Nantucket Weddings

by Kelley, Pamela M.

  “We used to go there. But I prefer to spend the summer here. My husband, Peter, flies in on the weekends. This year we have a full house. Both girls always have friends or boyfriends visiting and my son, Ben, decided to come this year, too, but he’s not staying with us. He wanted his own place and bought a condo downtown, but then you heard about that fire?”

  “Did someone say my name?” A booming voice came into the room along with the familiar face she’d seen the night before.

  Lillian laughed. “Your ears must have been ringing. I was just telling Mia here about your condo—you remember Mia? She’s helping with Bethany’s wedding.”

  Ben stopped and stared at Mia for a moment and then broke into a grin. “Of course, I remember Mia. I think we’re neighbors now, too—at the Beach Plum Cove Inn and eventually when our condos get fixed up.”

  Bethany wondered how he knew she was his neighbor at the condo, too. He must have noticed her confusion, and he explained, “I made it to breakfast late and Lisa filled me in.”

  “How interesting. You’re going to be neighbors!” Bethany looked intrigued at the idea.

  “Have you eaten? There’s plenty of food. You could join us?” Lillian invited.

  But Ben shook his head. “No, I’m not hungry. I just stopped in to pick up some insurance paperwork I had sent here that I need for the restoration. I’ll catch up with you all later.”

  Chapter 5

  Kate Hodges sighed as she stared at the blank computer screen. Her latest mystery just refused to write itself. She’d blasted through the first fifty pages, caught up in the excitement of her idea, which her trusted advisors—her fiancé Jack, her sisters, and Philippe, her good friend who was also a huge bestselling author, had all given the green light. But she was stuck and just didn’t know what to do with these people next.

  She stared past the computer and out the window at the gorgeous ocean views from where she sat in Jack’s office, which had become her regular writing spot. The serene view usually inspired her. But not today—the water was choppy, the waves bigger than usual and topped with frothy whitecaps. It matched her mood, turbulent and unsettled.

  She closed the laptop and stood and stretched. Maybe a walk around the block would help get some ideas flowing. She knew what the problem was. She was stressed out about her upcoming wedding and it was dampening her creativity. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, put her sneakers on and stepped outside.

  Jack was at work, at the seafood market he helped his father run, and he wasn’t due home until much later. He was going straight to his brother’s place after work, and they were going to grab a beer and a bite to eat somewhere so that Kate could have the house for her girls’ night gathering.

  She was looking forward to seeing all of her favorite people, but she was also dreading the wedding-related questions that were bound to come up. Especially since she’d invited Mia, who was thankfully handling her wedding coordinating and was waiting patiently for answers to many of these questions. Her sisters, Kristen and Abby, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Beth, who was marrying their younger brother, Chase, and their friend Angela, who was engaged to Philippe, were also coming.

  Unlike her friend Mia, who lived and breathed weddings, and loved them so much she decided to make a career out of planning them, Kate had never been one of those girls that daydreamed about having a big wedding, who knew exactly what her dress would look like and what kind of cake she’d serve. Thinking about the many decisions she still needed to make was overwhelming, especially when it came to the guest list. She was dreading making the final call on who was a yes and who was a no.

  If it was up to her and money was no object, she’d invite everyone they knew, but of course that wasn’t realistic, especially on Nantucket where everything was more expensive, anyway. Jack had some uncles that needed sorting out. One was a definite yes and the other he hadn’t seen in forever and had no interest in inviting, but technically he was Jack’s godfather and his father was putting pressure on him to ‘be nice’ and just invite him. Kate had a good idea how that was going to turn out, but it was just one of many details that needed decisions. And she still had to pick out a dress. She’d tried on a bunch, but nothing had seemed right and they’d seen most of what was available on Nantucket, so a trip to the Cape, and probably to Boston, needed to happen soon.

