by Amber Crewes
Meghan led the dogs across the street, walking quickly toward the beach. She loved living only blocks away from the Pacific Ocean; after growing up in rural Texas, and then living two hours from the beach on the East side of Los Angeles, Meghan adored her new living situation in Sandy Bay. The public beach was only steps from her front door, and the dogs loved playing in the thick, damp sand.
As they reached the beachfront, Meghan let the dogs loose. Fiesta tore out of the leash, sprinting toward the waves crashing over the dark sand. Siesta clung by Meghan’s side, and Meghan reached down to pick her up, stroking her gently behind the ears.
“Meghan?”
She turned to see Jackie waving at her. “Hey!”
Jackie jogged over to her, removing little white earphones from her ears and tucking her cell phone into her purple sweatshirt. “I was just out on a jog. What are you up to?”
“I couldn’t stay inside on this gorgeous day,” she explained. “How’s it going? I had an interesting conversation with Sally Sheridan yesterday. I hear you are hosting her wedding next week at your event barn?”
Jackie’s cheeks flushed. “Did she say that?”
Meghan nodded.
“I just got caught up in the excitement of it, Meghan,” she told her as they strolled along the shoreline. “What are the odds that I buy a barn, and immediately, Mrs. Sheridan needs a place to have her wedding? I felt like it was destiny, Meghan, and you can’t say no to destiny.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “Is destiny going to fix up your barn?” she asked dryly. “You said there is a lot of work to be done to make the barn ready. How are you going to pull it together in a week? Shouldn’t you be there working now?”
Jackie shrugged. “I hired a crew to start painting,” she said as a wave nearly grazed her tennis shoes. “And tomorrow, a team of carpenters is going to remodel the staircase. I am taking it day by day, piece by piece.”
“That’s nice to hear, but you can’t take it day by day when you have an event booked in only six days,” Meghan insisted. “Jackie, if you want to pull this wedding off, you’re going to have to throw yourself into finishing this barn. I’m worried that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew!”
Jackie shook her head. “It’s not that bad, Meghan,” she said softly. “Hey, I have an idea. Let’s go out and see it. My car is parked over there in the parking lot, and we can zip over there right now.”
Meghan sighed. She had been so excited to spend the day outdoors, and the last thing she wanted to do was tour a ramshackle barn. “I don’t know,” she muttered.
“Please? Do it for me, Meghan,” Jackie pleaded. “I think you will be pleasantly surprised.”
Fifteen minutes later, Meghan, Jackie, and the two dogs arrived at the barn. “It’s huge,” Meghan remarked as she exited Jackie’s car. “This is going to take a lot more work than I expected.”
“It’s not that bad,” Jackie declared as they walked inside. The barn smelled of paint fumes, and Meghan’s eyes widened as she saw the paint crew touching up the tall, thick walls.
The barn was a giant open space with wood floors and wood walls. There was a narrow staircase to the side in the massive circular main room, and Meghan saw that it led to a balcony jutting out over the main event space. “There is plenty of space in here,” Meghan said. “Lots of room for dancing.”
“Exactly!” Jackie agreed. “See? I knew you would see my vision.”
Meghan yelped as she took a step. Her foot plunged through the wooden floor. “Jackie! Look at this! My foot went right through the floor.”
Jackie took Meghan’s hand and helped her loosen her foot, finally removing it from the broken wood floor. “It happens sometimes. I’ll have to get a crew out here to replace the floors, I guess.”
“You guess?” Meghan cried. “Jackie, I could have fallen through! Putting in a new floor will take weeks, if not months. How are you going to fix it in time for the wedding?”
“I guess we will have to patch it,” Jackie said breezily as she pointed to a glittering chandelier sitting on a table next to the door. “Look at the chandelier, Meghan. I bought it last night and had it shipped overnight from Switzerland. It’s going to be the centerpiece of the venue.”
“You had a chandelier shipped overnight from Switzerland?” Meghan gasped. “Jackie, how are you affording these renovations? What are you thinking? This is a disaster.”
Before Jackie could answer, someone bumped into Meghan. “Ouch,” Meghan groaned as she reached for her throbbing arm.
