doesn’t? I jerked as though a cold blast of air hit me. I know he loves her. We all know it. What’s wrong?
“There’s something keeping him from making a commitment to me.”
“He’s committed to you, Debra,” I assured her.
“Not like I need him to be.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke coming our way.
“Maybe we were never right for each other,” Debra said, that same frantic tone coming back from the night before.
“You don’t believe that.” All my worries from the other night flooded back as she stood up.
“You do, though.” Her clipped tone held a hint of bitterness, but she never looked my way, obviously distracted. I couldn’t move; my heart had just been sucker-punched. Debra moved toward Luke. They met halfway, near the window. Luke’s head bowed to hers as he listened to her. I wondered desperately what she was saying. Then Luke straightened. She walked past him and he followed her.
Everett sat down next to me, his chest heaving. “I haven’t line danced in forever. Thankfully. Addison’s always loved it for some reason. I definitely feel like I’m back in Texas.”
He gulped down half a glass of water, and I reached over and smoothed back his tousled hair.
“You looked like you were having fun out there.”
He nodded and drained the glass of water.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He touched me. I didn’t answer for a moment.
“Sara.” Gentle pressure on my arm. I sighed and relayed everything that had happened. He got quieter and quieter as I told him everything.
“Maybe you need to talk to Luke,” Everett said after a few moments. I looked at him.
“Luke? Why? Talking with Debra didn’t help at all. I need to stay out of it.”
He placed both hands on his knees and didn’t say anything for a moment. Another upbeat song came on and the crowd cheered.
“Let’s worry about it tomorrow. It’s my sister’s wedding, and I want to dance with you.”
The abrupt shift in his tone surprised me, but I nodded. “You’re right. It’s between Luke and Deb. Let’s dance.”
He stood up and reached for my hand. “Come with me, Cinderella. I’ll be your prince. At least for tonight.”
I slept late Sunday morning, aching with exhaustion. I finally made my way to the kitchen at eleven, only because of my intense need for coffee. In my robe and slippers, I glanced at the clock. Addison and Glen had a plane to catch at one o’clock to the Virgin Islands. I smiled at the thought of Addison’s beautiful wedding. Despite her nervous tears the morning before, she and Glen had danced the night away at the Vineyard, and I had never seen her so happy.
My smile vanished as I thought about Debra’s final comment to me.
Father, what do I do?
I sat down on the sofa and drew my knees up, holding my warm cup of coffee and thinking about Luke and Debra. Luke and I hadn’t really talked since the day he’d called me. Now Debra seemed on the verge of her own not-so-mini meltdown.
What’s he waiting for?
I knew Luke well enough to know that if he’d dated Debra for eight months, he had long-term intentions. He would never be able to just date casually. I had no doubt he planned to marry her, but knowing him as I did, I knew he wouldn’t ask until he was ready to. Debra had a lot of pull with him, but he’d propose when he felt it was right.
My thoughts moved to Everett. The night had ended well between us—both of us exhausted and exhilarated from the wedding. A light kiss and he’d sent me on my way home, promising to see me sometime today before his flight home tomorrow. Still, there’d been something in his eyes that worried me a little.
I finished my coffee and headed for a hot shower, hoping the steaming water would help rinse away my anxiety.
When Everett showed up at my apartment that night, I knew immediately from the look in his eyes that something was indeed wrong.
“Do you want to go out for drinks or anything?” I asked him, pushing open the door. He walked in, wearing a wrinkled T-shirt and shorts and running his fingers through his messy hair.
“No, I just want to talk.”
“Okay.” I closed the door and followed him to the sofa. My shoulders tensed slightly at his serious tone. “Did Addi and Glen make their flight okay?”
He nodded. “She texted me once they were on the plane.”
“Good.” I sat cross-legged on the couch. “Tell me what’s wrong, Everett.”
He blew out a breath and leaned back. “I think we need to hold off on us for a while.”
My stomach sank like a stone in water. Panic and disappointment coursed through my veins at breakneck speed. Everett placed a hand on my knee, and I instantly uncrossed my legs and stood up.
“Sara—”
“But—we just—last night—I don’t understand,” I argued, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.
He looked at me. “I’m crazy about you. Seriously. I am. But you’re not ready, and seeing Debra and Luke—seeing how much pain she was in—I can’t do that.”
“What?”
“He’s pulling away from her. I’m afraid you would do that with me eventually, Sara.”
“I wouldn’t.” I crossed my arms and sat back down, this time on the chair, leaving plenty of room between us. He leaned over, his elbows propped on his knees, his hands folded. Concern shadowed his face and seriousness replaced all the playful exchanges I’d enjoyed from him during the past few days.
“You may,” he said, a tiny, sad sympathetic smile on his face.
“I thought … I’m just surprised. I thought you were into this.” My anger was seeping through at this point—we had such a good thing going. Why did he all of a sudden want to break up?
He sat up straight. “You’re not hearing me! I’m so into this. Into you, Sara. I need you to be sure. And I’m not convinced that you are. So let’s take some time.”
I released a pent-up breath. “You think I should talk to Luke.”
“I think you should have talked to him years ago! I think he picked the wrong person, and he’s realizing it, and he’s in a really bad situation. I don’t envy him that. But don’t think for one minute that I want you to end up with him. I want us to take some time and for you to come to the conclusion that you’re into this.”
“Okay,” I said, my racing pulse slowing at the assurance that he wasn’t saying goodbye forever to me. “I’ve been consumed with wedding stuff and work obligations for weeks. Maybe a little time will be good for us.” I didn’t see how, but I wasn’t going to beg. If he wanted time, I’d give him that, and I’d find a way to reassure him that my heart was ready for more. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, lose him over Luke.
Everett stood up and walked over to where I sat. He took my hand and pulled me up next to him, then placed one hand behind my neck and brought me close, kissing me gently.
“You looked so beautiful at the wedding, Sara,” he told me, his voice tender. “I think you’re an amazing woman.”
His words warmed me and lent me some hope, but I couldn’t manage to smile. Fear and frustration surged through me—and worry that the adorable pilot in front of me was about to slip through my fingers. I hugged him tight. “How about if I call you sometime after the holidays?”
“You do that.” But his voice and embrace left me knowing he wasn’t entirely convinced. I hated to let him go.
Chapter Twenty-Five
That’s not really breaking up,” Lily said after a moment. I’d gone straight to her house Monday after work and told her Everett’s break-up speech to me.
“Really? What would you call it?” I asked, sitting at the kitchen island in Lily and Sam’s house.
“He wants you to be sure.”
“Breaking up with me is a strange way to find that out.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Have you talked to Debra?” I asked. Lily’s face scrunched and she pushed her hair out of her face.