  Kate was excited to marry Jack, she just was dreading the wedding itself. She’d floated the idea of eloping or having a small, intimate family wedding and that had quickly been shot down by everyone. She knew her mother was looking forward to a bigger wedding so all their local friends and family could be there, and Jack had made it clear that his father expected the same. Especially as it didn’t look as though Jack’s brother would be getting married anytime soon, as he wasn’t even dating anyone at the moment. Kate knew she’d probably have a wonderful time once the big day came. It was just getting to that point that was wearing on her.

  It also didn’t help that Sam Fisher had reached out to her only an hour ago via Facebook. That Sam Fisher. The one she’d been head-over-heels crazy about in high school. They’d dated for two years, freshman and sophomore year, until his parents moved off-island, back to Wellesley, a suburb of Boston. They’d lost touch after a few months, and Kate hadn’t thought about him in years. He’d sent her a friend request, followed by a message wanting to know if she’d like to meet for coffee, to catch up. Because he’d moved back to Nantucket.

  His profile said he was married, with two children, and hers clearly showed she was engaged, so she didn’t think anything of it. It would be fun to see Sam and to hear about his family and what had brought him back to Nantucket. She’d mention it to Jack, but she didn’t think he’d have a problem with it. He wasn’t the jealous type. She was glad, though, that Sam was married. If he’d been single and wanted to meet for coffee after all these years, she wasn’t sure how she would have felt about that.

  She started up the hill and hoped that after a fifteen- to twenty-minute walk, she’d have some idea of what needed to happen next in her story. And if that didn’t work, she might just call it a day and start making her marinated tomatoes for her bruschetta topping. Everyone was bringing their favorite appetizers tonight, which was always fun, and Kate still needed to run to Bradford’s Liquors to pick up a few more bottles of wine. A new Facebook message caught her attention as it flashed across her phone from Sam.

  “Looking forward to catching up on Sunday. Meet you at eleven at The Bean?”

  Kate smiled and immediately typed back. “Sounds good. See you then.”

  * * *

  Mia checked her phone when she finished with Bethany and was back in her car. She quickly returned a few emails and listened to a message from Will Matthews, who was handling the fire damage removal and restoration for her condo. She smiled as she listened to the message.

  “Hey, Mia. I’ll be at the condo all afternoon if you want to stop by and take a look at some hard wood samples I found. Hope you’re doing okay?” She texted him quickly. “I’m on my way now. Be there in fifteen minutes.”

  She was so glad that Will was doing the work. She trusted him and knew his work was excellent. He’d also been one of Mark’s best friends, and they’d often spent time with Will and his fiancée, Caroline. Mia wasn’t involved with that wedding. Caroline was doing everything herself. But she imagined she’d be getting an invite soon. She didn’t remember the date Will had mentioned last, but thought it was probably coming up in the next few months.

  When she pulled up to the condo and parked in one of her two designated parking spots, she saw that Will’s truck was parked in the other one. She took a deep breath as she walked toward her front door. The first time she’d seen the condo after the fire had been such a shock. Even though most of the damage was on the second floor and the roof, there was still soot everywhere and the smoke stench had been almost unbearable. Everything stunk of smoke—it permeated her mattress, the carpet, all of her clothes. She’d h
ad to throw it all out. Will had arranged to have everything else, her bed and other furniture, moved to a storage facility so it could air out and, if needed, he would then work to remove any lingering smoke smell.

  Will had also suggested, instead of replacing the wall-to-wall carpeting, that she go with hardwood floors and she liked that idea. They were more durable, and she could choose different throw rugs in various colors to accent them. And in the remote chance there was ever a fire again, the wood could likely be salvaged, sanded down and refinished.

  Her door was ajar, and she could hear Will hard at work. When she stepped inside, he was in the kitchen, scrubbing away at the very sooty walls. He turned at the sound of her footsteps, and pulled off the mask he wore to protect from the chemicals and soot flying around in the air. He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair, pushing it off his face. Will and Mark were such opposites in looks. Will was taller and thinner, with light skin, a dusting of freckles across his face and arms that were lean and muscled from working with his hands all day.