“Excuse me,” a silver-haired woman dressed in a mint green sweater dress apologized. “I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
“Are you with the paint crew?” Jackie asked, both she and Meghan taking in the woman’s immaculate appearance. “I’m Jackie, the new owner of this barn.”
The woman batted her gray eyelashes. “I’m not with the paint crew,” she murmured.
“Oh. Well, are you a potential patron? Are you interested in renting this space for an event?” Jackie asked excitedly.
“Absolutely not,” the woman hissed. “When I heard that someone had purchased this terrible barn, I had to come see this place for myself.”
“Terrible?” Jackie asked. “It isn’t so bad; I think our repairs will be finished sooner than later. Can I give you my business card? Maybe you could book something here?”
The woman vigorously shook her head. “This barn is cursed,” she declared as Meghan’s face paled. “You have no idea what you are getting into with this wicked place. If I were you, I would burn it down today.”
Meghan and Jackie stared as the woman turned on her heel and stormed out of the barn. “What on Earth…” Jackie began.
“Who was that?” Meghan asked nervously. “I’ve never seen her before. Do you think she is right? Do you believe the barn is cursed?”
Jackie frowned. “I hope not,” she whispered. “But after all of the time and money I’ve now poured into this place, I’m scared that it isn’t going to work out. What if I lose everything over my little whim?”
Meghan wrapped her arms around her friend. “Don’t think like that,” she told Jackie. “You have to believe in yourself and believe in your idea. You believed that the barn would be successful, so now, we have to do some work to make it so.”
Jackie wiped a tear from her eye. “You think I can pull this off?”
“We,” Meghan corrected. “I think we can pull this off, Jackie. Together.”
5
S ix long days later, Meghan stood outside of the barn, her mouth ajar with awe. They had done it; in six days, Meghan and Jackie had transformed the barn into a spectacular venue, complete with new floors, a fresh coat of bright cream paint, and the sparkling chandelier dangling above it all. There was new furniture as well; twelve white marble-topped tables were arranged artfully on the sides of the room, and the matching chairs were lined up in rows in front of the altar that had been specially built for the wedding.
“I can’t believe we pulled it off,” Jackie whispered excitedly to Meghan as they surveyed the barn. “It looks amazing! I would throw my own wedding here.”
Meghan nodded. She herself could hardly believe that they had turned the barn into such a spectacular venue, and as the guests began to file inside for Mrs. Sheridan’s wedding, her heart was thankful.
“The venue looks good, we look good,” Jackie whispered as more smiling guests walked inside. “That color is just perfect on you.”
Meghan blushed. She was wearing a floor-length grass green dress. The silk clung to her curves, and the sweetheart neckline and beading along the bodice accentuated her womanly figure. “I wish Jack could see me in this dress,” she lamented. “He got called in to the station today for an emergency, and he doesn’t think he’ll be able to make it to the wedding.”
“What a pity,” Jackie said, running a hand through her straightened hair. “Still, at least you have a boyfriend to send pictures to! I wish I had someone to admi
re me today.”
Jackie was dressed in a short purple dress with puffed sleeves and a high neckline. In her six inch high heels, she looked chic and cosmopolitan, and Meghan was envious of her tiny waist and shiny hair.
“Is Frank here yet?” Meghan asked. “I saw Mrs. Sheridan and her bridesmaids arrive a few minutes ago out back, but what about the groom?”
“He and his fellows are in the Groom’s Room,” Jackie replied, referring to the finished basement they had hastily converted into a pool room. “They are enjoying snacks and drinks before the ceremony begins.”
“It’s almost time,” Meghan shrieked as she looked at her delicate silver watch. “I am going to go inside and ask the guests to find their seats.”
Meghan scurried into the barn, but before she could make her announcement, Kirsty Fisher grabbed her by the wrist. “Meghan, darling,” Kirsty cooed. “This venue is lovely. I cannot believe the natural light in here!”
“Thank you,” she said, admiring Kirsty’s lavender pantsuit and matching heels. “We worked hard to make this happen. Mrs. Sheridan is a special woman, and we wanted her to have the best wedding day imaginable.”
“I think you’ve succeeded,” Kirsty said as she peered around. “I would like to secure this spot for a luncheon next week. The Sandy Bay Women’s League is getting together to discuss our fall gala, and this would be the perfect place for our lunch meeting. What do you say?”
Meghan smiled. “Our booking can be done online. Why don’t I email you the venue’s information later this evening?”
“That would be great,” she agreed. “I’ll be in touch.”
Meghan walked down the aisle, careful that her shoes did not sully the pale pink runner that had already been set in place. “Excuse me? Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way to your seats! The ceremony will be beginning soon.”
The crowd obeyed, and people began to find their seats. Meghan’s eyes watered as she walked back up the aisle. It had been ages since she had attended a wedding, and now, as she grew closer and closer with Jack, her boyfriend, she was thinking about her own wedding. What would it be like to march happily up the aisle, arm-in-arm with Jack? Would Jack pump his fist with excitement when they were declared husband and wife? Was he even thinking about marriage? They had been together nearly a year, and while Meghan felt confident that she would accept a proposal from her boyfriend, was he even considering asking her to be his wife in the near future?
“Hey, ma’am?” a gruff voice interrupted Meghan’s thoughts as she approached the center of the barn.
Meghan turned to find a short, portly man grinning at her. He was dressed in a maroon suit, and he was holding a black binder.
“Can I help you with something?”
“I’m Moses Livingstone, the pastor? I officiate at Sandy Bay Baptist, Mrs. Sheridan’s church. I was wondering how we are doing on time right now, and I was told you are in charge of this shin-dig?”
Meghan extended her hand to greet the pastor. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “I am Meghan Truman. We are looking at another ten minutes, at least according to the schedule.”
“Thank you,” Pastor Livingstone said. “I am just overjoyed for Mrs. Sheridan and Frank. What a lovely couple they make. I am thrilled they have decided to make their love official with a wedding.”
Meghan nodded. “They deserve all of the happiness in the world,” she agreed. “Weddings are so special.”
“They are,” he affirmed. “Do you have anyone special in your life, Meghan? Any wedding bells ringing for you in the future?”
Meghan thought of Jack’s handsome face. His blue eyes unfailingly sent shivers down her spine, and she pictured him dressed in a tuxedo, a gold ring on his left hand. “I would hope so,” she admitted sheepishly. “I have been dating my boyfriend for some time, and I have my fingers crossed that he thinks as highly of me as I do of him.”
Pastor Livingstone beamed. “I’m sure he’s thinking about the future,” he confidently declared. “And, when the time comes, if you need someone to officiate, I would be happy to help. I officiated the weddings of all of my daughters and granddaughters, along with almost every other girl in Sandy Bay. It’s a good thing I love weddings so much!”
Meghan chuckled, amused by the elderly pastor’s cheer. “That would be nice. Maybe I’ll be asking you soon!”
“I hope so,” he said. “I can’t believe how beautiful you’ve made this place. It was so old and desolate, and you’ve made it pretty.”
“It took a lot of work and too many sleepless nights,” Meghan confessed. “But, Mrs. Sheridan deserves it.”
“It seems familiar,” the pastor told her as he gazed at the rafters. “I believe I officiated a wedding here before, many years ago…”
“That isn’t possible,” Meghan gently told him. “This used to be a barn.”
“Yes, but I believe there was an event thrown here before it was abandoned in the eighties. Perhaps my memory is fading, but I do believe the groom ended up eloping with the caterer!”
Meghan’s eyes widened, but she giggled when she saw the twinkle in the pastor’s eyes. “I can assure you, Pastor Livingstone, that will not be happening today!” she laughed. “Mrs. Sheridan and her groom will live happily ever after!”
Moments later, the room was silent as Pastor Livingstone made his way down the aisle and turned to face the crowd. Frank followed behind him, and as he began his descent, a pianist began playing Canon in D.
“It’s happening!” Jackie squealed as Meghan shushed her.
“Will you please rise?” Pastor Livingstone asked the crowd as Frank turned to face the audience.