  “Hey there. Come out on the deck and I’ll show you the samples.” He led the way through the living room to French doors that opened to one of her favorite things about the condo, the small outside deck that overlooked the pier and marina. It was a beautiful day, and Mia paused for a moment to admire a sleek thirty-foot sailboat that was gliding toward the marina.

  Will handed her the first of several polished pieces of wood. “So, I brought a few options. I think you mentioned that you like some of the darker woods, like Brazilian Cherry?”

  Mia nodded. “I do, but I’m glad you brought a few different ones because I really am not sure what would be best.”

  Will showed her the various wood samples and explained what each was. They were all lovely, but she was drawn to one that was darker with almost a rose tone to it.

  “That’s the Bolivian Rosewood. It’s been popular these past few years.”

  “I love it. I’ll go with that.”

  Will explained how the process for installing the floors would go, and that he’d order the materials and start once all the cleanup was done. He had a calm, confident way of talking, and it was clear that he loved what he did. Mia knew he’d taken over his grandfather’s business after graduating college. His grandfather was ready to retire then, and his father had no interest in the business. Will did all kinds of custom woodwork, too, building entertainment centers and bookcases, even built-in office desks.

  “How’s business? Is this a busy time for you?” she asked.

  “Very. We had a client push off a project, which is how we were able to start on this so soon. We are booked up for months.” He grinned. “It’s a good problem to have.”

  “And not surprising. You do beautiful work. How is Caroline? I haven’t seen her around in a while.”

  An uncomfortable expression flashed across Will’s face and he looked away for a moment before answering. “We broke up, actually. She moved off-island yesterday.”

  Mia’s jaw dropped. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. She moved?”

  He sighed. “Things hadn’t been great with us for a while. I thought it was maybe just wedding stress, but it was more than that. We both sort of realized that we were getting married just because it was what everyone expected, the logical next step. Not because we were madly in love and eager to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I guess it’s better to figure that out before the wedding, though, right?”

  He nodded. “It is a good thing. Or at least it will be. I’m still getting used to the idea of it. Ultimately, Caroline didn’t see herself staying on Nantucket long-term either. She was getting stir-crazy to get off-island, and, well, I can’t imagine ever leaving. This is home to me.” He looked thoughtful though before adding, “Though I suppose if she was really the one, I would have found a way to make it work somewhere else if it meant being together. It’s still nothing like what you went through, though. How are you doing? I still miss Mark. I can’t believe it’s been a year.”

  “I know. It seems like it just happened and yet is sort of like another lifetime ago. It’s still hard sometimes, but not as hard as it used to be. So that’s something.”

  He smiled, a slow, sympathetic smile, and she knew he understood.

  “What are you doing on Sunday?” he asked.

  “No plans. Why, what’s going on?”

  “I’m having a cookout. All the usual suspects will be there.” Will and Caroline regularly had people over for cookouts. He had a small house near the beach with a huge deck that was perfect for entertaining.

  “I’d love to come. I’ll bring some guac and chips or whatever you need?” Mia usually brought her homemade guacamole whenever she and Mark had gone to these kinds of get-togethers. That reminded her she needed to stop and get some avocados, cilantro and lemons to make a batch to bring over to Kate’s later.

  “Your guac would be perfect. It will be fun.”

  Chapter 6

  When Mia arrived at Kate’s house a few minutes past seven, she was one of the first ones there. Kate hollered for her to come in when she knocked and Angela was in the kitchen with her, opening a bottle of Bread and Butter chardonnay. Kate was putting a tray of bruschetta in the oven and smiled when she saw Mia.

  “Oh, good, you brought your guacamole! Do you want to set it on the kitchen table by the cheese and crackers? Help yourself to wine or a cocktail.”