Everyone stood, and as the music swelled, the doors in the back of the barn opened. Mrs. Sheridan began floating down the aisle.
“She looks stunning,” Meghan whispered to Jackie with tears in her eyes. “Look at the dress! She even draped lace around her cane to make it festive.”
Everyone ooohed and ahhhed as Mrs. Sheridan glided toward her groom, and when she reached the altar, she was grinning.
“You may be seated,” Pastor Livingstone announced to the room. “Dearly beloved, we gather here to witness the union of two of Sandy Bay’s most treasured individuals…”
The ceremony was brief, but beautiful, and Meghan found herself dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief for most of it. Finally, before the rings were exchanged, the Pastor addressed the audience again. “Thank you for your presence today in celebrating the love between these two young lovebirds,” he said. “And now, I ask, does anyone object to the marriage of this man and this woman? Please speak now, or forever hold your peace.”
“I don’t know why they include this line in a wedding ceremony,” Jackie complained as she snapped her gum. “It’s so tacky. Who is going to object at a wedding?”
The crowd was silent. “Excellent, Frank can you please turn to your bride and repeat these words after--”
“WAIT!”
A shrill voice rang out from the back of the barn, and the audience gasped as a middle-aged woman stormed down the aisle. “I object! I object!”
Mrs. Sheridan narrowed her eyes at the intruder. “How dare you interrupt my wedding?” she screamed. “Who exactly do you think you are? Meghan? Jennie? Call security! This lunatic has invaded your event barn and is ruining my wedding!”
The woman crossed her arms. Her icy blonde hair was wound tightly into a bun atop her head, and she wore a white shift dress and pearls. “I’m not leaving!”
The pastor interjected. “Ma’am,” he said softly. “This is a wedding ceremony between two people who are madly in love. Please let them enjoy their day.”
“Should we do something?” Jackie whispered frantically as the guests began to chatter.
“What can we do?” Meghan replied. “That blonde woman looks furious, and what if she has a weapon or something?”
Mrs. Sheridan raised her cane over her head, causing a collective gasp from the crowd. “You get
out of here, or you will get a nice, close look at my cane!” she yelled. “Who do you think you are?”
The stranger turned to Frank and stared into his eyes. “I’m his wife,” she announced. “I’m the wife of Frank Abbott.”
6
A few days later, Meghan, Jackie, and Karen caught up over coffee and scones at the bakery. Meghan had not wanted to host them, but Karen wanted to know the details of Mrs. Sheridan’s failed wedding, and after avoiding fifteen of her phone calls, she knew it was time to chat.
“This cranberry scone is delicious,” Jackie remarked as she took a bite.
“It’s actually orange,” Meghan corrected.
“You used my oranges?” Karen asked in delight. “Well, I know the scones aren’t gluten free, vegan, or calorie-friendly, but I have to try one.”
Meghan placed a fresh scone on Karen’s napkin, and she began to eat the warm treat. “This should be your new specialty dessert,” Karen remarked as she licked her lips. “It tastes so light and the flavor is sweet and tangy.”
Meghan smiled. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
Jackie cleared her throat. “You know what I didn’t enjoy? My first event at the barn going up in flames. I can’t believe that happened. Frank has a wife?”
“His memory isn’t always spot on, dear,” Karen clucked. “I’ve known Frank for years. He is a good man; his memory started to go early, sadly, but he isn’t malicious or bad. I didn’t realize he and his wife were still married. I, and everyone else in town, assumed that they had split a while ago, so her little appearance was shocking.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “Are we sure she is telling the truth? What if she’s trying to take advantage of him? He was a doctor before he retired. Surely he has some money in the bank?”
Karen shrugged. “He wasn’t a fancy, city doctor,” she argued. “And that woman did look a bit familiar. I need to go look through my high school yearbooks. Maybe we graduated together?”
Jackie took a bite of her scone. “There is something I would like to know,” she said, her voice tinged with irritation. “Why is Mrs. Sheridan referred to as Mrs. Sheridan? I’ve never heard of a Mr. Sheridan. Was she married? Divorced? Widowed? What happened to her husband?”