  Angela looked up as she finished opening the wine. “Do you like Chardonnay? I could pour you a glass.”

  “Sure, I’d love some. That’s actually one of my favorites.” Mia usually drank chardonnay if she was having white wine. Angela poured one for her and then another for Kate.

  “Angela brought some amazing cheeses,” Kate said. “What did you say this one is, with the gray line going through it?”

  “Humboldt Fog. It’s an aged goat cheese. The softer bit near the edge reminds me of Brie.”

  Mia’s stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten a thing since lunch.

  “I’ve had that one. Izzy brought some home a few days ago. It was amazing.”

  “How is that going? You’re living with your sister now?” Angela asked.

  “I was. I’m actually staying at Kate’s mother’s inn now, though. Insurance covers it and Izzy’s house is small, since her boyfriend lives there, too.”

  “Oh, I bet it’s nice to have your own space. Hopefully the renovations won’t take too long.”

  They both turned as the front door opened and Kate’s sisters, Kristen and Abby, came in, followed a minute later by their soon-to-be sister-in-law, Beth, who was marrying their younger brother, Chase. Kristen had a platter of brownies. Abby made her famous stuffed mushrooms and Beth brought hummus, pita wedges and an assortment of fresh cut veggies. Kate directed everyone to put the food on the table and while they all helped themselves to wine, she pulled the tray of bubbling bruschetta out of the oven and put them on a large platter.

  “Oh, you made your bruschetta! Good, I’m starving,” Abby said. “I had one mushroom—for quality control of course, and I had to let Jeff have one.”

  “Of course,” Kate laughed. “How’s Natalie? I wasn’t sure if you were going to bring her?” Abby’s daughter, Natalie, was almost two and adorable, but into everything.

  Abby took a big sip of wine. “No. I told Jeff Mommy needed a break and the two of them could bond.”

  “Perfect. Okay, everyone help yourselves and grab a seat.” Kate brought the platter of bruschetta over, and they all loaded their plates and settled around the big round table. Mia took a little of everything and sighed when she took a bite of the bruschetta. The topping was sweet, creamy and savory over crunchy, garlicky toasted bread.

  “Kate, how do you make these? They are so good.”

  Kate looked pleased by the compliment. “They’re easy. It’s just Boursin cheese, the packaged stuff you buy at the store. I spread it on toasted, garlic-rubbed baguette sli
ces and top with diced tomatoes that I let sit in some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for about a half hour. I heat them in the oven for maybe ten minutes.”

  They chatted easily while they ate, and with three of the women engaged, it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to wedding planning. Mia didn’t bring it up. She didn’t think it was appropriate, and she had a sense that Kate was feeling stressed about everything as she hadn’t gotten back to her about several things that needed deciding on.

  But Mia didn’t want to push. They still had time, and she knew that every bride was different and needed to go at their own pace. Some embraced the process more than others. She knew if it was up to Kate that she’d have a much smaller wedding, if a wedding at all. Eloping actually seemed more her style.

  “Kate, have you found a dress yet?” Beth asked.

  Kate smiled tightly at first, then laughed a moment later. “Not even close. I’ll probably have to make a trip off-island soon.”

  “I found a few options online that you might like. I’ll send you an email tomorrow with the store links, and you can get back to me with your thoughts when you have a chance,” Mia said. She had an idea now of Kate’s taste and had spent an hour or so searching online the night before while she and Penny were relaxing and watching TV.

  Kate looked relieved. “Thank you. I’ll take a look and let you know ASAP.”

  “No hurry.”

  Angela sipped her wine and looked as though she was weighing a decision before finally saying, “Philippe and I were chatting last night, and he suggested I use a wedding planner. We still haven’t even set a date yet, and he thought it might make things easier. I’m so busy with work. I just hired two more girls today.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Kate said.

  Angela smiled. “We keep getting referrals, which is great. But it doesn’t leave me with a lot of free time to plan a wedding. Would you be interested, Mia?”